I am extremely angry, confused, and frustrated at our gluttony and apathy towards the poor and suffering people in the world. Why? I just don't understand most people (my friends, family, often myself!) in my own culture. How can we let people die and not die ourselves inside with the knowledge of it, and the guilt? We do not love the poor people ('our neighbours') as we love ourselves. Western Christians and churches generally do not do this. If they did, they would not be living in middle-class houses with 2 cars and 2 TVs. Ministers would not use the church givings to build a new Church cafeteria or get the most recent music system. As Christians we are specifically called to love our neigbour as ourselves. So as Christians we have absolutely no excuse if we claim to love our neigbour (all of them) but in our actions do not.
Faith without deeds is dead.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
modern day 12-year-old slavery abolitionist!
Visit http://www.lc2lc.mspace.com/ - to see an anti-slavery campaign, "Loose change to lo
osen chains," that was started by a kid called Zach Hunter when he was 12 (he's still a teenager)! Zach calls himself an 'abolitionist' and created the campaign/organisation to fight against modern-day slavery, after he learnt that slavery was not just a ugly historical fact, but a present-day reality for many children and adults. Zach is inspiring. He makes me think: Yay!! People, even young people like me, are successfully fighting injustice and raising awareness!! It can be done! I recommend his book "Be The Change."
osen chains," that was started by a kid called Zach Hunter when he was 12 (he's still a teenager)! Zach calls himself an 'abolitionist' and created the campaign/organisation to fight against modern-day slavery, after he learnt that slavery was not just a ugly historical fact, but a present-day reality for many children and adults. Zach is inspiring. He makes me think: Yay!! People, even young people like me, are successfully fighting injustice and raising awareness!! It can be done! I recommend his book "Be The Change."
Are we sentimental, or passionate?
We all know extreme poverty and injustice exists. If we in the West know this, and have the means to end it, then why does extreme poverty continue and the rich-poor gap get larger? Perhaps living comfortably in the Western world makes it hard for many of us to identify with the poor overseas, and we forget them easily. Our concern for the poor must be more sentimental than true empathy or care because we 'feel' concern, but obviously not strongly enough to really put our money, effort and time into helping the poor.
It is hard for us to identify with people in other countries, in situations so foreign to anything we've known. We need to do move from feeling sentimental concern to feeling real, passionate concern for the poor. Why? Because the poor people are our brothers and sisters. Because most poverty is not a result of bad choice its a result of inequality and injustice. Because through luck we are born rich or poor (that poor person could have been you!). And because whenever innocent people and children are dying or suffering, we need to be passionate. We need to put our all into stopping extreme poverty. So, how do we move from sentimental concern to real, passionate concern? Personally, I have to make myself remember and identify with the poor. I try to ask myself before I make certain decisions: What would I do if a child starving in Africa was my brother? Would I use/spend my money as I do? Can I justify how I spend/use/give my money? What if my sister was in slavery growing cocoa or coffee beans? Would I buy non-fair trade coffee and chocolate (eg. Nestle, Cadbury) if I knew my sister may have been forced to grow it and treated badly?
It is hard for us to identify with people in other countries, in situations so foreign to anything we've known. We need to do move from feeling sentimental concern to feeling real, passionate concern for the poor. Why? Because the poor people are our brothers and sisters. Because most poverty is not a result of bad choice its a result of inequality and injustice. Because through luck we are born rich or poor (that poor person could have been you!). And because whenever innocent people and children are dying or suffering, we need to be passionate. We need to put our all into stopping extreme poverty. So, how do we move from sentimental concern to real, passionate concern? Personally, I have to make myself remember and identify with the poor. I try to ask myself before I make certain decisions: What would I do if a child starving in Africa was my brother? Would I use/spend my money as I do? Can I justify how I spend/use/give my money? What if my sister was in slavery growing cocoa or coffee beans? Would I buy non-fair trade coffee and chocolate (eg. Nestle, Cadbury) if I knew my sister may have been forced to grow it and treated badly?
May the things that break God's heart, break our hearts too
"May the things that break your heart (God) break our hearts too" (http://www.tearfund.org/).
T
hat is my prayer for myself and our world. Because if that truly happens, then we will live in every way treating every other person as though they were ourselves. NO more poverty. No more injustice at the hands of humans. The end to poverty and injustice starts with us trying to truly empathise and understand. When everyone has real empathy, the end of poverty and injustice will be fact - because we will no longer be able to tolerate the existence of poverty.
Bono said: "We are the first generation that can look extreme and stupid poverty in the eye, look across the water to Africa and elsewhere and say this and mean it: we have the cash, we have the drugs, we have the science — but do we have the will? Do we have the will to make poverty history? Some say we can´t afford to. I say we can´t afford not to." (visit http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Magazines/Bulletin/Bull471/real_change_africa.html for the rest of his speech)
T
hat is my prayer for myself and our world. Because if that truly happens, then we will live in every way treating every other person as though they were ourselves. NO more poverty. No more injustice at the hands of humans. The end to poverty and injustice starts with us trying to truly empathise and understand. When everyone has real empathy, the end of poverty and injustice will be fact - because we will no longer be able to tolerate the existence of poverty. Bono said: "We are the first generation that can look extreme and stupid poverty in the eye, look across the water to Africa and elsewhere and say this and mean it: we have the cash, we have the drugs, we have the science — but do we have the will? Do we have the will to make poverty history? Some say we can´t afford to. I say we can´t afford not to." (visit http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Magazines/Bulletin/Bull471/real_change_africa.html for the rest of his speech)
Not Charity, but Justice
Bono said: "This is not about charity, its about justice. Let me repeat that. This is not about charity, this is about justice. And tha
ts too bad. Because you're good at charity". I agree with Bono! Doing everything we can to end global poverty is our responsibility! Charity is not enough to make us good people. We each have blood on our hands when we are living better than our (global) neighbours and don't question ourselves about it (eg. ask "what would Jesus be doing if he was me?") and try to live accordingly.
ts too bad. Because you're good at charity". I agree with Bono! Doing everything we can to end global poverty is our responsibility! Charity is not enough to make us good people. We each have blood on our hands when we are living better than our (global) neighbours and don't question ourselves about it (eg. ask "what would Jesus be doing if he was me?") and try to live accordingly.
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