Author: Rich

Justice is a big, complex concept. The FREEDOM TOUR cycles to bring hope and freedom to kids rescued from human trafficking. We focus our message and our fundraising on one HOME OF HOPE and one group of children, but of course we’re concerned with broader issues of justice as well. We believe one small candle can […]

On the final day of the FREEDOM TOUR our team shared a different sort of meal. In a place called THE REFUGE, in a courtyard with gates titled Wait and Be Still, we gathered in peaceful stillness around the Lord’s Table. A circle of people bonded by shared sacrifice stopped to express gratitude and humility. Simplicity. A boom […]

I wish everyone could experience the initial gathering of the FREEDOM TOUR team. After months of training, preparation, and anticipation we’re finally together in the same place. Some come down the street, some across town, and some travel hundreds of miles. Some are old friends, many meet for the first time. Eighteen team members, a few […]

The FREEDOM TOUR creates all sorts of ripples. When a bunch of passionate people get excited and begin telling stories about this amazing adventure, there’s no way to predict how the impact will spread. It’s fun, interesting, and humbling to hear some of the ways God uses this crazy experience. The old (former?) teacher in me […]

“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” John F. Kennedy Perhaps it’s time for an empathy check. On the last night of the FREEDOM TOUR several members of our team gathered around a flickering campfire. After a week together, in that setting, barriers tend to disappear. The discussion drifted to the […]

The biggest problem with change is…you have to do something different. Last time I talked about stones and altars. I told you each member of the FREEDOM TOUR team wrote a burden on a stone and left it behind at the top of Raton Pass. A note from a friend reminded me it’s not so simple. You […]

Have you ever carried a burden? On the FREEDOM TOUR there’s a lot of conversation about rocks. Some might say you need a head filled with rocks to do this crazy thing, but that’s another discussion. Each of our team members carried two rocks with them during the entire 500-mile journey. Stones were symbols in ancient Israel. […]

People look at the radical new idea and aren’t sure whether they love it or hate it. But they can’t stop talking about it. That’s one way we know it’s art. The worst thing, for the artist, is for the work to be ignored. With a bit of practice anyone can do a paint-by numbers, build […]

A teammate shared a story of a child’s experience with injustice. The discussion exposed old and new pains. Like many late-night conversations, this one raised questions, deepened relationships, and opened doors to further dialogue. Sharing our stories isn’t about providing answers. It’s about disclosing a part of who we are. Hopefully that process leads to the mystery and wonder […]

Pneuma is the Greek word for wind, used in the bible as Spirit or breath of God. “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) So when Jesus spoke to […]