“I don’t have to worry about the world’s problems, ignorance is bliss.”
Day three was a reality check. I began to feel the discomfort of not always being able to have what I want- when I want. It became a reality having to “go without” for a day. I guess let me start by saying that every man is convicted in a particular way- some a heart for the poor, the oppressed, or the lowly- others compassion for the youth, or perhaps the elderly. Some enjoy packing up and going overseas; some decide staying where they are is best. That is how the body works; one body, all serving in different capacities, all bringing glory to the Creator.
The above statement resonated with me. I have always heard it said, “Ignorance is bliss,” but never stopped to think about it in context of the world’s problems. American culture makes it very easy for us to get lost in small things. By small things I mean spending thirty minutes deciding what restaurant to eat at, worrying about the guy in front of you who cut you off on the highway, not having the latest gadget Apple came out with, or frustration because your Christian friend is drinking an ice cold beer. The world is hurting and the truth is most of us are unaware of how severe it is, or just flat out choose to ignore it. Did you know that 25,000 children die a day as a result of poverty? What about the fact that around 3 billion people, or half of humanity, do not have access to clean WATER. For 80% of humanity men and women walk for miles, in some instances, for a source to retrieve clean water. For us in America it is not about clean water, but rather what brand or filter should we should be purchasing. It is about what bottle we should be using in order to eliminate the greatest amount of chemicals. It’s as if we are living in two separate worlds.
I have been dealing with the fact that I do live in the top percent of the world. Questions race through my mind- wondering what it is I am called to do. Reality is that I, nor the people around me, are going to save the world of its water problem. The world will always be hurting, always be oppressed. There will always be genocide, hunger, poverty, and crime. The question is what am I to do until the day Christ comes to redeem.
Tonight a small group of friends gathered together to “simulate” a poverty dinner. I sat on the floor, in a room lit with candles, surrounded by men and
women I have come to love, slowly spooning a cup of beans and rice, (what meals look like to the majority of the world) I couldn’t help but think of the fact that I was still comfortable- still in air conditioning, still showered and clean, still wearing clothes, still able to use the restroom, still in America. What a simple dinner did do was humble me. The Spirit was present in that room tonight. My prayer tonight is that my heart would change- that it would not be about a poverty dinner, but instead a realization that we are called to serve. My hope is that I would wake up tomorrow and remember these gifts which we have been given. That this awareness would humble me to serve and seek out the oppressed, the marginalized, and the lowly... God continue to strip away the things in my life, in our lives, that hold us back from intimacy with You.
Tonight I go to bed hungry... Hoping that when I wake up- I will remember this evening- that it would be lasting.
Day three was a reality check. I began to feel the discomfort of not always being able to have what I want- when I want. It became a reality having to “go without” for a day. I guess let me start by saying that every man is convicted in a particular way- some a heart for the poor, the oppressed, or the lowly- others compassion for the youth, or perhaps the elderly. Some enjoy packing up and going overseas; some decide staying where they are is best. That is how the body works; one body, all serving in different capacities, all bringing glory to the Creator.
The above statement resonated with me. I have always heard it said, “Ignorance is bliss,” but never stopped to think about it in context of the world’s problems. American culture makes it very easy for us to get lost in small things. By small things I mean spending thirty minutes deciding what restaurant to eat at, worrying about the guy in front of you who cut you off on the highway, not having the latest gadget Apple came out with, or frustration because your Christian friend is drinking an ice cold beer. The world is hurting and the truth is most of us are unaware of how severe it is, or just flat out choose to ignore it. Did you know that 25,000 children die a day as a result of poverty? What about the fact that around 3 billion people, or half of humanity, do not have access to clean WATER. For 80% of humanity men and women walk for miles, in some instances, for a source to retrieve clean water. For us in America it is not about clean water, but rather what brand or filter should we should be purchasing. It is about what bottle we should be using in order to eliminate the greatest amount of chemicals. It’s as if we are living in two separate worlds.
I have been dealing with the fact that I do live in the top percent of the world. Questions race through my mind- wondering what it is I am called to do. Reality is that I, nor the people around me, are going to save the world of its water problem. The world will always be hurting, always be oppressed. There will always be genocide, hunger, poverty, and crime. The question is what am I to do until the day Christ comes to redeem.
Tonight a small group of friends gathered together to “simulate” a poverty dinner. I sat on the floor, in a room lit with candles, surrounded by men and
women I have come to love, slowly spooning a cup of beans and rice, (what meals look like to the majority of the world) I couldn’t help but think of the fact that I was still comfortable- still in air conditioning, still showered and clean, still wearing clothes, still able to use the restroom, still in America. What a simple dinner did do was humble me. The Spirit was present in that room tonight. My prayer tonight is that my heart would change- that it would not be about a poverty dinner, but instead a realization that we are called to serve. My hope is that I would wake up tomorrow and remember these gifts which we have been given. That this awareness would humble me to serve and seek out the oppressed, the marginalized, and the lowly... God continue to strip away the things in my life, in our lives, that hold us back from intimacy with You.Tonight I go to bed hungry... Hoping that when I wake up- I will remember this evening- that it would be lasting.
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