Deprivation

When is the last time that you gave money to a charity?

When is the last time that you stood up for someone being bullied?

When is the last time that you made a stranger smile?

When is the last time that you helped someone in need?

When is the last time that you bought a hungry stranger a meal?

When is the last time that you gave clothes to someone who had none?

When is the last time that you contributed towards the education of a youth with no financial support?

When is the last time that you provided childcare to a working parent with no childcare options?

When was the last time that you helped someone get access to much-needed medical care?

…………………..now………………………..

When is the last time that you contributed to a campaign of a politician because he or she opposed same-sex marriage?

When was the last time that you wrote an article or blog post speaking against abortion rights?

When was the last time you lent your efforts (face, name, money, abilities) to support a court challenge to

When was the last time that you voted for a legislator that supported laws that would restrict a person’s right to buy fish with their food benefits?

There were 251,695 same sex married couples in the U.S. in 2013. In the same year, there were 610,042 people homeless people in the U.S. on a given night.

In 2011, there were 730,322 reported abortions. That year, more than 13 million children were living in poverty. That was about 21.8% of all American children below the age of 18 in 2012.

Last year, in Massachussetts, for example, there were 824 cases of discovered “welfare” fraud totaling in $9.5 million dollars. The same year, Bank of America reached a $17 billion dollar settlement with the government because of their role in mortgage fraud schemes. Countrywide Financial, which Bank of America acquired, sold $965 billion dollars worth of bad loans from 2004-08.

The first set of numbers is of high priority to some people. Why not the latter?

“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

1 John 3:17