GOOD REASONS FOR GOOD CAUSES
The Rev. Dr. Karl R. Kraft, Senior Pastor
It seems that everyone is involved in raising money for worthy causes. Just this past week, one of our Sunday school superintendents requested support for her participation in the 5K Komen Run for Life.
I myself have been involved in two major fund raisers each year: the Ed Jameson/Ed Driscoll Memorial Leukemia Society Weight-a-thon, which supports treatment and research efforts via the Southern NJ Chapter of the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society; and the annual CROP Walk, which raises money for Church World Service to address the problem of world hunger.
Each of these events involves losing. The Weight-a-thon speaks for itself. The idea is to set a weight-loss goal, recruit sponsors, and have them offer donations based on how much you actually lose. When all the donations for the 2008 effort are finally in, I expect that we will have raised something around $2500.00, a far cry from our goal of $4500.00, which I thought we could meet, having raised over $3800.00 in 2007. Still, $2500.00 is $2500.00, and I’m sure the Society will be grateful.
The loss involved in the CROP Walk is the loss of convenience getting from one place to another and the loss of comfort in the effort to do so. The communities-wide walk begins at our church and winds its way through Wenonah, Oak Valley, and Woodbury Heights, ending finally at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Woodbury (about 6 miles or 10K). There are no “comforts of home,” as transportation is “feet-only” (no wheels allowed). There are rest facilities along the way, but in a sense, even they are borrowed (we are able to enjoy them – rest rooms, snacks, beverages, etc. – by virtue of the goodness of others).
What’s encouraging is seeing how many people are willing to make this kind of small sacrifice every year. I say “small sacrifice,” because once we’ve made it from one end of the walk to the other, we ride home in our comfortable cars and don’t have to make the trek again for another year.
By contrast, the very people for whom we’re walking must make a similar trek every day! As the CROP motto states, “We walk because they walk.”
It’s my belief that both of these fund raisers reflect an understanding of what Jesus was trying to teach in Matthew 25: “As you did it to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” These events are tangible evidence of our understanding of what it means to live out the Gospel, and not just cradle it in our hearts.
It is my hope that our church will not only continue to participate in the annual CROP Walk, but find even more people to join those who have been walking for many years. It’s also my hope that, if the Weight-a-thon continues in memory of our two Ed’s, there will be many who will willingly recruit as many family members and friends as possible.
The goal of each is the same: to give aid, comfort, and hope to those less fortunate. I think “TWJWD” (“That’s What Jesus Would Do”).