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In her sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Alison asked us to consider measuring our impact — as individuals and as a community — by measuring in love (à la "Seasons of Love" from the musical Rent). She told us, if following Jesus is all about the pursuit of unconditional love, then our pursuit of impact should be the same. Reflecting upon the events we see in Acts 10-11, Alison spoke about the power of the ripple effect. How the internal shifts that happen within each of us can lead to shifts in the ways we show up in the world -- in our relationships and workplaces and neighborhoods and so on. And how the people we impact will go on to impact other people, who will impact other people, and on and on. The ripple effect can be hard to quantify with numbers, but it’s a really beautiful image. It reminds us that every person — including each of us — has the power to make a difference. And that small actions are often more powerful than we believe. Alison encouraged us to: 1) Consider the possibility that our small acts of kindness are more powerful than we imagine. 2) Consider that, perhaps, “the world” that we hope to impact is not just out there, but also wherever we happen to find ourselves. To help us think further about the power each of us has to positively impact the world for the sake love, we want to point you to the inspiring work of two different individuals — Danielle Coke Balfour and Jane Goodall. During her sermon, Alison shared a few images from Danielle Coke Balfour of Oh Happy Dani. Balfour is an artist, activist, speaker, and entrepreneur who creates art about living a more just and hopeful life. Through content creation, resources, products, and experiences, she aims to inspire everyday advocates (like you!) to do good daily, right where you are. Balfour does an amazing job of "using art and words to help people seek justice and stay hopeful." She hopes to "inspire people like you to live a more just and hopeful life by doing good daily — right where you're planted." There are many ways to engage with Balfour's inspiring work!
Another resource we would like to share with you is the work of Jane Goodall. Goodall — world-renowned ethologist, conservationist, and humanitarian — died recently at the age of 91. Goodall is best known for her 65-year study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania. However, in later years her focus expanded and she became a global advocate for human rights, animal welfare, species and environmental protection, and many other crucial issues. Goodall's work lives on through her foundation; her prolific writings; her participation in many films, documentaries, and museum exhibits; through Roots & Shoots (her global humanitarian and environmental program for young people); through the impact she had on countless animals and people over the years; and through the inspiration of her life and memory. Goodall was famous for saying that “every single one of us makes a difference every day -- it is up to us as to the kind of difference we make.” Goodall truly believed that each of us has the power to make a positive difference and that small actions add up to big impacts. Through her words and example she reminded us that we are all connected in a tapestry of life and each of us has an important part to play in making the world a better place. There are many ways to engage with Goodall's inspiring work!
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