Christians need to make sacrifices even though no one around us will. Our standard of living and our attitudes and expectations are hurting people throughout most of the world. Most major denominations all have efforts to restore God's creation through enabling our congregations to understand the need, as well as their unique ability to make a difference. Environmental justice issues are linked and intertwined in many ways with those areas of concern traditionally and currently held by our churches. We need to become aware of the concerns and what we can do to help.
Every effort counts.
From the newsletter of Waltham First Baptist Church A budget is a family's attempt to live below its yearnings. As American Baptists we are alarmed by the recent murder of Matthew Shepard. As Christians we are conscious of the violence around us but have too often been numbed by its frequency in our lives. The killing of this young man along with similar, recent hate-motivated crimes, challenges us to respond in ways that affirm life. Violence against one's neighbor, for whatever reason, is a fundamental violation of God's life-giving nature and commandments.