To what shall I compare the
kingdom....
This morning’s news is disheartening. The headlines shout that the USA will
withdraw from the Paris Climate agreements.
Follow-up articles tell the story of
conflicting opinions about what this will mean economically and politically for the
country. Concern, outrage, resistance,
and resolve are words that appear again and again as business people and
politicians seek to find a solid place to stand - either in solidarity with the
administration or in opposition. The
international community shakes its collective head as the leadership in efforts
to offset or contain the effects of climate change shifts away from the USA and
other nations strengthen their commitment.
Once again, high drama makes the headlines.

The announcement will provide information to the local
church about several other island non-profit groups that are partnering to
kick-off a summer of events that promote global aid initiatives focused on
women’s empowerment and economic development. Representing work in Haiti,
Zambia, Tanzania, and India, they hope to raise awareness about their
organizations and the work they are doing as well as to showcase the resulting
art and bring the crafts of the people they work with around the world to our
island community.
The African Artists’ Community Development Project, is a
non-profit organization based on the island. Raising money for disabled
children, orphans and women’s groups in Zambia by selling crafts here in the
U.S., AACDP’s mission is expressed in the motto, “Buying African Crafts,
Strengthening African Families.” This group continues to explore
empowerment commerce and has started a doll-making project with the mothers and
grandmothers of the children at the Mama Bakhita Cheshire Home for Disabled
Children.
Maasai Partners, also based on the
island, promotes health, education, welfare, and economic development focusing on the
Ngorongoro Conservation Area of northern Tanzania to combat the extreme poverty
in the region. Maasai Partners (working under NCN), believes the most
successful development programs rely on the villagers themselves to determine
what is most necessary for their own success. Collaborating with the villagers,
identifying the resources needed to further community development and help
alleviate poverty, Maasai Partners networks and collaborates with area
nonprofits to establish effective programs within the villages,
while also providing independent support.
Also participating as a local non-profit, will be a “The
Invisible World”, a collaboration between a local plankton ecologist and Her
Future Coalition. Her Future Coalition is a human trafficking
rescue, recovery and prevention organization based in India. Plankton are not
seen, but play a crucial role in the ecology of our planet, supplying 50% of
the oxygen we breathe. Human trafficking goes on every day but is overlooked.
The Invisible World reminds us to look at what is not seen on the surface, to
change our way of thinking and how we see the world.
The email is a timely message of hope that antidotes my
sinking feelings of incredulity and frustration. The headlines seem always to carry the worst
of the news of the state of the world, while, like plankton, the life blood of
human resourcefulness and kindness and generosity and creativity go largely
unnoticed.
So - without a doubt, time will be given in morning
worship for a woman to speak and for the congregation to hear the word of grace
that will come - - the word that echoes the words of Jesus: “To
what shall I compare the kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of
flour until all of it was leavened.” (Luke 13:20,21). Yeast is a homely metaphor - but it
works. I bake bread. I am not a truly patient person by
nature. I am constantly checking the
dough to see whether the yeast is doing its work. It really does seem to have a mind of its own
and does its best work in secret - invisibly.
It seems as though it waits for me to turn my back for a moment and then
- VOILA! - the dough is ready to be baked.

Vicky Hanjian
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