One of my coworkers reposted this on facebook. I’m sure she didn’t think of this as selfish, but to anyone who has ever been to a third world country, this stands out as the reason Americans are viewed as whiny spoiled brats…
BREAKING NEWS: We need to send money to the following country: USA. There are many without food, shelter, and clean drinking water. Residents are going without heat for the winter, no a/c for the summer. Thousands are without jobs. Need health care for the sick. Stop sending money overseas. We have people here that lack basic human needs. Do you have the guts to re-post this?? AMERICA FIRST!!!
This is what’s known as two truths and a lie. Yes, we have poor and sick, hungry and crippled here, but… our poor are better off than the middle class of many countries. We need to be giving more in general, and making sure that we are truly helping the people in our own country, not just feeding their addictions…but we gotta keep in mind that the rest of the world is no less important than the people who fall within the category we like to refer to as “us”.
This is “Lifeboat Ethics”, by Garrett Hardin: http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~ckliu/course/research/lifeboat.pdf
I believe that the the best thing Christians can do for the poor countries of the world, and our own, is pray earnestly for their salvation.
I agree with your conclusion, but I think this article is severely out of balance, just as I believe the ones who want to make that food bank are out of balance.
The Bible is very clear about wishing your brother well, and doing nothing to help him being a lack of love (which means it breaks one of the two highest commandments.) God doesn’t expect us to do more than we can. (I can say this because if he calls us to do anything beyond our current means, he will provide the means, thus we can do it.) But He expects us to do what we can. There are few better ways to share the gospel than identifying needs and showing the love of Christ to people where you find them. You have to preach the truth of the gospel, yes, but Love shown to people who have no claim to it is the “signs and wonders” that will prove the truth of the gospel. You cannot, I repeat, cannot leave out either one.
I hate planned “revival” meeting for this reason. If you want a revival, try praying earnestly, then go and minister to the poor and needy, and see if God doesn’t show up among you. A Week long Bible conference has merit, but it isn’t a revival, or the recipe for one. Praying that the Lord of the harvest will send workers into the field, and then being willing to do whatever, is the recipe for revival.