"Christ's example is being
demeaned by the church if they ignore the new leprosy,
which is AIDS. The church is the sleeping giant here.
If it wakes up to what's really going on in the rest
of the world, it has a real role to play. If it doesn't,
it will be irrelevant."
- Bono
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Wednesday, September 12, 2007 For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. African Proverb
Yesterday was a hard day for many Americans. As we remembered where we were on September 11, 2001, we watched documentaries and news reports echoing the horror of that day. A New Yorker by birth, the images of those suffering in and around the Towers always strike me the hardest.
I knew early on that I needed to turn off those images, but I could not. I continued on with the History Channel for hours watching the 9/11 Commission report, the heroes of Flight 93, the attendants of the other flights spending their last minutes reporting the horrors, and an amazing documentary on the photo journalists and non-professional photographers who took awesome, yet often heart wrenching, photos of New Yorkers at Ground Zero.
What does this have to do with extreme poverty you may ask... Terrorism and poverty are linked. How we are perceived in the world is critical to our own security. Basic morals and ethics tell us that we should treat others as we wish to be treated. Jesus, Buddha, and every other major religion or spiritual practice teaches this truth. In fact, that is how we know it is the truth! When are intolerant of those with different religions or colors on their skin, when we promise humanitarian aide and then provide little with many strings attached, we set ourselves up to be viewed as less than a good neighbor. We allow developing countries to be open to terrorist factions, providing food and money, and breeding more enemies.
If we are honest, most of us would admit that if a stranger knocked on our door, friendly and smiling, handing us food and $12,000 (as happened in Beirut), asking nothing in return, we may not rush to the phone and call Homeland Security. We may not be so quick to wonder why so many cars are coming to their homes late at night who fit "profiles." We may just look away if we see nothing of real concern.We just may hide our head in the sand as we do with so much outside our daily lives.
In Bono'sacceptancespeech at the 2005 TED Awards, he said, "We have to be smart here. I want to argue that, though Africa is not the frontline in the war against terror, it could be soon. Every week, religious extremists take another African village. They're attempting to bring order to chaos. Well, why aren't we? Poverty breeds despair. We know this. Despair breeds violence. We know this. In turbulent times, isn't it cheaper and smarter to make friends out of potential enemies than to defend yourself against them later?" "Well, the war against terror is bound up in the war against poverty, and I didn't say that. Colin Powell said that. Now when the military are telling us that this is a war that cannot be won by military might alone, maybe we should listen. There's an opportunity here, and it's real. It's not spin. It's not wishful thinking. The problems facing the developing world afford us in the developed world a chance to re-describe ourselves to the world. We will not only transform other peoples' lives, but we will also transform the way those other lives see us, and that might be smart in these nervous, dangerous times."
Wise words from Bonoand Colin Powell.
...and words to reflect on as those images of the Twin Towers burn through my mind...
173,045,325 People Stood Up & Took Action Against Poverty Worldwide
between Oct. 16 - 18, 2009!
They gathered at over 3,000 events in more than 120 countries.
116,993,629 People Stood Up & Took Action Against Poverty Worldwide
between Oct. 17 - 19, 2008!
That is almost 2% of the
total world population!
43,716,440 People Stood Up Against Poverty
Worldwide between Oct. 16 & 17, 2007! Were You One of Them?
23,542,614 People Stood Up Against Poverty
Worldwide on Oct. 15, 2006! Bless Them All!
"Be the Change You Want to See In the World." Gandhi
Upcoming Events
Send Me Your Events!!! October 17, 2009 NEIDEEP Interfaith Service & Conference
at Fairfield United Methodist Church, 10am to 2pm, including potluck lunch
Join people of all faiths
Discover the role of women in
ending local & global poverty
Location - FUMC, 33 Rt. 201, Fairfield, Maine
Just off I-95, Exit 133
This event is in conjunction with
Stand Up & is Free
The Rev. Dr. Paige Blair Episcopal Priest & Bonnie N. Davis
Buddhist
First NEIDEEP Conference
Our First Meeting took place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA on 2/21/06.
The day began with an Interfaith Service.
Sister True Virtue, who at the time was the Abbess of the Green Mountain Dharma Center, teaching in the tradition of
Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing, led a meditation, centering & grounding
the more than 80 participants for the rest of the day.
Local Christians including The Rev. Dr. Paige of St. George's Episcopal Chuch (York Harbor), Pastor Sharon Miesel of
York-Ogunquit United Methodist Church (UMC)
& Pastor Sue Kingman of Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church (UUC) also took part in the Interfaith Service.
Iman Ibrahim Sayer, Boston Dialogue Foundation, did a transforming reading from the Koran in Arabic.
Rabbi David Mark, Temple Israel in Portsmouth, blew the Shofar,
made from Ram's Horn, reminding us that it is made from the same material as our fingernails &
that the work before us must be done with our hands.
The Rt. Rev. Peter Weaver, presiding bishop of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church (NEUMC)was also
serving the Worldwide head the United Methodist's at the time of the conference. He spoke about trips to Africa, meeting with
religious leaders to speak with President Bush, & attending the Transatlantic Forum on Global Poverty in London prior to the 2005 G8 Summit.
Jan Schrock, Senior Advisor of Heifer International at the time, is the daughter of
Dan West, Heifer's founder, spoke about Heifer's interaction with communities, helping them plan their futures.
Lallie Lloyd, Episcopalian's for Global Reconciliation (E4GR), spoke about her book -
"Eradicating Global Poverty - A Christian Study Guide on the MDG."
Margaret Udahogora, of Rwanda, spoke about educating orphans from her country, also
reminding us of Africa's beauty. Suzanne Bowman,
talked about BeadforLife - Ugandan women (many HIV/AIDS positive) making beads and jewelry for two years and now
supporting 170 families.
NAACP, Salvation Army and United Way attended as guests with clergy and
other participants. Program stressed MDG, trade issues, & activisim.
Millennium Campaign Pledge & ONE Declaration were signed - "No Excuses" White Wristbands were handed out with
resource guides. By setting the example of working together across potitical, cultural, spiritual & religious boundaries,
we can make an amazing difference.
Interfaith Communities Can Heal the World!
A second round of NEIDEEP is planned for October 2008.
Activating New England will make a difference in ending extreme poverty. After all, we hosted a memorable
tea party that changed the course of history.
In a world where so many go hungry,
Let us make the fruits of creation available for all.
In a world where one billion of our brothers and sisters do not have safe drinking water,
Let us help the waters run clear.
In a world where so many die so young,
And so many mothers die in childbirth,
And so many families are ravaged by disease,
Let us bring health and healing.
In a world where women carry such heavy burdens,
Let us recognize and restore the rights of all.
Let us join together, with a new sense of global community,
A new awareness of our need for one another,
And for this fragile planet,
To meet the clear challenge of the Millennium Goals,
To bring hope as substantial as bread,
To make human dignity as visible as wheat in the fields.
Special thanks to The Rev. Mike Kinman for his assistance on how to set up a cool blog!