Day 22: Engage in a 1-Day or 1-Week TV Fast

Personal:
Even before you decide whether you'll actually do the fast or not, there's an even more important question to ask yourself...is this going to be difficult to give up? It's an easy way to find out whether something has a hold on your life, try to give it up for a day...or for a week...or for a lifetime. Obviously there are somethings that we know have a hold on us which aren't necessarily bad, like food for example...try giving food up for a week.

Another example is relationships, I would never want to give up my wife for a month. I had to be away from her the entire first month we were engaged, and that was awful...but it was supposed to be awful. On the other hand letting go of things like junk food, smoking, television programs, facebook, and video games should not illicit the same emotions or discomfort we feel when we are separated from food or loved ones for an extended period of time. When I think about it, I realize how absurd it is that I have a hard time giving some of these things up.

Action:
The idea behind fasting is that we take the time abstaining from one thing and fill it with time devoted to the Lord. I wonder how different my life would look if I spent all the hours that I have taken on e-mail, facebook, and text messaging, and had spent it on time with the Lord instead. What would I be doing right now? Where would I be? How many lives could have been affected by all those hours that will never be touched by me now?

Day 21: Picture an Orphan at Your Door

Okay, so the exercise today was a little melodramatic, imagining an orphan on your doorstep is quite an over-the-top scenario, but it makes a good point just the same. Why don't we think about the tens of thousands of children dying from poverty everyday? Are we actually waiting for them to just appear on our doorstep before we help them?

Why do you think the media neglects to report on this tragedy?

As Christians do you think we have a responsibility to give more attention to this issue?

As Christians in America, why don't we orient our lives around seeking to change these issues? Why don't we consume less, buy less, and live with less so that thousands of lives are saved everyday? If Jesus were an American today how would he care for the poor, the hungry, and the orphans? Are you living this way? What is stopping you?

Delete Your Identity

Personal:
It's hard to imagine, but how would you get by without any form of ID. You wouldn't be able to get a job, prove you're a legal citizen, or drive a car. What fears come with being unknown and alienated? Why is it important to human beings to be known?

Action:
Everyone has forgotten their wallet or purse at least once. What type of anxieties and fears arise when we lose our IDs and credit cards? How long would you wait before replacing everything in your wallet or purse if you lost it?

When you don't have all the things in your wallet, such a a student ID which allows you to get into your dorm, how does it affect your relationships with people? How much would you need to depend on people? How long would it take before those people started getting annoyed with your "free-loading?"

What would it be like if no one around you would help you, or if no one around you was able to help you? What would you do?

Day 19: Host a Documentary Dessert

As a movie buff today's topic really excites me. I think that people today almost demand that you have some type of multi-media coverage of an issue if you want their attention...and I freely admit I am just as much a part of this culture as the next guy. As I learned from Rich Stearn's book, World Vision pretty much owes its early and quick-rising success to the use of a camera by its founder Bob Pierce back in the '50s. He documented his travels to far-off impoverished lands, and for the first time affluent Americans saw the awful face of poverty elsewhere in the world. Whether you love technology or hate it, it can be a very helpful tool to help blind eyes see. How can we use the advanced technology we have been privileged with to raise awareness about poverty elsewhere in the world?

Personal:
One way is to use film. The film industry pulls in billions of dollars every year. James Cameron's Avatar has made over 2 billion dollars alone this year. In addition, did you know that the United States' number one export is media? We are the world's media hub, sending out trillions of images and messages every year into the world, and pulling in lots of dough. It's time that the voice of the impoverished break into the media and are heard.

Action:
Did you consider hosting a documentary night to help raise awareness? How hard could this be? We truly have so many resources at our disposal.

How about making your own movie. Use the "Six Week Quest" link, and check out some of the suggestions for making a documentary or hosting a documentary dessert night. Pick a date sometime in the next month when you'll invite some friends over to watch a movie dealing with poverty and injustice. Make sure to have some suggestions for how people can help fix the problem they see in the movie.

Day 18: Give Yourself to Others (Volunteer)

I've always had this strange attraction to volunteering. Something about it is very similar to giving someone a free gift, or giving a loan without asking interest. I think, especially in our culture, giving the gift of time and personal involvement is one of the greatest gifts of all, because often it really takes a type of sacrifice on our part. We're overworked in America, and are often told we need to be doing more. It can be tempting to go the easy way of just simply giving to charity--and don't get me wrong, giving is a great thing to do--but volunteering is much more incarnate than a dollar or credit card payment ever could be.

Personal:
Where and when do you use your gifts? How do you use your time on a regular basis? Many of us think of ourselves as "volunteers" because we volunteer in some capacity a few times a year. Take a look at your week and see how much time you spend strictly on yourself, and compare it to how much time you spend strictly on others. How do they compare?

Action:
I want to give a shout out to some students I know (you know who you are) who spent their entire spring break volunteering their time in inner-city Philly. You guys inspire me, thanks for being a living and breathing example of God's love reaching out. How about the rest of you, can you cut time into your schedule for someone living in poverty? Are you too busy? What are you busy with?

Check out links below to learn more about your unique spiritual gifts and how to align them with your volunteer work.

Day 17: Fund Women-Owned Businesses

Personal:
Why do you think World Vision gives over 70% of its micro finance loans to women? Personally I was both surprised and not-so-surprised that women in developing nations or suffering from poverty are far more likely to use a micro finance loan to support their family than men are. Why do you think that is?

Action:
I think the quote from today's journal is worth repeating...
1%--Women own less than one percent of the world's property
66%--Women work two thirds of the world's labor hours
10%--Women earn just ten percent of the world's wages

Why does such disparity exist between men and women? Do you think this is just? Have you checked out the links below on micro financing and how YOU can help a woman in the world provide for her family or village?

How is giving a loan to someone else in the world different from just giving out charity? Do you think one is better than another? Why?

Day 16: Imagine Yourself as a Slave Trader

This is entry is particularly hard for me to write about. I feel myself getting choked up just by the image above. Human trafficking, especially in the sex-trade, is an unthinkable evil for me. I don't understand how anyone could be this cruel, evil, or broken. I also know that as good people choose to think about this evil less, the more it will continue to grow and persist. But how Lord? How can I think about this? It hurts too much. Are these slave traders really the people who you came to save, the people who you died for? How can I love these people when they have done such evil things? Why can't I just pray for human trafficking to stop, and remain comfortable here at home?

Personal:
Did you pray about the atrocity of human trafficking today? What came about from your prayers? What do you think God expects us to do as wealthy power-wielding Christians?

Action:
1. Have you searched online to find out more about the slave trade? Give up watching a TV show, movie, or reading a magazine this week and learn more about the slave trade, who knows spending just 20 minutes of research online this week might mean liberty for a slave in your lifetime.

2. Why would someone become a slave trader? What do you think? Does anyone dream of becoming a slave-trader when they are young? How should we pray for slave-traders?