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REWRTT I N G H I ST O RY-BrEtt

MAdTO
As the people of God we must us that the demonstration of love becomes bounds of our communiry our voice must
undetstand human beings as the climactic red when we lay down our life for anothet expand to project into all the world. W'e can
expression of God's creation. God $ohn 15:13). !7e express our love for never surrender ourselves to a life of ease
himself affirms this in the creation God in relationship with other people. simply because our own circumstances are
account of Genesis 1 when he refers to This understanding coupled with our defined by comfort and security. The people
the creation of humankind as "very good." understanding that a person's life consists of God must embrace the difficulty of
Therefore, in taking on the character of more than the breathing in and out of bearing the burden of a people whose lives
of God in our world we must strive to his lungs, but also the freedom to enjoy consist of more hardship than most of us
value the life of anothef person as more his existence beyond fighting to stay alive, could ever imagine.
precious than any other pursuit. should createin us a longing to improve the The risk is found in our response to this
Tension immediately arises when we well-being of those whose lives are defined burden as either a source of inspiration or
consider this mindset in the context of our primarily by lack. paralysis. It is our hope that the following
world. History has demonstrated to us the The possibility of taking on pages would only serve to sPur people into
lack of sanctitywe hold for the lives of other responsibility for a broken wodd is an service, and not any degree of despair.
human beings. On a large scde, military offense to the very individualistic tendencies Becoming avoice for the people of dre wodd
conflict teaches us of the tragedy that of our Westetn culture, wherein every vilro suffer infusticeinrolves a rzolitionalenfl?nce
results from the conflict of powers fighting family is responsible for nothing beyond into their pairl In ficg the most povzerfulvoice
to establish or maintain the well-being of their own well being. This mindset must be will be exernplifid not inwords, butin dre life of
their own nation at the expense of another. a personuilro ernbodiesdeecharacterof God In
Closer to home, God's people conflict with thir ooy, dre conterrtsof dris magaznewill nerzer
a nation that would rather give resources be dre product of a merely ioumalistic punuit
to finance the building of roads than to Radreqdresestodesarereflectionsof peoplewho
educate a child. Given these tensions that have drosen to dernonstae the giving sacdficial
undergird every system in our contemporary lorzeof Christ around drewodd Oruhope is not
world, underlying our every behavior must that fie follouring pageswould stir up a political
be sanctity for human life. revolution whereby we petition govemments to
What are the implications of such a reqpond to injustice Enarrcial and oganizational
sweeping responsibility? A vast majority of solutionssef,\reasmnporary solutions But drese
the population of our world experiences sories serveas an er<hortationfor God's people to
something less than life everyday. People alignwid-rdre heart of God in ushetmgjusticeand
awake every morning after t resdess nigbt of rigfrteousnessinto dre wodd erptessedParticulady
sleep only to search for the mysterious source in dre ethical treatrnent of our neiglrbor Real
of their next med. Others don't wake up. transformation wil b%ux uzhenwe recognizedrat
Everyday a mother hears gun shots and prays it is or-rtpersorl not $/hat we can givein dreway of
her son did not pull the trigger and was not on resources,$at Godis after
the other end. Sometimes she learns het prayer As Christians we must learn to think
was too late. Every night children walk dozens critically about both the issues of our world
of miles in search of a safe place to lay their transformed, however, when we begin to and our mofe recent attemPts to confront
head for some rest. Some never find this rest expand the concept of family beyond our these issues. We must aim to offer criticism
These and a thousand other circumstances own biological roots, and into the world that challenges the contempotary churcht
illustrate a chaotic element of our wodd. around us. lack of informed global undersanding. Such
How do we as the people of God While this desire for restoration becomes criticism serves to contribute to a dialogue
tespond? Is it enough for us to refrain from applicable In z vanety of wal'g one outlet that will result in taking intiative to responsibly
the behaviors that we understand contribute becomes available thto@ giving a voice to respond to global concerns.
to the decay of life? Is it enough to find people who have been stripped of the God- This is the heart behind Tbe Global
a safe role that contributes to the butlding given fteedom to be heard and have influence. VoiceMaga4ine. In a world where injustice
of our society? In a world chztactenzed by Spealdng on behalf of people who have often prevails, a voice becomes necessary to
negligence for that which does not direcdy been silenc.d by oppression in this world will display God's hope and desire for his people,
affect our well-being, we must offer a more educate othen conceming needs that deeply and, in doing so, rewrite history from the
powerfrrl dternative. concem our fu. If the people of God perspective of the least of these.
As the people of God in a developed become informed and educated conceming
society in which we experience the benefits the circumstancesof ourwodd, and arewilling Brett Madron is the editor of The Global Voice
of education, healthcare and an affluent to propedy respond in accordance with the Magaztne and residesit Antiocb, TN witb bis wfe
economy we have a responsibility to those character of Go{ then this voice can translate Michelle ahere he seraesas a stadentand internfor
people who suffer from the lack of these into something much more than words. Global OatreachDeaelopments Int'l and is inauted
basic resources. Furthermore, while it is reasonable fot into tbe ninistry's work in SoutheastAsia.
Why are we responsible? Jesus teaches our concerns to be found first within the
TheGlobalVoiceI Summer2009 | 3

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