Hidden Costs
People are good at hiding from themselves the true cost of anything they really want to do.
If I want a new car, my actual reason might be as basic as the fact that Spring has infected me with new car fever. How can I justify such a purchase? Hiding certain costs from myself will help. I can ignore the increased cost of insurance, the impact of a car payment on my budget, the cost of having to worry about scratches and dents, and the cost of lost freedom that debt always brings.
Or take low prices for example. We all love them, which is why we shop at the big box stores that deliver cheap shirts and cheaper TVs. But is there a hidden cost behind low prices? If low prices require a child labor force in Malaysia or environmental catastrophe in China, or if they produce a growing underclass of low-wage workers here in America that need government help to survive, we had better count the cost up front and be ready to pay the whole thing.
What about war? It’s too easy to hide the costs of war. That’s why I appreciate an online display I found recently called Faces of the Dead. It’s simply a creative display of the photos of every U. S. service member killed in Iraq, from Jay T. Aubin on March 21, 2003 to David Stelmat on March 22, 2008. These 4,000 men and women are only part of the cost – which includes civilians, families, businesses, hopes, dreams and billions of dollars – but let’s never allow these people to be hidden.
Perhaps the essence of sin is to hide the real costs of our actions and focus on short-term pleasure or profit. If David could have seen from his rooftop the awful cost of his sin, would he have sent for Bathsheba? If Judas had known the personal price he would pay, would thirty pieces of silver have seemed like such a good bargain?
If you and I would simply take a little time and sift out the hidden costs behind our cherished sins, would we choose to live differently?
Jesus doesn’t want anyone to follow him on false pretenses. He doesn’t hide costs. He puts them out front: “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple”, he says in Luke 14:33. Jesus never says that discipleship will be cheap. He says that it will be worth it.
For the April 2008 MHCC newsletter – 3.25.8
Sermon: If you have two coats…
If you have two coats…
11.18.7
How you can lend to the poor (soon)
Let me make it clear at the outset that I haven’t personally tried the site described below, but it sounds great.
One of the more interesting and practical ways to assist the working poor around the world is via “micro loans” - small loans of as little as $25 to people (mostly in the developing world) who want to start small businesses. Kiva.org seems to be a well-thought-out way to do this. Kiva connects you to a specific business person (pre-screened) who needs a small amount (by our standards) of money to empower him/herself to escape poverty. The idea has been around for awhile, but Kiva masterfully handles the details.
I first heard of Kiva this week on Signal vs. Noise, but they’ve apparently gotten so much recent publicity from Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton that every pre-screened businessperson has been funded - for now. They promise more soon. In the meantime, you can donate to fund Kiva’s operating expenses (which are monetized separately from the loan money so that 100% of your loan goes to the intended businessperson). Cool idea.
Sermon: Luxury, poverty and judgment in Revelation
Series: Luxury, Poverty and the Kingdom of God
Sermon 8 of 8 - 7.15.7: Luxury, poverty and judgment in Revelation
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Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)
Sermon: Acts of mercy, letters of love
Series: Luxury, Poverty and the Kingdom of God
Sermon 7 of 8 - 7.8.7: Acts of mercy, letters of love. Poverty and justice in Acts and the Epistles. Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)
Ghosts of Cité Soleil
I just read about a documentary from Haiti called Ghosts of Cité Soleil, an account of the lives of two brothers and gang leaders in “the most dangerous place on earth” and the poorest part of the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Ghosts is dated 2006 but seems to be heading for release in the UK (and hopefully the US) in July. On our missions trips to Haiti, we caught glimpses of Cité Soleil as we drove through Port au Prince, but for the most part, our Haitian experiences were in the countryside.
Check out Ghosts at Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.
Sermon: Jesus and justice
Series: Luxury, Poverty and the Kingdom of God
Sermon 6 of 8 - 6.24.7: Jesus and Justice. Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)
Shane Claiborne’s The Simple Way burns
A fire today has destroyed The Simple Way home that Shane Claiborne writes about in his book The Irresistible Revolution. Many other neighborhood homes have been destroyed as well. Visit The Simple Way website to learn more and even to donate to a relief fund. Via Relevant.
Sermon: Luxury, poverty and the Prophets
Series: Luxury, Poverty and the Kingdom of God
Sermon 5 of 8 - 6.10.7: Luxury, poverty and prophets. Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)
Sermon: God’s Law and the poor
Series: Luxury, Poverty and the Kingdom of God
Sermon 4 of 8 - 6.3.7: God’s Law and the poor. Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)
