As ONE members, we care. We care about the child orphaned by HIV/AIDS. We care about the village that lacks access to clean water. And we care about the millions of people throughout the developing world who will go to bed hungry tonight. For many of us, that caring is borne of our faith.
Last week, the ONE campaign asked students to take action on our challenge: to make poverty history. Now, ONE is reaching out to people of faith and engaging traditions that say that when you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness. (Isaiah 58:10)
All of the major faiths believe that God is with the poor and that our humanity is reflected in what we do for the world’s most vulnerable people.
It is with that belief in mind that I invite you to be a leader in ONE Sabbath, our new initiative to bring the spirit of our churches, synagogues, mosques and temples to the movement to make poverty history.
During the weekend of November 23rd—25th, congregations that sign up to be a part of ONE Sabbath will host special services focused on a simple question “What can we do, as congregations and as believers, to bring healing to a world in which 28,000 children die every day from poverty-related causes?”
Sign up today to download the ONE Sabbath overview and, during the next six weeks, we will provide you with tools to build awareness and take action in your community of faith.
By taking part in ONE Sabbath, your congregation will be out in front, exploring how people of faith can bring compassion and leadership to the fight to end global poverty.
Faith has always been a driving force behind social change and that continues today. ONE is proud to partner with religious organizations and denominations that are already tackling issues like hunger, debt relief and HIV/AIDS. Visit our faith resource page to learn more about what your faith community is already doing to fight global poverty and how you can make that a part of ONE Sabbath.
The Torah instructs Jews to care for the poor through acts of compassion and loving kindness. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches that what is done unto the poor is done unto Him. Zakat, serving the suffering of humanity, is one of the five pillars of Islam. We can all live our beliefs by standing up for those living in extreme poverty.
And this fall’s ONE Sabbath is only the beginning. In the next year, we’ll build on this weekend of hope and activism to work with people of faith and houses of worship across the country to elevate the issue of global poverty in 2008—when America will go to the polls and vote for new leaders and policies—and beyond.
ONE Sabbath starts one congregation and one service at a time—but I know that with a clear call from ONE members like you, we can bring the strength of faith and the power of belief to bear in this movement and truly become a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. (Isaiah 25:4)
Thank you for all you do,
Susan McCue, ONE.org
P.S. Make sure to visit our online ONE Sabbath page to download information on ONE Sabbath and take a moment to share with us how your religious community is taking action in the fight against global poverty.
For more information, visit ONE.org