Gentrification With Justice

Gentrification With Justice

By Bob Lupton

Building a new home in a run-down neighborhood in Atlanta was a decision that neither of our parents supported. It was a bad financial move, they counseled us, not to mention the danger. But my wife Peggy and I were not relocating into the inner-city for economic reasons. We had finally come to the conclusion that our ministry would be more effective if we lived among the people we felt called to serve than continue to commute from the suburbs. And so we graciously thanked our parents for their love and concern and went ahead with our construction plans.

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Supply Side Jesus

I came across a comic commentary entitled “The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus,” and to be honest, I am not sure what I think about it. “Supply side” refers to supply side economics, and for those who have been around the justice conversation for a while the strip hits a bit close to home. Is what is referred to as “supply side Jesus” the daily practical response to justice issues some are proposing? Does this strip simply take unfair shots from the other side of a political/religious perspective? Can you embrace supply side principles of economic development without buying into a “prosperity gospel?” For that matter, what do you think about a gospel of prosperity? The entire comic is copied below:
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In the News: Africans to Bono: ‘For God’s sake please stop!’

With all of the megastar attention to the needs in Africa, and public awareness reaching all time highs, voices from inside Africa have begun to raise a new concern: STOP flooding Africa with aid. This perspective might come as a surprise. Read on to investigate these viewpoints through two recent articles…

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The Bible on the Poor

We have compiled another scripture list (read the biblical justice scripture list here). This time specifically on what the Bible has to say about the poor. This list is not exhaustive, and at this point no commentary is included — just scripture.

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Pondering a miracle, a parable, and an old joke.

The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, the parable of the talents, and an old joke you’ve all probably heard might help us ponder what it means to be a steward of what God has given us.
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Make a Difference by Searching

Surfing the World Wide Web is big business – and where there is big business there is big opportunity for generous giving. You can make a difference in how profits from your web searches are used though a simple and compelling concept by GoodSearch.
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In the News: Why Income Inequality Matters

Today in Yahoo! Finance Charles Wheelan, Ph.D., lecturer in public policy at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, has written an intriguing article on why income inequality matters. Read on for a lot of great points worth thinking about and worthy of discussion.

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How Rich Are You?

Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world. Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where would you sit on one of those lists? Here’s your chance to find out.

Visit the Global Rich List, enter your annual income, take a look at the results, and then come back here to share your thoughts: www.globalrichlist.com

How rich are your really? What does the LORD require?

In the News: What Should a Billionaire Give — and What Should You?

Charity, Compassion, Philanthropy, Stewardship — the ethics of billionaire spending and philanthropy. What does the world need? What is the world doing? What can be done? What should we do? If “even the heathens” can accomplish so much than how much more should the Church expect of itself? Peter Singer just published a phenomenal article in The New York Times that provides an outstanding entry into global justice issues complete with reality, philosophy, and hard numbers. A must read.

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In the News: Who Gives and Who Doesn’t?

In order be better stewards of our wealth it is important to get clear about the realities of charitable giving. How much is our culture really giving? Who is doing the giving? Does the church really fall short secular culture? What good is our charity really doing? What are we to think of the new super-philanthropy of the likes of Gates and Warren? Stereotypes abound – so much so that the debate has inspired the ABC News program 20/20 to do an entire investigative story into the concept. This is the third of three articles from ABC News that fit well with our discussions at The Just life.

Wealth – What does the LORD require?

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