Looking Back upon "Jubilee"

 






One year ago I chose the word "Jubilee" to give shape to my experiences for 2016.  I wanted to be more conscious of issues related to justice and to celebrate things worthy of jubilation.  Looking back on 2016, the following items connect to the theme of Jubilee:

• In 2016 I celebrated with three loved ones as they graduated from one level of schooling to another.  Two earned their high school diplomas, and one her Grade 8 diploma.
• Jubilee was experienced through music.  In 2016 I had the opportunity to experience the 40th anniversary concert for the Ontario Christian Highschool Choir Festival in the spring and a rousing orchestral and choral rendition of Handel's Messiah just before Christmas.
• Musical theatre was also a cause for jubilation.  Each of the five live plays I was privileged to experience combined story telling with song: The Pirates of Penzance; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Our Town; Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol; and Christmas in Reverse.
• I learned more about global justice initiatives through reading The Locust Effect by Gary Hausen and Clay Water Brick by Jessica Jackley.  My husband and I were able to support new charities that are focused on bringing justice to the marginalized.
• The schools I am affiliated with began celebrating milestones in 2016: the high school marked 40 years of God's faithfulness and the elementary school is commemorating 50 years, a true jubilee.
• My father had successful surgery to improve his mobility and reduce back and neck pain.  My mother had a cataract removed and can see more clearly. The support both my parents received from the medical community and their church family has also been cause for jubilee.

Pitching a Tent near Benton Harbor

   From the body language of the folks we met in a church foyer in St. Joseph, Michigan, the adjacent town of Benton Harbor was considered to belong to "the other side of the tracks."  We already noticed that it was an impoverished community with run-down homes, shabby looking businesses and streets in need of repair as we drove from our camp site to the church on the Sunday morning. We received a warm welcome as visitors but the looks became curious when we told them we had camped the previous night in Benton Harbor.  We may as well have told them, "We pitched our tent near Sodom" because of Benton Harbor's reputation for crime. The conversation quickly became uncomfortable.
   The phrase "Lot pitched his tents near Sodom" is used in Genesis 13:12 as a criticism of Abraham's nephew.  He chose to live near the city renowned for wickedness because he coveted the fertile land that could be found there.  Over time, he adapted himself more and more to its mindset and became comfortable in the city itself.  His daughters were married to men from Sodom, and when the warning came from angels that Sodom would be destroyed imminently, Lot had a great deal of difficulty taking action.  In fact, the angels had to take him and his household by the hand to lead them out.
   Our decision to spend a night at Eden Springs Campground in Benton Harbor was made even though we had heard some negative things about the city.  However, we had a richer perspective because of one of my classmates at a summer course I took in Iowa.  She was the principal of a Christian school intentionally planted in Benton Harbor.  She and a group of Christians did not "pitch their tents" in Benton Harbor because they were lured by worldly values.  Rather, they saw the great need of the mainly African-American population and endeavored to provide Christian education to families regardless of their financial situation.
   The River of Life School reflects the ministry of Jesus, who entered our broken world.  When John 1:14a says, "The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us" (NIV), the original Greek word translated as "lived for a while" is the same one that means "pitched his tent."  When the Old Testament was translated into Greek 130 years before Christ (the Septuagint), the exact same word is used for Lot's action and that of Jesus.
   Our motives for living in close proximity to the broken people and places in our world make all the difference.  With the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can live faithful lives no matter where we make our dwelling.

A Missing Mission

   In my year-long exploration of the theme of Jubilee, I have been reminded over and over of the Jubilee-mission that Jesus declared during a synagogue service at the start of his ministry.  He opened the scroll to Isaiah and read:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that the captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come" (Luke 4:18).  

 He then made the controversial statement that this prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing.
   Jesus passed on this mission to his followers, but Christians have often been selective about which parts they would carry out.  Outreach to the poor has been well documented from the beginning of the church: food, clothing and shelter have been provided to the less fortunate in Jesus' name in every nation where there is a Christian presence.  This "good news" to the poor provides for material needs as well as spiritual needs.  The disadvantaged are often most receptive to hearing about God's love and rescue plan as their day-to-day existence leaves little room for hope.
   The reference to the blind being given their sight represents all the efforts to assist a wide variety of medical needs that exist in the world.  Medical breakthroughs allow surgeries to be performed that actually do restore the sight of those blinded by cataracts, that enables those with infections or birth abnormalities in their bones to be able to walk and move normally.  Technologies, such as wheel chairs, hearing aids, leg braces, eyeglasses and so many more are available to allow flourishing for those affected by particular physical problems.  Finally, medicines and vaccines can prevent and treat many diseases that would otherwise maim or kill their victims.  Christian ministry that involves hospitals and clinics for those who would otherwise be unable to access such help also started early and have expanded in impact as medical knowledge has advanced from many quarters.
   Release to the captives and freedom for the oppressed was another part of the mission Jesus outlined, but this part has not been as consistently pursued by his followers.  We can point to movements where Christians have been at the forefront of opposing injustices, such as ending the African slave trade in the British Empire (led by William Wilberforce), the civil rights movement under Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., prison reform under John Howard and Elizabeth Fry and advocacy for the falsely imprisoned through Amnesty International.   These movements took an incredible amount of effort and perseverance to achieve gains on behalf of the marginalized--effort measured in decades rather than in months.
   Through reading Gary Haugen and Victor Boutros' book The Locust Effect, I have been convinced that good news for the poor and sight for the blind needs to be strategically accompanied by efforts to bring justice to captives and oppressed peoples.  I had been blind to it before but as I think about it, I have known example of how injustices in developing nations undercut efforts to help the poor:

• About 15 years ago we were sponsoring a child through a well-known international development agency.  One day we received a letter informing us that this little girl had moved out of the district in which they were working in Guatemala.  The reason?  Her father had murdered her mother, so this girl would be living with an uncle and his family.
• When I went on a service trip to the Dominican Republic I was shocked to see private security guards with shotguns patrolling outside of malls and grocery stores.  All windows on the middle class homes have bars on them to prevent break-ins, and locked gates secure the compounds of schools and other institutional buildings.  The poor, just struggling to make ends meet, cannot pay guards or afford to secure their properties.
• Also in Dominican Republic we were made aware of a school that had bathrooms quite a distance from its single classroom.  For safety reasons, they pleaded with our group to fund the construction of a secure and nearby washroom for the real safety of boys and girls otherwise at risk of being attacked.
• A gentleman I met at a music recital several years ago had traveled to Pakistan numerous times. He shared with me his observation that within the culture of Pakistan there is the presumption that little girls exist for their brothers to molest. 
• Rates of girls attending school are less than boys attending school.  I have heard this many times, with the explanation that when funding is limited they choose their sons to get an education. Another part of the picture, however, is that parents consider the risk of girls traveling to school to be too great; they want to hold them close to home so that will not be attacked or raped.

   Relief and development organizations do tremendous work.  I have no doubts about that.  They show compassion and bring economic empowerment to the people they care for, regardless of their beliefs. However, without a proper justice system, where laws to protect all citizens are enforced by honest police officers and where trained lawyers advocate for the poor, the poor will remain vulnerable and trapped in poverty.  Haugen and Boutros explain that everyday violence: domestic violence, robberies, rapes, false imprisonment by police, beatings, bonded labour [slavery], and sex trafficking harm more poor people every year than those harmed by wars, floods, earthquakes and severe storms combined. Despite the magnitude of the problem, it often remains hidden.

   There are groups making local progress in targeted areas where the need is greatest, and that is where hope comes in.  One of my children and I chose to sponsor a young girl in the capital city of Dominican Republic so that she can attend school and be well provided for.  When I learned that International Justice Mission has an office in that city to target sex trafficking, I realized that this little girl's future depends on supporting that initiative as well.  

   It's time for people of good will to take up this missing mission.  Training local systems of law enforcement and providing funding for social workers to rescue those who have been abused can turn the tide.  Such initiatives, in tandem with agricultural and vocational know-how, access to medical care and micro-loans, can be used by God bring about the fullest measure of "good news" for the poor.

   

The Golden Rule and Giving

   We generally agree that giving is a good thing.  After all, Jesus is quoted by the Apostle Paul as having said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."  Still, it is quite easy for giving to go wrong. To avoid each pitfall below, the golden rule of doing to others what we would have them do to us is instructive.

1.  Giving can become a matter of pride
   When one is in the position of being able to give to another, it is possible to look down upon the recipient of that charity as being less valuable.  The "needy" can be made into an object rather than being seen as a human being with feelings and dignity.  The giver should call to mind that everything with which he or she has been blessed ultimately came from God and is not to be a matter of pride. In our lives we will experience times when we need the help of others and times when we can provide help for others.  Seeing everyone, no matter their level of need, as someone created in God's image will help us avoid becoming arrogant.
   An example of a good practice I am aware of is that performed by the development agency World Vision.  Every community where it seeks to work by bringing relief and development, its representatives meet with community leaders to determine what assets the community already has.  It consults them as well as to what their hopes and dreams are for the community so that a true partnership is forged based on humility and mutual respect.

2.  Giving can be thoughtless
   Thinking that people in need should be grateful for any old thing given to them can lead to thoughtless giving.  Such giving is seen during food drives when dented cans and products past the best before date are donated.  Clothing given to the needy is sometimes ripped, soiled or missing buttons. Whatever a person plans to give should be something they themselves would be willing to receive.
   I am reminded of an episode in a radio drama where a young boy wins a new bike.  He knows of another child in need of a bike, so he plans to give him his old bike.  As a surprise, he leaves it at the curb of the needy boy's laneway only to have the garbage truck take it away.  In the end, he is convicted to give his brand new bike to this other boy, and he follows through.  It is a great story because it challenges one's natural inclinations.  It's easy to give away what one doesn't really like or need anymore.  The attitude of "What's mine is mine" can be overcome by living out the golden rule.

3.  Giving can be impersonal
   When we give a monetary donation, it can easily become another financial transaction, not unlike paying the utility bill.  When an amount of money is given through an agency, the personal impact of that gift is often brief and momentary.  A computer generated thank you letter telling how much the gift is appreciated does not genuinely allow the donor to see who benefited or how.
   The fourth grade class at my school recently learned how giving can be personal and more authentic. The framed photos of two Ugandan girls are front and centre in their classroom as a reminder of the reason they raised over $2,500 CAD: to sponsor their life-saving surgeries. Not only was money sent, but notes of encouragement and many prayers for their recovery and well-being continue to be offered.  A long-term personal connection has been made between the donors and the ones they helped.

Having the right posture when giving makes all the difference.  Humility, thoughtfulness and relationship elevates any gift from being a mere transaction.

 

Inspired Word for 2016

 

common things can contribute to jubilee

The past few days I have been pondering which word will be meaningful in ordering my life in the coming year 2016.  In 2014, the word I felt led to hold onto was "hope"; in 2015, it was "balance."  Through circumstances and a song Michael Card released with his 1994 album "Joy in the Journey," I came upon the word "Jubilee."
   Traditionally, we associate the word jubilee with celebrations of milestones like 25, 50 or 75 years for a monarch's reign or a couple's marriage.  The original meaning of this word goes back to the dense book of Leviticus, where a series of instructions is given in chapter 25 about how the Israelite people should conduct their affairs in light of the 50th year, the Year of Jubilee.  They are told that land prices should reflect the number of years until the Jubilee because in that year all land will be returned to its original ancestral owners.  Any person who had accumulated debt, which could also lead to slavery at that time, would have the debt forgiven and be released from slavery.  In addition, the people were to refrain from tilling the ground and, therefore, would eat from the abundance of food stored up from previous harvests. They were allowed to pick fruit and other produce of the land that grew up by itself.
   According to songwriter Michael Card, Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Jubilee vision.  When he began his ministry in a remote synagogue in Galilee, he declared that his mission would include bringing good news to the poor, the release of captives, giving sight to the blind, and setting the oppressed free.  Those who have experienced the transforming love of Jesus will set a priority on the same things.
   So, how will I apply these things in 2016? The enduring principles that come from the concept of the Year of Jubilee and that I wish to embrace are as follows:

• I will be more aware of the fact that everything I have ultimately belongs to God and is mine to use only for a short time.  I will endeavour to hold material things loosely in order to make them available for those who need them.
• I will further educate myself about human trafficking and bonded labour; I will join with organizations seeking to bring about freedom for modern-day slaves.
• I know what it is like to have had debt forgiven, both monetary and spiritual.  I will aim to show that same grace to others.
• Since jubilee has to do with resting in God's provision, I will try to live more in the present moment by being there for and loving my family and the others God has placed in my life.