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.
Showing posts with label neighbor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighbor. Show all posts
Thursday, August 23, 2007
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?
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