Hope Unlimited for Children

In many arenas, such as blogs, e-forums, letters, and speeches, Christian beliefs are questioned, challenged, and even mocked. This is especially true of the beliefs and practices of evangelical conservative Christians in America. According to some, conservative Christians are no different than fascists or Taliban. See, for instance, Rosie O’Donnell’s characterization of Christians as “radical” and as dangerous as “radical Islam.”

Comments such as these are not true and are based on either mischaracterizations or outright bias-filled deceptions. I would very much be surprised to find any organizations in America that have contributed more to the well-being of humanity than Christians, conservative or not, responding to this hurting world with the compassion of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Motivated by no more than to follow the example of the Jesus, the Son of God, Christian men and women have given selflessly of themselves and their resources throughout the history of America.

One case in point is this year’s special project of the American Baptist Women (ABW) (a mission support society) of the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky (ABC/IN-KY). Their highlight this year is HOPE UNLIMITED for CHILDREN. The following info is taken from their website:

Life on the Street:
* The numbers, alone, tell us there is a problem: In Brazil, there are from 7-8 million children between the ages of 5 and 18 living on the streets, and by all standards, in extreme poverty.
* Both girls and boys face the same challenges for survival – begging: sleeping under cardboard, sheets of tin or bridges; using their wits to escape the assaults of the police and others on the streets. They exhibit extraordinary amounts of fear, distrust and an inability to relate to others.
* Children of the street are involved in robberies, drug sales, petty theft, prostitution, and gang activity. Young street girls commonly use prostitution as a way of supporting themselves.
* Life ends early for children on the streets. One respected study indicated that up to 62% of girls living on the street commit suicide or are brutally murdered. Few live to age 25 if they stay on the streets more than 10 years.
* Almost all street youth use drugs, mostly solvents and inhalants. Resultant brain damage and mental problems further complicate their lives. One teen mother was observed sharing her glue soaked sleeve with her crying infant.
* AIDS is now a ticking time bomb, making its rounds among the children. Many street children have reported incidents of rape. Most are sexually active and almost half are forced to have sex. Almost 60% of kids between the ages of 7 to 12 are forced to have anal intercourse.
* Youngsters who were once looked upon as deserving of compassion and sympathy are now viewed at best as a nuisance, and at worst, as a danger to public safety -- future criminals who ought to be locked up.
* In the early 1990s, because of their drug use, predatory crimes, and general unacceptability, street children were the targets of local vigilante groups, drug gangs, and police "death squads." Thousands of street children were systematically rounded up and murdered.
* All of this tragically violates everything God intended for these children. Only initiatives like that offered by Hope Unlimited can provide comprehensive solutions.

Through Christian compassion and response, this issue is being addressed. Similarly, thousands of other Christian ministries have been established worldwide to share the salvation from God through the sacrifice of Jesus, to address the plights of those in poverty, and to bring hope to a sin-plagued world. This, indeed, is Christianity in its most “radical” application. Do not be misled or deterred by those who seek to do harm to the reality of the meaning and mission of followers of the Lamb of God. For more information about the specific ministry of Hope Unlimited, follow the link to their website.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35 (NIV)

Reflections on 9/11

As expected, watching the video replays and viewing the photos of the 9/11/2001 attacks brought back the conglomeration of emotions of that day. Seeing the pictures and hearing the details of the horror at each point of attack brings alive once more the eerie feelings of disbelief, horror over the brutal mass murders, and the overwhelming sadness of the thousands of lives forever changed. The most chilling images of that day for me remain the falling bodies of those who chose to throw themselves to their death from the top floors of the WTC towers. I do not show those in any remembrance services, but I have them in my personal collection. These overpowering images define to me the brutality of our enemy who made themselves clearly known to all Americans that day.

Reflections of 9/11 also remind me of the intense sense of the display of the American spirit on that day and the days to follow. Americans were as close to being one as is humanly possible. I never felt any personal fear on the 11th or any following day; I felt great grief over the sense of loss of life and great pride in the spirit that pulled us together to both recover from the brutal attacks and to resolve to face our enemy head on. As many Americans expressed, parallels of the Pearl Harbor attack came to mind. In fact, I remember clearly who I heard first declare that “America is at war.” The declaration came not from Congress nor from the President; it came from news anchor Tom Brokaw as he reported throughout our second “day of infamy.” Indeed, “America is at war.”

Outside of the loss of life and suffering brought by the attacks themselves, and the subsequent American lives lost in the Global War on Terror, I am most distressed and saddened by the resurgence of disunity among a people who need to be focused single-mindedly on the defeat of a treacherous, dangerous enemy. This is an enemy who seeks solely to destroy the liberties enjoyed by Americans.

Instead of “united we stand,” though, we now endure assaults from sectors of Americans who seek not to debate war policy, but to frustrate every action our President takes to prosecute this war. For them, defeating a brutal enemy is secondary to politically defeating President Bush and the Republican Party. Consider the many points that they use to sow seeds of distrust and hatred: electronic surveillance and data collection of contacts with terrorists is “spying” on innocent Americans; American presence in Iraq creates more terrorists; “Bush lied;” the Administration has embarked upon “cowboy diplomacy.” You can easily add to the list. Instead of setting aside divisive agendas for the sake of national unity and security, special interests continue to pursue selfish desires in times on national crisis. In a time when Americans wrote “God bless America” across this land over the weeks following 9/11, organizations like the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State relentlessly pursue their agenda to drive expressions of belief in Deity out of the public arena. Does that really make a lot of sense in a time when Americans need to be uplifted in belief? On and on it goes.

My reflections on 9/11 drive me to outright confusion. I do not comprehend how, when facing such a fiercely determined enemy, so many of my fellow citizens fail to comprehend the importance of the unity and purpose needed to defeat this dangerous foe. Standing under the shadow of the history of other militant totalitarians that attacked freedom throughout the world, I fail to comprehend how so many of my fellow citizens would rather see this enemy win as long as it means defeat for our Commander-in-Chief. It does not make sense.

Once more, I have gone on far too long for a blog. These things are supposed to be brief so that readers do not lose interest. If you have made it this far, I thank you. As Mr. Brokaw declared, “America is at war.”