Saturday, August 10, 2013

Christians and global crises

If and when we decide to fight global crises, we will be led into danger to be sure.  Dangers of diseases, being hated by locals in some cases, being abandoned by families in other cases which I’m incredibly thankful that I have not personally been abandoned by my family but as stated earlier always been supported hugely by them.  If we put ourselves in the crosshairs of natural disasters and crime-ridden areas, we will face danger on every side.  I will add though that we will most likely feel more alive than ever.  Every summer I go abroad this happens.  While I don’t necessarily face danger per se, I know from experience that no matter how much malaria medication you take you can still easily contract malaria when traveling overseas.  In addition to this, every summer I come alive somehow.  It’s almost as if I’m awakened from a dreary existence of a half-life to what I was meant to do.

Overseas living isn’t for everyone of course, but I would say that if you’re a believer and there isn’t some element of danger in your life than you’re definitely losing out on some very important aspects of the Christian walk.  If your desire for safety leads you to not follow God’s calling be it to take that homeless man or woman out to lunch or to take a 90 minute flight into Haiti, than something is vastly wrong with your heart and mind and you need to repent.  Again, not everyone is called to go overseas necessarily, but there should be some element of danger in your life or at the very least some element of getting out of your comfort zone.  As my friend Sara Norton once wrote, when you’re out of your comfort zone is when you grow the most.  You suddenly rely on God for everything in a brand new way.  And it is beautifully terrifying.

Many of my friends are getting turned on so to speak to human trafficking.  This is a beautiful development to be sure.  That is something we need to be fighting against.  My home church is supporting an organization called Rapha House who is fighting human trafficking in Cambodia.  I was hoping to be able to go over there this summer but plans fell through.  I’m sure they’re doing outstanding work in the fight against traffickers.  Those men should be sent to prison.  I would add though that they shouldn’t be killed.  I’m strongly against the death penalty in any case as I sincerely believe people should be given the chance to repent and come to Jesus.  Sometimes that takes longer than in other cases so therefore we should give them as much time as possible.  With that in mind, who is going to go to the prisons to preach the gospel to former traffickers?  That is a dangerous calling indeed.

A lot of my friends are also getting involved in orphan care.  This is another global crisis that demands our attention.  I read of a church or network of churches in Oklahoma I believe that was either successful or right on the brink of success in terms of adopting every single child out of the foster care system.  How beautiful is that?!  Someday I want to adopt kids of my own if it comes to that, I’d much rather adopt than have my own.  That’s a personal preference to be sure, and one I’ll have to work out with Steffani down the road I’m sure.


A friend told me that both having your own children and adopting children are Biblical.  To this I replied you’re right, but one is definitely more New Testament than the other.  All throughout the New Testament it talks about God adopting us as His sons and daughters.  What better way to show that love to the world than through the means of adoption?

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