Today I had hoped the world's attention would be focused on the United Nations and the Millennium Development Goals (the MDGs). We are beyond the half way point in time and not nearly that close in terms of results in eradicating extreme poverty around the world by 2015. But today's media attention is focused, instead, on the Wall Street crisis.** I do not mean to be crass, but it seems to me that the Wall Street crisis is yet another high-class problem that pales in comparison to the millions of people around the world living in extreme poverty.
There was some irony when at this morning's Eucharist at St. Barnabas - Villas, NJ, we celebrated the Feast of St. Matthew - you know the tax collector who accepted Jesus' call to "follow me?" Trying to hold that in the tension between Wall Street and the MDGs, we simply sat in silence for a few minutes and then prayed for healing.
The reading from Philippians for this Sunday is an important reminder that our theology and our ethics cannot be separated. I hope that we can all remember this as we write to our law makers, vote in November, and accept the call to follow Jesus in acts of mercy and justice, daring to believe that one person's actions can, indeed, make a difference in the world.
**A Google news search found articles on the MDG summit at the UN from Uganda, China (x 2), Nigeria, and Ireland in the top 5; Australia, United States (x 3), United Kingdom make up the top 5 on Wall Street crisis. That, in and of itself, sums up the situation.
There was some irony when at this morning's Eucharist at St. Barnabas - Villas, NJ, we celebrated the Feast of St. Matthew - you know the tax collector who accepted Jesus' call to "follow me?" Trying to hold that in the tension between Wall Street and the MDGs, we simply sat in silence for a few minutes and then prayed for healing.
The reading from Philippians for this Sunday is an important reminder that our theology and our ethics cannot be separated. I hope that we can all remember this as we write to our law makers, vote in November, and accept the call to follow Jesus in acts of mercy and justice, daring to believe that one person's actions can, indeed, make a difference in the world.
**A Google news search found articles on the MDG summit at the UN from Uganda, China (x 2), Nigeria, and Ireland in the top 5; Australia, United States (x 3), United Kingdom make up the top 5 on Wall Street crisis. That, in and of itself, sums up the situation.
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