This past Sunday I preached about our tendency as Americans to over-indulge, while others in this world (globally and locally) struggle with the essentials: clean water, adequate shelter, nutritious food. I encouraged the congregation to consider celebrating Christmas a little differently this year by giving presents that have a Kingdom impact, like fair-trade gifts, or financial gifts to church organizations that are in the midst of the justice work of feeding the hungry.
I’m also in the middle of reading a book from my district superintendent entitled Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism by Martha Grace Reese. She tells the story of a new church member, a construction worker, who goes on a mission trip to El Salvador and is moved by the fact that the local people do not have access to clean drinking water. He comes home, contacts another friend in the construction business who had developed a drinking water purifier. The two of them together “improved it to the point that the system operated with regular table salt, a car battery, and a hand crank.” They raised the money, and now villages in El Salvador have clean drinking water!
This got me to thinking, how am I helping? How am I, beyond my missional apportionment gifts, beyond my support of a few ministries to Haiti, how am I helping to feed the hungry and bring clean water to those who need it?
And then in my aggregator (google reader) yesterday the UMC published perhaps the most clear article on how to engage hunger that I’ve ever read:
While none of the ways listed were new to me, I had forgotten how easy it really can be to help alleviate hunger in our own backyard and halfway around the world. There are things in here we can do with our four and six year old sons, so that we can teach them the values of Jesus by feeding the hungry.
Kate has been suggesting that this summer at Wesley Acres we should have a hands on mission project that all of our campers can be a part of. After months of thinking and praying on it, Lo and Behold, we discover Camp Glisson, another UM camp and retreat facility in North Georgia did this very thing in the summer of 2011 packaging over 100,000 meals that were then distributed in Uganda and Liberia. You can read more about it on page five of their newsletter HERE.
Friends, WE CAN make a difference. How will you help shine the light of Christ during this dark time of year? In the comments below share how you and your family will enjoy the goodness of the holidays AND help others realize the goodness of God’s creation as we share with our sisters and brothers.
