It’s a new year. We’ve begun the journey that, in most places, is called 2016. As I look around the world I’m sometimes disheartened by some of the events taking place. Humanity seems bound and determined to destroy itself and has lost sight of the importance of our stewardship of the planet.
I remember when my daughter was young and recycling was being implemented in the city we lived in. She would raise a hue and cry every time I put something in the garbage bin that should have gone in the recycling or composting bins. One day, in a bit of frustration, I told her, “Listen, darlin’, I don’t care if the planet outlasts you as long as it outlasts me.” Back then I like to think I was more joking than in earnest. Today I know we need to take care of the world God gave us and we also need to take care of each other.
The Syrian refugee issue seems to be the crisis of the minute, but if you look around the world you’ll see other places and people that need support, too. There are still millions in refugee camps in North Africa. Here in North America there are still folks that live in substandard housing, don’t have clean, safe drinking water, and often don’t have enough food to eat or enough of the right kinds of food to eat.
Why not start this New Year off by committing to putting feet to your prayers? Put your money where your mouth is. Choose a charity that works hard to make life better for those most at risk or in need. Choose a charity that distributes the vast majority of the funds raised where they are needed, not to fundraising organizations or their own business infrastructure. Once you choose that charity, make a donation each month. Give them the cost of one coffee you buy each day, or the movies that you attend each month, or the junk food you really don’t need, but eat anyway. You won’t miss it. If we all did this all year, instead of once a year around Christmas, think of the good we could do, together, to make this world a better place.