Do We Live Or Just Preach Faith?

I really have been wondering about this as I have followed the path of Hurricanes Gustave and Ike and then watched the stock markets crash all over the world this morning.  Yet of the numerous Christian blogs I have followed over the weekend only one has had a post with a prayer and a thought for those whose lives have been devastated by these tragedies.  I feel that most of my blogging friends are living in a glass shell where the world and all that happens in it does not really exist. Of course most of those in the Houston area that normally blog at this time are still off line so maybe that explains it but surely for all of us these tragedies should be at the forefront of our minds.

My heart so aches for those whose lives will never be the same after this last week and I know that God’s heart aches too yet it seems to me that either we don’t care or we else we don’t know how to express our caring and concern.  And I don’t just think we need just to be talking about it we should be helping each other find ways to respond too.   Of course there are so many response organizations out there that it is hard to know where to start .  And many churches are organizing their own response teams – after Katrina the churches were actually the best responders even though they were not well organized.  Since that time a huge network of churches throughout the US have developed disaster preparedness strategies.  Anyway here are some of organizations I would recommend if you don’t know what to do.

If you like to work with a small organization that is having a big impact I recommend Hope Force International They don’t just respond to disasters they also prepare people to work in disaster situations. They also work closely with the Salvation Army

Of course most major denominations have their own relief and development arm.  Here are a few

Church World Services,

Episcopal Releif and Development

Catholic Relief Services

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

United Church of Canada

The Christian reformed World relief Committee

Many of the larger relief and development organizations like World Vision, World Relief and World Concern are also responding.  So lets all get out there and get involved and then blog about what we are doing to challenge others to get involved too.