“Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it.’
“Well, why don’t you ask Him?”
“Because I’m afraid He would ask me the same question.”
–Unknown

So good to have something thought-provoking to start the day off, especially when it is so easy on a cold Bellingham morning, from the comfort of my warm room, to ask “the why” question…if I was so inclined. But I think I don’t ask because I, as the quote says, am also fearful of the answer. What am I doing to prevent poverty, suffering and injustice? I know, right, it’s not proper to answer a question with a question.

My life is at times a battle of what I will do, what I can help others do, and what I watch others do. After all, I have a limited hours as well as financial, physical and mental resources. That is what it is. And yet it ain’t.

I think to the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

If I stop and think of my hours, energy, etc. as the “talents” in the parable, I think I am most like the third servant, protecting those things–maybe unconsciously–realizing their scarcity. Or maybe I am saying I will help later, when I have more time, or more energy. Yet the third servant was never going to get more.

Did you hear the good news regarding those first two servants? They used their “talents” and they gained twofold–for their master. Really. I so want to be one the first two servants from the parable.

Poverty. Suffering. Injustice. They do not wait. They grow because I AM waiting.

For what?