If the World Were a Village of 100 People…

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If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:

• The village would have 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 Latin Americans, 5 from the USA and Canada, and 1 from the South Pacific
• 51 would be male, 49 would be female
• 82 would be non-white; 18 white
• 67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian
• 80 would live in substandard housing
• 67 would be unable to read
• 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
• 33 would be without access to a safe water supply
• 39 would lack access to improved sanitation
• 24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76 that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)
• 7 people would have access to the Internet
• 1 would have a college education
• 1 would have HIV
• 2 would be near birth; 1 near death
• 5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth; all 5 would be US citizens
• 33 would be receiving –and attempting to live on– only 3% of the income of “the village”

This is from Family Care Foundation and is also found in START: Becoming A Good Samaritan which we’re presently using as a study at Girdwood Chapel.

Scripture for Sunday — Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

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⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Scripture for Sunday — Luke 1:46-55 (NIV)

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⁴⁶And Mary said:
   “My soul glorifies the Lord
    ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 ⁴⁸for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name.
 ⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
 ⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 ⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones
      but has lifted up the humble.
 ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
      but has sent the rich away empty.
 ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
      remembering to be merciful
 ⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers.”