Poverty

To whom much is given, much is required. I have been blessed with my basic needs and a wonderful family. I currently want to sell my house and all of my possessions and channel the cash to those who need it. Because I don't need it. One of my favorite songs is "Rich Young Ruler" by Derek Webb. It's essentially the parable set in 21st century suburbia. A couple selected lyrics are quoted below.

So what must we do? Here in the west we want to follow You.
"Come on and follow Me, but sell your house, sell your SUV,
Sell your stock, sell your security, and give it to the poor.
Because what you do to the least of these,
My brothers, you have done it to Me."

Last night, we thought about inviting folks over for a game night. We thought about renting a movie. Ultimately, we decided to park ourselves on the couch and hope Diane Sawyer would educate us about poverty in America. While last night's 20/20 special wasn't exactly shocking, it sure did stir up thought in this household.

The pervasive thought here during commercial breaks and after the show was "how dare we continue to live this way when there folks in our city needing this kind of help?" While I would not consider us financially wealthy, we certainly have more than we need. So where does all the money go?

I knew we didn't need a new TV when I went out to buy one last month. Heck, we don't even need a TV at all. I partially justified the purchase because of its total cost of $86 while the rest of the world is purchasing $1000+ HD sets, but I knew that the $86 could do much better things than what I used it for. What if I decide I want a new TV, remind myself that a want does not equal a need, and instead of going out and buying it, send $86 to Compassion?

What would happen if we, middle-class Christians, stopped spending money on things we don't need, and instead gave that money to someone who truly needs it? And when I say "someone who truly needs", I don't mean cable TV, I mean utilities. I don't mean designer clothes, I mean 3 meals a day.

What if we lived the lifestyle of those who don't have as much as we, so that we can give others what they need?

How about when Robyn and I are planning on going to Jeff Ruby's for my birthday, instead of dropping $triple digits on dinner, we eat beans & rice that night, then send $100 to UrbanPromise? What if we sold our house and all of our things, gave the money away, and started over? We could live a much simpler life. I could keep working the job I have and give over half of my salary to the poor, and to churches that are doing these things.