For the past couple of weeks I've been working on a list of possible endorsers for my new book, A Cup of Cold Water Given in His Name, which is hitting the shelves sometime in March/April of 2012. The other night I was working on the list and brainstorming people of "importance" who have names that may carry some weight for an endorsement, when I was struck with the realization of how God sees people of "importance."
In this world's eyes the important people are movie stars, singers, entertainers, and others who are icons in the world of Pop Culture. It's sad really, how much we idolize those types of people. We even call them Stars... Idols. They are treated like royalty.
God's "important people" are the complete opposite of what our world thinks. The poor, the downcast, the orphan, the widow, the impoverished, the stranger, the homeless, the sick, the prisoner... those are the ones God calls us to treat as royalty. Those are the ones left in the margins of our society to suffer alone. They don't have a voice, unless we speak up for them.
While I understand why I have to fill out a spreadsheet full of "important names" for the endorsement of my book, as I filled out the sheet, it occured to me that if I put down the names of those who are "important" to God, my sheet would look very different. It might look like this-
1) Annette- prisoner awaiting trial. Accepted Christ in prison, trying to make a new start and counting down the days until she is released.
2) Sabu- orphaned teenage boy in Swaziland. Relying on God to provide his needs and fulfull his longing for love.
3) Mercy- impoverished single mother in Liberia. Left her baby boy at an orphanage because she didn't have the money to feed him.
4) Devin- 8 yr old boy in US foster care. Taken from the only home he knew two years ago- has lived in 6 foster homes.
5) Jean- battered wife. In fear, she left her husband- living in a protective home for battered women.
The list could go on and on. Yes, if this list were portraying the "real important people" it would look much different.
One day soon, God will make all the wrongs of the this world right. Until then, it's up to us to be a voice for the forgotten and the marginalized- the "important ones."
Beautiful!!! Absolutely beautiful!!!
Posted by: Leah Gillen | December 15, 2011 at 11:37 AM