What are the world's 'needs'?

For the past couple days, and occasionally over the past month or so, I've been thinking about the nature of man as it relates to need. The basic needs of food, water and shelter come to mind. Those are not up for debate in my mind. Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization are not up for debate either. They certainly aren't comprehensive but they will do until I make my own up.

What I am debating is the outrageous steps that primarily Westerners go to fill those needs in ourselves and, in turn, neglect the needs of those outside our sphere of influence.

These thoughts were brought to the foreground of my mind this morning as I watched a recent video documenting the efforts that the Invisible Children campaign have undertaken over the past years.

It struck me how, according to Maslow, many of the needs are not being met. If we truly see these as needs, how do people eventually sink into apathy? I've seen and been a part of the campaign along with thousands of this generation. Will we fall victim to what we are trying to rouse others from? Are these passions somehow squeezed out of us by the cultures and time when we secure a career and family? I hope not.

More simply, the question I have is this: "Does this generation want to repeat the past or break through the shroud of apathy?"

I pray for the latter. I pray that we will reach for something better than we currently see. I pray that apathy, greed, rationalized materialism, so-called security, earthly success and the like will not weigh down this generation - that we will free ourselves from the downward spiral I sense us taking.

Hope is still in the redemptive power that came through the Calvary Road and those who follow obediently in its path.