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Hey Reader, A few weeks ago, I started drafting the thoughts below about quiet leadership and Fairtrade Month. Then war broke out in Israel. And…a 27 year-old family acquaintance committed suicide. Baseball role models and Fairtrade coffee seem infinitely less important now. Bruised Camels is not about politics. But, as the articles below illustrate, it is about living out our faith in a painfully fallen world. War, opioid abuse, human trafficking, cancer, suicide. On, and on, and on. Some days I resonate with Solomon’s grim assessment in Ecclesiastes 4. “I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive.”
Ecclesiastes 4:1-3, The Message I offer no solution. Only what I’ve learned from being overwhelmed and helpless in my own life. First, pray. Expressing “thoughts and prayers” has become pointless and a cynical social media meme. Actual prayer is neither. And fortunately, you don’t need to know how to pray. Trust that: “the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.
Romans 8:26, The Message Second, do what you can. Even if it’s small. Like a grain of salt. Don’t let your inability to do everything keep you from doing something. Give. Console. Volunteer. Encourage. Advocate. Check-in. Quietly and in small ways. Be Salty, Leading FaithfullyLess Talk, More DoDoes the name Tim Wakefield mean anything to you? Yes? You’re likely a Red Sox fan or a baseball nerd. I’m neither, so it didn’t. But, he died from brain cancer recently, and this tribute in Christianity Today caught my attention. A Tribute to a Quiet Baseball Star in an Age of Christian Celebrity Wakefield’s powerful but quiet witness in the noisy world of professional sports reminds us of two things. First, we all have a platform within our spheres of influence. That does not mean we’re called to high visibility ministry. Often we feel an expectation, sometimes stated but often unstated, that as leaders we “must speak out.” However, your friends’ and acquaintances’ expectations are not God’s calling.
“Some people lead by example, others by words. I don’t talk about it [Christian faith] much, but when reporters ask, I’m happy for them to let people know about my beliefs. They generally don’t ask.”
Tim Wakefield – 2011 Interview Don’t misunderstand me. God calls some sports, entertainment, and business figures to use their platforms to boldly proclaim the Gospel. Cowboys coach Tom Landry inspired me as a kid. And I know Tony Dungy and other players encourage people’s faith in a healthy way. I also know that you and I have seen people fall hard and fast off those platforms. I don’t know if temptation or other risks figured into Wakefield’s decisions. In hindsight, he maintained a strong witness over the long arc of a professional baseball career. Sadly, that sets him apart from so many public Christian leaders. Second, Wakefield’s life reminds us that we don’t need a spotlight. His legacy beyond baseball came from persistent, private actions. One senses that Wakefield would have had the same character and impact without fame. That encourages me. I don’t hold press conferences, but I can love people and be generous. And my accomplishments and failures don’t limit my witness. Wakefield had incredible highs and lows as a pitcher. That sounds like me as a husband, father, and businessman. Unlike his knuckleball and ERA, his character remained constant. That inspires me far more than loud, public proclamations. Spending FaithfullyBeing Fair is Actually Easy“Nobody said life was fair!” Olive McKeever, my beloved H.S. English teacher, constantly reminded her students that we were not owed fairness in our grades or our lives. That’s been an oddly helpful reminder in life, but in some areas, she was wrong. You can be fair in your dealings with the people who produce the things you consume, especially food.
October is Fair Trade Month. If you’re not familiar with Fairtrade certification, it’s similar to organic or kosher certification. Any product can be certified, but coffee, chocolate, bananas, and cotton are most common. And yes, Mrs. McKeever would not be happy about it, but Fairtrade Int’l copyrighted the single word referring to Fair Trade the concept. Fairtrade International certifies sellers who treat all the participants in the supply chain fairly in terms of economics, social standards, and environmental impact. Fairtrade has very detailed standards for different industries but summarizes them as follows: “Fairtrade sets economic standards for manufacturers to more equitably distribute the benefits of trade. Social Standards are typically at the co-op or Producer Organization level. Fairtrade does not allow exploitative child labor or any discriminatory employment practices. Environmental standards aim to minimize producers’ impact on the planet, while still meeting them where they are both in terms of their geographical realities and their business growth.”
I like Fairtrade’s pragmatic approach. They recognize that businesses must remain profitable, impossible standards are counterproductive, and market conditions change. Next time you’re at the grocery store, keep an eye out for the Fairtrade certification sticker. It’s an easy way to bring some fairness to the world. Kitchen Sink | Welcome!New Here?Did a friend forward this to you? Get your own subscription with one click.
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