SCRIPTURES
Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Romans 8: 18-25
SERMON
Those are just two stories that teach us about hope. I will introduce you to another one that is a bit closer to us, not just geographically but also chronologically.
Today, I am going to introduce to you a fun, techy, inspirational website: Ted Talks. It covers an ever-expanding range of topics from music conductor Benjamin Zander tapping our love for classical music, artist Theo Jansen’s kinetic sculptures he builds from plastic tubes and lemonade bottles, Global Health Expert Hans Rosling’s inspiring presentations on world statistics, to our very own Krystal Irby sharing the joy of digital learning to help her students. Today I am going to go somewhere specific and focus on a story of hope, a Ted Talk given by Devita Davison, a food activist and Executive Director of FoodLab Detroit.
Do you know what a food desert is? It is defined by the USDA “as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers.” http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts
What does this mean exactly and what does that look like? Let’s look at a big city…Detroit to be exact. This city used to be the world’s industrial giant with a population of 1.8 million in the 1950’s. But with the move of factories and years of disinvestment, Detroit has become a prime example of urban decay - with a population that has decreased to under 700,000 today. Decreases in population and mean income have caused "food deserts" in the areas with the greatest need of fresh foods. But that doesn’t mean people have no access to food, they just have a greater access to fast food and convenience stores full of processed, sugary and fat laden foods. This has led to 70% of the population being obese and overweight, and struggling with diet related illnesses and diseases.
(Haggai 2:3) 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?
But Detroit finds itself with some very unique assets: open land, fertile soil, proximity to water, willing labor and a desperate need for healthy, fresh foods. Out of 140 square miles, 40 of it is now vacant. That is ¼ of the city. This has led to a people-powered movement of transforming the city with sustainable development.
(Haggai 2:4b) 4b take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts,
What is hope? Is it passive or active? Can we hope for something we have no hand in building or aiding, or is that just wishing? Can we hope for something unseen?
Was it hopeful or wishful that I didn’t catch this cold? What if I told you I did nothing to help my immune system? Wish or hope? What if I did take steps to strengthen my immune system and healthy living? Wish or hope?
Wish is defined as “to have a desire for something, such as something unattainable,” while hope is defined as “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true.”
Do the people of Detroit wish for something better, or hope for it? I believe they hope for something better. They have built over 1,500 gardens and farms across the city. They hope for a better life, a healthier life for themselves and their children. They have now aided in the future of their city through food security. With these gardens and farms, they are growing their communities and building social cohesion. In places like the Brightmoor neighborhood, what was once an unsafe, underserved area has been transformed into a welcoming, safe farmway with lush parks, gardens, farms and greenhouses. Neighbors and volunteers came together to purchase an abandoned building to transform into a community kitchen, café and storefront with healthy fresh food.
(Haggai 2:9) 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.
A non-profit, Keep Growing Detroit, was a large help distributing 70,000 seed packets and 250,000 transplants in 2016 resulting in 550,000 pounds of produce. Keep Growing Detroit also manages and operates a cooperative, Grown in Detroit, consisting of about 70 farmers.
With the idea that restaurants also play a role in increasing healthy food access in the city, another non-profit was born, FoodLab Detroit, to help small food entrepreneurs start healthy food businesses. FoodLab Detroit provides education, workshops, technical assistance and access to industry experts. With their help, the small businesses have provided over 200 local jobs.
We all know that this not the save all, fix all and so do the people of Detroit. But this is just one example of the Urban Farming movement, decreasing our food deserts. It is one city full of people willing to work to better their lives and a city full of people with hope for the future.
(Romans 8:22-25)22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
So remember, we wish upon stars - big burning balls of the past, but we hope for what is to come - the future. Let us not be passive with our hope. Let our hope be active within us and let that action bring hope to those around us. Let us work to be better, not just for ourselves but for those around us and those who come after us.
You know I cannot leave you without something from "The Ripples Guy". It is always fun for me to point out divine timing in my life. September 9th Boulder: “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” - President Barack Obama
And, “Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” - Author Laini Taylor
The Ripples Guy October 8th tweet, “You don’t need to remain hopeful for a whole month, or even a whole day…just long enough to take few breaths inward and a few steps forward.”
And finally, the November 4th Pebble, “The future belongs to those who give the next generations reason for hope.” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
