A Simple Solution
TIME magazines current cover story is on the issue of diarrhea. To be honest, I’d never really thought of this as being that big an issue in the world today. The reality is though that diarrhea kills more young children around the world than malaria, AIDS and TB combined. Wow. Show’s how much I know.
Whilst I am someone who definitely thinks that the access we have to information about what’s going on all around the world is a good thing, sometimes it can all get overwhelming. How much information about tragedy, disease, war, tsunamis, etc, can we handle before we simply become cold to these realities and start to accept them as normal? I know already I have to battle against my own indifference. Can I really make a difference? How do I engage with this issues and make a difference in ways that are tangible and meaningful?
Indifference isn’t the only battle I face. The reality that so many of our world’s problems actually have simple solutions can be so frustrating. Goverments only seem to be prepared to make noises about changing anything. The truth is that there is more than enough food on the planet for no one to go hungry. There is more than enough resources to bring an end to the 1.9 million children under 5 who die due to diarrheal diseases every year. There is more than enough! But we who live in the West are to busy enjoying that more than enough to care enough to really do anything.
What kind of world do we live in where we in the West eat and eat and eat ourselves to the point of obesity whilst millions of people round the world are dying of starvation? And the harsh truth is that we really just don’t care. Part of me is reacting to my own statement there, thinking that I do care. But do I really? Sure I might be moved from time to time, but how much am I actually prepared to sacrifice and to do something?
How much am I prepared to alter my lifestyle here in the West to make a difference for those living in poverty elsewhere? Do I need to eat out as often as I do? Could I put that money I’d of spent at a fancy restaurant to support a charity serving the poor or providing medication? I’m already eyeing up these fancy new plasma screen TV’s, but do I need one? What’s wrong with the TV I’ve already got? Could I ween myself off the endless need to have the latest “stuff” and put that money towards people for who it may mean the difference between life and death?
The average American now spends 107% of their annual income (I’m sure that figure will be very similar here in the UK), building up ever-increasing amounts of credit card debt. What if I tried to keep reducing the amount that I live on so that, instead of spending more money than I have, I’m spending less and less of what I have in order to give more and more away to those who truly need it? What if I saw my income as being less about me and more about serving people who’s lives may depend on whether I may make that choice?
When am I going to face up to the reality that so much of what I have, I don’t truly need? I don’t think its about becoming Amish or living like a poor person. I think it’s about not living a life that is consumed by materialism. I believe God gave us so much in this world so that we can enjoy it. Life was designed to be enjoyed. But I don’t want to enjoy the best that the West has to offer and forget the reality of the need in other people’s lives.
It’s not rocket science: am I going to think about anyone other than me?
technorati tags: the future now, diarrhea, poverty, materialism
October 15th, 2006 at 8:56 pm
Make sure you check out the quote on Dean’s VOX. It fits nicely with my own thoughts here:
http://dean.voxtropolis.com/2006/10/15/shamans-quote-of-the-day-15/
October 16th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
Wow… I love your post! it has been on my heart to post something similar…more or less….
Staci and I were talking on the way home from our gathering last night and she brought up an interesting thought.
What if we ask ourselves, What CAN i do? verses What can I do? I can focus on the doing part, than the I part. I liked that…
October 17th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Hey Jenn…thx for stopping by! That’s a great placing of emphasis in that question! Because that’s the truth isn’t it? There’s LOTS we can do!!
Say hi to Staci for me!
October 17th, 2006 at 4:17 pm
that is certainly the first questions i would ask, next would be, what do you want me to do?
I think Madonna only thought what can i do and ended up removing a child from its family because she has the money and his father who visits him regularly does not, what kind of screwed up message does that send to our children? and are we prepared to let society get away with it?.
This is really dangerious teritory its dressing up a selfish nature as one of being caring, in this instance for the child. I think this is the lever with which far too many things are done to HELP people when really they have no choice in the situation.
I don’t think were called to be poor, i don’t think were called to be rich I think were called to have integrity in all situations that we find ourselves in day in day out, i’m fed up with people sacrificing their integrity on the alter of wealth only to hoard it and protect their new little world.
October 17th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
They are some great - and challenging - thoughts Simon. I think you’re right about the challenges we face at the moment (dressing up a selfish nature as one of being caring) particuarly as charity seems to be the new cool.
Everyone thinks its great to be charitable and wants to be SEEN to be charitable (something that Christ actually warns us against). The problem is that more harm than good could result if we’re not careful.
I liked what Bono said earlier in the year about the need to move beyond charity to justice. I think he’s dead on.
October 17th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
We’ve been really struggling with that for the last year - We can write checks, educate ourselves and even offer help short term . . . But what MORE can we do? As Bono said - The walk from charity to justice is long but MUST be vital. How can we realign our lives to BE good news?
Am currently reading “The End of Poverty” - If you haven’t read it the author is an economic advisor to Kofi Anan and partner with Bono and details how recently we reached the point we are at, as well as offering a plan for how to move forward via microeconomic - He states that we are the first generation truly able to end extreme poverty. This is my challenge to myself - Since I have been placed in this generation, how can I play my part?
Thanks for your thoughts Sam.
October 17th, 2006 at 7:12 pm
Thanks for your question on my blog. Things are going well. I’m in transition right now and hoping to join up with a multiethnic church in another state. It’s kind of a church planting/missions effort so it’ll mean raising support and then moving the family to a new city. Exciting stuff!
I don’t know how this goes in the UK, but in the US our churches still sadly lack diversity. We want to help catalyze a movement to create environments for ethnic groups come together in local churches to follow Jesus in unity.
Hope things are good for you guys! I’ll have to check out your church website to see what’s going on.
Take care…
October 18th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
hi sam, thanx for wishing me a happy bday. ttyl.
October 20th, 2006 at 11:47 am
Mark, thanks for stopping by…it’s good to hear from you! You’re asking good questions. I am grappling with these questions too from the context of our tiny community at Mosaic at the moment. How can we have a significant, long-term impact and what would that look like?
Allen - it’s been too long! I hope the transition goes well and I’m exited about your desire to catalyse a movement with lots of ethnic diversity. That is something very much on my heart. We don’t see nearly enough of that here in the UK either.
Niza - I hope you had a great day!
October 23rd, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Thanks Sam - It’s an exciting time to live - we can bring in so much light . . . We’re just trying to figure out how to access and unleash it . . .
October 24th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
This sounds like the seed of something far greater, Sam. What if we worked towards a blogging event or group blog about how to actually live this out on a practical level.
In my opinion, it’s not really that people don’t want to do these things. It’s that they do get frustrated with all the work they think is involved. When I’m driving from my non-profit job to a faith event so I can encourage others it’s really easy to buy the fast food that is overpriced. “It’s ok,” I can justify. “It’s helping me love other people.” And on some level that is true. But there is a better way.
Recognizing this internal struggle, I think some of us with the passion for these issues need to take a lesson from many non-profits now days and accompany our calls to act with practical next steps.
Should people be able to jump right into themselves? Perhaps. But perhaps we should be taking a lesson from the Mosaic LA folks - sometimes people don’t experience transformation until after they have sacrificed.
October 24th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Thanks for your thoughts Parke. I agree about the need to take this forward into something practical. And to be resourcing people with practical ways that can live in more ethical and environmentally friendly ways.
Rachel and I are going to be asking for The Good Shopping Guide for Christmas which as book which rates companies as to how ethical, environmentally friendly, etc, they are to help people know the best clothes shops to buys from, the best supermarkets to use, the best technology firms, etc. I think this will be really helpful for us.
Also, one thing we have just started is getting a delivery of fruit and vegetables each weeks from a local company using locally sourced food. We’re trying to make sure all our light bulbs are the energy efficients ones too. Hopefully some of these things will be small steps towards living my life more carefully and respectfully. I know we have a long way to go, but it think it is right as Christ-followers that we take these sort of things seriously.
October 25th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Sam
Becoming numb is a big problem the western world is facing and in reality we have created much of the tragedy, the third world is facing. I say we, cause even though I am born and bred in Africa, I am white and eurpoean. We need to take responsibility and be creative.
Everytime I take friends from other countries around in SA, they are overwhelmed. I have lost that sense of being overwhelmed. For me it’s just the way things are.