I read in one of my magazines that Madonna is getting involved with relieving suffering in the African nation of Malawi--raising and contributing money, and promoting awareness of the needs in Malawi. This is a good thing. However, the article said Madonna has never actually been to Malawi, and suggested cynically that maybe this was some celebrity good-cause stunt. I don't think it is. But it's interesting that Madonna is drawn to a place she's never been.

But then--how different is that from a lot of missions promotion? Across our churches you'll find people who have a special burden for a particular part of the world that they, personally, have never visited. Might be Africa. Might be China. Might be Latin America. Might be India. The interest could have been sparked by any number of things--a missionary they know who serves there, an article or book they read as children that sparked an enduring fascination, a family member who once visited there, or even just purely a God-prompting.

You can be genuinely concerned about a place, even highly knowledgeable about it, without having actually visited. Though visiting certainly helps.

So, I guess I'm on Madonna's side. If you have a burden for Malawi and want to help—you go, girl!

Additional Note: After posting the above, I remembered hearing a few days ago that part of Madonna's standard contract is that her accommodations include a brand new toilet seat, which must be unwrapped in her presence. Yeah, I doubt she's going to Malawi anytime soon.