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"Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

Since I began working for the ELCA Washington Office, one of the advocacy offices of the ELCA, I learned that by using my voice I can stand up for those who need my help in the United States and around the world. My dollars, my time, and my voice are all important.
In addition to the one-to-one caring for victims of injustice, speaking out at the governmental level can help change systems that perpetuate injustice.


	Photo by Annie Lynsen

Getting started
During my first few days on the job as director for grassroots advocacy and communication, I learned some sobering statistics: More than 800 million people around the world do not get enough to eat,
and more than 500 million are chronically mal-nourished. Eight million die every year because they lack the most basic resources. And while many of us have easy access to drinking fountains and bottled water from vending machines, 1.2 billion people live without access to safe drinking water.

I’ve learned that of the world’s 24 million people with HIV/AIDS, more than 93 percent live in developing countries. More than 840 million adults in our world have not had the opportunity to learn to read or write. Furthermore, 160 million pre-school children living in developing nations are underweight.

This new-found awareness made me realize the magnitude of the global task — before me, before you, before all of us. Men and women, celebrities and community leaders, can all come together as ONE, and that’s what ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History is about.

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She is a seasoned advocate and Lutheran. She is active in her congregation and works for justice for the poor — even when it means ending up in jail. More

Faith Reflections by Sarah Stadler-Ammon

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. … We love because [God] first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from God is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. 1 John 3:17-18, 4:19-21

I think we can get stuck when we try to love our neighbors, especially those in need. We celebrate Jesus’ commandments to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves, but we struggle to know how to do that or even what that means.

We think that loving our international neighbors means giving money to relief work or supporting sustainable agricultural projects. We think that loving our local neighbors means volunteering at the food pantry and purchasing Christmas gifts for low-income families.
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