Pony Up
God works in mysterious ways.
So I've heard many times. Okay, maybe this is one of them (or maybe not; I don't pretend to understand the mind of God).
All us Christians (yep, I'm one--surprised?) who just finished singing the praises of the birth of Jesus, just lauded the season of giving . . . all the Christians who claim to have voted their Christian values in the recent election, who have said that faith and moral values are the most important issue: with the disaster in Southeast Asia we all just got handed an opportunity to practice what we preach, in a big way. To prove we're not all talk and Sunday best. Time to pony up.
You call yourself a Christian? Okay, millions of people just lost their homes and loved ones. Help them on your own and demand that your government, as your representative, do the same. They are hungry. Feed them. They thirst for clean water to drink. Send some. They lost their clothes along with everything else. Clothe them. They risk cholera and typhoid and assorted other diseases--send doctors and medicines to help.
They are strangers to most of us. If you call yourself a Christian, invite them into your heart.
So I've heard many times. Okay, maybe this is one of them (or maybe not; I don't pretend to understand the mind of God).
All us Christians (yep, I'm one--surprised?) who just finished singing the praises of the birth of Jesus, just lauded the season of giving . . . all the Christians who claim to have voted their Christian values in the recent election, who have said that faith and moral values are the most important issue: with the disaster in Southeast Asia we all just got handed an opportunity to practice what we preach, in a big way. To prove we're not all talk and Sunday best. Time to pony up.
34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’That's the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 35. Pretty straightforward.
37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
You call yourself a Christian? Okay, millions of people just lost their homes and loved ones. Help them on your own and demand that your government, as your representative, do the same. They are hungry. Feed them. They thirst for clean water to drink. Send some. They lost their clothes along with everything else. Clothe them. They risk cholera and typhoid and assorted other diseases--send doctors and medicines to help.
They are strangers to most of us. If you call yourself a Christian, invite them into your heart.
posted by Maines at 8:36 AM
1 Comments:
According to The New York Times:
"In an interview, Mr. [Jan] Egeland [UN emergency relief coordinator] said that private and government money was appreciated but that relief for disaster victims in recent years had fallen far short of what was needed and what was pledged.
"Victims of the earthquake in Bam, Iran, a year ago are still living in tents because permanent aid, as opposed to emergency provisions, has not materialized in the amounts pledged, aid officials said."
This is going to be a long-term need--not just food and medicine and shelter today, but food and medicine and shelter next month, when something else is on the front page, and next year, as houses and roads and railroads and entire towns are still being rebuilt. Some of the charities will let you set up an automatic monthly donation: consider doing this if you can. If each of us could give up a meal out, or a visit to Starbucks, or whatever, each month, we might start to change the world.
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