*photo edit by Char Jackson
Hey everyone,
The modern slave trade is a hydra. I've blogged about that, talked about it, and indeed, it is a deadly monster that grows two more heads where one is chopped off. But you can read about that for yourself as you wander the Underground Railroad. I hope also, too, that you'll see the bright spots of hope and justice that are both bursting onto the scene or creeping in quietly. Right now, I wanted to share a few more personal notes to keep things in balance!
I love Jesus Christ with all of who I am. He is my First Love, my Saviour, my Lord, my Defender, my Secret Keeper... He is my everything. He is the reason I breathe, the reason I get up in the morning, and the reason I trust Him -- including the reason to stand for releasing the oppressed. Does that make me a fanatic? Probably. But if so, I am one of the most Life-filled fanatics to ever have lived.
I love to read, I love to write, I love to fight over the last carrot with my rabbits, Sage and Bug. :)
Favourite novel? Les Miserable, Victor Hugo, but there are copious amounts of tremendous literature out there so I've got many lists of runners-up!
Fave movie? Shadowlands... Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. I believe Hopkins defines the quintessential CS Lewis. But I've been known to enjoy a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings marathon every now and then!
Fave country? Oh wow... where to start? Romania and eastern Europe is close to my heart. Climbing and hiking in and round Busteni, RO, is spectacular! And course, the people are wonderful.
Actually, between Canada and Romania, these were the places where I encountered the slave trade first hand. The fire was lit when I was 13, and has been kindled ever since. I am a trained Certified Investigator through the Not for Sale Campaign (Level I) and do presentations, speaking engagements and education to church groups, non-profit groups, students, teachers, and other community groups.
My dream?
Well... the end of the slave trade.
Right now, I am growing a "social experiment of spiritual proportions"-- The Coming Home Community. We cannot excise the bad without growing up the good. In sharing what we have instead of consuming gluttonous amounts of stuff we don't need, in cultivating friendships based on equality between the rich and poor, and in living a lifestyle that simply defies slavery and speaks justice, love and compassion, we not only attack the slave trade at its root, but poverty, education, healthcare and nurture deep abiding discipleship.
Do we need all the stuff we have? No.
Is there a way to honour all people in our daily actions? Yes.
Will all people accept our daily actions as honourable? No.
Growth is uphill. But the struggle is well worth the journey, the result and the life.
Cheers!
