The 26000

26000 children die every day from starvation or preventable illness. About 26000 children will die today, senselessly. I have seen this statistic before but yesterday I was really wrecked by it, to the point of sobbing.  I am reading a book called "Radical" on the radical love we are supposed to bring to people in need around the world.  As Christians, we are called to this.  We have a mandate to spread the gospel.  Gospel means "good news."  And I don't believe it is all about proselytizing… if proselytizing's goal is creating as many converts as we can.  No, spreading the gospel, in my opinion, is showing the love of Christ to others.  This naturally creates disciples.  And creating disciples is a slow and loving process where we care for others and God uses us, circumstance, and others that come after us to bring people into the kingdom.  Just look at Jesus… he spent most of his time discipling twelve men.  But what he did during that time and how he did it, led to the spread of Christianity throughout the world. I think people become disciples the moment they turn over their needs to Jesus and the Father.  We all come to him needing something, and he loves to give it, and we become grateful believers.

But some people come with more immediate, more basic needs than we often see in our society of abundance.  Here, it has been my experience that peoples' need is may be emotional… they are looking for security and reassurance in the face of life's very difficult trials.  There are some in our own neighborhoods that have more basic needs.  But in other parts of the world that I have visited on mission trips, the immediate need is primarily physical in the majority of cases.  The people in these places do have a need for love and emotional safety that the Father can give, but they may come with more pressing physical, basic needs.  I think to make disciples we first have to tend to their basic needs.  26000 children will die today because their basic needs are not met, and with little effort or giving on our part, we can stop this senseless loss.  Loss of children and adults who are just like our nieces and nephews, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors.  Find a reputable charity.  Adopt a child, or a family or a village through an organization like World Vision. Donate to a charity to bring fresh water, education, or livestock to a village. Try Heifer International or an organization that does micro-loans to help 3rd world people develop a means of subsistence for themselves.  Go on a mission trip with the goal of opening your eyes to the needs in the rest of the world.  As Christians, it is imperative that we do these things.  It is the great commission.