The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

What would happen if we woke to this headline: "One Hundred Jetliners Crash, Killing 26,500"? Given that there's a public outcry (and rightly so) when just one jetliner crashes, I can't even imagine the media coverage, photos, government investigations, and economic impact of 100 crashing jetliners. And what if the same catastrophe happened the next day? And the next? Its almost inconceivable.
But it happens.
Every day more than 26,500 children die of mostly preventable causes related to their poverty. That equals 10 million children who die over the course of a year- all from preventable causes. And yet, as Christians, God tells us to take care of the poor and downtrodden. How do we reconcile 10 million dead children with Jesus' example? The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns attempts to answer this question, but the answer isn't an easy one. He argues that Christians have reduced what is supposed to be a life-changing Gospel to a single transaction for "fire insurance". As the CEO of World Vision, Stearns is perhaps uniquely qualified to discuss what he calls "the horsemen of the apocalypse"- the factors that work against the poor. Along the way, he tells his own story- from a boy deciding to save himself, to the CEO of Lenox china, to his call to lead World Vision.
Stearns details some of what he has seen as the CEO of World Vision. Obviously, he's had the opportunity to see a great deal of poverty and hardship in the world, as well as meet with people on the front lines who are making a difference. He does a great job of balancing statistics with individual stories, and of spreading hope as much as conviction. I felt that the book was a bit light on concrete ways to help, but I did appreciate that the author didn't push World Vision's agenda too much. Instead, he tells the stories of ordinary people who follow God's leading and do extraordinary things. His point is that we can ALL do extraordinary things- all that is necessary is that we bring what we have to God and let Him use it.
This book was an inspiring call to action. I'm still pondering what it is that God would have me (and us) doing, but I think it would be impossible to read this book and walk away unconvinced. There is an accompanying website, which contains a blog, testimonies, and other suggestions for getting started with giving. Stearns also puts his money where his mouth is- there is a note on the book jacket stating that all royalties from the sale of this book will benefit World Vision's work with children. In the end, it comes to this: Jesus gave his all for us, how can we do anything less for others?