The need for kidney donors in the United States is huge. There are currently around 90,000 people waiting for transplants because their kidneys have stopped working normally, and getting a donation is their best chance at survival.
Most of these people – our moms, dads, grandparents, coworkers and neighbors – are on dialysis and many will never get a chance to lead a normal life again. Because of a shortage of donors, most people who need kidneys wait on the transplant list for years. And many die before they’re able to find a donor.
That’s the problem we want to help solve. Giving up an organ can sound a little crazy, but Jesus calls us to be self-sacrificial and radical in our love for one another – even people we don’t know! He said that the world will know that we follow him because of our love, and this is a unique opportunity to show the world how radical Christ-like love can be.
Of course, not everyone is called to be a kidney donor. But the encouraging thing is that all of us can help in one way or another, and the church is unique in our ability to serve people around us who are sick and dying because of kidney disease. We have a three-pronged approach to getting the church involved:
- Education about becoming a kidney donor
- Ongoing encouragement for people who want to donate
- Support for donors after they’ve had surgery
If you’d like to learn more, visit www.churchorganists.org.
Add your comment!