USURPED

The Tragedy of American Compassion by Marvin Olasky is a history of charity in this country.

From the earliest days of our founding, a certain segment of the population found themselves enduring hard times and in need of material assistance.

Christians were first on the scene to help and the consensus was that aid was good and necessary, but too much help was detrimental. Also, they knew intrinsically that true aid required relationships and time.

Flashforward to present day America. Most of the aid given to the poor in modern times comes by way of the government and its various programs. Although it isn't entirely unusual to see Christians host soup kitchens and school supply giveaways, many churches don't have a significant charitable impact on their communities. Certainly not to the extent the government does.

I had always assumed the church had abdicated its God-given role of serving the poor.

But that's not what happened. Olasky documents in detail the pressure government entities placed on society over the years to control and expand care of the poor. 

The church didn't abdicate its role in serving the poor - the government usurped it. 

As the church had supported the poor financially for decades, the real power was in the relationships. "Love your neighbor as yourself."

If there is one thing that government is utterly incapable of ... it's meaningful relationships.