16 days...

Tomorrow marks the beginning of '16 days of activisim against gender violence'. November 25th is International Day Against Violence Against Women, and December 10th is International Human Rights Day, which is, as the website says "in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights."

This is an issue that has always stabbed at my heart, particularly in the area of sexual violence, which, long term reader will remember, initially spurred my production of 'Fragile World'. We cannot escape the horrors of atrocities committed against, for example, the women of the Congo, appalling stories of mass rape, horrors that we cannot imagine, and frankly, do not want to. And yet, they exist. Can we really be silent in such a world as this?

And gender violence is not just a problem in unstable countries under specific threat of war or terrorism. Domestic violence is everywhere.  According to Rest0red, two women a week in the UK die due to domestic violence incidents. Globally, one in three women will suffer violence at the hands of a male partner. In the UK, it's one in four.

The website for '16 days' can be found here, providing links and resources to help raise awareness of this issue. This is what they say about the campaign:

The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by:

• raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
• strengthening local work around violence against women
• establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women
• providing a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies
• demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women
• creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women

Let's use our voices; let's not be silent. Spread the word and get active. Change the world.

silent skies

Just one of the pictures of the volcanic ash clouds of Iceland; more can be see on the National Geographic website.

The earth rumbles, and an unprecedented moment in aviation history.  The skies here are blue, if hazy, but no silver aeroplane trails litter the sky, there is both quietness and blankness. In our part of the country, there's no real sign of volcanic 'talcum powder', but still we analyse dust motes with interest: how far have you travelled? For those of us not directly affected, there's a strange unreality about it, the oddness and awe of something out of our control, nature plotting her next move, while we wait on test flights and weather reports.

But we carry on as normal - a normal which is different for those living around the main airports, experiencing an aggressive contrast: the stillness, the soundlessness. But bigger still the difference between those of us merely experiencing an absence above, and those desperate to find a way home.

politics and passion

The other night I had a dream.  Like most of my dreams, most of the specifics and substance fled instantly from my memory.  I was somewhere - was I living there? Possibly.  Possibly I was hosting an event of some kind.  What I do remember is that Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg were all present.  Whatever else, I remember that. Obviously, the upcoming election has gone to my head.

I want to make a difference.  I want to use my voice (and my vote).  I'm trying to gather all the information I can, work out what's important, see through the clutter of competition and know what I think.  So I'm reading all the election supplements and relevant newspaper articles.  I want to know what to do.  I want to know who to vote for.  I want to choose wisely.

It will be interesting watching the debate tonight.  It feels faintly presidential, which doesn't seem to fit with our voting system, but I'm keen to see them, all the same.

Of course, it's not very straightforward. Do you vote for the person or the party? And frankly, which person: Prime Minister or local MP? Is it about what they stand for politically? Or who they are? And what about safe seats, two party races, swing voters and tactical voters?  It's not just a case of saying what (or who) you want. It's about understanding the choice you have in the first place, and what to do about it. In my head the local and the national don't sit easily together (because of the parliamentary system, I suppose), so focussing on these elements separately, can lead to two different outcomes. It's a trifle mind boggling.  It seems to me, the only way to get the passion of the voting public back into politics is to reform the whole system. But it's not going to happen in the next month.

I know some will choose, in the face of this, simply not to vote.  I can't make a difference, they say.  But I am going to vote.  I'll do the best I can at deciding it, pray for guidance, try to be well informed.  But my vote, I've decided, is going to mean more than that.

I'm voting to get involved.

Whoever is running the country in a month's time, I need to act.  I need to stand up for the things I am passionate about, be a voice for the voiceless, call for justice for the powerless.  I want to motivate myself to write letters to my government and my MP, participate in petitions, and, as I've mentioned before on this blog, raise awareness of the things that matter.  The things that are unacceptable in our world today.   

Yes, I still want to change the world.

We stand back and say 'I won't make any difference'. Well, you know what I think about that.  We can all change the world a little.  Just because we can't do a lot, does it mean we shouldn't do something?  But I would also say  that I would rather try and fail than never try at all.  Will I walk away?  Will I refuse to do anything? 

I would rather know that I've tried.

I'm voting to get involved.  Hold me to it.  Being flawed and human I'll get distracted, tired, forgetful, apathetic.  But I don't want to be.  I want to be passionate about the things I care about and I want to carry that passion into all areas of my life.

I'm voting to get involved.

Will you?

***

First image from BBC website, second image from stock.xchng. 3rd imagepart of promotional material for the televised debate.

The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

 

Richard Stearns is the President of World Vision US. In ‘The Hole in Our Gospel’ he tells his own story of faith and of the journey from being a corporate CEO of a luxury tableware company to President of World Vision. Together with this, and out of it, the book looks at the terrible needs in the world today, the disparity of rich and poor, and what the church is (or not) doing about it.

An excellent balance of personal testimony, world statistics and examining what it means to live a gospel without a hole in it makes for a potentially life changing book. Much of what Stearns says resonates with my own thoughts and growing determination that world-changing is necessary – and indeed expected of those of us who have been given much. Because we have been given much. The difference between a wealthy Western church and a struggling congregation in the developing world is vast – too vast.

Stearns looks at passages which have been dwelling on my heart lately – the parable of the sheep and the goats, the trees bearing good fruit – passages which show us that to be followers of Jesus means to act differently in our world – to actively engage in issues of poverty and injustice. And on the whole, the Western church is failing. (Stearns is particularly addressing American churches in his book, but the principles carry to the rest of us too.)

What kind of world would we have if we acted on the words of Jesus? What kind of life could be given to those in extreme poverty if the Christians of the world decided to give it their all (which is what they’ve always been called to do.) My post yesterday talked about the problems of safe drinking water. Do you realise that we can eliminate this problem if we worked together to do so – if we all lived the whole gospel, in our actions and words and giving? This book provokes a sense of shame – a healthy one. Stearns outlines what is needed for change, and shows that it is within easy reach. And yet we choose not to act. It doesn’t even occur to us we are not doing enough.

We’ve made the Christian gospel about a ‘one ticket to salvation’ faith. And that is a gospel with a gaping hole in it. It is so much bigger, brighter, better, more compassionate, fuller, more intensely-world-changing than we have made it.

We are indeed saved by faith – but we are saved for works. ‘Show me your faith without works!’ said James in his letter (it’s in the New Testament). The two were never meant to be separated. True faith works – works to change the world. Stearns talks about becoming ‘radioactive’ – absorbing gospel ‘radiation’ until that day it all clicks. We can no longer ignore the call to a whole gospel. We go radioactive.

It’s impossible to encapsulate all the information in this book. These are just some of the thoughts that have come out of my reading it.

Read it.

Go radioactive.







I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

whomp it!

As a silly present, I gave Andy an inflatable mini mallet for Christmas, called 'Whomp It!' (Trademark of Rocket USA, Inc.,published by Running Press) The first thing he did with it, predictably, was whomp me several times over the head with it. Marketed as the instant solution to any problem, it is supposed to be an outlet for frustration. The perfect gift for a church minister. Maybe.

It got me thinking about things that frustrate me.
These can be quite trivial really, such as: machines that don't work properly, my body not working properly, the absence of a pen when I need one, making meringue, the back gate on a wet day (the wood swells up), slugs eating the garden, and, wait for it, the dreaded cat poo on the lawn and in the flower beds where I have just planted bulbs / seeds / fragile plants.

Argh. All right, I've calmed down now.

But then I started thinking about the bigger picture. If I was able, what would I choose to whomp, if I had a chance? (Whomp - what a word!) Do we get frustrated and distressed enough about the important things?

poverty oppressiondeceit abuse people traffickinggreed disrespect cruelty apathy violence arrogance corruption mockery malice tyranny
These are generalisations, I know. I'm sure we all have our own specific concerns we wish we could subject to the 'Whomp It!' treatment. Any suggestions?

~

O LORD you will hear the desire of the meek,
you will strengthen their heart,
you will incline your ear
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed
so that those from earth
may strike terror no more.
Psalm 10:17-18

~

politics and prayer

Ah, so Obama did it. I wasn't particularly surprised, although I experienced a sudden surge of trepidation a moment before I found out, and prayed desperately 'let it be the right person'. I'm afraid I didn't watch the election coverage - which for us GMT-ers meant staying up between midnight and 6am - not something that is wise for me to do these days!

In a disjointed way, this reminds me of something I was challenged with several months back, and need to be reminded of again - the need to pray for our leaders and those in government. Here in the UK there is quite a lot of disillusionment about politics and many are choosing not to engage with it at all. But I think of the immense responsibility and pressure our leaders are under. I could never do that, cope with that, be that. But somehow I neglect, so easily, to simply pray - for wisdom, strength, sensitivity, diplomacy...I think I need to zap up my intercessionary praying overall, in fact. So often I pray for others when I am moved to do so - but what about all those times when I sink into apathy? - so many times. If I'm honest, the majority of them. Here's a thought: compare how often we criticise our leaders, with how often we pray for them. That thought makes me stare at the floor and shuffle my feet...

I think I shall try and write down all these things / people in a notebook and discipline myself to go through it regularly. I have such good intentions, but I am so easily distracted. Such good intentions...so easily distracted. (Remind me, please!!!)

Do you ever have moments when you realise you are still very near the beginning of journeying to maturity in lots of ways - simple ways and yet you so easily neglect them?

Lord don't let me forget
to pray for others
those with needs,
responsibilities,
those with power,
or powerlessness.

water, water everywhere?

After scrupulously developing the habit of turning off the tap while brushing my teeth, it is discouraging to learn that Starbucks are wasting around 23 million litres of water a day because company policy states that a certain tap has to be left on all day for health and safety reasons. (According to this, the amount wasted per day would "quench the thirst of the entire population of drought-stricken Namibia"). Apparently it is done to stop germs building up around the tap.

Hello? Have you not heard of cleaning? Surely a policy for regular cleaning of said tap would be eminently more sensible than this madness. I would think it would be less wasteful of the world's resources to hire someone simply to clean the tap, so ridiculous does this seem to me. Put them on water metering please...maybe the money going down the drain will matter more to them than the water does.

water, water everywhere
and not a drop to drink
you may find that the whole supply
has gone down Starbucks' sink


(forgive the alteration to the original)


I have to suspect some Starbucks employees must think this mad - perhaps some kind of Turn The Tap Off rebellion day is in order.

Frankly, I find it ridiculous - and irresponsible.

Today: 5/10, medium
Yesterday: 5/10, medium

a 'fashionable cause'?

Recently I've noticed various needs and areas, including Darfur, labelled as 'fashionable causes'. I'm not particularly happy with the phrase as it seems to reflect - and more seriously, provoke - cynicism and a disparaging tone. But maybe that is just my impression.

I understand the underlying point - some 'causes' are better known and publicised than others, which are just as deserving but do not get this exposure, and therefore the same degree of support. I believe it is important to bring the 'hidden' dark areas to light.

I still don't like the word 'fashionable', however, implying people supporting the well known causes are just jumping on the band wagon. Who are we to judge the motives of others? God knows the heart; he also sees the deeds. I feel we need to be careful with how we word things - not to undermine the good that has and will be done.

Ironically I am the sort of person that hates to be seen as 'jumping on the band wagon'. I don't really hold much truck with what's fashionable and what's not. I put my energies into particular areas because those are the ones God has placed on my heart. Let us not become so obsessed with how we brand our 'causes' that we cease to work for them.

Pondering further, I think of those who talk about things that 'never go out of fashion'. What would I like to see not go out of fashion?

Kindness, justice, compassion.

Today: 4/10, high

up to date news on Darfur

I've been looking for somewhere which has regularly updated recent news on Darfur, and am finding the Sudan Tribune really helpful, with current articles every day. So often I find a history of the conflict up to a certain date, or I've been trawling through the general news. I like to have things chronological and up to date otherwise I easily lose track of what is happening!

My brain needs constant feeding to keep trundling on with something...I wish I was one of these people who can absorb things and then call upon them instantly in the future. Like having a storehouse in your head. My mind is like a sponge - it absorbs things but then dries out again. It all leaks out somewhere. I need to keep it wet!

Today: 5/10, medium
Yesterday: 4-5/10, medium - high

something you can do

Have just watched 'Blood Diamond' (set in the Sierra Leone civil war of 1999). In my present (and hopefully permanent) state of mind I was very disturbed by it, for no longer can I see these things portrayed on the screen and detach them from the reality. The last line of text on the screen was about there being over 200,000 child soldiers in Africa today.

I feel my whole being is a constant state of simmering, as if I want to take the world and shake it by the neck and say 'do something!' It doesn't matter how big or small, but everyone can do something.

It's like a refrain flowing through my mind, the phrase:
there is always something you can do.

I feel it may form my future, and I welcome it.

Today: 4/10, medium high