If There Were Only 100 People In the World...

Photo Credit: United Nations Photo

If there were only 100 people in the world, this is how those 100 people could be broken down:

- There would be 50 women and 50 men.

- There would be 26 children and 74 adults.

- There would be 33 Christians, 22 Muslims, 14 Hindus, 7 Buddhists, 12 people from some other religion and 12 people without a religious affiliation.

- 83 people would be able to read and write; 17 people would be unable to read and write.

- Only 22 people would have access to a computer and a mere 7 would have a college degree.

- 21 would be overweight, 63 would have adequate nutrition, 15 would be undernourished and 1 would be starving.

- 87 would have safe drinking water and 13 would not have access to clean water.

- 77 would have shelter and 23 would not have a roof over their head.

- The primary language for 12 would be Chinese, 5 Spanish, 5 English, 3 Arabic, 3 Hindi, 3 Bengali, 3 Portuguese, 2 Russian, 2 Japanese and 62 would have some other language as their primary form of communication.

- 60 would be from Asia, 15 from Africa, 14 from the Americas, and 11 from Europe.

You can find a cool infographic with this information here.

(h/t to Scot McKnight for the link.)

Five Things On Social Justice

Photo Credit: crunklygill

Here are 5 Things About Social Justice from Tall Skinny Kiwi:

"1. We won't solve the problems of our city by loving the poor but despising the rich. The poor need resources and the rich have resources. Lets bring them together.

2. We won't solve the problem of hunger by throwing cans of food at people without empowering them to grow and cook their own food.

3. We won't solve the problem of homelessness by sentencing people to a lifetime of unaffordable mortgage payments for a house that is too large for their needs and too expensive to heat or cool when we can offer sustainable building solutions and alternative residential communities.

4. We won't solve the problem of unemployment by crippling people with student debt for a qualification that might not actually land them a job when we could assist them to become creative and successful entrepreneurs.

5. We won't solve the problem of global poverty by sponsoring people to do nothing except to look poor and needy for our photos (somebody say mission porn) without freeing them to live sustainably, creatively and to put their gift into the world."

To read the rest of this post please click here.

Three Churches That Demonstrate Ways To Do Mercy Ministry

Photo Credit: Paul Hedges

Lifeway Research recently completed its study of the largest and fastest growing churches in America for 2012. Lifeway president Ed Stetzer shares some of these findings in a recent post and highlights three churches that seek to serve the marginalized of society.

Stetzer says this:

"The past several years have seen a needed return to biblical compassion and action to help those affected by injustice. Organizations that fight sex trafficking and human trafficking and promote adoption and mercy ministries dot the church landscape. Many of the churches on this year's list are excelling in this area and raising the standard for all churches. 

Vineyard Community Church of Cincinnati is heavily involved in mercy ministry. Although that particular label has never been used, Kande Wilson, senior director of Outward Focused Ministries, says: "Helping the poor is part of the DNA of the church. It has been a part of who we are for 27 years." 

In a myriad of ways, Vineyard brings the Gospel to the poor, homeless and others combating life's struggles. In the tougher areas of the city, the church distributes food, clothes, hygiene items and more. 

"There are lots of groups that serve food," Wilson says. "If anyone wants food, they can get it. We have a group that is committed to helping people who have made the decision to get out of transiency. There are people from our church who have been deeply involved in the lives of the poor and homeless for 14 years. They are downtown every week-- rain or shine, holidays, snow, whatever. They do ministry on Christmas. This longevity is a key factor to gaining trust. Our members view these hurting people as their own congregation." 

For many years, Vineyard Community Church had an on-campus ministry that was "a food pantry on steroids," Wilson recalls. "In 2007, we did the Luke 4 Challenge, focusing our capital campaign on our city, our future and our world." As a result, the church expanded its ministries to provide help for the whole person. "This meant bringing divorce care, lost job ministry, homeless ministry, and others similar to these under one roof," Wilson says. "This was our outreach to the city."

Glen Berteau, senior pastor of Calvary Temple Worship Center in Modesto, Calif., cites not only specific biblical texts like the Great Commission and Ezekiel 16:14, but a biblical template as well: the Old Testament city of Nineveh. "Our social justice ministry is called Nineveh Outreach because Nineveh was the only biblical city that completely came to the Lord," Berteau says. "We want to see our city saved. I believe if that can happen then, it can happen here and now. 

"Nineveh Outreach provides food and clothes for our volunteers to distribute when they visit more than 30 parks every week. For Modesto Park alone, we distributed $5.5 million dollars in food last year. We also send out a nonprofit mobile medical and dental truck to help kids. We received a letter from the local police department telling us the crime rate in our area declined as a result of our ministries. 

"We also run Without Permission, a ministry that stands against human trafficking, which is a big problem in our area. Calvary Temple paid the fee to procure our local police department a state grant. Now they are able to send patrols specifically to safeguard against human trafficking." Berteau sees beauty as the core of outreach: "Our world is attracted by beauty. If the church would become beautiful, the world would be attracted to it. Beauty means reaching out to people as they are--seeing each of them as one of God's masterpieces."

Street GRACE, which 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., helped start, is the only organization dedicated to eradicating commercial sexual exploitation of children "that leads people on a comprehensive path to leave a social injustice," says Executive Director Cheryl DeLuca-Johnson. 

DeLuca-Johnson explains: "Our comprehensive path includes awareness, education, engagement and social change. Currently Street GRACE has 80 partner churches in Georgia. We are now moving into Tennessee and Alabama. We are blessed to have 1,950 volunteers at some level in Georgia alone. Recently, the Department of Education contracted with us to present information to all the teachers and school staff in Georgia. This training includes not only how to help children, but also how to stop the demand. We include legislative efforts to get laws changed. For example, through the year 2000, the law in Georgia for sexual exploitation of a minor was a misdemeanor with a $50 fine. As a result of our efforts, the penalty is now a $100,000 fine and up to life in prison."

To read the rest of his post please click here.

A Primer For Politicians: The Facts About Poverty & Race

Photo Credit: tizzie

"Stereotype: A fixed, commonly held notion or image of a person or group, based on an oversimplification of some observed or imagined trait of behavior or appearance." (From Media Awareness Network)

Those of us in the U.S. are in the midst of another presidential election and the issue of race is figuring prominently into the national conversation once again. When discussing the issue of race, there are a number of misconceptions that politicians often contribute to by reinforcing stereotypes that are based in perception...but not reality.

For example, take recent comments made by Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. When commenting about the state of the welfare system in the United States, Santorum is quoted as saying this:

"I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money."

Newt Gingrich, when commenting on the realities of poverty in America's inner cities, says this:

"Look,” Gingrich said, “at a time when you have up to 43% black teenage unemployment, you have entire communities that are devastated, you have neighborhoods where nobody has worked and nobody has any habit of work, I’d be delighted to — that’s why I want to challenge Obama to 7 three hour debates — I’d be delighted to have a conversation about our current approach to children. 

“Young children who are poor ought to learn how to go to work,” he continued. “What I’ve said is, for example, it would be great if inner city schools and poor neighborhood schools actually hired the children to do things. Some of the things they could do is work in the library, work in the front office. Some of them frankly, could be janitorial."

It can be agreed that poverty is a problem that needs tangible and long-term solutions. But one of the misconceptions that politicians like those quoted above have, along with many of us, is that poverty is a black issue. For many people, when the topic of conversation turns to poor people or the subject of welfare, there is a stereotype in many peoples' minds that poor=black. It is simply not true.

Here are the facts: According to The Root.com, the numbers from the 2010 census tell us that 31 million of the 46 million people living in poverty are white. Although the stereotype that many of us may assume to be true is that the bulk of those who are living in poverty are black, just a little over two out of every ten Americans living in poverty are African American. And poor white people don't just live in rural areas -- nearly half of the urban poor are those that look like me.

Furthermore, many people of all races who fall below the poverty line are employed or actively seeking work in this troubled economy. These individuals, considered the "working poor", comprise nearly 60% of all those who are considered poor. So any person who says that everyone who grows up below the poverty line doesn't know what an honest day's work looks like simply does not know the realities on this matter. In fact, some of those who we define as poor are some of the hardest working people that any of us will ever meet.

My concerns here in raising this issue are not that there are politicians who desire to see those in poverty elevate themselves into a higher economic class. Nor do my hesitations come from a place of not wanting economically disadvantaged individuals to earn a living for themselves. I think it is good and right that those in poverty seek employment, if at all possible. My trouble is with the condescending tone that accompanies these pronouncements, as well as the perpetuation of the stereotype that poor=black.

From personal experience, I know that this myth that all (or at least most) black people come from poverty or grew up in the inner-city is well-ingrained in the psyche of many of us. For example, I've spent much of my adult life ministering to African American college students. Although some of the students I've worked with have come from less than ideal family situations and grew up in economically distressed neighborhoods, many of them grew up in stable, two-parent homes in nice communities.

But time and time again I've had people assume that my ministry focus is in "the hood" after they've learned I work with African Americans. I say I minister to African American college students...and their mind immediately shifts to an "urban community" with "disadvantaged youth." Yes, I've spent some time ministering in poor communities in urban areas but most of my work with students has been spent on college campuses in college towns.

My desire is that the leaders at the highest level of our country would at least know the facts when it comes to addressing complicated challenges like systemic poverty in distressed communities across our country. People from all ethnic groups face economic challenges. It is not just a black problem. It is an issue for all of us. If political leaders are sincere in wanting to solve problems like cyclical poverty, my suggestions is that they spend some time in disadvantaged communities -- whether that's in the barrios of Los Angeles, the streets of Harlem or the hills of Appalachia.

Maybe Being An Evangelical Isn't So Bad After All

Photo Credit: jeremy.wilburn

The evangelical Christian movement has been around for centuries but it has only been in recent decades that the definition of what it means to be an evangelical has changed within mainstream culture. Originally, the definition of an evangelical had nothing to do with political affiliation. To be an evangelical meant:

1. You were committed to the Bible as an authority in your life.
2. You believed in the need for a "born again" experience through faith in Christ.
3. You emphasized the necessity of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for personal salvation.
4. You regularly talked with others about how they could have a relationship with Christ.

In recent years within the United States, the term "evangelical" has become, for many people, synonymous with a politically conservative Christian who votes Republican. While it may be true that many evangelicals may vote along these lines, not all of us do. It's unfortunate that the definition of an evangelical has come to mean more about politics when the most important thing about us is our faith.

Nicholas Kristof, a writer for The New York Times, has written a splendid piece about how we evangelicals are often unfairly characterized as all being like the more extreme members of our community. Using the recently deceased John Stott as an example, he says this:

"Centuries ago, serious religious study was extraordinarily demanding and rigorous; in contrast, anyone could declare himself a scientist and go in the business of, say, alchemy. These days, it’s the reverse. A Ph.D. in chemistry is a rigorous degree, while a preacher can explain the Bible on television without mastering Hebrew or Greek — or even showing interest in the nuances of the original texts.

Those self-appointed evangelical leaders come across as hypocrites, monetizing Jesus rather than emulating him. Some seem homophobic, and many who claim to be “pro-life” seem little concerned with human life post-uterus. Those are the preachers who won headlines and disdain.

But in reporting on poverty, disease and oppression, I’ve seen so many others. Evangelicals are disproportionately likely to donate 10 percent of their incomes to charities, mostly church-related. More important, go to the front lines, at home or abroad, in the battles against hunger, malaria, prison rape, obstetric fistula, human trafficking or genocide, and some of the bravest people you meet are evangelical Christians (or conservative Catholics, similar in many ways) who truly live their faith.

I’m not particularly religious myself, but I stand in awe of those I’ve seen risking their lives in this way — and it sickens me to see that faith mocked at New York cocktail parties.

Why does all this matter?

Because religious people and secular people alike do fantastic work on humanitarian issues — but they often don’t work together because of mutual suspicions. If we could bridge this “God gulf,” we would make far more progress on the world’s ills."

I appreciate Mr. Kristof's candor in acknowledging that evangelicals are often unfairly stereotyped within popular culture and that there is more to us than how we vote politically. Contrary to popular opinion, evangelicals as a whole are some of the most courageous leaders within our society as it pertains to providing for the poor, sending aid to other countries and caring for orphans. Yes, we are unusually committed to the tenets of our faith in Christ but it is because of this unusual commitment that we seek to actively live out our faith as people that emulate the Nazarene carpenter.

You can read Kristof's complete post here.

(h/t to Scot McKnight for the link)

Is Forced Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients Racist?

Photo Credit: micahb37

My governor in Florida, Rick Scott, is catching some flack for recently signing legislation that requires the state's welfare recipients to submit to drug testing.  Some are arguing that this requirement is unfairly targeting the poor and others claim it is racist as it selectively targets African American citizens.

Surprisingly, a recent poll conducted by Black Planet/News One found that nearly 8 out of 10 African Americans favored drug screening for those applying for federal assistance.  Although there tends to be a stereotype in our society that the bulk of welfare recipients are single black women with multiple children who perpetually remain on public assistance, that belief is simply not supported by the facts.

Although African Americans are disproportionally represented among welfare recipients, the majority of those participating in the government's social welfare program are not black.  In fact, there are nearly as many white Americans that receive aid as black Americans.  Furthermore, the average number of children in households receiving aid is 1.8 (see 2008 report) and the Office for Family Assistance has a number of requirements in place for those applying for aid and incentives for those engaging in responsible behavior.

The fact that the vast majority of African Americans who were polled support drug screening for those applying for welfare assistance is not surprising to me.  The bulk of black Americans are hard working, law abiding individuals that want safe communities like we all do.  They do not want drug abusers to continue in their addiction due to governmental aid going to their habit.

During a couple of summers while I was in college, I worked at a power plant doing manual labor.  In order to get hired, I had to submit to a drug test each summer.  I didn't look at it as a particular invasion of my privacy but a necessary measure since I would be operating heavy equipment that could put lives in danger if operated by someone on drugs.  Since I wasn't using drugs, I didn't have anything to fear.  I would imagine it would be similar for those under Florida's new law. 

There are a number of issues, though, that are raised in implementing a law like this, particularly questions about personal privacy that will likely be addressed in the courts.

"In 2000 a United States District Court held that a Michigan law requiring “suspicionless drug testing” of all welfare recipients fell afoul of the fourth amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. Mr Scott’s other initiative also has fourth amendment problems. In 1997 the United States Supreme Court found a Georgia statute requiring candidates for public office to be drug tested failed to show a need pressing enough to “suppress the fourth amendment’s normal requirement of individualised suspicion.” And in 2000 a Florida district court found that reassuring the public that state workers are not using drugs—which is Mr Scott’s rationale for testing employees—was similarly insufficient to justify blanket searches."

It seems to me that those that would be most bothered by a policy like this are those who are drug users looking to receive governmental assistance.  The courts may end up finding this policy as being unnecessary invasions of privacy but to say it is racist doesn't ring true for me since drug abuse knows no class and people in need of governmental assistance knows no race.  

How Disaster Brings Out the Best...and Worst in People

In the aftermath of the devastation caused by last week's earthquake in Haiti, there has been an outpouring of support and aid provided to those affected by this disaster. Unfortunately, there has also been disturbing reports of violence and individuals looking to profit financially by preying on the most vulnerable -- children.

Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll was on the ground in Haiti earlier this week and reported on an unnerving encounter that he had while serving those in need of help. Driscoll said this:

"We were downtown loading up our film crew. There were no police, no medics, to be seen by a huge park with hundreds of people camping out with no where else to go. There was a little cart with a red umbrella and a man selling cell phones and cigarettes -- and a few young girls.

"You want to buy loving?" the guy asked me. I said, "What in the world are you talking about?"

But there was another guy there, who claimed to be a translator for a relief agency, who was negotiating a price for a girl. I asked him what he was trying to do. He said, "Oh, she's a friend of mine. We're just trying to connect."

That's ridiculous. A young girl. A man 20 or 30 years older. I told him this was unacceptable. MacDonald confronted him, too. But there were no police and you could argue all you wanted but the girl took his money and they walked away."

Even though we see the goodness brought out in humanity after tragedies like this, we also see greedy people who seek to profit from the misery of others. If Driscoll's report is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), there was a man that was supposedly there with an agency that was supposed to be helping the people of Haiti, but he was instead pimping young girls so he could make a buck.

Please continue to pray for all those that have been affected in Haiti. If you would like to give a financial gift to help efforts there, I encourage you to consider giving to Global Aid Network (GAiN). GAin, the humanitarian aid arm of Campus Crusade for Christ, is a multi-national network of ministries serving to demonstrate the love of God, through word and deed, to hurting and needy people around the world through relief and development projects.

Thoughts on the CCDA Conference

I had the privilege this past week of attending the annual national conference for the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) in Cincinnati. CCDA, which was founded twenty years ago by John Perkins, is a coalition of hundreds of churches and thousands of Christians that are committed to showing Christ's love in some of the most neglected parts of our country and world.

With this being my first CCDA conference, I wasn't sure what to expect. But I'm certainly glad that I attended as I was able to hear from and meet a number of people that have similar perspectives on the Christian faith as I do. Oftentimes, I find myself in circles where the label that is placed upon me as a white, evangelical Christian doesn't really fit. My worldview fit right in this week.

At the CCDA conference, I was able to hear about issues that are important to me like concern for the poor, racial reconciliation and justice for the marginalized. It was refreshing to be at home in an environment where all political preferences were welcomed and the common theme was a commitment to Jesus and to live out the Word of God in our communities.

I wasn't able to stay for the whole conference, but I got a lot out of what I was able to experience. I was able to spend some time with old friends and make some new ones. Some highlights for me were:

- Dr. Soong-Chan Rah's perspective on the changing evangelicalism in the world and the role that people of color are playing in that change. He highlighted the need to address power structures if those of us from the white community want to truly make a lasting difference in urban communities. This quote stood out:

"If you consider yourselves an urban missionary yet have never been mentored by someone from the community you are seeking to reach, then you are not a missionary; you are a colonialist."

- Jim Wallis' challenge that although faith is a personal matter, it is never private.
- Dr. John Perkins spending time in the book of I John with us and compellingly demonstrating how our faith in Christ must influence how we interact with others.
- Shane Claiborne, when speaking to the topic of being single and in ministry, commented that the pursuit of Jesus needs to be our ultimate goal (not getting married). He jokingly observed that he doesn't look at Mother Teresa and think "if only she had found a good man."
- Having lunch with Mark Charles, a new friend, and Charles Gilmer. We discussed American history and the relationship between Native and African American communities.
- Dinner with Ted Gandy, who has given most of his adult life to serving urban communities and working among under served people. Several years ago Ted learned that he was of African American heritage. Hearing his story was fascinating.
It was also great to run into former Impact students that we've worked with and other Christian leaders from across the country. If you are looking to become better resourced in learning how to serve the poor or to minister in urban communities, I highly suggest becoming part of CCDA. To learn more, click here.

Christians & the Poor

Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, was recently interviewed by Mark Galli in Christianity Today about his new book, The Hole in Our Gospel. Stearn offers his compelling and controversial perspective on the active role that all Christians need to take in caring for those in poverty. Among his thoughts:

"About 26,000 children under the age of 5 die every day of causes related to their poverty.

That is the equivalent of 100 planes filled with children crashing every day. If one jet liner crashes in America, it makes world headlines. There is an immediate flurry of activity: Why did it happen? What does the "black box" say? Is there a safety issue with the airplane? Was it a pilot error? And we start to learn about the lives of the people that died.

But where are the headlines? Where are the hearings, the acts of Congress, the things that would happen if a hundred jet liners were crashing every day?

If you looked at the death certificates of those children you would probably read words like starvation, respiratory infection, malaria, maybe HIV/AIDS. But you could easily cross that out and write apathy as the cause of death. The deaths were largely preventable, but those who could have prevented the deaths chose not to. I know that's harsh but I've seen and I know that it is possible to change the equation. It's the sin of our generation. The sin of my parents' generation in the United States was racism. The sin of our generation will be apathy."

You can read the full interview here.

Advocating a Holistic Gospel

Leadership magazine conducted a survey this summer and asked several hundred evangelical Christian pastors about their view of the gospel, mission and how verbal proclamation of the good news and the expression of good deeds work together. Among the findings was that there has definitely been a shift in thinking to this regard, even from just a decade ago. The survey uncovered the following from those interviewed:

- Pastors are focusing more on the Gospels than on the Epistles.
- More pastors believe the gospel is advanced by demonstration and not simply proclamation.
- More pastors say the goal of evangelism is to grow "the" church rather than to grow "my" church.
- More pastors believe partnering with other local churches is essential to accomplishing their mission.

It hasn't just been Leadership magazine that has acknowledged this trend. Even the Wall Street Journal picked up on this development. Writer Dale Buss noted the following:

"This shift constitutes a mega development in the world of megachurches. For over 30 years, Willow Creek [the megachuch located outside of Chicago] grew explosively thanks to its obliqueness toward Sabbath-day orthodoxy and quickly became the standard-bearer of a powerful new movement in evangelical Christianity. Thousands of churches sprang up in its wake and grew the same way. But recent market research showed Willow Creek's leadership that some great weaknesses lay beneath the surface even while average weekend attendance had grown to 23,000 people. Too many of their flock, Mr. Hybels and his staff discovered, considered themselves spiritually 'stalled' or 'dissatisfied' with the role of the church in their spiritual growth, and huge portions of these groups were considering leaving Willow Creek because of it" (Wall Street Journal, July 27, 2008).

With more evangelicals advocating issues of social justice, creation care and aid to the poor, there is a concern among many of us committed to the cause of evangelism that a drift away from the need to verbally share the gospel is taking place. Although we do need to continue to ensure that we as followers of Christ stay committed to simple presentations of the gospel through our words, the Bible does not make the separation between verbal proclamation and lifestyle witness that we often do. In fact, Jesus consistently affirmed that our actions do matter greatly. Look at what He said in Matthew 25:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

In addition, James affirms this sentiment when he said:

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

For those that advocate only good works, we need to remember that good deeds are not enough. A social gospel that never explains Jesus as the motivation is really no gospel at all. There are many that feed the poor and care for the sick that are not Christians. Our deeds matter, but the importance of our words cannot be minimized either. When Jesus gave his instructions in Mark 16 to "go into all the world and proclaim the gospel" or told his disciples in Acts 1 that they would be His "witnesses", he was speaking of declaring verbally the good news. The call of Jesus is to show His love by both caring for the needs of other and by sharing with others how they can have a relationship with Him.

American Wealth and the Rest of the World

Lori and I are currently going through the membership class at our church and this week the class looked at the topic of biblical giving. Each member was given a copy of The Treasure Principle (by one of my favorite authors, Randy Alcorn) and watched portions of a message on giving by Bob Coy, pastor of Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale. Pastor Coy's talk contained some pretty interesting facts about the world we live in and how Americans compare to others.

He stated that if we were to break down the population of the world into only 100 people, it would play out like this:

• There would be 51 women and 49 men.
• 70 people would be of a faith other than Christianity.
• There would be 70 people of color; 30 would be white.
• 80 would live in substandard housing (i.e. no running water or electricity, etc.)
• 50 would be malnourished, living off of perhaps one small meal a day.
• 70 would be illiterate and unable to read.
• And 6 of the the 100 would possess half of all the world's wealth and reside in the United States of America.

Even with the financial challenges that Americans face today, it doesn't seem as bad when you consider the following:

• There are approximately 6.6 billion people in the world today and close to half of that (well over 3 billion) live on less than $2 a day!
• There are over 300 million living in the U.S. (less than 6% of the world's population), yet Americans have half the world's wealth.

To personalize this, why don't you take a stroll on over to Global Rich List and see where you rank on the list of the world's wealthiest people? I know that my wife and I are feeling the strain of the present economic crisis, but understanding that I have more financial wealth than over 97% of the world's population puts things in perspective. It's at least something to think about.

A Perspective on Gas Prices

Along with most other Americans, I've felt the pinch of rising fuel prices over the past year. It has affected my budget and caused me to second guess if I need to drive somewhere or whether I can combine errands in one trip. With hurricanes continuing to strike the gulf coast, it doesn't appear that relief will be coming anytime soon.

But even with prices as ridiculous as it may seem to me, it hasn't put me in dire straits. Even as a missionary with limited income, we still are doing okay. Even though it has affected us, we are managing. Fortunately, we are not among the millions of Americans that are at the poverty level.

But to listen to some that are much more well-off, they are having a difficult time getting by. There are many suburbanites that have been blessed enough to live very comfortable lifestyles. They live in homes much bigger than they need. They drive in newer model cars and trucks and SUV's that have all sorts of bells and whistles. They can afford to send their children to private schools, purchase season tickets for their favorite sports teams and take frequent vacations overseas and to Disney World. And somehow a four dollar tank of gas makes life unbearable.

I do not fault anyone that has worked hard, made smart financial decisions and invested wisely in order to provide financial stability for their family. I'm dependent upon individuals with means in order to be in ministry the way I am. So I have no problem with someone having money. But I do have a difficult time with those that complain about the gas prices when there are others that are legitimately struggling to make ends meet.

As with any other issue in society, Christians are not immune from the influences of the culture surrounding us. Many of us can become quite myopic when interpreting the world. Michael Spencer over at Jesus Shaped Spirituality offers some great thoughts about this whole topic of Christians and the present gas prices. You can read his whole post here, but here are some highlights from the article:

"Of course, one wonders if it ever occurred to anyone that the inconvenience to the American lifestyle of mobility and affluence is not really something that God would respond to as an act of mercy. Most Americans are inconvenienced by gas prices because of the value they place on mobility and the decisions they have made about the kind of life they want to live, decisions made with the assumption of cheap gas in the background."
"So somewhere a homeless man or a family struggling to put food on the table will see a group of middle class suburban Christians gathered around a gas pump, praying that God will have mercy and get things back to where we can all go about our business."
"Most people know this, and it appears that most American middle class evangelicals and many of their churches don’t know it. Jesus seems to be a spiritual guru, a success in life teacher, a ticket to heaven. He does not mind the economic decisions I make unless I invest in porn or abortion or Democratic candidates. He’s on the side of whatever it takes for our country to have it’s “way of life,” including $2 gas in mom’s Upward soccer delivery SUV."

Many times in my own life it has been when I am in financial need that my dependence upon God becomes much more real and true. When my needs are met, it is easy for me to look to myself as the provider instead of God. Hopefully, we can agree with the Apostle Paul when he said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."