The Hole in Our Gospel

New book ... I just finished reading it.

The Hole in Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns ... he's the president of World Vision.

World Vision is a global humanitarian aid organization.

I have known since I was a teenager that God put me here to fight for Africa. I have been using the excuse of "being young" for way to long. It's about time I step up to the plate and get something done.

Everyday 26,000 children die of hunger and hunger related causes. 26,000.

And, in a fair world, that should mean 26,000 mamas were wailing while they dug graves for their babies. But, likely, many of those children were orphaned long before they died. Which means they did not even have a mama to hold them and weep over them when they died.

So, things will be changing here at the Zipf house. And I'm here to challenge you to be a part of the fun. :)

1. If you promise to read it, we will personally supply you (free) with a copy of the book, The Hole in Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns. I'll have 20 copies by the end of the week. When you are finished with it, either give it back or foward it onto someone who will promise to read it.

2. Those of you who were at the 30 hour famine will appreciate this one ... starting Monday I will be eating the Corn Meal Porriage we served at the famine everyday for lunch (Monday-Friday) for a year. If you think I'm stronger than you, you're mistaken. I ate a bowl of it, yes ... but I choked it down. Everyday I will put $5 in a jar to represent the amount of money I'm not spending on a regular lunch. At the end of the year, the money will be given to World Vision.

The money will give others the opportunity to eat corn meal porriage. And they will walk miles for it. And they will be grateful because it's the only food they have.

I will learn to be grateful. Damn it, I will learn.

And I'm inviting you to join me for lunch anytime over the next year. We'll be having corn meal porriage and the topic of conversation will be the book. Please bring $5 to contribute to the jar and let's see how much money we can raise together.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter -
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

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.

The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail."

Taken from the Bible, Isaiah chapter 58