Earlier this year on the Kern Pastors Network Drew Cleveland called attention to the book The Poverty of Nations by Wayne Grudem and Barry Asmus, and to Greg Forster’s review of it on the Gospel Coalition’s website. That review concluded,
There is nothing wrong with writing a book about policy, of course; I’ve done the same myself. And economic policy is part of the culture, not separate from it. But precisely for that reason, getting the culture at large right is more important than getting policy right. A nation of irresponsible people will always reject the economic freedom that Grudem and Asmus are calling them to.
Drew asks, “Pastors, why does this matter to you?”
You’re not a foreign missionary, aid worker, policymaker, social worker, or non-profit leader. But you probably have some form of compassion ministry in your church. If it is focused on helping to cultivate and heal relationships, does it lead to the flourishing of the whole person? Does it encourage long-term growth away from of a culture of dependency to a culture of self-support? These questions matter because as you do ministry, I would argue that you are a culture-maker. Culture is what people make of the world, and you equip and empower people for those cultural acts of service to the world.
You may need to ask some questions about how you are creating culture and forming relationships. Read the whole article for some further tips–and links to good resources on the topic.
Image: KPN.
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