By DeAndrea Dare
One of the most common phrases spoken today is, “I don’t care.” It is an attitude and a mindset that can come across in a variety of ways. It can be spoken with defiance, or it can be a way of gently pushing another to make a decision. Sometimes we are presented with too many choices, and that makes choosing just one a difficult task. Other times we are so overwhelmed we wonder how we can make a difference just being one person.
Jesus never said, “I don’t care.” No matter where he was or what he was doing, he consistently served and loved, offered forgiveness and opportunities for new beginnings. Jesus always cared.
The Letter of James is a call to action. It is a call to use the faith that we believe deep within by making a tangible difference in the here and now. Being able to recite a creed or pray a prayer is not the concern of James. James issues a challenge of saying that, without action, faith is simply words. James calls us to care and care deeply about those who we share life with, both our loved ones and the strangers among us.
Just this past week we watched Tropical Storm and then Hurricane Isaac rip through countries and states and leave devastation in its wake. Our faith is now calling out to us. Although we may just be one person and we may feel as though we cannot change circumstances or improve conditions overnight, we cannot stand idly by and wait for someone else to do something. In just a week, a missions team from Arborlawn will travel to UMCOR Sager Brown to begin relief work for those who have been touched by this vicious storm. Through the cleaning of debris in south Louisiana and the packing of flood buckets and health kits that will be sent to places like Haiti, the love and faith of the people of Arborlawn will be making a difference throughout our world.
Every day we are bombarded by choices. Every day we can be overwhelmed by the enormity of need in our world. Often times we adopt the “I don’t care” attitude so we can move on; we expect others to do something that we do not have time to do or want to do because we know it will break our hearts to enter into the lives of others who are going through difficult times.
The people of Arborlawn are faithful. From trips to UMCOR Sager Brown, to mentoring Kids Hope children, to packing Snack Sacks; Adopt-A-School, the Food Pantry, Styles and Smiles Fashion Show and so much more, we show that we do care. Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, once prayed the prayer, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” May that be our prayer today and may our prayer move us to express our faith through all that we are and all that we do.
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