Archive for The Same Kind of Human Seeing the Marginalized and Exploited Through Eyes of Grace

“Religiosity”

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Culture with tags , , , , , on April 13, 2019 by paulthepoke

Mark 8:22-26 And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Christine McDonald recently spoke at First Baptist Church North Kansas City. She spoke about Jesus, the blind man at Bethsaida, and “Religiosity” in the church. Click on the link below for her presentation.

http://www.fbcnkc.org/files/3-31-19.mp3?fbclid=IwAR1dOUwFJE_k-jstzX2tJSbruCvTH_tGNHykEVw9psFSph4tY8kZbTd2GTE

Bravely Awards

The Bravely Awards have been established to honor individuals or organizations that have strengthened our community by bringing attention to social justice issues including sexual exploitation, abuse and addiction. Awardees have demonstrated the highest level of commitment and dedication to the mission and vision of Bravely and furthered our cause through their life’s work. The inaugural honorees include Rev. Traci Blackmon, Joan Lipkin, Christine McDonald and Aisha Sultan.

Bravely is a residential program for women who have survived sexual exploitation (prostitution and trafficking), abuse and addiction.

https://www.gofundme.com/crypurplemovie

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

https://crypurplemovie.com/

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Exploiting Vulnerability… Christine McDonald

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Culture with tags , , , , , , on March 16, 2019 by paulthepoke

The vulnerabilities of others are exploited. These “helping hands” pose as if they are doing a good deed. Yet they exploit the disparity of the poverty of others by paying them a pittance for their labor. They get cheap labor, yet can rest their heads in peace at night because they have done their “good deed” in “helping the homeless.” I have to question the motives. They are not facilitating a chance to break the chains of oppression and poverty that bind these human beings. They are perpetuating them.

By definition, the exploitation of the vulnerabilities of those who have not by those who have is trafficking, whether labor trafficking or sex trafficking. They are exploiting the tough circumstances of poverty, homelessness, maybe mental illness and addiction, for their gain, which is cheap labor or perverted pleasure.

We have to acknowledge the intersection between poverty and homelessness as a place of vulnerability. It puts such individuals on a platform to be trafficked. Males are often labor trafficked, and females fall victim to sex trafficking. The victims often don’t even realize what is truly happening at the time. This is part of the cold injustice of trafficking.

We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this population. We cannot ignore that they are a target of traffickers who seek victims to exploit for their financial or selfish gain. We must start by recognizing trafficking and exploitation for what they are. Asking another human being to work for less pay than someone else simply because they are poor, homeless, and without other options is labor trafficking, and it is wrong. And asking another human being to perform sexual deeds in order to meet their basic human needs—the needs every person should be entitled to—is sex trafficking, and it is nothing short of grotesque.

Every person is a human being made in the image of God. No matter how desperate a person may be, he or she is not a commodity to be used!

https://www.gofundme.com/crypurplemovie

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

https://crypurplemovie.com/

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Basic Human Needs: Sleep and Food… Christine McDonald

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Culture with tags , , , , on March 2, 2019 by paulthepoke

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

https://www.gofundme.com/crypurplemovie

https://crypurplemovie.com/

The winter wind was bitterly cold. I was curled up, with no shoes or coat, barelegged and in a skirt. I was too tired to get up from the spot I had found beside a cold brick building. I was alone. There was no one bugging me, no one wanting anything from me that I was not willing to give. I longed for rest…sleep…a friendly word…a rescuer. Could someone find me?

The concrete was so damp, the cold causing my frail, 88–pound body to ache. Yet with my head against a vent, where part of my body found warmth, the brisk aroma of ground coffee beans brought me comfort of sorts, transporting me to a different world. This aroma was occasionally overpowered by the stale, musty smell of urine, reminding me of my reality.

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/sex-trafficking-survivor-preaches-inspiration-to-women-in-st-charles-county/63-0b6bb1b3-5c66-4db8-adea-4d9d5a6347f7

Was I invisible to the world around me? Was anyone trying to find me? Wouldn’t someone please take me home! I wanted a kind person, someone who didn’t want me as an object, a thing, but someone who would allow me to belong, who would keep me safe and warm. I wanted someone to see me as a person.

My body ached; my stomach grumbled for food. Eating food is such a seemingly basic human need. Yet out here, even food came at a price. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t turn another date just to eat. The thought of what I had to do for the money to eat revolted me. I couldn’t dare to put food in my mouth. Instead, I’d get high to make it all go away—the hunger pains, the shame, the hurt, the despair. Tonight, however, I was too weak and frail to even ponder the idea of standing, much less putting on the show necessary to earn money for food or dope.

Photo: Toronto Star

This corner, this building, the warmth from the vent…if only I could meld into the bricks for a rest, a long rest. Oh, to sleep safe, to sleep without expectations of my body. To sleep in a clean, safe bed with no one touching me, no one expecting sexual deeds for that sleep—another basic human need. A shower…oh, just to soak in a tub. Oh, my! And with bubbles to wash away the filth, the grime, the smells of all those men, of all the shame.

No. Not in my world. Not in this life…

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The Promised Land in Christ

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Gospel with tags , , , , , , , on January 5, 2019 by paulthepoke

Everyone be blessed!

Christine McDonald is an advocate for Mental Health Champions.

The Promised Land represented a new life for the people of Israel who had lived a life of bondage and slavery in Egypt. It is also symbolic of a new life in Christ. It says we are no longer going to be driven by the appetites of our old nature, but Christ now lives in us to live a righteous and holy life. It does not mean we’re perfect, we’re just forgiven.

Pinterest

The new life in Christ has nothing to do with church attendance or even doing good things. Christ said there will be many people who will claim Him as their Savior but they never really knew Him. In other words, there was no evidence of the living Savior in them.

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:22-23).

Jesus invites everyone to partake of the new life He offers. We only must believe. Invite Him to remove our sins and allow Him to live as Lord through our lives.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me?” (Revelation 3:20)

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

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Spreading the Word With Christine McDonald

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Culture with tags , on December 28, 2018 by paulthepoke

I am humbled that one of my books is now used on 3 college campuses. The other is used on 2 college campuses and 4 university campuses. Classes include narrative writing styles to domestic missions to human trafficking to women’s issues in recovery addiction classes.

From secular campuses to biblical/faith campuses, I am humbled that students across the USA are seeing wider thought processes. I am even more humbled that my works were chosen for such educational processes.

I am also excited that 3 churches are working through one of my books to grow it’s people in 2019. And I am excited to engage with those groups through that process. I am even more excited that they are of different faiths.

I believe we should never be limited by religiosity faith or lack there of. Christians can be some of the most narrow minded and judgmental people.

Guard against approaching others from moral standards Bible verses. Consider Bible verses with Christ like hearts and allowing His heart and Spirit to guide us.

Always honored and humbled when God chooses to use me as a vessel for Him.

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

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Love Your Neighbor… ALL of ’em!

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald with tags , , , on June 13, 2018 by paulthepoke

Featuring Christine “Clarity” McDonald

Christine is commissioned by the Missouri Supreme Court for the Trafficking Task Force.

“Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. …He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Christine McDonald

The following is from The Same Kind of Human Seeing the Marginalized and Exploited Through Eyes of Grace, Christine “Clarity” McDonald

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness.” Oftentimes as Christians we try expressing the love of Christ through kindness alone, but as Lewis stresses, kindness is but one attribute of love – it is not actually love itself. When we consider how we love others, what is our motive? Are we satisfied if we are just the seed planter? Are we satisfied if we are simply serving?

In the book of Luke we read, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35).

If this is how we are to treat our enemies, how should we treat those for whom we have compassion and want to see brought into His Kingdom?

homeless

Loving others is an act of obedience, but we cannot trick God. He alone sees our hearts. He knows if we are giving food to the hungry out of love, or if we are merely baiting the hungry so we can guilt them to repentance with our message… our message. God’s message is not one of trickery or condemnation, nor does it demand that broken people turn from their vices before crying out to Him. God alone can fill our empty spaces, cleanse us of our sins, and buff our rough places. He alone can draw us in.

The Lover of Our Souls draws us through compassion. He alone meets us where we are, wipes away our tears, and saves us. When we give to those who are in need, it should be the overflow of what we have been given, and it should be truly free. When we put a price or a demand on these actions, we are cheating the very ones who move His heart.

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40, NLT. 

The question is, how, then, are we treating Christ?

Love your neighbor… ALL of ’em! -Christine “Clarity” McDonald

 

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