Session 4: Poor and Vulnerable People Should Be Protected

Session 4: Poor and Vulnerable People Should Be Protected photo by UN/Eskinder Debebe

Read Psalm 72

What an amazing vision of an earthly kingdom and its king functioning as God desires! Although we are unaccustomed to life under a king’s rule, we can read Psalm 72 in light of our present reality and discern the characteristics of godly leadership. One clear characteristic is the protection of poor and vulnerable people. In verse 4 the good king is called to “defend the cause of the poor of the people,” and in verses 12-14 he “delivers the needy when he calls” and saves them “from oppression and violence.” Protection of those who are weak is an integral part of the grand kingdom vision. Justice for the poor goes hand-in-hand with the kingdom’s prosperity and abundance (v. 3 and 16), the king’s dominion over his enemies (v. 8-9), and his long life and enduring fame (v. 15 and 17).

In the world of Psalm 72, the king was the government. It was his decision whether to defend the poor and deliver the needy of his land. While our present government bears little resemblance to a king, it still decides whether to save those who are weak from oppression and violence. And in a representative democracy such as ours in the United States, a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” we have a voice in these decisions. We are collectively in our country what the king of Psalm 72 was in his. And although the forms of government may change and have changed, God’s desired characteristics have not.

When Israel’s leaders did not uphold God’s kingdom vision, the role of the prophet was to call them to account. In God’s eyes, the leaders were not free to rule their nation as they desired. When poor and vulnerable people were not protected, when weak and needy people in the land were oppressed and exploited, God spoke through the prophets to the rulers of the land. From Isaiah to Jeremiah to Amos to Micah, God’s message through the prophets was clear: Leaders are not living according to God’s vision when they fail to protect those who are needy and vulnerable. Societies are not in right relationship to God as long as there is injustice in the land. The outward symptom of disregard for the poor betrays an inner disregard for God. Disaster awaited if Israel did not change its course and restore justice to the land.

Reflection Questions

1. Given what God teaches us, what should the role of government be in protecting poor and vulnerable people today?

2. How does our government here in the United States currently align with God’s vision for a just society? In what ways are we living up to God’s vision? In what ways are we falling short?

Hunger Report Theme Summary

In 2011, rising food prices have again drawn attention to the plight of poor people around the world. The 2012 Hunger Report argues that poor and vulnerable people should be protected as governments seek to fix the broken food system. Even as our nation struggles to address budget deficits, our food and farm policies should strengthen the food and nutrition safety net for people in the United States and around the world. This includes improvements in food aid and support for sustainable agriculture, as well as food and nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC, and school meals. See the Glossary on pages 144-147 for unfamiliar terms.

Discussion Questions

1. How does society benefit when people are well-nourished?

2. How do U.S. safety net programs benefit society as a whole? How does poverty-focused development assistance to poor countries benefit more than just the recipients of that aid?

Activities

1. “Starvation in the Horn of Africa” (Box i.1, page 16) notes that “food shortages may be triggered by drought, but famine is not the inevitable result.” Make a list of actions that could protect poor and vulnerable people from starvation in a future drought. Circle the items on your list that could be influenced by U.S. foreign assistance. Are there other ways the United States might help prevent famine overseas?

2. Identify the people in your group who do the most grocery shopping for their households. How much do they spend for each person for each meal? Consider that with SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps), a family of four receives $4.50 per person per day for food. Now plan a grocery list for one month with this figure in mind. What foods did you include? What foods did you exclude? How is this similar to or different from your diet? Will you make it through the end of the month? What will you do if you can’t? Look at Figure 1.2 (page 25). Notice how variations in food prices affect household budgets.

3. As you conclude, pray for efforts to transform our nation’s food and farm system, and consider if there is something God might be calling you to do as a result of this conversation.