Released 13 July 2010
During The Salvation Army USA Central Territory Congress
Weekend, June 11-13, the World Missions Bureau and the Historical Museum, in
collaboration with Resource Connection, presented the Global Village, an
interactive exhibit based on the scripture verse Micah 6:8 – “He
has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To
act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Fitting
into the overall theme of the weekend, Saved & Called, the Global Village
challenged its visitors to take an active role in God’s Kingdom as a
result of their salvation and calling.
The Global Village was divided into four sections, each
focusing on a different aspect of Salvation Army ministry and Kingdom work
around the world. Visitors were given passports that were stamped as they
traveled to each of the four stations. At one station individuals were
educated through photos and artifacts celebrating the historical work of the
International Salvation Army. At other stations missionaries shared about the
work in which The Salvation Army is currently engaged and videos showed some of
the programs and initiatives run by The Salvation Army around the world. Each
individual was called to action as he or she engaged in interactive activities
at the various stations and was given then the opportunity to purchase fair
trade items. When the visitor had stopped by all four stations and received
all four stamps, the passport was taken to the Micah Challenge booth where he
or she was encouraged to commit to praying for justice for the world’s
poor on 10/10/10, to promise to be part of the change by committing to live a
life of justice, and to sign a petition to press our national leaders for a
more wholehearted commitment to eradicate poverty. Those presenting a
completed passport at the Micah Challenge booth also received a complementary
piece of fair trade jewelry made from recycled magazines by women in Kenya
affected by HIV/AIDS.
What does the LORD require of you?
When God created man he did it in such a way that each person would be the same
and yet different. We all need to eat, sleep and have something constructive
to do. We are all different in appearance, personalities, abilities and gifts.
To answer the question ‘What does the Lord require of you?” look
inward and then outward. As you look ‘inward’ you will see the
strength of your relationship with God and the abilities/gifts He has given
you. As you look outward God will show you how He wants you to use those
abilities and gifts for His Kingdom. The Salvation Army is a great place to
explore your answer to that question. Through this station at the Global
Village, visitors were able to examine photos and artifacts of The Salvation
Army’s work through the years as they reflected on what the Lord was
requiring of them as citizens of His Kingdom.
To Act Justly
If the Lord
requires us to Act Justly like He mandates in Micah chapter 6 verse 8, what
does that mean? What does it mean for The Salvation Army? What does it mean
for us personally? In the Act Justly section of the Global Village, there were
two areas that displayed how The Salvation Army was responding to this mandate
to act justly by seeking justice and being the voice for the voiceless. The
first display was about the Dorcus Jewelry project based in East Africa. Dorcus
Beads is a micro-enterprise initiative involving the women of East Africa.
These beads are produced from recycled paper by woman living with and affected
by HIV/AIDS across Kenya and parts of Uganda. When entering this area
participants were encouraged to view the visual display showing the process of
how the beads are made. The documentary While Women Weep
(www.whilewomenweep.com) was also playing – telling the stories of women
in Kenya coming out of situations of injustice and desperation.
The second portion of the Act Justly section was the
Central Territory’s debut of the Sally Ann Store – Fair Trade by
The Salvation Army. Sally Ann is The Salvation Army’s response to fair
trade, created in Bangladesh when Norwegian officers Bo and Brigette Brekke saw
that people needed ’a way out’ of poverty and prostitution, and
needed livelihood and hope. The goal of Sally Ann is to provide vulnerable
people in the world's poorest countries hope for the future by creating and
offering work under the standards of Fair Trade.
The Act Justly section of the Global Village was
intended to teach participants that they have a role in pursuing justice for
others. By being a consumer of Dorcus Jewelry and Sally Ann merchandise
participants are enabling a better and more productive way of life for the
producers and their families. Also, knowledge is power. Being informed and
knowledgeable about these injustices makes participants responsible for
responding and sharing this information with others. Pursuing justice
isn’t a one-time experience - it needs to become a lifestyle.
To Love Mercy
In Zechariah
7:9, the Lord’s words to Zechariah are recorded: “Administer true
justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.” Through this station
at the Global Village, visitors learned about the way The Salvation Army is
carrying out this command and showing mercy and compassion to vulnerable people
around the world. A vignette showing a humble bed and mosquito net, similar to
what might be found in a Salvation Army children’s home, demonstrated the
safety and care that The Salvation Army provides for vulnerable children
through its Sponsorship Program.
A chalkboard declared the fact that “53% of
people in the world live on $2.00 per day” and visitors to the Global
Village were able to record their number, the estimated amount of money they
live on per day. Upon examining the discrepancies between the financial
resources many in the United States have versus those available to many people
around the world, visitors were encouraged to appreciate what they have!
People of all ages enjoyed making wooden bead key chains which helped to raise
awareness about the fact that preventable diseases claim the lives of 29,000
people every 24 hours. Each of the different colored beads on the key chain
stood for a different preventable disease including malaria, HIV/AIDS,
malnutrition, acute respiratory infection, and tuberculosis. A green bead was
added to represent the hope that treatment for these diseases will someday be
available to all. Children were able to learn about showing mercy and
compassion to others as they colored pictures of a Salvationist boy from India
and pictures of our Partner in Mission flags. As visitors to the Global
Village learned about some of the devastating situations in which people around
the world find themselves, it is the hope that they would continue to be led to
prayer and perhaps financial giving to help show compassion and bring mercy to
those in need around the world.
To Walk Humbly with Your
God
How do we enter into ministry
with people of other nations, cultures, and languages? The answer is we walk
humbly. Missionaries and mission teams come not to teach so much as to partner
with brothers and sisters in other lands as we communicate the gospel of Jesus
Christ through acts of love and kindness. At the Global Village, our
missionaries on furlough along with mission team members, educated delegates
through videos, conversations and by selling items that were unique to the
country they were appointed to, so that even in a small way, the needs of local
residents could be met. Visitors to the Global Village could also collect
missionary prayer cards and commit to praying for the missionaries on an
on-going basis.