Our plan to eliminate discrimination includes two important steps: demonstration of our love for others, and education for those who don't yet understand the hurt they cause when they discriminate against others.
Demonstration
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22
We believe in the simple phrase made popular by author Bob Goff: Love Does. Whatever terms or phrases you use, the truth is simple: Christians are not called just to listen, we are called to DO. And here at ECM, we do a lot of doing! We spend our time loving, helping, encouraging, challenging, serving, and reassuring those whom God has called us to help. We want them to feel God’s love tangibly, and not just hear it. We want them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves each one of them.
We don’t do what we do to impress others, but there are benefits to having others in the community see love in action. The truth is, there are many who don’t actually know how to love. When they see what we do, they not only learn how God calls us to love each other, but they are also inspired to do the same. We hope that our demonstrations of God’s love for everyone, including the unlovable, will move people away from their discriminating behaviors of the past, and toward an attitude of love for all.
Specifically, here are some examples of how we demonstrate God’s love by loving others:
- Meeting medical needs
- Providing sources of clean water
- Providing clothing and food to those in need
- Encouraging children and families through visits, Bible lessons, and letters
- Training school teachers and Sunday School teachers
- Providing items for children with albinism, such as sunscreen, hats, lip balm, and protective clothing
- Ensuring that school fees are paid so children can receive an education
- Teaching new farming techniques
Education
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! Proverbs 16:16
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. Proverbs 9:9
We realize that no matter how much we help, no matter how many lives we change, no matter how many children we love, the cycle of discrimination will endlessly go on if those who are discriminating against others are never shown the truth. It is up to us, (the ones who have the truth), to share it with those who are still in the dark.
That’s why we are putting a renewed focus on education to help end discrimination. We have always been concerned about helping people understand why it’s so important to show love, and why discrimination is not only misguided but detrimental to the health of children and their society as a whole. Our curriculum on the truth of albinism has been used over the years to guide communities, schools, and churches toward a more Christ-like acceptance of those with albinism. We are now expanding that curriculum to include a greater understanding and acceptance of those with disabilities, those from other tribes, and those living in extreme poverty. This will help us guide communities away from the belief that certain children have been cursed and should be avoided, toward a love for all children that encourages everyone to embrace even the most unlovable.
We plan to take the following steps to educate communities about the negative impact of discrimination on their children and the positive steps they can take to end its stranglehold on their lives:
- Revise and improve the current albinism curriculum
- Expand and modify the curriculum to include information regarding others who are discriminated against in African society, such as those with disabilities, those from certain tribes, or those living in extreme poverty
- Engage schools, churches, and local leaders in open, respectful dialogue on the topic of discrimination and its impact on their community
Over the course of the coming year we will be expanding our outreach into the communities where we currently minister, working to both demonstrate God’s love through our actions, and to educate others on the important, biblical reasons for ending discrimination against those forgotten in African cultures. We will openly discuss these critical issues with anyone who will listen, and we will not rest until all children, no matter their physical state or their level of wealth, are accepted and loved in their communities.
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