Hurricane Matthew blows through Haiti. Hundreds dead. Then it hits the coast of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. More dead. Thousands displaced temporarily or long-term. Basic utilities taking days, weeks, or even months to be restored. Weeks after the storm, water-borne diseases start cropping up, after the world has lost interest. And this is just one natural disaster out of many. We face several major disasters each year, and many of them span several years, such as the refugee crisis in war-torn Syria. Then add cities shaken by terrorist attacks and mass shootings, even within our own borders, and we're in danger of becoming numb to the constant need of recovery.
We are asked to pray, asked to give, asked to change our social media profile pictures to show support. Then there's backlash from skeptics about asking for prayer or guilt from others because you didn't pray their thing when you mentioned that you had prayed for another thing. "You prayed for France - why aren't you praying for Haiti?"
So many needs, so much devastation. How should we respond? How can we respond? Do I respond to all of them a little (and if not, how do I justify turning a cold shoulder to a legitimate need)? Do I respond to none of them? Do I respond to a random sampling of them? Maybe I respond to only those that affect my country, but then our needs aren't any more important than others'. Maybe I should pray for special revelation from God as to which to respond to before doing anything at all?
I suggest:
First, respond to at least one. Do respond. Get your response muscles working and active. Even if you pick one worthy need somewhat at random, respond to at least one per year. The only other option is inactive callousness.
Second, don't feel bad for not responding to all of them (or for any one of them in particular). Ignore those who are upset that you didn't respond to their favorite one. This is between you and God, not you and them. The only other option is failing to live up to an impossible standard.
Third, think about how you want to focus. Maybe you'll focus on natural disasters, or focus on areas where Christ has not yet been named, or focus where God has already connected you. Lynne and I are already connected to Italy and Kenya, so it would make sense for us to focus our attention there (but not expect you to). The only other option is to have no good reason to be able to say "no."
Fourth, it's better to think ahead about how to respond than to wait for things to happen. Then when we do respond, it won't be based on our mood that day, but rather on rational conclusions made without urgency. The only other option is repetitive stress each time something new comes up.
Fifth, pray. Of course, pray. The only other option is to not pray. In other words, the only other option is to try to figure this out only by the flesh.
Whatever you do, be sure to check out the organizations you intend to help through. Do your homework. For financial support, check out charities with websites like Charity Watch (https://www.charitywatch.org/home) and Charity Navigator (https://www.charitynavigator.org/). After Matthew hit Haiti, some groups in Haiti plead with Americans to not send through organization X, because "it will never get to us." Giving comes with the responsibility of choosing well to whom to give.
Showing posts with label need. Show all posts
Showing posts with label need. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
My friend has cancer
My friend has cancer. It's not the worst kind. But neither is it "no big deal." It's a big deal. I've had friends who have had, or presently have, cancer. Some are now cancer free. Some succumbed to it. Almost everyone who reads this can say pretty much all that I've just said.
My friend told me about it through a message, but we haven't been able to meet face to face until recently. As I was driving to our lunch, I was praying for what to say, how to minister to him, how to help him. What I wanted to do, and what I was praying for, was to somehow be a rescuer, if even a little bit. I know I can't "fix" the problem or completely rescue him. But I wanted to be a junior rescuer in some way. Then I could feel better about my friend having cancer.
I also have cancer - cancer of the ego.
My friend doesn't need me to be his rescuer. He doesn't need me to somehow feel a little better about the situation. He doesn't need me to feel helpful. He doesn't need me to have the answers, to say the right thing, to have the right comforting words, or to make him smile. All of those things might be helpful (maybe!), but it's not what he needs.
What he needs is Jesus to be Jesus in every way. Whether he makes a full recovery or struggles with this for a while, or even (against the odds in this case) succumb to this, he doesn't need me to be or do anything rescue-y. He needs Jesus. And in this particular case, he has Jesus, and in a very strong way.
If he needs anything at all from me, it's brotherly love. Agape love, no matter what, in every circumstance, with or without the right words, with or without helping, with or without making anything better or easier, with or without me being comfortable. He needs Jesus' love, and in part, he needs it through me.
"Just love" sounds unhelpful, even weak. It is weak - I can't make it all better. But it's infinitely helpful.
Your friends don't have to have cancer to need Jesus' love through you.
My friend told me about it through a message, but we haven't been able to meet face to face until recently. As I was driving to our lunch, I was praying for what to say, how to minister to him, how to help him. What I wanted to do, and what I was praying for, was to somehow be a rescuer, if even a little bit. I know I can't "fix" the problem or completely rescue him. But I wanted to be a junior rescuer in some way. Then I could feel better about my friend having cancer.
I also have cancer - cancer of the ego.
My friend doesn't need me to be his rescuer. He doesn't need me to somehow feel a little better about the situation. He doesn't need me to feel helpful. He doesn't need me to have the answers, to say the right thing, to have the right comforting words, or to make him smile. All of those things might be helpful (maybe!), but it's not what he needs.
What he needs is Jesus to be Jesus in every way. Whether he makes a full recovery or struggles with this for a while, or even (against the odds in this case) succumb to this, he doesn't need me to be or do anything rescue-y. He needs Jesus. And in this particular case, he has Jesus, and in a very strong way.
If he needs anything at all from me, it's brotherly love. Agape love, no matter what, in every circumstance, with or without the right words, with or without helping, with or without making anything better or easier, with or without me being comfortable. He needs Jesus' love, and in part, he needs it through me.
"Just love" sounds unhelpful, even weak. It is weak - I can't make it all better. But it's infinitely helpful.
Your friends don't have to have cancer to need Jesus' love through you.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
No Matter How You Voted (or Abstained)...
As I read the social media of my friends and acquaintances across the political spectrum, I see just about the full gamut of emotions about the elections this week. Some are elated (a few are even giddy) while others are angry, some are disappointed while others are pleased, some say, "I told you so!" and others say, "Mark my words!" I won't comment on which set of emotions people should have, but my observation is about the intensity with which they experience them - positive or negative.
The question I wrestled with was why am I experiencing these emotions with such intensity? What is it that's going on deep down inside of me that results in that intensity? What are the basic needs of my soul that are being met or unmet, which then manifests itself at the surface as a set of emotions? All our emotions are expressions of deep matters of the soul that bubble up to the outside. For example, a man may become very angry when insulted because deep in his soul, he is unsure of why he matters in this world, and the insult puts a hot poker on that sore spot. So, what is going on deep in my soul that eventually finds its way up as an emotion?
Whether our emotions are joyous or dejected, what is going on in the soul?
The intensity of the emotions either way tells me that we are expecting government to satisfy something our souls need. If someone is happy with the results, they think that one political way will meet that deep need. If someone is unhappy with the results, they thought that the other political way would have met that need. This is an oversimplification of a very complex human machine, but in my observation, this is a significant reality. I doubt there are few political purists out there whose response is merely relative to a political theory - I think most people are operating from the felt needs of their souls, even though we couch it in terms of political theory.
The only problem is that no human institution, no government, no business, no civic club, no school can satisfy what our souls need. To look to the government, or a political system, or a politician to bring us the real peace that we want, the real sense of "rightness," the sense that things are actually under control, is to look for something only God can give, but to look for it in a source other than God.
Our peace, our joy, our security will not be met, or dashed, by the election this week. Perhaps the intensity of our responses comes from a false expectation of the opposite, whether we responded with hope or despair.
No matter what kind of government, what kind of leadership, what kind of economy, or what kind of job market we have, our task is the same: Be absolutely committed to advancing the Kingdom of God in every situation. If the government is as we prefer, our task is to work for Kingdom purposes. If the government is not as we prefer, our task is to work for Kingdom purposes. God's Kingdom is not confined to a particular kind of government, and His Kingdom workers have their responsibilities already defined for them in every circumstance.
If you are experiencing strong emotions either way, examine your heart for what is really going on in your soul. What are the God-given needs you have that are to be filled only with God-provided means? Furthermore, take a breath and remember your calling - God's Kingdom.
The question I wrestled with was why am I experiencing these emotions with such intensity? What is it that's going on deep down inside of me that results in that intensity? What are the basic needs of my soul that are being met or unmet, which then manifests itself at the surface as a set of emotions? All our emotions are expressions of deep matters of the soul that bubble up to the outside. For example, a man may become very angry when insulted because deep in his soul, he is unsure of why he matters in this world, and the insult puts a hot poker on that sore spot. So, what is going on deep in my soul that eventually finds its way up as an emotion?
Whether our emotions are joyous or dejected, what is going on in the soul?
The intensity of the emotions either way tells me that we are expecting government to satisfy something our souls need. If someone is happy with the results, they think that one political way will meet that deep need. If someone is unhappy with the results, they thought that the other political way would have met that need. This is an oversimplification of a very complex human machine, but in my observation, this is a significant reality. I doubt there are few political purists out there whose response is merely relative to a political theory - I think most people are operating from the felt needs of their souls, even though we couch it in terms of political theory.
The only problem is that no human institution, no government, no business, no civic club, no school can satisfy what our souls need. To look to the government, or a political system, or a politician to bring us the real peace that we want, the real sense of "rightness," the sense that things are actually under control, is to look for something only God can give, but to look for it in a source other than God.
Our peace, our joy, our security will not be met, or dashed, by the election this week. Perhaps the intensity of our responses comes from a false expectation of the opposite, whether we responded with hope or despair.
No matter what kind of government, what kind of leadership, what kind of economy, or what kind of job market we have, our task is the same: Be absolutely committed to advancing the Kingdom of God in every situation. If the government is as we prefer, our task is to work for Kingdom purposes. If the government is not as we prefer, our task is to work for Kingdom purposes. God's Kingdom is not confined to a particular kind of government, and His Kingdom workers have their responsibilities already defined for them in every circumstance.
If you are experiencing strong emotions either way, examine your heart for what is really going on in your soul. What are the God-given needs you have that are to be filled only with God-provided means? Furthermore, take a breath and remember your calling - God's Kingdom.
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