From My Perspective - - -

It was reported that more than one-billion people were captivated by what was about to happen! What was it that had and held the attention of people across National and Cultural barriers? The world stopped and watched to see a spectacular rescue of 33 men trapped almost one-half mile under the earth’s surface for 70 days. The NBC News Service reported: “Chile's trapped miners were shuttled up a narrow escape shaft to freedom and joyous reunions on Wednesday in a meticulously planned rescue operation that ended the longest underground entrapment in human history. One after another, the miners climbed into a missile-like steel capsule barely wider than a man's shoulders and took a 15-minute journey through 2,000 feet of rock to the surface…All of the miners were freed Wednesday night in a rescue operation that advanced rapidly without hitches…The last miner out was Luis Alberto Urzua, 54, the shift foreman credited with helping the trapped miners endure 17 days in isolation before Chileans discovered the men had survived the mine collapse. We have done what the entire world was waiting for, he told Chilean President Sebastian Pinera immediately after his rescue. The 70 days that we fought so hard were not in vain. We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing…”

It’s strange how it takes an Actor with access to the President to remind the Nation and World of the tremendous and continuing need in Darfur. Where is Darfur? How did it come into existence? How large is it? Many do not know the answers – it just represents in the minds of those who care a place of need and suffering. Wikipedia indicates: “Most of the region is a semi-arid plain and thus insufficient for supporting a large and complex civilization...An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian Forces…During the mid-18th century the country was wracked by conflict between rival factions, and external war with Sennar and Wadai. In 1875, the weakened kingdom was destroyed by the Egyptians…” And the suffering and need continues to this day.

A Cable News Network is investigating financial matters regarding Haiti. “On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti and devastated the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Although the exact number was difficult to determine, reportedly more than 230,000 people were killed. The Presidential palace, Parliament and many other important structures were destroyed, along with countless homes and businesses, leaving many homeless.” More than one and one-half billion dollars was raised to provide relief for that impoverished nation – but where is it? What happened to that money? Why is it that so little has been done to provide relief for a very needy and suffering people?

The following email from a religious organization – written by Arklie Hooten - appeared today. “Growth is Possible- the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied" (Acts 12:24). It is amazing to watch ministry develop once a need is recognized, defined, people called, and resources committed…Growth is an awesome thing…Folks could just stay the same, with a static blandness, and that would be utterly normal, if it's all we knew. But we're made to grow, to blossom, to be transformed and to flourish. It's in our nature. That is how the Creator created us. It's the glorious thing about a believer's new nature…The Bible has a lot to say about it…especially the New Testament which is full with the theme of growth.God grows His people - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7; The seed sown in good soil grows - Mark 4:8, 20; The temple of God, the church, grows - Ephesians 2:21-22; The milk of the Word makes the Christian grow - 1 Peter 2:2; The church body grows - Ephesians 4:15-16 and Colossians 2:19; The faith and love of the saints grow, and they grow abundantly - 2 Thessalonians 1:3; The gospel grows…among all whom it transforms - Colossians 1:6.” The Foundation and Starting Point for any growth is found in the concluding instruction in II Peter 3:17-18, “…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” One should be guarded lest there is a response based upon the Fixation of the Moment.” Biblical-type response is a constant – not a fixation! Consider these things with me!