By Elise Hilton It is a disturbing part of American history: the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent and Japanese who were legally living in the U.S. during World War II. About 120,000 people were placed in internment camps in the western United States. Life in the camps was harsh. The only furnishings were beds. There was no privacy. Many people lived in metal huts, which provided no protection from heat or cold. However, many of those interned were... Read more
By Evan Koons I’m going to something a bit different in this post. I’m going to tag team it, albeit it virally (which after typing it out sounds kind of gross…but, oh well), with a stranger-who-feels-like-a-friend and world renowned bassist, Victor Wooten. Then, I’m going follow-up with three things we can glean from his gifts about living out the Economy of Wisdom in our everyday lives. With that, take it away Mr. Wooten (that means watch and listen to this, y’all):... Read more
By Joseph Sunde “The cultivation of imagination is to begin to integrate life into faith and every other facet, whether mundane or extraordinary, whether 9-5 work realities or worship in a church. Imagination is key to the thriving God intends for us.” –Makoto Fujimura The burgeoning faith-work movement has does a fine job of re-orienting our perspectives about the meaning of everyday toil and the importance of stewardship in the area of work and creative service. But one area that continues... Read more
By Chris Horst Last year, I attended a generosity conference in Hong Kong. At a break, I introduced myself to the folks at my table. One woman, Amy, was born-and-raised in Hong Kong. She serves as an executive at Flextronics, a Fortune 500 company based in the Silicon Valley. During our conversation, I learned Flextronics is the top competitor of Foxconn, the world’s largest, and perhaps most notorious, electronics manufacturer. Foxconn has made headlines over the past few years, but not for good... Read more
By Jordan Ballor The state of Michigan is in the midst of something of an infrastructure crisis. We’re consistently ranked as among the states with the worst roads in the nation, something of an embarrassment for what used to be the automotive capital of the US. This infrastructure challenge is also no doubt part of a legacy of a state with one of the more troubled economies in the nation over the previous decade. (In spite of all this, Michigan remains a beautiful... Read more
By Sarah Stanley Employees of the Huizenga Automation Group got a great surprise last spring. According to Mlive, after selling the company, owner J.C. Huizenga gave away $5.75 million in bonuses to his employees at two manufacturing companies that were part of the Automation Group. Huizenga acknowledged that his success was due to the work of his employees so he wanted to share his profits with them: “We all worked together at J.R. Automation and Dane Systems” and the companies... Read more
By Joseph Sunde Hands On Originals is a small printing company in Lexington, Kentucky, that, up until recently, had very few problems when they declined to print a certain message. Last year, however, the owner, Blaine Adamson, was found guilty of discrimination by a Lexington human rights commission for refusing to print T-shirts for a local gay pride festival. The commissioners ordered that Adamson must violate his conscience, and further, must participate in diversity training to be conducted by the commission. Fortunately, this story has... Read more
By Evan Koons It’s been a heart-wrenching few weeks. We have witnessed horrific acts of injustice and wondrous acts of grace. We have seen mighty acts of forgiveness and devastating acts of cruelty. I thought it would be a good idea to share one of the most important excerpts from Episode 4 – The Economy of Order: The Letter. Please watch it. I pray the words will take root in your heart. As we move forward, let us not forget to live with... Read more
By Charlie Self Compassion is a marvelous virtue. Feeling concern for others and acting sacrificially — especially on behalf of those that cannot return the favor — reveals mature character and contributes to human flourishing. Compassion moves missionaries and monks to great efforts as they plant churches, pioneer institutions, and work for justice across cultures and geographies. Paul’s words are the motivation for his apostolic proclamation that, “…the love of Christ compels us…” and, “one died for all, therefore all... Read more
By Jordan Ballor One of the most famous stories from the Bible is that of “The Prodigal Son,” a tale that has resonated with parents across times and cultures. The basic plot of the story is straightforward: a rebellious youth sets off from home in search of worldly pleasures, and having wasted his father’s money and reputation, eventually returns home in humility to a joyful welcome. Biblical commentators usually note that the parable appears in connection with two other stories... Read more
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