Soda and Syria

Last night was family night at our church.  Each week starts with a meal, a time of worship, and ends with classes for every age group.  During the dinner hour last night, I had no fewer than three young people come up to me to make me aware that the soda machine was out of Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper.  Ordinarily, it wouldn't bother me that much.  We have people of all ages who drink soda (or pop, depending on where you are from in the country....but I'm going with soda, because it goes with the alliteration in my blog post title) on any given night of the week, during a daytime ministry, or on Sunday morning. 

Here was the rub for me.  At least three people were concerned about the lack of soda in our machine yesterday.  When we were in worship last night, though, not one person asked for us to pray for Syria, for our country, for our world, its leaders, or for those who were directly affected by the events of September 11, 2001.  Hold the phone!  We can adamantly voice our concerns for a first-world problem (no soda - that we like, by the way - in the soda machine), but we can't even voice a prayer aloud for a major third-world problem that affects untold numbers of people (Syria, the continuing crisis in the Middle East, and our world leaders). 

There is something missing here.  Tiny, miniscule first-world problems like soda sit at the forefront of our minds and speech.  Unfortunately, this is the prevailing culture of our time - a focus on self.  Our self-focus threatens to become so enormous that we cannot (or choose not) to see the problems of others, which are often of a much larger magnitude than our own.  What are we teaching our children and grandchildren about what really matters in this world?  Do we teach them basic Christian ethics?  Does the Great Commandment really matter, or have we decided to love our neighbors less than we love ourselves? 

Well, I've filled the soda machine.  First-world problem cared for...well, at least until someone complains about the temperature of the soda.  In the meantime, I'll get back on my knees and pray for the people of Syria, the people affected by 9-11, and the world God loves.