Red Letters - Part 3

So much happening right now! Glad to have a chance to talk about the last 3 chapters of Red Letters by Tom Davis.
Chapter 8 is entitled The Most Important Things -
Tom challenges us to consider what is on our list of the top 5 things that matter most to us. He then asks us to consider what may be on God's top 5 list and to see if they look similar! He speculates that God may be concerned about:

28 million children who die from curable diseases each year?

17 million children who die from malnutrition and starvation each year?

33% of the world's population that is malnurished?

20% of the world's population that has no access to safe water?

10 million children who are involved in the sex industry?

100 million children who live on the street?

200 child laborers?

If I am honest my Top 5 revolve around matters in my own kingdom, much more than God's Kingdom! By my time allotment, it would seem that my comfort and my well-being rank fairly high on the list. Of course, I am doing a lot of "good" things with my time and talents, but does my heart truly beat for the same things God's heart beats for? May it become so!
Tom then goes on to reference a scene from the movie Schindler's List. I saw this clip in church once and it really impacted me.



I think this speaks SO powerfully to how we spend our time and money. The way I look at my possessions has changed radically in the past year - and I have a long way to go. But I now view every purchase through the lens of "What could this money do to feed a starving child? To provide clean water? Do I really NEED to purchase this item? Am I building God's Kingdom or my own?

Tom goes on to talk about how doing nothing is harmful in itself. That silence really isn't "safe".

The last part of the chapter is about "Living Bigger Than Yourself". This is the longing of my heart. God has done so much for me and He has transformed my life. I know that I need to continue to be transformed, but I also need to understand that I was transformed for a purpose greater than myself - it is to be LIVED OUT by serving others. He asks what our personal legacy will be and what will be the legacy of our generation.

Chapter 9 is called Snapshots of Hope and is full of great stories of people who are living a faith that bleeds. He says "These people aren't millionaires. They aren't rock stars. They're just ordinary people who understand the importance of bringing hope to the hopeless." God has been driving this point home to me. HE USES ORDINARY PEOPLE!
I am ready to get OUT OF MY CHAIR!

Chapter 10 is "How to Bleed". In this chapter and in the "Additional Resources" Tom gives all kinds of nuts and bolts way to live out what he has challenged us to. Much of this can be found on his website as well.

I am so thankful that God is using ordinary people such as Tom Davis to do EXTRAORDINARY things for His Kingdom and for the hurting people of this world!
I am different for having read this book!

Red Letters - Part 2

FINALLY! I have a few moments of peace and quiet to finish writing about this wonderful book! Here is the link to my post about the first half of the book.

Chapter 6 is entitled "The Sanctity of Life". Tom spends time on two passages of Scripture - Matthew 25:41-45 and Jeremiah 29:11-14. In the Matthew passage God tells us that He IS that hungry, thristy, homeless, sick and imprisoned person. He doesn't just care for them He IS them. This is something I am still amazed by and again am realizing that it will be hard to "See God" as I so often ask and live my life "not seeing" the people He indwells!
The Jeremiah passage is special to me because it is the verse we claimed over Rebecca at her dedication before our church family. Verse 11 says the Lord has "plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for". These words from Tom really pierced my heart when I read them.
"Does the Jeremiah passage apply to everyone or just to those of us who live in weathly countries? Does it pack the same kind of meaning to people in developing countries; do they get to look forward to a hope and a future? Does it apply to the infant who was just infected with HIV through her mother's breast milk?"
I agree with Tom's conclusion that God makes that promise to every person and He desires to use US to embody that promise to a person in need. When we adopted Rebecca I felt like I had done my part in helping God in fulfulling this promise for her. Now I am realizing that it is MUCH more than that - there are many more that I need to help.

Chapter 7 is "Justice". God is obviously trying to open my eyes to the idea of JUSTICE. I can't wait to write about Gary Haugen's book about the International Justice Mission. Tom mentioned how his 7 year old has a strong sense of justice. I also have a 7 year old and this is very true. The phrase I am hearing a lot lately is "that's not fair". When did I grow out of it? When did I decide that I am entitled to a secure, comfortable life, but too bad for the rest of them? Although I would never say that out loud - I sense that God is shining a spotlight into my soul and helping me see that I don't see all His people as equals as having the same hopes and dreams. As Tom says
"Jesus believed that each person living on the planet has the right to be free, to live with dignity, to be safe, to receive care for their sickness or disease, and to be loved by the community".
Do I really live like I believe that statement? OUCH! It hurts to even write it out - although I may not be doing anything to actively oppress someone, by doing nothing I am an accomplice! Tom again quotes Mother Teresa,
"When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you or I wanted to give that person what he or she needed. We have refused to be instruments of love in the hands of God to give the poor a piece of bread, to offer them a dress with which to ward off the cold. It has happened because we did not recognize Christ when, once more, he appeared under the guise of pain, identified with a man numb from the cold, dying of hunger, when he came in a lonely human being, a lost child in search of a home."
That quote is just ringing through my head and heart!
I thought I would blog the whole second half today, but I am just deciding to stop here for today. I sense I need to pause here awhile for myself and let this sink in to an even deeper level!

Red Letters by Tom Davis - Part 1

Last fall my friend Aimee sent me a link to Tom Davis' blog. He had just released his new book "Red Letters" and I had heard about it on some other blogs/forums. I still hadn't had a chance to read it and then I heard that Tom Davis and Seth Barnes were both offering free copies of their latest books if the recipients would agree to blog about what we learned! So I jumped at the opportunity!

I have almost finished Red Letters, but don't know if I'll be done before our Guat trip (next week). So I decided to split the book in two and write about the first 1/2 of it before leaving.

The full title is "Red Letters - Living a Faith that Bleeds".
Tom starts out by apologizing to the 50 million people infected with HIV/AIDS on behalf of the Christian church for our lack of help. I have personally had to ask forgiveness to God for my general apathy toward the "least of these" in our world. I am not sure why I have been so blind for most of my Christian life. Now that my eyes have been opened the Scriptures just seem to scream that Jesus' heart was turned toward the poor & oppressed. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I spent the past school year in BSF studying the book of Matthew. Over and over again, Jesus spends his time ministering to the outcasts of society - women, children, poor, crippled & diseased.
One of main truths that has stood out to me from this book and the other reading I have done lately is that when we minister to the outcasts of society we meet JESUS! How often do we say to God "I just want to know you, to see you, to experience you". I sense that God is telling me that if I get out there with the people that He has called us to minister to I will find Him in them. It seems such a paradox, but it is just like God to work that way. Tom quotes Mother Teresa "The dying, the crippled, the mentally ill, the unwanted, the unolved - they are Jesus in disguise... [Through the] poor people I have an opportunity to be 24 hours a day with Jesus." This inspires me, although I am still lacking in experience.
Tom goes on to explain poverty. "Poverty is having very little food to eat. Poverty is having lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is losing a chid to illness brought about by unclean water."
He wonders why with so much wealth at our disposal in America we tend to hoard and protect our wealth rather than acting on behalf of the poor in this world. Tom challenges us to live with a "What can I offer?" mentality, rather than a "never-enough" mentality.
Tom reminds us of the way that Jesus views the world. He lived COMPASSION - even after He had given and given He still gave. "He knew they were all created in God's image. He knew they had eternity marked in their hearts. He knew they were capable of so much more than what they were currently living for. And he knew they had a destiny to fulfill". Can I see each person on this earth through that lens? Especially when I am worn out and beaten down?
In the third chapter Tom brings the focus on Africa. He gives a brief historical overview of how present-day Africa has gotten to where they are - covering the tradegies of slavery and genocide and HIV/AIDS. It is hard for me to admit that I have been so unaware of atrocities that are happening even currently to my "neighbors" in Africa. It is appalling to me that people could think that Africans are an inferior race - yet although I don't actively oppress Africans, my lack of action is also a disgrace.
The fourth chapter explains that HIV/AIDS in now defined as pandemic. "A pandemic is an epidemic over a wide geographic area that affects a large proportion of the popualation". Africa represents 10% of the world's population, and also represents over 60% of people with HIV. The church MUST become involved in this crisis. The church brings something that no other organization or government can offer - HOPE!
The fifth chapter is titled "An Inadequate Response". How do we move beyond the statistics - which only temporarily cause our hearts to stir - and begin to make a difference? Tom points out that we are overwhelmed both by the magnitude of the problem and by the pace of our lives. He uses the passage about the Good Samaritan. I feel like this passage has come over and over for me recently! I used to think of it in more of a figurative sense, but lately I see it as much more literal! There are people beaten and dying and I go about my life in such a way that I never have to look at them.
This paragraph from Tom jumped off the page for me. "So why don't we do more to help others? Sadly, many of us live in a world of shadows. In the realm of shadows, we seek only those things that help us to remain in the fog of comfort and safety. This isn't to say that comfort and safety are bad things, but when we fall into the trance of believing they are the only things, we become isolated from greater truths. Two things keep us in the shadows: discomfort with interruption and fear". This would describe my life up until this point. If I am honest, personal comfort and safety have been VERY high on my list of priorities. I wonder how many amazing adventures & blessings I have already missed out on, or withheld from others out of my discomfort and fear?
There's so much more I could say and quote - and it's gets even more challenging as I get into the second part! I am hoping that in my life I begin to move furthur out of the shadows and that my one life can make a difference for the Kingdom.
I know that I have the opportunity to live this out in my neigborhood, but I am also looking forward to this faith adventure in Guatemala. I know that God will continue to stretch me and open my eyes and soften my heart and use me for His will, for HIS glory and purposes!