creative energy

It takes creative energy to hold things together. A family, a friendship, a garden, a community. Each one must be cultivated and maintained. You watch for weeds and pull them quickly, otherwise you'll be overrun. But not only this; seeds must be planted. What do you want to grow?

One thing that has captured my imagination this month is the way that AMOS helps to organize communities. In essence, they seek to empower local leaders to love and care for their neighbors. It all starts with a census and the attitude, "Everyone counted and everyone counts." The members of the health committee go to EVERY house in their community, learning names, counting how many people are in each household, and identifying those who are most at risk for illness & disease. This list forms the foundation for preventive care (for example, checking on mothers when their babies are due) and helps to ensure that no one is left behind.

Often when aid is given, it goes to the strongest and most able-bodied - those who can make it to the distribution point. Many times, the most vulnerable are left in the dark, too weak or unaware to get help. By knowing everyone in the community, the leaders can ask, "Who is missing here? Are they ok?"

What a beautiful question for people in every community. "Who is missing here? Who is hurting? Let's go to them and see how we can help."