ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
Once again, we draw attention to the Mennonite Relief Sale that is planned for April 16-17 on the state fairgrounds in Hutchinson (see pages 20-21). This annual cooperative venture draws together Mennonite groups of various stripes and convictions for the primary purpose of raising funds for Mennonite Central Committee, a church-sponsored relief and development ministry with programs around the world.
Beyond its charitable aims, the relief sale performs another service: It demonstrates to all of us that we don’t have to be stymied into paralysis by the suffering and injustice that envelopes so many parts of our world. We can do something constructive for at least a portion of the vast multitudes who have so few resources and so many needs.
Is it a drop in the bucket? Perhaps. But every drop makes a splash somewhere.
The other great thing about the relief sale is that it demonstrates that lending a helping hand can be fun. The problems of the world are serious, but we don’t have to attack them with glum faces and heavy spirits. The relief sale takes place in a celebrative environment where people laugh as hard as they work.
You don’t have to be Mennonite to see the value of this event. You just have to be human. -DR
