I’m writing a short series entitled, Fight Poverty, this week. Here’s Part II: A Broken World and Part III: A Vision for Compassion and Redistribution.
These past couple years and especially recent months, my wife, Minhee and I have been challenged and convicted to do our part to stand against the injustices of poverty around the world. As I share this short series, we’ll reveal a small glimpse of our conviction and the vision that we have to work with fellow humans to eradicate extreme poverty around the world. We aspire to do a beta-launch of the non-profit in Spring 2008 and utilize our sabbatical during Summer 2008 to engage more deeply in this vision.
It’s a crazy vision and idea. Crazy enough that couple of the folks that I’ve shared this vision to expressed temptation to let go of everything in order to join in.
Some of you may laugh and be tempted to unsubscribe to this blog.
But no one should be laughing at what takes place every day around the world. You want to know what’s crazy? This is crazy:
Around the world, 27–30,000 children die every day.
That is equivalent to:
- 1 child dying every 3 seconds
- 20 children dying every minute
- A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring almost every week
- 10–11 million children dying every year
- Over 50 million children dying between 2000 and 2005
I’ll be sharing more statistics in the coming days that depict the broken, depraved, and painful world that we live in. Sadly, I am part of the problem if I’m not willing to be part of the solution. Check out the song and video below entitled, World on Fire, by Sarah McLachlan. I first saw this several years ago and it still both inspires and haunts me…
EUGENE CHO 
Eugene,
Thanks for this short but provocative post. I’m looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts!
That’s one of the smartest videos I’ve seen in a long time. Reminds me a bit of the Soul Asylum, “Runaway Train” video that highlighted missing kids.
Can’t wait to hear your ideas because you know…I’ll be looking for something to do in a year if the band thing doesn’t take off.
Good to read this. One of my favorite experiences at ATW several years ago was preaching off this video. If you look carefully at around 2:49, there’s a woman being highlighted for working 2 jobs a week to send her kids to school, etc. The door of her home has Psalm 118:5-11 tagged on it – which blew me away when I read it as I realized how little I understand the meaning of its words:
5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and he answered by setting me free.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
It really challenged me to understand what being set free really means and that it really is better to seek refuge from the Lord instead of “man” and “princes”. It will be exciting to watch your work unfold. BTW, check out http://defeatpoverty.com/ to read one of the sharpest / creative minds I know personally on the topic of ending extreme poverty.
I can’t explain how excited and encouraged your and Minhee’s vision makes me….welcome to the beginnings of the insanity involved in starting a nonprofit, you’re going to love it!
starting a church and a non-profit cafe in the past few years have certainly had its challenges and blessings. i’m looking forward to this journey as well.
Go Eugene Go! Go Minhee Go!
Eugene…Not knowing how far you are in your planning but it would be great to hear some of your plans with the non-profit while posting your thoughts on poverty.
Nice Eugene,
it’s quite interesting but I’m doing the same thing 🙂
It’s good to see the church responding to these issues.
Shalom
Rex: kinda in the plans right now. The big picture is in place but working out the details. Will share the big picture here but can’t share the details until we wrap up our meetings with lawyers, file documentation, etc.
That’s very sad that people are hungry in some parts of the world and nobody cares about it.
Hey PE,
Still reading the rest of the series – just wanted to point out that the link at the top of part 1 that supposed to point to part 2 actually points back to part 1… just wanted to let you know in case you wanted other readers to have easier navigation.
i’m not gonna lie, i cried watching this video.
-darwin
Good for you – thanks for this post, and you’ve got my full support.
I’ve been writing a series on poverty in Kenya recently. I’ve got one more post still to go, focusing on how we can do something to help. Little things, which can make a big difference.
Great video.
As we speak the conference of G8 nations are meeting in Japan. I think they need to see this video. Then again Bono and his crew of humanitarians have been beating down these doors for a long time, and a video like this is still being made.
When we ever learn.
God Speed