Whole Gospel Living

I came across Stephen Baumann's (President of World Relief) blog. He posted this quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.

The gospel at its best deals with the whole man, not only his soul but his body, not only his spiritual well-being, but his material well being. Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial. – Martin Luther King, Jr, 1960

"What does the whole gospel look like?" He asked himself. "Love for one another. Trust and honesty. Productivity, employment,  and opportunity. Creativity and dignity. Healthy children. In short, peace, or shalom as the Hebrews call it." 


Powerful words. 


He also posted this on International Women's Day:

"In most of the world today, to be a woman is to be poor.  Women comprise 70 percent of the poor, 66 percent of those who cannot read, nearly 80 percent of the world’s refugees, and 75 percent of the sick.[1]  While women comprise half the world, they do nearly two-thirds of the world’s work and receive only 10 percent of the world’s income.[2]  They are the majority of the world’s farmers, but own a mere 1 percent of property.  Women care for most of the world’s sick, but are less likely to receive treatment when they are ill. Childbirth remains the leading cause of death and injury to women worldwide.  Women caught in war zones face rape as a weapon of the enemy and as the prize of the victors.[3]  More than 1 million girls are trafficked each year, many into sex slavery.  And then there are women that are simply not here:  economist Amartya Sen estimates more than 100 million girls are missing from the world today due to years of “gendercide” in countries like China and India.[4]

Wake up, oh world, for the women among us suffer."

Wow. Enough said. 

Justice Conference

The Justice Conference took place in Portland, Oregon a couple of weeks ago. These were some of the quotes from the conference.  Read what they had to say. Be challenged. 

“Jesus’ natural companionship is with those folks [the poor].” – Walter Brueggemann

“Women are the greatest untapped resource in the world.” – Lynne Hybels
“Don’t be afraid to lament.” – Stephan Bauman
"It doesn’t matter who you are. Everyone has something to offer the movement of justice” –Shane Claiborne
"If we’re going to address trafficking in our country we have to address poverty, racism & gender based violence.” – Rachel Lloyd
“Justice goes across racial and economic barriers – like the good Samaritan.” – John M. Perkins
“That you would no longer see us as the mission field, but as co-equal participants in life.” – Richard Twiss
“When you’re no longer asking ‘What’s mine?’ you start asking ‘What’s true, what’s right, what’s ours?’” – Rick McKinley

Day 29. Not done yet.

I spilled coffee all over my dress yesterday, so I guess it's good that today is the last day, considering I haven't been washing it.

So what's next?

I don't really know the answer to that for sure, but here are some things that I am thinking:
1. I want to continue writing on this blog. I want to continue research, learning, and sharing information. I want to continue to process what I am learning and experiencing. I probably won't post as much because it is time consuming, and there are other things in my life that I need to make a priority as well. Though this is one of my passions, I do need to find balance in the time I am devoting to it. I plan on definitely continuing this blog through my time in Thailand (I am going to be working with Pattaya Slum Ministries from June 2 to August 21).

2. I definitely plan on simplifying the choice that I have in my life right now. One area specifically is that I plan to get rid of a lot of clothes. In the month of March, I want to get rid of at least 75 items from my closet, possibly more. I also want to de-clutter other parts of my house and donate things that I don't use or don't need.

3. I want to continue to make my students aware of slavery and what is going on around the world. I also want to help other students in my school become more aware as well. I asked my principal if students in our elementary school could help donate Sunday school supplies for me to take over to Thailand, and she agreed to that. I'm hoping to be able to talk a little more about Thailand to the students and show them pictures. I also would love to talk to the middle school classes again as well, and provide them with some action steps they could take. I had a middle school student stop me in the hallway yesterday and thank me for what I am doing for people who experience injustice. My actions and words do have an impact.

4. I still want to write a children's book on human trafficking. This might not happen until I go to Thailand, but we'll see. I'm excited about doing this.

5. I want to make conversations about this topic more of a lifestyle. Since I've been wearing the same dress and a huge pin, I don't even really have to initiate most conversations. It's pretty easy. I've thought I about other things I can do to make conversations easy to initiate, like wearing my Thailand jewelry, but even when I have done that in the past, there are not many people who ask about it. This means that I need to be more bold in initiating conversations, which are sometimes difficult, uncomfortable and not really welcomed. But raising awareness is key in the battle against human trafficking, so I'm in.

A lot of what I am doing seems small at times in light of the hugeness of the problem. There are times where I feel what I am doing isn't making a significant impact. But then, I think about the ways my heart has changed in the past 3 years, and I am sometimes blown away about how different I have become. I am not the same person because of what I know about human trafficking and the injustice I have seen with my own eyes. I am excited about the steps I have taken to help fight this thing that I want to see come to an end. I know that I am not powerful enough to do it on my own, but I am thankful that I know that God cares deeply about people who experience injustice. I am thankful that I serve him and he is continually showing me how I can be apart of bringing his kingdom here on earth. I am also thankful for friends who are excited about fighting injustice as well.

Romans 15:13 is a verse that I have taken hold of in the past year, and I really love it's message. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 


As I move forward, I am praying that God fills me and you with hope, joy, and peace as we trust that he is working  everything together for good. And I pray that this hope will spill over to people who know Jesus and can help fight this battle with us, and people who don't know Jesus, who we can shine God's love into their lives. 


Thanks for reading this month. Continue to read. Continue to learn. Continue to ask questions. Continue to pray and see how God can use you to help fight injustice. He will use you if you are willing. 


Peace! 

Day 27. 3 Things You Can Do to Empower Women.

One of the things that I like about Nicholas Kristof is that, while I don't think that he is a Christian, he appreciates all people's efforts, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack there of, in the fight against poverty and injustice. In his book, Half the Sky, he recognizes the great work of International Justice Mission in their efforts to bring an end to slavery around the world. He also highlights many other organizations that are not religious but are doing some amazing work in the area of social justice. He believes that if both Christian and secular organizations work together to combat global injustice great things can happen. I agree. I have seen and read about awesome things that Christian organizations do to help the poor and oppressed, and I have seen and read equally great things done by organizations that have no religious affiliations. Arguments and disagreements about what is motivating your actions toward social justice are not important and will not help bring an end to injustice. Let's work together to bring an end to the evil of human trafficking. 

"In their new book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (Knopf), husband-and-wife Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn argue that the key to economic progress in the world lies in unleashing women's potential. Their suggestions for how you can help:

Make girls smarter. Many pregnant women living in poverty don't get enough iodine, so their fetuses' brains do not develop properly. Their children routinely lose ten to 15 IQ points—particularly the girls, for reasons not fully understood. The solution: Iodize salt, at the cost of a couple of pennies per person per year. To contribute, go to Helen Keller International (HKI.org). 

Support a woman's business. With a microloan of $50, a woman can start a business, producing income she can use to feed her children and send them to school. To make a loan, go to Mercy Corps (MercyCorps.org) or BRAC (BRACUSA.org), two groups helping women around the world. 

Keep a girl in school. A girl who gets an education will have fewer children, earn more money, and be able to help her younger siblings. One excellent support program operates in Cambodia, where uneducated girls are at great risk of being trafficked into brothels. For $10 a month, you can keep a girl in school through American Assistance for Cambodia (CambodiaSchools.com), or for $13,000, you can build an entire school that will revolutionize life in a village forever."

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/money/3-Things-You-Can-Do-to-Empower-Women#ixzz1naKAtt8V