Here is a question for anyone who will listen: if not now – then when?  Millions of people die every year from preventable and treatable diseases.  Millions of people will die from the three epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.  Millions upon millions live in extreme poverty that limits their education, health, and opportunities for success.  Everybody knows all of these things.  Yet the question remains: If not now – then when?

If not now – then when?

It’s a simple question, and you might assume that it has an obvious answer.  But it is worth taking a deeper look – because it is more than just a question, it is a state of mind.

If not now – then when?  The state of mind that we have right now is one of semi-apathy and non-urgency.  Our current mindset definitely doesn’t want to wait forever to solve these desperate social issues, but neither do we act in such a way that we intensely want to end these problems now.

Yet we need to have a more urgent and intense state of mind about these issues.  For history has shown us through social issues that have ended (apartheid, civil rights in America, etc.) and social issues that have not ended (HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, etc.) that the mindset is the most important thing.  Either we demand that these problems end now … or they will not end.  It’s that simple.

So the answer to the question is this: If not now – then never.

How can you begin to change your state of mind?

The “margins”.  It is the area of least concern.  It is the place where nobody looks.  It is the people who nobody cares about.  But it is also where the heart of God dwells.

The “margins”.  It’s not that people don’t care about those living in the margins, it’s just that they don’t even think about them.  They are not on anyone’s radar screen.  They are not a part of daily life.  They are just the people over there.

The “margins”.  It’s more than the fact that people don’t think about those living in the margins, it’s that not that much is done for those living in the margins.  No innovations to help their lives.  No laws and legislation to make their days a little easier.  No justice for their position.

The “margins”.  Even though it is an oft-forgotten, oft-left behind, oft-ignored group of people – this is where Jesus spent most of His time.  He was born in the margins.  He lived in the margins.  He was one of “those people in the margins”.  That was Jesus.  That’s where His heart was.  That’s where His heart will always be.  The margins.

Since this was Jesus’ passion – this should also be our passion.  Those in the margins need friends.  Those in the margins need innovation and resources.  Those in the margins need some love, compassion, and attention.  They need you.  They need everything – small and big – that you can do.

So here we go.  Let’s try to do our part.

Let’s change our perspective and being to live, work, and think about “the margins”.