Save the World To Lose Ourselves!

I went to a conference this weekend. It was on ministry to the poor. It was okay. I always dread going to these things and my conclusions about such events are usually critical. But I really enjoy the chats I have with other people. The public demeanor is usually up, positive, triumphal, success-oriented, purposeful, driven, chock-full of advice and hope-filled dreams of future possibilities. Because this is what conferences are supposed to be like I suppose. But when I meet with people one on one, I am overwhelmed by the level of struggle, suffering and sadness they live under. We all come with our separate baggage, agendas and expectations, but seldom do we meet face to face to admit our own poverty and hopelessness. I am convinced that just as an individual must be brutally honest with him- or herself, and from there grows love and right action, so must a community. Surely we must've learned by now that the way we've gone about it in the past hasn't worked. We are worse off than ever before. And I am sure that tweaking the system and our efforts will change nothing. There is a better way, the only way, and that is the radical transformation of me. Of you. And this will only begin if we stop and take an honest look at ourselves.The fine art photograph is taken by my friend, Mark Hemmings.
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