"The tension is here..... Between how things are and how they should be." Switchfoot

In the developing world, 22,000 children under the age of five die every day from preventable causes.

1.4 billion people (one in four) in the developing world live on US$1.25 or less a day.


"...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

Monday, August 1, 2011

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference




I've watched this video several times and it both disturbs and haunts me. There's a part of me that wants to water the message down, to dilute it so it's not quite so poignant. I'm choosing instead to let it pierce me.

  I think this video also brings to the surface God's heart for those living in extreme poverty. His heart indeed breaks for them....and He calls out to His church to stand up for them, to be the gospel (good news) for them.  I'm asking God for greater clarity and guidance in this journey to be His hands and feet to those who live in extreme poverty.

I think it would be best to look into some of the realities of those living in conditions that are difficult for most of us to even imagine, before we move on to considering ways to move into action.  Please take some time to let God speak to your heart through this video. Please resist the temptation to push or brush this aside. Or on the other hand, to be overwhelmed by guilt and shame.  I urge you to simply ask God what He's saying to YOU as you watch this video.

Your thoughts/reactions are always welcome in the comments section below.
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 8, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    Motivating Christians or people to love others...is always a challenging endeavor. Ive used this video and many other tools in attempts to awaken love to action. Most the time I end up treading very close to the line of manipulation, sincere manipulation for sure...but I never seem to get the true and honest long term response I want by such means. I know for me the event that changed my life and helped me go from being simply 'moved' to being 'moblized' is going and seeing poverty with a name. Seeing someone...instead of hearing and watching something...called poverty. This realization is forcing me to think anew about how I pastor and 'do' life and mission. In the end, I think most of what we do ends up taking little root, simply because we fail to 'go' as Jesus commanded. Now, how people put into practice 'going' is diffferent fro everyone...but somehow it's got to shave close to the bone, inorder to produce the impact that is needed.

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  2. 30thrupovertyAugust 8, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    The more I discuss short term missions trips the more I think they should be called "vision trips" I know that's going to make raising support more challenging but, I think more often than not, it's what they really are. I think of how long it took me to realize what changes God brought about in my heart from some of the missions trips I've been blessed to go on. In fact, I recently was part of a conversation in which the people I was talking to were in essence maligning people that live in extreme poverty as they gave simplistic, cold hearted and detached answers on how to solve their plilght...."they should quit having babies they can't afford" The broken hearted rage that welled up within me was born directly out of my memories of walking around a slum outside of delhi India were poverty became very personal to me. I still remember one of the ladies who lives in that slum telling me that I'll probably go back home and tell everybody how bad life is in the slums of Delhi and then forget about her....I will never forget her or her words.

    I also think that some people are going to be deeply moved, hopefully to the point of action when they hear stories, see photos and watch videos and, for one reason or another, others will not. I guess in a way I see it as planting seeds.

    Maybe, sometime we'll go on a mission/vision trip together....just the thought of that thrills me!

    In asking God, what does it mean for my family and I to "spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry?" is very quickly "shaving" closer and closer to the bone. I plan to share more in the coming weeks as it unfolds.

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  3. UnknownAugust 9, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    I totally understand. I too use all mediums to communicate to the best I can, on my best days, the heart and call of the gospel. Just to be real clear, in case I gave an impression...Im not in anyway belittling any of your vids, pics or words. I'm with you and behind you 100% and will go with you if ever God sets it up. Keep it up you two...love what Im seeing. You are always in my prayers.

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