CALLING ALL PEACEMAKERS

NOTE: Back in December Rob Bell gave this absolutely outstanding message at Mars Hill. If you wish to download the message, it's from the Dec. 10 service - here. Below are some of the notes and figures that he talks about during his talk. I may be bias in "over hyping" this particular talk but I am pretty much unapologetic about getting information out about helping the under resourced and poverty stricken across the world. Or as Rob Bell would say, bringing peace to the world.

Rob Bell – Calling All Peacemakers, Pt. II

Luke 19:41-42 –

How are we weeping over the world like Jesus did over Jerusalem? Jesus is with us all times, so how would he seek to bring peace?

We are not fuzzy on the issues of justice from destruction and evil when it is raging out of control. For example, things like Sept. 11, terrorism and post-Hurricane Katrina rioting among many others.

With all appropriate measures …

* We Grieve
* We Honor/Respect
* We Condemn

A few numbers from the War in the Middle East:

(As of Dec. 10)
- 2903 America Soldiers have died in Iraq
- 21778 America’s have received injuries in Iraq
- About 50,000 Iraqis have died in the conflict but it could be much more

Numbers About Living in the World:

- 1.2 billion people live on $.23 a day
- In all about 2.5 billion live on less than $2 a day
- The wealthiest billion of world live on $70 a day (Americans are the upper, upper, upper million of the wealthiest)
- The combined wealth of the three wealthiest people in the world (who are all American) exceeds the Gross National Product (GNP) of the least under developed countries in the world combined (roughly 600 million people)
- 12 % of the world population uses 85% of the world’s water
- 40 % of the world lacks basic water sanitation (this is a very vicious cycle)
- 1 billion people are without safe drinking water
- Every 16 seconds someone dies from hunger
- 2 of 3 Americans are overweight
- The U.S. GNP is about 22% of the world capital while the U.S. population is about 6% of the entire world’s population
- 80% of the world lives in what is considered sub-standard living conditions (for example - flood zone, disease area)
-Average home size: Japan 1,000 square feet, Ireland – 930 squad foot, U.S.- 2349 square feet
- 2 billion people world wide have no electricity
- 1 billion people on the earth can’t sign their own name
- 1 % of the world owns a computer
- 1 % of world has college education
- About 22 million died from a preventable disease. In 2001 10 million were children
- 4 out of 5 American adults graduated from high school while 1 and 4 children worldwide have to work instead of school
- 8% of the world owns a car (a third of American families own at least three cars)
- The U.S. accounts for 25% of the world oils consumption while the U.S. only has 3% of the world’s reserves
- 1 in 16 moms died during the birth process in Africa while in America the number is 1 in 3700
- During “Black Friday” (the shopping day after Christmas in the U.S.), American’s spent about $9 billion in 2006. To have water sanitation in the world, it’s about $9 billion yearly.

“Can you see when American’s use the word democracy, the world hears the word – greed.”
- Rob Bell

“The U.S. can not win the war of terrorism unless we confront the social and political roots of poverty. No nation, no matter how powerful it is, will ever be safe until it has dealt with economic depression when it mingles with tyranny.” (i.e. the real war isn’t a war on terrorism, it is a war on poverty)
- Colin Powell

A study group of under developed countries came to American seeking help and here is what a government official said that has gone across to these countries –

“The American Lifestyle is not up for negotiation”
(certainly there is context but this is what these countries have heard)

This is not what God has in mind for His creation. The ultimate sign of respect might be to ask why and what can we do. How would God ask us to respond? As Christians our loyalty is first and foremost to the Kingdom of God and not American, Canada, France, etc. and when the Kingdom of God comes in conflict with man’s kingdom as a Christ-Follower we must follow God.

When we step outside of America and see what is going on, this can not be what God had in mind. Are we weeping and helping the world? American has taken care of itself long enough and it is time to help others on a daily (not a weekly, monthly, and annual) basis.

We are calling all peacemakers,
We are calling all peacemakers,
We are calling all peacemakers …