Depending on your geographical location, church denomination and family lifestyle, modesty might have been a controversial topic in your family. Typically, the more conservative and fundamentalist the Christian home, the more strict and severe in terms of modesty. For women rules often include: no pants, long skirts only, no shoulders showing — or ankles (heaven forbid!) —  sometimes even hair covered. On the less extreme end, there are guidelines rather than rules, which was the case in my home, but, more than anything, I set modest rules for myself, which I now realize is not everyone’s privilege. However, my dad did say make-up made me look like a hooker, so I was discouraged from that.

In his book “Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America,” Ron Sider asks the question, “Who — government, family, churches — should care for the poor?” Christians throughout history have disagreed about the answer to this question. Christians have been able to interpret Scripture in a variety of ways that best support their argument. Sider argues that holistic poverty alleviation can come when the government, families and churches all work together to pursue justice and equitable access to resources. A close analysis of verses from throughout the Bible illustrates that Christian theology supports collaboration between individuals and private and public institutions when seeking more just, equitable societies.