57 Slaves?

Sunday's sermon featured a little-preached New Testament passage: the story of Peter raising Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-42). In the actions of both Peter and Dorcas, we can see evidence of what it means to live as a disciple: one who cares for others, one who humbly allows God to work through them, and one who leads others to Christ.

This scripture brought to my mind a number of things:

• The words of the prophet Micah, who asked, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Dorcas cared for widows in need. Although she could not completely alleviate the oppression they faced in society, she could do one thing: she could make clothes for them. Peter walked humbly with God by kneeling in prayer before extending his hand to Dorcas. We are not called to do everything, but we are called to do something; and the power that we have to serve is never ours alone. 

• Thinking of both the widows in their need and Dorcas, who clothed them, brought to my mind the horrific tragedy that occurred recently when a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, killing over 1,000 workers. News reports say that the minimum wage for these workers is approximately $38/month. Garments from the retail store where I purchase my children's school clothes are sewn in this country. My closet easily contains items of clothing from over 20 countries where working conditions are questionable. I purchased none of these clothes at "fair trade" prices.

• This morning, I wore a beautiful stole that was given to me by my dentist, Dr. Ken Kirkham, after he returned from his first Hands of Healing medical/dental mission trip to Guatemala. The stole was made by the women of the Ruth and Naomi House in Chichicostenango. You can read more about their ministry here, and you can purchase goods made by these widows through the Ten Thousand Villages store, located in our nearby Chapel Hill shopping center.

The prophet Micah calls us to "do justice." John Wesley's "three simple rules" are: "Do good. Do no harm. Attend upon all of the ordinances of God." The injustices of the world seem so overwhelming - what can one do? We may not be able to "fix" everything that is wrong in this world. But what can we do?

The Monday Connection: What is one thing I am doing that might be harmful to others? What is one thing I can change for good?

If you're looking for inspiration, you might want to take this quiz: http://slaveryfootprint.org/.

I just took the quiz, and, without greatly refining my answers, I'm told that 57 slaves work for me. 57 slaves?! What can I do about this?