Feeding people until all who are hungry are fed
By Lethe McGavran
As at most UMW events, there are opportunities for education, prayer, and public service, but at Assembly 2014, the language is global and the message is firm. Our leadership took inspiration from the biblical story in Matthew 14, the loaves and fishes, and has told us to go out and feed people…”Until all who are hungry are fed.”
We have heard from leaders in the world of advocacy, and our own representatives.
–Stephanie Hixon of Just Peace is here, teaching one of the core classes called “Making Judgments” about conflict transformation rather than episodic resolution.
–Steve Taylor, the Mission Coordinator for The North Carolina Conference, spoke about animation of scripture, and leading people through the context of the bible.
–Hillary Clinton engaged the crowd with her lifelong Methodist participation and invited us to check our slavery footprint, like a carbon footprint, at her site slaveryfootprint.org
–Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, global head of the YWCA invited us all to work together for the future of women and children worldwide.
We left the morning worship for a seven block march to a local park which stood in stark contrast to the convention center neighborhood. There we heard local speakers asking for our aid in developing economic equality for the poor of Louisville and the world. We chanted, prayed, and listen. Now we are called by the Spirit to go out and act.
