Holidays and Giving

During the holiday season I know it is traditional for many people to be a bit more generous than they usually are. This is something that in the past I would have applauded and thought of as a great act of charity and blessing. Now don't get me wrong, I think giving in any scale is better than not giving at all but in the past few weeks there have been a number of things that have caught my attention and made me think about giving.

The first was an airing of 20/20 where Jon Stossel looked at people who give in various income brackets as well as how the US stacks up against other nations in terms of giving. To read the stories check out the links. The second was this past weekend's message at Mars Hill. Rob continued the series "Calling All Peacemakers" by looking at the cost of war and the enormity of wealth that is concentrated in America compared to the relative costs of some basic needs around the world such as clean water, basic education, hunger, and consumption. It was staggering to hear the depth of Americas spending not only on war and defense but for things like Christmas. One thing that almost disturbed me was this; the estimated cost of providing basic water and sanitation needs for everyone on the planet that is in need is around $9 billion.. which is the same amount of money that people in the US spent shopping on Black Friday (the day after thanksgiving). Coincidently, there was an article today about Malaria deaths in Africa today on CNN that went fittingly with the message.
I bring these things up not because I am free from responsibility in my consumerist lifestyle because I like "stuff" as much as anyone else but because it is important that things like this are brought to light. The challenge in knowing things like this is that if we want to take Jesus seriously than we need to not only know what is happening but also do something about it. So let the spirt of holiday generosity stir in us long after the decorations are packed away so that we may do our part to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide shelter for the homeless, and bring justice to the oppressed.