In the Bible, God teaches us to have compassion on the poor, to help and empower them, to advocate for them: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”(Micah 6:8) God teaches us to help the widow and the orphan, the voiceless, the powerless, the victim. Does that mean we need to recreate their conditions for ourselves? Do we need to recreate those conditions to justify our work? Not necessarily. We are free to do so if we wish. Then the question arises, “what conditions does God reside in?” Does God live in a refugee camp? or a ghetto? There is no question that among our refugee camps and ghettos on earth, that God is there. He loves his people. But does he want those places to be their permanent homes? Revelation 21:21 gives a clear picture that heaven is a glorious and rich place: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Heaven is not a ghetto, but a mansion of mansions: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:1-2). Therefore, if God lives in lavish conditions, why are we satisfied to live in squalor? God encourages us to strive forward for better things on earth as they are evident in heaven.
