I've seen several messages this week that at times seem to compete, at others, to collaborate. I want to share them with you and invite you to consider this important question: What value do books and art have in a time or place of need?
Message #1: Ohio libraries are in trouble. Cuts are possible soon. Find out more here.
Message #2: In addition to disease, war, poverty, and weather, a book famine is threatening the quality of life on the continent of Africa. Educations is the great equalizer. Books bring hope. Find out more here.
Message #3: Taking a lesson from Messiaen's concentration camp masterpiece, Quartet for the End of Time, a story in Christianity Today suggests that art and justice go together. Even in times of recession, we need creative expression.
How do you see these messages intersecting? Do they collaborate or collide? Libraries in my state are in danger of drastic budget cuts. African kids treasure books like they were Xboxes. Art and justice are not separate activities, but actually belong together. These thoughts compel me more and more live at the intersection of creativity and compassion and community. Doma International, the organization my wife and I founded last year, takes seriously the need for education and creativity among the world's vulnerable people. Our initiatives are always holistic - considering the nutritional, medical, security, educational, vocational, and spiritual needs of those with whom we connect.
Consider these things. Be creative. Pray. Act.
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