When we care for the vulnerable—the unborn, the aged, the poor, the diseased, the disabled, the abused, the orphaned—such is not “charity.” These are not “the disadvantaged,” at least not in the long run. These are the sorts of people God delights in exalting as the future rulers of the universe. It takes more than American values to see that.
Onward p. 136
American values, however powerful, strong, right, or good they are, pale to the values of the Kingdom unless they both align exactly with Kingdom values and are motivated by the Trinity’s love for mankind. That’s why it takes more than just a national way or cultural way of looking at life. Christianity is the only religion or worldview that sets the highest price (the blood of the Son of God) on each individual. Each. Individual.
Every other system makes choices based on some characteristic: intelligence, wealth, skin color, personality, family background, athletic or artistic achievement, nationality, beauty, strength, health, sex, eloquence, age, or productivity. None of those things matter in the Kingdom of God. As Jesus said, “But many who arefirst will be last, and the last, first.” and “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.”
Lingering Over Leaves 