The poor will not always be with us

A few months ago my friend Chris told me about a new campaign being put together by several Christian relief and development organizations to mobilize the US church to take poverty alleviation seriously. The 58: campaign finally launched on Monday, and I think it's worth sharing.

This isn't the first initiative making the bold claim that alleviation of extreme poverty can be achieved in our lifetime, but it's the first unified effort I know of made up exclusively of Christians, claiming that the church has the resources and the mandate to make it happen. The campaign video and online materials cite statistics showing how much progress has been made in recent decades in the fight against extreme poverty, and its conclusions are hopeful. It takes its cue from the prophet Isaiah's famous words about true and false fasting:

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps go free,of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 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.

The campaign website is really interactive and would have never been possible a few years ago without the rapid rise and evolution of social media. How they describe it:

If the prophet Isaiah had the technology he would have built this. A way to “shout it aloud”. A way to “choose your fast.” What you see now is just the beginning. live58.org is for you and your friends. An engaging new way to take credible action. Together. It’s all about THE SHOUT (telling others) and THE FAST (sacrificial action). We need both, if we are going to end extreme poverty.

The ten member organizations are Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Compassion International, ECHO, Food for the Hungry, HOPE International, International Justice Mission, Living Water International, Micah Challenge, Plant With Purpose and World Relief.

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