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?

Day 15: Track One Day's Consumption

I remember the first time I heard the phrase "waste not, want not." I really didn't understand what it meant the first few times I heard it. It didn't resonate with me at all. It wasn't until I was in early high school that the phrase made sense to me, but it was really only in theory that it made sense, not in practice. In my own life I never felt like I wasted anything that I wanted; I only threw away the things I didn't want. Furthermore if I saved something, like a shoebox or some spare change, I didn't see how it would ever help me get the playstation or roller blades I wanted. Once I came to understand the meaning of the phrase I realized that it gave people like me too much credit. It should really read something like this "If you don't waste necessities then you'll be less likely to be in want of necessities." My entire life I have never really known what it was like to be in want of necessities, in fact I have always had an over-abundance of necessities, that's why I have no trouble wasting things like food, clothes, gas, electricity, and water.

It's not just me though, it's our whole culture. I often share stories about my experiences working in the food industry to get this point across. A couple years ago I had a part-time job at a deli in the local grocery store. Every night when I closed up, we would throw out anywhere from 4-10 rotisserie chickens...that's just chickens! I won't even begin to go into how many other things were tossed out on a daily basis. I marvel at the fact that with the eggs and additional chickens that can be raised with just 3-4 chickens a hungry family in India or Africa can be fed for years and years. How is it that we can have such an abundance in this culture that waste has actually become an intricate part of life, and yet we still find ourselves in want? Why haven't our deep desires been met by all the wealth we have, and if the things we have aren't meeting our deep desires, why do we still cling to them so strongly?


Personal:
Be honest, do you eat everything on your plate...I promise I won't tell your mom :)
How much do you waste on a daily basis? Remember to consider more than just what goes into the wastebasket, think about electricity, running water, gas, etc... How much does that add up to in a month? A year? How much do you think you will have wasted in a lifetime?

Action:
1. We all have heard the saying, "eat everything on your plate, there are starving children in such-and-such-a-place," to which we usually want to respond "what do you want me to do, mail it to them!?" Obviously the point is often lost because of the immediate feelings of guilt and lack of power to change anything while sitting at a dinner table. What would be a better way to challenge people about how much they waste? Has the damage already been done by the time the overstuffed plate has been mostly carved out?

2. Okay, you don't have to carry your trash around with you all day, but take a look at the top layer of some trash cans and list some of the things you see. What does this tell you about what we waste? Would any of it be useful to people elsewhere? Could the resources or materials in the waste can have been put to better use somewhere else?

Day 14: Who is my Neighbor?

I promise I didn't peek ahead at today's title when I was writing yesterday's response. Weird. I think my thoughts from yesterday carry over pretty well into today's discussion. So what do you think? What should a 21st century Christian living in the wealthiest nation in the world look like? Is God calling you to use your resources to reach someone halfway across the globe?

Personal:
Did you reach out to anyone in a different country on facebook, skype, or twitter? If you did, what was your encounter like? If not, why didn't you? Were you afraid, did you think it was pointless?

Action:
1. Anyone out there try doing this? I'm currently working on making some connections with people in Haiti...obviously I have a bit of a hurdle to work past, but hopefully the communications problems there won't endure for long.

2. I do live in an Urban area, and I am currently getting connected with the Haitian community here. How about you? Do you have any idea what type of ethic and cultural communities exist within ten to thirty miles of where you live?

Day 13: Surf Poverty

Today's topic has gotten me thinking about how progress in technology, communication and globalization affects God's expectations for us as disciples. We have access to programs, organizations, and global efforts to stop poverty, disease, and injustice dead in their tracks, and all of it at the tips of our fingers! This wasn't exactly true a hundred years ago, or even fifty years ago. Do you think this changes anything? For example, does it change who our neighbor might be? Could the parable of the good Samaritan told in today's culture be modified to look something like this: a sick and and injured man lay on a street in Uganda. A TV reporter shot footage of the man and then went on his way, an evangelical pastor watched the footage and preached on it on Sunday, and a member of that pastor's church heard the message and agreed with it, but an Atheist saw the man on TV and called the local hospital in Uganda to see if he was okay, then insisted on paying for all his medical bills. Maybe I'm way off here, but I really think that our culture and context has broadened the meaning of who our neighbor is, and has augmented the influence we can have over people's lives in God's name. Perhaps that augments our responsibility as well.

Personal:
Which country did you research today? How much time to you spend watching TV or surfing the internet for entertainment? Ever think about being more intentional with your free time? Does it excite you to know that giving a few more extra minutes a week on the internet could change your life, and save the life of someone else in the world? Take that Grey's Anatomy and LOST!!! :)

Action:
1. Check out the links below to research some countries if you haven't already.

2. Did you e-mail five friends with what you learned? How about posting it on your facebook status, or tweeting about it on a regular basis. Let's use the communicative tools we have to start raising awareness!

Day 12: Same Kind of Different as Me

Why read a book? That was my first question today. I thought this whole 42-day journal thing was supposed to make us ACT...reading a book seems pretty inactive to me. Well, let's think about this for a second before we start a book burning. Just a couple weeks ago I had a long conversation with a friend about what things in our culture have the strongest influence in shaping our worldview. As is often the case we inevitably started pointing a lot of fingers toward the influence media has upon our conception of reality. Without getting into a debate over silver bullets, the catharsis of media portrayed violence, and communication theory, let's just admit that all of us are media consumers. In fact, in comparison to every human being born before the 20th century you could easily call us "media gluttons" or "media addicts." Now swing back to the purpose of this study, it's meant to help us act differently. But, let's go deeper than that for second, and say that hopefully we will start acting differently because we will have been transformed deep down in our innermost parts; and by transformed I mean that our lives will have been radically reoriented toward caring for the well-being of our neighbors worldwide. We're looking for deep inward change that causes outward change: what Christ called "bearing good fruit." Ostensibly, if this change happens, our media consumption should become very important to us. Like the rest of the body, what the mind consumes will either prove healthy for it, or poisonous. I don't know about you, but my mind consumes a lot of junk on a weekly basis. Maybe part of our reorientation is actually going to require us to start consuming media that nourishes us towards caring for the poor and needy, rather than just being idealistic during commercial breaks.

Personal:
What books have you found helpful in shaking you awake from the "American Dream" or wealth and success? Share them here, and share how they impacted you so other people can read them too.

Action:
1. Share a quote from the book, Same kind of Different as Me, or from another book you're reading that will edify readers of this blog in their journey over the next thirty days.

2. Did you look at website for the book, Same Kind or Different as Me, yet? Did you watch the video? What do you think about the idea that we are all homeless?

Day 11: Visit Your Rescue Mission

When you hear the word homeless, what's the first image that pops to mind? I bet it's something pretty similar to this photograph. Most of us have seen a homeless person with our own eyes. They are easy to pinpoint. They usually are dirty looking, they might have tattered or worn-out clothing on, or they might have unkempt hair and dirt under their nails. The phenomenal thing about a homeless person isn't that we can point one out if we see one, but that they are so easy to NOT see, to ignore, and to avoid. This disturbing reality became startlingly more disturbing recently when one of my wife's co-worker's shared an incident that happened to a good friend of his up in New York. His friend would have seizures sometimes, and about a week ago he had a seizure on a busy street in Manhattan, and then fell face-first in the snow. For hours pedestrians did what they have trained themselves to do, and they ignored the guy in the snow, assuming he was a sleeping homeless guy, and more importantly reassuring themselves that whoever he was, he wasn't their problem. After 4-5 hours someone finally called the police, but by then it was too late, my wife's co-worker's friend was dead.
How have we gotten here? How is it that thousands of people can walk past homeless people everyday and constantly push the grief and misfortune of fellow human beings off as "someone else's" problem? I don't believe the answer to that question is simple, nor do I believe that it's comfortable. Easy and comfortable would probably involve getting the government to develop some program that would help get homeless people off the streets and out of my way, but that program would never have been able to save that young New Yorker's life. Until I both realize and act as though I am responsible for the life of my neighbor homelessness and poverty will persist, while I continue to grow richer.

Personal:
If you haven't checked out the rescue missions near you yet, go look now at www.agrm.org

Action:
1. How many people have you called or texted this week? Have you called the nearest rescue mission to you yet? What would you lose from calling them? What could you gain? What do you think is preventing you from calling. Share your thoughts here.

2. According to the survey mentioned at sixweekquest.org a vast majority of homeless people prefer relief organizations that have a spiritual emphasis, why do you think that is? Do you think this statistic would be true for the types of organizations the top 10% wealthiest people in the world like to give to? Why or why not?

Day 10: Knowing God's Heart for the Poor

For those of you who don't have a copy of the book The Hole in Our Gospel in one of the chapters you can read a story about where the inspiration for the title comes from. Pastor Jim Wallis has preached many sermons on the poor, and he'll often use a special bible of his as a visual aid. Some time back Jim cut out every passage of scripture concerning justice for the poor from that bible. He would stand in front of his congregation and boldly state that this was the real gospel of America. As you can imagine, the book barely held together any longer, and gave a frightful image of how frail our own idea of the gospel becomes when we live lives that are unconcerned for the suffering of the poor.

Personal:
Are there any holes in your gospel? Where have you effectively cut things out of the bible by ignoring scripture or not fully living out God's call to a holy life?

Action:
1. Well, actually, if you've been going to church every Sunday you shouldn't need to ask your pastor what he's been preaching on, so allow me to amend this particular action item a bit. Why don't you ask to meet with your pastor and share some of the things you've been learning during this study. Explain to him why you think it is so important for God's people to really start caring for the poor in a personal and risky way. See where the conversation leads you. I bet your pastor will be encouraged by your enthusiasm, and might even allow you to do a study of your own with people who are completely unaware about the things we've been learning over the past nine days. Pastors generally have a lot on their hands. Rather than point the finger, let's actually be the objects of change that we always expect our leaders to be.

2. Here are some verses on what the bible says about the poor. To read more follow the link below under "Quest Sites."

God's Heart for the Poor

Deuteronomy 26:6-9 "But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey."

Job 5:8-16 "But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside. The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth."

Job 34:17-19 "Can he who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One?
Is he not the One who says to kings, 'You are worthless,' and to nobles, 'You are wicked,' who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?”

Psalm 10:14 “But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”

Day 9: Walking with Water

Today's journal reminds me of the day I was baptized. I was on a retreat during high school up in the mountains. On Sunday our plan was to climb to one of the high points of the mountain and have a Sunday morning worship service there. I asked my pastor if he would baptize me then. When I asked, I forgot that there don't tend to be buckets of water waiting on mountain cliffs. The pastor told me I would have to carry the water up myself if I wanted to be baptized. The only thing large enough to carry the water was a big basin. We filled it up with a gallon or two of water on Sunday morning and began our trek. I was a bit arrogant, and thinking myself in pretty good shape, I figured the whole thing would be a piece of cake...guess what...it wasn't. I started in the front of the line and slowly fell back behind my peers until I was trailing several yards behind someone who was really taking their time smelling the roses. By the time I got to the worship spot, which took about 20 minutes to get to, I was completely winded and covered in sweat. It's hard to imagine a walk like that being the daily life of a child for their entire adolescence. And then I wonder how far that child could really stretch 1-2 gallons of water. I use more than that whenever I brush my teeth if I leave the water running.
Water.
It's funny...I can't think of a time in my life when I was thirsty and I couldn't get a drink of water, can you?

Personal:
If you aren't willing to do the water exercise found on the "six week quest" link, then think of something else you can do to make this personal. Put extra books in your backpack. Try only using 1-2 gallons of water today (that means no showers!).

Action:
1. Did you carry the bucket for a mile, and then carry the water back? What was that like? Did any other inconveniences come to mind...like maybe the time it would take you everyday just to get your water. It's easy to see how when your impoverished you're entire day can quickly be taken up just with trying to survive.

2. Check out some stories about people in need of clean water by following the Water article link below.

Day 8: Seeing My Blind Spots

Can I be honest? When it comes to blind spots, I feel like there are so many holes in my field of vision it's worse than Swiss cheese. No one told me that half of the people in the world get by on less each day than I used to get from the tooth fairy! My whole worldview has been affected by the culture I was brought up in. Why didn't my parents tell me that for every tooth I lost a magical fairy would bring some hungry family in the world food for a day? I'll tell you why, because I was a kid, and a kid has no concept or concern for people halfway around the world. But, guess what, I'm not a kid anymore, and I'm guessing you're not either. So what's our excuse now? If we're adults, or at least one our way to adulthood, why are we still acting like kids? Why do we still prefer to use most (if not all) of our wealth and possessions for our own pleasure rather than giving it to people who really NEED it? ...are we waiting for the "charity fairy" to take care of it for us?

Personal:
Where are your blind spots?

Action:
1. List three blind spots you have when it comes to poverty and injustice. Where do you think these blind spots came from, and how can you get rid of them?

2. Did you watch the awareness video? Check it out on the "six week quest" website under "Fill the Hole." What does this video teach us about awareness? Check out the resources link below and look at the statistics. How many of these statistics were you aware of before? Why is it important for people to know this type of information? What sort of difference should it make in our lives once we become aware? Should it change the way we live?

Day 7: Ponder: "The Hole in My Thinking"

Personal:
Have you found this bible study helpful, uncomfortable, challenging, exciting, frustrating or something else? Share what you're feeling, and try to explain why you think you feel the way you do? Have any of the needs you have read about in the past few days captured your heart? Has God spoken to you through this at all?

Action:
1. What are the holes you have discovered in your assumptions about the poor? List at least three.

2. Where do you feel God is calling you to put your "head, heart, hands, and feet" to use in the world? Where does your passion lie, and for whom (the poor, hungry, emotionally traumatized, etc...)? What ways has God gifted you to help others?

Check out the "Browse Programs" link under Quest Sites to learn about more ways you can use your "head, heart, hands, and feet" serving others.

Day 6: Give a Chicken

For $13 I can feed a hungry family for many years...this reality bothers me.
Why, when I have an extra $13 or $15 in my pocket do I start thinking about how I can spend it on myself? Do I spend it on a movie, or do I spend it on a dinner at Chipotle's? Worse yet, I usually think of some reason that I DESERVE that movie or that I DESERVE that dinner. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against movies or Chipotle; but I am curious why my mind wonders toward self-gratification more readily than wondering how that extra $13 could actually do good in the world. One chicken can feed a hungry family for many years, and one movie will entertain me for a couple hours. When we put those two things on the scales it seems pretty obvious what the most logical, ethical, and Godly way to use the $13 is, yet it takes effort for me to think this way, and often effort also requires a level of discomfort and guilt as well. These two ugly cousins work together to dissuade me from actually developing my idea of what is "right" in DOING what is right. Have you ever felt this way? What stops you from using the $13 in pocket to do what's right? Why haven't you bought that chicken yet?

Personal:
Did you buy a chicken or something else from the world vision website? Click our "Buy a Chicken" link in the Quest sites to buy one today. Name three or four ways you have spent $13 in the past few months.

Action:
1. How many chickens do you think you have eaten in your life? How many times have you gone to KFC? How much money do you think that all adds up to? Do you think it's right that many people in America and other parts of the world have gone their entire lives buying and eating literally tons of chickens without ever buying one for a hungry family in the world.

2. What does God expect of you? Seriously, what do you think? All this talk about chickens and $13 has me wondering, what does God really expect us to do with our money?

Day 5: Describe Your Hungriest Day Ever

I choose when I am hungry. This is the thought that I am left with when trying to think of my hungriest moment. The hungriest I have ever been was about 4 days into a 5 day fast which I was doing with my wife. During those five days we would only drink a gross lemonade and syrup mix to provide enough calories to stay functional. It astonishes me to think that I have only come close to REAL hunger during times when I have made an intentional choice to stay away from food. All those other "hungry" moments in my life weren't REAL hunger, they were just little jerks from my stomach telling me it had finished digesting and was getting bored being empty. I think REAL hunger involves a certain degree of actual danger and fear. I was never afraid during that fast with my wife because I knew that if things got too difficult I could just take a trip to the fridge, or even if I passed out from hunger (yeah right) I could go to a doctor and receive medical attention right away. The people in the world experiencing REAL hunger have almost no where to go to get food, and they usually have no one waiting to attend to their medical needs if they begin to starve.

Today was a particularly difficult day for me to post a picture. Usually if I don't have a picture in my own files to post with a blog entry I find one on Google images that is appropriate. I barely finished typing in "hunger" as a google images search before getting choked up. Several images of emaciated children and infants popped up right away. It's hard to imagine an image that better captures how far away this world is from God's Kingdom than the picture of a starving child. How can God stomach seeing these images everyday when I can barely stand looking at them for a few seconds? I had to decide whether I would force you, my readers, to stare at an image that you probably would never have willingly looked upon, or whether I would show a more diluted figurative image that pointed to hunger without showing it's actual ugliness. I went with the latter, because I think each of us has to choose for ourselves whether we are ready to enter into the ugly world of the suffering and the poor. How privileged we are! Not only can we choose to eat or be hungry whenever we like, but we can also choose to turn our eyes away from those who are starving in the world whenever we like... maybe privileged is the wrong word...God have mercy.

Personal:
How would you describe the worst hunger you have ever experienced? Do you think every person should have an inalienable right to food? Why or why not?

Action:
1. Every 3 seconds a child dies from hunger. Why is this important for you to know? How SHOULD this change the life of a person who has access to at least three full meals a day?

2. Check out the 30-hour famine link below in the "Quest Sites." Consider fasting for a few days and pray for people who are hungry the world over. Use the money you save from going without food and donate it to an organization that provides meals for the hungry.

Day 4: Define "Rich"

After checking out the global rich list I was surprised to find that my combined income with my wife puts us in the top 2% of the richest people in the world! This is very surprising to us since we feel as though we are basically scraping by most of the time. I thought by just putting in my income alone I might assuage my guilt, but even without her income I am still in the top 5% of the richest people in the world. Then I thought to myself, "Wait a second, I wasn't always this 'rich,' just a few years ago I made very little as a college student, because I could only work during the summers." I put in my average summer's income, only to find that even when I was at my poorest as a working person I was still in the top 15% of the richest people in the world!

Personal:
The 42-day journal* asks whether you think the wealthy people in the world have enough to eliminate poverty. How much do you think God expects the top 15% wealthiest people** in the world to give to the poorest people in the world? What does God expect you to give? Have you asked Him? If you haven't asked God what He wants you to give, share a prayer in the comments asking Him here and now.

*If you don't have one follow the "Fill the Hole" link titled "six week quest"
**Just in case you're wondering, if you're making more than $2200.00 a year then you are among the top 15% wealthiest people in the world

Action:
1. How wealthy did you think you were before you checked the rich list? How far-off was your guess? How do you think a person's wealth should affect their willingness and desire to give or be generous with what they have? How were you affected by the rich list?

2. Share this link with someone who isn't doing this study, and ask them how it affects them.

Day 3: Pack Your Suitcase

Personal:
Is it hard for you to imagine having hardly enough possessions to fit into a single suit case? Why do you think God chose to place you in such a wealthy abundant place, while he chose to place others in impoverished and desolate environments? Why do you think the wealthy people in the world who have much are for the most part unwilling to share with those who have so little?

Action:
1. What were the five possessions you decided you would keep if all your other possessions were taken away? How do you think you would view those five possessions differently if they were all you had? How would you view God differently?

2. The pictures from Material World give us a visual representation of how little most people own compared to the average American. Do you think this distribution of wealth is fair or just? Why do you think we are encouraged to accumulate so many things in our culture?

To view more pictures from Material World click on the link in the Quest Sites below.

Day 2: Thirsty?

Personal:
What has been like going without water? Did you think to abstain from drinking any form of liquid which is water based--anything besides milk? What would it really mean for your life to have no clean water available to you?

Action:
1. Did you think of faucet's differently after placing the sticky notes? Do you think it's possible to always carry an awareness of what others don't have while we indulge in it ourselves? How would our world look different if more people became aware that 1 in 6 people don't have clean water?

2. Did carrying an empty water bottle, and abstaining from drinking water seem unfair or cruel? What do you think it is like for a person who has no clean water to also live with the knowledge that many people elsewhere have plenty of clean water?

3. If you haven't had a chance already watch the water video, you can find it in the quest links below. How did this video impact you? Does it surprise you that clean water can be provided to so many people for so low a price? Before today, how often did you consider clean drinking and bathing water as a privilege? How often have you thanked God for clean water? Take a moment to thank Him in prayer now.

Day 1: "What does God expect of me?"

The Hole in Our Gospel
At the top of this blog there is quote from Rich Stearns describing how he thinks his book and study might affect people. How do you anticipate being affected by this study? What do you hope to get out of the next six weeks?

Personal:
You were challenged to pray to hear from God over these next six weeks, and that you would obey. If you feel comfortable share your own personal prayer in a comment box below.

Action
1. Did you tell a friend or close family member if your Jesus is God-sized, or if you shrunk him to your size? How did the conversation go? Did they ask you any questions?
2. What did you learn from the Richard Stearns video? Do you agree with Rich that there is a hole in our gospel? Where is the hole in your gospel?

Check out more Richard Stearns Videos through the quest links.