Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Hole In Our Gospel

I just finished reading The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Steans, president of World Vision U.S. I have to say first off that this is a remarkable book - challenging, enlightening, motivating. If you had any doubts whatsoever about God's call to serve the poor, they will be swept aside as Stearns shows us again and again what God expects of those of us who call ourselves Christ followers. You and I have a mountain called poverty set before us but with each of using our 'faith of a mustard seed' we can dig away at that mountain until it is removed.

Stearns makes it very clear that he is no superhero, he is simply someone who responded to God's call to do something, to make a difference, in the lives of those who suffer from poverty and injustice. After reading The Hole In Our Gospel you cannot remain the same, and do not read this book unless you are willing to be changed. That's not marketing hype, it's reality. You will have to respond, either by ignoring the call to get involved or by asking God what you can can offer so that His kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

The best summary comes from the introduction to the book itself:

"The idea behind The Hole In Our Gospel is quite simple. It's basically the belief that being a Christian, or follower of Jesus Christ, requires more than just having a personal and transforming relationship with God. It also entails a public and transforming relationship with the world." (pg 2)

Monday, September 07, 2009

A Message From God

There is nothing you could ever do that would make God love you less...

Monday, August 31, 2009

Crutches

It's been opined more than once that faith in Jesus is a crutch, something for the weak of spirit who can't deal with the pressures of life. True believers, it's said, just need something to look forward to when they die because they are so unfulfilled with their current lives. There may be some truth in that, yet when I look around at the cultural icons whose faces show up on t-shirts and posters, so many of them took their own lives (directly or indirectly) that it becomes obvious they could have used some crutches of their own. Just consider this short list:

Marilyn Monroe
Kurt Cobain
Jimi Hendrix
Elvis Presley
Jim Morrison

These are just the iconic ones; the ones most revered by our culture. There are literally hundreds of other celebrities who committed suicide because they couldn't deal with life. And of course, there are thousands of 'regular' people who try to kill themselves every year and millions more who are addicted to something that helps them get through the day - drugs, alcohol, food, sex, shopping.

So for anyone who says religion is for those who need a crutch my only answer is yes, you are probably right. But I'll take my Jesus as a crutch any day over a crutch that leaves me with a bullet in my head or a stomach full of sleeping pills.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Mall Thoughts

Spending hours on end working a sponsorship booth in a shopping mall gives you lots of time to observe and think. Here are a few of the thoughts I've thunk in the last two days...

Funny t-shirts are rarely funny.
People will do anything to avoid eye contact.
Europeans, even the young ones, will always greet each other with a handshake.
For all of the fashionable stores around, most people dress pretty much the same.
There are a lot of mentally unstable/socially awkward people in the world.
There is no designer clothing as beautiful as a traditional African dress.
Only 1 in every 100 people can really get away with skinny jeans.
Beauty has absolutely nothing to do with the clothes you wear.
Tattoo removal will be a booming business in about twenty years.
Teenage girls are still goofy. Teenage boys are still self-conscious.
Consumerism does not make people happy.
The razor thin beard from the sideburns under the chin looks like a hair net.
VBC (visible bum crack)...never a good idea.
Some people really want to encourage you (thanks Kevin!)
Trend watch - Girls: Flowers in the hair. Checkered shirts.
Trend watch - Guys: Same as usual...t-shirts and jeans.
The mall plays the same sequence of songs every day.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Too Much Is Never Enough

Watching people at the market today I was struck by how many look sad, angry, anxious...joyless. All this sadness in the midst of such abundance. When will we learn that stuff - food, possessions, money, etc. - will not bring happiness? It's by giving ourselves away that we discover our joy.

A couple walked past my table today looking absolutely miserable. As they passed, I heard the lady say, "There's nothing that we've denied ourselves. Nothing." I believe they were speaking in reference to having seen all there is to see at the market, and yet, having "done it all" they still appeared to be so unhappy. Perhaps the one thing that they had denied themselves was the chance to give something away. To do something for the good of someone else.

There is such profound truth in Jesus' words, "If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms." (Luke 17:33 MSG) Pursuing all that life has to offer when it is only for our own sakes is pointless. Our appetite for more is endless. If I can quote U2 here, "too much is never enough." It's true. Those who spend their time and resources acquiring things for their own pleasure are, generally speaking, very unhappy at the core of their being. I know this is true because I've done it myself. There have been seasons in my life when I've thought, if I could just get a new camera, or a new iPod, or if I could just eat at that new restaurant, then I'll be satisfied. But the pursuit of ones own happiness can be just as addictive and unfulfilling as heroin. The hit feels good when you first make a purchase, but the satisfaction only lasts for a while before you need another hit to maintain your high.

I need to constantly remind myself of this truth: consumerism ultimately will not bring me joy. It's only in giving my life away for the sake of others that true joy and happiness is achieved. I can think of no greater thing than to spend my life in the pursuit of serving others, particularly the "least of these" that Jesus talks about in Matthew 25:31-46. That is where we find life in all it's fulness - in serving others, in giving ourselves away. When God decides my time here is done, I hope to leave with an empty house and an overflowing heart.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Labels

People watching is one of my favorite pastimes when I am out and about. There's never any shortage of interesting or unique people out there. Standing at a display table in a mall or at the St. Jacobs Farmers Market as I have been this week provides plenty of opportunity to watch people as they come and go on the way to do their shopping.

Watching shoppers go by, I'm always amazed by the number of people who wear brand labels on their clothing. It's a continuous stream of Nike, Tommy, Holister, Old Navy, Nautica, etc. For some, this is an unavoidable fact of life in our marketing-saturated society. Personally, I try to avoid being a walking billboard as much as possible. For others however, these labels are an identifier, a way to tell people what "tribe" they belong to or what lifestyle they aspire to. After all, it's hard not to walk into a Nike store and suddenly feel like you can swing a club like Tiger Woods or shoot a layup like Kobe Bryant. And let's face it, who wouldn't want to be toned, tanned, and sexy like a Calvin Klein model?

But what if our labels...that which we aspire to...were character traits rather than designer brands? Is it possible we could replace Adidas, Roots, and Aeropostale with things like Kind, Generous, and Merciful? Just imagine if these labels became more important to us than those of our favorite clothing designers. If we see someone wearing a brand-name sweater we automatically pass a judgement on that person, be it positive or negative, depending on any number of personal factors. But if I saw someone walking down the street with Patient plastered across his chest, I'd be intrigued and would want to know more about how he got that label and where I could get it as well.

Next time I pull on a t-shirt, I'm going to think about what label I'm wearing.

Monday, August 03, 2009

The Times They Are A-Changin'

The phrase "may you live in interesting times" is considered by many to be the English translation of an ancient Chinese curse. There is no doubt that we do live in interesting times and that the not too distance future holds many changes for most of us. Changes which, in large part, will be driven by China and its ever-expanding economic influence.

I've been considering lately just what kinds of changes we can expect in the next 10-20 years as we see our world adapt to shifting power structures and new realities that will impact us all. So with a great debt to many authors, journalists, and my own late-night ponderings, I present my "amateur futurist" predictions of how our world will change over the next two decades.

1) Unemployment will soar as North American manufacturing moves offshore, leaving uneducated workers in the lurch. This is no great prediction as this is already happening on a daily basis. But to all of those poorly educated men and women on the picket lines demanding higher wages for low skill jobs, I would suggest you start finding another line of work...quickly. Those jobs are not coming back, no matter how much pressure the unions exert. We can't compete anymore so let's just get over it and let the retraining begin.

2) Most of us will be driving Chinese or Indian made vehicles with the Japanese and Koreans continuing to hang in there. The North American automobile will be a luxury item for those who can afford them, much like the Mercedes and Jaguar are today.

3) Oil companies will lose their positions of power as more and more of us switch to electric and hybrid vehicles. As a result of this switch, electricity companies will replace "big oil" as the new power brokers. My advice? Invest in your local power generation corporation now.

4) Newspapers and magazines will cease to exist in print form as they head online with an as-yet-to-be-figured-out pricing structure.

5) Evangelicalism will no longer be the primary religious preference of Christians in North America as young believers align themselves with a more inclusive brand of "Jesus follower" without denominational boundaries.

6) As China rises to world economic dominance, our interpretation and application of democracy will change dramatically as will our understanding of free market capitalism. I don't expect any sort of socialist republic being birthed in North America, but those with whom we trade will not necessarily agree that Adam Smith was the father of all economic wisdom.

7) Watch for new economies to arise as developing nations embrace and appropriate China's economic vision for themselves. If (and only if) Africans will demand transparency from their scourge of corrupt leaders, we will see a new dawn for the millions living in extreme poverty in sub-saharan Africa.

8) The concept of personal privacy will become a thing of the past. And we'll give it away willingly! Think about all of those Gen-Y folks driving you nuts in the mall as they text and talk incessantly on their cell phones. Do you think they're going to have any issues with giving up their privacy? Heck, they'd gladly give it up now if it meant more cool ways to connect with their friends.

This list is by no means complete or conclusive, and Nostradamus I'm not. These are just a few areas of observation but there are so many more...How will retail adapt to advancing technologies? What effect will climate change have? How will media conversion influence our day-to-day understanding of the world around us? To what extent will religious extremism continue to inflame violence locally and globally? Will the middle class cease to exist? With fewer farmers and less arable land, how will we feed a growing urban population?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but one thing I am sure of - we are in a time of rapid upheaval the likes of which we haven't seen since the Industrial Revolution three hundred years ago. While there will inevitably be some folks walking around with sandwich boards proclaiming the end is near, I'm not convinced that is in fact the case. God is still at work calling the church to embrace our role as emissaries of His radical life-changing Kingdom built on grace, peace, and love. May we continue to stick to our mission and stand firm while the whirlwind blows around us.

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Missional Defined

“The missional church vision is not a programmatic response to the crisis of relevance, purpose and identity that the church in the Western World is facing, but a recapturing of biblical views of the Church all too frequently abandoned, ignored, or obscured through long periods of church history. It is a renewed theological vision of the church in mission, which redefines the nature, the mission and the organization of the local church around Jesus’ proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom. Missional Churches seek to respond to God’s invitation to join Him in His mission in and for the world, as a sign, a servant and a foretaste of this Kingdom.”

As published by Forge Canada

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Scared

Have you ever asked any of these questions...



Are poor kids in Africa really as hard off as the charities claim?

Isn't the media just embellishing the problem because they need a good news story?

Why don't these poor people do something to help themselves?

Why should I help the poor in another country when I need to care for my own family here at home?

Why are all of these celebrities getting worked up over poor kids "over there" - aren't they just seeking publicity for themselves?

Why should I care...the problem doesn't affect me?


All of these questions and more can be answered by reading Scared by Tom Davis. I just finished reading Scared this morning and posted my review on Amazon. You can read the review for yourself, but, as someone who works for an NGO and cares deeply about children living in poverty, I ask you to please read this book. It will change your perspective. It will break you. It just might change your life.

Visit the book's website to see the trailer: Scared

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Hoops of Hope

I finished reading Austin Gutwein's book Take Your Best Shot a couple of weeks ago and posted a review on Amazon.ca. Today, a friend sent me the link to this video about Austin's organization Hoops for Hope and the amazing work that has taken place in Zambia (in partnership with World Vision) simply because a nine year-old kid decided to make a difference. I found this very inspiring. I hope you do too.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Interview with the Dunnville Chronicle

From the Dunnville Chronicle:

Ninety-one students of Dunnville Secondary School recently decided they could make a difference in the world and, by letting their actions speak, they did just that.

During the annual 30-hour famine they raised $5,560 destined for third world countries through World Vision.

Scott Rollo, who assumed the role of famine organizer as part of his position as Student Council Activities Coordinator, told the Chronicle, "It was good to realize that we had raised funds and to see where the money was going."

Rollo invited a representative from World Vision to attend the event and explain how the DSS effort could fit into a larger plan. It was a presentation by Brad Saunders of World Vision that helped the students see just exactly what they had achieved.

"It was a good presentation. It helped us realize how the money we raised would help," Rollo said.

And Saunders was impressed by the DSS effort. "It’s really quite amazing what the DSS students did. I’ve been at schools with over 5,000 students who didn’t raise the kind of money they did. And with the economy being like it is, it was really impressive," he said.

Saunders began his presentation asking the students if they had read the headlines that morning announcing the 25,000 people who had died the day before from extreme poverty.


Looks of confusion were exactly what Saunders anticipated as that headline never happened – even though the deaths did happen.

He pointed out that other events grab the headlines, such as the recent outbreak of swine flu, which claimed a few hundred lives, while this perpetual problem is largely ignored.

"I think people are aware of the situation but we need to make it a higher priority in terms of action," Saunders told The Chronicle.

"About five million children under the age of five die every year from malnutrition. That’s about 10 every minute," Saunders explained.

Saunders understands it is the staggering statistics that force the gloomy reality out of the news headlines.

"The numbers are overwhelming, but I like to say one person can’t change the world, but one person can change one person’s world," Saunders explained.

Saunders told The Chronicle he was recently inspired when he heard a former child soldier speak. "He was fired up and said, ‘We can’t wait for our governments or the UN to do something, it’s up to individuals’."

"World Vision is there to serve and help people who need it. We will help anyone regardless of race, religion or nationality," Saunders explained.

They provide an efficient avenue for individuals, or groups like the DSS students, to make a direct difference in the lives of others.

Members of World Vision make presentations to a variety of groups and he remarked that high school students tend to stay enthusiastic a little longer than adults. "They stay pumped up and that excites me. If we can influence a person when they’re young, hopefully they will keep the attitude for the rest of their life," he said.

He appreciated the opportunity to speak at DSS because he realizes it’s getting more and more difficult to be heard.

"It’s tough to get the story told. There are so many other voices out there telling us about Brittney Spears or Brad Pitt or whatever trashy entertainment stuff is happening," he explained.

Saunders said World Vision personnel understand that solving world poverty is a very complicated issue. "It’s a catch-22 because we need people to consume in order to generate enough income to be able to share with others. It’s a hard thing but if we in the developed nations live with a little bit less we can give third world countries more," he offered.

He pointed out that countries with emerging economies tend to display a lower birth rate. And the combination of increased income and lower birth rates raise the chance of survival for children.

In order to stay motivated World Vision staff maintain the approach outlined by their motto – "Change a life, change your own."

"I know the work I’m doing is saving lives on he other side of the world. But the flip-side is changing lives here by raising awareness," said Saunders.

The 30-hour famines, run at churches, schools, or through other groups, are one of three major annual World Vision initiatives. Sponsoring a child born into poverty on an ongoing basis is their second program and purchasing gifts from their annual catalogue is the third.

"The famine season is wrapping up. We begin to focus on the sponsorship program through the summer and then concentrate on the catalogue beginning late in September," Saunders revealed.

"I really love the catalogue concept," he said. "It helps us take the focus off ourselves and allows us to purchase something for someone who actually needs help."

He explained catalogue gifts are not one-time handouts. "The goal is longer term sustainability. The gifts may be a goat, chicken, cow, or fruit tree. They can breed the animals and sell them or sell eggs or milk to produce income, for example."

World Vision has a monitoring process in place to ensure the gifts purchased go into areas targeted for development.

Saunders made it clear that personal help from World Vision is a big part of the process. "Our staff work to train people on what to do with the gifts," he said.

Link to original article: Dunnville Secondary Students Share The Vision

Monday, April 27, 2009

Think Before You Buy

I've had NO time lately to even think about posting anything here. Anything beyond a few tweets once and again has just not been possible. That being said, watching this video tonight about the employment conditions of workers in Malaysia for a company contracted by Nike makes me sick.

Any ideas on how we can make this stop? Personally, I think we can complain and protest all we want, but until we start hitting these companies where it hurts the most (their profit margin), I don't really don't think they could care less. To take it one step further, maybe we need to take on not only Nike, but those who accept multi-million dollar sponsorship deals from them. Tiger Woods seems like a decent guy, but if he's being paid $20 million for wearing Nike clothing while the person who made that clothing is making $6 per day and is living in squalor, is he not at least partially responsible for the injustice?

I need to think about this some more, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on how we can educate all of those who endorse Nike so blindly. Is there something more powerful than money? A little bit of bad publicity maybe?

Friday, April 03, 2009

Canada Turns Its Back

Read this article in today's Globe & Mail (follow the link for the complete story.)

Although International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda says the government's recently announced foreign-aid realignment will continue to support people in greatest need, finite development resources are being shifted to better-off countries with a bigger trading potential to reinforce Ottawa's preferred focus on Latin America.This new policy abandons Canada's traditional emphasis on reducing poverty in the world's poorest countries, notably in Africa. It will hurt some of the world's most needy people and diminish Canada's stature in the developing world. According to the announcement, eight African countries have been removed from the list of priority recipients of Canadian aid: The losers are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda and Zambia. They have been replaced by Colombia, Peru and the Caribbean, middle-income countries with whom Canada has entered into or is negotiating free-trade agreements.

The new policy has understandably dismayed representatives of the countries diminished by the new thrust. They had been given no hint by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon when he met the heads of African missions in Canada a month before Ms. Oda's announcement. His commitment to the group that Canada would continue to be an active development partner with Africa now has a hollow ring.


This is unconscionable. Aid should go to those who need it most. Not where it is politically expedient.

Just The Facts #25

It's Famine Day in Canada!

Fact: Proverbs 31:8-9 says, Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

This will be my last poverty fact now that we've reached the National 30-Hour Famine date. There is still lots of time though to support your local famine group as there are many groups who aren't doing their famine until late April or early May. So please do what you can to help the 1.4 billion people who live on one dollar per day or less. They need YOUR help!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Thursday, April 02, 2009

An Eye For An Eye

I came across this story in the Toronto Star today:

A Palestinian with an axe and a knife killed a 13-year-old Israeli boy and wounded a 7-year-old boy in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank today, two days after a right-wing government took power in Israel. Citing Israeli "crimes of occupation," Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility in a statement.

As always in a case like this, the story is followed by a plethora of angry comments blaming one side or the other for what happened and who should be taking revenge on whom.

As often happens, the first thing that came to mind after reading the story and the comments were song lyrics. In this case I immediately thought of Derek Webb's song I For An I and the lyric, "An eye for an eye will never satisfy 'till there's nothing left to see." It should be an easy concept to understand but we humans are not real bright when it comes to these things. Seeking revenge for a violent act only leads to more violent acts. It's as simple as that.

If ever there was proof of this truth, it is the situation in the Middle East. For generation after generation, Israelis and Palestinians have been killing each other to gain vengeance for a previous misdeed which has only led to both sides becoming even more deeply entrenched in their positions; neither side willing to make any real strides towards a lasting peace.

That being said, seeking revenge occurs everywhere, not just in the Middle East. Neighbours take revenge against each other over small disagreements. Teens will take revenge on someone who "dissed" them. Drivers will cut each other off in traffic for a perceived violation. Husbands and wives will doing things to tick each other off just because "he said..." or "she said..." Co-workers...friends...church members...the list is endless. We are a venge-filled people.

The desire to seek revenge is embedded deep in our hearts and will rear its ugly head at the drop of a hat. As with most of my posts, I point the finger at myself first because I recognize the depth of violence and anger that lives within me. But what would happen if we just stopped? Just stopped seeking revenge for every slight, large or small, perceived or real. Imagine if Israel or Palestine just said, "That's it. We're done. No more eye for an eye. No more repaying suicide bombers with rocket attacks." If I learned anything from being bullied in elementary school it's that the tormenting will stop if you stop fighting back.

To bring it a little closer to home, what if church members stopped taking such offense over small infractions that were more than likely unintentional anyway? What if we really did become a community of love choosing to turn the other cheek?

Finally, what if you and I were filled with forgiveness instead of vengeance? I know that sounds difficult if not impossible, but if the Kingdom of God dwells within us (Luke 17:21) is anything really beyond possibility? If the same Jesus who created the heavens and the earth, the same Jesus who forgave his crucifiers even as they were driving the spikes into his cross, if this same Jesus dwells in us, then nothing is impossible. As I wrote a couple of days ago, if we have died to ourselves, then we have undermined the powers; in this case the power of vegeance. I'm not talking mere behaviour modification here, I'm talking real change.

And when it comes to violence and vengeance, it seems a change would do us all some good.

Just The Facts #24

Fact: The UN estimates that unfair trade rules alone deny poor countries $700 billion every year (that's $2 billion per day). Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Fight The Powers

We had a really great discussion at our manuscript Bible study at church last night. In looking at Colossians 1:15-23 in it's historical context, we come to understand that when Paul refers to Jesus using words of authority...kingdom, thrones, dominion, rulers, powers...it is in fact a not so subtle reference to the authority of Caesar and the ruling authority of Rome over the Colossians.

If you lived under Roman authority, you were a part of the Pax Romana, the Peace of Rome. But this peace came at the point of a sword. You see, while the Roman Empire did in fact bring an aura of peace to the lands over which it claimed ownership, that peace was achieved by eliminating any dissenters, which is why we hear stories of Christians being thrown to the lions, or used as human torches along roadways, or nailed to crosses.

So when the Colossians received this letter from Paul who was in a jail cell in Rome, claiming that Christ was in fact the true authority, the authentic ruler of all things, it was nothing short of sedition. Furthermore, Paul posits that the cross of Christ, which Jesus took upon himself willingly as a sacrifice for all is far more powerful than the Roman cross of torture. And how is sacrificial death on a cross more powerful than the enforced cross of Rome? Well, if you were living under the Pax Romana in AD 60, which peace would be more appealing to you...an external peace through the aggressive power of Rome or internal peace through the transformational kingdom of God?

It's an easy question to answer in an historical context, but what happens when we ask that question today? What are the powers today that keep us enslaved, that we feel threatened by if we don't follow them? How about...

Business - As the engine that drives our economy, big business has the right to expand regardless of the human or environmental destruction it leaves behind.
Progress - It is imperative that mankind continue moving forward. Technology is our panacea.
Fear - There are evil forces out there who want to do terrible things to you, your children, and your way of life. You need to go to war if necessary to fight them.
Money - Make sure you have enough. Hoard what you have. Save for a rainy day. Don't give it away because you never know when you'll need it.
Success - If you are successful, you should have the biggest and best of everything.
Greed - I need more. I want more. I deserve more.
Perfection - I need to look perpetually young. Perpetually beautiful/handsome. Failure is not in my vocabulary. There is nothing wrong in my world.
My Kingdom - In the end, life is all about me. My needs, my wants, my comfort. I don't have time to help someone in need or to consider someone else's suffering.

These are just a few examples. I'm sure you can think of others. The point, however, is that we are enslaved to these powers in so many ways. How many of the above list can you identify in your own life? I know I easily fall prey to the power of Money and Perfectionism.

So how do we overcome our enslavement to the powers and give our allegiance wholeheartedly to the kingdom of God? I believe the answer can be found in Romans 6 wherein Paul, writing about our enslavement to sin, says :

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (Romans 6:5-10)

Jesus submitted to death, and in doing so, he overcame the power of death. As it says in verse ten, death no longer has mastery over him. In submitting, Christ became more powerful than death. This brings to mind Matthew 5:38-42:

You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

How does an aggressor have power over you if you offer him the left cheek after he has just slapped you across the right? Or how does a soldier enforce his power over you if you offer to carry his gear twice as far as he's commanded? In willfully submitting to the authority of the power, you are in fact undermining the authority of that power, therefore the power no longer has authority over you just as Christ now has power over death by submitting to death in the first place.

To further illustrate the point, if you watch a magician pull a rabbit out of his hat, you scratch your head in amazement at his 'power' to perform a great illusion. But once you know how that illusion is performed, it no longer has the power to amaze you. In fact, the magician is no longer a remarkable performer, but just a guy with a vermin problem. The power of the magician is gone.

It's a difficult concept to wrap our heads around, especially in a culture that tells you that the most important person in the world is you, but if we have already "died with Christ" as it says in Romans 6:8, then the authority of the powers has been undermined and we no longer have to be slaves to them.

Even here, the power of perfectionism grabs hold of me saying, "if you have died with Christ, then why are you still a slave to me?" I need to keep in mind that while I have died with Christ, I am still on my journey home. I am still looking toward the day when I'll see him face to face and the authority of the powers will be broken once and for all. Until then I continue striving to see the powers for who and what they really are: every bit as much an illusion as the magician and the rabbit. As I continue to realize that the powers no longer have authority over me, I am able to recognize their enmeshing strategies and say "no, I have died with Christ. I belong to him now, therefore you no longer have the ability to threaten or manipulate me, because I belong to the kingdom of God. A kingdom over which your authority has been broken."

And when it comes right down to it, I'll choose a kingdom of love and light over a kingdom of power and darkness anytime. I hope you will too.

Just The Facts #23

Fact: Every month, 770,000 people in Canada rely on food banks-40% of whom are children. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Just The Facts #22

Fact: Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Denmark have reached their 0.7% MDG commitment. Another 11 countries have timelines for doing so before 2015. Canada is not among them. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Just The Facts #21

Fact: In 2007, Canada gave 0.28% of GNI to development assistance, well below the MDG requrement of 0.7%. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Just The Facts #20

Fact: Some 1.8 million children die each year as a result of diarrhea from drinking dirty water. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Just The Facts #19

Fact: Roughly 27-28% of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Just The Facts #18

Fact: 9 million children have been forced to leave their homes and live as refugees as a result of conflict. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

The End Poverty Concert is April 25!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Just The Facts #17

Fact: Four people under age 25 become HIV-positive every minute. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Just The Facts #16

Fact: 1% of yearly spending on weapons would put every child on the planet in school. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Just The Facts #15

Fact: Tuberculosis is the most common cause of death among AIDS patients in Africa. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Just The Facts #14

Fact: The global food crisis has pushed another 100 million people back into deeper poverty. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Just The Facts #13

Fact: Today is World Water Day. Water is a basic human right, not a commodity. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Just The Facts #12

Fact: Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Just The Facts #11

Fact: Average daily water usage in the devloping world: 10 litres/person. In Canada: 335L. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Just The Facts #10

Fact: 1% of the world's yearly spending on weapons could put every child on the planet in school. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

A fact a day until April 3rd, the date of the 30-Hour Famine.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Just The Facts #9

Fact: 300,000 child soldiers serve in government forces or armed rebel groups worldwide. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

IDEX 2009

If you don't think militarism is driven by money, just take a look at this video from IDEX 2009, the bi-annual trade show for the global arms industry. Yes, you read that correctly...a trade show.

Just The Facts #8

Fact: Five million people die each year from water-related diseases. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


The following in an excerpt from the prayer of St. Patrick more commonly know as "St. Patrick's Breast-Plate." The full prayer and more information on St. Patrick can be found here.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Monday, March 16, 2009

The World's Genocide Test

There's a good article in today's Washington Times about the International Criminal Court's case against Gen. Omar Bashir, president of Sudan. Bashir is charged with five crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, forcible transfer (of civilian populations), torture and rape. It is estimated that over 300,000 men, women, and children have been murdered by Bashir's military forces and their hired terrorists the janjaweed. Since Bashir expelled aid workers in Sudan two weeks ago, there is great concern that hunger and disease will now run rampant.

Read the full article here, then consider what you can do to voice your concern with your elected officials.

Just The Facts #7

Fact: A child dies every 7 seconds from hunger...in the time it takes to read this post another child will be dead. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Lost Generation

This is one of those videos that makes the rounds (which I usually try to avoid), but in this case, it's worth posting here as well. Enjoy.

Just the Facts #6

1,150 children worldwide are infected with HIV every day. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Just the Facts #5

1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean, safe water. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Friday, March 13, 2009

God Grew Tired Of Us



I watched a portion of God Grew Tired Of Us over my lunch hour today. It's the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan who fled the country with nothing more than the clothes on their backs because of the civil war that began in the late 80's and continues to this day. Over 27,000 boys fled Sudan and eventually found themselves in a U.N. refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya. The film follow three boys in particular who were selected to move to America to start a new life: Pather Bior, Daniel Abol Pach, and John Bul Dau. I won't go into all of the details because I highly recommend you see this documentary for yourself. A movie review does not do justice to the emotional impact this film will have.

That being said, there was one scene in particular I found particularly moving. When the three boys have landed in the U.S. and are being introduced to the most basic of items that we take for granted, it is humourous and heartbreaking at the same time. As they are being shown how to use a shower, how to turn on a light, how to use the refrigerator, etc. I couldn't help but reflect on their sheer, unfettered innocence as they drank it all in like little children.

When they visit a grocery store for the first time, they are amazed by the quantity and variety of food that is available. There were no complaints about brown spots on the apples or a long line at the checkout. These guys had lived for years with next to no food or clothing, having only each other to cling to as most of their parents had been murdered. Their utter guilelessness in a society which has made the rest of bitter, angry, and cynical was overwhelming and I found myself choking back tears.

I'm not sure if I was crying for them or for us.

While I am saddened by the story of the Lost Boys and billions of others like them who live in extreme poverty, today I am crying becuase I am ashamed. I am ashamed for taking all of my blessings for granted. I am ashamed for wanting to store things up for myself when there are so many in need. And I am ashamed of our leaders who would rather spend money on bombs than bread.

Jesus said: "When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." Luke 12:48

Lord forgive me. Forgive us.

Just the Facts #4

Nearly 30,000 children die every day from the effects of extreme poverty. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

There Is Poverty At Home Too

Here's a good article from the Toronto Star about the effects of the economic meltdown on workers in Canada. We don't always see it, but there is poverty here in our prosperous country as well.

Toronto construction worker Mark Merner has been struggling to support his young family since his hours were slashed in half last fall. And he's worried it could get worse.

"The construction industry is really slowing down and I've been told there might not be much work this summer," says the father of five children age 5 and younger, including a baby and a set of twins.

"I just don't know what we'll do. We're living paycheque to paycheque now."


Read the full article here.

Here's an excellent video from the Star as well.

Just the Facts #3

Fact: In 2007, 90 million children worldwide were not in school. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Just the Facts #2

Fact: In 2007, 9.2 million children under 5 died as a result of poverty-related causes. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Just the Facts #1

Fact: 1.4 billion people (of which 600 million are children) are living in extreme poverty. Support your local 30-Hour Famine!

Canada: www.famine.ca
U.S.: www.30hourfamine.org
U.K.: www.bugonline.org
Australia: www.worldvision.com.au
New Zealand: www.famine.org.nz

No one to support locally? Support me!

Monday, March 09, 2009

The Justice Creed

A thought for this lenten season...

We believe that the living God is just
And that the true and living God loves justice.
God delights in just laws and rejoices in just people.
God sides with those who are oppressed by injustice,
And stands against oppressors.
God is grieved by unjust people and the unjust systems they create and sustain.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, and
God's kingdom belongs to those willing to be persecuted for the sake of justice.
To God, justice is a weighty thing which can never be ignored.

We believe that Jesus, the Liberating King, came to free humanity from injustice
And to display the justice of God,
In word and deed, in life, death, and resurrection.
The justice which God desires, Jesus taught, must surpass that of the hypocrites,
For the justice of God is a compassionate justice,
Rich in mercy and abounding in love
For the last, the least, the lost, and the outcast.
On his cross, Jesus drew the injustice of humanity into the light,
And there the heartless injustice of human empire met
The reconciling justice of the kingdom of God.
The resurrection of Jesus proclaims that the true justice of God,
Naked, vulnerable, and scarred by abuse, is stronger
Than the violent injustice of humanity, armed with weapons, conceit,
deceit, and lies.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is here, now,
Convicting the world of sin and justice,
Warning that God's judgment will come on all that is unjust.
We believe that the Kingdom of God is justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Empowered by the Spirit, then, we seek first God's kingdom and God's justice,
For the world as it is has not yet become the world as God desires it to be.
And so we live, and work, and pray,
Until justice rolls down like water,
And flows strong and free like a never-failing stream.
For we believe that the living God is just
And that the true and living God loves justice.
Amen.


From: www.brianmclaren.net

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Help Shape The G8 Agenda

The G8—the “Group of Eight” nations representing the world’s major industrialized democracies—will meet at their annual summit this July in Italy. This is a great opportunity to let your voice be heard by sending a letter to Prime Minister Harper requesting that the welfare of millions of children living in poverty around the world be on the agenda. Follow the link below to add your name to the list:

Shape The G8 Agenda

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Aid Agencies Expelled from Sudan

From today's Globe & Mail:

Sudan's president, wanted by an international court on war crimes charges, danced and waved a cane defiantly in front of thousands of supporters Thursday, denouncing the tribunal, the UN and aid agencies as part of a new "colonialism" that aims to destabilize his country.The warrant against President Omar al-Bashir was having its first repercussions on the ground, after his government ordered 10 leading humanitarian aid agencies to leave Darfur in retaliation for the International Criminal Court's decision. The agencies on Thursday were starting the process to move out.Aid workers warned that the expulsion order could spark a humanitarian crisis for up to two million people in Darfur who are directly served by the 10 agencies, receiving food, shelter and medical supplies.

At least 2.7 million people in the large, arid region of western Sudan have been driven from their homes in the war between Darfur rebels and the government since 2003 — and many more depend on international aid to survive.

Speaking for the first time since the warrant was issued Wednesday, Mr. al-Bashir told a cabinet meeting that the tribunal, the United Nations and international organizations operating in Sudan were "tools of the new colonialism" meant to bring Sudan and its resources under control. Mr. al-Bashir said the aid organizations were trying to disrupt peace efforts in Darfur and interfere with foreign investment and that his government ordered them out of Darfur because they violated the law.

The international aid groups ordered out of Sudan were Oxfam, CARE, MSF-Holland, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, the International Rescue Committee, Action Contre la Faim, Solidarites, and CHF International.

Full article is available here.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Canada Lets Down Africa

From Friday's Toronto Star:

Don't Skip Africa In Our Foreign Aid
Canada doesn't spend that much on foreign aid: $4.8 billion this year. That's roughly 0.3 per cent of our economic output, well below the 0.45 per cent target the Conservatives themselves set in 2006. Within the G7, we were last in 2007 in absolute donor dollars and just middling in relative terms.

Given this modest spending, Prime Minister Stephen Harper can't be faulted for focusing on fewer countries, to have more impact. But the shift unveiled this week by International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda isn't just about identifying 20 priority countries that we intend to help. It's also about stepping up Canada's involvement in places where former U.S. president George W. Bush wanted more help to bolster American interests.

Canada's new tilt is toward the Americas, and away from Africa. Colombia will get more aid, as will Peru, Haiti, Bolivia, Honduras and the Caribbean. Only Haiti made the list of Canada's top 20 bilateral aid recipients in 2005. Canada enjoys growing trade with this group. But we'll also be a higher-profile, U.S.-friendly presence in an unstable region. Anything we do to close the huge rich/poor gap will undercut the region's anti-American radicals and blunt their appeal.

This shift, while significant, is not seismic. Of the top 20, 13 were on the old list. Still, the Conservatives risk being criticized for adopting a Made-in-the-U.S.A. approach to aid that reflects Bush-era thinking, especially with respect to Africa, where poverty is far greater, by dropping places like Cameroon, Zambia and Congo from the top 20.


I have tried for a very long time to hold my tongue and be apolitical on this blog, but this story just makes me pop. The Conservative government of Stephen Harper is cutting back on aid to Africa? The article compares this to Bush style politics but I would argue that it's worse. Despite all of the negatives during his administration, George Bush did display a commitment to treating AIDS in the poorest nations in Africa, not because it was politically expedient, but because it was the moral thing to do. Apparently Mr. Harper has no such moral compass.

The Conservative Party got my vote last time primarily because I felt pressured by friends and family to vote Conservative...it's what all good Christians do, right? Well, sorry Mr. Harper but you have lost my vote. Your party has morphed into the Republican party north and I will not stand for your imperious, manipulative, and callous tactics any longer. I have spoken to people who work for NGO's or for refugee settlement agencies, and to a person, they bemoan the fact that Canada (narrowly) elected the Conservatives back into parliament in the last election. I don't think we'll make that mistake again.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Shake Hands With The Devil

While I haven't yet read the book, today I watched the documentary Shake Hands With The Devil: The Journey Of Romeo Dalliaire.

I don't know that I cam adequately comment on General Dallaire's story or the remarkable failure of developed countries and the United Nations to intercede in the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Over 800,000 Rwandan's were murdered in 10 days while the world did nothing. I can only leave you with these quotes from the film:

"Are all humans, human? Are some more human than others?" - Romeo Dallaire

"Africa was Africa. It was black. So all of the unlovely racist impulses could also come into play. Africa had nothing to sell, nothing to buy. You just wrote off the continent and Rwanda in 1994 was the apotheosis of that feeling." - Stephen Lewis

Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Ash Wednesday

We went to the Ash Wednesday service at church tonight. It's the first time WMB has held such a service and coming from a conservative evangelical background, it was never a part of my tradition growing up either. And that's a shame.

While there is nothing magical about having ashes spread on your forehead in the sign of a cross, it was a significant time for me as Stephanie, our youth program coordinator, said the traditional words, "This is a reminder that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Hearing those words softly spoken then opening my eyes and looking directly into the eyes of another believer was a holy moment. The intimacy of that brief exchange pared with the recognition that this same ceremony has taken place in the Church for over one thousand years, filled me with appreciation for the work of Christ in our midst. It was a very visceral reminder that we are all part of one family, one body, who are finding our way to God as best we can.



Equally significant was seeing each person return from the front of the church with the smudged cross visible and recognizing that we are all, every one of us, broken. Rather than despair, I take great comfort in that fact. No matter the quality of our clothes, the prestige of our jobs, or the amount of money we have in the bank, we all in the end but dust, which puts us all on a level playing field as we pursue Christ and are pursued by Him. That God should love us, creatures of dust, enough to die on a cross is mind boggling.

On this first day of Lent, I am thankful for the ashes of death that remind me of the Author of life.

Friday, February 20, 2009

War Child

We had an amazing time last night at the screening of War Child, the documentary film of Emmanuel Jal's journey from child soldier to international hip-hop artist and now humanitarian. That anyone, let a lone a young boy, could survive what he did and come out the other side still intact mentally and physically is remarkable. That he is now a wise, humble, and caring man who is speaking up on behalf of the other former child soldiers in southern Sudan is beyond belief. Perhaps most astounding of all is the deep Christian faith he clings to despite the horrors he has experienced.



One thing I especially appreciated was Emmanuel's lack of political correctness. Having been there, experiencing it first-hand, I trust what he has to say; I believe his perspective is an accurate one. Last night he made a very bold statement that ought to cause us all to sit up and take note. When asked for his perspective on what needs to happen in Sudan (or the rest of Africa for that matter) to improve the dire situation people are facing every day, he replied that it was up to you and I, not governments, not politicians, and especially not the U.N. because they are only looking out for their own interests. In the film itself, Jal makes another bold statement, insisting that what the world needs is leaders who are committed to serve their people, not be served by them. Mr. Mugabe...are you listening?

If you haven't yet seen the film, I recommend you do so or pick up the book which tells his story in even more detail. If you like hip-hop, go buy his album Warchild or download it from iTunes immediately. If you want to support a great cause, check out Gua Africa, Emmanuel's charity to build a school near his original home in southern Sudan. And if you ever get a chance to hear him speak, don't pass up the opportunity. You will be inspired.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Emmanuel Jal in Waterloo

Just an FYI that Emmanuel Jal is doing a reading from his new book War Child prior to a screening of his documentary film of the same name this Thursday night at the Princess Cinema in Waterloo. Click here for details and ticket info.

I'll be there...will you?

Monday, February 16, 2009

It's Famine Time!

I just posted a link at the left that will take you to my 30-Hour Famine page. If anyone would like to make a donation, just push the Famine button. Thanks!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Quote of the Day

"There is a misconception that the only way to help the poor is to give them charity. That's not what poor people need. Poor people need opportunity. The misconception is that they are incapable, but the poor are as capable, innovative, and creative as anybody in the world. All they need is the right kind of opportunity so that they can use this ability to discover their own capabilities and change their lives."

Muhammad Yunis, interviewed in GOOD magazine.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Are You Ready To Fight?

"When the end of poverty arrives, as it can and should in our own generation, it will be citizens in a million communities in rich and poor countries alike, rather than a handful of political leaders, who will have turned the tide. The fight for the end of poverty is a fight that all of us must join in out own way." Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty

Monday, February 09, 2009

A New Vision


It’s been ages since I posted anything of significance here, primarily because I’ve started a new job as Southwestern Ontario Rep for World Vision Canada. As you are well aware, the first month or two at a new job means there is a big learning curve and lots of things to get up to speed on. It’s been pretty hectic but completely rewarding as well. Especially as I’ve had opportunity to do presentations and work alongside students, teachers, and youth leaders in raising awareness of poverty and social justice issues in our broken world.
It’s been a four or five year journey that brought me to this place, but for the first time in my life I believe my God-given skills and my God-driven passion have come together in my career. I’m not a big believer in coincidences. The fact that the company I worked for went bankrupt and then the job I’d been seeking for two years just happened to come available smacks a little too much of divine intervention to be just a coincidence. I’m looking forward to what the year ahead holds and am honoured to be working on behalf of “the least of these.”

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Don't Believe The Hype

I'm at Redeemer University College today on behalf of World Vision and I just need to say that, despite all of the terrible things you hear in the news about teens and young adults, I can't say enough good things about how great these kids are. I've heard story after story about their involvement in fundraising, child sponsorship, their concern for the poor, and their commitment to justice. Frankly these kids are way ahead of where I was back when I was 19 or 20.

And it's not just the nice Christian kids at this school either. Teens from high schools all over the country are pumped about the 30-Hour Famine and supporting humanitarian causes of all kinds. If you're one of those "kids these days" curmudgeons, I suggest you talk to some of these kids. Sure, there are bad things going on, but for the most part today's teens give me hope for a bright future.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

My PoV

For roughly the last three months I've been taking photos from my doorstep every morning at 8 AM. It was an easy enough project while I was unemployed, but now that I'm working again it's not going to be quite so easy to keep going. Not to mention that it was getting a little boring seeing the same view every day!

As of January 1st I've started posting the point of view from wherever I am at 8 AM. The daily photo will be exactly what I'm seeing from my PoV at exactly 8 AM each day. If I'm still at home and haven't quite started the day I'll just keep shooting a photo from my doorstep, otherwise, look for a new photo every day, likely posted later in the evening.

Just click on the Deivox Images link in the left-hand menu to see life from my PoV!

UPDATE: Okay, so this little venture exhausted itself pretty quickly. Probably because I've been exhausted. So, now that you've read the above post, you can totally ignore it. Until further notice Deivox Images is on hiatus.