"A Path Appears"

For the past three weeks I have been enthralled with a PBS documentary series called A Path Appears, which follows “Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and a group of dedicated actor/advocates to Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, and throughout the United States. They uncover the harshest forms of gender inequality, the devastating impact of poverty and the ripple effects that follow: including sex trafficking, teen-pregnancy, gender-based violence, child slavery and the effective solutions being forged to combat them.” You can watch the episodes at http://video.pbs.org/video/2365387809/ .

In the first episode, an organization called Thistle Farms/Magdalene House is featured.  Located in Nashville, TN, this ministry was started by an Episcopal priest, Becca Stevens, to address the terrible cycle of human trafficking, drug abuse, poverty and lack of education.  It was startling for me to see the horrible way humans treat other humans in this day and age.  And yet the human spirit can and does endure so much when a different path is offered and a way out is shown.  It takes much courage, strength and support in order to make such significant changes, but it can happen.  The motto of Thistle Farm/Magdalene House is, “Love Heals.”

Watching these stories will make you want to do something, and the good news is you can – today!  You can support the work of Thistle Farms by purchasing items from their on-line store www.thistlefarms.org.   They offer hand-made natural bath and body products, teas and candles.  I gave several of the items as Christmas presents this year and they were well received.  Good products for a great cause. 

As Christians, we believe in the inherent value of every human being.  This program highlights many programs and agencies that are demonstrating how do make that tenet tangible in the real world by educating girls, confronting drug use and domestic violence, and encouraging family planning.  There is still much that needs to be done, not the least of which is educating ourselves about the realities of the problems.  Then we can be more aware of our own contexts and see where God is calling us to offer support.

This documentary does depict a stark look at the poorest of the poor, but it also offers hope by sharing the stories of people who offer interventions to the problems and those willing to do the difficult work of changing their lives an walking a different path. 

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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