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| Are we truly a community of people who live their lives in the footsteps of Jesus, building the Kingdom of God on Earth?
The importance of community cannot be underestimated in today's trying times. There is no stronger bond between men and without it, no system can survive.
The basic fundamentals of being a good Christian, following in the footsteps of Jesus, not only nourish Community, they sustain it.
To empower individuals understanding the path to social justice lies in simple changes in our daily habits -- what we eat, how and where we obtain it, knowing how it comes to us, the intricate relationship of consumption and disposal -- and to know the profound effect those simple changes have on the world around us.
This empowerment is achieved by understanding and following what we are told in 1 John, 4:21 -
"And this is the word which we have from him, that he who has love for God is to have the same love for his brother."
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"And a certain teacher of the law got up and put him to the test, saying, Master, what have I to do so that I may have eternal life? And he said to him, What does the law say, in your reading of it? And he, answering, said, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and for your neighbour as for yourself. And he said, you have given the right answer: do this and you will have life. But he, desiring to put himself in the right, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus, answering him, said, a certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he got into the hands of thieves, who took his clothing and gave him cruel blows, and when they went away, he was half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he went by on the other side. And in the same way, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, went by on the other side. But a certain man of Samaria, journeying that way, came where he was, and when he saw him, he was moved with pity for him, and came to him and put clean linen round his wounds, with oil and wine; and he put him on his beast and took him to a house and took care of him. And the day after he took two pennies and gave them to the owner of the house and said, take care of him; and if this money is not enough, when I come again I will give you whatever more is needed. " |
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| Romans 14:15 tells us this -
"And if because of food your brother is troubled, then you are no longer going on in the way of love. Do not let your food be destruction to him for whom Christ went into death."
Social Justice, Community and love for your fellow man begin with what nourishes our physical bodies. In the same way good food sustains our bodies, how we get that nourishment sustains and keeps our souls. Let us help you and your community understand those concepts in a clear and concise manner. We will assist you in discovering (for yourself) how important these simple precepts are to being a true Christian.
We will help you compare your life actions and the consequences of how you live to the life and lessons of Jesus.
We will assist you in determining changes you can make in your own daily life to lessen the negative consequences of your choices and continue building the Kingdom of God on Earth.
And, most importantly, we will help you determine what you can do to make living a life of fairness, equality and sharing (social justice) a reality.
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We live on a farm in northern Allamakee County, Iowa. It is situated in some of the most beautiful country in the world, amidst the rugged hills that surround the confluence of Bear Creek, Waterloo Creek and the Upper Iowa River.
People have lived here for a hundred centuries. And they have lived in communities that nurtured the land and reaped it's bounty without harming it. There are many of us in the area who maintain an organic lifestyle, giving back more to the land than we take, but being surrounded by agricultural practices that break down the system instead of supporting it, makes ours a constant struggle.
All around us are the signs of the people who were here before us. The remains of small agricultural communities like Quandahl, Hanover and New Galena are nearby. In the hills above the farm are rock shelters once inhabited by nomadic hunter-gaterers, then the Oneota and Woodland cultures famous for their pottery skills, mounds and earthen structures.
This land has successfully supported families and communities for 10,000 years. It could continue to do so for as long as it is treated properly and harvested carefully. Join us in this philosophy and be remembered as stewards of the land...not the culture who destroyed it.
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