Thoughts for the day....

Last night we went to watch some futbol with our Ugandan friends. There was a small T.V. set up in a larger room in one of the church buildings which everyone watched the game on. Today we went and spoke at an elementary school of around six or seven hundred children. I don’t quite now how to feel about them being so amazing and excited about us. I am no one to be esteemed or looked up to as they do. They are the ones who I should look up to, because they are the ones who have to persevere through real suffering and hardship. They are the real heroes. They there were seven boys who they called the “blind boys” because they could not see, and they sang for us, welcoming us to their school. This created a lot of conflict within me because in reality these kids have no shot at living a “successful life” in how we typically define it. And actually, many of these kids whether through hunger, HIV, no education or work possibilities, or whatever else won’t have a fair shot at life either. And yet they esteem me? Me, the guy who was born into huge privilege and handed all the opportunities I could imagine? Me, the guy who up until this point hasn’t really sacrificed all that much in comparison to them in the effort to seek their restoration spiritually, mentally, and physically? Things are all messed up right now. But I am not ignorant of the fact that many of these people who have so little now will one day be much greater in the kingdom of God than me. I would be wise to do everything in my power currently to help them because one day the roles will be reversed, for blessed are the poor and those who hunger now and those who weep now, for theirs is the kingdom of God, and they will be fed, and they will laugh (Luke 6). And in Luke 16, Jesus tells of the role reversal of the rich man and the poor beggar. This is the coming reality, not just some thing that is nice to think about. And in Luke 16, Jesus tells those who have power right now for the time being to use it as much as possible to gain friends and love from those who are poor so that when we lose our power before God, we will be glad that we used it wisely while we had it. So many times Jesus warns us rich people of the responsibility that comes with power, which if we are Americans (especially white ones) we very much have in comparison to most of the world. We just might find ourselves begging for mercy from these blind, poor kids here who have nothing now, but will be great in the kingdom of God.