Back to Articles My Sister's Keeper (continued)     <prev | page 5 of 6 | next>  

I’m not suggesting that we live in a state of despair.  On the contrary, I long for you—and me—to celebrate every day the joys of new babies and stuffed animals and swim meet victories and familial love.  But I also long for us to let our celebrations be a bit haunted by the desperate needs of our sisters and brothers around the globe.  How different the world could be if all blessed grandmothers took up the cause of Africa’s grannies, if those who seek the worthy goal of egalitarian marriage fought with equal fervor the horror of sex trafficking, if we who live in comfort championed the cause of displaced refugees.  And what a glorious coup if our compassionate actions and our fight for justice ultimately gave our brothers and sisters in need a reason to celebrate!

Toni Morrison said, “…if you are free, you need to free somebody else.  If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”  We who read these words are blessed.  It’s our job—and our privilege—to pass the blessing on to others.  Here are a few suggestions that can help us all to do that:

  • Ground yourself in scripture.  A friend once challenged me to read Isaiah 58 every day for a month.  I did and it changed me.  “Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen,” asks God, “to loose the chains of injustice…to set the oppressed free…to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter….” I ground my action in scripture, because when I begin to feel overwhelmed or hopeless, I need something more authoritative than my feelings to keep me going. I need to be reminded that the fight for justice is not optional for a Christian. (Also see Micah 6:8 and Matthew 25.) 
  • Refuse to believe that what you have to offer doesn’t matter.  Above my desk I keep this quote from former U.S. Senate Chaplain, Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
  • Start with a small step.  If you have fifteen minutes, check out one informational website.  If you have half an hour, call one friend and tell her what you learned.
  • Pay attention to the people, countries, causes, needs that begin to awaken your compassion. Step up your learning in that area.  Begin to pray for guidance about how you should respond.
  • Be generous with your money, even if you don’t have much.  In the developing world, a single US dollar accomplishes so much. 

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