From Johnny Wray

Dear Friends,

As I write this introductory letter for the 2001 Week of Compassion Leaders’ Guide, it is mid-August, 2000. Much of the American public is fixated on and fascinated by the so called “real” tv show, Survivors. The last person remaining on the island will receive, in addition to the publicity and notoriety, a prize of $1 million dollars. One of the networks, I am told, is now preparing a similar series for next year whereby the television audience will be able to vote who goes and who stays.

This same week the Week of Compassion Office received updates from Action by Churches Together and Church World Service on massive flooding in India and the ongoing drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. In both areas, millions of people are surviving by a thread. At the same time, ACT and CWS appeals for these survivors are woefully underfunded. We sit on the edge of our seats to see who “survives” and collects the million bucks, and at the same time, are mostly oblivious to the plight of millions of real life survi-vors of natural catastrophe and human chaos. The irony in this is simply overwhelming.

Interestingly, and ironically, the theme for the 2001 Week of Compassion observance is taken from a verse in the first chapter of John’s gospel: “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” In this age of “real” tv, e-trading, dot-coms, globalization, the idea seems both archaic and naive. However, in the Christian faith we still affirm that all we have is a gift of God’s grace, entrusted to us to use wisely, responsibly and compassion-ately.

Most of our congregations will celebrate Week of Compassion February 18-25, while others will select times more appropriate for their respective schedules. Regardless of the time your congregation participates in Week of Compassion, we hope you will utilize the re-sources on the WOC web site to help your members feel more deeply about those who struggle simply to survive in this world as well as to think more pro-foundly about what it means to participate in God’s great cycle of giving and receiving.

As you plan your observance, I hope you will remember that we are ending one century and beginning another in the midst of some of the deadliest and costliest disasters in human history. Because of the response of thousands upon thousands of Disciples throughout North America, Week of Compassion has enabled countless numbers of people not only to survive, but also to have hope again in life. Because of the continued support of our members and congregations, Week of Compassion will continue to be one way we Disciples can join millions of other Christians in the fullness of Christ’s grace so that all God’s children might share in the abundance of God’s goodness.

Grateful for our partnership in the gospel, I remain,

A friend and servant,
Johnny Wray, Director
Week of Compassion