take up the challenge

Photographer: Michael Paul

i am a great fan of shane claiborne and will hopefully be privileged to hear him speak in philadelphia in march, thanks to a lead from my new friend, apn. i should probably be attending services at the simple way, but that is for another post altogether...

one of the things i enjoy reading is his site when it is updated. i sat this morning while my coffee grew cold and culled the list of things to do to make a simple difference, which list is itemized under "practical," linked above under the simple way. it is easy to sit back and say "somebody should do something!!" but how many actually do?

i liked several of the items, cheered at some (Gut your TV and turn it into a pot for a plant), squirmed in my seat at the suggestion of others (Write only paper letters for a month (go computer free?!?), but this one i liked: Give your winter coat away to someone who is colder than you are.

and so she shall.

this morning at the restaurant, we began a coat drive: coats, hats, scarves & gloves -- for the Rescue Mission in Atlantic City -- hey, we may be having tough times at the cafe lately, but we are warm and others are not so let's stop the apathy, change it into empathy, and see what comes out of it. if one or two are warm because of our efforts, how cool will that be?

what can you do to take up the challenge?

next stop: Try jack-hammering the church parking lot to make space for potato plants...