A Time for Compassion

     Two Sundays ago, the sermon at my church began with the story of Rev. Everett Swanson, the founder of Compassion International. Swanson traveled to South Korea in 1952 during the Korean War to preach the gospel to the soldiers. When he arrived though, it was the many children orphaned by the war that consumed his thoughts. Their needs were great, and when Swanson told a fellow missionary about the situation, his friend asked him what he was going to do about it, challenging Swanson to action. He returned to the U.S., unclear of his next steps, and was presented with two checks, completely out of the blue. With this money Swanson returned to South Korea and began caring for 35 orphans. Swanson told American Christians of the situation and eventually set up a sponsorship program. Through this program, people anywhere in the world were given the opportunity to sponsor a child, providing them with food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and education until the child became an adult. What began with one man caring for 35 orphans in South Korea is now a program sponsoring 1.5 million children in 26 countries. 

     So why do I retell this story? Is it simply because it's an inspirational tale that might restore some faith in humanity? Or is it just a tale of how one person can make a big difference, or of how God can use us in ways we didn't expect? All of these lessons could apply, but I tell this story now because I think it is appropriate for Lent. While it may have been forgotten in these modern days, or in denominations that don't traditionally celebrate Lent, the Lenten season has long been a time of increased compassion to the poor, above and beyond what should normally be found in a Christian's life. This was once the time when Christians were expected to give alms, if they didn't do so already. It makes sense. After all, if you are giving up certain luxuries (such as meat or sweets) for over a month, you should find yourself with some extra money. Rather than saving it up or spending it on other luxuries, the tradition has been to use this money to give to others who have less. I think it's a beautiful tradition, and one which should be revived and given more attention. Just as a break or relief in a fast on each Sunday during Lent reminds Christians that the hope of Easter, and all that it entails, is coming, so giving of yourself to others during Lent can be a way of joining in the mission of Easter and working to help build God's kingdom in the the here and now. I'd suggest that this is something we should be doing at all times, but the times of reflection, sorrow, and penitence during Lent might be an ideal to truly take a look at the world around you and ask how you can help relieve suffering.
     Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Sponsor a child -Compassion International and WorldVision are great ministries to help you do this
• Find a ministry to support -whether it be the coffee shop that helps homeless youths, the food kitchen at your local church, the church services that began as an outreach to ex-prisoners, or a ministry dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to all -there is likely already a group you can support to help them serve others. 
• Sign up for Pledgeling -Right now Pledgeling will give you $5 to donate to a charity of choice, just for signing up
• Give -The simplest thing you can do is to simply give money yourself, directly to someone who needs it. In the U.S. right now I think there's a lot of worry that any money you give to someone on the street will be used to buy booze or drugs. It's a valid concern, but I'm not sure that should stop you. You might take a chance, and your fears might be proved correct, or you might make the biggest difference in someone's day. An alternative to cash is always to give gift cards (either to restaurants or grocery stores), or to offer to take the person out for a meal. Who knows? If you try the latter option you might just find that they change your life as much as you change yours. 

Just some happy little vegans, both temporary and permanent

The two recipes for this week come from last Thanksgiving. I decided to stay in Salem, work in the morning/afternoon, and then celebrate "Friendsgiving" with two coworkers and one of my roommates. One of my coworkers is a vegan, and even though they said we didn't have to eat vegan for our feast, the rest of us all decided to do it anyway. The result was a seemingly traditional Thanksgiving feast (complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans, and pie) that simply lacked a turkey. If some omnivores could eat an entire vegan feast and be completely satisfied, I figured the recipes were worth sharing.

Garlicky Green Beans with Pine Nuts

Simple and delicious, these were a big hit. I could be biased because I always love anything with garlic, but the green beans were so tasty, and the pine nuts added a little something special. I have yet to try making them myself, but my source tells me that they were quite easy.

Walnut-Apple Stuffing

If you're going full vegan, you should double-check there's no dairy in your bread (you'd be surprised how often milk is an ingredient), but otherwise this is a scrumptious stuffing. My roommate made it and I wanted there to be leftovers so I could enjoy this for days. Sadly, everyone else agreed with me on how good this was and devoured it all.