Red Letters

I've been on a reading spree lately. Informing myself of the needs of orphans around the world, particularly in Africa. It is really heartbreaking, and surprising. I knew there were problems there, but I was so ignorant to the extent of them.

The latest book is titled Red Letters, Living a Faith That Bleeds, by Tom Davis. I'm not done with the book yet, but here are some thoughts I wanted to share:

• The total number of children under 15 with HIV as of 2006 is 2.2 million (That's about equal to the population of Houston, or the state of Nevada, or the country of Latvia).
• 28 million children die from curable diseases a year. Not treatable, but curable!! (That's about the population of Texas and Louisiana combined, or the entire population of Iraq- every year!)
  
• 17 million children die from malnutrition and starvation a year. And we in the US have an obesity problem (That's like everyone in the state of Florida dying every year)!
• 33% of the world's population is malnourished.
• 10 million children are involved in the sex industry. (That's about the population of WA and OR combined, or the entire population of Belgium!)
  
• There are 200 million child laborers (That would be about 2/3rds of the US population!).

Jesus said just two days before He hung on the cross:

"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'"
-Matthew 25:31-40

"Acting out of mercy, giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty child, visiting the orphan, giving hope and life to someone suffering from AIDS - these are the things at the top of God's priority list." - Tom Davis

And this stated by Elie Wiesel, an author and survivor of the Holocaust: "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

Sir Winston Churchill: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Bono: "We are the first generation that can look extreme and stupid poverty in the eye, look across the water to Africa and elsewhere and say this and mean it: we have the cash, we have the drugs, we have the science - but do we have the will? Do we have the will to make poverty history? Some say we can't afford to. I say we can't afford no to."

I am so challenged as I read this. I don't want to be like the rick young ruler in Mark 10 who wanted to inherit eternal life, but when told to store up treasure in heaven, he walked away sad, unwilling to give up his earthly treasure. I want to be God's hands and feet. I've said it before and do mean it. Lord, show me how. Show us all how and help us trust you to give us joy and strength along the way.