Will the poor always be with us?

Season 4 of Questions of our Times, where we explore some of today’s big questions in a series of interviews, launched earlier this month. We talked with Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Archdeacon of Liverpool, about how poverty affects the health of communities and individuals. The interview was conducted live on Premier Radio, and is now available on video.

Miranda, who has ministered in some of the former coal-mining communities of County Durham, and in inner-city Liverpool, was the former director of Micah Liverpool, a faith-based initiative challenging social injustice and poverty.

Responding to a question about how poverty impacts on health, Miranda said:

‘When you’re living in poverty, it’s like having to walk across wet sands, rather than on a pavement. Everything about life becomes much more difficult, and much more expensive. You end up paying more in absolute terms for your daily basics. Poverty also brings a huge amount of instability. People’s housing, employment, transport options – and their families and relationships – often become much more fragmented and unstable.’

Watch the full interview above, or on YouTube.

Miranda was interviewed by Major Nigel Bovey, former editor of the Salvation Army magazine The War Cry, and the author of several books, including his latest book, Browsing the Bible.

Questions of our Times is produced by the Christian Evidence Society and Premier Christian Radio, and is made possible with the support of the Montgomery Trust.

Photo by Tom Parsons