The World

The First World.

Who came up with that anyways?

Like really, what are we trying to prove by calling ourselves "first"?

The first shall be last.

And don't I believe that, yet live the first world life everyday?

The first world really does have its problems. Real ones.

Like the fact that first world people might be the most spiritually dead people on the planet.

Or the fact that we might be spending and hoarding ourselves into our lonely, apathetic graves.

(Not to be harsh or anything.)

And here's the thing with charity.

Charity is trying to bring the first world into the third world, and I really don't think they want our problems. 

Yes, they do need some of our infrastructure. Yes, some of the first world - such as uncorrupt governments and better justice systems - needs to find its way into the third world.

But I think we need the third world brought into the first world just as much, if not more than, the other way around.

We need that faith. That faith that literally prays for daily bread.

We need that joy. That joy that has no wants, not because it has everything, but because Jesus is enough.

We need that community. That community that ditches the iStuff and the do-it-on-my-own mentality for the beauty of the Body of Christ - built up and in unity in the faith.

Here's what compassion is. Compassion means to suffer with. 

And maybe we need to stop charitably dumping the first world into the third world, and instead do compassion.

Suffer together with the third world. Pray together for daily bread. Rejoice together. Learn from each other.

Make it real. Bring the third world into our homes, make their problems ours, and suddenly there is no their problems.

Just our problems.

Together.

Suffering with.

And maybe it might all balance out - they'd learn how to create a more functioning society and we'd learn how to let go and live faith and joy.

I think Jesus would like that. I'd bet something beautiful would happen if we all ditched the first mentality.

Easier said than done.

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Bring some of the third world into your home: Sponsor a Child.