This article was first published in eMesenger in July 2020.
40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Matthew 10:40-42
Dr Janet Hunt writes about this Biblical passage on her blog and I think you will find it an enriching and challenging read. Here is the link: http://dancingwiththeword.com/a-cup-of-cold-water-revisited/
Dr Hunt gives a couple of examples from her life where people have offered support and love to those in need – the literal cup of cold water. She says that she does not know how else we learn to pour water except by doing it and challenges us to do just that in the face of perceived scarcity, fear, or even when it goes against our own best judgment. Dr Hunt suggests that by doing this we may find ourselves offering the cup of cold water to those that need it on a hot day, in Jesus’ name. And then she goes on to ask some challenging questions:
And so I wonder now how cold water is poured where you live and serve?
Who are the thirsty for whom you are called to pour a cup of cold water?
Where have you seen examples of people doing just this, in Jesus name?
Have you found it to be so that in simply doing so our own parched hearts are watered too? And what kind of difference does that make? For you? For us? For all this thirsty world?
During lockdown, Methodist Missions, Parishes, and Synods were providing a cup of cold water to those in need. There were many, many food parcels distributed. However it was not only the food that mattered – it was the physical connection with others and the welfare checks on those who were in need. The services provided varied widely, were adaptable and agile to meet the needs of those we serve. While the majority of people in Aotearoa were using lockdown to catch up on maintenance around the home and garden, finally get that craft project done, binge watch Netflix, or just relax with the family; those who were essential workers had a very different experience of lockdown.
They were out and about doing their work often in a new way, many services went online, many of us learnt how to use PPE, or did totally different roles to fill an essential role that could not be done by the usual person.
Now we are all adjusting to life after lockdown. While the essential workers did not have the same amount of down time to reflect like some others did, there has been time to reflect and reconsider how this work is done; what is needed; and what is the best way of doing it in the future.
Our post-COVID 19 future is uncertain. Three years ago research showed the most important issue concerning New Zealanders was economic issues like poverty and the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The second most important issue related to housing - homelessness, housing affordability and the housing shortage.[1]
Source: Roy Morgan – interviewed a representative cross section of 1,000 Kiwis in May 2017
Since 2017, we know the gap between the rich and poor has increased, and the economic fallout of COVID-19 will only increase this further. Statistics NZ reported a rise in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the March 2020 quarter to 4.2%.[2] There are widespread warnings that the worse is yet to come when the statistics for the June quarter are available. Everyone knows someone who has lost their job during lockdown. We are facing an economic recession that we have not seen in generations.
Our ever present housing crisis continues to impact on the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders. The number of people on the Housing Register increased 10% in the March 2020 quarter – a 47% change from March 2019.[3]
Source: Ministry of Housing & Urban Development Public Housing Quarterly Report March 2020
Methodist organisations are three of New Zealand’s 37 registered Community Housing Providers. They are Airedale Property Trust, Wesley Community Action and Christchurch Methodist Mission. They own, lease or manage properties that are rented to people from the community who are on the Housing Register. Wrap around support is offered to tenants to assist them in maintaining their tenancies.
With the effect of the economic pressures on whānau it is highly likely the numbers of people on the Housing Register will continue to increase. More than 30% of the lowest income households with children spent more than half their income on housing costs.[4] Households with low incomes have a disposable income of less than 50% of the national medium income, after housing costs.[5] The Child Poverty Monitor reports that there are 254,000 children in New Zealand currently living in poverty.[6] The Government has committed to reduce this number by 130,000 by 2028. The most effective way to reduce the number of children living in poverty is to raise family incomes. This can be done by increase benefits, increasing the abatement rates and making the minimum wage a living wage.[7]
At the Methodist Alliance Forum in November 2019, a working group was established to campaign for the increase in benefit and abatement rates.
Whakamana Tāngata, the report from the Welfare Expert Advisory Group on social security, contains many recommendations to substantially reform and significantly improve the income support system. Implementing the recommended changes will substantially reduce the numbers of adults and children living in poverty. This report came out in February 2019, well over a year ago and since then are seeing the economic impact of COVID 19 which will increase the numbers of people on a benefit and using a system which is unsatisfactory and damaging to those with the highest need and poorest people.[8]
We as the Methodist Church have a strong heritage of social justice. John Wesley tells us that everything belongs to God, and the God’s resources placed in our care are to be used as God sees fit, which is to meet our necessities of life and then to help others in need.
As a Church we need to ask how we are going to use our resources to help others in need? How are we going to offer a cup of water to those who are thirsty?
If you would like more information about how you can support the Methodist Alliance, the Methodist Missions, or to join the campaign workgroup, please check out their websites or contact me.
Carol Barron, Methodist Alliance National Coordinator
[1] http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7254-new-zealand-most-important-problems-may-2017-201706301533 [2] https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/unemployment-rate-at-4-point-2-percent-in-march-quarter [3] https://www.hud.govt.nz/assets/Community-and-Public-Housing/Follow-our-progress/Quarterly-Reports-2020/1c17940406/Public-Housing-Quarterly-Report-March-2020.pdf [4] https://www.childpoverty.org.nz/measures/home [5] https://www.childpoverty.org.nz/measures/income [6] Ibid. [7] Ibid. [8] Whakamana Tangata, February 2019, p7
Comments