The churches biggest obstacle... Apathy

I don't watch the news, I skim the paper. I take in enough to seem informed.

I don't get my heart involved...

I stay in a state of willing ignorance. I read the statistics but they are just numbers. I see the faces of starving children on tv, but they are just faces. My human mind cannot keep processing the state of the world. I know what will happen if I let go and find out what really is going on. I will break, my heart will cry out "why".

But there are times when I do let go, I become broken for the faces I saw, the children I held in my arms. It comes in waves... I see a brown baby and I am captivated. I smell something that reminds me of Africa and it takes me back there. I pick up a book on justice and my heart strings tug. "Helping the poor isn't undeserved charity. It's justice" Bono said that. He has taken up the cause of so many living with Aids. He is being proactive.

Apathy- 1.absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement. 2.lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting. 3.Also, ap·a·thei·a, ap·a·thi·a Stoicism.  freedom from emotion of any kind.

I see Christians suffering from this and I do to at times. It's when we see those images that are harsh that we let guilt take over and we whip out the checkbook and write a check to the first organization we find and we breathe a sigh of relief, guilt taken care of, charity met.

 I feel a sense of doing something above the call of duty.

BUT... God continually calls us to help the needy it's all throughout scripture. God's grace and love transform and maybe that comes from guilt. God will transform us through the Holy Spirit. He will break our hearts for what breaks His. I pray often that He gives me His eyes to see with and the courage to step out in action.


You see God doesn't care about numbers ad statistics. Numbers create guilt. William, Mary, Christina, Bernard, Benidicta, Raul, Cornelious. THAT'S what God cares about. That's who God wants me to love.