I love Facebook. I’ve been able to connect with many old friends from high school. When I first started playing saxophone in the jazz band, I met fellow player Mark W. He was a cool and funny young man. He loved to have fun, drove a great car, and made me laugh. He was a few years older than me and made teenageville look so cool.
Since Mark and I have re-connected on Facebook, I’ve remembered something else I love about this guy: he makes me think.
As I reported on the great work of World Vision, Mark used facebook to ask one of the most probing questions—a question that should make all of us think.
Question: World Vision charity is noble. Why fund charity money outside this nation when we all can drive 30 minutes and find horrid poverty here at home? I challenge my own Priests on this issue; Missions sound exotic, but why not take the money and resources and drive into a housing project in Philly and do good works here is the US? So many here in this nation need the help too….
Here is my response:
Mark,
I hear your question often: why should I give to missions or look at ministry internationally when there are so many problems here in the U.S.?
It’s a valid question. I have three responses.
Response #1: What are YOU doing? If you’re not doing something, why not?
You say that you challenge your priests on this issue. Fantastic! What’s it like in Philly? What have you seen? What have you felt? What has God done?
I love this story about Philly. This is genuine, person-to-person ministry.
Response #2: World Vision has work in the U.S. They work with the poorest of the poor in places like Appalachia. While Child Sponsorship isn’t available in the U.S., you can contribute single donations—or your time and talents—to working in World Vision’s projects here at home.
Response #3: In the U.S., we have many safety nets. If you lose your job, you probably have access to unemployment assistance. If you qualify, you may receive food stamps. If you qualify, you have access to state- or federally-supported medical insurance. Most churches in your community have food closets or benevolence funds. There is ample help in your community to meet your needs.
However, in most of the communities where World Vision works, these families live on less than $2 a day. They have nothing. No support. No government. Churches, if available, that are as poor as they are. We are their lifelines. We are their safety nets. They need us.
Response #4: There are over 200 Scripture references about giving to the poor. Caring for those who need help is very close to the heart of God. In fact, when Jesus first began teaching, he stood up in the synagogue, opened the scrolls from Isaiah and proclaimed:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18
The poor are close to Jesus’s heart. World Vision seeks to be the hands and feet of Jesus and follow his example.
World Vision started because a teacher at a a school in China challenged an American minister and filmmaker with these words, “What are you going to do for this child?” His life answered the question. He refused to do nothing. [read the entire story here]
What about you? What are you going to do? Are you going to refuse to do nothing?
I can’t wait to hear your stories. I’d love to see ten of you share your stories by commenting on this post or writing on my Facebook profile.
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