A look back at the journey of the first 25

A look back at the journey of the first 25

A short compilation of the 25 days the first group of advocates went through on their journey together along with images of all the things they are fighting for. 25 in Change – Journey 1 and World Food Program from Kenn Kelly on...
25 in Change Exit Interviews

25 in Change Exit Interviews

Over the last month we have conducted anonymous exit interviews with 25 in Change advocates from Pathways Church.  Below you will see a link to a PDF which shares 25 Results from these interviews. 25 in Change Exit Interview...
A Call to the Churches

A Call to the Churches

Sometimes I sit back and wonder why there are so many denominations.  I am not a member of the clergy, so maybe ignorance is bliss. But, I think if we were one giant community bonded together under Christ, we could get a lot more accomplished. As churches distinguish themselves more and more through what makes them unique from other churches, I wonder what the church would look like if we stripped away the hype, power dynamics, and politics? When I read the Bible and look at the greatest Christians throughout the last 2,000 years, I don’t see a book and group of people trying to build hype and excitement to make the gospel of Jesus relevant.  The heroes of faith all have one thing in common: They put the needs of marginalized people first, and mold their faith in response to those needs. When I read the Bible, it seems pretty clear on asking Christians to help widows and orphans. In Deuteronomy 24:19-21, it says, 19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. James, the brother of Jesus, says in James 1:27, ...
Finding Change between the Couch Cushions

Finding Change between the Couch Cushions

So I think it’s time get real…like REAL with myself. These past 3 weeks have been anything but easy. Anything but normal. I wish I could say it was a good thing entirely…there were definitely good things that have and will continue to come from this experience. But I’ve also come to realize so many things–that aren’t necessarily bad–but awakening. Most especially, my compassion for others. Yeah, I have compassion, but I feel like it only runs so deep right now. That I’m compassionate only when it’s convenient, or “the right thing to do”. Well, I think compassion lives in many avenues of life, and it is always in life. Whether I’m alone or in a room full of people, being compassionate towards those around me means trying to understand where they are coming from, what they’re going through, and dealing with. Compassion for me means to step it up–to kick it up a notch. So, what does a truly compassionate person look like, breathe like, feel like? After 25 is over, how will I be different? Well, the “different” will start now. In the book conveniently titled Compassion, it’s said that “Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”  So, what does that mean for me? I’m human. I realize I’m also selfish, sometimes selfless, compassionate, but also cold, sympathetic, but also self-centered. I’ve spent so many years of my life being excited to build relationships and to get to know other people. But, often I fail to...
A Big Reality Check

A Big Reality Check

Did you know that Honduras is the murder capital of the world? They have 82.1 murders per 100,000 residents. Compare that to 5.5 murders per 100,000 residents in Florida. How does that make you feel? Anything at all? Perhaps you were like me and for a second said to yourself, “Wow! That’s crazy!” Yesterday I was talking to my close friend from college. He lives in Honduras. I asked him, “What’s it like in Honduras?” He said, “It’s the murder capital of the world.” I said, “Wow! That’s crazy!” My buddy then said, “Yeah. Just Google Honduras Murder Capital and you’ll see it all.” So, sitting in front of my computer I Googled “Honduras Murder Capital”. Here are some of the headlines I found on Google:     Honduras: murder capital of the world     Instability in Honduras     Honduras: A Violence, Repression and Impunity Capital of the World     Peace Corps pullout hits Honduras, world’s murder capital As I was reading through these headlines on my computer my buddy was painting the picture for me. He said there was a time when he showed up to the airport 30 minutes after 6 people had been shot right there in the airport. The bodies laid there uncovered for 2 hours before being tended to. Another time my buddy was walking past the French Embassy at 3 pm in the afternoon when two kids rolled up on their bikes. They pulled out their handgun, pointed it at his head and asked for his phone. My buddy talked about the death and government corruption he is surrounded by. Something very interesting was...
Amy Schiebel: Up Close and Real.

Amy Schiebel: Up Close and Real.

I have to admit also that it wasn’t until this past week, and technically the past couple of days, that this is all really starting to set in. Like Jenny’s blog the other day about seeing the homeless people… that one really hit me yesterday.  I was out with friends at Gov’s Park Tavern for a bike ride.  As I rode in to the bar, there were two homeless men tucked up under the over hang of the building across the street.  That is when it hit me that it’s not just about me.  It’s not just about the children, or one country or another.  It’s about everyone, every where.  I walked into the bar and order a water and a pitcher of water, then perused the menu for a healthy simple meal that I could take across the street to those men.  I ordered them a side salad and some chili and walked it over. My friends that were with me, at first they didn’t believe I was going to even do it.  But as I climbed over the railing with the food in hand saying “I’ll be back in a bit”, their faces went from disbelieving to kind of shock and amazement. I sat with those men for about 5-10 minutes asking them about their lives on the street, telling them about 25 In Change, and telling them about Pathways.  The one gentleman, Davy Boy, was a real charmer.  He asked me if I was a Christian woman and I never felt so proud to say yes!  He then proceeded to ask me to marry him, but...
Day 18: Empathy, like Ron Burgundy, is kind of a big deal.

Day 18: Empathy, like Ron Burgundy, is kind of a big deal.

Mother Teresa once said, “If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.”  Recently, these words began to make more sense to me.  At a surface level, it seems easy to understand that she is speaking about the discouragement all of us face at the overwhelming problems of the world, and how if we only limit our vision to one person suffering, we can make a difference in the world.  This is a fair interpretation, but what if she is talking about something a little bit more profound and personal? What if she is pointing to a truth which is only learned through solidarity with the oppressed, or more specifically, someone who is oppressed? We are now on day 18 of 25 in Change, and this week we focused on the need to empathize. In fact, all the curriculum of 25 in Change (Self-examination, education, empathy, equipping, and measuring effect) is meant to help us be more effective at empathizing with those who are marginalized. This is how it works: 25 in Change teaches people how to empathize, by building a community which values empathy, and for this reason it is a virtuous circle.  By building an empathic community–which values empathy through self-denial–so that others are helped, we begin a conversation about the value of empathizing with others, and through this we learn how to empathize with others, which in turn reinforces our bonds of community built on the value of empathy. So the cycle continues. It’s like a gift which keeps on giving. And if someone has an easier...
Day 16: The Freedom of Empathy

Day 16: The Freedom of Empathy

Change in most cases does not come easy however, occasionally it happens without consent. Sitting at the stop light at Speer and Blake I see the same group of homeless individuals regularly. Living and working downtown I feel as though I am almost numb and accustomed to their signs and pleas for help. While these have been thoughts within my head for some time now, I feel a wave of guilt writing this down and looking at these words on the page. I am ashamed. I think back to when I was younger and I know that I was not always this far removed from the idea of helping. If change is so hard, why is it that I don’t ever remember making a decision to stop caring for those who have less? I honestly do not have a good answer to this question. I suppose that over the years one stop light at a time, I just “wrote off” helping. At each of those stop lights (at least 3 times a day in Denver) I have always felt bad for those individuals, but my attitude has never been anything more than sympathetic. Sympathy. The English Dictionary defines sympathy as “the sharing of another’s emotions, especially of sorrow or anguish; pity; compassion”. I “shared” their sorrow from the comfort of my car; A/C on, windows up and doors locked – clearly sharing a lot through the windows. Somehow my sympathy for them had been diluted to this. I had dehumanized their pleas. I had convinced myself that I was better off not trying, that my help would not change...
Day 15: My Tea Party with Grandma

Day 15: My Tea Party with Grandma

This weekend I was having a nice chat with my Grandma and told her about 25 in Change. I told her why it is such a great campaign. About 14,000 kids are dying every day due to lack of food. I have never seen a look on her face like that before. She couldn’t comprehend those kinds of numbers, and I don’t blame her one bit. By eating beans and rice for 25 days, we try to place ourselves in the lives of the kids that suffer from lack of food.  We can’t see or experience all of their suffering, but through being in solidarity with them in their fight with chronic hunger, we get a little bit closer to understanding them and ourselves. Last Sunday, after our group meeting, I couldn’t sleep. Not because I was hungry, but because I was pumped in seeing the people around me changing. Since I was 18, I have been pretty involved with mission work–both locally and globally. A thought came to me during last week’s session: We are on a mission trip. We haven’t applied for passports, and haven’t received any shots to prevent tropical diseases, but we feel connected the same way one feels when going to a developing country and immersing oneself in a radically different culture. To be honest, I am amazed at the feelings we are all experiencing; I even lose sleep some nights because I get so excited about what this is doing in my life,  the lives of advocates around me, and especially, the lives of children who are getting a fighting chance in life. As...
The Cost of Consumerism

The Cost of Consumerism

Close to 20 years ago, I had a dear friend come to the States from Belarus, former Soviet Union, to study for year. We formed a deep friendship despite language barriers. Many nights giggling over my lack of eloquence with Belarusian as she patiently taught me simple words like good morning and good night. She was a consistent source of joy and always beaming with life, however one day she came back from running errands sobbing and undone. I helped her unbind her heart and apprehensively reveal her days events. She ran to Walmart, of all stores, to purchase a simple tube of toothpaste. This was her first experience going into an American grocery store which, as I write this, seems absurd to call it that. What she came upon was nothing less than complete culture shock. She had never been faced with so many choices in her life. In Belarus, there is only one choice for a tube of toothpaste. My friend ended up coming home empty handed, but a heart full of defeat and anger. I’ve never forgotten this. For her, a simple trip to the market turned into an experience with a machine that will eat you alive if you are unsuspecting. I was listening to NPR last week and heard an interview with Dr. Chow from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. He uses mathematics to solve everyday problems of real life. In the interview, the question was asked, “Did you ever solve the question – what caused the obesity epidemic?” and this was his answer, “We think so. And its...
The Man Who Talked to Himself

The Man Who Talked to Himself

Yesterday I was in King Soopers. I had one mission. To quickly and without much thought check off a to-do on my productivity list. One of my to-do’s this day was to pick up several days worth of rice and beans. My thought process minutes before – while sitting in my car – was this: – Take check to the bank and deposit it. – Run into King Soopers to grab rice and beans. – Stop by gas station to fill up with gas. You see I made a 25 day commitment to eat only rice and beans when someone donates $25 to provide 100 school meals to chronically hungry children through the world food program. With my commitment, I made the choice to give up the privilege I have in life to eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat it, and how much of it I want to eat. As I was in King Soopers heading towards the rice and beans isle, I began to ponder about all the food I would be able to eat when my 25 days was up. As I turned the corner to head down the isle toward the beans, fate introduced me to the man who talked to himself. He was a tall, frail, black man. He appeared to be in his late 60’s to early 70’s. He had a thin, scruffy, gray beard and a face that seemed to tell the story of a rough journey in life. As I got closer to this man I realized he was talking to himself. I also realized he was...
Day 12: Krispy Kreme puts an addictive chemical in its donuts which makes you dumber and then kills you. The scientific term is "sugar".

Day 12: Krispy Kreme puts an addictive chemical in its donuts which makes you dumber and then kills you. The scientific term is "sugar".

This morning, I watched my children eat a breakfast of cheerios, apples, and toast with strawberry jam, as they engaged in their early morning routines of being silly at the table.  A leftover cup of rice and beans from the night before awaited me in the fridge, and it and I embarked on our twelve day routine: Into the microwave for 1 minute, let cool for another minute, add spoon, begin culinary boredom. At breakfast this morning, the taste of the last 33 meals I’ve consumed sat in my mind like the lumps of cold leftovers I put in the microwave every day.  I turned to my five year old son, engaged him in the serious look only a Father and son can share, and spoke the words which will forever be etched on his soul: The thrill is gone The thrill is gone away The thrill is gone baby The thrill is gone away   It’s now a few hours later, and because of ADD, he’s probably already forgotten the immortal words of B.B. King spoken to him by me, but one thing is for sure: I’m singing the blues today because I am bored by rice and beans. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, the 21st century mind hates monotony.  But why?  What programs me to not be grateful for warm, nutritious, fat free, high protein, and rich in fiber food?  Am I such an addict to the entertainment of food that I can’t even focus on eating a simple meal on a regular basis? Is this a new form of ADD? Attention-Deficit Food Disorder? What is...