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Valerie This morning we all woke up expecting to tour Mendenhall, where John Perkins grew up and began to take a stand against the system. When I found out it would be a full day of physical labor, it took some extra enthusiasm to have the energy for that. Lowell's continued Bible study on oppression gave me the motivation needed to get working! He talked about how shalom (peace and wholeness) is not simply the absence of oppression, but justice needs to be the bridge to develop shalom. Even though we were just making planter boxes, cleaning up yards, tearing out fences, and painting houses, we were taking part in developing that shalom. A Katrina family will live in one of the houses we fixed up. A child will catch a glimpse of God's genius and love by smelling a flower from that planter box. The community will grow as we lift up the arms of those who live in the Zechariah 8 community permanently so they can have the time to form relationships. People will be able to have a little more pride and dignity for their neighborhood because of us, and that's a worthy effort! After we were finished in the afternoon, a group of us went over to play with the kids in the after-school program. As we played with these beautiful African-American children, I realized how far we have come and how far we have left to go. We may be playing football and frisbee with them, but will they ever do this with other white kids their age, since over 90 percent of public school children in Jackson are African American, because most white kids are in private schools? Is this some form of voluntary segregation because Mississippi has one of the worst public education programs in the country? I held out my arms for a hug from each one as we left, and their eyes sparkled as they received that bit of affection. They were hungry for love and inclusion, and my guess is that with new eyes I will see the same hunger back in Spokane. The question is, how will I respond, because for one who has received much, much is required...
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