More Than Just a Lack of Money
When you hear the word "poverty," what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most likely the word evokes feelings of hopelessness, despair or pity. Oftentimes we hear the word "poverty" included in a list of unmanageable and growing worldwide problems such as war, famine and disease. And it is a huge issue. In fact, according to a recent report, "Statistics on Poverty and Inequality," 3 billion people around the world live on less than two dollars a day.
Poverty, however, is much more than just a lack of money or a lack of material possessions. At its core, poverty is a lack of options. It is a mindset of utter hopelessness that overwhelms its victims with difficult circumstances. It tells them to give up.
Compassion International is dedicated to fighting this destructive mindset by offering hope to children and their families in poverty all over the world. And in the midst of our 50-plus years of interaction with victims of poverty, we have discovered an entirely different side of poverty — joy.
The Pearl of Joy
In his book Too Small to Ignore: Why Children Are the Next Big Thing, Compassion's President Wess Stafford explains this surprising aspect of poverty he calls "the pearl of joy":
The poor comprehend that joy is not dictated by the circumstances of life. Joy is a decision, a very brave one, about how you are going to respond to life. We in the West tend to be joyful when things go our way and good things are happening in our lives. For the poor, such good fortune and good things almost never come. Yet laughter and smiles abound.
Over the years as I have hosted dozens of Compassion's "vision trips" to the developing world, I've observed that Western visitors are greatly surprised by this. They simply can't believe how much joy thrives in the midst of harsh realities. If the poor chose to respond with anger or frustration, the world would be a much more dangerous place. Since the poor make up nearly two out of every three people on earth, imagine the ramifications if they had not learned to glean joy from the harshness of their everyday lives.
True Joy in Unlikely Places
Evidence of this unconditional joy is all over Compassion's ministry, from the smiling faces of boys and girls throughout our projects in the developing countries where we work to the inspiring photos and children's artwork that decorate the walls of our headquarters building in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Yes, poverty is a huge issue. And at Compassion we are doing our very best to fight for God's precious children in need. But there's also a lot we can learn from those courageous people within the grip of poverty; we can learn a lesson on what true joy really is … and how one can find this joy in the most unlikely of places.
