Inwardly we all long for peace and prosperity. With these
two things in our land, after all, we would all that our hearts desire.
But would we truly have the desires of our heart?
North Americans live in one of the most powerful countries in the world, where
prosperity is preached from the pulpit, where we can boast not only about our
peace, but also about our freedom. But are we truly happy? Are we making a
difference in the world?
Why is depression on the rise? Why is anxiety in the heart of many? Did we even
know that according reliable online statistics, 9.5% of the U.S. population
suffers from depressive disorders, and 18% are paralyzed with anxiety? Why is
poverty still mushrooming like an abnormal cancer in our societies? If you take
a moment to wander around any major city, even Washington D.C., we can’t help
but notice the homeless!
Does prosperity truly give us what we long for? Or does it come with a cost?
Did we ever wonder why most of our clothes come from
countries such as China, India, and Bangladesh? We all know that clothes are
quite a bit cheaper from over there, and thus more affordable to us. The truth
behind the much lower price tags, however, lies in the fact that these clothes
are manufactured through cheap labor, often even child labor!
Let’s take a look at India, as an example, where workers in such industries
begin their day at 8 in the morning and work until 10 at night, and they usually
even work through their weekly day off! Some put in 152 hours of overtime,
beside the hours mentioned above. They never know if they will be paid for their
overtime, however, as supervisors always look for reasons to not pay a dime more
than they have to.
Despite these horrendous hours, the monthly pay is around 43$. If they are lucky
and have been paid for their overtime, they might receive as much as 78$ for the
month. However in order to meet the minimum living standards, these workers need
about 134$ a month. It’s impossible for them to ever reach that monthly amount!
The working conditions are far from ideal as well. In fact they are truly
atrocious, and no one will say anything about it for fear of dire consequences.
Imagine coming home daily around 11 in the evening, and although overtired, food
needs to be prepared for the family. Forget fish and meat, however. They are too
costly for our meager budgets. Spinach and some vegetables is all that we can
afford, and at times we have no choice but to not eat at all for at least two or
three days in a row.
The rent takes a good portion of our salary (21$), and the room we rent consists
only of a bed that is well below North American standards, as well as some
cooking material. 3 toilets and 2 baths have to be shared between 17 families in
the building. Neighbors are constantly bickering over these luxuries. And let’s
not forget that we have no choice but to wake up at 6 in the morning!
The real cost of making these clothes is 46-48% of the total price of these
goods, as it includes material, transport, advertisement and taxes. The owners
end up making 49 to 51% profit. The worker’s salary is 1 to 5% of the price of
these goods. Other goods from these countries have the same profit margins.
The prophet Isaiah had quite a different viewpoint about prosperity: “Their land
is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures . . . Their land
is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their
fingers have made. So people will be brought low and everyone humbled . . .”
(Isaiah 2:7-9, NIV2)
Is it possible that we too, have made wealth our idol? After all, if we live to
fill our pockets, haven’t these “pockets” become our obsession? Even TV shows
focus on such passions!
But what about all these poor people in our own cities, as well as those all
over the world? There is a desperate need, a need much bigger than our
prosperity. There is a need for love, for doing what is right instead of
becoming blind to what is really happening around us. Are we willing to do what
is good and right? Or are we repeating history?
"Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you
and you may go in and take over the good land the LORD promised on oath to your
ancestors." (Deuteronomy 6:18, NIV2)
Isaiah warned us of what would happen if we don’t. Society cannot survive when
love is utterly ignored. If we live for dollar signs, the mighty dollar will
eventually swallow us whole!
It’s time that we wake up from our stupor and realize what our purpose is on
earth. We were not made to be transformed into slot machines, but to genuinely
love others, just like Jesus loves us. Where is love when our only interest for
others has completely disappeared and is completely forlorn? Real richness is
not in our bank accounts. Real richness is about making a difference in this
world.
Love, after all, is what saved us!
Rob Chaffart
Written on December 22, 2012
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