I love Lufthansa! Not only because their cabin service is excellent, not only because the attendants on board can collectively speak about nine languages, but also because they are so ahead of the curve technologically. This is the first flight I’ve ever been on where I can access the internet while flying somewhere above 30,000 feet (and for you techies out there, the connection clocks at 96kbps down and 42 up). Not the fastest at all but still pretty amazing to me. I love being able to post my second blog entry of the day (depending on the continent of reference as it’s already Friday in Europe, maybe this is my first post of tomorrow) in-flight. Just to prove that this is actually happening, here’s a couple of pictures I just took (click on the pictures to enlarge)!

Now on to other thoughts. Before the trip, I picked up and have just begun to read Jeffrey Sachs The End of Poverty.

He’s a world-renowned economist who is positing the possibility that this generation could take part in ending extreme global poverty by 2025. That would mean helping nearly 1 billion people presently living on less than a dollar a day (and who can’t meet even basic food and shelter needs) enter into their first step toward economic prosperity. I’m interested to get further into this work, although I must say I’m not up on my economics enough to really evaluate his plan all that well. For more information on Jeffrey Sachs, check out this wikipedia article (this article also contains a link to some of Sachs' critics; notably William Easterly who "savaged End of Poverty in his review for the Washington Post").

Some interesting things I’ve discovered so far, though, include the fact that over 8 million people die yearly because, in Sachs’ words, “they are to poor to stay alive.” Furthermore, I’ve also learned, by his report and without checking the GAO figures, that the US allocates approximately $15 billion each year to fight global poverty. Which while a significant amount equates to less 0.15% of our GNP. Another way of putting is that we spend 15/100^th of a penny on global poverty relief for every dollar in our GNP. Commenting on the wisdom of such a figure, Sachs writes: The share of US GNP devoted to helping the poor has declined for decades, and is a tiny fraction of what the United States has repeatedly promised, and failed, to give. It is also much less than the United States should give, both to solve the crisis of extreme poverty and thereby provide for US national security.

Sachs also begins his book by pointing out that we need not fear that economic development elsewhere will hinder our way of life. On the contrary, it may in fact give us a leg up economically and with regard to national security. Again, he writes: Economic development is not a zero-sum game in which the winnings of some are inevitably mirrored by the losses of others. The game is one that everybody can win. Then he backs this statement by tracking economic development and gross world product (GWP) over the past 200 or so years.

I’m also reminded, although not by this book as it is completely secular, that this topic of economics is biblical. From the earliest days of Israel, the promised land was to be one that considered the value of economic justice. You can see this not only in the Torah (consider Leviticus 25, for example), but in the Prophets as well (for example, see Jeremiah and Zechariah).

In all of this I’m struck by where God has placed us. We’re in a time and place where I believe we can, as a church, help those living in abject poverty find both economic as well as spiritual hope. This is my prayer, that we can be a part of God’s move in their lives, one that will cause them to thank their Creator for his goodness and melt our hearts in the process. I am so thankful for Side by Side.

Okay, I’m going to get back into my book now and the next 6.5 five hours of our first flight. I’ll post more on it, and the trip of course, later. But before I do, I just have one encouragement. Take part in this blog by leaving your comments and thoughts. This journey to Swaziland – and even more into the middle of God’s dream – is not about Erin and me. It’s something that God is including us all in; it’s the story into which we’ve been called. So take part (as you feel so inspired) by engaging in a discussion on any of these themes. Feel free to agree or disagree…to ask questions…to write a prayer… We’re all writing this blog-and living in God’s story-together.

Traveling with you, Reed and Erin