Not again

urchin - A mischievous young child, especially one who is poorly or raggedly dressed


I was reading last night before bed (in my room without a certain little person nearby and by the light of the lamp, rather than a book light and it felt strange) when I came across something on page 166 that got my dander up.  The author was trying to describe a character in the book as being skinny and said, "...this kid made a better billboard for starving urchins in foreign countries," rather than an employee at a health food store. Why is it ok for yet another Christian author to make light of children who are starving??  I just don't get it.  Is it supposed to be funny?  Clever?  I find it disgusting.  On the publisher's website, it clearly states that their goal is to Honor God and Serve People.  Huh.  Something isn't adding up here.  


Because I can't sit back, I will email the author as I did here .  I'm guessing I will receive the same response as I did in that case - I meant no offense, yada yada yada.  I will contact the publisher because I am wondering who in the world is editing this stuff.  I'm thinking that if you publish Bibles, perhaps you ought to also be reading them to see what God has to say about the less fortunate...  My heart grieves when I think of the millions of children in this world who do not have even their basic needs met.  When I consider how they must feel as they go to bed with hungry bellies night after night, it is almost more than I can handle.  Imagine how much more it must hurt the heart of God, who created these precious ones in His image, to see them suffer so while we who have more than we could ever need sit back in our cushy chairs in our air conditioned homes with bellies full of whatever we happened to be in the mood for that day and surf the internet or watch tv.  How easy it is to turn a blind eye to the painful realities of this world when we sit in the lap of luxury.  The truth is that we do live in a sinful, fallen world.  Somehow, I was "blessed" to be born in a country of plenty.  I am not more worthy of God's blessing than someone born in another country, contrary to what some of those I have encountered may believe.  I've heard the old, "they've brought it on themselves - they shouldn't have so many kids" argument and it gags me.  Each and every one of us has the opportunity to help make a difference in the world we live in.  There are some incredible organizations out there and a program that we as an adoptive family are especially excited about is this one.  Of course there are those who strongly believe that "we should be helping people in this country."   That is true.  We should help people here, but we can also help people in other countries where the need is often more dire.  It doesn't have to be an either/or decision.