Geez-us

We get a subscription to Geez Magazine here, and every so often when we visit Port-au-Prince we return to Dezam with a copy. Their tagline is "holy mischief in the age of fast faith." The magazine is based in Canada but writes for a decidedly North American audience (so if you are an American no need to worry about Canada-specific articles, eh).

I just finished reading an article about international development work being a form of neo-colonialism, and I was convicted by the article and offended all at the same time. I like to think we're here in Haiti doing "good" - but are we? Or are we here to make ourselves feel better and rake in the kudos from friends and family back home? Jesus did say:
"When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." -Matthew 6:2-4

Here we are with everyone looking, and we're even blogging about it.

Well, that being said I do enjoy the mental exercise of reflecting on these topics. I've read stories on Shane Claiborne and The Simple Way, the New Jerusalem Project in North Philly, new monasticism and many more alternative Christian endeavors in the U.S. and Canada. Sometimes the articles are for and sometimes against these "new" Christian endeavors, but they're always looking at them with a critical eye and dissecting their intentions.

Many times I finish reading an article with more questions than when I began, but in an age of Christians blindly believing whatever the Christian market and its gurus want us to believe in order to sell a new book, music, clothes, etc. Maybe it's not bad to question the motives of those on top of the soapbox. Is giving money to a faith-based development organization what Jesus wants us to do? Is that NGO actually doing what they say they are, or are they just using a savvy advertising campaign with photos of the poor to get more money?

Maybe this is too cynical, and I apologize for such a critical attitude, but sometimes I just really want to do good without doing evil, and sometimes I just want to do good without doing too much evil.

So, with all that said, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Geez or go to their website and check it out. Sometimes the questions they raise may make us uncomfortable, but that is the growing edge of our Christian faith, isn't it?

Amen.