open your fat wallies
This past week I went with the faculty of my school to sort shoes at Samaritan's Feet. These folks go to people who need shoes, wash their feet, and shoe them. Then they ask them what the worst thing is that has ever happened to them, and what their biggest dream is. They pray with/for them, and that's it.
Samaritan's Feet was actually started by an actual African dude from actual Africa, who got a pair of basketball shoes as an impoverished boy in Nigeria and ended up winning a basketball scholarship to the University of North Dakota. Now he's giving back. Which is cool. So... I think you should give them your money.
I also think you should give your money to the Jesus Don't Let Me Die Before I've Had Sex kickstarter campaign, because I think it's an important conversation that needs to happen.
Now, there is definitely a part of me that asks if I should really be endorsing both these things in the same blog post. It isn't just that I've been quasi-brainwashed by the warped theological underpinnings of some of the more misguided teachers in my religious heritage into subconsciously suspecting that sex is a sort of lower-order human activity (it isn't, dualists be danged); but there is also the fact that my higher brain tends to put caring for the poor above all else. If I tell you I think you should give money to the poor and to some dude's art project, what happens if you choose the art project, and the poor kid with perpetual ringworm on his feet gets no shoes? I'll burn for that, right?
Except... except my daily life - which is full of the "frivolity" of art - proves that I don't really think that way, because that way of thinking issues from a scarcity mentality; a mentality driven, primarily, by fear.
It isn't my responsibility who you give money to; and, contrary to the mentality of my college-aged self, I was not born into this world to be everybody else's personal Jesus. I'm telling you about these opportunities because I think they are opportunities, and I sort of like you and want you to have a shot at something awesome.
Give money to both, if you can, or one, or neither. I'm gonna be over here, humming to myself.
Samaritan's Feet was actually started by an actual African dude from actual Africa, who got a pair of basketball shoes as an impoverished boy in Nigeria and ended up winning a basketball scholarship to the University of North Dakota. Now he's giving back. Which is cool. So... I think you should give them your money.
I also think you should give your money to the Jesus Don't Let Me Die Before I've Had Sex kickstarter campaign, because I think it's an important conversation that needs to happen.
Now, there is definitely a part of me that asks if I should really be endorsing both these things in the same blog post. It isn't just that I've been quasi-brainwashed by the warped theological underpinnings of some of the more misguided teachers in my religious heritage into subconsciously suspecting that sex is a sort of lower-order human activity (it isn't, dualists be danged); but there is also the fact that my higher brain tends to put caring for the poor above all else. If I tell you I think you should give money to the poor and to some dude's art project, what happens if you choose the art project, and the poor kid with perpetual ringworm on his feet gets no shoes? I'll burn for that, right?
Except... except my daily life - which is full of the "frivolity" of art - proves that I don't really think that way, because that way of thinking issues from a scarcity mentality; a mentality driven, primarily, by fear.
It isn't my responsibility who you give money to; and, contrary to the mentality of my college-aged self, I was not born into this world to be everybody else's personal Jesus. I'm telling you about these opportunities because I think they are opportunities, and I sort of like you and want you to have a shot at something awesome.
Give money to both, if you can, or one, or neither. I'm gonna be over here, humming to myself.
Will you share your own story with the producers of "Jesus, please don't let me die...?" I noticed that was an option. I'm sure yours must be interesting, growing up in a rather closed (?), evangelical environment in rural Peru. Not "American Pie" for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'll look into that... I'd love to.
ReplyDeleteCool charities, thanks for the heads up. I use kiva (microlending) if you ever decide to try that. They have a top rating at www.charitynavigator.org
ReplyDelete