I got an unexpected phone call yesterday. A man I know from church was wondering if we might talk about poverty. His active passion is the distribution of Bibles and Bible portions around the world. He collects used Bibles from across the country and sends them to people and organizations in developing countries that need copies of the Bible. Knowing his zeal for distributing Scripture, it was unexpected to discover that in addition to this spiritual concern he is also concerned about the physical and economic needs of the people who receive his Bibles. He’s been looking for ways he might be able to make a difference such as providing literature in his shipments that gives description and instruction for simple microeconomic programs. He understands clearly that the Bible doesn’t just address the soul—it addresses all of life. He’s not able to meet their needs by providing relief, but wants to find ways to appropriate God’s physical and human creation in creative ways that use resources available in these underdeveloped countries in ways that will liberate the people from poverty.

The conversation was as stimulating as it was unexpected.