The Bible has lots to say about social responsibilities. For example, a simple search in the Old Testament for the word poor reveals abundant material that calls for social action. In the New Testament "acts of righteousness" includes giving to the needy, Jesus is commissioned to preach the gospel to "the poor," Tabitha and Cornelius are commended for helping the poor and Paul and James speak about the need for Christians to be mindful of their needs of those less fortunate then themselves.
The biblical data is varied and must be assessed carefully. Poverty in the Bible has a variety of causes. Sometimes people are not responsible for their poverty, other times they are. Poverty is partially due to living in a cursed earth. Sometimes it is directly tied to our commitment to God. Whatever the cause, God has much to say about it. Of course, poverty is not the only social issue in our world. There are many others.
Generally speaking evangelicals are not as socially aware as they should be. There are many reasons for this. The priority of evangelism can overshadow lesser responsibilities. Poverty is something that will never be eliminated until Jesus comes again. We also understand that social action is not the ultimate answer. However, compared to atheists and agnostics people of faith are more likely to vote, volunteer in a non-profit group, or personally help a homeless or poor person.
There are many issues that Christians should be concerned about. There are life issues like abortion, euthanasia and genetic testing. There are economic issues like poverty, minimum wage laws and taxation. There are environmental issues such as pollution, use of natural resources and the care of animals. There are moral issues like divorce, homosexuality, pornography and prostitution. And there are political issues such as war and peace, gun control and immigration. These and many other community and global problems deserve our attention, prayers and whatever we can do to bring the grace of God to bear on them and make a difference in people's lives.
What can we do? First, we can educate ourselves. Read. Attend meetings. Talk to others. Second, we can vote responsibility and refuse to do what has always been done if these issues are not being addressed. Third, we can volunteer and get involved by writing, serving and letting our voice be heard.
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