Where Am I Wearing?

Recently I had the privilege of reading a book by an author named Kelsey Timmerman. Kelsey’s not the typical writer, and his book is far from ordinary. As far as genres are concerned, you could consider it a mix of travel writing, exposé, biography, and socially conscious advocacy.

The book’s roots come from curiosity. The author was simply reflecting on the fact that his clothes come from many faraway places, and he had no idea what life was like for the people who made his clothes (and I imagine the same is true for us). We hear a lot about sweatshops, child labor, and the horrible conditions in which those who make our clothes often work, but the truth of the matter is that very few of us ever really delve into what’s happening in the places where our clothes come from.
What I like best about Kelsey’s book is that it’s not an angry rant of a protester, nor is it the apathy of the person who is simply resigned to “that’s just the way it is, and their’s nothing we can do about it.” Instead, he advocates a third path.

That path? The path of the informed consumer. In fact, he encourages his readers, to take trips similar to his own. In an Appendix, he warns folks about possible pitfalls and roadblocks to completing the mission, and encourages us to go for it anyways.

At times as I read the book I would find myself laughing out loud because I could relate to Kelsey’s wit and life experiences (and you probably can as well). At other times, I would find myself in tears uncertain if these tears were as a result of morning the difficult life of those who make our clothes, or mourning the loss of community and family that garment workers cherish, but that is quickly eroding in areas in the west.

Another aspect I enjoyed as I read was that there was a transformation taking place within Kelsey as he traveled. He was realizing that the more he learned (and he admits that he’s still not an expert), the more he realized that the issues surrounding the clothes we wear are highly complex, and it behooves us to be better informed.

Among other things, he points out that it’s often not as simple as protesting or boycotting a clothing company. Even where work conditions are extremely challenging, at least there are jobs and opportunities for the people. Rather we can advocate for improving those conditions by writing congress as well as the companies we buy from. We can also choose to support companies that are regularly auditing and seeking to improve conditions.

If you can get a copy of this book, I would recommend taking the time to read it. Kelsey’s journey around the world is not necessarily something we can all do, but we can all be better informed about the people and the places that make the clothes we are wearing. It is a reminder of a truth that we can often forget in a global marketplace There are people who make the things we wear and the things we use. These days they don’t live down the street and we are growing more and more disconnected. Perhaps, we could use a little more connectedness to our brothers and sisters around the globe.

If you are interested in reading the book or finding out more about Kelsey, read his blog here. There's a link to order the book from amazon too.

If you’ve already read Kelsey’s book, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. Thanks for reading.

Advent Conspiracy 2009

Back in October I attended a conference called Catalyst in Atlanta Georgia. Over 12,000 church leaders from around the globe were in attendance in the Gwinnett Arena. When I I say that I attended the conference, I didn't actually go to the conference itself, but rather had the privilege of representing Nuru alongside about a dozen nonprofit organizations of varying types. Among other nonprofits represented were Invisible Children, Compassion Intl, Hope Intl, and a really cool organization called Advent Conspiracy.

Advent Conspiracy is a really brilliant idea (if you couldn't tell from the video above), that encourages people to re-allocate their funds and their time during the holidays. Last year, this organization raised $500,000 that was invested in the drilling of wells and brought clean drinking water to thousands of people. Not only is this a brilliant idea, but the people who are running this organization are top-notch. While at Catalyst, I was able to talk with them at length about the work they are doing and it really is exciting to see what happens when people change their spending habits just a little bit.

Don't get me wrong, it is great to give and receive gifts during the holiday season, but what if we made gifts instead of buying them. What if we gave our time instead of lots of stuff we don't need. Buying gifts for friends and family isn't horrible thing, but what would happen if we spent a little less on gifts, and instead gave some of that money to save lives and bring a little joy to a stranger. Imagine people having clena drinking water for the first time because of you! Imagine people being rescued from trafficking because of your gift! Imagine entire communities being empowered to lift themselves out of extreme poverty because of you!

To me, that's a celebration that can keep going long after the holiday season. By spending less on ourselves and our families, we can be part of bringing lasting change to others. And beyond that, if we spend less money AND time shopping, we could actually spend some of that time with our loved ones.

If we become part of this "Advent Conspiracy" it means . . .less sitting in traffic, less standing in line, and less money owed on a credit card bill. And this can mean, more lives changed, more quality time with others, and more joy during the holidays!

It's really hard though. We feel badly if we don't spend money on gifts. We feel like there's something missing around Christmas if there aren't lots of packages to open. We can fill that space with our time. We can fill that space with our love. We can cook together and laugh together and make and share stories together.

I hope you enjoyed the video, and that you join in the Advent Conspiracy this holiday season!

Advent Conspiracy

This video was on my friend Ricky Beamer's blog, and so I thought I would put it on mine too. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my eyes are being opened constantly to the great needs in our world, and the fact that we in the west have tons of resources to do something about those needs. But it all starts with change. And I invite you to think about that word change in all of the senses it is used.

It starts with change--what do you do with your coins? Your loaves and fishes? Would you be willing to change how you spent your cash? And how you celebrated the holiday season? Is it really your cash anyway?

Every year, we all run out to shop and among Christians we put taglines in our greeting cards and even on clothing that encourages others to "remember the reason for the season." It's a great tagline, but I wonder how much we think about the fact that the Creator of the universe, the one who gave you that last breath you took, came to earth in the form of a baby. LOVE entered the world, and dwelt with us. And our response is to spend a bunch of money on junk.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Gifts aren't a bad thing either. I feel a strong temptation every CHristmas to go overboard with my gift giving. I want to be lavish and extravagant with my family and friends. And I think that's a great thing. But maybe more could be communicated if I spend less on gifts (definitely getting gifts for folks!) and more on time. Time is a precious commodity. I want to be fully present with people when we are together, and I have a hard time at that sometimes, I think we all have a hard time with that. But THAT is a far better gift than toys and such. Time communicates love better than any other gift. Where are you spending your time?

Lastly, as a thought that emerged from the video, how could you take a little bit of that money you save on gifts to help someone in need? A better question than how is WILL you take a little bit of that money you would spend lavishing on people you love, and lavish some of it on people who are forgotten? Or maybe even giving some of those gifts to groups who are laboring for change in the world.

I want to suggest a few places where you could give for a greater impact.

1) Your church. One third of Christians say they tithe, 8% actually do. Imagine a company running on 8% of it's budget, and what it would be able to do. If you don't tithe, you should start. If you do tithe, consider giving a little more to your church this Christmas so they can redistribute those funds to further the influence of the gospel. Unless you don't think your church is doing that, and then you probably should talk to your church about it or find a new church . . .

2) Nuru International. Of course I'm going to plug this organization. It was started by my friends. It is doing great work at meeting desperate needs among some of the poorest people in the world. You could actually be part of helping a community of 5000 people have access to clean drinking water through Nuru. Water for Christmas? That sounds absurd--I agree, but over 1 billion people would enjoy water more than you will ever enjoy that new ipod.

3) International Justice Mission. I've blogged about this organization before as well, have you heard of them? They help rescue some of the 27 million slaves in our world today. Most of these folks are children. You could make a gift that will help these kids have an advocate, and to gain their freedom. Think about it. Freedom for a Christmas present.

4) Another great organization. There are tons out there. Look around. Pray. See where God leads you to give, and then do it.

This christmas let's all try to change our spending habits. Spend your time this Christmas. Bake some cookies with your sister. Go for a walk with your dad. Make a difference in the world with the abundant resources you have been given.

Take some time today to slow down and consider how you can freshly communicate your love to family and friends, and your love to those who you may never meet.

Love generously.

Do THEY Know it's Christmas? Give Life

DSCN0705, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

It's been a little difficult getting back into the groove of blogging and catching up with multiple tiny projects and people who I haven't seen since before thanksgiving break. But I should be getting back in the groove now.

So we are continuing our series at h2o Do THEY Know It's Christmas? and this week's message is entitled Give Live.
You know I think that one of the biggest temptations in the Christmas season is to forget about those who live on the fringes—I mean the real fringes. I think we have this huge fear that we are going to miss out on something if we don’t have everything we desire. But we have sooo much more than we need, and I think there is a purpose in it all. I think that maybe Jesus gave us so many resources and so much wealth so we could actually use it to bless others.

Another option is that he really just wants to give us tons of nice stuff solely for ourselves, and he really doesn’t care about other people, but I strongly doubt that.

Jesus tells us in Luke 12,

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

God has given us the ultimate blessing by giving us access to the Kingdom. He tells us to sell our possessions—not because our possessions are bad, but because we can give to those who have REAL needs when we see our own excess, and we can demonstrate to others what life looks like in the Kingdom of King Jesus. If we took serious as Christians our charge to be ambassadors of the Kingdom, I bet we would make a major dent in poverty in our world.

Where are treasure is, there is our heart. Where are you looking to find your treasure? Ultimately, our treasure is Jesus, but it is so easy to believe our treasure is found somewhere else. In fact, marketing companies are spending billions to make you believe that your treasure and your life is made up of the abundance of your possessions, but it is simply not true.

I think deep down we don’t want to ignore those who have nothing, it’s just that we get duped into believing we are the ones who are deprived. It’s really easy to feel like we don’t have enough stuff, and fail to have a heart of gratitude. I mean, how much do we really need. How much could we give up for the sake of others if we took the time, or took advantage of the opportunities around us?

How much would we be willing to share? We take for granted so much stuff in our world. Sometimes I think we get our priorities all wrong at Christmas, and really all year round. Having nice stuff isn’t a bad thing—I hope that I am not coming across that way; it’s just that I think that we can spend so much time, effort, and energy on ourselves that we neglect some really great needs in our world.

As you consider Christmas this year, and as you consider your life in the years to come, will you consider ways in which you can show your love to your fellow man and remember “the least of these”? You alone may not be able to end hunger, but maybe God wants to use you to help take a step toward one more person not going hungry. You alone may not be able to bring clean drinking water to the world, but maybe some of your spare change can be given to help “one of the least of these” to get access to medicine that will prevent them from dying of dehydration from diarrhea or other ailments.
Maybe as a family, or as a small group of friends you can do something for people who you’ve never met. People who won’t be receiving the latest ipod, or something from the fall line at banana republic, but who simply want the technology that will allow them to afford medical attention for their family. . People who don’t have any use for a cd or a plasma screen tv, but who simply want to hear the sights and sounds of another day of life.. People who have no use for a gift card at the olive garden, but who simply want to have enough food for their family today.

Maybe this Christmas you can start a new tradition of caring and Give Life.

Do They Know It's Christmas? Part I Commercial Christmas

Last night we started a new series at h2o called Do They Know it’s Christmas that will take us to the end of the semester. This week in particular we looked at a story Jesus told about a man who had so much stuff he found himself needing to build bigger barns. Before Jesus tells the story, he warns people to guard themselves against covetousness and tells them that their life consists of more than the abundance of their possessions.

Essentially, he says the exact opposite of what modern marketing gurus would like us to believe. Many of us have heard the story multiple times, and yet, when we are succumbed to over 30,000 commercials a year (on average) not to mention countless billboards, neon signs, and newspaper ads, it is easy to drown out the voice that tells us we have more than enough.

In the words of Ron Sider in his book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, “The increasingly affluent standard of living is the god of the twenty-first century in Northa America, and the adman is its prophet.” His book doesn’t say that Christians are the problem, he just argues that affluence is not our god. But you know, if you were to look at the average American household, you might be tempted to think that our source of strength was found in the amount of stuff we could hoard. It is so easy to get caught up in “building bigger barns” or believing the lie that life does not consist in more than the abundance of our possessions. And so we go out and spend money like crazy to buy more stuff—last year Americans spent $455 billion during the holidays.

It’s not that buying things is bad either. Especially around Christmas time it is nice to celebrate the arrival of our Savior by exchanging gifts since God gave us the ultimate gift in Christ. But do we need to be so excessive in our spending? Sometimes I feel like we can get caught up in “building bigger barns” as the holidays arrive. I don’t want to seem trite or judgemental or even seem like I have it all together—because anybody who knows me well knows that I don’t. I still oooohhhh and aaaaaahhhhhh over every new release that apple makes.

But maybe, as we scurry about this holiday season, we can think about gifts and giving in a different vein. Last year, I made photo albums for my family and sort of wrote a little “book” for them. I think it might have been the best gift I had ever given. Instead of giving them more stuff, I gave them something that I took time and care and LOVE and placed them all into this unique gift.

My mom made me a quilt and a scarf just a couple of years before she died. While I won’t see my mom again until the day I go to be with Jesus, every time I see the things she has made, I am reminded of the intense love she has for me, and that she took the time to care for me many, many times over the years of my life. And to me, that’s the most meaningful gift of all.

Seems like it rings familiar of another story I read where someone else loved so much that He worked tirelessly to give us what we really needed in the greatest act of love history has ever known.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if our gifts echoed that this year.