This Should Never Happen

It shouldn't matter what country you live in, or how much money you make per year, or the color of your skin. A human being should never ever have to go without food. This is a picture of Venecia Lonis, a 4-yr-old living in Haiti and suffering from malnutrition.

I was skimming through the ads on my desktop when the word "starvation" caught my eye. As soon as I opened up the article, anger shot all through me. You can read it for yourself here.

No one... not one human being... should ever have to be chronically hungry. There is too much abundance in this world, and in this country especially, for this to have to happen. As I read through this article my heart absolutely broke. Immediately I thought of the refrigerator and pantry I have downstairs with so much extra food that my household of four will throw a good portion of away. What did I do to deserve to be born in America where there is an abundance of practically everything?! Why does this 4-yr-old little girl have to be the one starving to death? These kids are barely even reaching 20 lbs. Does this blow anyone else's mind besides me? Seriously. I'm getting an ulcer right now.

The thing that gets me most about this article is the very last line:
I hope the government will hear about us and bring more support.

Who will help these people?


The wealth of the rich is their fortified city -- Proverbs 10:15a

The word fortify means to surround or protect as with a military system. A fortified city has walls built around it to protect. Walls protect, but walls also isolate. We are isolated from the suffering of the rest of the world. I have never been to another country, so pictures like these are all I can go by. But it is enough to tell me that there is a crazy imbalance in this world and it is not okay. Sadly, the vast majority of all Americans who will read that article and see that picture of Venecia in the worst of conditions will simply read it and go on like nothing ever happened.

Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."

He said, "Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!"

Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me."

The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
Mark 10:19-22 (The Message)

Has not Jesus called us to be willing to give everything away to those who need it? Does this mean I should literally sell all that I have? Well, I don't know. Does it? Ask your God. He might just be saying that. But would I really admit to hearing it if that's what He says?

The more earthly possessions I have, the easier it is for me to be distracted from the Lord. Honestly, I would literally love nothing better than to pack up all my food in the fridge and give all my stuff away to a little girl like this. Jesus has instilled this incredible fire within me to love the oppressed. To reach out to the hurting and the dying. And I've never even been anywhere to make me feel this way. I read passages like this one above where this man is so shocked to hear Jesus tell him to sell all his things. And I wonder.... why am I not more surprised at the things the Lord is telling me? Am I listening? God is not a conventional God. He's not all about what's safe and secure in this world. He's all about the true Safety and the true Security--that is Him. Not my bank account.

When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

"Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'

"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'

"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.
Matthew 25:31-45 (The Message)

Jesus, I long to love you better.

~C