Below the Breadline: Part IChurch on Main

10 – 14 October 2016

Road Map Introduction

Below the Breadline What, Why, How

Social Justice Local Context Theology of Justice

Discussion Q&A Close

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Below the Breadline What?

R30/day/person Living expenses

Why? Focused fast Open hearts and minds

How? Communal living Pray, seek, eat Share

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The Desensitisation of Stats In 2015, World Bank’s poverty line of $1.90/day, global

poverty reached 700 million, 10% of global population. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 43% of the global poor.

12 million people in South Africa alone. Global poverty has decreased by more than half in the

past 30 years. Most people think its on the rise. EU subsidies for cows >$2.50/day, Japan’s >$7.00/day The world’s wealthiest individuals (>R1,300,000 in nett

assets) total 8% of the global population but own 84% of global wealth. Inequality is definitely on the rise.

Inequality is as bad as in France before the Revolution…

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Lost in Translation… Poverty The poor vs. The poor in spirit Inequality Giving vs. Charity Mercy Justice

Spiritual Social

Righteousness

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Local Context

Wynberg! Since 1683 land along the Liesbeek River supplied the Dutch East India

Company, named De Oude Wijnbergh (Old Wine Mountain). From British control from 1800’s Wynberg developed rapidly into a

garrison town, with a large number of troops in the area. Wynberg was a convenient half way point between Table Bay and False

Bay and this led to a hub of commercial activity. The famous astronomer John Herschel lived at Wynberg between 1834

and 1838, studied the southern skies and botanical work. In Wynberg, the young Charles Darwin met Herschel in 1836, a meeting

which considerably influenced Darwin's later work. In the early 1900’s the Verwoerd family settled in Wynberg, Cape Town

for ten years, after which they moved to Bulawayo, Rhodesia. In 1985, Seven school students were arrested during student protests in

Wynberg and were charged and convicted of public violence for which they served prison terms of one to two years.

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Who is this Guy?

Will the real Jan van Riebeeck please stand up?

The first multinational company

The first traded shares

Remember this?

The ‘Company’ Flag?

Who is this Guy?

The Founder of Stellenbosch

#RhodesMustFall? (Smuts too)“…if the whites maintain their position as the supreme race, the day may come when we shall all be thankful that we have the natives with

us in their proper position…we have given them no share in the government and I think rightly, too and no interest in the local

development of their country. What one feels is that there are questions like bridges, roads,

education, plantations of trees, and various local questions, to which the natives might devote themselves with good results. At present we give them nothing to do, because we have taken away their power of making war…we do not teach them the dignity of labour, and they

simply loaf about in sloth and laziness…it is our duty as a Government to remove these poor children from this

life of sloth and laziness, and to give them some gentle stimulus to come forth and find out the dignity of labour.”

(Rhodes, 1894)

A legacy to rediscover?

The Theology of Justice

Why Justice?

 And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 NIV)

9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

(Zechariah 7:9,10 ESV)

The Character of GodBlessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea,

and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the

hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the

Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the

way of the wicked he brings to ruin”

(Psalm 146:5-9 ESV)

The Character of God17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the

mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner,

giving him food and clothing.

(Deuteronomy 10:17-18 ESV)

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness

in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

(Jeremiah 9: 23-24 ESV)

Radical generosity“When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers[a] or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.

13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

(Luke 14: 12-13 ESV)

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many

wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their

food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(Acts 2: 42-47 ESV)

What did Jesus say? 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and

found the place where it was written,18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives    and recovering of sight to the blind,

    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

(Luke 4: 17-20 ESV)

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

(Matthew 25: 31-46 ESV)

WWJD? 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with

him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and

you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or

naked and clothe you?

The Final Judgment…39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the

least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire

prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and

in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or

naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of

the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

(Matthew 25: 31-46 ESV)

‘Scandalous Justice’“Is not this the fast that I choose, to loose the bonds of wickedness to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break

every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of

the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the

yoke from your midst,  the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the

desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

(Isaiah 58: 6-7 ESV)

Below the Breadline What?

R30/day/person Living expenses

Why? Focused fast Open hearts and minds

How? Communal living Pray, seek, eat together, alone

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Below the Breadline: Part IChurch on Main

10 – 14 October 2016