The New York Times has an interesting comparison on how people in each country spend their discretionary income.

From the NYT page: "People in Greece spend almost 13 times more money on clothing as they do on electronics. People living in Japan spend more on recreation than they do on clothing, electronics and household goods combined. Americans spend a lot of money on everything. Read the Article

Check out this world map, countries sized by discretionary spending. Do you see Africa? What other countries are missing? It's because there is virtually no discretionary spending. Next time each of us buys another pair of shoes or some music or some additional clothing, this is something to think about.

Not in order to feel guilty, but in order to make sure our choices are informed and wise, as followers of Jesus. How are we called to use our resources? How much should we share rather than use for ourselves?

Why do we have discretionary spending money that others do not? Because we lucked out and were born with different geography? Is God frowning on the poor and smiling on the rich? Is it someone's fault to be poor or someone's accomplishment to have discretionary funds?

And what curses and burdens come along with having a lot of discretionary income? What orientation does that give us toward the whole world which God has made, and what can we learn from others whom Jesus loves who live very differently from us?