Making a difference

At the moment I am reading Three Cups of Tea, the story of American mountaineer Greg Mortenson's mission to build schools in the poorest parts of Pakistan. After a failed attempt to summit K2 in 1993, Mortenson stumbled lost, confused and exhausted into a small village in the lee of the Baltoro glacier. The head man of the village took him into his home, placed him under his finest quilt, and nursed Mortenson back to health. Indebted to the village chief, Mortenson vowed to return and build a school where none had ever stood before.
The book traces the difficult process of raising American funds for schools in Islamic Pakistan, the cultural lessons Mortenson had to learn, and the freedom and hope the education can bring. Three Cups of Tea is an engaging read, and I am anticipating an interesting ending as the book was written post September 11.

It also led me to think about God's heart for the disadvantaged. Throughout the Bible, God's compassion is expressed in the protection of the vulnerable, particularly widows, orphans and aliens, that is, foreigners living amongst us (Exodus 22:22 ; Deuteronomy 24:20; James 1:27). As Christians, our love for our neighbours must include those near and far, those like us and those different. In the Shire we don't often see the front line of charity, such as extreme poverty, homelessness and refugees, but we must keep these on the agenda.

Loving Miranda is more than just sharing the gospel, it is extending God's loving heart to those around us. I'd love for us to keep this on the agenda.


34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’  (Matthew 25:34-40)