There are many posts today on Poverty for Blog Action Day. My brother wrote this after his time in South Africa.
To say there is an open heaven over South Africa in many ways is an understatement. Compared to oz it is so refreshing to be in a nation where being a Christian is not seen as the exception but the norm. I've done some reflecting over the past few days about why Australia is so closed to the things of God and I believe a major influence is that ozzies don't need a saviour. In SA the vast majority live in poverty and the rich live in daily reality of home invasion and the potential of death. I didn't see people living in fear rather with a sober reality of life and death that causes a dependence on God at both levels. The South Africans impressed me as a strong people with a healthy outlook on both life and death. In Oz people tend toward the belief that I can make it on my own, life is good so why do I need a saviour? It's a sad indictment that the things that make our nation great are the exact same things that keep us from God.
What is interesting is that as we wrestle with the current economic climate, the world has the resources to solve the poverty issues and the resources are there to solve the spiritual poverty, and may be if we changed our lifestyle to be less focused on our comfort and opulence, may be able to find God a whole lot more easily!
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