You heard about the earthquake in Nepal. You saw the photos and videos.
But did you feel it? Did it move you?
I'm grateful that our friends and ministry partners in Nepal were not physically injured by the earthquake or numerous aftershocks. But they spent most of this week outside as the damage to buildings was evaluated. That meant sleeping outside on the ground under improvised tarps in the cold rain. Communicating with friends and family, inside and outside Nepal, has been difficult. Dividing attention between taking care of their own families, responding to the needs of their neighbors, and resuming the priorities of life has been challenging for them.
On the opposite side of the planet, it has been interesting to observe the range of responses. On Monday, it seemed that every nonprofit, every business, and every individual was focused on Nepal. At the end of the week, I received a message from a ministry clarifying that they are not planning any response to the events in Nepal.
During a midweek interview, a Christian journalist asked me why Wycliffe Associates is involved in responding to the earthquake. The answer is simple.
We care about the people of Nepal.
We cared about them before the earthquake. We have friends and ministry partners there. I have traveled there multiple times personally. We have had staff, volunteers, and partners there for several years. We had teams and projects underway in Nepal the day the earthquake hit. We are committed to helping all of the people groups there to have God's Word in their language. This is a long-term relationship and commitment for us.
"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:15-17 (NIV)
When a tragedy happens to people you care about, you cannot stand idly by. You cannot say, "It's not my job." I will not say, "Be warmed and filled." The very same neglected rural minority groups that we work with are in danger of being overlooked, again, by the response to the urban masses.
We are working to assure that no one is beyond the reach of human compassion, Christian love, or God's Word.
Let the Spirit move you.
