Another entry in our AIDS series by young adults, this post is written by Mary Button. Ms. Button is an Artist/Activist/writer; she works with Visual AIDS for the Arts and a creator of the Hymnbook Project (www.thehymnbookproject.org), http://actiontoaccess.blogspot.com/ She is a member of Advent Lutheran Church, NYC.

For many, religious art conjures up images of Michelangelo lying on his back, way up high on scaffolding, wiping sweat from his eyes, painting The Sistine Chapel. Or gilded altars in Bavaria. Or the dark, brooding images of St. Peter’s crucifixion by Caravaggio. Our preconceptions of religious art are, all too often, intricately tied up in our societal definitions of what art is and what it isn’t. If it’s old, European and precious it’s Art; likewise if it’s modern, expensive and inscrutable it’s Art. For me, though, the very epitome of religious art has always been the day-glo color poetics found in the work on Sister Corita Kent.

An innovative artist working in a pop art vernacular, Kent was also the chair of the art department at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles and a practicing nun. She left her religious community at the height of her success in 1968. Her works were calls of action. In a piece titled my people she pairs the front page of the August 14, 1965 edition of the Los Angeles Times, the fourth day of the Watts Riots – it’s bold headline reads “EIGHT MEN SLAIN; GUARD MOVES IN,” with the words of Father Maurice Ouellet, an Edmundite priest who was expelled from his Selma, Alabama parish by Archbishop Toolen who felt Ouellet too outspoken in his support of the Civil Rights Movement. Written in white in Kent’s handwriting against a red background are the words of Father Ouellet:

The body of Christ is no more comfortable now that it was when it hung from the cross. Those who live in the well organized, well ordered, nourished, clean, calm and comfortable middle-class part of Christ’s body can easily forget that the body of Christ, as it now exists, is mostly disorganized, devoid of order, concerned with the material needs, hungry, dirty, not motivated by reason, fermenting in agonizing uncertainty and certainly most uncomfortable. Youth is a time of rebellion. Rather than squelch the rebellion, we might better enlist the rebels to join that greatest rebel of his time – Christ himself.

These words move and inspire me. These words are a call to action. To be part of a Christian community implies membership in a community that holds sacred the power of words to heal and stories to create solidarity that transcends race, gender, class, sexuality and nationalism.

Where academic notions of religious art conjure up images of The Creation painted centuries ago Sister Corita Kent’s work directly engaged with her community and is still a powerful, plaintive cry for social change. In the face of all the social problems that fuel the AIDS pandemic – stigma, homelessness, racial inequality, gender based violence – art is a powerful means of communicating the church’s message on these issues. And what exactly should the message of the church be with regard to social issues? Namely, that membership in Christian community means joining a rebellion against a society that accepts as status quo these exacerbating factors. The artwork of Sister Corita Kent is a powerful example of what happens when an artist lives in the body of Christ as it now exists.

-Mary Button

Today we were greeted with another round of bad economic news–533,000 jobs lost in November, the largest drop since December 1974. This frightening number does not take into account two important groups: 1) The so-called “discouraged workers” (what a wretched euphemism) who have lost hope and are no longer searching for work–637,000 added in November and 2) Those who could only find part time work–621,ooo in November. That’s nearly 1.8 million people in November alone who are now in the ranks of those who do not have a reliable/sufficient source of income.

An important recent report correlates unemployment rates to poverty. While unemployment does not necessarily lead one into poverty, the two are closely related. If employment peaks next December at 9%, as is predicted, we can explect 10 million more people to fall below the poverty line. If this projection is correct, in December of 2009, nearly 50 million people in the US will be living below the poverty line.

The government will do what it can, but it is clear that government intervention will not be enough. For example, the number of food stamps distributed is far below the number of people living below the poverty line (see page 9, Figure 3 of the report noted above). As the people of God, how will we respond to this need? At a time when we are dealing with our own sense of insecurity, will we find the courage to take risks for the most vulnerable people in our communities? In the coming years we will have the opportunity to live out Matthew 25, will we answer the call?

-David Creech

David Creech mentioned in his post this week that we would be featuring entries from young adults who attended the Interational AIDS Conference in Mexico City this summer. Here is the first.

It is written by Joni Ricks, who is currently a 2nd year doctoral student in Epidemiology at University of California Los Angeles. She is also an Associate Member of Lord of Light Lutheran Church.

Christians are often comfortable relating with certain groups of people that do not challenge our Christian values or make us feel uneasy. Historically global challenges such as poverty, homelessness, and diseases were acceptable and were seen as opportunity for service.

Today HIV and AIDS (a disease associated with issues that Christian organizations have been dealing with for decades) creates segregation, contrary to the Scriptures call -‘We should be the first ones to combat the epidemic’. Christians have shied away from this mission. HIV and AIDS is not a ‘comfortable disease’ for many Christians. We increasingly build walls with people affected by HIV and AIDS, yet we gather together every Sunday to celebrate Christ’s unconditional love for us.

The apostle Matthew invited Jesus and other disciples to dinner at his home; together with tax collectors and other ‘disreputable sinners’. Pharisees referred to tax collectors as “scum” and wondered why anyone would debase themselves to be seen with “such” type of people. We similarly brand people living with HIV and AIDS as ‘sinners’. Christians are called to love sinners and not the sin. We are all saved by faith in Jesus Christ. And I often wonder why we Christians perceive ourselves to be better than those whose lifestyles are not what we would consider acceptable.

In the United States we are comfortable ministering and ‘donating’ to people halfway across the world but ignore those living with the disease in our own locality. How often do we think of offering services to a homeless shelter? Or bother to make eye contact with people who seeks our help on the street?

We are created in God’s image hence are co-creators. Our actions and deeds ought to reflect Christ’s teachings. But how are we to show the love of Christ if we refuse to minister to people in need? We must strive to be the people of God we are chosen to be and that will only be demonstrated with our un-conditional love to people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

-Joni Ricks

You’ll want to share the CSR “12 Days of Christmas” link with your networks. Don’t forget to click on the star on the top of the tree to learn about make-a-difference gifts.
Here’s another tip: Sign up for the Shareholders Network e-Newsletter and receive e-mail alerts about faith-based investing, corporate social responsibility, and resources (like the annual “12 Days of Christmas” list). Let’s see if we can help Pat and Patty add at least 120 new participants to the Shareholders Network. Advent blessings, Sue

SHAREHOLDER’S NETWORK
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In this season of hope and wonder the Corporate Social Responsibility program has put together a list of resources that you may find helpful. Please visit the “The 12 Days of Christmas“.

Today is the 20th annual World AIDS Day, a day when individuals and organizations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic.

AIDS and hunger are closely intertwined. AIDS is rapidly spreading in the most impoverished areas of the world—places where education, women’s and children’s rights, and peace are hard to come by. Many areas, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, are trapped in a vicious cycle in which the symptoms of poverty facilitate the spread of the disease while the lives and productivity lost to the pandemic further impoverish vulnerable communities. Moreover, AIDS is especially devastating to hungry persons. Malnourished persons cannot take anti-retroviral drugs—an empty stomach cannot handle the powerful medicine. In the absence of drugs and adequate nutrition, HIV develops into AIDS more quickly. Once a person has AIDS, more food is needed to fight the illness and counteract weight loss.

Back in August, ELCA World Hunger sent representatives to the 17th International AIDS Conference. Over the next few days we’ll be posting some of their insights gleaned from the experience. Today, let us recommit ourselves to living for the most vulnerable people in own world.

-David Creech

Evidently “cyber Monday,” the Monday after Thanksgiving (December 1), is the biggest online shopping day of the year. If you’re an online shopper, consider these ways to “click and do good.”

1. Visit www.elca.org and scroll down to the “Gifts of Hope” feature at the bottom of the page. Explore the links in the feature to give ELCA Good Gifts, including gifts for God’s Global Barnyard. Follow the “Shop and Give” link to sign up with iGive. Through iGive hundreds of online retailers will donate a percentage of your order to your cause. My online shopping raises about $35 a year for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.

2. Through December 1, the SERRV International Fair Trade online catalog is offering free ground shipping for personal orders with a minimum purchase of only $25.00. The free ground shipping promotion is only available online and for U.S. addresses.

Thankful blessings, Sue

I’ll be joining the Let’s Talk Bread group in here in Chicago this next Tuesday, December 2. If you live in the area (or will be visiting), we will be discussing (among other things) a phenomenal book, The Bottom Billion, by Paul Collier. It is well worth the read even if you cannot attend. I am looking forward to talking about this challenging book and hearing everyone’s response. I’ve pasted below the announcement for the meeting that has all the pertinent details.

Extreme poverty. Microfinance. Foreign aid. Charity vs. self-help. Public vs. private.

Let’s Talk Bread is a Chicago-area group that, guided by Christian convictions, hopes regular conversations—whether centered on a topical book, article or current event—can help illuminate the problems of poverty and hunger and shed light on just which possible solutions hold promise and which do not.

For more information contact John Stumme (johnrichst@comcast.net or 773-777-3907) or Rich Liefer (rl.liefer@sbcglobal.net).

I hope you will join us!

David Creech

My daughter, Annie, studied a picture of me praying with my mom. “You were three?” she asked. I nodded. “I was three when Umma taught me the Lord’s Prayer; Do you remember?” questioned Annie. Yes, I remember. From one generation to another.

I also remember how little Annie would close each prayer time with an extensive session of God-blessing: God bless [insert name] and [insert name] and [insert name]…. In faithful recitation, Annie blessed by name her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, and an assortment of important others. From one generation to another.

This Thursday I will offer a litany of thanksgiving, remembering with gratitude the people who are important to my faith and faithful practice. I will remember Paul, Annie, Sean, Anne, Stephen, Nancy and Marj. I will remember saints who cheer on from the great cloud of witnesses, including Elna, Ken, Hazel, and mom (AKA Umma). From one generation to another.

Who are the saints who nurture your faith? Who sparks and renews your passion for anti-hunger and anti-poverty ministries? Who do you nurture in faith and faithful practice?
—Sue Edison-Swift

If I may piggyback on Nancy’s (superb!) post, that to me is the problem with $2 gas. I drive much less when it costs $60 to fill up my tank than when it costs $30 (I remember when it cost under $15–yikes!). I drive slower, too. The thing is, even though gas no longer hurts my wallet, it still harms the environment, which, as has been noted several times on this blog, puts the most vulnerable persons at even greater risk. Anyone for a massive fuel tax whose revenue would be invested in green technology rather than Exxon-Mobil’s profits? How about bringing the speed limit back down to 55?

David Creech

I’ve never fully bought into the phrase, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Sometimes I think things just come close to killing you. But it occurs to me that the current economic conditions in the U.S. may be a case where the phrase rings true.

The percentage of the world’s natural resources the U.S. consumes is well documented. For example, from WorldWatch Institute: “The United States, with less than 5 % of the global population, uses about a quarter of the world’s fossil fuel resources—burning up nearly 25 % of the coal, 26 % of the oil, and 27 % of the world’s natural gas.” Simply stated, we consume more than others because we can; we have more money and more access.

Concerns about the effects of consumption – both globally and particularly in the US – are also well documented. Using all this oil, coal, and electricity has its impacts. The majority of scientists now agree that the current trends in climate change are not due solely to natural fluctuations but are in fact being caused by human activity. The descriptions of weather in a warmer world are frightening, and those living in poverty will suffer the most from it. Weather aside, worries about long-term sustainability are also widespread. What happens after we’ve plowed down the world’s forests? Jared Diamond had a statement about in his book “Collapse” that has stuck with me. It was something to the effect that one has to wonder what the inhabitants of Easter Island thought as they cut down the last tree. Ultimately, they consumed all of the resources they relied on and their society failed. That was many years ago – well before global warming – and we know all about it. We could learn from history, and yet…

Despite the fact that we should be paying attention to our consumption as we go about our lives in the United States, for the most part we don’t. We know greenhouse gases are choking our planet, but we keep on driving our huge cars – until gasoline gets too expensive and our ability to consume is curtailed. We buy new things not because the old ones are worn out, but because we like the new ones better – and in the process unnecessarily consume more resources. In my case, I know I should turn off the computer when I’m not using it, but it’s just so much more convenient to leave it on, so that I don’t have to wait when I want it. I know better, but I do it anyway. Why? Because I have access to electricity and the money to pay the bill. I do it because I can. And I do it because this one seemingly little thing done by one seemingly little person doesn’t seem so egregious. In the rush of days, it’s hard to believe it really matters. Grasping the impact of our consumption is difficult and unwelcome – if we think about it at all.

Which is perhaps the silver lining in the current economic situation. We’re not so good at voluntarily limiting our consumption and thus our use of natural resources. But if we have less money and therefore less ability to consume, perhaps we’ll do our planet a favor and slow down the pace at which we’re using it. Longer term, restraint might come out of memories of want, like those who survived the Great Depression. Ideally, it won’t be that bad, we’ll get used to living with less so that if feels normal, and we’ll recognize the need to save more and spend less in the future. But even if that doesn’t happen, a recession that slows consumption might buy us time to finder cleaner, more sustainable paths into the future – something that would benefit everyone. Lots of smart people are working on it. More all the time. So while the current economic envirnoment is incredibly difficult, at least it might ultimately be useful. If it doesn’t kill us, it just might make us stronger.

-Nancy Michaelis