Change the picture ... change the world.

Matthew 6:2 "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."

United Nations World Humanitarian Day

"Chill! Relax! What's the harm in it?" I watched the video - a grand opulent celebration of self; an egocentric shout-out across the universe for self recognition and self glorification. "I was here" the mantra; "I was here" the doctrine; "I was here" the creed sung and viewed over 145 million times!

Truly, its heartbreaking.

"Look if it gets people excited, if it gets people involved and actually doing something good what's your problem?"

The problem is "only God is good." The problem is the total idolization of self. The problem is "good" is not good if it separates us from God. In 4 minutes and 34 seconds this video encapsulates the great lie of "good." Good is not our God.

Me-ism is a word I used rather flippantly more than a decade ago. I was trying to capture that self-indulgent, self-glorifying, self-absorbed consumerist, commercial, material, humanist etc etc etc bent of human nature in one phrase. I did not imagine that soon we would exist in a context where disaster, disease, despair or poverty would simply be the backdrop to my selfie. Me-ism distracts us from the call to Love.

"Leave something to remember, so they won't forget ... I was here."

I have seen the schools, hospitals, wells and latrines boarded up, broken  and empty in the poverty of East Africa. Our immortality is not found in bricks and mortar or rusting treasure. You can trace those decaying projects to the websites and Facebook pages of well meaning "western charities." You can see the smiling faces of the westerners gathered around their work; work found in ruins mere years later. Our call as Christians, Christ's command to Christians is more than mission tourism or bucket list activities. Our eternal destination is found in God alone.

God alone is immortal, eternal and infinite. God calls us to the foolishness of the selfless, self emptying, self sacrificing, self giving, other-loving way of the Cross. It is the paradox of the Cross - only by losing the mortal self do we find our eternal life; our increase is found only in our decrease.

Our Light is the Light of Christ. It shines to bring glory and honour to God.

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

Change the picture ... change the world.