Social justice symposium ignites awareness

Author: Tom Brant and Nathan Zucker

Coming to a close this past Wednesday, the "Challenging Complacency: Do Christians Care about Social Justice" Symposium aimed to both inform students and inspire dialogue regarding the connections that exist between Christian faith and social justice. "We want to challenge people to think about spirituality and the church in a new way, and to learn what the life of Jesus and examples from church history can teach us about self-sacrifice, solidarity and hope," said Andrew Haile '07 of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, which organized the symposium. "We want to create dialogue about what Christian faith can offer in Middlebury's pursuit of a more just, peaceful and loving world." The week-long symposium was presented as a part of Religious Life Awareness Month at Middlebury and featured a series of lectures and discussions, a workshop and a concert. Several College organizations co-sponsored the symposium, including the Newman Club, Christian Orthodox Association and the Charles P. Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life.


Sider stresses small solutions to poverty

"God acts in history to overcome poverty," stressed Dr. Ron Sider of Eastern University in his address Friday, "He has a very special concern for the poor." Framing global problems of hunger and poverty through the perspective of teachings in the Bible, Sider addressed members of the Middlebury community in Mead Chapel as part of a week long symposium sponsored by the Middlebury Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. The symposium focused on the role of modern Christians facing the problems of global poverty and hunger, an area in which Sider has worked extensively since the publication of his 1977 book, "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger."

Sider emphasized that Christians have a moral responsibility based on their faith to help the poor as outlined by the Bible's teachings. In a world in which millions of people live on less than $1 a day, he said, Christians cannot passively wait for a miracle from God. "God has shown us that it's not enough to have concern for those who live in poverty. You also have to help them."

Despite a dramatic reduction in world hunger since 1977, when Sider first published his book, the World Bank has estimated that many thousands of children still die daily of starvation and disease, and 1.2 billion people remain in abject poverty, facts that Sider highlighted in his address.

Sider also focused on ways that modern Christians can fight world poverty using free-market capitalism, particularly through economic forces such as micro-loans. Arguing for the expansion of programs that offer such loans, he said, "If you live in a market economy but have no capital, you're really in trouble. We have to make sure that everyone has access to capital." Sider gave an example of an African woman who used a micro-loan to purchase a stereo system and create a small business. "It didn't get rid of hunger," he explained, "but the music brought so much happiness to the village in the form of entertainment at weddings and other events that the woman, who charged a small fee to use it, was easily able to repay the loan."

Sider reminded the audience that financing such a loan, which is usually around $200, is an easy way for Christians to fulfill their responsibility to help the poor.

One of the foci of the Middlebury Christian Fellowship is to provide small group settings in which their members can discuss their relationships with God. "The main focus of a small group is to have a small circle of friends with whom you can grow spiritually and emotionally by examining God's word, sharing problems and testimonies and praying together," the group explained on its website.

Towards the end of the lecture, Sider pointed out that this small group atmosphere is exactly what is needed to incite Christian awareness of their role in the poverty and hunger crisis as proclaimed in the Bible. "Biblical faith tells you to live so differently than our society today tells you to live, but you can't make the change all on your own," he said. "You need small groups to help you."

- Tom Brant, Staff Writer


Alumni showcase successful strategies for supporting the world's poor

Last Saturday afternoon, a panel of seven Middlebury College alumni discussed their efforts to transform their Christian faith into a vehicle for change in the global community. Their conversation, entitled "Life after Middlebury: Pursuing Social Justice," offered an opportunity for current College students to hear about how this group of motivated Christians has worked tirelessly to help the poor, the suffering and the disenfranchised. In many ways, the panel member's reflections served as an inspiration for members of the younger generation, regardless of their religious beliefs, to challenge society's complacency and help enact positive reforms.

The work undertaken by the seven participants in the event varies widely, but it all demonstrated a commitment to helping those who are less fortunate. John Moser '06 discussed his experiences working in Juarez, Mexico, for Life Challenge International. There, he assisted mission groups carry out projects centered on increasing community development and providing free education and affordable health care.

Laura Sidell '06, discussed her work for Casa Esperanza, a home for abused and neglected children. She described herself as a full-time mother whose goal is "to 24/7 provide all [that] my children need to allow them to grow," which includes taking them to parks, supermarkets and teaching them how to cook.

Another 2006 graduate, Laura Barrett, works with Urban Service Core, a Protestant organization in the Denver area which deals with crisis relief. On this organization, Barrett said, "We just help with really basic things," such as giving poor people money to repair cars they desperately need.

Although some of the panel members have just graduated from the College and have only recently begun their ventures into social justice, others are better versed in faith-based activism. Devon Parish '05 is part of a program called Mission Year, which attempts to build communities of Christians who wish to live together on a long-term basis and help with various community projects. Right now, Parish is volunteering in Camden, NJ, where she works with after-school programs. She describes her main work, however, as "being a good neighbor and being an example through my life."

Steve Loo '03 is also involved with kids; he works as a seventh grade teacher in inner-city Boston, where he has become greatly immersed in the process of improving the lives of his students through after-school and summer programs. "I didn't know what it was like to be someone who struggled academicly," Loo said, adding, "They struggle because they don't have their basic needs met."

Crystal Reitsma '95, also a teacher, works in Maine and is trying also to transform the lives of her students. Her past experiences include volunteering with Adventures and Missions in Matamoras, Mexico. She believes "God's heart is with the orphans and the widows," a motto that acts as the inspiration for her labor. The final member of the panel, Angela Smith-Dieng '00 has experienced what she describes as a "rambling journey in social justice work." From traveling to Mauritania with the Peace Corps to working in soup kitchens in Elizabeth, New Jersey, she seems to have seen and done it all.

Each of the Middlebury graduates emphasized that their work here at the College aided them immensely in pursuing their burgeoning interest in the field of social justice. The intellectual atmosphere of the community helped these seven people challenge themselves on issues regarding their faith and the way it is reflected in their lifestyles and actions. Additionally, Middlebury provided many of the initial opportunities for social justice work, such
as the trips to Mexican missionaries, among other similar programs.

Parish says she was influenced by the College's liberal arts philosophy, which encourages students to pursue multiple paths in both their studies and their lives. More importantly, for members of the panel, being a member of the Middlebury community was an experience in loving and working together; Sidell cited this as the most important lesson that she had learned while attending the College.

After a lengthy question-and-answer session, the panel concluded to heavy applause. Its seven members had demonstrated the importance of helping other people, regardless of religious background. However, the group of Christians also emphasized how crucial their faith has been in propelling them to action. Epitomizing the goals of the symposium, Smith-Dieng remarked, "I bring my faith, the spirit, into the world."

- Nathan Zucker, Staff Writer