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Small Steps to Make A Difference by Mark Scandrette
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. --Isaiah 58: 2-10
If I spend fifteen minutes on Facebook, I see thirty articles that break my heart. Another mass shooting. Race related violence. Prejudice. Fear. Injustice. Politicians or pundits hypocritically spouting off about poverty or the refugee crisis. I can sign the petition or spread awareness, but sometimes I wonder why I spend so much time, talk and emotional energy on what I have little or no control over- especially when there are small steps I can take that would make a difference.
With every dollar we spend we are casting a vote in favor or against the needs of the hungry and oppressed. I can patronize minority and immigrant businesses. I can put my money in a bank that invests in small local businesses rather than the for profit prison system. I can make sure I'm buying fair trade and slave free coffee and chocolate. I can take one less car trip or eat one less ecologically expensive meat protein meal. Knowing that your spending choices affect people across the street, around the globe and future generations, make a short list of next steps that you can take to change your habits and practices.
[Mark is the founding director of ReIMAGINE: A Center for Integral Christian Practice, based in San Francisco, where he leads an annual series of retreats, workshops and projects designed to help participants apply spiritual wisdom to everyday life. His books include FREE: Spending Your Time and Money On What Matters Most (IVP 2013), Practicing the Way of Jesus (IVP 2011) and Soul Graffiti (Jossey-Bass 2007).
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