Tag Archives: poverty

Published in: Kenya January 18, 2010

The Happiest Person in all the World

By Joshua MacLeod No Comments

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Open your mouth, judge fairly and defend the rights of the poor and needy.” -Proverbs 31:8-9


I asked a missionary in Kenya to help me understand the rights of the poor and needy. “Everyone has the right to hear the gospel” she said. “Jesus paid for that right when He died on the cross. If a government is so corrupt that people are beaten down and not allowed to listen to the gospel, or people are so hungry that they cannot hear the gospel over the growl of their stomach, it is our job as Christians to defend their rights and share with them Christ’s love”.

I had never considered that Jesus paid for the right for His gospel message to be shared. I think we need to step forward in boldness in proclaiming the gospel and “speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”.


I spent a few days on this trip visiting the Kibera Slum, the largest slum in Africa. I met a young man named Moses who formerly lived on the streets but was now living at a youth hostel supported by African Leadership. I asked him about his former life and what difference it made to get off the streets? “If you ask me, I am the happiest person in all of the world.” I could tell by his face that he was telling the truth.
Someone had spoken up for Moses and given him a chance. Before he was living on the streets sniffing glue, but someone decided that they would go and reach out to him. Are we willing to do the same?

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Published in: Kenya January 16, 2010

The Unity of Humanity

By Joshua MacLeod No Comments


I wasn’t supposed to be on this trip. I had intended to fly into Sudan to scout out land for a medical clinic with a Sudanese lost boy. I was immensely disappointed when our “friend on the ground” suddenly needed an extra $3,000US once he found out I was an American citizen. Welcome to African politics!

I was, however, able to connect with an old friend serving at AIM who put me on a “puddle jumper” airplane with a retired missionary couple to visit an extremely remote part of Northern Kenya named Log logo (good luck finding it on a map).


Logo was dry, extremely dry. In fact it had not rained for over a year and many villagers had taken their cattle several miles away in search of water. I had never seen such poverty. The child in the above picture was so malnourished that his hair had turned red.


As I walked around Log Logo, I noticed three girls in matching dresses. When they saw me, they giggled, and I caught the moment on camera. Having my own two daughters, I suddenly realized that there was no difference between these little girls and mine. They giggled just like little girls do. The only difference between these girls and mine was that they were born in Log logo Kenya and mine were born in Tennessee. In Proverbs 22:2, king Solomon makes this point when he says “The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the maker of them all.” Even though they are poor, they are still valuable.


Later on that day, I saw that there was a difference between us. I saw the same three girls drinking water out of an animal trough. For some reason, I was born in America, and they were born here, to live and die as generations had before.

Except for one small house, there was no electricity in the village. When the sun went down, I understood what Abraham saw when God told him to count the stars and consider his descendants.  Being the rare guests, we were invited to share a dinner at the small house. As I walked into the house, I was shocked by the familiar device that sat in the corner. There, in the middle of Log Logo Kenya, in the only house in the village with electricity was a television set. The fresh prince of Bel Air blared loudly as I entered the living room. The irony disgusted me. After watching three sweet little girls drinking water from an animal trough, now I was seeing the best that America had to offer this village was the cheap entertainment of a sitcom TV show. I knew that I had made a good decision to use creative media to help people like these.


The western world has largely lost its passion for God because we have become intoxicated by entertainment. What would happen if rather than watch TV for a week, we went to go find someone to needs served, and served them. After the week is through we might judge which brings more joy, serving or entertainment? I know from experience that service brings about more lasting joy? How is it that we have time and money to watch TV…and not go out and serve the poor? It boggles the mind.

I have not been able to visit Log Logo since, but I was able to show the picture of the three girls to some friends and we sent $500 dollars to help them with schooling and food.

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Published in: Ethiopia January 16, 2010

Don’t Take My Picture If You Can’t Fix My Poverty

By Joshua MacLeod No Comments

Ethiopian Woman

Standing on the streets of Addis Ababa with my new Canon digital camera, a woman walked by and I snapped a shot. After the shutter was released, the woman shouted at me in Arabic. I didn’t understand what she said. My guide interpreted. “Don’t take my picture if you can’t fix my poverty”. I wanted to apologize, but she was already gone.

In the previous 5 years I had spent the vast majority of my time fueling the hungry litigation machine with powerful graphics for the courtroom. Then in Dec of ’04, I knew that I needed to shift the investment of my talents toward the kingdom of God. I wanted to use photography and video production to show what God was doing around the world. As I had equipped attorneys to win legal arguments, I now wanted to equip thousands to reach millions for the kingdom. Ethiopia was my second overseas visit and my introduction to Africa.

The cry of this woman’s heart was unmistakable. I am not here for your entertainment! I am valuable. I am in trouble. You Americans have been here before and done nothing. “Don’t take my picture, if you can’t fix my poverty.” The western society had let her down…and she wanted me to know it.

Each year the U.S. and Europe spend 13 billion on Perfume…enough to cure world hunger. Jesus said, “The poor will always be with you.” What many people don’t know is that Jesus was quoting a scripture verse from Deuteronomy 15:11 – “For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’” There is a command that because the poor are always to be with you, children of God should be the ones reaching out to serve…regardless of anyone else.

Reflections on the Street

orphanshoe

Walking the streets of Addis Ababa, I saw things that I wish I could forget. I saw people begging who had their hands cut off for stealing. I saw a plush hotel that cost $200 a night a quarter mile away from people who would not make $200 in that year.

I saw street kids wandering around dirty. I saw leapers sitting on the side of the road with their faces literally rotting off. I did not have the heart to take pictures. At the same time, I also saw joy. I saw families and children enjoying life and being satisfied with their circumstances. It’s impossible to put into words what you see when you visit a place like Addis Ababa. It’s like experiencing all of the things that you know are there deep down, but somehow get muted as they are not before your eyes.

Visiting an Orphanage

Orphans

I was able to visit an orphanage while in Addis. Reflecting on the six pair of shoes that I had back home, I saw this kid who was happy to have any shoes at all. As the children were fed at the orphanage, I took a picture of two orphans sitting by a wall. I took their picture because I felt like their facial expressions asked me a question. The question I felt like they asked was “Is my condition my own fault, or someone elses? “ Jesus disciples asked Jesus the same question in John 9:2, “And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered,

“It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

The only difference was that Jesus reached out his hand and healed the blind man and helped him out of his circumstance. I wonder if we are willing to do the same.

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