Orphan Care and Adoption
Isaiah 1:17 in the Bible has become an important verse for my life, reminding my family of our responsibility to “seek justice, encourage the oppressed and defend the cause of the fatherless.”
The United Nations estimates that there are 143 million children in the world who have lost a parent, and 87 million who have lost both. This doesn’t even include millions of street kids, who are impossible to count.
I firmly believe that a true commitment to justice and human rights means that every life is valued, at every stage of life — young and old, rich and poor. And it means that we take action and do something to right the injustices that exist.
I don’t think it’s wrong for the United States to be the richest nation on Earth. That fact gives the most generous country on Earth the continued opportunity to reach out and help those in need in our interconnected world. I continue to see that desire grow in the United States, and it excites me and confirms my belief in the greatness of this country.
Taking Action
My wife and I adopted our son, Spencer, from South Korea in 2007, and we’re the proud parents of Emma from Ethiopia, who we hope to bring home in early 2010. We feel incredibly blessed to have our lives so enriched by these two wonderful kids. (One of whom we can’t wait to meet!)
Not everyone can do that, but everyone can engage in the cause of orphan care and adoption. And I’ll go one further: everyone should, and I don’t use those words lightly.
Whether you can become an adoptive parent yourself…contribute financially to the high cost of someone else’s adoption…provide a safe and loving short-term foster home to children in troubled situations…travel to orphanages or shelters overseas and help out for two weeks…or even just keep these children in your prayers, I believe everyone has a stake in orphan care and adoption, and I hope you’ll consider what your role should be in this cause.
Getting Involved
- Show Hope is the orphan care and adoption foundation of Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman and they played a crucial role in helping us bring Spencer home. You can follow them on Twitter at @ShowHopeNow.
- Christian Alliance for Orphans is a great organization dedicated to this cause, and is headed by my friend, Jedd Medefind, formerly Chief of Staff to my State Senator, and then the head of the Office of Faith-based Initiatives in the White House. Follow them on Twitter at @OrphanAlliance.
- Hope for Orphans is an initiative of Family Life Today and provides excellent resources on how to create action for the cause of orphan care and adoption in your local church and community.
- I hope you’ll e-mail me, or just comment on the blog. I so enjoy getting to know people who are engaging in this great cause, and I’d love to hear from you.
