so many worlds in one

the bold words are hyperlinks.

as i write this, my laptop sits on the coffee table my mother design and had made when she was in taiwan. next to it is a dish i got her in morocco, made by berbers. she also has a small little bowl out that my sister got her in japan that she put easter candy in. and that's just my coffee table.

i am also reading the book angelina jolie: notes from my travels. well, actually, it's her journals from her trips as a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, united nations high commissioner for refugees. she traveled to sierra leone, pakistan, ecuador, and cambodia to see refugees and visit their camps and be a liaison to america on their behalf. according to wikipedia, as of jan 1, 2007, over 21 million people fall under their jurisdicion... "traditional" refugees or internally displaced persons. it's simply amazing. in her book, she meets with some of the refugees going thru their original interview, to determine their official status and decide what the best next step is for them. she tells some of their stories... amazing stories that we rarely hear in the media, especially in places like ecuador. i knew there were "drug wars" and such in colombia (tho i don't really know what i mean by that), but i had no idea it really affected so many people. i didn't realize there is so much violence associated with it that affects "fringe" people: those that are not drug lords, working for the drug lords, transporters, drug users, or government officials trying to fight the drug lords. it really is ridiculous.

there are 2 things that i notice most that she keeps repeating. the first is the need for money. over and over again, refugees come forward and say they need this or that, and of course it all costs money they don't have. in most cases that she mentioned, they are real, legitimate, immediate needs: more clean water in drought-ridden northern pakistan. the closest well is over 10k away. in some places, they can only host so many people in one camp, but people have no place to go. so they give them land to set up a few tarps for shelter, but have no food to give them. again and again, in many different ways, she says if people gave more money, they could do so much more... more rehabilitation programs, more schools for the kids, teach more skills to the adults so they can work and support their families...

how do we do this? what is our response? daily, in one way or another, and appeal is made for my money. today: a letter from the volunteer rescue squad. a good cause? absolutely! last week: a phone call from the disabled vets. i have so many friends that are "workers" in other countries, and very few of them actually meet their budgets. it is a very real fear of mine, that as my time comes to raise support and go overseas, my budget will not be met. i don't know why or how or what to do about it. is my budget too high? if i can get by with less than i say i do, was my original budget selfish or greedy? or do my long-term plans suffer? or does my daily ministry suffer? where does faith come in, especially in terms of God's provision? do i not pray enough? do i not have enough faith? are my plans not right if i don't get the money for all of them? i do have friends that are meeting their monthly budgets and encourage other supporters to give to their teammates or friends. and especially when it comes to short-term trips, i see funds raised and beyond. not always, but with much more frequency. while i'm on the topic, recently initiative360, which was the combined efforts of the caleb project and ACMC (advancing churches in missions commitment), both of which i HIGHLY respected as effective mobilizers of the american church toward the great commission, folded due to lack of funds. it was a sudden thing, a loss for so many. thankfully, pioneers stepped forward and purchased the assets of initiative360, allowing the remaining staff members to continue their work. money... stupid money.

what is my correct response? i honestly give about 15% of my yearly income to charity/church/other non-profits. is this enough? how can i encourage generosity in my friends and my generation? even if we all gave 15%, would it be "enough"? so many questions and thoughts that i don't have answers to. what organizations are "worthy" of my money? i don't want my emotions to be manipulated (how many world children's fund tv spots have we seen with malnourished, naked children with flies all over them?), but how do i respond correctly? is it selfish that i give mostly to my friends and home church? how do i ascertain the financial responsibility of those i give to?

ok, so the next thing that angelina (can i call her by her first name, as if we were friends?) repeated was how defenseless all refugees are. they basically have only the possessions they carry on their backs, which is frequently just the clothes they wear. they have fled their home countries for fear of their lives. they are not welcome immigrants to the countries they flee to. many have little or no education, no marketable skills, or at least none that can earn them sufficient income in their new places of residence. as illegal immigrants, they have few legal rights in their current countries. they are dependent on NGOs (non-governmental organizations) like the international red cross/red crescent or the UNHCR for the basic necessities of life: food, water, shelter. so as i sit and re-arrange my netflix queue, i wonder about why these defenseless people don't seem to get the same attention in church as the other defenseless ones that are highlighted weekly: the unborn.

we, as Christians, are called to stand up for the rights of the defenseless (the widow, the orphan). there are 20 verses in the ESV that have both "fatherless" and "widow" in them, in all but one, God provides for them. in the other verse, it is a curse!

Deut. 27:19 (ESV)
" 'Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Deut. 10:18 (ESV)
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

wow. these verses even mention "sojourner", which i'm pretty certain includes refugees. how much has america turned a deaf ear to their cries, chose to turn the channel at the hard to see news reports, or simply delighted in our ignorance. we are so consumed in ourselves that we don't even want to give these people an opportunity to break our cold, hard hearts. yes, i'm making generalizations about the american people, but i think we can all humble ourselves and admit that even if we don't live in this state, we have been there at one time or another.

so again, what is the correct response? how do we change the world? what ways can we get involved? what is my personal correct response? how do i acknowledge the blessings God has given me, and the blessings i receive as simply living in the USA, and use them wisely? how do i reconcile these 2 different worlds?

i was pleased to see a letter to the editor in today's newspaper. a woman wrote about the conflict in sudan and the blight of the darfur refugees, and how they need more attention in the media. find the letter and some responses here.

so i think that's it for today. ;-) good job if you actually read this whole thing. i want to come across with a balanced perspective, but still be true to the discrepancies in my own heart and thoughts. i value your feedback.