for the past few months i’ve been struggling with the idea of restricting my spending so that i may direct my budget in a more beneficial way. it seems that the music and literature i have been accidentally coming across lately has all been filled with information about living simply in order to give more to those who have nothing. when i say i’ve been struggling i mean that i’ve been wanting to live simply and yet my lust of stuff has not let me. of course that’s not been the only reason, for some people this idea seems insane. i was called that by one person when i tried to explain that i felt the bible was pointing me to good scripture that told me to give to people who had nothing and to stop spending so much money on material goods that only satisfy me for a short while. people seemed confused by the idea of voluntary poverty.

of course for me i wouldn’t not be able to get even close to poverty unless i just decided to only eat one meal of rice a day or something. i have a car, a nice one at that, and my parents gladly pay for all my expenses. i guess simplicity is the way i’d have to discribe my brand of voluntary poverty. i’d like to live in a way that people if they desired to hack into my bank account would without a doubt let them know that i loved to give it all away. i want my bank account to reflect the compassion i feel when i see poor people. i don’t want to just talk about it….

on that note, i’m tired of people just talking. i’m tired of myself just talking. in my landscape theory class we all talk and complain about the way the energy is being consumed and then we all go get in our cars and drive here and there. we discuss our ecological footprints then eat a hamburger and buy clothes made in china. we all complain complain complain about how the trend is to consume more and more while we allow others to have less and less. well it’s time we stopped talking about it and actually do it.

maybe the best way to raise awareness is not to just hold a concert titled after a crisis or to hand out pamphlets, but maybe it’s to get out there and do something. awareness is important, but what good does it do to have everyone cry through a movie then walk out exclaiming how sad it was and yet do nothing about it? maybe we should start teaching people how to save up money and give it to the poor. maybe we should take the time we spend at concerts and movies and go serve at the food kitchen or build a home with habitat. don’t get me wrong, i think that doing “awareness” movies are good and all, but i feel like i’ve spent at least a few hours learning about all the problems in the world, but not actually learning what i can do and then doing it in order to help solve the problem (this is aside from invisible children which i think balanced both awareness and action)

maybe the best way to make a change is to change ourselves…to give it all away. the early christians did it and they were known by everyone by their love. and guess what, they didn’t just give and help other christians. they helped everyone, no discrimination. they didn’t ask why the person was poor and homeless, they just gave them what they needed. they were so good at this that even those that opposed them couldn’t help but notice the good that they did.

and they all helped the people around them. i think it’s good to send money to other countries and fight for those causes but maybe we should stop looking to africa and india so much and maybe we should spend some of the time we spend worring about people we don’t even see worrying about the poor and helpless in our own cities…we could do both. we have the time if we want to have it. so next time, just look around you and see who needs your help today. be it a smile, a kind word, or a lunch or anything. don’t be so focused on the poor thousands of miles away that you miss the poor (in spirit and in material goods) that are near you. and remember your friends. be kind to everyone. it’s hard but it could be done. the early christians did it. we can to.

so i’ll pray for you and you can pray for me. they did a lot of that too. and they helped hold each other to the high standards presented by christ. they wanted to lift each other up and help each other live in a way that proclaimed christ to the world…i’ll pray that we hold each other up. i hope that you’ll pray with me.