promises, promises...pt II

day 11...
it's a sunday again, so time to look at more promises from God that relate to AIDS issues...

did you know that November is National Adoption Month? i had no idea until this morning when i was sitting in the noon service at The Chapel and they opened up the service by showing a special video highlighting this fact. it also brought to attention the staggering number of orphans there are in the world today.

according to avert.org, did you know that more than 15 million children have been orphaned by AIDS? they have a fairly detailed breakdown of where and how and forecasts at:

http://www.avert.org/aidsorphans.htm

the Bible makes it pretty clear that orphans matter to God. for example, James 1:27 says this:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

wow. this verse alone would seem to indicate the import of being involved in a crisis that's creating such a disproportionate amount of orphans. not to mention God's continual care throughout the Scriptures for the weak and down-trodden.

so...what in the world am i going to do about it....

well...for the moment, i'm going to go donate some rice (www.freerice.org)

promises, promises

day 4:
the slogan for World AIDS Day until 2010 is "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise." The promises referred to by the event organizers are those made by people and countries. The promises we respond to, as God's people, are those God has given us in scripture and that are etched throughout the history of the church. Promises to relieve the burden of the oppressed and bring healing to those broken and diseased.

each Sunday during my month of AIDS blogging i'm going to take a few moments to reflect on a few of these promises and to consider what God is calling us to.

if anyone has material possesions and sees
his brother in need, but has no pity on him,
how can the love of God be in him?
dear children, let us not love with word or
in tongue, but with action and in truth.
>>1 john 3.17-18

i have so much crap. i own a house now first of all (or the bank does...however you want to view it). and it's full of all sorts of things. clothes and tools and files and furniture and so much stuff i don't even know what all of it is. and all the same i still have a list of things i wish i had.

giving away everything i have doesn't give me a heart for those with less. but it allows me see. my vision can be cluttered with all sorts of belongings. but clear it away and i can see others. see not only their need, but their hopes and dreams. and together we can pursue those dreams because i'm no longer encumbered by all of my junk.

what do you think? how does your stuff impede your compassion?