So today I started this new book/autobiography about this man who started this missions foundation called Gospel for Asia. And in it, he talked about the first time he came to the United States. He describe the abundance and prosperity that we, here in the US of A, enjoy daily and don't even think twice about. In fact, he even observed that sometimes we seem to be annoyed with our affluence. He, himself, was confused by all of this, especially those who claimed to be Christians but squandered their wealth on frivolous things instead of what truly matters in life. BAM! I felt like a ton of bricks had hit me. I am a hypocrite. After my experience in Spain, my outlook on life changed a bit. I didn't want a big house or lots of "things" and I realized that life was about family and friends and a good cup of coffee. (Haha) However, I am living my life like all the "things" matter. And I am getting caught up in all the things the world tells us we should want. But do they matter? No. Can we take them with us after we die? Nope, not at all. So perhaps in my head, I have a distaste of excess and waste and I definitely detest greed and love of money. But am I living my life any differently? Maybe yes, Maybe no. But since when is being "lukewarm" about something okay?
But anyways, this is just an insight into what I was thinking about today... So just take a moment and think about ALL that you have. It is astounding. When people around the world live in extreme poverty and live on less than a dollar per day, it is astounding. And if you think about it long enough or seriously enough, it might make you sick to your stomach. It does me. Sometimes it is hard to really wrap our minds around all of it because we don't see that extreme poverty on a daily basis. Regardless, I think we, in the US, should try to focus less on ourselves and materials and more on others who are truly in need. I mean, what do we really need another tv for? I am definitely guilty of this and am by no means without blame... Just a thought or two.
The following appears in the book I am reading and it is an excerpt from Robert L. Heilbroner's book The Great Ascent: The struggle for Economic Development in Our Time:
'We begin by invading the house of our imaginary American family to strip it of its furniture. Everything goes: beds, chairs, tables, television sets, lamps. We will leave the family with a few old blankets, a kitchen table, a wooden chair. Along with the bureaus go the clothes. Each member of the family may keep in his 'wardrobe' his oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. We will permit a pair of shoes for the head of the family, but none for the wife or children.
We move to the kitchen. The appliances have already been taken out, so we turn to the cupboards...the box of matches may stay, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt. A few moldy potatoes, already in the garbage can, must be rescued, for they will provide much of tonight's meal. We will leave a handful of onions and a dish of dried beans. All the rest we take away: the meat, the fresh vegetables, the canned goods, the crackers, the candy.
Now we have stripped the house: the bathroom has been dismantled, the running water shut off, the electric wires taken out. Next we take away the house. The family can move to the tool shed...Communications must go next. No more newspapers, magazines, books--not that they are missed, since we must take away our family's literacy as well. Instead, in our shantytown we will allow one radio...
Now government services must go next. No more postmen, no more firemen. There is a school, but it is three miles away and consists of two classrooms...There are, of course, no hospitals or doctors nearby. The nearest clinic is ten miles away and is tended by a midwife. It can be reached by bicycle, provided the family has a bicycle, which is unlikely.
Finally, money. We will allow our family a cash hoard of five dollars. This will prevent our breadwinner from experiencing the tragedy of an Iranian peasant who went blind because he could not raise the $3.94 which he mistakenly thought he needed to receive admission to a hospital where he could have been cured.
Kinda places things into a bit of a perspective... What if we all did less with "our" money for ourselves and the excess comforts and more with "our" money for others??
With love,
Sarah
