My wonderful hubby wrote a blog about the newest book onto his reading list, by a guy names Tony Campolo, and it got me thinking...
"I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."
That is just too true. We are O so worried about what goes into our children's ears and about what is said in "Christian circles" and completely apathetic towards the tings that really matter, the people whom God loves deeply and He has asked us to take care of. That is tragic.
"I think that Christianity has two emphasis. One is a social emphasis to impart the values of the kingdom of God in society - to relieve the sufferings of the poor, to stand up for the oppressed, to be a voice for those who have no voice. The other emphasis is to bring people into a personal, transforming relationship with Christ, where they feel the joy and the love of God in their lives. That they manifest what the fifth chapter of Galatians calls 'the fruit of the Spirit'. Fundamentalism has emphasized the latter, mainline churches have emphasized the former. We cannot neglect one for the other." (Source: www.beliefnet.com)
This is such a good way of putting it. God wants us to have a personal, intimate relationship, deep love for Him, and be saved and have faith; but He wants more from us, He wants us to spread His love to the world, to bring His Kingdom here, now, and to be the voice for the oppressed, to love the unloved. He wants us to live our faith, not just have it.
"There are 2,000 verses of Scripture that tell us we must be committed to protecting the poor and the oppressed... There is no concern of Scripture that is addressed so often and so powerfully as reaching out to the poor."
Sometimes I think we forget that.
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