The Hole in Our Gospel

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

I’ve recently been reading a book called The Hole in Our Gospel, written by the president of World Vision.  This book has been one of the most challenging, but affirming books I have read in a long time.

The “hole” in the gospel Richard Stearns is referring to, is the fact that we overlook the numerous passages in the Bible that command us to take care of the orphans, widows, and the oppressed.  In America, we tend to overlook it because it is not that visible.  You are not faced with true poverty.  However, living in Ethiopia, it is a reality that I see, and it burdens my heart.

I visited a ministry the other day that helps 85 girls in the city who have been affected by AIDS/HIV.  All of the girls that this ministry helps have either lost a parent or both parents to AIDS.  As I was reading the pamphlet that the ministry uses to inform people about their mission, I read that over 6 million children in Ethiopia are orphaned and something like 720, 000 of them are orphaned because of AIDS/HIV.

Over the past few months, my heart has been conflicted.  I want to somehow look after the orphans and widows, but what am I to do?  The need is so vast.  This book has echoed the cries of my heart, and attempted to answer some of the questions that are most dear to the surface of what I feel.  I’m not sure what God’s plan is for me to address these needs.  However, what I do know is that I’m willing.  I want to be sensitive to the Spirit, and I want to be obedient in everything He is calling me to do.

I can’t deny the fact that I am exactly where I am supposed to be for this time.  God called me to Ethiopia, and specifically Bingham Academy.  I plan to serve Him here faithfully until He leads me elsewhere.  Who knows how far the influence I have on my students will reach?  Only God knows. 

But He has also called me, through scripture, to look after the orphans and widows in their distress.  Since I have been here, I have prayerfully sought out God’s guidance on how I can serve people here in Ethiopia outside of my ministry at Bingham.  There are so many wonderful ministries to get involved in here in the city.  However, I was not being led in any direction until just a few months ago. 

God orchestrated an opportunity for some other teachers and me to teach English to 19 girls living in an orphanage who were at one time living in the streets of Addis.  Every Thursday, three other teachers and I go to teach them conversational English.  We truly enjoy it, and it feels good to use both my ESOL background and my talents as a teacher to invest in these girls lives.

At the core of my heart, I believe that God has created us all with gifts, talents, and passions.  To experience life to the fullest, I believe we are meant to use those gifts, talents, and passions to glorify God and serve others.  There are so many “good” things we could do to help others around us, but the initiatives that will have the most impact are those that are God appointed.  I encourage everyone to seek out how God would like to use you to care for those who are orphaned, widowed, oppressed or downtrodden.  What He has for you is going to be different than what He has for me; it will be something designed especially for you.