Exemplars of Gracious Christianity
We are still developing this page, but the people and organizations listed here represent the exemplars of gracious Christianity we want to highlight.
People:
St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi:
Francis of Assisi and his friend Clare were leaders in a new movement of spirituality that emerged in the early 1200s which encouraged Christians to live an "apostolic" life of faith modeled after the life of Jesus. Rather than remain cloistered in a monastery, the followers of Francis and Clare became new kinds of monks and nuns who lived in the world and served others, especially those at the margins of society. Francis believed that Christians should treat everyone with whom they came in contact the same way they would have treated Jesus if they had ever had the chance to meet Jesus in the flesh.
For more on St. Francis see: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm
For more on St. Clare see: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04004a.htm
See also: http://www.mficusa.org/spirituality/spirituality.htm
Desmond Tutu
The career of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa) illustrates what it means to work for peace, justice, and reconciliation in a world where violence and injustice is often the rule. Tutu was an active leader in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa during the 1970s and 1980s. After Nelson Mandel was released from prison and a new non-racist South African government was established, Tutu chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that sought to overcome the legacy of pain and suffering that apartheid had produced. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
For more about Bishop Tutu see: http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1984/tutu-bio.html
See also: http://www.tutu.org/
Oragnizations:
Habitat for Humanity
Loving other people means paying attention to their basic human needs and few needs are more pressing than adequate shelter. Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organization. It welcome all people to help build simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with those who lack adequate shelter. Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 175, 000 houses, providing shelter for nearly 900,000 people worldwide. Now at work in 100 countries, a Habitat house is built every 26 minutes.
Catholic Charities USA works nationwide to provide vital social services to people in need, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. Catholic Charities USA supports and enhances the work of its membership by providing networking opportunities, national advocacy and media efforts, program development, training and technical assistance, and financial support. Founded in 1910 as the National Conference of Catholic Charities, Catholic Charities USA is located near the nation's capital in Alexandria, VA.
The Salvation Army
Founded by William Booth, the Salvation Army is both a Christian religious organization and a social service provider. Salvation Army programs include disaster relief services, day care centers, summer camps, holiday assistance, services for the aging, AIDS education and residential services, medical facilities, shelters for battered women and children, family and career counseling, vocational training, correction services, and substance abuse rehabilitation. More than 30 million people are aided each year by services provided by The Salvation Army.