With Privilege Comes Responsibility

DO YOU FEEL PRIVILEGED? Take a minute to think about that before you read on...

Are you really thinking?

Keep thinking...

How many of you have a job that earns more than required to live on? I'm not talking about after you pay your three car payments, boat loan, three annual vacations, and $500 monthly restaurant budget. I mean after you pay for the necessities (food, water, shelter, clothing, basic transportation, health care, etc). Let me remind you that if this is you, then you are among the richest people in the entire world. Do you have a college or university degree? If so, you are among the staggering 2% of the world's population fortunate enough to obtain one. Do you own a car? Join the 12% who can respond "yes" to that question. Do you have access to clean drinking water? Again, you are part of the elite 15%. Do you get on the internet with any regularity? Wow, once again, join the 16% who in the world who do.

Let me ask you again: do you feel privileged? If so, what are you doing with your privileges? If you can't think of at least a few things that you are doing with them to help others, then you are only contributing to the 98% of the world who do not obtain a college degree, the 88% who do not own a car, the 85% who do not have access to clean drinking water, 30% who suffer from malnutrition, 40% who do not have adequate sanitation, and 31% who do not have electricity.

With privilege comes responsibility. How much better would the world be if all of us who live a privileged life would do just a little more to help those who do not? Where can you make a difference? When will you start?


Stats taken from Daniel G. Groody's book titled "Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice"