With honesty...

and the best of intentions I received this e-mail

Christmas Blessing













Even knowing the good intention of this e-mail I have fundamental issues with much of the message it expresses. IF this is true and if these are the ways God blessed us, what this is saying is;

75% of the world God has chosen not to bless with a place to sleep
92 % of the world are poor because God only has chosen to give wealth to 8% of us
1 million people will die today because he has failedl to give them health
500 million people face loneliness, torture, imprisonment and starvation because God has decided to leave them behind

So when it (wealth) is given and it IS God's, and we are only conduits, I have to ask the question; Why are the above statistics true. Why, WHY as God's people are 8% of us holding 92% of wealth? Why are we in turn not taking care of the 92%, the 1 million, the 500 million. How is this possible?? Does not God want his people to be an extension of his love and mercy.
(When a mommy prays for food to feed her babies, does he not want us, through him, be the answer to that prayer?)

I know we all make an attempt at it, but I think we all simply play at it. Lots us like the "idea" of caring for the poor, it's good in theory and it sure sounds good. But we really are not willing to live in such a way that really changes things. We do not want to live in a way that says we really care about those who are at the bottom. We don't want to live in a way that reflects true, real & felt sacrifice. We do not want to say no to what we want, to what we think we deserve to make a difference in the world. We want to help, but not to the point of saying no to our own desires.
If I make more, then surely that means God thinks I deserve to have more; a bigger house, a nicer car, better & nicer clothes, to have the latest and greatest toys, more & better food, vacations to the best places where I can leave it all behind and be pampered (and as I leave "it" all behind, people continue to struggle to survive, when can they leave it all behind).
We know what we want and by god we will work hard to get it. But would we ever consider working hard to get ahead so we can be more active in the world providing for those who cannot provide for themselves. Would we work so hard if it wasn't about our own advancement?
So as we make the choices we make, live with blinders on, those who are hungry continue to be hungry, the sick remain sick, those unjustly held in captivity remain there, those being killed in the midst of a genocide will continue to be killed. Because we choose to turn our heads and believe everyone lives like we do and all is well within the world.

This is a time of year many of us focus more intentionally on giving. Sadly enough it somehow soothes [our] souls, because deep down we know, we know it is because we are trying to make right the guilt we feel and yet, for some of us there is no guilt, because we truly are just fine with the way things are.

I want to believe I am better than what I show to the world. I want to believe deep down I am capable of loving the way God loves. But it needs to be intensional until it becomes a Godly transformation and the things God cares about becomes the things I care about.
So I ask God to make me intentional and to have a heart that reflects the love and mercy I have received from Him.