James 5:4
For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
And immediately I thought of the coffee I enjoy every morning. Am I cheating the worker? Shouldn't I do something about that? All the more so, shouldn't our church?
All around the world people struggle to make a decent life for themselves and their families. Economic turmoil and climate change have made basic survival very difficult for many people. But on top of this, when workers do not recieve addecuit pay for thier goods and services, how can they possibly survive? So now Janie and I buy fair trade coffee for our home. It costs more, but I know the extra money is actually making it back to the hands of the growers, which is great. It's not much, but it's something.
Is this something that you think about to? Do unfair wages stir your passion? If so, please consider joining with me to partition the leadership of the church to change the coffee we buy for the church. I would like to gather the number (how much more it would cost, etc) and make a brief presentation to the Vestry. But it would mean so much more coming from you, or several of you, than it would from me.
This is a small step that I think could make a big difference. Please leave a comment or email me if you'd like to talk more about this.
-Dave C
To see the PWRDF's information page on Fair Trade, click here.
To learn more about one Fair Trade coffee initiative, supported by MCC, click here.
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8 comments:
Who buys the coffee at church? I could try to investigate this.
Mike
It used to be that all the coffee was simply donated. I'm not sure now, but I find out if it's the "kitchen angels" or Janice or someone.
I think the coffee is probably free coffee from Starbucks. I know they donate a lot to our church.
At the restaurant I worked at we used kicking horse and it's free trade. I could probably get us a deal if I talked to the owners.
Kathleen W.
I can confirm that it is in fact donated from Starbucks.
-Justin W
So in fact their would be a SIGNIFICANT cost increase, but I still think this is worth while.
not sure but I heard at one point that starbucks was fair trade...
a quick google seems to indicate that Starbucks is infact natriously un-fair trade.
Maybe somewhere fair trade can give us a deal?
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