[God] has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8
Dear Reformation,
Since 2015 Reformation has been a Fair Trade certified congregation. (In fact, we were the first Fair Trade certified congregation in the state of Pennsylvania!) This means that we are committed to our purchases and education to be focused on fair trade items whenever possible. Fair Trade means ensuring that artisans, farmers, and business owners – especially those in developing nations – are compensated equitably for their work. It also often means that the land is used and shipping is done in a way that is mindful of environmental impacts. Several examples of what this has looked like over the past few years at Reformation include coffee, tea, chocolate, and even our Palm Sunday palms!
As we enter this season of gift giving, we lift up this opportunity to seek out fair trade, justice-oriented gifts to better our world. With Media being the country’s first fair trade town, there are many opportunities to purchase fair trade items from local businesses. (You can find out more at mediafairtrade.org). And you can learn about the work Lutherans are doing in the field of Fair Trade – especially through Lutheran World Relief – here.
May you find ways to give the gift of justice this Christmas season!
Pastor Alina Gayeuski