This statistic is absolutely staggering: “…less than 1 percent of the $4 trillion federal budget goes to foreign aid… What’s more, our ignorance colors the way we think about foreign spending. Fifty-six percent of the poll respondents thought the U.S. spends too much on foreign aid. Once they were told that the U.S. spends less than 1 percent of the federal budget on foreign aid, 28 percent still thought the nation was overspending.” – NPR (http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/02/10/383875581/guess-how-much-of-uncle-sams-money-goes-to-foreign-aid-guess-again?utm_content=buffer1f9ab&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)
Church goers, think this is just those outside of the church? Those that are non-Christians? The sinners?
Think again: “Christians’ annual income is $12.3 trillion… only $11.4 billion is given to foreign missions (that is ~9% of the total income generated by the Christians globally)” – The Traveling Team (http://www.aboutmissions.org/statistics.html)
Most of the issues that money can solve happen to be outside of the confines of America. I can guarantee that you have not seen real poverty until you step into a third world – or developing – country. Government systems to aid the poor do not exist. Churches that can afford to help the marginalized do not exist. Hospitals that have the staffing to care for the sick and dying do not exist. Schools and education systems that can prepare people for basic things like being able to read and write do not exist.
There is a reason that 23,000 children die daily from PREVENTABLE causes like hunger, unclean water, and curable illness. (UNICEF)
There is a reason why 3 billion people in the world live on less than $2.00 a day, and why 80% of the world lives on less than $10.00 a day. (UNICEF)
And guess what? 80% of these people live outside of the cultural west (Europe and the United States). Yet we own 80% of the world’s resources in terms of finances and wealth.
Do you understand that? 20% of the world’s population (roughly 1.4 billion people) own 80% of the world’s wealth and resources. This leaves only 20% of the world’s wealth and resources to be distributed among 80% (5.6 billion people) of the population.
If just the Christians decided to give even 10% of what they have specifically to foreign aid, we could put an end to world poverty.
Sure, I agree, the cycle of poverty is about more than financial issues and crises of wealth. But I will be damned if the beginning of the end to world poverty is not the redistribution of wealth and resources to those who need it the most.
So you may wonder, why am I engaged in the global mission front?
Because I can do something.
Because I want to put an end to poverty, marginalization, and global injustices.
Because I believe that we have the access, the resources, and the time to actually make a difference where the difference needs to be made the most.
We can do this. We can win the fight that Jesus Christ came to Earth to begin.
Take a literal step of faith and CHOOSE to enter into this fight.
Truth Matters 