accion de gracias

Every couple of weeks here in Nicaragua there is this international roundtable of folks working in cross-cultural ministry and development who get together to rub shoulders, encourage one another, and take on a particular topic. Last week the topic was short-term teams, and part of the discussion turned to the impact that these kinds of short overseas experiences really have in the long term on participant's lives.

Some things I hear a lot here, and that I am sure I said at one time myself following some initial intense exposure to poverty is, "Wow, they are so poor, but they seem so happy." And/or, "I really should be more grateful for the things I have." Both perfectly reasonable responses...which I do not want to degrade or minimize in any way as first steps in the journey of recognizing the true global situation in which we live--where just the very hecho of being born in the USA gives you a better quality of life than 90+% of the world's population.

BUT, I want to say that while initially these 2 statements seem fine, I believe if people who witness the suffering of others never move past those observations to ask themselves some deeper questions like, "why ARE these people poor?", "on what basis do they maintain their happiness?", "does the fact that they manage to present a smile and joyous hospitality minimize the gravity of the injustices and harship that characterize their daily lives?", "does their ability to be happy reduce my responsibility to help change these kinds of situations in the world?"....

Thus, in this season of thanksgiving, I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage all of us--myself included--to not just be grateful for what we have--but to DO something--to take action--to alleviate the suffering of someone close to us. Maybe the problems of Nicaragua, or Africa, or Indonesia, are too big and too far away for you to even begin to contemplate a response. But you all have a neighbor, a friend, a coworker, a family member, someone for whom your thanksgiving could take concrete form, and make a real difference.

Change has to start somewhere.