A Book Review This is probably the first book review you’ll find on this site. It isn’t that we don’t like to read or that we don’t recommend books – its just that this might be the first book that quotes one of our youth ministers. The book is called Generation Change, written by a teenage abolitionist named Zach Hunter. Zach began an organization called Loose Change to Loosen Change (LC2LC). He wants to make a difference in the world by freeing people from modern-day slavery. The book Generation Change is a challenge to today’s youth to make a difference in the world. It recounts the stories of people who are doing that now, and ways for teens to get involved. The book offers many great ideas for making a difference in the world – the key being to get out there and do something.
Chapter 2 is called Shelter and in it Zach shares the story of the St. Francis youth who participated in the Shack-A-Thon and the person behind the event – Jyl Dittbenner. Last September, in 2007, 60 St. Francis teens built cardboard houses and slept outside in them. The money raised ($2000+) was given to the Nashua chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Plans for this year’s Shack-A-Thon are in the works. Zach heard about our event when he saw the news articles on the internet. He corresponded with Jyl through email to get the rest of the details. The chapter also includes a photo of three of our teens including Courtney who raised over $300 herself. We recommend the book not only because it talks about people we know and our own parish, but because we are called to reach out to the hurting in the world. All of our Confirmation students are required to complete a 30-hour service project. The ideas in this book can help all of us see how to get involved. Isaiah 58: 6-10 "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am ' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. The book can be purchased through most bookstores. The ISBN Number is 978-0-31028515 Generation Change, Zondervan Publisher |
