Doing nothing is not an option!

If you have been following my blog, you may have noticed in my past few postings that I have been trying to work out what the Christian response to suffering and injustice should be. Indeed as I have been reading the Bible I cannot shake the reality that God cares deeply for those who are in need and that it is expected that as one of his followers, that I be doing something to bring his grace to those who are hurting. I don’t think that our acting on issues of injustice, poverty or suffering is an option as a Christian. So what can we do? I know that this question can be pretty overwhelming as it seems like there is so much suffering and injustice in our world. However, I sat down the other night and in 20 minutes had a list of ideas that I think that most of us could do in our ordinary lives and would address the things that God cares about. I think that these might be a good place to start. Please take a look and let me know what you think. ~ Josh

Sponsor a child. Check out: www.worldvision.ca or www.compassion.ca

Be a big brother or big sister (or some other youth mentoring equivalent).  Check out: www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca

Each time you go grocery shopping, buy extra food to donate to the food bank.

Donate money to organizations that provide aid to countries that are war-torn or have been struck by natural disasters. Check out: www.worldvision.ca or www.redcross.ca

Write a letter to a prisoner. Check out: http://www.persecution.net/writeprisoner.htm

Make visiting a hospital or a nursing home a regular part of your week.

Visit those who are shut-in.

Volunteer in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.

Vote responsibly. Check out: www.elections.ca

Write your Member or Parliament about government policies that affect those who are vulnerable (both here in Canada and in other parts of the world).  Check out: http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

Be responsible with what you have. Perhaps you can make due with less and use the excess to help others? (e.g. Could someone else benefit from the money you were going to spend on a new cell phone?)

Be a wise consumer. Find out where your products are coming from and what the manufacturer’s labour practices are.

Buy a homeless person a sandwich and a drink. Talk with them.

Befriend an immigrant or refugee. Help them integrate into Canadian society. They will need help finding a place to live, filing paperwork, getting around town, etc.

Befriend that person that everyone tries to avoid (you know who I am talking about!).

Volunteer for a Habitat for Humanity build in your community. Check out: www.habitat.ca

Pray for God’s justice, mercy and freedom to come soon.