Giving Up Our Sense Of Entitlement For Lent

Photo from the Mennonite Central Committee website, 
where regular contributions can be made to help relieve 
world hunger.

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion--how can God's love be in that person?         - I John 3:17 (NLT)

In an age of increased global awareness, who are our sisters and brothers? Or as someone once asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

These are pressing questions in light of the unimaginable kinds of suffering millions being experienced in places like Turkey, Syria, Ukraine and in drought stricken parts of Africa. 

Buried in a "Digest" section on page 7 of the February 23, 2023, edition of the Washington Post are the following paragraphs from an Associated Press, "Drought trends said to be worse than in 2011":

The IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center said below average rainfall is expected in the rainy season over the next three months.

This could be the sixth failed consecutive rainfall season in the region that includesSomalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, the center said.

The drought, the longest on record in Somalia, has lasted almost three years, and tens of thousands of people are said to have died. More than a million people have been displaced in Somalia alone, according to the United Nations.

Last month, the U.N. resident coordinator in Somalia warned that excess deaths in Somalia will "almost certainly" surpass those of the famine declared in 2011. Close to 23 million people are thought to be highly food insecure in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, according to a food security working group chaired by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Already, 11 million livestock that are essential to many families' health and wealth have died, Wednesday's statement said. 

Many affected in the region are farmers.

All of us who profess to be pro-life need to demonstrate a willingness to make major lifestyle changes to help our fellow human beings in situations like these. Claiming a sense of entitlement to a life of privilege in the face of this kind of crisis is no longer acceptable. 

Here are some welcome changes we can make for Lent and for life:

1) We can and practice giving extravagantly and joyfully.

2) We can drastically reduce our overconsumption of products and services designed simply for our comfort and convenience. 

3) We can reduce the use of fossil fuels that contribute to pollution and climate change.

4) We can urge our nation to stop adding billions to a "defense budget" capable of killing ever more people while people are dying from lack of food and shelter.

What better time than Lent to engage in practices that promote life and well being for all?