My friend Hunter

First bit of information: My friend Hunter arrived here at Calvin Crest almost two weeks ago.
Second bit of information: On Mondays (most) all of the staff get together for "Bible study"; these last few weeks we have been discussing each beatitude from Matthew 5. Last week was "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

And somehow we ended up talking about the genocide in Rwanda, and the genocide occuring in the Darfur region of Sudan over the last year and a half. Hunter expressed that he was not content simply to use other people's suffering as an example.

So here is a chance not to use other people's suffering, but to perhaps do something about it.

I wear a white wristband

that says ONE on it. It's one of the rubber-band ones, that Lance has made so popular. THis wristband reminds me of people less fortunate than myself, nations less fortunate than this place I just happened to be born in. Sometimes it pisses me off, because I cannot figure out what good my life is for people who are needy, people who live on a different continent, but are not less worthy than me. There is so very much wrong in the world, death and injustice, decay and despair, and my feeling of impotence makes me want to take the wristband off.

A few months ago I read an article in Time Magazine by an economist named Jeffrey Sachs. He is now in charge of the UN Millenium Project, and the goal is to half the world's extreme poverty by 2015. An estimated 1.1 billion people live on less than $1 a day, and they cannot live like this. 8 million people will die this year because of their lack or resources. My wrist band is to remind me and help others learn about the ONE campaign, which put's public pressure on politicians to hold the U.S. accountable to fulfill its commitment of 0.7% of the the U.S GNP to the UN Millenium Project. This money will be used for education, AIDS relief, environmental, agricultural, economic aid, and debt relief for fellow humans being crippled by their circumstances.

I cannot do anything. I cannot help. I am not a lawyer, an economist, a doctor, a politician. I have no connections, no influence, no political capital, no wealth. I wear this wristband and languish in America. I want to tear this wristband off, but I cannot.

"We must never be satisfied with mere protest or complaint about the things we believe are wrong. Rather we must do the harder, more creative, and ultimately more prophetic work of finding and offering alternatives. "

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord"

Sunday Afternoon

I'm sorry, I just haven't had much drive to post about anything lately. Except that my parents are celebrating their 40th anniversary this June. This amazes me, because I am starting to feel like I have been married for a while, and it hasn't been much more than a year and a half. I am thankful for my parents, and thankful to them for this gift to us, their children. They are going to Prague in September to listen to music and then into Germany to see all the places that J.S. Bach used to live. They deserve it. (This is a very Cory Pina-esque post)

jc