The Boroughs Family

The Boroughs Family

Friday, July 4, 2008

Red Letters

So, I received my free books and read the first one, Red Letters-Living a Faith that bleeds. Just the full title will make some uncomfortable, and really that's the point. The author intends to prick your heart and make you aware of some pretty unpleasant realities about the HIV pandemic, because the whole idea is to get the reader to respond. As Christians we are called to more than warming a space on a pew on Sunday mornings, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. One day we will face our savior, and we will be accountable for what we did/failed to do in response to the horrible injustices around us. The author, Tom Davis, ends the book by giving us some very simple, pretty painless ways to begin to respond to the HIV crisis.
While reading this book, I was reminded of Kay Warren, who spoke at an orphan care conference that I attended in May(Christian Alliance for Orphans). She spoke about being "fully surrendered" to the Lord, which means opening yourself up to caring about the things that are closest to His heart. Once we are surrendered, we are then able to become "seriously disturbed" by the injustices around us (such as HIV, extreme poverty, orphans...). We then become "gloriously ruined" for Him and for those issues at the very heart of our heavenly father. Have you been "gloriously ruined" for a cause of the Father's?