Inspiration

Instead of all the bad news that has been hanging over our heads with the London bombings and Senior White House advisor Karl Rove's leaking information on CIA operative Valerie Palme, I have found some inspiration the last few days.

First, I just finished reading Anne Lamott's novel Blue Shoe , about a Christian woman struggling with the things that life throws at her. It's sad but joyful; I guess you could call that bittersweet. I particularly like it because as a Christian I struggle with some of the same emotions the main character does: anger, despair, hate, desire, love, joy, peace. I highly suggest you read it. Lamott has written several other books, many of them humour books about her own experiences. Just to name a few: Traveling Mercies; Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith; Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life; & Operating Instructions. I look forward to reading all her books in the future.

Second, I have read 2 articles recently on Kenya's Prof. Wangari Maathai, who won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in reforesting and saving the forests of Kenya. Maathai started the Green Belt Movement in 1977, dedicated to planting trees. Since then she has helped start thousands of tree nurseries across Kenya and has challenged government and business on the environmental policies. She and other GBM members have been beaten; she has been called un-African, confused and mentally unstable for her work. But Maathai has persevered. Today, they run 600 community networks that take care of 6,000 tree nurseries across the country and they have planted more than 30 million trees on private farms.

Maathai has said:
"It is evident that many wars are fought over natural resources, which are now becoming increasingly scarce. If we considered our resources better, fighting over them would not occur."

With one simple idea, Maathai has inspired Kenyans and showed that ecologically viable social, economic and cultural development is possible.

Inspiration is more an a motivator than desperation.