(Hint: It’s not the color of Starbucks’ cups)

Following the outrage against Starbucks’ red holiday cups that was fueled by a viral video urging Christians to actively offend Starbucks by asking baristas to write “Merry Christmas” on cups, and the outrage at the outrage, and the outrage at the outrage at the outrage, etc, I decided we might benefit from actively changing the subject to issues in the world that actually deserve our attention. For the love of Jesus and humanity, please choose to take a few of your precious minutes to think about and pray for the people affected by true hardship.

These are not listed in any particular order!

1) Refugee Crisis

Over 12 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes. Half are children. Over 4 million have become refugees in Europe, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.

This crisis has affected more people than Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti Earthquake, and the Indian Ocean Tsunami combined.

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:35-40)

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:14-18)

Learn More: http://time.com/4028055/syria-europe-refugees-graphic/

How can I help? http://www.helprefugees.org.uk/ or http://www.worldvision.org/news-stories-videos/syria-war-refugee-crisis

2) Orphans

An estimated 17.8 million children worldwide have lost both parents.

In the U.S. 397,122 children are living without permanent families in the foster care system. 101,666 of these children are eligible for adoption, but nearly 32% of these children will wait over three years in foster care before being adopted.

“I always questioned whether I was ready to adopt and then realized no child was ready to be an orphan.” -Unknown

“I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.” John 14:15

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Learn More: http://ccainstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=25&layout=blog&Itemid=43

http://showhope.org/9-stats-about-the-orphan-crisis/

How can I help? http://worldorphans.org/get-involved/take-action/

3) Human trafficking

In 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation freed over 500,000 slaves in the United States, but TODAY, slavery is more rampant than ever. In fact, 36 million people are enslaved today—in 2015— all over the world INCLUDING the United States. It is completely illegal and yet it is the fastest growing industry in the world and nets $150 billion every year.

At least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, (Luke 4:18)

Learn More: https://endcrowd.org/

Children: http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/protect/trafficking/end

Sex Trafficking: http://www.equalitynow.org/node/1010

How can I help? Each of these sites has links and info for how you can get involved with the cause of your choice.

4) Ongoing Conflict in Israel

Anti-Semitism is on the rise across the globe as history prepares to repeat itself. Israel is facing constant, violent conflict including terrorist attacks, shootings, stabbings, and more. As bible believing Christians, we have a God-given duty to stand for, protect, and pray for Israel.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee.’’ (Psalm 122:6)

Learn More: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/israel/index.html

How can I help? http://ow.ly/UuySH

5) Hunger

18,000 children die every day from hunger and malnutrition, that’s 12.5 children every minute (United Nations)

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 805 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, or one in nine, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2012-2014. Almost all the hungry people, 791 million, live in developing countries, representing 13.5 percent, or one in eight, of the population of developing counties. There are 11 million people undernourished in developed countries.

Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. (Proverbs 28:27)

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:17-18)

Learn More: http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm
How can I help? http://childrenshungerfund.org/

6) Hate

Everywhere you turn, there are people of all walks of life casting the most extreme judgment and speaking words of hate and death. There is religious tension, political tension, racial tension, financial tension, sexual tension— and every other kind of tension you can come up with. We have abandoned love and peace for hate and strife. Even though the scriptures warn that this is what it will be like in the last of days, those who truly love and seek to follow after Jesus MUST choose love and life.

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

Learn More: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/fiyaz-mughal/hate-crime-statistics_b_8291538.html

How can I help? https://www.bible.com/

7) Divorce rate

Since the 1970s, the United States has seen an extremely high divorce rate hovering at or above 50%. We have significantly more divorces and remarriages that our European counterparts. Interestingly—non-Hispanic white men and women are most likely to divorce and those of Asian ancestry are least likely.

A deeper look at the generational blessings and cursings in the scriptures reveals a direct link to divorce. The roots in our family tree and the wounds we sustain as children that we carry through our lives often affect the health of all of our relationships, most notably, our marriages. There are many wonderful ministries that can help identify these root issues that lead to conflict and/or divorce and lead one or both spouses to soul healing. I have listed my favorite (and the one my husband and I used) in the “How can I help?” section below.

And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9)

What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:9)

“For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” (Malachi 2:16)

Learn More: https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/acs/acs-30.pdf

How can I help? https://www.createapeacefulhome.com/recommended-resources/restoring-relationships/

Instead of getting offending and trying to offend others every time we disagree, let’s make an active effort to stay focused on what really matters! There’s nothing the enemy loves more than division and strife— and for the children of God to take their eyes off of Jesus. Just as we can fuel controversy for one another, we can also be a catalyst to remind each other to keep our eye on the prize. When in doubt— love your neighbor as yourself—and you can’t go wrong.

What other issues in the world are close to your heart? I completely appreciate that I only just scratched the surface!