At first I thought I misread the headline...
Ottawa to Pay Struggling Pork Producers $50 Million to Kill 150,000 Pigs by Fall
Sadly, I hadn't.
There are 2 billion starving people in the world and our government has decided to essentially waste 150,000 pigs in order to drive up the price of the hog market. Granted, some of the pork will go to Canadian food banks, but what about the hungry around the world who need food so desperately? Try telling some African grandmother looking after 3 or 4 kids that Canada has such an excess of pigs that it is going to slaughter them and then make pet food in order to drive up the price around the rest of the world. Sick.
This just smacks of a lack of ethics and perhaps even racism. Are our pets in North America worth more than a human life in an impoverished nation? If I may quote Bono, "Where you live should not determine whether you live."
It's just sick.
Click here to read the article.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Finding Balance
I was reading Nancy Ortberg's book Looking For God and came across this quote:
"A number of years ago, my husband went with a group from our church to Ethiopia. At the time we had two children, ages three years and eighteen months. I am sure those two little girls were on John's mind when he was serving in that greatly underresourced country.
I'll never forget his greeting when he got off the plane after being gone for two weeks. He grabbed me and the girls like he would never let us go. Then when we got in the car, as he was rehashing what they saw and did, he said, 'You know, when an Ethiopian mother who's wondering where her child's next meal is going to come from thinks of American Christians, I doubt that she is hoping we'll learn to lead balanced lives.'"
Hmmmm...puts our pursuit of comfort in perspective doesn't it?
"A number of years ago, my husband went with a group from our church to Ethiopia. At the time we had two children, ages three years and eighteen months. I am sure those two little girls were on John's mind when he was serving in that greatly underresourced country.
I'll never forget his greeting when he got off the plane after being gone for two weeks. He grabbed me and the girls like he would never let us go. Then when we got in the car, as he was rehashing what they saw and did, he said, 'You know, when an Ethiopian mother who's wondering where her child's next meal is going to come from thinks of American Christians, I doubt that she is hoping we'll learn to lead balanced lives.'"
Hmmmm...puts our pursuit of comfort in perspective doesn't it?
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Of Boards & Budgets
It's been a long time since I last posted any really personal thoughts here, but an encounter with some old friends has left my heart very heavy tonight. We met to do our annual NHL playoff draft, which is always good for some laughs and some good-natured mocking of each other's picks. After our drafting was done however, the conversation turned serious as each of my friends expressed their joys and frustrations with their respective churches.
One friend is an associate pastor who was sharing how happy he is at his church and how well things are going for the staff and the congregation. My other two friends (both members of their church boards) were not quite so positive has they shared their frustrations with power struggles, mismanagement of church funds, conflict in leadership, etc.
While I understand their frustrations - each of them were making reasonable points - I sat there without saying very much, as all I could do was grieve for what I was hearing about their church situations. I'm sure the issues they are facing are not unique or isolated to their particular faith communities, but if these problems are as widespread as I expect they are, then God forgive us for turning away from the core message of the gospel. If those who call themselves Jesus followers cannot even get along without arguing and infighting, why should those outside the church walls have any reason to believe our message about the love of God? And why would they ever want to join a movement that sings "they will know we are Christians by our love" but whose actions are the exact opposite of love? While ministry may continue to take place in these situations, I have to question the effectiveness of that ministry.
Why is it that so much energy can be invested in arguments over budgets and buildings when there are people in spiritual and physical need just outside the walls of our church buildings? How can we fight over our religious structures when there are people, people whom God created and loves deeply, who need to be introduced to Jesus and invited to participate in God's kingdom? Who will care for the refugee and the widow, the homeless and the lost, the oppressed and the prisoner? I'm so saddened by it all.
Pray for my friends. Pray for your church leadership. And pray that we would all "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, NIV)
The Message puts it this way: "Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."
Forgive us o God for our self-centeredness and for letting our religion get in the way of your message. Forgive us for building our kingdoms instead of yours.
One friend is an associate pastor who was sharing how happy he is at his church and how well things are going for the staff and the congregation. My other two friends (both members of their church boards) were not quite so positive has they shared their frustrations with power struggles, mismanagement of church funds, conflict in leadership, etc.
While I understand their frustrations - each of them were making reasonable points - I sat there without saying very much, as all I could do was grieve for what I was hearing about their church situations. I'm sure the issues they are facing are not unique or isolated to their particular faith communities, but if these problems are as widespread as I expect they are, then God forgive us for turning away from the core message of the gospel. If those who call themselves Jesus followers cannot even get along without arguing and infighting, why should those outside the church walls have any reason to believe our message about the love of God? And why would they ever want to join a movement that sings "they will know we are Christians by our love" but whose actions are the exact opposite of love? While ministry may continue to take place in these situations, I have to question the effectiveness of that ministry.
Why is it that so much energy can be invested in arguments over budgets and buildings when there are people in spiritual and physical need just outside the walls of our church buildings? How can we fight over our religious structures when there are people, people whom God created and loves deeply, who need to be introduced to Jesus and invited to participate in God's kingdom? Who will care for the refugee and the widow, the homeless and the lost, the oppressed and the prisoner? I'm so saddened by it all.
Pray for my friends. Pray for your church leadership. And pray that we would all "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, NIV)
The Message puts it this way: "Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."
Forgive us o God for our self-centeredness and for letting our religion get in the way of your message. Forgive us for building our kingdoms instead of yours.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Shocking Stats
Some disturbing stats about the richest nation on earth...
In America, roughly 12.9 million children live in poverty, with about 5 million living in extreme poverty (their families have incomes of less than half the federal poverty level.)
1) One-third of black children live in poverty.
2) 28 percent of Hispanic youngsters living in poor households.
3) 35 percent of all children living in poverty are white, making them the largest group of youngsters in poverty.
These stats are according to information being used in Hillary Clinton's electoral bid so there may be some spin involved (no offense intended towards Clinton specifically, that's just the way of politics) but they are similar to numbers I've heard from other sources as well.
Has anyone seen Canadian numbers anywhere? I'm guessing we are only slightly better.
See CNN.com for full the complete article.
In America, roughly 12.9 million children live in poverty, with about 5 million living in extreme poverty (their families have incomes of less than half the federal poverty level.)
1) One-third of black children live in poverty.
2) 28 percent of Hispanic youngsters living in poor households.
3) 35 percent of all children living in poverty are white, making them the largest group of youngsters in poverty.
These stats are according to information being used in Hillary Clinton's electoral bid so there may be some spin involved (no offense intended towards Clinton specifically, that's just the way of politics) but they are similar to numbers I've heard from other sources as well.
Has anyone seen Canadian numbers anywhere? I'm guessing we are only slightly better.
See CNN.com for full the complete article.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Philosophy of Schultz
No, not the loveable but dimwitted guard on Hogan's Heroes. This is from an email I received from a former co-worker with some questions attributed to Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip. Just read these straight through (no need to struggle for the answers) and you'll get the point:
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners .
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Makes you think doesn't it? All of the time I spend watching Superbowls and Stanley Cups or noting the winners of the Oscars and Grammys is, in the end, unimportant and entirely forgettable. It's the ordinary heroes who influence my world that really matter. So go change the world...one life at a time.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners .
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Makes you think doesn't it? All of the time I spend watching Superbowls and Stanley Cups or noting the winners of the Oscars and Grammys is, in the end, unimportant and entirely forgettable. It's the ordinary heroes who influence my world that really matter. So go change the world...one life at a time.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Finding The Balance
A thought provoking article from Christianity Today:
How We Fight Poverty
U.N. Millennium Development Goals are good—as far as they go.
A Christianity Today editorial | posted 12/05/2007 08:29AM
Ban Ki-Moon, the secretary general of the United Nations and one of the world's most influential leaders, did the unimaginable a few weeks ago: He met with a diverse group of evangelicals near Washington, D.C., and asked for help from the church.
Speaking on behalf of 192 nations that committed themselves to cutting global poverty in half by 2015, Ban told evangelicals, "We cannot do it alone. We need good allies such as you. We need … the faith community to help be a voice to the voiceless people. Your engagement can push governments to push through on their commitments. Do not underestimate your power. With faith and the will, we can make a difference."
Tripping Over Micah: It's too bad Ban's predecessor didn't make the same speech nearly eight years ago. During a pre-9/11 burst of optimism in 2000, the United Nations and other global leaders issued the Millennium Declaration. That statement commits the world's top leaders to reduce poverty by setting eight enormously ambitious goals, subdivided into 18 specific global targets.
These U.N.-endorsed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are as follows: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to achieve universal primary education, to promote gender equality and empower women, to reduce child mortality, to improve maternal health, to combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases, to ensure environmental sustainability, and to develop a global partnership for development.
The world's leaders gave themselves 15 years to achieve these objectives. But it's sobering to look at the report card at the halfway mark in 2007. New cases of infectious disease are increasing. The extreme poor still number more than 1 billion people. Infant mortality rates are persistently high.
The most notable progress has been in education with the new enrollment of millions of young children in public education in the developing world. Botswana, rich with gem-quality diamond mines, is an example of a nation using its material wealth to improve the lives of its citizens. But Thabo Mbeki, the plain-spoken president of South Africa, after looking at the 2005 MDG progress report, said the world's overall response was "half-hearted, tepid, and timid." Experts estimate $150 billion in annual aid is needed, but donor nations have never given more than $107 billion a year.
Despite the limited progress, Joel Edwards, general director of the Evangelical Alliance U.K., believes Christians worldwide should persist in encouraging their national leaders to fight chronic poverty. Edwards strongly supports the Micah Challenge as a key to biblical activism. Evangelicals created this organization in 2004 to shape the overall church response to global poverty, drawing on Micah 6:8: "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
"We are not social workers at large; we are not social activists," Edwards told a reporter for a U.K. website. "We are biblical Christians seeking to behave biblically, and we have spotted something that world governments have done that resonates with the prophetic imperative to care for the poor, and we want to join that. We want to say, 'Good for you, governments. You have tripped over Micah.'"
Keeping Our Balance: Tripping over Micah is a step forward. And the Micah Challenge offers a model for interpreting the prophetic vision for justice with the gospel. But tragically there are misguided church leaders who have lost the balance between advocacy for MDGs and the biblical priority of gospel proclamation. This lost balance, which appears to displace the gospel with social advocacy, must never happen to evangelicals.
God has a single mission to our world, a mission that involves the reconciliation of all things. But our evangelical dna is such that we almost always tell the Good News of Jesus Christ first. This is the historic pattern. We sense a call to go somewhere and share the Good News. While there, we spot a serious problem—poverty, hunger, illiteracy—and our impulse is to solve it. Decades ago, the late Bob Pierce was doing evangelistic work in Asia and noticed the plight of orphans. He returned home and raised money for those orphans, leading eventually to the creation of World Vision.
Evangelicals have been addressing the MDGs for generations: when we see illiterate people, it is our natural instinct to educate them. When we see sick people, we try to heal them. When we see poor people, we want to empower them economically. This is what scholars mean when they say evangelicals are "activists." We get stuff done.
A globally coordinated effort to reduce poverty calls for broad-based partnerships. We did this in working globally against religious persecution and sex-trafficking—two areas for which we've received many plaudits. We can do it again in fighting the national policies and politics that keep too many families in a cycle of generational poverty.
Yes, these broad partnerships require us to leave our comfort zones. But as we learn to partner with others, they will have to learn to partner with us as well, accepting our commitment to make the proclamation of the Good News about Jesus the foundation of our working for justice. We fight poverty through the agencies of the church on behalf of Christ for the reconciliation of everyone—not only to one another, but especially to God.
Click here to visit the CT webpage for more information and related articles.
How We Fight Poverty
U.N. Millennium Development Goals are good—as far as they go.
A Christianity Today editorial | posted 12/05/2007 08:29AM
Ban Ki-Moon, the secretary general of the United Nations and one of the world's most influential leaders, did the unimaginable a few weeks ago: He met with a diverse group of evangelicals near Washington, D.C., and asked for help from the church.
Speaking on behalf of 192 nations that committed themselves to cutting global poverty in half by 2015, Ban told evangelicals, "We cannot do it alone. We need good allies such as you. We need … the faith community to help be a voice to the voiceless people. Your engagement can push governments to push through on their commitments. Do not underestimate your power. With faith and the will, we can make a difference."
Tripping Over Micah: It's too bad Ban's predecessor didn't make the same speech nearly eight years ago. During a pre-9/11 burst of optimism in 2000, the United Nations and other global leaders issued the Millennium Declaration. That statement commits the world's top leaders to reduce poverty by setting eight enormously ambitious goals, subdivided into 18 specific global targets.
These U.N.-endorsed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are as follows: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to achieve universal primary education, to promote gender equality and empower women, to reduce child mortality, to improve maternal health, to combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases, to ensure environmental sustainability, and to develop a global partnership for development.
The world's leaders gave themselves 15 years to achieve these objectives. But it's sobering to look at the report card at the halfway mark in 2007. New cases of infectious disease are increasing. The extreme poor still number more than 1 billion people. Infant mortality rates are persistently high.
The most notable progress has been in education with the new enrollment of millions of young children in public education in the developing world. Botswana, rich with gem-quality diamond mines, is an example of a nation using its material wealth to improve the lives of its citizens. But Thabo Mbeki, the plain-spoken president of South Africa, after looking at the 2005 MDG progress report, said the world's overall response was "half-hearted, tepid, and timid." Experts estimate $150 billion in annual aid is needed, but donor nations have never given more than $107 billion a year.
Despite the limited progress, Joel Edwards, general director of the Evangelical Alliance U.K., believes Christians worldwide should persist in encouraging their national leaders to fight chronic poverty. Edwards strongly supports the Micah Challenge as a key to biblical activism. Evangelicals created this organization in 2004 to shape the overall church response to global poverty, drawing on Micah 6:8: "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
"We are not social workers at large; we are not social activists," Edwards told a reporter for a U.K. website. "We are biblical Christians seeking to behave biblically, and we have spotted something that world governments have done that resonates with the prophetic imperative to care for the poor, and we want to join that. We want to say, 'Good for you, governments. You have tripped over Micah.'"
Keeping Our Balance: Tripping over Micah is a step forward. And the Micah Challenge offers a model for interpreting the prophetic vision for justice with the gospel. But tragically there are misguided church leaders who have lost the balance between advocacy for MDGs and the biblical priority of gospel proclamation. This lost balance, which appears to displace the gospel with social advocacy, must never happen to evangelicals.
God has a single mission to our world, a mission that involves the reconciliation of all things. But our evangelical dna is such that we almost always tell the Good News of Jesus Christ first. This is the historic pattern. We sense a call to go somewhere and share the Good News. While there, we spot a serious problem—poverty, hunger, illiteracy—and our impulse is to solve it. Decades ago, the late Bob Pierce was doing evangelistic work in Asia and noticed the plight of orphans. He returned home and raised money for those orphans, leading eventually to the creation of World Vision.
Evangelicals have been addressing the MDGs for generations: when we see illiterate people, it is our natural instinct to educate them. When we see sick people, we try to heal them. When we see poor people, we want to empower them economically. This is what scholars mean when they say evangelicals are "activists." We get stuff done.
A globally coordinated effort to reduce poverty calls for broad-based partnerships. We did this in working globally against religious persecution and sex-trafficking—two areas for which we've received many plaudits. We can do it again in fighting the national policies and politics that keep too many families in a cycle of generational poverty.
Yes, these broad partnerships require us to leave our comfort zones. But as we learn to partner with others, they will have to learn to partner with us as well, accepting our commitment to make the proclamation of the Good News about Jesus the foundation of our working for justice. We fight poverty through the agencies of the church on behalf of Christ for the reconciliation of everyone—not only to one another, but especially to God.
Click here to visit the CT webpage for more information and related articles.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
What Will We Do?
Here's a thought provoking post I found at Waving or Drowning. What will we do?
Too Close For ComfortI was struck by one of those thoughts the other day. You know the kind, where there's an audible "crack", and the ground beneath your feet shifts suddenly, throwing you off balance. I'll tell you about it, and you can let me know how it strikes you.
Pete and I were checking out laptopgiving.org, and discussing the whole One Laptop Per Child concept when the "incident" occurred. Admittedly, I was dead-set against the idea when it first came out. Nicholas Negroponte is brilliant, but this idea was crazy. I was bothered by all the energy going into the development of a $100 laptop when there are countless children still dying because of a lack of clean water, food, medicine worth pennies, or a mosquito bite. I'm still not sold on the concept , but I'm open to having my mind changed. It remains to be seen.
Regardless, there we were checking out the features of the XO laptop on the impressive web site. Heavy duty antennae, rotating screen, built-in camera and microphone - this thing has everything you need to get online. (Not much of a hard drive, but that's beside the point.)
Wait a minute...
Online?
Built-in camera and microphone?
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I thought about all the people I met in Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya earlier this year. The adults. The children.
What if?
What if, by some miracle, one of these friends gets online?
What if my computer beeped one night?
What if I tapped the keyboard and saw one of those faces staring back at me?
"Hi Mike. I haven't eaten in two days. What should I do?"
"Hi Mike. My little sister has malaria and she'll be dead in a week if we don't get her medicine. We have no money. What should I do?"
What if my friend looks through her screen, over my shoulder, and sees my four walls and a roof, and my hardwood floors. What if she sees my dinner on the table. What if she sees my flat screen and multiple pairs of shoes by the door?
What if?
The world just got way too small.
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
Too Close For ComfortI was struck by one of those thoughts the other day. You know the kind, where there's an audible "crack", and the ground beneath your feet shifts suddenly, throwing you off balance. I'll tell you about it, and you can let me know how it strikes you.
Pete and I were checking out laptopgiving.org, and discussing the whole One Laptop Per Child concept when the "incident" occurred. Admittedly, I was dead-set against the idea when it first came out. Nicholas Negroponte is brilliant, but this idea was crazy. I was bothered by all the energy going into the development of a $100 laptop when there are countless children still dying because of a lack of clean water, food, medicine worth pennies, or a mosquito bite. I'm still not sold on the concept , but I'm open to having my mind changed. It remains to be seen.
Regardless, there we were checking out the features of the XO laptop on the impressive web site. Heavy duty antennae, rotating screen, built-in camera and microphone - this thing has everything you need to get online. (Not much of a hard drive, but that's beside the point.)
Wait a minute...
Online?
Built-in camera and microphone?
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I thought about all the people I met in Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya earlier this year. The adults. The children.
What if?
What if, by some miracle, one of these friends gets online?
What if my computer beeped one night?
What if I tapped the keyboard and saw one of those faces staring back at me?
"Hi Mike. I haven't eaten in two days. What should I do?"
"Hi Mike. My little sister has malaria and she'll be dead in a week if we don't get her medicine. We have no money. What should I do?"
What if my friend looks through her screen, over my shoulder, and sees my four walls and a roof, and my hardwood floors. What if she sees my dinner on the table. What if she sees my flat screen and multiple pairs of shoes by the door?
What if?
The world just got way too small.
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
Monday, April 09, 2007
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Friday, April 06, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Let's Get Small
My life has gotten too full. Not just because of work commitments or church commitments or family commitments, although all of those contribute. I can only blame myself for the "too much to do" feeling because it's all related to my many "great" ideas that are okay in and of themselves but then turn out to be too much to manage.
Case in point: I've been trying to maintain four different blogs recently and feel guilty when I don't post regularly to each of them. Believe it or not, I've spent late nights and early mornings writing content just so I don't miss my self-imposed deadlines. Insane, I realize, but nonetheless real in my own mind, so everything is being brought back into Glory Rumours.
My other issue is with notebooks. I love them! I can't get enough of them! I have 5 different notebooks, each with their own special purpose, not to mention the note pages in the back of my daytimer to confuse the issue even more. Well, something has to give, so I've decided to condense everything into one "life book," a job which will be handed over to my trusty Moleskine. Now I'll have the deepest reflections of my spiritual journey right next to my list of movies to rent next time I'm in Blockbuster. It sounds crazy, but then again, such is life - crazy, muddled, and confused with occasional flashes of brilliance.
Not to spiritualize the whole thing too much, but God is really impressing me with the need to simplify and condense - less of me, more of Him - and get back to what matters rather than worrying whether or not I'll get my next book review posted in time. I'm tired...really tired, and I just need to let go of all of the "stuff" that keeps me distracted.
Case in point: I've been trying to maintain four different blogs recently and feel guilty when I don't post regularly to each of them. Believe it or not, I've spent late nights and early mornings writing content just so I don't miss my self-imposed deadlines. Insane, I realize, but nonetheless real in my own mind, so everything is being brought back into Glory Rumours.
My other issue is with notebooks. I love them! I can't get enough of them! I have 5 different notebooks, each with their own special purpose, not to mention the note pages in the back of my daytimer to confuse the issue even more. Well, something has to give, so I've decided to condense everything into one "life book," a job which will be handed over to my trusty Moleskine. Now I'll have the deepest reflections of my spiritual journey right next to my list of movies to rent next time I'm in Blockbuster. It sounds crazy, but then again, such is life - crazy, muddled, and confused with occasional flashes of brilliance.
Not to spiritualize the whole thing too much, but God is really impressing me with the need to simplify and condense - less of me, more of Him - and get back to what matters rather than worrying whether or not I'll get my next book review posted in time. I'm tired...really tired, and I just need to let go of all of the "stuff" that keeps me distracted.
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