I really like it when one phrase in another language can mean so many things in the English language. I think it’s just crazy jazz that there are 15 significant lexemes for the word “snow” in the Eskimos language. I’m just messing around this evening and I am came across this Judaic term that has knocked me on my hiney. Tikkun Olam. It means “repair of our world, our job; bringing healing, justice, and hope to everyone around us.”
This has been important to me for as long as I can remember. At a very basic level it’s of prime importance to me that I leave things a little better than I found them and that I don’t make them worse. This is one of the reasons from an environmental aspect that I recycle and 50% of the time plant/buy/eat organically. Relationally I can’t stand idly by and hope that by chance hurting people will happen upon God and His healing for their brokenness. I can’t just be a spectator and choose to look away when women and children are being treated unfairly. My heart is convicted with guilt and remorse when I try to ignore a homeless guy on the off ramp. I feel compelled to encourage others to look up even just a little bit for what might be a glimmer of hope. Lord knows it’s not because I’m better than anyone else but I feel so strongly that it is my job. This is my purpose: to relieve suffering.
Once it again it’s getting pretty late at night and my head is flying as to the meaning of all this.I cannot deter from opening a maternity home for pregnant homeless teens as soon as possible. But now I’m asking God if I should be dreaming bigger, if I should have an even larger vision. As I was working through my research into maternity homes I had two pretty crazy conversations with two men I hold in high regard. One suggested that instead of just one home we move into 3 homes, one for teens, one for homeless families, and one for homeless men. Just a few hours later another man suggested I purchase 5 acres and build three homes on it. I have no flipping idea how to pull off any of that magnitude much less one home for the pregnant teens. Three homes requires a whole new way of thinking about financing and staffing. But it’s such a gap in our community. Could we really help three different homeless populations in our community? The impact would hit generations to come. This whole process is me stepping out in faith, handing over control to God, and doing what He says I should do when I should do it.If God wants 3 homes, He’ll get 3 homes. If God just has plans in the immediate future for a maternity home then that’s what we’ll do.
I think tonight I finally have the beginning of a mission statement for this endeavor. Tikkun Olam
Let’s try it out for size. “The Sparrow’s Nest purpose is to repair our world, relieve suffering, bringing healing, justice, and hope to everyone around us.“
The Rabid Mime 