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A Call to Stand Apart
The Lord says Stop! to the inordinate love of property and
power. Great evil results from the continued accumulation of wealth
by one class and the poverty and degradation of another. Without
some restraint the power of the wealthy becomes a monopoly, and
the poor, though in every way fully as worthy in God’s sight, are
considered and treated as inferior to the more prosperous. The sense
of this oppression arouses the passions of the poorer class. There
is a feeling of despair and desperation that demoralizes society and
opens the door to crimes of every description. The regulations God
established in Leviticus were designed to promote social equality
God’s Word prohibits policies that will enrich one class of per-
sons through the oppression and suffering of another class. The
person who takes advantage of someone’s misfortunes for mone-
tary benefit, or who seeks a profit through another’s weakness or
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incompetence, breaks the law of God
Society abandons the poor
to misery and degradation, not caring that many have been brought
to the depths of poverty by illness or misfortune, often through
the dishonest scheming of those who live by preying upon the less
fortunate
There are entire communities in which families live in substan-
dard housing, with little furniture and clothing, without books or
equipment for work, destitute both of comforts and conveniences
and means of culture. These families must be educated to the po-
tential for improvement. How can this be done where poverty is
prevalent, where long-held habits and attitudes of defeat must be
met at every step? Certainly, this work is difficult. The necessary
reformation will never be made unless men and women are assisted
by a power outside themselves. While helping the poor in temporal
things, always keep in view their spiritual needs
It is God’s pur-
pose that the rich and the poor shall be closely bound together by
the ties of sympathy and usefulness. Those who have money, talent,
and ability are to use these gifts in benefiting humanity
Real charity helps men and women to help themselves. If some-
one asks you for food, you should not turn that person away. True
philanthropy means more than mere gifts. It means a genuine inter-
est in the welfare of others. We should try to understand the needs
and environment of the poor and distressed and give them the help
that will benefit them most. To give thought and time and personal
