I'm reading Banker to the Poor. If you have never heard of it, it is the story of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank. Yunus and Grameen won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below." The Grameen Bank is founded on the belief that credit is a fundamental human right. The bank provides minuscule loans to the poorest of the poor in order to help the loan holders break out of the cycle of poverty for good. The concept is simple: loan poor people money on terms suitable to them1, teach them a few sound financial principles, and they will help themselves.
Thus far, it has been a great read. I came across this paragraph the other day that I really liked. He noticed the land around the university where he taught was vastly under used, and the people living in the nearby village suffered because of this. Here's what he said...
I thought we should do something about the unused fields. It was a shame to let the land around the university campus remain barren. If a university is a repository for knowledge, then some of this knowledge should spill over to the neighboring community. A university must not be an island where academics reach out to higher and higher levels of knowledge without sharing any of their findings.This is how I think about the Church. Here's my version...
Muhammad Yunus, Banker to the Poor, page 34
I [think] we should do something about the [world]. It [is] a shame to let the [world] around the [Church] remain barren. If [the Church] is a repository for [God's blessing], then some of this [blessing] should spill over to the neighboring community. [The Church] must not be an island where [we] reach out to higher and higher levels of [blessing] without sharing any of [our blessings].Thanks Dr. Yunus for showing that one bank, one person, or one idea can change the world.
Shalom.
- back The loans are made for small amounts, i.e. less then 100 USD. Loans are made for one year. Payments are made weekly.
posted by Shannon Smith @ 5/16/2007
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2 Comments:
i like that, Shannon...very creative and 'integrative'!!
Don't forget to celebrate and praise God that he allows us to be a part of this work and holy insights. He delights in our delight.
We have Interfaith homeless families at our church this week. David spent the nite as an overnight host and made good buddies with a 5 year old boy named Jessie. Jessie KNEW he (Jessie) was a blessing and was doing our church a favor by sharing his sunny strawberry loving presence.i liked that!!
The mother made an unexpected trip down good memeory lane as she discovered books in our church liabrary that meant a lot to heras alittle girl.
Imagination and creativity are wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit. I'm glad there are so many realms to be vehicles....
how are you guys? Hi Kim!!!love,
mama p.
thanks shannon for the constant reinder we are called to be a blessing to the world. This must have hit me at a unique moment as I am sitting here with my eyes welling up with water believing thee world could be different. The beauty of hope... I pray it moves me to move. May it move us to move.
i love you... peace
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