Look in the Mirror: God can use you to change the world
By Karen Wilson, Joining Hands Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy
Doe Run smelting facility in La Oroya. Photo courtesy of Karen Wilson
On a recent Sunday, at the end of his sermon, my pastor challenged the congregation to do something every day for the rest of the month. He said we should look in the mirror and say that I am a child of God, that I deserve love and respect, and that God will use me to change the world.
Before 2002, I was a pretty normal church member, teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir. Then one Sunday I was asked if I would like to go to a human rights meeting. I agreed, and soon found myself learning about economics in Peru. The next thing I knew, I was asked to travel to Peru, representing the human rights campaign of Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery’s Joining Hands program. There would be three others going as well, representing the environmental and economic development campaigns and the Coordinator of the Giddings-Lovejoy group. I felt very inadequate, having been a part of this group for just a few months, but I agreed to go.
I was, as are most people, aware that there is poverty, but seeing it made quite an impression. And going to La Oroya, Peru, the community where a U.S. corporation was operating a facility that was poisoning almost every child there made me realize that we, in the U.S., need to take action. Over time, that experience led me to learn about the injustices in our trade agreements and how these agreements affect the most vulnerable. I’ve also learned about the “resource curse,” where foreign based companies, including those in the U.S., pay huge sums of money directly to corrupt governments in developing countries to extract natural resources, while communities continue to live in poverty. This money should be going to improve education, health care, and infrastructure in those countries. Instead, the money oftentimes goes directly to the pockets and bank accounts of certain government officials.
In recent years, I have contributed what I could to the Publish What You Pay campaign, which calls for transparency in payments by extractive industries companies to governments. This legislation was included in the 2010 Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and if and when it is implemented, will give citizens of affected countries information to hold their governments accountable and combat corruption. I supported the effort by calling presbyteries around the country, identifying a mission or hunger person there, explaining the issue, and urging them to ask others in their presbyteries to make phone calls to their legislators. We’re also working toward transparency in the negotiations of our free trade agreements. Fast track legislation has been introduced into the Senate and the House. I, along with many others, made phone calls, sent emails, and visited our Congressional offices voicing our opinions against Fast Track and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement. Considering the amount of public opposition voiced against Fast Track and the many legislators voicing opposition, Senate Majority Leader Reid has indicated that he doesn’t plan to bring the fast track legislation to the floor of the Senate. And without Fast Track, passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is unlikely.
I’m not college-educated. Until recent years, I had never written or called members of Congress. But now, I am passionate about justice issues. If you would have asked me 10 or 15 years ago if I would be involved with or doing any of the things mentioned above, I would have thought that you were crazy. I’ve always voted, but that’s as far as my political involvement went. And my votes were probably not as well-informed as they are now. The Joining Hands program has certainly changed my life, and I hope, made a difference to someone somewhere.
So, I challenge you now, as I was challenged. Look in the mirror. Tell yourself that you are a child of God, that you deserve love and respect, and God can use you to change the world.
