Poor

A friend of mine, Steve Cook, put on his Twitter feed yesterday this tweet, "I spilled some soup on the stove tonight and was so mad! Then I remembered that millions of people don't even have soup to burn. Reality." Steve has been a guy that I have been with for about 3 years. We got to know each other by leading  a BLOC at Watershed called The Man Show. Steve was an awesome leader who taught me a ton about actually being a man. What happened shortly after that is truly inspiring. He tells an awesome story of gaining a burden of wanting to be a modern day abolitionist and justice crusader. I have watched Steve from a distance and up close, as he has turned his non-profit Equitas  into a substantial vehicle to bring relief to difficult areas in this world. As you reference Steve's tweet above, you see how reality set in after a few moments. And that is the incredible power of movement of God's Spirit pushing and prodding people to be an example of Jesus in this world.

But what Steve has done has brought me to this realization that as Western thinkers, we have no idea what poor even means. So as I was reading this morning, I came across this excerpt from Robert Murray M'Cheyne:

"I am concerned for the poor but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to you in the great day....I fear there are many hearing me who may know well that they are not Christians because they do not love to give. To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money.Oh my friends! Enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none away; enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity".

Ouch! What you hold onto says a lot about who you are. And we, as Americans, hold on to so much and tend not to give. Or worse, we give with a sad heart. THAT IS NOT GIVING! Check out Steve's website, Equitas, and take the chance to be different than the status quo.