RIVERSIDE, Calif. (March 22, 2016) -- "A central reason for addressing poverty is because people are made in God's image," Dr. Art Lindsley told the audience at California Baptist University on March 21.

Lindsley is the vice president of theological initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics in McLean, Va. The institute's mission is to educate Christians to live out a biblical theology that integrates faith, work and economics. Lindsley is also the co-editor of "For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty."

The School of Christian Ministries at CBU hosted the lecture.

Lindsley reiterated the point that people are all created in God's image with a quote from C.S Lewis; "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts and civilizations—these are mortal."  

Lindsley challenged students to live out the revelation that "there are no ordinary people."                                                           

"It would be interesting to see that if for one day you could truly live out this idea that people are made in God's image on this campus," he said. "When you look everybody in the eye and affirm them that they're not invisible, that they're present, that they are a person of worth and value and dignity—that would be worth doing for one day wouldn't it?"

Viewing others in this way is the first step to combatting poverty in a biblical way, but the Bible also provides insight into the practical issues of poverty such as jobs and businesses, Lindsley said. 

Instead of giving things to the poor, believers should work on enabling people to work for themselves, he said. Small business is a great way to do that, and Jesus himself was a small businessman, Lindsley said. 

"I think particularly in the Bible and in Christianity you have this place of the importance of enterprise and business," he said.