Who Will Tell the Story If Not You?

It's been several days since my last posting, but I have several good excuses:

1. I have been in Baltimore at Northeast Jurisdiction meetings since Wed., Feb. 15th.
2. The day before that was Valentines Day, and I gave my attention to my Valentine.
3. The day before that, was, well, the day before Valentines Day...

OK, so they really aren't good excuses. But they are certainly as good as the excuses we give for, say, missing church or not tithing, or not giving more to the church when we know we could.

The United Methodist as a whole is still trying to absorb the reality of the money that was raised in 2005 for the Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In the face of declining membership, and a declining support base, we re able to do these incredible feats when confronted with a disaster -- a dramatic, demonstrated need.

A news conference was held this week, featuring Sandra K. Lackore, General Secretary of the General Council on Finance & Administration (the UMC's top bean counter) where she announced that United Methodist total giving had increased over 2004 by more than 50% due mainly to those responses to the diasters (due to problems getting a manageable link, I have reprinted the story as a separate posting).

What continues to be clear to me is that people respond when a story is shared in a way that touches their hearts, and when they believe that what they give will make a difference. The tsunami response taught us that. The hurrican response taught us that. The 9/11 response taught us that.

Here's the question I have to ask: The other giving that we ask folks to do, is it any less important, is it any less needed, is it any less capable of making a difference and touching and transforming lives? Or is the problem that the story has not been told.

Who will tell the story, if not me, if not you?