Reality Check

I don't know about you, but in the mornings I watch the BBC to find out what's really going on in the world (American news is a little wrapped up with the Election and Economic Meltdown). This morning I caught a story about persecution taking place in India. Apparently, radical Hindus are burning Christian churches in retaliation for converting so many to the faith, and thousands of Christians are fleeing to refugee camps or converting back to Hinduism.

You can see the article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7644191.stm

When I saw this story it served as a reality check as to where the world really is. Faith is a dangerous thing and Christianity is NOT widely accepted. It's counter cultural. It brings equality, and hope, and love, and life. And as I sat reflecting on this article, I felt lost. You see, yesterday morning I spent hours working with the Leadership Team trying to figure out how to balance next year's church budget, and when I thought about the tragedies going on throughout the world, I couldn't help but feel like we wasted our time. We were trying to prioritize which ministries would have the most impact on the community around us, but I have to wonder, what's important here? Why are we having to choose which ministries we do? Why does the church seem slow to take up the call? I know it's important to them. I know that they believe in missions. I know that they understand the importance of local outreach, but why is it not booming?

In America between 70% and 80% of people label themselves as Christians, but on the whole only about 35% of those are "Active" with their faith. They worship regularly. They participate in a small group. They tithe. They perform some kind of ministry. And while all of this is wonderful, what about the other 65%? Are they just showing up at Christmas? You can't afford to eat once a year or breath once a year, so why do people think it's okay to find hope once a year? In India, people are converting in droves to the faith because they want some kind of hope. They want life that Christ provides. Why don't we have that drive here? Are we just too busy in our society? When do we slow down and set our priorities according to our beliefs? Maybe I'm just rambling here. I'll keep thinking about it...