Zimbabwe. Zambia. Ethiopia. Sudan. Nigeria. Niger. Somalia. Uganda. Chad. We see the countries' names. We read about their plight.

We turn on the TV or YouTube or any celebrity's MySpace and we can see the faces. Dark skin. Bright eyes and teeth. Skin and bones.

We learn of their plight. Hunger. Poverty. Starvation. AIDS. Malaria. Cancer. Tuberculosis.

And that is all we see.

We may give. We may try to help. But still, these are the only things we see.

Why, as we look at these far away people, can we not see the statesman who brings peace? Why can we not see the person who will cure cancer or AIDS or any of a host of diseases? Why can we not see the next Billy Graham? Why can we not see God's love and goodness?

All we see is pain ... and we turn that into the idea of wanting to give of ourselves. But we only give little bits and then we rush back to our American homes, feeling prideful that we gave enough perhaps (or maybe not) to tide them over a bit longer.

We pride ourselves on showing God's love. But, all the time, God's love, His goodness, His blessings ... they are all staring us in the face and we do not see them ... choosing instead to return to our American homes, thinking we gave just enough to tide them over.

And we just don't see.