Help Build a Library in Honduras

When Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves, He doesn't just mean the person across the street. He also means people around the world. Our community is presented with a wonderful opportunity to embrace this Gospel message.

Molly McCord is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Honduras. She is trying to build several libraries there, and needs our help. She says in an email:

They are really incredible kids and deserve all the good things that life has to offer. It`s so sad the poverty that they live in and just will never get to experience a lot of these things...but we can give them a jump-start with books, which will open the door for them by improving their reading skills, writing skills, overall education, expand their imaginations....

Donating is easy. Molly has set up a Wish List of Spanish-language books on Amazon.com. Just click on this link to view the list, select which books you would like to donate, and follow the prompts. You can practice Stewardship without even getting out of your chair!

We're not all called to serve in Honduras. Molly felt the call, and thankfully answered it. However, we are all called to love our neighbor. Perhaps this is one way you can show that love. And please remember to keep Molly and her work in your prayers.

Parents Beware - The Golden Compass

There is a movie coming out on Dec. 7 called The Golden Compass. It stars Nicole Kidman, and at first glance may appear to be in the same league as The Chronicles of Narnia. Nothing could be further from the truth. The movie is based on the first book in a trilogy by Philip Pullman called His Dark Materials. Pullman is an avowed atheist, and his mission is to destroy the faith of young Christians.

Lest anyone think that Christians are overreacting, take a look at the review at the secular, urban myth-debunking site Snopes.com:

Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald that "My books are about killing God."

Some of the more overt instances of anti-Christianity have been toned in the movie. But on their website, the Catholic League lays out the primary concern with the movie:

The Catholic League wants Christians to stay away from this movie precisely because it knows that the film is bait for the books: unsuspecting parents who take their children to see the movie may be impelled to buy the three books as a Christmas present. And no parent who wants to bring their children up in the faith will want any part of these books. [Emphasis added]

Dark materials, indeed. I can't imagine a worse Christmas present for a child.

I think it also bears mentioning that the first book in the series, Northern Lights (on which the movie is based) was awarded a Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature in 1995, and in 2007 was named the "Carnegie of Carnegies" as the best children's book of the last 70 years. I know a lot of parents see that a book has received a Carnegie Medal and assume that it's a quality book that their child should read. Just another reminder to be careful who you trust to make recommendations for your child's reading material. I think it speaks volumes that this was the best book they could find in a 70 year span.