Red Letter Life (Give with Power)

So many injustices. So little time.

And so little money. Nope. That actually is untrue. But in the church and the world today, we act like it is true. We spend gobs of money eating out, buying new cars, clothing ourselves in name-brand this and that, while on the continent of Africa, entire generations are wiped out of villages by AIDS.

In Africa, older women called go-go’s, or grandmother figures, care for dozens of orphaned children suffering from AIDS, in many cases. Children who were orphaned by AIDS. What are we thinking? What am I thinking just standing by?

My shiny red KIA keeps me safe driving my kids around, but it is doing jack –that’s nothing – for people far, far worse off than I am. Where’s that rooting-for-the-underdog mentality of mine?

I partly blame ignorance. Until I read the Tom Davis book, Red Letters, Living a Faith that Bleeds, the word go-go went with boots. I learned a great deal reading this book, and I urge and beg you to read it. Have you experienced a book you could not set aside? The story ending you wanted to know as much as you crave the taste of chips n’ salsa or a brownie? This book is like that – except it lies in your hands and mine to write the ending.

Davis points out that at no other time in history have we had such power to fix something so big – AIDS in Africa. Yet, the alarm clock goes off. Maybe we sing a praise song. Maybe a pop song. But to help others, are we really sacrificing as American Christians? Am I? Look at the rest of the world before answering.

So what is this “faith that bleeds”? Yes, it’s a faith that requires sacrifice. But more than that, it’s a faith that brings life.

Living the Red Letters life is living a transformed life – a life where the needs of the poor and the diseased rank high on your “what’s important” list.

Tom Davis, Red Letters

Is your heart in it? If not, try helping out through one of the organizations below anyway. Your heart will catch up. Mine, too. God will see to that.

Maybe AIDS in Africa (or Asia, the continent battered second most by HIV infections) ranks lower on your list of issues that pull at you. For you, perhaps human trafficking moves you to action. Or child soldiers. You have the power to help.

Check out this passage:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2025:31-45&version=NLT

Routes to helping AIDS in Africa and other Global Issues:

Children’s HopeChest

www.hopechest.org

Compassion International

https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/childvictimsofhiv.htm

Hope for Orphans, a ministry of Family Life

www.hopefororphans.org

World Vision

www.worldvision.org

Buy the Red Letters book:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_20?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=red+letters+tom+davis&x=0&y=0&sprefix=Red+Letters+Tom+Davi

P.S.

Those unfamiliar with the Bible may wonder why the Tom Davis book is called Red Letters. In many versions of the Bible, the words of Jesus are in red letters. He calls on His followers to reach out to the poor, oppressed, sick and more.