The Rev. Michael Kinman asks Individuals Receiving Government Stimulus Checks to Give It 4 Good -- for EGR or other organizations with the emphasis on Millenium Development Goals
Take your stimulus check and Give It 4 Good! I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Jesus' promise is not just for some but for all. The early church recognized this and made sure individual ownership and consumption weren't at the expense of others' ability to enjoy abundance themselves (Acts 2:44-45). Our world works differently. Our society encourages consumption far beyond our actual needs and at the expense of others (more than 1 billion people living on less than $1 a day). It's not only morally unsustainable, but environmentally and economically unsustainable as well. Now we are asked to continue this overconsumption in the form of economic stimulus checks, which are being sent out to many tax filers next month -- encouraging us to consume even more to bolster the stagnant economy. It is nothing more than feeding an addiction. It's insanity. And it's time to make a stand. Time to put our treasure where our heart is. Time choose compassion over consumption. Time to affirm that abundant life is not just meant for some but for all.
It's time to Give It 4 Good. Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation invites you to become part of a movement for economic sanity and moral accountability. Go to GiveIt4Good.org and join others across the nation by pledging to give 100%, 10% or even 0.7% of your economic stimulus check (or a similar amount if you're not getting a check) to an organization of your choice working to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. At www.giveit4good.org, you'll also find: *Resources for deciding where to give. *Advocacy actions *How to spread the word *Resources for starting conversation about overconsumption in your congregation and family. *Much more! Once you've taken the pledge, spread the word. Email your friends and family and tell them you have taken this important step. Let the people at the nonprofit you have designated know so they can encourage others to Give It 4 Good. Put a button on your website, a flier in your congregation and use the bulletin insert for this Sunday (more to come). Since Monday, 113 people have pledged more than $29,000. Join them today! Go to the site. Take the pledge. Then keep checking back to see who has Given it 4 Good, how much has been given andwhere the money is going to make poverty history.
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