Last spring I found out, through a recent study, that I was living in a city with the highest poverty rate in the nation(49.7%). It was surprising news. Almost half of the people living here are at or below the poverty line? I knew things in Y-town were pretty lack luster, but a casual drive around the city could have told me(or anyone else) that. Maybe I was surprised because I was so caught up in my life that I was left oblivious to the depravity surrounding me.
That is not okay, and it is certainly not all right.
The World Race is a fantastic and huge adventure, and it might be comfortable to camp out on that idea. If we rest there, we’re missing the fact that the World Race is also a means of addressing devastating global problems. I did some searching on the internet. Allow me to share just a taste of what I found. I’m not going to ask you to cue up a Sarah McLachlan tune, but please—please–take these numbers seriously, as they are so much more than numbers. This is global reality, the tip of the quantitative iceberg of the world’s brokenness (I left off the sources for the sake of space, but will be happy to share my references upon request.)
1 billion—children living in Poverty.
161 – Countries identified as affected by human trafficking.
640 million—kids living without adequate shelter (1 in 3).
22,000—children who die each day due to poverty.
1 in 3—People living on less than $1 a day.
Over 660 million— Men, women, and children living without sanitation.
400 million—Children with no access to safe water (1 in 5).
27 million – Number of people in modern-day slaveryacross the world.
1 million – sons and daughters—exploited by the global commercial sex trade, every year.
70% – Percent of female victims who are trafficked into the commercial sex industry.
2 in 3—Peoplesurviving on less than $2 a day.
32 billion – Total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry.
Take a deep breathe, another if you need it, and let this information sink in. My heart behind sharing this information with you is not to overwhelm you with anxiety, but to give you an honest glimpse at the ocean of despair and affliction the world is covered in. This is real. It is but a drop of the sin Christ gave everything to reconcile. If the numbers seem too big, and it all seems overwhelming then maybe we’re finally coming to the realization these are not problems man can mend. It’s not going to take more time and more hard work. It is going to take Jesus, and only Jesus. Our Savior is bigger than each of these problems. Take a moment right now, and pray for the things listed above, pray that the Lord would share His heart for the lost and broken with us.
The Spirit of the One who has overcome the world lives in us–we are not alone. This is why we go, to our families, to our jobs, to our neighborhoods, to our cities, to the nations, to the lost, to the broken. Let us know that the depth of sin is real, but go with the boldness that the enemy has been delivered into our hands, and the faith to live it out.
