Friday, November 23, 2007

then just when we belive we could be great, reality it permeates

for 10 minutes at the beginning of every english class, we do a journal entry. carmen (the prof) usually puts a quote on the board for us to reflect on in our writing, but on wednesday she handed out a paper instead. this is what was on it:


the miniature earth

if we could turn the population of the earth into a small community of 100 people, keeping the same proportions we have today, it would be something like this:

61 asians
12 europeans
14 americans (from north and south america)
13 africans
1 australian (oceania)

50 women
50 men

10 are homosexuals

33 are christian (catholics, protestants and orthodox)
18 are muslims
16 are hindus
16 are non-religious
6 are buddhists
11 practice other religions

41 live without basic sanitation
16 live without an improved water source

6 people own 59% of the entire wealth of the community

13 are hungry or malnourished
14 can't read
only 7 are educated at a secondary level
only 8 have a computer
only 4 have internet connection

1 adult, aged 15-49 has HIV/AIDS

of the village's total annual expenditures of just over $3,000,000 (US) per year, $181,000 is spent on weapons and warfare...
$159,000 is spent on education...
$132,000 is spent on health care.

if you keep your food in a refrigerator and your clothes in a closet
if you have a roof over your head and have a bed to sleep in
you are richer than 75% of the entire world population

if you have a bank account, you're one of the 30 wealthiest people in the world

25 struggle to live on $1.00 per day or less...
47 struggle to live on $2.00 per day or less...

work with passion
love without needing to be loved
appreciate what you have
and do your best for a better world.


some of the statistics were pretty amazing to think about, but what really hit hard were the last few lines. they speak huge amounts of truth about how we need to live and what each person really wants to be, whether they achieve it or not.

thoughts?

5 comments:

kristen said...

i like the ending too. :) and those are pretty astounding statistics.

i think it's hard to love without being loved.

.justin said...

Brandi Carlile - Turpentine

isn't it great how we listen to the same music so that i know all of the song lyrics that you do?!

man... what an awesome connection!



those stats are crazy. they take my mind so much energy to wrap itself around. i've seen these before, and it's a good reminder. a good reminder that MY anglo-american view of "the true" Jesus probably isn't really "true"!

it's very humbling.

especially when i think i've got it all figured out in my little bleep on the radar town of shelton.

GOD is HUGE!

bailee.b said...

love the stats.
have been struggling with the thought that as an american living in the US it is beyond possible to live your life without any thought or concern to anyone outside the US (or even your community). it's frightening to know that many are content without such knowledge. and further, as a Christian, it is my duty to do more than think about others outside of this country but to love, connect, and share the good news of Jesus with them. i am blessed to have all the necessities and luxuries i do, yet, how can i justify living my life in that way; with such nonchalant wealth?

becky said...

i read a quote one time about what it means to really begin to love...it really stuck with me. of course i can't quite remember it, but to paraphrase, it was about when we really love someone, we love what they are, not what they will be, and we shouldn't let the motives of our love be the change and benefit it could give another. ( i wish i could remember the blasted quote, it was much more profound than i just made it sound...) anyways, yeah, to love without needing to be loved. not something many of us christians are about...but i'm pretty sure that's exactly what Jesus was all about.
anyways...

Molly said...

I still have that handout. I remember it blew my mind the first time.