When Westerners view the wider world through their TVs and computer screens, they often see little more than images of need. It’s civil war and tsunami, poverty and famine. (The notable exceptions to this tend to be images of natural beauty.) Perhaps that’s unavoidable. Sensationalism and struggle are always far more likely to be recounted than steady good. And certainly, it is indeed important to know of the hard things beyond our immediate lives — at least to the extent that we are able and willing to “mourn with those who mourn,” to lift them in our prayers, and to help in other ways when called for.
But these dramatic reports also distort as much as they reveal. They color everything in vivid red and black, drowning out subtler shades. T
This loss can be especially significant in the relationship of Western Christians to their brothers and sisters in developin
But the full reality is so much richer. It overflows with smaller faithfulnesses: steady love, consistent prayer, little sacrifices – the very stuff that makes the core of Christian faithfulness in any time or place.
I was freshly reminded of this as I looked at photos taken in November of celebrations of Orphan Sunday in Nepal. Christians form less than 2% of this mountain-nation’s population. Few of them have wealth or power. But inspired by a handf
How appropriate! Orphan Sunday itself was born in the same way: a simple vision begun in a little, hard-pressed church in Zambia…that has come to echo around the globe each November, now a catalyst for understanding, prayer and action worldwide.
Isn’t that the way of faith for all of us? Small, daily choices to seek the heart of our Father and reflect His love in daily choices. Subtle and mostly unnoticed. Little things…seeds that God sometimes chooses to grow into things we could never have imagined.
