Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

There has been quite a story in television news over the last several days, one I found very inspiring. The Salwen family of Atlanta sold their large historic home, moved to a home half the size, and donated half the sale price of the first home to Hunger Project which works against hunger in Africa. To truly appreciate this story, you first have to understand that this was no ordinary family or home. It was a $1.8 million historic mansion in the heart of Atlanta and the net proceeds were around $800,000.

Many people serve their community and the Salwens are no exception. In fact, the father Kevin is on the board of the Atlanta chapter of Habitat for Humanity. However, few people ever make such a dramatic and impressive commitment to be part of the solution to serving people in greater need than themselves. It seems to have been a family decision. It started with some observations by the 15 year old daughter Hannah when she saw a homeless man and a new Mercedes at the same street corner in Atlanta. After repeated discussions, it was the mother Joan's idea to sell the house (her self-described dream house) and donate the money.

This family should be a great example for everyone in this country during this economically difficult time. I'm not suggesting that people sell everything and give it to the poor (the Salwen's still live in a fairly large, nice home), but rather that we recognize that there are many people in need and we need to step up and make more than just token efforts to help. Real giving often requires real sacrifice. Giving $100 when you have a million really isn't a sacrifice. Devout Christians especially should consider their giving in light of stories like these. Jesus gave everything for us, so we should ask ourselves how our giving compares in the context of his total sacrifice. I encourage everyone to take the time to evaluate what you are truly able to give, compare it to what you have actually been giving, and answer the question of whether you can do more.

I hope you are as inspired by this story as I am. Here is the link to the ABCNews video: http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=Salwen+family&n=21&ei=utf-8&fr=yfp-t-701&fr2=tabweb&tnr=21&vid=0001864041973