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?