Last December I initiated a giving alternative at our church entitled Redistribute. We provided a brochure that listed local and international partners and had different donation values that corresponded with tangible items that impacted people’s lives. The idea was to redistribute some of what we would typically spend on ourselves to those who are in need in our world. Our church raised a significant amount of money to redistribute to these partner organizations that are serving those in need.
The idea of redistribution can easily become a movement in our churches today if we would allow ourselves to be formed by God’s heart for the poor. I want to help provide the church with a tool to take steps in this direction. As Bill Briley and I met in August to plan Redistribute for this year, I was compelled to take the movement beyond just our church. Thus, ThereIsEnough was born.
- ThereIsEnough connects partners of redistribution to provide food, fresh water, education, medicine and justice for those in need.
- There is enough. Enough clean water, food, clothes, medicine, grace and peace and hope. There always has been. The issue is distribution. The redistribution movement is an opportunity to reassign our resources to those in the world who most desperately need it. God is freeing the world from consumerism and poverty at the same time, and inviting us to join Him.
I was startled when I found out a few years ago that if you make over $50K/yr, you are in the top 1% wealthiest people in the world (globalrichlist.com). I am in the top 1% wealthiest people in the world. Me. The richest 1%. Crazy. I don’t feel like it, and would not have predicted that. But it certainly puts into perspective how wealthy Americans are compared to the rest of the world. If only we could redistribute some of that wealth, I am convinced that fewer people would die of hunger, lack of water, and lack of basic medications.
So starting early next year I plan to launch a website that will partner with organizations that are addressing the most basic needs in the world today. Donations to the site will be funneled directly to the organizations that are doing the work.
I believe that as education and awareness are increasing, a paralysis is following. The amount of need in the world combined with the thousands of organizations addressing the need is overwhelming. Where do we start? How do we choose whom to partner with? Can I really make a difference in such large, global problems? My hope is that this website will be able to provide a starting place for those being compelled to engage.
The site will be launched early in 2009. More to come…
