The Point of Saturation

September 22, 2009
 
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
 
In April 2007, Plymouth County hosted an event to raise awareness of child abuse throughout the state.  Among the exhibitors was the Child Advocacy Board (CAB), who displayed eight pairs of children’s shoes – each signifying a child in Iowa killed in the previous year as a result of abuse.  Visitors were visibly shaken by the display, and left with a profound sense of loss and a determined commitment to the cause.
 
Given the powerful response to that image, the CAB offered the same exhibit the following year.  In 2008, the number of abuse-related deaths jumped to sixteen, so they increased the corresponding number of shoes in the display. Naturally, they assumed an even greater reaction from attendees:  a doubling of shoes should evoke an exponential increase in anger and passion.  But they were wrong. This time, visitors casually walked by, virtually unaffected by the symbolism.
 
Planners were perplexed.  Why would eight shoes generate such a strong response, but sixteen result in apparent apathy?
 
Psychologists would suggest that somewhere between eight and sixteen was a point of saturation, that point in which the scale of the problem became too overwhelming for individuals to handle.  When the number was small, people could relate intimately with individual children, conceiving faces, names, families, and stories. But beyond that number, the problem became too overwhelming, prompting people to distance themselves from the issue out of sheer helplessness.
 
In preparing for this Sunday’s Children’s Sabbath, I read the following statistics, which seem pretty overwhelming, way past my own point of saturation.  According to the Children’s Defense Fund (www.childrensdefense.org), every day in America:
 

• 78 babies die before their first birthdays.
• 404 children are arrested for a drug crime.
• 928 babies are born at low birthweight.
• 1,154 babies are born to teen mothers.
• 2,224 babies are born without health insurance.
• 2,479 children are confirmed as abused or neglected.
• 2,583 babies are born into poverty.
  

These numbers seem too huge for us to conceive, let alone associate with individual children.  Rather than use this data to prompt us to action, it is much easier for us to lump these statistics together and sigh with a collective feeling of powerlessness.  Or, worse still, a sense of apathy.
 
I think that is why the gospel writers share this poignant episode in the ministry of Jesus, who likely never heard the term point of saturation but surely knew the importance of putting a face on a problem:
 
He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.  (Matthew 18:2-5)
 
The next time you feel overwhelmed by the growing crisis of global poverty and disease, remember that Jesus could envision the Kingdom of God in the face of a little child.  While statistics can seem daunting, they essentially represent individual children, each created with their own unique God-given potential. And it is to such as these that the Kingdom belongs.
 
This Sunday we observe the Children’s Sabbath, a program sponsored by the Children’s Defense Fund and endorsed by the United Methodist Women. It is a worship service led by the children of this congregation and highlights the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of other kids around the world.  Come be inspired to do your part in fulfilling this year’s theme: “Create Change for Children Today: Bring Hope for a Better Tomorrow.” In conjunction with the service, you are invited to bring breakfast foods with you as a donation to the local food pantry at Mid-Sioux Opportunities, Inc.
 
Grace and Peace,
 
Magrey   

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA  51012
Ph:  712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org

September 27
“Create Change for Children Today: Bring Hope for a Better Tomorrow”
Why Should Christians Care about Children and Poverty?
(Children’s Sabbath)
 
October 4
“Hungry World, Hungry Souls”
Why Should Christians Care about Global Hunger?
(World Communion Sunday)
 
October 11
“Let’s Get Physical”
How Do We Get Healthy?
(A Forum with Health Care Professionals)
 
October 18
“Paging Dr. Wesley”
What Did John Wesley Say about Health?

October 25
“When All Else Fails….”
What Do We Really Believe about Healing and Miracles?

November 1
“Resurrection…of the Body?”
What Do We Really Believe about Life after Death?
(All Saints’ Sunday)

 
 
SPECIAL OFFERINGS THIS SUNDAY
We will be receiving a special offering toward missions this Sunday, which will be evenly distributed among Human Relations Sunday, Native American Sunday, and Peace with Justice Sunday, which all contribute to our Rainbow Covenant Missions Program.  In addition, we will be taking up a loose change, “Noisy Offering” to support children and youth ministries.

PORK FEED
Join us after the service this Sunday for our annual Pork Feed, from 11:30-12:30pm.  Please bring your most flavorful and most nutritious side item or salad, in keeping with our health-conscious sermon series. Prizes will be awarded by a panel of judges.  Donations to the free will offering will support the Next Generation Fund, which supports future opportunities for ministry.  In addition, we are looking for volunteers to help set up the Fellowship Hall this Saturday at 10am.  Contact the church office if you are able to help.
 
JOIN THE 25 MILLION STEP CHALLENGE
We had a positive response to the new sermon series on personal health introduced last week.  We gave away all of the free pedometers, in conjunction with the challenge to walk a congregational total of 25 million steps between now and November 1.  If you did not get a free pedometer, they are available in town at a nominal cost.  You can report your weekly step count on the Sunday morning registration forms or by contacting the church office.
 
YOUTH COOK-OUTS THIS SUNDAY
Mid-Highs are invited to the deVega’s and Senior Highs are invited to the Wilkies for a fun night of food around the fire. The event is from 5:30-7:00pm.