Passionate about Justice

April 2008

The heart of the message of Jesus is justice.  We read over and over again in Scripture how important it is that we take care of the least of our brothers and sisters.  When we experience God's great love for us, our hearts overflow and that love must spill out into the world.  It is important to pray, but there also has to be fruits of our prayer.  Our lives must reflect the justice that God desires. 

The sorrows of the world are so overwhelming that it is easy just to pretend they aren't there, or that there is nothing we can do.  It takes discipline to stay informed about the hungry, the homeless, the sick and the suffering.   It is a spiritual task not to give in to despair or indifference, but rather to practice hope and try to make a small improvement to the world every day.

Here at St. Thomas, we have an Outreach Committee that reaches out locally, nationally and internationally to try to make a difference in the world.  We collect money, food, clothing, and toiletries.  In January, we gathered our old coats to share.  In February, we collected soup for Souper Bowl Sunday.  Our youth participate monthly in TORCH, an ecumenical youth service effort.  St. Thomas is one of the founders of the Berea Community Meal.  We will continue to reach out, to pray, to stay informed.  We ask you to join us!

What one person can do...to work to end poverty:

  1. Educate yourself on topics such as human trafficking or microcredit.

  2. Watch and discuss with friends a movie about who manufactures what, such as "Mardi Gras: Made in China" or "Waging a Living"

  3. Donate nice clothing that people can use for job interviews and work suits.

  4. Support quality daycare in your area, and fund scholarships for low income families.

  5. Volunteer with agencies that help with free tax preparation for low income families.

  6. Volunteer with an agency that helps with preparing resumes or polishing job skills.

  7. Promote "career days" in low-income communities to help children dream about possibilities for their future.

  8. If you employ people in any capacity (employees for your business, childcare workers, housekeepers), pay a living wage.

  9. Live on less and commit the money you save to improving the lives of others.