The Miniature Earth Project (recently updated for those of you who have heard of this) did an interesting study and the facts from it are below. This is a great opportunity for us to gain perspective on how the world looks at us (Americans), as opposed to how we look at the world. On top of that, how are we supposed to look at this as followers of Jesus Christ? We are by far, filthy rich.
“If we could turn the population of the earth into a small community of 100 people, keeping the same proportions we have today, it would be something like this…
- 61 Asians 12 Europeans 8 North Americans 5 South America and the Caribbean 13 Africans 1 Oceania
- 50 women 50 men
- 47 lives in urban area 12 are disabled
- 33 are Christian (Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Anglicans and other Christians) 21 are Muslims 13 are Hindus 6 are Buddhists 1 Sikhs 1 Jews 11 are non-religious 11 practice other religions 3 Atheists
- 43 live without basic sanitation 18 live without an improved water source
- 20 people own 75% of the entire world income
- 14 are hungry or malnourished
- 12 can’t read
- Only 12 have a computer
- Only 8 have an internet connection
- 1 adult, aged 15-49, has HIV/AIDS
- The village spend US$1.24 trillion on military expenditures UN and only US$ 100 billion on development aid
- If you keep your food in a refrigerator, and your clothes in a closet, and if you have a roof over your head, and have a bed to sleep in, you are richer than 75% of the entire world population
- 21 people live on US$ 1.25 per day or less”
Matthew 24:14 – “And this Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
We need to gain a realistic perspective on what is happening all around us, even within our own country. Let us realize that every single gift is from God and that He provides for us, not that we provide for ourselves. We couldn’t even breathe or wake up in the morning without Him doing it for us!
Matthew 22:37-40 – And He said to Him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Let us seek Him in all that we do today while serving Him and others with love that can only come from the strength of Jesus Christ and the finished work on the cross for us!
