I am back at work today after a great vacation with my family.
I am thankful for the privilege of having work. It is a blessing to be able to meet my family's needs, to apply my abilities in service of the world, and to give expression to my passion in service of Christ.
I am thankful! Here is a prayer that you may wish to pray as you go to work.
O God, sovereign Lord over all creation, without whom all purposes are futile, grant me today the assistance of your Spirit. In all the surprises and changes of life, may I fix my heart upon you, so that your eternal purposes may be fixed in me.
In the name of Jesus, who came to make your eternal purpose clear. Amen
- A guide to prayer for all God's people (Upper Room Books, 1990)
Dear friends, Please could I ask you to pray at 12.00 CAT today - we have our 1st conference call for the Exposed2013 campaign.
This campaign seeks to empower 100 million Christians across the world on issues of ethics, justice & poverty by 2013 please see for more: http://www.micahchallenge.org/exposed
The project is being run by Micah Challenge, The international Bible Society, Unashamedly Ethical, the Salvation Army and the World Evangelical Alliance. I am helping to coordinate the campaign - it is such an important issue for the Kingdom and the world!
We cannot rid the world of systemic poverty unless we deal with systemic corruption! Thanks so much! God bless, Dion James 1.27
This morning I was struck by the news on the riots, unrest, protests and unhappiness at the world economic situation.
In this video I reflect on what I believe a Christian response should be to the economic, social and political inequalities in the world.
I would love to hear your thoughts. By the way, you can find out about the gini coefficient here. Also, in the video I made mention of the book '44 sermons to serve the present age' - I accidentally said that my friend Lisa Withrow was the editor (while she contributed it was in fact Dr Angela Shier-Jones who edited the book. Sorry for fumbling that one Angie! Jetlag brain!)
God bless from Malaysia!
Dion
Update on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 9:45AM by
Dr Dion Forster
It was with great sadness that I learnt that Angie (Dr Angela Shier-Jones) passed away just in September. This news is such sad news. Angie had been struggling against cancer.
I remember a great conversation we shared last year when I was in the UK. We were on the train after a meeting at LEAT and we were talking about dissease and faith. The topic of our conversation centered around a special edition of the Epworth Review of which Angie was the editor for which I had written an article on being Christian in an HIV+ world. As always her input was deeply challenging, a magnificent theological mind matched only by her pastoral heart!
Thanks for sharing the news of her passing with me Jenny. I am deeply saddened by the news of her death. However, I can only imagine what she is doing in heaven!
Here are two wonderful memorial posts I would encourage you to take a look at. Each of them gives a wonderful insight into one of the great Methodist theologians of our age.
I am so excited about this event! The Lord has given me such a deep love for the people of Malaysia - I have had the immeasurable privilege of visiting there many times in the last few years. I have a number of very close friends there. Cynthia Wong, the head of Alpha in Malaysia, contacted me some time last year after getting a copy of my book 'Transform your work life' and asked if would come and speak at the their conference.
Among the speakers at this event will be Graham Power, Doug Spada, Tan Shri Dato' Francis Yeoh, Dato' Sri Idris Jala, and Ps. Dr. Philip Lyn.
The conference takes place in a remarkable venue - the resort of Sutera Harbour in Kota Kinabalu. This resort was developed by the Christian Businessman Edward Ong. He is a man who truly understands what it means to engage in responsible, ethical and sustainable business that brings blessing to the community in which business is done.
Once the conference is done and we have also spoken at the Skyline Church I shall be heading to Hong Kong for some meetings and work before returning home by the 13th of October.
I would truly appreciate your prayers for this special trip, please pray with me that God works in a special way to encourage, inspire and renew the participants. Please also pray that as I share and minister that the Lord will use my me in spite of my weaknesses to achieve His will for transformation in business. Please could you also pray for Cynthia and her wonderful team. Lastly, could I please ask you to keep my wife Megan and our children, Courtney and Liam, in your prayers? Megie is still recovering from surgery to her wrist and so that places an extra little bit of pressure on her with me away.
I will be posting updates on my twitter feed, on tumblr, and also here - so please do check in on all of those platforms for updates. Thanks for your partnership in ministry!
In a couple of sessions with clients recently I have heard the concern that they feel far from God. It can be difficult when one is in that space. Of course the ego is a part of that problem - we want 'control' over our spiritual experiences. Another problem is hedonism - we want to 'enjoy' everything we experience. Struggle can be a very helpful spiritual condition. It is uncomfortable, yet helpful.
I found this quote from firstbreath90 very insightful to understand this spiritual phenomenon:
When God feels absent or non-existent, he does not come to the rescue like a helicopter parent. He leaves you in that pitch-black spiritual cave until every last bit of ego-driven “control” of your spiritual life is exposed for the sham that it is. He allows the “god” of our own imaginations to fade away so that he can begin the deeper process of forming us into spiritual begins who are content to trust rather than control.
Paradoxically, when God seems non-existent, it is then that he may actually be most at work. A Christian theology that learns to accept the dark night will be able to give thanks to God in any and all circumstances.
So, yeah, there is quite a bit in Ecclesiastes that intersects with the Gospel. Knowing Jesus doesn’t keep us from these experiences of alienation from God. They may actually bring us closer toward these experiences. That is all part of the Christian package—suffering conforms us to Christ’s image.
- Peter Enns, in an interview for his upcoming commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes.
How do you deal with 'feeling far from God'? Have you got any advice or insights to share? Please leave a comment below.
Since our arrival in Penang a furore has erupted over Unashamedly Ethical in Malaysia. In fact, this morning the Prime Minister of Malaysia commented and it made the front page news of The Star newspaper.
He said:
JAKARTA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on all groups to calm down and stop exploiting the issue of a purported attempt to make Christianity the official religion of the country.
Religion, he stressed, was a sensitive matter and that he did not want any religion-related debate to create tension among the people.
“Cool it and calm down until we find the facts. It is not going to be of benefit to anyone.
“Whoever it is, whether they are opposition or pro-government, they cannot and should not exploit this issue,” he told the Malaysian media at the end of the 18th Asean Summit yesterday.
Please see the rest of that newspaper article here.
We have since departed from Penang and are back in Kuala Lumpur
What is certain is that the accusations are not true. Our intention is to bless the nation of Malaysia, to pray for her leadership and to see ethics, values and clean living established in greater measure among her people and leaders.
The security police have been asking questions, visiting locations we have visited and spoken at, and are looking to question some of the local hosts of our events.
What I do know is the promise of Romans 8.28 "In all things, God works for the good of those who love Him".
Please pray for our local hosts, the thousands of new signatories to Unashamedly Ethical here in Malaysia, and for us!
KUALA LUMPUR: A meeting between the Penang Chief Minister and Christian leaders has turned into a controversy with claims that the participants discussed making Christianity the official religion.
The meeting was front-paged by Utusan Malaysia which quoted two blogs making such a claim.
However, Penang CM Lim Guan Eng dismissed the report as a fabrication.
He described such irresponsible reporting as playing dangerous politics.
The DAP secretary-general said the party would lodge a police report against the daily over the matter.
“We have never asked for Malaysia to become a Christian, Hindu or Buddhist state,” Lim said yesterday.
The organisers of the meeting were the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship.
They, too, denied the claims, saying: “The Christian community in Penang is disturbed by the unwarranted and unsupported claims.
“The seminar was organised to discuss and address the issue of bribery and corruption in the marketplace and had nothing to do with political succession.”
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has described the purported meeting of pastors as serious.
He said any action by followers of a religion would invite reactions from followers of others.
“The status of Islam as the official religion is sacrosanct and can never and must never be questioned.
“The police must investigate whether or not such a meeting took place and whether or not this movement is under way.
“Such a movement is seditious and places the entire country in danger,” he said.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar, however, cautioned the public from playing up sensitive issues.
“Don’t play with fire, or you might end up being burnt. We will not allow people to deliberately exploit this issue,” he said.
MCA Youth Chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong described the report byUtusan as provocative, saying the newspaper should be more professional in its reports and not base them on blog posts.
Party presidential council member Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn said there was nothing wrong for religious groups to meet with political parties.
“MCA can meet with Christians, Muslims and members of other faiths.Utusan should not impute any religious motives,” he said.
Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia Ng Moon Hing said Christians had never challenged Islam as the official religion and had no plans to do so.
Police reports were also made by Malay and Muslim rights groups Perkasa and Pembela, urging authorities to examine the validity of the article.
“This has to be investigated. If this is true, we have to be careful,” said Pembela president Dr Yusri Mohamad.
I had the privelage of doing two of the plenary talks at the Methodist Prayer Convention in Sibu, Malaysia, yesterday.
Some of the participants in those talks asked for copies of my notes and the powerpoint slides. Unfortunately I cannot access my FTP server from the Hotel, so I've uploaded the notes to my dropbox folder and shared the files - I'm fairly certain this should work. The PowerPoints are about 2.5MB each and the PDF outlines of my notes are only a few hundred KB.
You can download these files from my Dropbox folder by clicking the links below (you will just need to set up a free DropBox username and password in order to get the files).
Last night more than 3500 people packed the main hall of the Kingwood Hotel conference center for the opening of the Methodist Prayer convention. Bishop Hwa Yung and Graham Power spoke about the global prayer movement. What was most significant for me was the 'concert of prayer' in which the entire gathering prayed together around critical issues in the world for almost an hour!
Today we continue with the conference. I shall be speaking at the Tamil Plenary sessions at 9.00 on the Bible and Prayer, then Graham and I speak on Unashamedly Ethical and Transform your work life over lunch to a group of 400 business people, after which I will speak at the evening plenary on the Holy Spirit and prayer.
Thank you for your ongoing prayers for us.
Please could I encourage you to pray for the people of Syria today - they are facing extreme oppression as they protest for democracy. Also please remember our sisters and brothers in the United States of America who have faced the ravages of nature as tornadoes devastated parts of the South.
On Wednesday I'll be boarding a flight from Cape Town to Malaysia where Graham Power and I will first be heading via Kuala Lumpur to Sibu to speak at the Methodist Prayer gathering (with some engagements in Kuching along the way). I had the immeasurable privilage of speaking at the 2007 prayer gathering (it was during this time that I first fell in love with Malaysia and her wonderful people!)
Malaysia has a very special place in my heart - I have been back a number of times since then, and will be there twice this year.
Then, on the 29th we head back to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with Steve Johnstone (the international coordinator for Unashamedly Ethical) to speak at an Unashamedlly Ethical conference (see the brochure and video below). Please find the full details of the conference here. I would love to see there if you're in the area!
The Unashamedly Ethical movement challenges individuals and organisations to make a stand for values and ethics. We are convinced that we will never be able to deal with systemic poverty until we address systemic corruption. Please consider joining us by committing yourself to values, ethics and clean living here - Unashamedly Ethical online.
I will also be doing some seminars and workshops with pastors and business people on the topics of 'ministry in the marketplace' and 'practical social transformation' (based in part on the book that Graham Power and I wrote together called 'Transform your work life') If you live in Malaysia and would like to order a copy of the book please visit Canaanland here. If you live elsewhere in the world please get your copy here.
Prayer requests
Please could you support us in prayer. Here are some prayer pointers.
Please pray for our hosting committee in the Methodist Church in Malaysia who will host us for the first part of our visit (particularly Bishop Hwa Yung and his leadership team)
Please pray for our hosting committee from the NECF - close friends who are doing incredible work in the Church and the marketplace.
Please pray for Graham, Steve and I while we're away. Also please pray for our families.
Please pray that the Lord will use us and that He will create wonderful opportunities for us to bless, encourage and partner with our Malaysian friends in bringing about renewal and transformation in the Church and world of work.
Thanks so much! I'll be posting updates as regularly as I can to my twitter feed and will post here as well as often as I can.
This morning as I was waiting for a meeting to start I was watching the people outside the window going about their morning activities.
One interaction broke my heart. I saw a young man (perhaps in his mid 20's) with two small children. The little girl could be no more than 2 years old and her brother looked about a year older than her. The father arrived carrying the little girl and holding the little boy's hand. A car was waiting for the three of them. I assumed it was the children's grandmother - an older woman. As the young man approached he opened the door, helped the two children onto the back seat. Then he got into the front passenger seat, turned his head away from the older woman and sank down in the chair. He looked distraught, depressed, beaten by life.
I wondered what events had led to this moment? Had his wife left him? Is he in some form of crisis?
My heart broke for him and for those two little children. I'm sure they could see and sense the unease in their father. What would this day, this week, hold for their little lives.
As they drove off I prayed for them. I don't know what else I could do?
What do you do when your heart is broken by the pain of others? I'd love to hear your ideas and feedback.
Some years ago I wrote an article entitled 'Prayer, compassion and social change: Towards an understanding of prayer and spiritual activity as a praxis transformative of the individual and society'.
It's a mouthful, I know, but then what would the academy be if it is was not at least a little verbose! ha ha! The point of the article was to show how prayer and spiritual discipline are critical elements for individual and social transformation.
The following little quote reminded me that article:
Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.
- Mohandas Gandhi
Here's the abstract for the article:
This paper will argue that prayer and spiritual activity are not only effective means for transformation, but that they form a sound basis for all forms of personal and social transformation.
In order to develop this argument it is essential to start with a brief explanation of an emerging paradigm of reality. In brief, this paradigm bridges the gap that has been created between creation and redemption. The new paradigm no longer separates God’s ongoing work of creation from God’s activity of redemption. Understanding this notion forms an essential basis for investigating how and why prayer, compassion and contemplative activity are effective in bringing about transformation, in both the individual and in society.
This paper will show, that prayer or contemplative activity is an extremely important starting point for embarking on any form of transformation or social change. It will show that prayer puts one in touch with the source and goal of true transformation. Along with this, it will be argued that true transformation takes place physically and spiritually (since the two can not be separated). In the past great emphasis has been placed on mere physical action to bring about social change. This paper attempts to show that true transformation or social change requires some measure of spiritual activity and awareness in order to bring about meaningful and holistic changes to individuals and societies.
It is in this sense that prayer and spiritual activity act as transformative praxis of self and society.
It was quite an interesting article since I attempted to bring together elements of traditional spirituality (with a focus upon the discipline of prayer and Christian meditation) and tie it in with elements of quantum theory, consciousness studies, some sociology and integrative theory.
I'd love to hear your thoughts (if you do read it!) I have long since progressed to more subtle and intricate understandings of Wilber's thoughts on holarchy (of course Wilber has published a great deal in the past few years on this subject).
Please take a few minutes to watch this wonderful TED video featuring Mitchel Besser, a doctor who is doing extraordinary work in supporting some of the most vulnerable people, who undergo immense suffering, with a very simple and effective Mother2Mother HIV AIDS support system.
The title of this post may be shocking - indeed, I it is intended to be so! I believe that if one person suffers we all suffer. So, to understand my statement 'I am positive' please read these posts.
Today is World AIDS day. Today we remember that the Church has AIDS. We do not minister to people who are HIV positive, as if they were people outside of the body of Christ. Rather, we ask God to heal us, for all of us suffer from this disease.
Whether you are HIV+ or not, this disease reminds us that we shall all face death. It reminds us that we shall all be ill at some stage. It reminds us that we need one another to be strengthened and encouraged to face the reality of struggle. It reminds us that society can be cruel and that people can be judged for something that afflicts them. Most of all, this disease reminds us that we have a God who cares and longs to bring us healing and hope.
Prayer of invocation:
Loving God, you are our parent. You look upon us with mercy and compassion. You understand our weakness. Our suffering breaks your heart. Look upon us with love, grace, and compassion today. Father, you know the pain of losing your only son to death. Jesus, you know the pain of dying and leaving those whom you love behind. Spirit you are the giver and sustainer of life. With confidence we approach your throne of grace that there we may receive mercy.
Renew our spirits and draw our hearts, bodies, and minds close to yours. All of us are subject to the frailties of life. Strengthen us in our weakness, bring us wholeness in spite of disease. For those who live under the impending threat of death, offer them comfort and strength in the knowledge that death does not have the final victory and that in you there is true, eternal, and blissful life that lasts for eternity. For those who feel the pain of seeing a loved one die, fill them with courage through the power of your Spirit of life. Surround them with caring and loving people who will show to them the love that you want to give them in their time of need.
Help each of us to strengthen our resolve to obedience and service. Give us courage so that we would not shy away from facing our own frailty and pain. Move us to go to the places of death, like your beloved disciple John went to your cross, so that we may offer love and healing to those whom you love.
Let us delight in doing those acts of mercy that will bring healing and honour Your name.
Today we declare the faith that neither height, nor depth, neither life, nor death, neither angel, nor demon, nor anything in all creation can separate us from Your love. You are the creator God. You make a way where it seems none can be found, your bring forth living waters in the wilderness. We place our trust in You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN
A meditation to guide your prayers and actions today
Nosipho's story - no greater gift.
Nosipho is just thirteen years old - tonight she is lying awake next to her 8 year old brother and her 5 year old sister. Her father named her Nosipho when she was born. She remembers that tonight. Her name has a very special meaning. Nosipho was born to her proud parents, Mxolisi and Vuyisile, in a remote part of South Africa called northern Kwazulu Natal. There was no work there for Mxolisi so he went to the city to find work as a labourer working on the roads. Mxolisi wanted to live a good life and take care of his family as best as he could. So, he faithfully brought money back to his Vuyisile and Nosipho at every opportunity. He and Vuyisile were blessed with a son who they named Andile (meaning 'the family is growing'). They loved their children very much and had great dreams for their future.
However, with each year that passed it became more difficult for Mxolisi to be alone in the city. The months that Mxolisi and Vuyisile spent living apart took a toll upon their marriage and they would often disagree and argue. Once, when they argued, he told her that 'he had needs', 'like all men do'. And so, he decided to take a 'city wife', as many of his friends had done. Sadly, his city wife was HIV+, and so when Mxolisi returned home one December, himself HIV+ by this time, he gave Vuyisile another child, Thandi (which means 'nurturing love'), but, he also gave her the killer virus that would take both their lives.
Mxolisi and Vuyisile discovered that they were HIV+ in the year that Nosipho turned 8 years old. Andile was 5, and little Thandi was just 2. Thandi had already been infected with the virus her mother was carrying through the milk she drank from her mother?s breast. Sadly, both Mxolisi and Vuyisile died of AIDS within 3 years of discovering their status, Thandi, however, is still alive and now a little girl of 5.
Nosipho is a clever little girl. However, she hasn't been to school since her father died when she was 11 years old. By that stage her mother was already very ill and confined to bed, but at least then Andile and Thandi could stay with their mother while Nosipho begged for food and money at a traffic intersection on the edge of the township. She watched the other children going to school dressed in their smart school uniforms, with book bags that had pencils, paper, and no doubt some lunch to eat. She wished that she could be like them, but that would not happen - her mother eventually died as well.
Tonight as she lay in bed she was no longer a child, but a parent, overnight she had become a 13 year old head of a household of three. She knew that she had a much greater responsibility than other 13 year old children. Each day she has to get enough money from the cars and commuters that come whizzing by to feed her two siblings and herself. She has a small cardboard sign on which she has written in a child's handwriting 'No parents, no food, no work, 3 people to feed. Please help. God bless you'. She also needs to get a few rand extra every month to help pay for Andile's school fees. She wants him to stay in school and learn so that he doesn't have to suffer like his father did. She doesn't want him to suffer like she is suffering now. Whatever money she has left after she has paid his fees, when there is any, is given to the 'aunty' who looks after her sick sister, Thandi, while Andile is at school and she is begging at the traffic lights. She doesn't trust the aunty, she drinks, and she's sure that she hits Thandi. But, she has no option. It is too dangerous for Thandi to be with her at a busy traffic intersection.
There are other girls like Nosipho. In fact most of the child headed households in South Africa are headed by girls under the age of 15. Nosipho knows this because she meets some of them every Sunday at a little group for children like her that is held in the tin church near her shack. They sing songs, some kind ladies read stories to them from the Bible, and then they say prayers and get some food to eat. The church has also given her clothes and shoes for her and for her brother and sister. There is a lady from the government clinic who comes to visit their group once a month. She always asks Nosipho if she is safe, and asks if she and her brother and sister are getting enough to eat. You see, Thandi needs special medicine to keep her healthy, but she can only take her medicine if she eats properly, or else the medicine will make her sick instead of healthy. So on days when Nosipho does not get enough money, or food, to feed all three of them she lets Thandi eat first, so that she can take her medicine. Andile eats next, because he can't learn when his stomach is empty. Nosipho often lies awake at night hungry, but she knows that she is a 'gift' from her parents to Andile and Thandi ? that?s what her name means. Nosipho means 'a gift'. It?s the name her father gave her. She doesn't play anymore, she simply lives to be a gift to her brother and sister. Tonight she prayed to ask God to help her because a man has said he will give her R20 if she takes her clothes off and sleeps with him. She's praying because she is afraid. She has been told at church, and she has seen the posters, and heard the stories - Nosipho knows that's how little girls get sick and die ? but she needs the money. She wants to be a gift. She doesn't know what to do. Maybe God will do something to help her tomorrow? It is Sunday, she will ask one of the ladies to help her.
Reflection: Stories such as this are common in South Africa. In KwaZulu Natal the death rate is higher than the birth rate because of AIDS. Recent statistics from UNICEF have suggested that up to 50% of children are HIV+ and an increasing number of children are growing up without their parents. Children like Nosipho face a stark and dreary existence. They are robbed of their childhood and dignity in a quest to survive. Very often their only support comes from community organisations such as churches and civic groups. For most children the lack of access to food, or poor nutrition and feeding practises, coupled with infection, leads to their untimely death. Children who are born in rural areas who do not have 'bar-coded' South African Identity documents do not qualify for medical care, schooling, or any form of government grant. Sometimes the most basic of help, like helping children register for an ID Book, or offering children a daily meal, and seeing that they take their medication can mean the difference between life and death. Methodist Churches in Southern Africa train all of their ministers to offer support and care to persons who are infected and affected by HIV. It is a central part of their training for ministry. In the region of the world that has the highest rate of HIV infection it cannot be any different. The Gospel demands that we bring healing and transformation. Perhaps the work of the Church near Nosipho could keep her from turning to prostitution at the age of 13? All that is needed is a courageous group of caring people who will see her plight, understand what she needs, and help her to find it - food, shelter, and loving adult support. This is what Jesus would do.
[I wrote this story as a case study for a book that is in publication in the Cambridge Theological federation, UK. Please do not copy it without contacting me. I shall put you in touch with the publishers to get permission. Thank you.]
Silent reflection and prayer.
What do you feel? What do these feelings tell you about yourself?
What does this story tell you about the world, and others in the world?
What do you think God feels? What would God want you, or your Church, to do?
Knowing this, what do you need to pray to have the courage to do?
What will you do today? What will you plan to do tomorrow? What will you want to achieve by next year this time?
A benediction for today
Almighty God, by the power of your Holy Spirit open my eyes to see the world as You see it, my ears to hear the cries that You hear, my heart to have the courage to feel what You feel, and my life to be present to You and all those whom You love this day. Give me the courage to worship and serve you in faithfulness, to be a blessed and healing reminder of Your love to all whose lives I will touch. I offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
If you're looking for some facts on HIV / AIDS here are a few that may be of interest:
Have you ever taken time to consider the relationship between faith, economics, globalization and the suffering of people
?
Well, recently I did a post about the neurological causes of greed, and how these can be managed as a 'value transaction' in order to address some of the economic inequalities that we face across the world.
Let me show you a few basic analogous maps of the world to illustrate the economic inequalities that exist in the world.
First, here is a basic map of the world based on geographical land mass (i.e., this is the traditional manner in which maps are drawn - the area of each land mass is a represented equivalent of the actual land mass drawn to scale).
Now, take a look at this next map - this map is analogous of the world's wealth. In other words, the more wealth a nation has the larger it will appear on the map. Look how large North America and Europe are in relation to the rest of the world - it is also worth noting how rich Japan is on this map. Clearly, the world's wealth is concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is largely concentrated in the West. I shall, however, say something about the shifts that are taking place in the world's economy at a later stage.
Next, take a look at this map which analogous of poverty across the world. It is almost an inverse representation of the wealth map above - this map shows nations that are poorer as larger masses on the map.
Now, take a look at this map which shows HIV / AIDS infection across the world - it is interesting to note that 68% of all HIV+ people live in Southern Africa (that is 22.8 million out of the 33 million persons who are HIV+). I have just written a study on this for a new book on a Christian response to HIV / AIDS - it is shocking to see the prevelance of AIDS deaths in Africa. But please do take a look at the last map in this series.
This last map gives an analogous representation of where the world's Christian population lives. Isn't it sad to see that Christians live in most of the places where wealth, poverty and HIV / AIDS are significant problems? Clearly we have a few things to learn about money, God's economy, health care, reproductive care, women's rights, and sex!
OK, now I made mention of the fact that the world's wealth is concentrated predominantly in the North and the West - this is changing! Within the next 10 years the economies of the USA (North America), and most of Europe will show negative growth in some instances, and decline in others. The economies that are on the rise are China, India and Brazil (Australia is also a Southern Hemisphere economy that is growing at a significant rate). In other words, by 2020 we will see a completely different picture in global economic power! My advice is that you send your kids for a 'gap year' in China! As for me, I'm starting to study Mandarin!
Sadly, Africa's economy will only show marginal growth since it is crippled by the impact of AIDS, political instability, underdevelopment and international debt. However, if we play our cards carefully the continent could be the next economic powerhouse after China and India since we are one of the only continents on earth that still has natural resources!
So, here's the point - did you realise that if we spent just 10% (190bn US$) of the annual world budget for military expenditure (1235bn US$) we could BOTH restore the earth's natural resources (cleaning up our water, replanting trees, creating environmentally friendly and more sustainable energy source), AND meet the basic water, sanitation, education and health care needs of the whole world! Just 10%... You can read about that research from Brown 2008 (entitled Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to save civilization) here.
Christians make up more than 40% of the world's population - surely we could take up our responsibility to manage the 'household of God' (oikosnomos - economy) for the transformation of the world?
What do you think? How do we do it? What practical steps can you suggest to start making a difference within your sphere of influence... As I've been doing this research in recent weeks I've been praying one text consistently:
The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (Psalm 24.1 NIV)
If you're interested in an article / chapter that I have published on the subject of the environment and earthkeeping you can read
More red than green ? a response to global warming and the environment from within the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. Forster, DA in The Epworth Review - the Journal of Methodist ecclesiology and mission Vol 35, No 2 (2008). This paper was also published in
Forster DA, 'More red than Green', in What are we thinking? Reflections on Church and Society from Southern African Methodists. Forster, DA and Bentley, W. 2008. Methodist Publishing House, Cape Town. ISBN: 978-91988352-6. (2008:117ff. Chapter 7)
(This is not my area of expertise by the way, I am far more interested in justice and economics, but there was not much being written on this topic from our perspective so I took it upon myself to do some research in the area).
If you're interested in reading a chapter that I wrote on the Christian's response to Greed and Economics please see:
Upon the Lord's sermon on the mount - discourse 8 (a contemporary exposition of John Wesley's sermon on stewardship and the use of money from an African Liberation Theology perspective) in Shier Jones, A and Reisman, KD 44 Sermons to serve the present age (2007), London: Methodist Publishing house. ISBN: 97807162063
Oh, and if you're looking for my 'other' post on maps of the world please go here. This is the MOST clicked linked on my blog - isn't that amazing!?
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 7:47AM 
