Humanitarianism.

Humanitarianism (n): the belief that life should be a string of "good deeds" performed for the less fortunate

Yes, I just made that up. 

Everywhere we look, there are humanitarian aid organizations and causes.  There are aid organizations focused on water, shoes, medical supplies, food, human trafficking, child soldiers...the list goes on.  They all have one thing in common: they all believe that the people they are helping cannot have a full life without the water, shoes, medical supplies, food, etc. that the organization provides.  There is nothing wrong with that.

However, it is important for advocates of these organizations to realize that if you give a child shoes, but no water or food, their life is still not full.  If you give them food, but no water or protection from human trafficking, their life is still not full.  If you give them medical supplies, but no food or water, their life is still not full.  In fact, if you give a child water, shoes, food, medical supplies, AND protection from human trafficking and being forced to be a child soldier, their life would still not be full.

It is easy to get caught up in being an advocate for a certain cause (or number of causes) without understanding your motivation.  For many people, humanitarianism can become a way of life...fighting against the injustices of those who cannot fight for themselves.  This can become a completely amoral practice.  Just as someone can attend church without letting the words of the sermon truly sink in, someone involved in a humanitarian aid organization can lose sight of their true motivation. 

Let's think about this: for most of Biblical history, the church has been responsible for caring for orphans and widows; essentially, those who cannot care for themselves.  Fast forward to today: think of the most prominent humanitarian aid organizations.  Are they run/based/supported by the church, or are they founded by people separate from the church?  Don't get me wrong...there are many Christian humanitarian aid organizations (including the place where I work)...but the most well-known and "popular" with most of American society lack relgious affiliations.

I think this is a sad reality in American society...people do not seem to connect aid work with the one "aid" that people really need.  Yes, we need to satisfy their hunger and thirst...but if we extend their lives for a few years only for them to die without knowing the love of Jesus Christ, we have completely failed our humanitarian aid mission. 

In fact, if you give a child water, shoes, food, medical supplies, AND protection from human trafficking and being forced to be a child soldier, their life would still not be full.

They need Jesus!