ap·a·thy: noun. lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
I face a very interesting struggle. For as long as I can remember it has been easier for me to love the impoverished, the sick and the dying in and out of America. Through my life's course, that turned into apathy for the people right next to me. It became hard for me to love the average, comfortable American. However, once I truly started to follow Jesus and not look back, I realized His intense demand for me to equally love those who have more than enough and those who have nothing.
I feel that it is my call and yet my biggest trial to love those close to home as well as globally. To fight against apathy in my inner circles. Apathy not only against the many injustices in this world but also against this big and holy God who calls me to write these words.
The Dalits are the injustice I am called to fight globally. Apathy is the injustice I will and need to continue to fight right here and right now.
Reflect. Which injustices does God want to use you to finish? Think globally. Think locally.
Mary
Why do you think American Christians seem to be so much more interested in involving themselves in the social and domestic affairs of foreign countries and much less our own?
ReplyDeleteGoing on overseas missions seems like an almost glamorous, selfie-filled "cool thing to do" among young Christian adults, but comparatively little of them reach out to -- for example -- the homeless, or disadvantaged children and youth?
Why do we focus overseas, when we could be focusing on homeless veterans, of the four children born to two different fathers in Milwaukee. One of whom is a 1 month old baby that only gets fed once per night because her mother is addicted to Percoset, and the baby is so small that authorities thought it was a doll?
I'd like to give you my opinion on this matter. What I've seen in my personal life is that local churches very often do help their communities, such as homeless centers, nursing homes, or sometimes simply community service. Some churches even do interstate travel, seeing the importance to help others within their country.
DeleteThe reason people go out to different countries is because if someone doesn't minister to people who've never even heard of the bible, who will? Jesus loved and died for every sinner on this planet, and if he calls on someone to go out and spread the good news, I say we should be cheering them on. I also believe that it is very often not glamorous work, those people go to dangerous places to selflessly help those in need. The possibility of creating a religious following there, and maybe even a domino effect to other close communities, I think is worth the time and effort.