Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

"A couple of months ago I was asked to speak to the children at Voice of Hope Ministries in West Dallas about mosquito nets, with the possibility that the children could make their own contributions toward purchasing mosquito nets in sub-Saharan Africa. As a frequent speaker on the difference NetsforLife® is making, I was happy to go, but I had an underlying reservation. The children and families of Voice of Hope have such limited means. Should I really be going there to ask for anything?

Christopher Johnson, social and economic justice officer for The Episcopal Church reminds us that our Baptismal Covenant calls us “to serve Christ in all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. Asset based community development (ABCD) is a process that brings the varied members of a community together for the purpose of identifying gifts (capacity to act) and mutual interests of concern (motivation to act), and then sets out to link those gifts together in service to interests of mutual concern.” 

When we realize in God's economy all people have gifts to share, surprising possibilities emerge. As I went on to give four separate presentations to students and teachers in grades 2-5 I was both surprised and humbled.

While speaking to the youngest group of children, one of the 2nd grade girls asked to be excused from the presentation room to get something from her classroom. She came back with her own money to make a contribution. One of the teachers slipped in a $20 bill, and still another teacher discussed making a contribution in honor of her mother who just turned 95.

In this community of very limited means, a sense of scarcity did not seem to exist. The students and teachers were willing to share what they had so that others might have a better chance to live. This group of people hadn’t gotten the message that they didn’t have enough for themselves, much less enough to help others. The logic of finances was subverted by compassion for those in greater need.

Similarly, I had the opportunity to visit the Canterbury School in DeSoto, Texas to see a production of Godspell. Sixteen year old Benjamin Wright had decided that it was important to find a way to provide clean water for people in Africa. He raised the funds to pay for the royalties up front in 6 weeks and set an additional goal to raise $8,000 for clean water in Africa. Didn’t he know that he’s just a kid and shouldn’t be able to do all that? Apparently not, because by opening night, the cast and crew had already raised $2,000.

Sometimes, the voices and actions of youth and children, and those who have the faith of little children speak the most profoundly because they are not held back by logic or limitation. Instead they are propelled forward by God’s possibilities for abundant life and the gospel message of God’s Love. Many times the simplicity of childlike faith leads to abundant life, by escaping the analytical thinking that curbs our faith.

Jesus didn’t tell the little boy that his loaves and fishes weren’t enough to feed 5,000. No one told the kids at Voice of Hope that they were too poor to give to those struggling against Malaria. No one told the young man in DeSoto that he didn’t have the means to produce a show, or raise funds to help those suffering from a lack of clean water.

Will we be like Philip who said, “We’ll never have enough to do that,” or like Andrew – “Maybe, but no we couldn’t possibly…” or will we be like the young boy who allowed his simple lunch to be used by Jesus and then saw what the power of God can do.

Perhaps a little more belief in the impossible, will allow God to make all things…possible.

Editor's Note: NetsforLife®, a program partnership of Episcopal Relief & Development, empowers communities to eliminate malaria by providing life-saving prevention training, education and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets.