GOD’S STORY The Foundation For FH’s Work In Relief And .

G O D ’S S T O RYHuman beings have beencreated to live in relationshipwith others.2. THE IMAGE OF GOD IN HUMAN BEINGSA. Self: Imago Dei and Our God-GivenPotentialWhen God lovingly created Adam and Eve, Hedidn’t only shape their bodies from dust, but Heblew the breath of life into the their beings (Gen2:7). Therefore, the Bible teaches us that Godcreated humankind in His own image (Gen 1:27).We are image bearers, set apart from the restof God’s creation. This is the foundation of theintrinsic value of every human life irrespective ofsex, race, age, abilities, or social condition. Everyperson on Earth is precious and uniquely createdand loved by God.We reflect God’s image by thinking abstractly andlogically, following morals, being spiritual, havinga sense of eternity, and engaging in relationships.As relational beings, we engage in four keyrelationships: with God, with ourselves, with others,and with the rest of God’s creation. Being in theimage of God also means that we have potentialfor development and transformation.B. Relationship to OthersHuman beings are created to live in relationshipwith others. Through the biblical narrative, we learnthat God created the first man and the first womanPA G E 1 2F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RYto live in a lifelong relationship through the bondof marriage (Matt 19:4-6). Thus, marriage andfamily became the basic structure of society andthe means by which we populate the Earth. As partof the image of God through the Trinity, humanshave been created to be community in order to livein harmony, respect, and love. Thus, human beingsreflect the image of God, not only individually butalso collectively. Marriage, brotherhood, friendship,and institutional arrangements, when functioningrightly, communicate the image of God.3. THE NATURAL WORLDA. All CreationWhen God finished creating all things, He declaredthey were very good (Gen 1:31). Moreover, allcreation reflects some of God’s invisible qualitiessuch as His eternal power and divine nature (Rom1:20). God also gave us the capacity to discoverand understand creation and to relate to it.Therefore, God’s creation is precious and valuable.Humans were created from the dust of the earth(Gen 2:7) and God entrusted the cultivation ofHis creation to humankind (Gen 1:26-28). Ourlife and flourishing depend on the conditions on thisEarth.

G O D ’S S T O RYAs image bearers, humansreflect God in their capacity tocreate and to innovate.B. Stewardship of CreationWe have been created with the responsibility tocare for, cultivate, and advance God’s creation(Gen 2:15). In order to do this, human beingshave been given power and dominion over therest of the creation (Ps 8:4-8). The stewardshipmandate is a sacred role that means that we useGod’s creation carefully and lovingly. God gave uswork. God entrusted us with creation to provide forour needs, engage our worship to God by admiringthe creation’s beauty and power, and further theoverall development of things, including us. Wehave not been placed on this Earth to deplete thenatural resources or to cause the destruction of Hiscreation. Our very subsistence depends on howwell we steward what God has provided to us onthis Earth.C. The Kingdom of God: Shalom, Flourishingand DevelopmentGod is not absent from His creation. Rather, Heis immanently and intimately connected to andoperates throughout creation (Ps 19, 65). Godis the ruler of the universe, and through His loveand compassion, exercises a government of justice,peace, and unity (Is 33:5). This is the Kingdom ofPA G E 1 4F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RYGod. Jesus Christ talked about God’s Kingdommultiple times (e.g., Matt 6:10, 31-34; Luke 4:43,6:20) and through His redemptive deed on thecross, established His Kingdom to move forwarduntil its completion.Shalom is a word in Hebrew that essentially meanspeace, but the concept of shalom goes deeper.According to Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., president ofCalvin Theological Seminary (2002), “Shalommeans universal flourishing, wholeness and delight.It is a rich state of affairs in which natural needsare satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, allunder the arch of God’s love.” Shalom is a state inwhich the four relationships we have as humans arehealthy and functional. This is the goal of God’sKingdom (Is 9:7).God created human beings to be good stewardsof creation and to prosper and advance thestatus of all things. This means creating things forthe benefit and flourishing of life on this Earth.As image bearers, humans reflect God in theircapacity to create and to innovate. This concept ofdevelopment and flourishing is at the core of FH’swork in relief and development.

G O D ’S S T O RYII. FALL: BROKENRELATIONSHIPSThe Fall is the second major event in God’s story,beginning with the disobedience of Adam andEve (Gen 3). This event has terrible individual andcosmological consequences. Because of sin, death hasentered into our existence (Rom 5:12). The Fall hasmarred human beings and the rest of God’s creation(Gen 3:16-19).1. BROKEN RELATIONSHIP WITH GODAdam and Eve both lived in the presence of Godand in a state of innocence and trust (Gen 2:25).Both had unimpeded communion with God. The Fallbroke this relationship and alienated humans fromGod (Gen 3:8; Col 1:21; Eph 4:18). We haveturned away from God and are constantly seekingto set ourselves or other parts of creation up as gods(Is 53:6; Rom 1:25). Our minds and hearts are lostin darkness without the guidance of God’s light. Westand under the judgment and wrath of God becauseof our disobedience (John 3:19; Rom 3:23). Weforfeit the purpose of our creation and experiencedeath instead of abundant life. Despite the desperatesituation of the Fall, hope remains. God hasn’tabandoned us (Deut 4:31) but enacted His eternalplan to bring back all of God’s creation (including,but not limited to, us) to function according to itsoriginal design (John 10:10).PA G E 1 6F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RY2. BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH SELF ANDOTHERSThe Fall also has affected our own identity. Sin hasmarred our self-perception and left us with a gamutof feelings and convictions such as guilt, shame,inferiority, and pride that deeply impact our thinkingand behavior. Without a re-established relationshipwith God, we cannot answer with confidence thequestion of who we are. Thanks be to God that Hedidn’t abandon us, for through Jesus Christ we arecalled children of God (1 Jn 3:1).The Fall also has tragically impacted our interpersonalrelations, for through it humans not only decay anddie, but also become agents of death. In the Bible, wesadly read about the first homicide. It occurs amongsons of Adam and Eve when Cain kills Abel (Gen4:8). This pattern of one human harming anotherrepeats itself throughout history. Jesus said that onewho hates another in her/his heart has sinned already,and what comes from someone’s heart defiles thisperson (Matt 5:21-22; Mark 7:21-23). This revealsthe deep relational problem we have in ourselves.Thanks be to God that He didn’t abandon us. Jesuscame to reunite us and restore peace with God andalso with one another (Rom 5:1; Eph 2:14-15).

G O D ’S S T O RYPoverty is much deeperthan the lack of material things.3. BROKEN CREATION: SUFFERING, SICKNESS,AND FUTILITYA. FutilityThe Fall not only affected human beings butalso the rest of creation, provoking it to be lessproductive and responsive to human effort (Gen3:17-19; Rom 8:20-21). It is important to mentionhere that human work is not part of the curse. Workhas been established before the Fall (Gen 2:15).We as humans have not lost complete dominionover creation, for God’s grace and mercy allowshumans to exercise some element of dominion overcreation. God in His mercy has not allowed theeffects of sin to completely ruin creation or ourrelationship with it (Ps 65:5-13).B. Suffering and SicknessThe Fall has introduced evil into God’s creation,marring God’s Kingdom with suffering whichis manifested in injustice, violence, exclusion,exploitation, abuse, and – of course – poverty.We have become poor on multiple levels (spiritual,social, emotional, material, etc.). Sickness andcorruption have entered into our existence, leadingto death (Rom 6:23). This is the opposite ofshalom (well-being and wholeness).PA G E 1 8F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RYC. God’s Common GraceIn the context of the Fall, it is important to includea note about God’s common grace. This conceptcontains the idea that despite the Fall, God, inHis mercy, still gives good gifts to all, regardless offaith. Despite sinful total depravity, we do not sufferutter depravity. This means that while every part ofcreation is affected by sin and evil, not every partof creation is hopelessly debilitated by sin and evil.By God’s generous mercy we continue enjoyingrain from the heavens, consistency in seasons,delicious fruits and vegetables, and marveloussunsets (Matt 5:45). Because of the Fall, humansand the rest of creation cannot be as good asthey could be. At the same time, because of God’scommon grace and the strength of God’s creation,things in this world are much better than what theycould be.In conclusion, poverty is much deeper than just the lackof material things. It is a status provoked by the fourkey relationships: with God, self, others and creationbeing broken. An excellent, though not exhaustive,list of the ways sin impacts these four relationships isfound in Galatians 5:19-21. In consequence, we ashumans suffer poverty on multiple levels, whether it isspiritual, material, physical, or emotional. In order toovercome poverty, we need God’s intervention andthe reconciliation of the key relations that characterizehuman life.

G O D ’S S T O RYWe cannot hope to do the workof God until we allow ourselvesto be conformed to the imageof His Son.4. JESUS: THE COMING OF THE KINGDOMOF GODIn Luke 4, Jesus proclaims, “The Spirit of the Lord isupon me, because He has anointed me to proclaimgood news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaimfreedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight forthe blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim theyear of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19; Is 61:1-2).This message proclaims God’s grace for all people,and good news for the vulnerable. Jesus concluded byboldly claiming, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in yourhearing” (Luke 4:21). Proving His identity, authority,and power as the Son of God, Jesus goes directlyfrom the synagogue and heals the sick, casts outdemons, enters homes, and raises family members fromfever.Why does Jesus do this? Because the Kingdom ofGod restores all people and all things to functionthe way God designed them to, in wholeness andharmony, with God, creation, and one another.Therefore, sickness, blindness, death, and demons haveno place in the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ mission wasto bring God’s Kingdom to earth, “I must preach thegood news of the Kingdom of God to other townsPA G E 2 0F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RYas well, for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43).Indeed, this is God’s mission throughout Scripture, torestore what has been broken by the fall to the fullnessof what it was created to be. While Jesus’ death andresurrection secure the ultimate consummation of thisKingdom, we as His disciples continue to bring in HisKingdom until that day, by seeking shalom for theoppressed, the captives, the sick and the hungry, oneperson at a time.Jesus’ proclamation and action for the Kingdomof God in Luke 4 begins and ends with Jesuswithdrawing to spiritual retreat, to a “solitary place”(Luke 4:42). Jesus anchored His ministry in Hisidentity as the beloved Son of the Father, oftenthrough the practice of withdrawing to be alone withHis Father. As children of God (Rom 8:16), we toomust seek spiritual renewal through contemplative andprayerful time with God, individually and collectively,that we might be effective in proclaiming the Kingdomof God. We cannot hope to do the work of God untilwe allow ourselves to be conformed to the image ofHis Son. In this way, shalom begins to be restored inus, and we receive the power of the Spirit to bring thegood news of it to others.

G O D ’S S T O RYIII. REDEMPTION:RECONCILIATIONRight after Adam and Eve disobeyed, God in Hiswonderful mercy and love set a plan to rescue andrestore His creation from the bondage of sin, suffering,and death. God declared that a descendant of Evewould triumph over the evil one (Gen 3:15). Thisdescendant, Jesus, is the maximum expression of God’slove and redemption for our world (1 Jn 4:9). Jesus’life, death on the cross, and resurrection started therescue and restoration of all things (Luke 4:18-21).The Bible tells us that God was reconciling everythingon earth and heaven through Jesus’ blood on the cross(Col 1:20) in order to bring everything back to shalom.Jesus is the central person to implement God’s reliefand development plan for humanity and this planet.1. THE WAY OF GODA. IncarnationJesus is the incarnate God among us. God didn’tonly design a rescue plan for humanity to bringus back to shalom, but He decided to sendHimself to implement this plan (John 1:14; Phil2:5-7). He lived and walked among us, and Heis now with us. This is a wonderful and compellingprinciple to consider as we do our work in reliefand development. When Jesus was on this Earth,PA G E 2 2F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RYHe spent time with the outcast and excluded, thepeople on the periphery of society (Matt 9:10;Mk 2:16). The incarnation principle teaches us tosend people and ourselves to help the vulnerableand poor in the world. The Kingdom of God isimplemented through personal relations. As Goddecided to come and live among us, we alsoare compelled to reach out and spend time withpeople, to walk with others, especially with themost vulnerable of this world.B. HumilityWe recognize the dignity of others and put theirinterests above our own. We believe that this isfoundational to our work. Jesus humbled himself inobedience throughout His life (Phil 2:1-11). Hedidn’t cling to His deity status to claim deferenceand service, but He chose to serve sincerely andhumbly. In the same way, we demonstrate humilityby adopting a posture to serve others and considerthem equally as valuable as we are. When we meeta person in need, we encounter another fellowimage bearer.

G O D ’S S T O RYWe are called to follow Jesus’life of compassion and love.C. SufferingJesus redeemed God’s creation and achievedthe forgiveness of sins by sacrifice (John 10:1415; Eph 1:7; Col 1:19-20). The Lamb of Godlaid down His life to bring us up from the dead.Although Jesus Christ has died and risen, theKingdom of God is not yet fully realized (1Jonn 3:2). We are still waiting for the overallconsummation of God’s redeeming plan. Thismeans that we still see injustice, sickness, violence,death, and evil in this world. However, we sufferin hope, knowing that one day there will be anew world under God’s kingship where justiceand peace will have no end (1 Pet 1:3-6). In themeantime, we suffer in solidarity with our brothersand sisters who are in pain (1 Cor 12:26-27). AsJesus voluntarily sacrificed and suffered for us, wealso need to serve others sacrificially. The Bible tellsus that by following Jesus and pursuing justice andtruth, we might be opposed and persecuted just asJesus was (1 John 3:13; 1 Pet 4:12). The disciplecannot be above the Master (Matt 10:24).PA G E 2 4F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RYD. Reconciliation of All ThingsGod has appointed us, as followers of Jesus,to be agents of reconciliation and to facilitatetransformation. This is part of God's redemptionof all things. He has entrusted us with the ministryof reconciliation (2 Cor 5:16-20). Throughour work in relief and development, we havethe responsibility to promote and facilitate thereconciliation of the four key relations of human life(with God, with ourselves, with others and with therest of creation).E. LoveAs Jesus was motivated by love to live among usand to die for us, we also need to be motivated bylove to work and carry on the reconciliation ministryin relief and development (2 Cor 5:14). We arecompelled by the great commandments: love Godwith all your being and love your neighbor asyourself (Mat 22:37-39). We are called to followJesus’ life of compassion and love.

G O D ’S S T O RYWe are committed to live out ourprofessional life for the honorand glory of God.2. THE PEOPLE OF GODA. The Role of the ChurchThe Church is the community and institution ofpeople who believe in and follow Jesus Christ, whois the head of the Church (Eph 1:22-23), andmust not be identified with any particular culture,social or political system, or human ideology. Asthe Father sent Jesus into the world to lay downHis life for the love of people, so the Son sendsHis followers into the world to do the same (John20:21; 1 John 3:16-17). The Church is at the verycenter of God’s cosmic purpose as His means ofspreading the Good News (Matt 28:19-20; Eph3:10). The Church has an organic nature, meaningthat any believer and follower of Jesus Christ ispart of it, and an institutional nature, meaning thatgroups of believers are organized under institutionalarrangements. We who work at FH and that haveresponded to God’s call are part of the universalChurch. FH is an extension of God’s universalChurch, helping the most vulnerable in the world.We look to see churches growing in their capacityto serve their communities and to live according toGod’s Kingdom.PA G E 2 6F O O D F O R T H E H U N G RYB. Agents of the Kingdom: Vocation andCallingGod’s Kingdom is bigger than the Church andembraces the whole Earth. God generously callsus into His redeeming plan for His creation (1Thess 2:12). Therefore, we all have a role to playin that Kingdom based on our talents and passions.Based on God’s call and invitation to followJesus, we employ our skills, preferences, passion,service, and profession as part of our faith andresponse (Tit 3:14). What we do in FH becomespart of our Christian vocation to serve God andfellow human beings. Therefore, we are socialworkers, accountants, agronomists, communicators,nutritionists, teachers, etc., for God. We considerour role in FH as sacred and deeply ingrained intoour life of faith as any other roles in the church.We are committed to live out our professional lifefor the honor and glory of God (Col 3:23). Weeven believe that the disciplines we work in (health,social service, finance, etc.) are God’s, and wework in them as part of the reconciliation mandatewe have received from God. The things that we doin this world according to God’s Kingdom will haveeverlasting existence (Col 3

God’s Story: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration I. Creation: God’s Design 1. God’s Character A. Glory B.Trinity C. Love and Goodness 2. The Image of God in Human Beings A. Self: The Imago Dei and Our God-Given Potential B. Relationship to Others 3. The Natural World A. All Creation B. Stewardship of Creation C.