This blog marks the end of a seven part blog series on the values that drive CPR-3. Here is what we have looked at so far:
• We believe in a strengths based approach to community development
• We wish to be culturally accurate and sensitive while being theologically motivated
• We will focus our influence and resources on neighborhoods and now generation leaders
• We are committed to the ultimate goal of sustainable projects
• We stress Haitian leadership and ownership in all projects
Not only is our last point straight from the heart of God, but it flows from the mouth of our founder and Executive Director Dan O’Deens all the time and was the reason why he left “normal and comfortable” to start CPR-3.
We seek to meet physical, felt needs for the purpose of seeing spiritual health and vitality.
At CPR-3, we care about both sides of the cross, both sides of the Red Cross. We care for both the physical needs of people and we care about their spiritual health and vitality. I believe that we as humans have a tendency to go to extremes in our reactions against ideas. For example, my father’s generation, at least in the evangelical realm, “reacted” to the “social gospel movement” by looking negatively on any group doing “social justice” related activities claiming they were not presently the gospel. In doing this, I think that generation missed out on the physical side of the cross. Kinda like saying, “ I know you are starving to death and need shelter, but do you know Jesus?”
Today’s generation can fall off on the other side. They may say, “We need to meet everyone’s physical needs and I really do not want to ruin relationship by talking about Jesus. I hope that they just see Jesus through my actions.”
We at CPR-3 seek to meet real, physical needs for the purpose of earning the right to share the gospel and to see spiritual health and vitality. We believe that the real gospel involved both. Is this an easy thing to balance? Do we always get it right? No, not at all. But with our eyes clearly on the spiritual we look intently for ways to meet physical needs as well.