J-Wild

Mark Kwadwo age 6 scoops water out of boat on Lake Volta in Ghana

I can't get this article that I read in the New York Times out of my head. I think about it most when I rock Levi to sleep. I find it very difficult to make sense of the idea that a six year-old in Ghana is working as a fisherman ten hours a day, sleeping on a concrete floor, and is 250 miles away from his family. While Levi is safe to develop naturally as a kid in a protected and resource rich environment.

Last night we had another soccer game and it was so cold and windy (we won and it was a lot of fun). I stayed after the game to be the linesman for the next game (part of our teams Zog Sports responsibility) and felt like I was freezing to death!

A few hours later I had taken a hot shower and was looking out over an amazing city in a warm apartment and I almost felt ashamed at how fortunate I was to be standing where I was. I was thinking about all those people in the city who didn't have anywhere to go, and I came back to that question of why was I so fortunate.

I believe that all the good things in my life (material and other-wise) are blessing from God, but there is another part of me that thinks the material things are fruit from factors that don't necessarily involve God at all. I happen to be born in a rich country, to a family that valued education, and had access to financial capital. Compared to a lot of people I am definately on second base, and I didn't hit a double to get there.

Truth is there is no acceptable reconciliation to the disparity between Mark in the picture above and Levi. It just is. The call then is to understand that as a Christian I am emplored to give as I have received and that much will be required of me, because I have been given much. It's from this perspective that true giving can take place. Guilt doesn't work because it can be satisfied, and pity has it's limits. But only serving motivated by our own gratefullness can hold on for the long-term.

So go right now, clean out your closets and donate your excess clothes to a place that will give them to people who will wear them. Random, I know, but that's a good place to start.