March 2007

At the Diocesan Convention one of the most inspiring and challenging presentations was by The Rev. Mike Kinman, the Director of the Episcopal Church's efforts to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) of eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing a global partnership for development. We watched the video, “If I had a million dollars.” In troubling images we saw what these goals mean in human suffering terms. It also noted that there are 190 nations involved in these goals and many churches around the world including the Anglican Church. The price tag for achieving these goals is estimated to be between 50 and 75 million dollars we hope to raise by 2015.

I have been and still was overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem and by what I sensed I was being asked to do! Yes, if I had an extra million or two I didn't need I would give it away to help achieve the MDG's because I believe that they are inspired by God and they are the right thing for us to do!

But then I recalled that there have been times in my life when I have felt overwhelmed and powerless, and it was only through the grace of God AND my community of faith that I was able to swim and not sink to the bottom. My community – aha – I don't have to try and do the impossible for me, but WE can do it. As Fr. Kinman said, ”Will we let go of what we are grasping and grasp the opportunity God is offering?”

I have been reflecting on the presentation and one particular piece of data. Globally, six thousand people die each day from malaria. Yet it costs only five dollars for a mosquito net for a bed and fifty cents per person to give him or her the medicine needed to live.

At St. Theodore's our part is $3,000 which we want to raise during Lent through our mite boxes. That $3,000 could be used to fund medicine for one day, and maybe for one day death would take a holiday. And maybe 364 other churches would do the same thing and death from malaria could take a holiday for a year!

One and a half billion people globally are forced to live on one dollar a day. I wonder what would five dollars a day do to improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual lives? It's really not a lot of money when WE work together.

 

 

Fr. Ken †