Lesson 2: The Curtain that Veils Poverty
Considering our world today. . ..
The San people are descendants of those who lived in what is now South Africa and Botswana. They are the original human inhabitants of the sub-Saharan Africa.
The San were hunter-gathers, and some of them still survive in small numbers in the Kalahari Desert. They are small in stature, their skin is brown, and they use unique ‘click’ languages.
In response to hearing the gospel story, a San woman sitting around a campfire in the Kalahari Desert said she felt it is possible that God would let His Son die for a white man and maybe for a black man, but she could never believe God would allow His Son to die for a San woman. In her marred image, she saw herself as having no value and had no idea why she had been created. She was twisted by the ‘poverty of being.’ This state of mind and heart can become permanent.
Questions. . .Comments?
1. What might have influenced this woman to see herself this way?
2. What do you think it means by the ‘poverty of being?’ Can that happen in America?
3. What do you think is needed to help someone recover from this kind of poverty?
4. Is there a story in the gospel that you would like to share with this San woman to help her understand God’s love for her?
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Questions. . .Comments?
ReplyDelete1. What might have influenced this woman to see herself this way? How she was viewed by other native peoples or tribes in her area or what her placement was in her own cultural society.
2. What do you think it means by the ‘poverty of being?’ Can that happen in America? yes- there are people in our culture who believe they are poorer than others just because of their race, their religious beliefs, their sexual orientation etc.
3. What do you think is needed to help someone recover from this kind of poverty? Acceptance from us as Christians - Jesus when he walked the Earth accepted everyone as God's children and we are called to behave the same way
4. Is there a story in the gospel that you would like to share with this San woman to help her understand God’s love for her? The story of the Good Samaritan
It is amazing to think that the views of others can so deeply affect people. I would imagine that this woman thought so little of herself because that is what she was told - that is what people around her thought. I think that this does happen in America and can even occur in people who are wealthy. Someone can be financially successful and still think very little of themselves. They can believe that God would allow His Son to die for others, but not for them. These people may feel like God loves them for what they do (or haven't done) and therefore they don't feel worthy of the love of God. As Christians we are called to show them that is not Jesus. Jesus came and showed us that God loves us because we are His children, not because of acts.
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