How you ever stopped for a minute and wondered why we can’t see so much of what’s going on around us? Or is it just me. I suppose it could be. I think somehow humanity got its wires crossed, and in some degree (some larger than others) simply quit caring about other people. It really blows me away when I allow myself to think about it. Maybe that’s why, too much of the time, I don’t. And that’s sad, too.
Just take this one example and let it marinate for a little while. Even with the US economy in an apparent free-fall, video game sales have grown 57% over the past year. (And the article I linked was written back in April!) The article states sales of $1.7 billion during March 2008 alone! That’s staggering! Just to put that into perspective, consider this: World Vision and/or Compassion International can feed, clothe, provide medical care and assist with education for children whose only crime is being born into poverty – all for $35 per month, per child. That means that, during the month of March 2008, Americans spent enough money on video gaming to provide basic necessities of living for 48,571,428 children. Let that sink in. While we were busy entertaining ourselves, others were starving to death. That makes me ill.
Brandon Heath is the artist whose song I’ve posted in the video above. I can’t speak for anyone but me, but I think it’s time to get my priorities a little more in order. Brandon sings, “Why have I never cared?” I think it’s past time to start. Don’t you?
Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
Wasn’t it far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see… again
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
To ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work
He’s buying time
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?
I’ve been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone
Please pray for each other. And, more than that, take to heart what James spoke of when he wrote,
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)
Seriously consider those who are less fortunate than we are. They are so many, and suffer so needlessly.
God bless.
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’“ – Matthew 25:41-45
