25 Thoughts on Christmas: Thought #9... The World

As you read this, take some time to truly let the numbers sink in. Read them as more than numbers, but the reality of the world in which you and I are a part.
(These statistics come from David Livermore's book Serving with Eyes Wide Open. The research supporting these stats are well documented by the book.)


Population:

• Every second, 4 babies are born. In the time that it's taken you to read the beginning of this post, around 60 newborns entered this story.
• More than twice as many people are born each day than die.
• There are 6.5 billion people in the world today.
• 20% live in China.
• 20% live in India.
• 5% live in the U.S.
• 55% throughout the other nations of the world.
• Line up the 6.5 billion in a single file line, and it would wrap around the globe 110 times.
• Nearly half the people in the world today are children, as compared to 20% of Americans are under age 15.

Poverty:

• 20% of the world live on one dollar a day.
• Another 20% live on two dollars a day.
• 20% live on $70 a day.
• The other 40% are somewhere in between.
• The combined income of the 447 wealthiest people in the world is more than the combined income of 50% of the world's population (3.25 billion).
• Americans (5% of the world) consume 50% of the worlds resources.

Health:

• 30,000 people will die today because of preventable disease.
• 40% of the world today lacks basic sanitation facilities.
• One billion people have unsafe drinking water.

Displaced People:

• More than 12 million people have been forced out of their native land (refugees).
• Another 24 million have fled conflict and/or persecution and are displaced within their own country.

So what?

This world is big.
The needs are big.
First thought to throw out... what are you and I doing about it?


Now, my "Christmas thoughts."

1. Let us consider where everyone is as we head into this season spending exorbitant amounts of cash on gifts that will be unused within months.
2. John 3:16-17: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
   

In the time it took you to read this post, around 500 babies were born into the world.