Oh how the tables WILL turn...
One of the major themes in Jeremiah is his insightful understanding that no empire lasts forever. A time will come when others will have more power. Are Americans prepared for this? Should we be? I mean even Christianity is relocating. The global south is becoming a prominent force. Take a look at the new pope whose homeland is Argentina.
It is not something to be afraid of by any means. But maybe we should start rethinking how we dialogue with others. As a Caucasian American Christian female, I already feel like I have enough to apologize for from my ancestors mistakes. Taking the Native American's land, the crusades, slavery in America are all things that created huge barriers for me and my declaration of genuine Christian faith. I particularly experienced this while living in Cairo, Egypt. Now, most of my friends understood the major difference between the people and the government but not everyone. I do understand that everyone has baggage that comes with their cultural nametags,but there seems to be a greater weight of responsibility when I think about who I am representing and claiming as the author of my faith.
Does anyone else relate to this? I get so tired of apologizing for the likes of Westboro and explaining to people that what they believe is a complete distortion of the truth.
I just finished a book called the Hospital on the River by an Australian doctor, Catherine Hamlin who set up a Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. She writes in great detail how she raised funds and got donors. She expresses great stress and disappointment in the fact that the United States was by far the most difficult place to raise money. People could listen intently and feel awful for the poor women who traveled so far with nothing to get help and yet, do nothing despite their abundance. Are we as callous as she sees it? Maybe not, but maybe it would be wise to reflect a bit more.
Fistula Foundation if you want to read more about the hospital.
The fact of the matter is that if everyone in the world wanted to live on American standards, the world could not even sustain it.Is there more we could or should be doing? Wouldn't conversations with our brothers and sisters across the world help us identify our own pitfalls? And vice versa. I think we could all help each other out in this way.
Jeremiah's warning cannot be limited to only its time and place. We can learn from this lesson too and I think it would behoove us to remember that our place in time won't always be this way.
One of the major themes in Jeremiah is his insightful understanding that no empire lasts forever. A time will come when others will have more power. Are Americans prepared for this? Should we be? I mean even Christianity is relocating. The global south is becoming a prominent force. Take a look at the new pope whose homeland is Argentina.
Does anyone else relate to this? I get so tired of apologizing for the likes of Westboro and explaining to people that what they believe is a complete distortion of the truth.
I'm afraid, as Americans, our wealth is something we will have to apologize for. Will future generations apologize for our apathy and indifference to those who go without.
I just finished a book called the Hospital on the River by an Australian doctor, Catherine Hamlin who set up a Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. She writes in great detail how she raised funds and got donors. She expresses great stress and disappointment in the fact that the United States was by far the most difficult place to raise money. People could listen intently and feel awful for the poor women who traveled so far with nothing to get help and yet, do nothing despite their abundance. Are we as callous as she sees it? Maybe not, but maybe it would be wise to reflect a bit more.
Fistula Foundation if you want to read more about the hospital.
The fact of the matter is that if everyone in the world wanted to live on American standards, the world could not even sustain it.Is there more we could or should be doing? Wouldn't conversations with our brothers and sisters across the world help us identify our own pitfalls? And vice versa. I think we could all help each other out in this way.
Jeremiah's warning cannot be limited to only its time and place. We can learn from this lesson too and I think it would behoove us to remember that our place in time won't always be this way.
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