Comments on: Why Do Christians Evangelize Instead of Just Feeding the Hungry? http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/archives/2009/11/20/why-do-christians-evangelize-instead-of-just-feeding-the-hungry disciple, husband, father, college minister, blowhard Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:06:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: weekly review, upstate NY edition « Exploring College Ministry blog (daily notes about our field) http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/archives/2009/11/20/why-do-christians-evangelize-instead-of-just-feeding-the-hungry/comment-page-1#comment-31014 weekly review, upstate NY edition « Exploring College Ministry blog (daily notes about our field) Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:47:05 +0000 http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/?p=2408#comment-31014 [...] Why do Christians feel like they need to witness amidst their service? Glen Davis offers a helpful response to that question, in light of a recent mini-controversy that popped up on the Stanford campus. (He links to a [...] […] Why do Christians feel like they need to witness amidst their service? Glen Davis offers a helpful response to that question, in light of a recent mini-controversy that popped up on the Stanford campus. (He links to a […]

]]> By: jrjo http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/archives/2009/11/20/why-do-christians-evangelize-instead-of-just-feeding-the-hungry/comment-page-1#comment-31012 jrjo Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:51:48 +0000 http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/?p=2408#comment-31012 I think also, it's not enough to just live. It's a similar dilemma to ones (I hear) those in medical professions face - yes, you can give a guy meds for his diabetes, but are you really solving the greater problem of his bad dietary habits and lack of exercise? Western culture seems to have made a value of life for life's own sake, perhaps because it's the most concrete thing of value. The reasoning being, even if one's life is empty and meaningless, a non-zero chance of making it better is better than zero chance when you're dead. So yes - keeping people alive is necessary. But it's also insufficient - just 'cuz you show up doesn't mean you win. While eating may have mechanical importance in keeping one functioning, a life without spiritual and em0tional needs fulfilled sucks. I think also, it’s not enough to just live. It’s a similar dilemma to ones (I hear) those in medical professions face — yes, you can give a guy meds for his diabetes, but are you really solving the greater problem of his bad dietary habits and lack of exercise?

Western culture seems to have made a value of life for life’s own sake, perhaps because it’s the most concrete thing of value. The reasoning being, even if one’s life is empty and meaningless, a non-zero chance of making it better is better than zero chance when you’re dead. So yes — keeping people alive is necessary. But it’s also insufficient — just ‘cuz you show up doesn’t mean you win. While eating may have mechanical importance in keeping one functioning, a life without spiritual and em0tional needs fulfilled sucks.

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