choice

What makes me different from the majority of the world's population? No, it is not my mad guitar chops, natty dress sense, nor my sweet librarian skills, though those things are all pretty amazing. In the last year it has dawned on me exactly what it is that makes me different. It's the fact that I have more choice than others. We take for granted the amount of choice we have here in affluent, spoiled North America when elsewhere in the world people have so little. And I, among said affluent, spoiled, white North Americans, have more choice than almost anyone by virtue of my education and family situation. Based on a worldwide standard, I am fabulously wealthy and financially secure (though Canadian financial experts would probably disagree based on the fact that I do not own property). The question is: what am I going to do with it? I want to use my choice to give the disaffected, the oppressed, and those without hope, choice in their lives. Whether that involves my time, my emotional resources, or my financial resources, I believe that it's my prerogative as a Christian to use my wealth, in all its forms, to help bring reconciliation to brokenness and to improve the lives of others in whatever way that God sees fit. A person robbed of choice is essentially robbed of everything--imagine being unable to even make a basic decision to improve your situation! For millions and millions, that is their daily reality and not just people elsewhere, but right here in Canada, in Victoria. I had never thought about choice and how it related to my life until relatively recently, but these thoughts are transforming my outlook and my faith. If the Christian gospel isn't a social gospel, then what is it?

* I want to thank Tim Bailey for his inspiration for this post and for constantly challenging me in my faith--most of the above is based on his thinking and teaching.