Poverty’s Not The Problem. Greed is.

I was at an international conference where an African speaker said, “Why are Americans so interested in coming to Africa to solve poverty? Poverty is not a problem. Greed, now that’s a problem! Maybe Africans should come to America to help them solve greed.”

I love provocative statements like that. I know that poverty is a problem worthy of our attention (in America, on the continent of Africa and all over the world). And I’m pretty sure greed exists in Africa like it does everywhere. But that statement has the sting of truth. What if solving my greed is a prerequisite to solving poverty? Worse yet, what if my concern over the world’s poverty is just a salve to my conscience – a desire for everyone to have the privilege of being as greedy as me?

Greed is difficult to call out in the lives those whom you don’t know. I’ve experienced that gnawing hunger for money or possessions regardless of the stuff I own and its probably been invisible to others. Greed must be discerned personally. To that end, I’d like to propose a few internal, greed diagnostic tools:

Storage: Storage is just another word for Greed-Container. There are things which may legitimately require storage for future use, but my experience bears witness to the fact that my closets, my storage containers and my garage are places I can hide my greed. Containers are like the distended bowels of my malnourished soul. Symbols of fear that I must hang onto stuff I don’t intend to use but want to keep “just in case.”

Contentment: More often than not, contentment is a choice. My desire for various products or for more money is something that I can control. We are not slaves to our desires. Contentment needs to be sown. It needs to be cultivated. I’m not talking about the resignation to living in squalor or without dignity – I’ve seen people content with conditions that they ought to seek to change. But my hunger for the next generation phone, or a better car or an upgrade on my bike is sometimes just an invitation to choose contentment with what I have.

Generosity: My stinginess is a wonderful greed-barometer. Whether with money, time or possessions, greed manifests itself in the word mine! Generosity is a great antidote to the disease of greed. Giving away stuff that occupies too much space in my soul is a great way to combat the intoxicating power of material possessions.

I get those who challenge us not to embrace a “scarcity mentality” or say we shouldn’t think in terms of a “zero-sum game.” But I believe that the over-indulgence of a few is translated into hardship for many. Unfettered indulgence isn’t good for anyone, especially those who are doing the indulging. Putting a check on our desire for stuff is simply a good idea for everyone. And who knows, maybe if we address the problem of greed the problem of poverty will become more manageable.

“There is enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.” Mahatma Gandhi