Isn't
it interesting that Jesus, the Buddha, Mohammed, all presented
humanity with what an alternative approach to life? Our natural bent
is “it's all about me.” Conequently, we take their teachings and
use them to justify our fear based greedy, selfish, mistrustful,
power hungry, violent approach to the world. But they quietly
insisted that if we really want to excell, be powerful, even just
maintain what we already have, we have to love the stranger and “our
enemies.” We are to do good to those who use and abuse us. To
give respect, hospitality, and opportunity because in so doing we
turn those we fear and misunderstand into partners and friends, thus,
in the end, making us all safer!
For
55 years the International Gift Festival has transformed little
Fairfield Mennonite into an international marketplace of fairly
traded pottery, jewelry, baskets, toys, textiles, Christmas
decorations, paper products, soaps, Oriental rugs... all made by
fairly paid artisans from over 30 developing countries.
But
what does that have to do with loving our enemies or practicing the
golden rule? Everything. By creating dependable jobs and a secure
market, by having Muslims work alongside Christians, by teaching the
uneducated how to advocate for themselves, Ten Thousand Villages has
gone into destitute areas of the world and created pockets of respect
and financial stablility, creating trust among neighbors, as well as
for the United States and the larger church. Something very needed
in today's broken world.
OK.
I agree that what we do as individuals often seems insignificant.
Even if Ten Thousand Villages is one of the largest fair trade
organizations in the world, the millions it sells is a pittance in
our trillion dollar global market. But that's not the point,
especially if you're one of the artisans they support. When Jesus
told the parable about the mustard seed he was pointing to us as the
mustard seeds of the world. What we do matters.
That
first International Gift Festival started as an impulsive act of
concern for Edna Ruth Byler who had worked with her husband in
impoverished areas after WWII. There she noticed the poor and
displaced creating beautiful items from the trash and rubble around
them. So she tried to sell some to her Amish and plain Mennonite
communities. Not being able to say no to desperate need, her
basement quickly filled up with more than she could sell. None of us
anticipated those first festivals designed to help Mrs. B move
accumulated merchandise would strongly contribute to the fair trade
movement. But they did.
Our
intentional and random acts of kindness matter. Adopting a child,
mentoring a struggling student, giving an ex-con a job, welcoming an
immigrant may not have that fairy tale ending we desire, but if we
don't try, nothing changes. And we do know that in the past 55
years the shoppers at Fairfield's International Gift Festival have
purchased over a million dollars worth of crafts and rugs positively
impacting over 60,000 lives! And that's not peanuts.
This
year's 55th
International Gift Festival runs from Nov 10 through 14, 10 am to 7
pm each day except Saturday when its 9 to 5. The Fairfield Mennonite
Church is located at 201 W. Main Street, Faifield, Pa. For more info
call 717-642-8936, email fmc606@centurylink.net,
or check www/fairfieldmennonitechurch.org
Joyce
Shutt is pastor emeritus of the Fairfield Mennonite Church
