Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."
~ Hebrews 13:5, NLT
Interesting that this is the daily verse that was sent to me today. Money is such an uplifting and depressing conversation at the same time. A lot can be done with well intentioned money, but a lot of power, and at times abuse of that power, can also come along with it.
It seems to me that people feel that they never have enough, even as I watch so much of it be squandered away by all of us. One idea that I have been confronted with again this summer is how much money I do waste, even on my limited borrowed budget, in comparison to the majority of the world. While I'll readily admit that I am well provided for, it has come to my attention lately how much $30 could provide for an individual living in extreme poverty.
For one of my summer classes, we read the book The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs, an international economic advisor and a well-known academic in his field. While Sachs intentions are well-placed, I couldn't help but walk away from the book dismayed that so many individuals believe that transporting our economic model to "poor" countries will benefit them. Especially in light of how our economic model has been negatively impacting our long-term health, the environment, and increasing financial disparity within our own country. It's in moments like these that I wonder why our Western model of living is still seen as surpassing that of a traditional model found in many of these impoverished countries. Isn't there a better way to endorse their culture and help ease them toward a less impoverished existence without trying to impose our "needed" technological and economic advances onto them?
While I'm sure my viewpoint is far off in its own world, it dismays me that my view is so foreign to most involved in this discussion. So for now, I'll do what I can in my own individual life, trying to minimize the negative impact I have on the world in the hopes that a smaller burden may fall on the shoulders of those who suffer the most by our guilty choices.
Although I do hope for an end to global poverty......
3 comments:
I'm with you, there has to be a better way, though how to get that across is a mystery to me. If I think about global poverty to much it almost leaves me incapable of doing anything but weep. Have you read "Confessions of an Economic Hitman"? It's a great book in that it puts to light how often technological advances are only used to enslave a people...
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I'm poppong over here from Green Bean's blog. I like what you are struggling with here. I wouldn't want to tell someone that they shouldn't own a car or other things they have aspired to that would make their life easier, but you are right, exporting our lifestyle isn't necessarily the route to go either. Tough problem to think through. I guess I hope we will become less materialistic and meet them in the middle somewhere as their lives improve.
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