Tag: poverty

Crumbs From Your Table

My jam this morning – Crumbs From Your Table by U2

From the brightest star
Comes the blackest hole
You had so much to offer
Why did you offer your soul
I was there for you baby
When you needed my help
Would you deny for others
What you demand for yourself

Cool down mama, cool off
Cool down mama, cool off

You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table

You were pretty as a picture
It was all there to see
Then your face caught up with your psychology
With a mouth full of teeth
You ate all your friends
And you broke every heart
Thinking every heart mends

You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table

Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by

You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table

Bono on poverty

After fighting against poverty for the last 25 years, Bono was asked to share his story and his dreams at TED.

Turning from rockstar to “factivist” Bono points out that in the last 25 years we now have 7526 less children dying per day. Things ARE getting better – but there’s still a lot to be done.

Like he did at Georgetown last year, Bono quoted Wael Ghonim, who launched a Facebook group that spurred the uprising in Egypt last year:

“We’re going to win because we don’t understand politics. We’re going to win because we don’t play their dirty games. We’re going to win because we don’t have an agenda. We’re going to win because the tears that comes from our eyes actually come from our hearts. We’re going to win because we have dreams. We’re going to win because we are willing to stand up for our dreams. We’re going to win because the power of the people is so much stronger than the people in power.”

What stat stands out to you the most during the video?

A big HT to Charles Lee for pointing this video out.

How do you identify with Jesus?

Jesus said whatever you do to the least of these my brothers you’ve done it to me. And this is what I’ve come to think. That if I want to identify fully with Jesus Christ, who I claim to be my savior and Lord, the best way that I can do that is to identify with the poor. This I know will go against the teachings of all the popular evangelical preachers. But they’re just wrong. They’re not bad, they’re just wrong. Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in a beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken…. – Rich Mullins

Where have you seen Jesus lately?

The gospel and the poor according to Tim Keller

I’ve shared this on Twitter, Friendfeed and Facebook but it’s worth sharing here again as well.

It’s not the bite size 11 minutes like Rob Bell’s video from last week, but its a great extended discussion on what the gospel is — and the effect it should have on our lives.

Tim’s message goes till 44 min in and then its Q&A for the remainder.


Continue reading The gospel and the poor according to Tim Keller

end poverty!

Today is Blog Action Day 08 – focused on ending poverty. I caught on to this a little late. Sorry about that. But if you’ve read my blog for any length of time I think you’ll know how frustrated I get to see people living in poverty.

I think you know it rattles me crazy when folks refuse to help a brother or sister in need.

I think you know I think our reaction to the poor and to the hurting around our world is a direct indication of how we view God (and yes that can be taken multiple ways).

I don’t if I have amazing words of wisdom to share today, but thought I’d share some visual media with you to help us each reflect on the issue of poverty in the world around us.

All the media is from real people, whom I’ve had the honor and privilege of meeting and sharing life with in some way shape or form. I wish I could do more and God willing — I will. Most of the pictures are from Nigeria. The videos are from Waxahachie, Nigeria and Dallas. The point? — There are hurting people, living in poverty everywhere — all around us.

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.


Check Judaism. Check Islam. Check pretty much anyone.
I mean, God may well be with us in our mansions on the hill… I hope so. He may well be with us as in all manner of controversial stuff… maybe, maybe not… But the one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor.
God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war… God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.