I am no longer interested in a faith that lines up behind intangible causes and lifestyle changes. I no longer will abide people who donate to charities but walk past the beggar as if he does not exist. I will no longer be silent as my peers cry out against the mistreatment of animals but do nothing to change the world hunger crisis. The Bowery Mission in NYC follows one simple philosophy when it serves food, first the house then the streets, in this way we must apply ourselves. With the crises affecting our world we must act in a tangible way.
Much more impactful than writing a check so some other people can do the work, is going out and doing the work yourself. Now I can list statistics and facts about all of the atrocities committed on a daily basis, but you have all heard them before. But if you do nothing, then you might as well pull the trigger yourself, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Yes, the humans dying every day from pointless wars starvation and greed are very much victims of the horrible people who literally do commit these crimes against humanity, but they are, in my opinion also victims of the rich minority's apathy.
One might say they do not have the ability to travel to the more horrible parts of the world to do anything, and that's OK, but you are in no way off the hook. There are people literally in your town who need your help. DO something about it, anything, be the solution. If this doing something to you involves handing over some money that you probably wont miss anyway, then you have missed the point entirely. When do good deeds have the most impact? When they require actual sacrifice. Would the redemption of the world mean anything to anybody if Jesus didn't have die to for it?
This is not to say giving of your money is wrong in and of itself, but in my opinion, it is meaningless, if it is not also accompanied by some sort of action. In the same way short term mission trips are meaningless unless you take it as a cue to live as a servant 24/7 365. I do not care how great of an experience if you do not let it change you in some way.
DO NOT pray to G-d for change you are not willing to do yourself, sometimes YOU are the answer to your prayers.
DO something. Something impactful, Something meaningful, do it today, do it every day.
Much more impactful than writing a check so some other people can do the work, is going out and doing the work yourself. Now I can list statistics and facts about all of the atrocities committed on a daily basis, but you have all heard them before. But if you do nothing, then you might as well pull the trigger yourself, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Yes, the humans dying every day from pointless wars starvation and greed are very much victims of the horrible people who literally do commit these crimes against humanity, but they are, in my opinion also victims of the rich minority's apathy.
One might say they do not have the ability to travel to the more horrible parts of the world to do anything, and that's OK, but you are in no way off the hook. There are people literally in your town who need your help. DO something about it, anything, be the solution. If this doing something to you involves handing over some money that you probably wont miss anyway, then you have missed the point entirely. When do good deeds have the most impact? When they require actual sacrifice. Would the redemption of the world mean anything to anybody if Jesus didn't have die to for it?
This is not to say giving of your money is wrong in and of itself, but in my opinion, it is meaningless, if it is not also accompanied by some sort of action. In the same way short term mission trips are meaningless unless you take it as a cue to live as a servant 24/7 365. I do not care how great of an experience if you do not let it change you in some way.
DO NOT pray to G-d for change you are not willing to do yourself, sometimes YOU are the answer to your prayers.
DO something. Something impactful, Something meaningful, do it today, do it every day.
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