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======Wealth and Poverty IV - Challenges.======
Friday, Sept 4, 2009.
We are talking about wealth and poverty this week. We realized
that there are values on different levels of life. We have
explored the value of God's kingdom, about love and truth,
power and hope. We have talked about the fugacity of some
wealth. Today we want to explore the challenges within our
immediate environment, our nations and our global world.
There are many riches on this planet. There is a fantastic
nature. There are natural ressources, minerals, soil etc etc.
There are humans with their cultures, with many traditions
and experiences, with capabilities, knowledge and ideas. There
is all the wealth which has been generated by our fathers
and mothers, by the generations before us.
On the other hand there are many problems. There is famine
in many countries. There is drought. There is war and despair.
Injustice is wide spread, our economic systems do not
necessarily distribute wealth justly. Even hard work can
sometimes barely provide for a living.
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As Christians we have a wide view into the values of this
world and into the values of God's kingdom. We know that God
loves every person, that he cares and that he
has created all things which exist. He is the father of all
values which we know. He wants us to live in this world,
to develop it further, to help each other and create a
place where people can live in a human manner in truth,
solidarity and dedication. But we also know that his
perspective superseeds this life, that we will not be able
to create heaven on earth. In the tension between now and
then, between not yet and already, between today and
"when his time has come" we live and act.
The decisions which we need to make might not be easy. Do
we work for our own career and success? To some extent
that is necessary if we want to live in this world. To
be a doctor, you need to learn, to study, to practice, to
do your exams, apply for positions and
then get a job with which you can help others. To evolve
the world in terms of business or science you need to
learn and take the steps of a career as well. On the other
hand we can be completely absorbed into building our
career - then we have lost the perspective, we have lost
the real wealth, we have lost life! We need to be careful
not to cement unjust systems by our own activity.
It is a matter of politics to work towards a just system. We
are all part of this agenda. We all know that it is not
just that so many people on this planet lack nearly
everything. We need to work on the goal to provide
water, food and garment for every person on this planet.
This might be reached by changing our systems, such that
their work will provide these things for themselves.
We seem to be stuck on many layers, poverty has even
grown over the last years. But we need to know that
there is hope - not because the facts would support this,
but because God cares and since faith can move mountains.
Let us walk in faith on every layer of our life!
[R.W.E.P., jesusnetwork.eu]
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