Sincere Challenges ...

Friday, Feb 3, 2012. We have been dreaming of “making the world as I want it to be”. We have been talking about some nice stories, about Pippi Longstocking. We have been chatting about far reaching visions and possibilities. But there are sincere problems in this world. There are deep and heavy problems. What do we do about them?

How to solve severe problems …

We all know key problems on our planet today. They are in the news every second day. We all know about lack of freedom and democracy, we know about hunger, we know about suppression, we know about the lack of perspective, about unemployment, poverty, illnesses. We all know about it.

We are, and that is encouraging, not the only people who care about the problems around us, locally or globally. There are many who care. The united nations care. There are global institutes and initiatives, governmental as well as non-governmental, who care. They try to find solutions, try to develop possibilities which can be realized.

But the problems are not simple. They are usually complex. They include many limitations. Often, they include very “human” problems - questions of power, questions of ideology, questions of history.

Locally and globally …

If we search for a balance of local and global concern, the biblical books provide fantastic input. Faith is first concerned with myself. It is about my own relationship to God. It is even not about me, but about him. But then, starting with this inner core of my personality, it is touching my mind, my body, my emotions, then my immediate environment, partnership as well as kids and parents, then my house, my town, my country and all the people near and far!

To solve remote problems, we should be able to solve problems in our immediate environment first. Only who is able to govern himself, is able to govern others. Only who knows truth and forgiveness for himself, can give and master truth and forgiveness for others. I love the balance which the New Testament provides!

Solving sincere problems cannot be carried out in one day. We might quickly give up if we do not see progress over many years. But we should not give up. We should keep trying, should keep searching for ways to heal the wounds, to feed the hungry and to bring peace where there is no peace and truth where there is not truth. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts