Along with one.org, there have been other movements over the past 3 decades that have raised awareness and moved people to action regarding a variety of humanitarian crises. Unfortunately, the abundance of pop stars supporting these causes makes it seem like the “hip” thing to do. At first glance this may seem like a good thing. Helping the poor as “the latest trend” may bring a lot of help to people who otherwise wouldn’t receive it, right? Temporarily, yes. However, passing fads are just that: passing.

This latest movement toward helping the needy may be a societal blip on the radar. However, within the church I think we are seeing a genuine awakening. Many churches have come together for ongoing efforts to help those displaced by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast. Even youth groups are more inclined than ever to put their hands to the plow, the hammer or the paint brush. The Church has always responded to phyical needs during times of crisis, but there seems to be more awareness beyond those temporary calls to action.

OutOfUr.com has an entry by Dan Kimball on this topic called “
“>Pop Justice: Is social action the latest church trend?” that’s worth checking out…

I had a very, very haunting conversation with a good friend who is a pastor at a church in southern California. We hadn’t seen each other for awhile and as we were catching up he was excited about a ministry he was starting with used clothing stores where all the profit goes to orphanages…