simplicity

We saw an interesting play last weekend - The Boys Next Door. it was about 4 mentally challenged guys living together. the money line was by their counselor who checks in with them - "i change, the world changes, they don't change." everything was so simple, so basic for them.

i write that to create a huge opposite picture of how government works in recent times. Everything is an emergency and there is crisis upon crisis upon crisis. it's almost like the thinking is "if we hit them with everything at once with amps set on 11 we're bound to get some of it past them."

it's numbing and after a while i don't think we even recognize a true crisis. we're so jaded and caloused to a life where all news is "BREAKING" or tv is non-stop cliff-hangers or movies are a 2 hour blast of sound, adventure, explosions, stunts and action. How do we even sleep anymore?

Gary Skinner from Watoto Church in Uganda was at our church last weekend talking about the need for reaching out to HIV/AIDS orphans, child soldiers and the misplaced victims of a decades long war. there was no bright red banners or tears or cries for "the world will end." he is just an amazing man serving an Amazing God telling a story of need in a very needy part of the world. the simplicity of the presentation was more powerful than walls of sound and screams of need.

after the great & powerful wind, earthquake & fire there came a gentle whisper. are we too busy, too numb, too deaf to hear the still small voice that calls us to a simple faith? James 1:27 says: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.