2/15/08

The Poverty of Our Affluence

"I asked him whether he thought it better for a child to be brought up in the wealth of America or in the poverty of Uganda."

"Oh Uganda. Uganda. Absolutely," he said with passion.

"In America, your plentifulness drives you away from God. Here, for the poor, for me, I am grateful for every meal. I am dependent upon God and I know it."

I have often asked people this question of missionaries, aid workers, and nationals themselves - and have heard this answer repeatedly. As Americans, we don't know how rich we are, but at the same time we don't know how poor. Our souls have some confronting to do.

Please read this blog entry. The author is a guy who is touring Compassion International sites in Uganda and journalling his thoughts. It will be well worth your time. I beg you to read it. Please. And if you've got the time, read his other entries concerning his Compassion trip also. If they don't stir you to do something, I'm not sure what will.

Maybe consider sponsoring a child from Compassion - as a family, as a small group, as a classroom. It's $32/month. That's a few pennies for some and a sacrifice for others. But if anything is worth a sacrifice, a child is. Your sponsorship provides educational opportunities, health care and supplemental nutrition, opportunities for safe recreation, opportunities to learn about important life skills, and opportunities to hear about Jesus. Compassion is the real deal. We can vouch for it personally. Our letters from our kids are the most endearing we've ever read.

If you don't do this, do something. Please.

3 comments:

Courtney O. said...

i was following another blog of a girl on this same trip.
thanks for this post

Courtney O. said...

have you ever read "unfettered hope". I have it on my amazon wishlist. Or have you seen the book "the hungry planet" it's more of a coffee table book but it is the one where people take all their possessions out of their house and put them on their lawn... interesting to see the differences. I really want to buy it someday.

--- said...

never read either. i'll have to look into them though. thanks for the suggestions. i'm reading rich christians in an age of hunger right now and love it. well, as much as you can love something that breaks your heart.

 

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