Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

I am currently reading Ronald J. Sider's book, "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger." I had read parts of the book when I was studying in Africa, and again last summer during a leadership training. In the book Sider gives an example of what it would be like to live like more than half of the world...

"We begin by invading the house of our imaginary American family to strip it of its furniture. Everything goes: beds, chairs, tables, television sets, lamps. We will leave the family with a few old blankets, a kitchen table, and a wooden chair. Along with the bureaus go the clothes. Each member of the family may keep in his "wardrobe" his oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. We will permit a pair of shoes for the head of the family, but none for the wife or children.

We move to the kitchen. The appliances have already been taken out, so we turn to the cupboards... The box of matches may stay, a small bag of flour, some sugar, and salt. A few moldy potatoes, already in the garbage can, must be hastily rescued, for they will provide much of tonight's meal. We will leave a handful of onions, and a dish of dried beans. All the rest we take away; the meat, the fresh vegetables, the canned goods, the crackers, the candy.

Now we have stripped the house: the bathroom has been dismantled, the running water shut off, the electric wires taken out. Next we take away the house. The family can move to the toolshed...

Communications must go next. No more newspapers, magazines, books- not that they are missed, since we must take away our family's literacy as well. INstead, in our shantytown we will allow one radio...

Now government services must go. No more postman, no more firemen. There is a school, but it is three miles away and consists of two classrooms...There are, of course, no hospitals or doctors nearby. The nearest clinic is ten miles away and is tended by a mid-wife. It can be reached by bicycle, provided the family has one, which is unlikely...

Finally, money. We will allow our family a cash hoard of $5.00. This will prevent our breadwinner from experiencing the tragedy of an Iranian peasant who went blind because he could not raise the $3.94, which he mistakenly thought he needed to receive admission to a hospital were he could have been cured."

It is easy (for me, at least) to read something like this and become passionate about change. But then a day goes by, a week, a month, and the feeling wears off and I forget about our Christian neighbors around the world who are struggling to survive. Hopefully the next month will give me a new understanding of my world, my neighbors, and what I can do to encourage change.
Holly