I posted a Facebook Status recently about the call from a number of quarters to reduce or eliminate foreign aid, to give the government more money to spend here in the UK, and therefore reduce the "cuts" which are causing so much pain. I was pretty vocal about why I think this is the wrong thing to do.

But of course, its not just about governments. In fact, leaving it just to the government is a denial of our responsibility in this stuff. Actually, its our lifestyle choices which impact the quality of life of many hundreds or thousands of people in the third world. If I choose to buy chocolate made by a company who imports cocoa beans grown on plantations which use traffiked child labour, then I am responsible for that Traffiking. I need to stand up and say "No, I don't want to be part of that".
Will it change things overnight? Of course not. But if everyone who is concerned by this sort of stuff takes a step then actually, it could change the world.
And even if it doesn't change things, its still the right thing to do. I was reading Isaiah 58 the other day -- which Jesus quotes in Matthew 25 - its clear that care for the poor, the disadvantaged, the oppressed is God's heart... and true faith, true worship of him always includes an element of care for all those around us. So, I'll do my bit, take my stand, and trust in him to take care of the bigger picture.
Will it change things overnight? Of course not. But if everyone who is concerned by this sort of stuff takes a step then actually, it could change the world.
And even if it doesn't change things, its still the right thing to do. I was reading Isaiah 58 the other day -- which Jesus quotes in Matthew 25 - its clear that care for the poor, the disadvantaged, the oppressed is God's heart... and true faith, true worship of him always includes an element of care for all those around us. So, I'll do my bit, take my stand, and trust in him to take care of the bigger picture.
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