This pic from my friend @esfeather is worth sharing with you:
Urbanization – Hope or Despair?
Quinoa Salad with a Mexican Flair
On Mission in a Moving World
If you have ever moved, you know the disruption it causes to your life. Now imagine millions on the move sometimes in less than ideal circumstances. Some are simply moving to start a new life, but others are under much more extreme pressures. With a background of war, trafficking, job loss and countless other disruptors, people are finding themselves in many new places. What are you doing to meet them as they move?
Personal Reflection
A great place to start on the issues that surround the global movement of people is to identify with them. Think about a time when you have been new to a place. What feelings were dominant? What opportunities and challenges did you face? Then consider the people of Israel traveling through the desert, Jesus as a young boy in Egypt and Paul sitting under house arrest in Rome. What must they have been going through? As your empathy brings you face to face with real people in these situations, ask God how you should respond in love.
Engaging the Church
Do you know which communities of immigrants are within 20 miles of your church? It is easy to end up on Spiritual journeys of “sameness”. We can neglect those who are very close by but different than we are. Start by looking online to find out which immigrant communities are nearby. Then identify some of the ministries in town who are serving those communities. Also, find out if some of the countries where you are supporting mission work globally have communities of immigrants you can also be reaching out to. Find ways to include these communities within your community of faith. How can you show them God’s love as you invite them into your midst?
Differences between Eastern and Western Cultures – Minimalistic Visualizations
Germany-based artist and visual designer Yang Liu has created a series of truthful graphics that explains the differences in Eastern and Western culture.
Yang Liu was born in China but has lived in Germany since she was 14, and thus she is able to explain the differences in cultures.
Based on her own experience, she created minimalistic visualizations using simple symbols and shapes to convey just how different the two cultures are.
In the visualizations below, the blue side represents western culture, while the red side represents eastern culture.
Is this what Jesus meant when He said pick up your cross?
