Eradicating poverty by debts cancelling: a missional call in South Africa and beyond

Abstract

Poverty is a spiritual and social issue. Millions of people across the planet are dying because of a lack of basic needs, like food, drinkable water, and shelter. It questions our religious and moral position and condition. It sheds light on an underlying contestation as to whether profit should come before people, especially having a common make-up (amigo Dei) coming from a common Maker (Creator) whose missional call includes poverty eradication. The question is: is this a legitimate call as outlined in Deuteronomy 15:2? This article is set up to discuss the legitimacy of the call of poverty eradication by debt cancelling from the missio Dei perspective. Ten Cs acronyms will be used to elucidate the point, namely the call, cause, compass, challenges, constraints, classifications, conditions, convictions, constructions, and then the concluding remarks.

Contribution: This article is meant to add value (a voice) in a continued debate regarding the underlying contestation on the nature of poverty and the legitimacy of eradication by debt cancelling or whether profit should come before people. This article argues that based on the fact that we have a common make-up (amigo Dei) and a common maker (Creator), despite our positions and conditions in life, our God-given mission should include poverty eradication in and outside South African context.