7 Attitudes of a Helping Heart

BY RENÉE JAMES

AS SOMEONE WHO NEVER GAVE CREDENCE to the “Third World” or “part of the developing world” monikers attached to my country of origin, I approach books about ministry to the poor with caution and a fair bit of trepidation, especially when those book are written by mainly white North American or European men.

Unconscious bias, prejudice and stereotyping seem to be the unquestioned normative lenses through which these authors share. Let me be clear: We are all called to love the poor, and I don’t mean the spiritually empoverished. Jesus’ teachings and example leave little if any room for interpretation. I mean the physically poor.

Imagine my surprise then, when author Christopher Frame, in his book 7 Attitudes of Helping Heart steps outside those lenses and challenges my assumptions that his book won’t be any different. Through his stories, culled from his international travels, he lays bare his real-time struggles, his guilt, his frustration when asked to give money, buy food, buy a “better” blanket for someone.

A quick read, Frame posits that we cannot grasp the full meaning of Jesus’ exhortation to care for the poor unless we care for our hearts; unless we grapple with empathy, suffering, humility and holiness.

I finished the book deeply convicted – not about giving more – but about my inability to truly see imago dei in the solitary man who stands, either at the doors of the Toronto public library at the corner of our street, or in front of the Portuguese sports bar on Oakwood, talking quietly to himself. His hand-me-downs have become, imperceptibly, more and more frayed week by week as I hurry my nephew pass him, eyes down, walking as fast as I can – Tristan needs to get to school on time after all.

Frame helps us to explore what it means to be poor, to serve the poor and in so doing, he helps us explore our hearts. For that reason alone, this is the book to discuss with your book club group as we enter the season of year-end giving and Christmas.