You hear the "dollar a day" stat all the time. In Malawi, most people earn a salary around that amount, if you are one of the 60% with a job. Being here brings a whole new perspective to the statistic. Numbers turn to faces. Faces become friends.
The truth is, money isn't really the main way of survival here. Most people live off of the land. They grow their own produce, raise their own chickens, and build their own homes. Sometimes, I feel like money just complicates life and brings on responsibility that most people aren't ever ready to handle. It is no wonder that Proverbs teaches that the love of money is the root of all evil.
I used to think that when Jesus said, "To whom much is given, much is required" he was talking about people like Bill Gates. The top 1% of the richest people in the world. He certainly couldn't be talking about my family.
Then, you move to Malawi. Suddenly it is hauntingly clear. We have been given MUCH. And MUCH is required of us.
September 22, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
That is good stuff. We've been saying that a lot around here....we've been given much, God is going to require much of us.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Beautifully said.
Thank you for your honesty! You said it beautifully.
It's amazing how different things, ideas, people, faith, religion, money, anything looks from a different perspective. Thanks for sharing this fresh perspective for us to learn from.
Post a Comment