Tuesday 2 June 2009

Slumdog


Kim and I went to watch 'Slumdog Millionaire' yesterday and it was a great movie. Having spent a month travelling through India and staying in Mumbai itself, we had many memories come flooding back. This was not a 'Hollywood' representation of the poverty of the Indian slums and the poor castes - it is exactly like that. Things that we would consider 'scary' are just part of their everyday lives. Having just done the 5 day 'Beans and rice' challenge, I was moved by seeing the poverty of millions of people - this time on the Big screen. Life is a daily struggle for survival - every meal is eeked out and there are certainly never any guarentees! Seeing children as young as my boys left to their own devices - trying to find food and shelter - wow, it is a reality check.
It sheds new understanding on Jesus' whole focus of identifying with the poor. It also opens my eyes to Jesus' comments about how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God - the fact that it is probably easier to thred a camel through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom (you know that verse?!) The truth is "I am part of the 'rich' people He is referring too!" Yes, I am. I am so blessed and so I now need to live with a greater sense of responsibility - God has put me in this country, into my community, into my family for a reason. Lord, help me to honour this trust and to live a life worthy of the Kingdom.

Struggling to live out of this place of Grace,
D3LM3

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