I Know the Coolest People
I was talking to a friend while in Memphis and I would mention this person or that person and, ineveitably, it would be in context of some cool thing they do. Finally she gave a sound of frustration and demanded to know how I know so many cool people.
Like, for example, my friend Pete who is going to the Sudan over Christmas to work with kids, and has every Christmas for the last five years. Or my new friend Becky, who will be in Darfur about the same time. I have a friend named William who is going to be in Kenya for about 2 weeks in December and my friend Kristen will be in South Africa for 2 years, doing photojournalism!
Now, I know all those people through one group, so it makes sense that they are all concerned about Africa. But then, here in Raleigh I know Leah, who is down in Guatemala working in a school there (on her own dime, by the way) for three months (I miss her already and she has not been gone a week). Then there is Jacquelin who is going to South America for a whole year.
All of these people are just ordinary folks who happen to think globally. None of them are saints or super folks; in fact, some of them you have to drag out the details.
Overseas work is always cool-sounding, but America is where I feel called to give back. I know folks who have gone to jail for protesting the death penalty, folks who have slept on the streets with the homeless to show empathy, folks who run a fair trade only coffee shop and a lady that has been feeding the homeless on the same street corner for free for 14 years (!). Every week I help feed the homeless with about 20 very cool people who would rather be there than anywhere else.
My friend Ashlyn went to New Orleans last summer to help with the rebuild efforts; she is 15 and decided that would be a good thing to do over summer break (when I was 15, I spent most of summer break swimming at the lake…).
I am lucky to have a great faith community to keep me grounded and centered. When I see the example of Bill who gave up a cushy, respected job as a suburban pastor in Pennsylvania to come here and set up a church that would make a difference, I stand in awe of what it has cost him. When I look at his wife Cherie who has stayed along for the ride (and sometimes leads the way), I see what a blessing a devoted wife can be. We have attracted folks who want to change the world (Don’t bother telling us we cannot do it; we won’t listen anyway).
There are so many more folks who inspire me, who drive me forward, who make me want to be more, to do more, to love more…
I know the coolest people.