See their faces

Earlier today, I was complaining about the expensive gas I have to pay in Berkeley to fill up our itty bitty car. $4.58 for a gallon of unleaded, and this is at a rather shady looking station where I would never visit. Crazy.

Last night, I received an email from a friend in church telling me about a recent mission trip to China, taken by a team that visited the earthquaked-devastated areas of Chengdu. The photos that they sent back to us -- such staggering destruction. School buildings, apartment complexes, market places, concrete streets, mountainsides -- massive, massive structures that have been razed to their foundations or swallowed underneath the ground. I cannot believe what life must be like for the survivors right now. The people who are still alive are not really because they all have that haunted look about them. Reading about their stories, one wonders why the News bothers to say anything at all. Just look at their faces.

Consider also the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Emergency food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter, warm clothing -- these are basic necessities that they are struggling to receive. Can we expect anything less for ourselves? How can we ignore their needs right now? Look on our t.v. screens, listen to our radio stations, surf our online news sites... Do you see what you need to see? Give and give generously.