I’m really inspired by Eric Metaxas’ book 7 Women. I’m realizing that I am often reading of the great exploits of men, but I rarely read about the great exploits of women.
Hannah More is a women who shaped the cultural mindset on abolition in the early 1800s. She wrote pamphlets, poems and books denouncing the slave trade and the illicit and immoral behavior of the wealthy. She advocated for the education of girls which was not valued at the time. She cared for the poor, setting up schools in small villages that had lots of families in poverty. The schools were on Sundays because that was the only day of the week that people had off work. In her schools, the main topic was religion. She believed that religion was the most important subject to lift a child out of poverty.
You don’t lift someone out of poverty with Science, Math and English, but by changing their worldview. If you can teach a child to value character, speak from the heart and submit to God they will thrive in life. Many that have been “educated out” of poverty, but not taught religious virtue, have found themselves bringing the practices of poverty into a wealthier surrounding. When I say the practices of poverty I’m referring to sexual promiscuity, gambling, smoking, drunkenness and casual drug use. I don’t mean to say that these things aren’t done by wealthy people, they certainly are! But I mean to say that they are the practices that lead to or perpetuate poverty.
The most enraging thing about the practices of poverty is that they are celebrated and promoted by the media. Therefore, the poor are continuously pushed down in our society. The widening gap between the rich and the poor is not because of anything in politics. Rather it is Hollywood that does it!
Hollywood elevates the stars that are emblazoned with vices. It promotes a false pattern of success. The pattern doesn’t correspond to the reality of daily living on this earth. Children are watching as these stars mock God, sleep around and use narcotics. They are watching as they are rewarded.
Reading about Hannah More reminded me that education isn’t enough. Children must be given a moral framework or their heart poverty will not be overcome. Ultimately, they need to have an encounter with God. I hope this gives you something to think about. Also, I’d recommend picking up the book, it’s an excellent read!