Being Informed

The link goes to a TED presentation on health and wealth in the world in the last 40 years. I cannot stress enough how amazing it is. In the first 2 minutes, you'll have your mind blown, the next 15 share what our globe looks like today.

What has happened to the world in the last 40 years?

I found myself learning A LOT here.  Speaking of hope in the world at Advent, the fact that 1.8 billion people (give or take) in China and India are several times richer now than they were then is something to rejoice about.  Considering our commitment as Christians to caring for the poor and the sick, it is worth knowing who the poor and the sick are, and how that has changed.

In a more theological framing, as people we are defined by our stories. Right now, I'm caught up in the story of Advent, of power coming from poverty, of God present in the messiest parts of life, of emperors and governors taking a back seat to an unwed mother and some shepherds on a hillside.  It is a story that defines me and my life.  But we need to choose our stories carefully discerning how they shape us, and reflect the reality around us. This presenter asks us to update some of our stories about wealth and power, because they no longer cohere with reality.  I notice that there are many stories we might consider updating in our lives. I've been praying for the climate conference in Copenhagen right now, that there might be new stories of cooperation and trust and common interest among nations that allow them to reduce their carbon emissions, rather than presuming that international cooperation in the face of a grave exestential threat is impossible.

Blessings