Have you paused to consider your power?

By Rori Picker, Associate for Interfaith Relations, RFP-USA

In a previous post, entitled Make Poverty History, Bishop Mark Hanson asked the question, “Have you paused to consider your power?” When I first read the question, I didn’t pay it much regard. After all, he certainly wasn’t asking me. He was speaking to all of the people who were out of college, with regular jobs, and could afford to donate money to a cause. He was speaking to all of the people who are on television or the radio, who play sports or write books, who have the ear of people and should use it for good. He certainly wasn’t asking me. After all, what power do I have?

It turns out, I have plenty of power. And so do all of you.

Seven months ago Rick Reilly wrote an article in Sports Illustrated called “Nothing But Nets” asking just for that: nets, and plenty of them. Except this time, he wasn’t talking sports. He was talking malaria.

What do nets have to do with malaria? Turns out, one net can save a child from dying of the disease. What’s even more impressive is that the net costs only $10, and that’s with shipping included.

So what power do you have? The same power I have. You have the power to post it on a blog, e-mail it to all your friends, and tell everyone in your family. You have the power to go to www.nothingbutnets.net and donate the $10 you were going to use to buy yourself lunch today. You have the power to save a life.