It’s hard to believe Christmas is less than two weeks away. I love this time of year, but it always seems there’s so much to do and so little time: putting up the tree, getting out the decorations, shopping for gifts for friends and family. It can be a bit overwhelming at times. And while I truly enjoy the spirit of the holiday season and at the risk of sounding like Ebeneezer Scrooge, something inside of me has always railed at the rampant materialism that attends the Christmas season. It’s pretty nauseating, actually. Call me Linus, I guess. All this to say we still join the masses in buying and exchanging our fair share of gifts. But this season, our family has decided to also use our means to make a difference in the lives of some truly less fortunate individuals.

A few weeks ago, at a youth workers convention, I was reintroduced to an organization called World Vision, “an international Christian relief and development organisation working to promote the well-being of all people, especially of children.” The aim of World Vision is to partner with Christians around the globe “in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice, and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.” Established in 1950 as an organization committed to caring for Asian orphans, World Vision has evolved into an entity committed to global advocacy and community development. From their website, World Vision claims six core values that guide and dictate their activity in the world:

*We are Christians
*We are committed to the poor
*We value people
*We are stewards
*We are partners
*We are responsive

Along with many other organizations, World Vision has become an important presence in Africa. Thankfully, the world is slowly coming to an understanding of the critical mass level of poverty and disease this continent is experiencing. The AIDS pandemic alone threatens to destroy life for millions of Africans. An estimated 6,000 children are orphaned each day because of HIV / AIDS. Countless more are dying because they lack clean water. One in every two Africans does not have a source of safe water — compared to the average American who uses 170 gallons of water each day. Tonight, 799 million people worldwide will go to bed hungry. An estimated 150 million children live with no shelter on the world’s streets. With such sobering and staggering statistics, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So much to do, so little that I have to share.

And yet…there is hope.

It is time for the bride of Christ to open her eyes to the devastation our brothers and sisters are experiencing.

It is time for us to use our means to meet the physical needs of our fellow man.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

In recent months, our world has banded together to assist the victims of hurricanes, tsunamis, mudslides & earthquakes. The outpouring of financial assistance has been unprecedented. Others have sacrificed their time & energy to help their fellow man. We have an incredible capacity for compassion. And thanks to the work of the ONE Campaign and Live Aid, many of us are becoming more aware of the needs of our world. But we can do more.

– For as little as $30 a month, you can provide a child with clean water, nutritious food, health care, educational opportunities and spiritual nourishment.

– For $35 a month, you can sponsor a Hope Child – a child orphaned by the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

– For $40 a month, you can sponsor an entire family, providing clean water, food, health care, good housing, loans & tools for starting a family business, educational opportunities, etc.

– A one-time donation of $30 provides health care for a child.

– A $75 donation provides counseling & educational support for a vulnerable child.

– A $20 donation provides blankets for poor, impoverished children.

There are so many other ways to give — these are just some suggestions that our family is considering. Others will be able to do less; no doubt, others can do much more. The truth of the matter is that I can’t do much about 799 million who are hungry. I can’t do much about 6,000 who are orphaned every day. But I can make a difference to one. And one by one, we can build a better tomorrow for people around the globe.

We have been blessed with so much. Why not make this season a blessing to some people who are truly less fortunate? Follow this link to World Vision if you’d like some more information. Or find another way to give and bring hope to the hopeless. The bottom line: Let’s make this a true season of hope for our brothers & sisters around the globe.

If not us, who?

If not now, when?