An Ark for Today's World

Last Sunday, our pastor preached on the covenant of the rainbow based on the story of Noah and his ark (Genesis 6-9). As I sat listening to reminders of promises of God's faithfulness and grace in saving the people of the world, I thought about different kinds of floods that threaten to destroy our earth. Poverty. Hunger. HIV/AIDS. Environmental degradation. As a people of faith, we are called to live out a different kind of faithfulness, I think. It's about our call to share our resources -- bread, nets, clothing, housing, etc. -- and in embodying Christian stewardship, we are bringing the Good News of Christ to all peoples.

For the 2009 Lenten season, my church is participating in the Heifer International project for congregations: An Ark for Today's World.

People of faith can work together to provide the earth's poor and humble people who are close to God's heart with the means of a livelihood. Heifer animals -- llamas in Ecuador, pigs in Cameroon, water buffalo in Thailand, chickens in Mississippi -- offer ongoing sources of milk, meat, or eggs. They suppl fertilizer and draft power that enrich the environment, not deplete it.

In partnership with congregations, Heifer International is an art of refuge for hungry families. Heifer puts faith into action with its time-proven principle of "passing on the gift." Every family who receives livestock agrees to pass on one or more of its animal's offspring, or the equivalent, to another neighbor in need. Project partners pass on new ways of animal husbandry and land management, too -- a rainbow of hope for the whole community.

I am pleased that our very small congregation is willing to take on this project to challenge ourselves. With this project, we take concrete action to bring real solutions to the families in need. We can think about protecting the environment and also help educate as well as empower.

Each faily in the congregation is given a paper ark where we can collect money. The arks are small but the gifts they bring are too big to even estimate.

As it was with Noah, the ark is about hope, about a new beginning. For Heifer families, animals can provide:

• food for the children like milk, eggs or meat
• income for housing, health care, school fees and other needs
• motivation to plant trees and grasses and make other environmental improvements
• a catalyst for community development

In 2008, over 140,000 families were helped by Heifer International's "values-based community development model that includes gifts of animals and training and 'passing on the gift'." I hope that what we do for Lent this year will help other families in the same way.

And, look @ what we might end up giving:

• Chicks
• Cows
• Fish
• Goats
• Llamas
• Pigs
• A Trio of rabbits
• Sheep
• Water buffalo
• Package of Seedlings
• The Gift Ark: a boatload of $5000 that represents pigs, camels, water buffalo, guinea pigs, trios of ducks, flocks of chicks, oxen, cows, rabbits, donkeys, beehives, sheep, llamas, flocks of geese and goat

We began on Sunday, and will continue for four weeks. Let the fun continue... Yay!!!!