In Disaster

We know as Christians that we have an obligation to our fellow brother and sisters of the faith.  Lip service to pray for them, but we never do.  And when disaster befalls non-Christians?  Well, I guess God is judging them - they have it coming!  Right?

Really?  Is that the understanding of the early Christian Church?

Well, actually no.  We know that the region of Galatia (modern Turkey), in particular Ephesus and north, was destroyed by massive flooding.  The Roman Empire, due to its own problems actually had no response.  The people of the region had no response either - they lost everything.  And though it took weeks, if not months, the Christian Churches of Mediterranean region amassed significant funds to help dig the region out, rebuild roads, etc.

And the people of the region were stunned.  Yes, there were Christians in the area but it was not just the Christians that the funds were used to assist.  Hmmmmm.  Want to guess what the Roman Response was?

Thunderstruck - that the very people being persecuted by the Empire, were the very ones digging the Empire out of a hole it had made for itself!  Awesome witness.

And today, with the sanitized Christian response to disaster:

• send in the Red Cross
• see if the Mormon Church is doing anything
• see if the government is doing anything
• donate your old clothes (usually inappropriate to the region it will go to!)
• donate canned food (usually outdated!)
• donate cash (in small amounts)
• rest easy and know you have done all you can

Sigh, modern charity is so self-fulfilling!

And I have thought on this for very many years now.  And then this morning, 7.8 earthquake in Nepal.  Our news service was undecided as to which story was more important: that 1500 were known dead in Katmandu or that an American climber died in an avalanche on Everest ... Really?  1500 lives are so insignificant to barely rate a mention but an America climber, member of Google, dies and suddenly that is the story!

I wonder how the response will be any different by governments, organizations, churches, Christians ...

Any takers on a bet?

Being a witness of the Truth of Jesus' life and salvation - begins and ends with you.
The exercise of charity, and all fruits of the Spirit, begins and ends with you.
If the people of Nepal or anyone, anywhere in the world, will ever see Jesus - it begins and ends with you.
There is no clean, hygienic,  impersonal way to pass off your responsibility Jesus has given you.
You are expected to share in the pain of our brothers and sisters.
You are expected to reachout to the lost world, in its pain and show them God's Love with no strings attached.
You are expected to spread seeds of witness to all around.
You are expected to share what God has given you to help others.
Even if a dollar, if that really is all you have, you are expected to reach out with it.

Sure there are lots of arguments here to be made for and against, but in the end, it is just a test of the hardness of your own heart and greed of the culture we live in...