"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
Sunday, February 07, 2010 Sunday, February 7, 2010 "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society." Vince Lombardi
Although I have not posted in several months, I stay focused on Standing Up for the world's neediest people. After Stand Up last October, I had to concentrate on other writing as well as getting ready for an early winter, after having a late spring, short summer and fall. Before I knew it, I had several bouts of flu, draining my energy beyond belief.
However, On January 12, as people around the world looked on in horror, the eathquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti caused a catastrophe of biblical proportions. Already the poorest country in the western hemisphere, now homes, schools, businesses, churches and the seat of government lay in rubble with countless victims buried beneath.
Having grown up in the US Virgin Islands, I felt as if a neighbor's house was burning down - with them in it - and all I had was a jug of water and a cup to put it out.
I wrote the poem to express my thoughts, after speaking with a Haitian friend. Her brother returned to Haiti a few months ago to help family members. She finally reached him a few days after the earthquake and she asked what she could do.
He said, "Pray for us."
Haiti - What Can I Do?
Haiti – What can I do? Your people had so little No jobs or food – just trouble Now cries lessen beneath rubble Of their battered, shattered homes
Haiti – What can I do? They dig with spoons and fingers Finding life in living graves Only to die - no meds to save Their battered, shattered bodies
Haiti – What can I do? Flocking to find tent cities Singing in your camps at night Praying for hope to dispel fright Uplifts battered, shattered souls
Haiti – What can I do? No passage on broken roads People running out of time No water, food or meds – a crime For battered, shattered masses
Haiti – What can I do? Frantic calls to Haitian friends As I watch the death-toll rise And I listen to the cries Of battered, shattered Haitians
Haiti – I pray for you.
This poem is protected by copyright.
Five days into the horrific aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, getting help and supplies to those in need is close to impossible.
With a breakdown in infastructure, supplies sit in staging locations, with few deliveries. People saved from their ordeal of being buried alive for hours and days, die due to lack of medical attention.
Antibiotics, costing about 5 cents a dose, cannot be found. Bandages, pain medication and ointments are also in short supply.
With the focus on Port-au-Prince, outlying areas are reportedly in ruins, with no help in sight.
Prior to the earthquake, nearly 50% of the Haitian people have no work, and 70% live on less than 2 dollars per day.
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!
