I’m looking for stories of solidarity for Sunday’s message on 1 Peter 3:18-4:6. Big ones, little ones, medium ones.
One of the dramatic ones is the Freedom Riders in the Civil Rights movement who travelled to the American south to integrate and ride buses and who were beaten for doing so. They expressed solidarity with others in ways that lead them on a path toward suffering. But that suffering was meaningful and redemptive.
More ordinary is when folks fast from meat during Lent, or eat a subsistence meal (beans and rice) or when youth participate in 30-hour Famine weekends.
Our youth ministry is conducting a solidarity mission experience that they came up with called “Barefoot Mile” (facebook event) in which they will walk a mile barefoot and collect shoes and money for doing so in order to give shoes to local homeless folks and, through a deal with a shoe manufacturer, give to poor children in South America and Africa as well.
Other stories of solidarity? Thanks, I’m collecting them.
Guy M Williams 
There is a humorous stand of solidarity in the movie TO WONG FOO… where everyone in town pretends to be a cross dresser so that the police won’t know who to arrest… this came about because they embraced those who were different and in embracing them, allowed the town and themselves to be transformed! If you haven’t seen the movie – it is worth it.
awesome! hilarious and fantastic story. thanks, Stacy!
How about the scene in ‘Coach Carter’ where one player doesn’t fulfill his requirements of push-ups and line drills and is going to be cut, until his teammates step up and agree to fulfill his requirements for him. I haven’t even seen the whole movie and that scene still brings tears to my eyes.
Ryan Kellermyer (from Eastern) is only eating a bowl of rice everyday while raising money for world hunger–he’s been at it since Jan. 1 http://www.simplesizeme.com/.
Mike, Danielle:
Great stuff. Thanks for the input.
Go barefoot mile!!!
Brief Summary of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar!
After entering a local “drag queen of the year” contest in New York City, Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) and Vida Bohemme (Patrick Swayze) win a trip to Hollywood to take part in an even bigger, national drag queen contest. Before they depart, Vida persuades Noxeema to take along the inexperienced ‘drag princess’ Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) as their protégé (the duo initially refer to Chi-Chi as a simple “boy in a dress” rather than as a fully-fledged drag queen). In order to do this, they trade in their airplane tickets for cash and buy a stylish but old Cadillac convertible with money given to them by John Jacob (Robin Williams) and the three of them set off for Los Angeles by car.
While on the road they are pulled over by homophobic and racist Sheriff Dollard (Chris Penn), who tries to sexually assault Vida. He discovers Vida is not female, and in the confrontation, Dollard is knocked unconscious. The ladies think he is dead, and they hurry off and leave him behind. While recovering from the incident at a rest stop, their car breaks down. A young man, Bobby Ray (Jason London), from the nearby small town of Snydersville happens by and gives them a ride, where they take refuge in a bed & breakfast owned by Carol Ann (Stockard Channing) and her abusive car repairman husband, Virgil (Arliss Howard).
The three ladies remain trapped in the town for the weekend as they wait for the replacement spare part for their car to arrive. While there, they are confronted by the town’s small-mindedness, though none of it centers around their gender as everyone believes them to be female. Chi-Chi is nearly gang raped by a group of roughnecks, but is saved by Bobby Ray. The ladies are ecstatic to find vintage fashions from the 1960s in the town’s clothing store, along with its young, awkward, stuttering store clerk. Vida gives him a copy of her book on Diana Vreeland to inspire him.
Noxeema, along with the group of women, are later disrespected by the same roughnecks that attempted to attack Chi-Chi. Fed up, Noxeema handles the situation in a typically New York manner and teaches their ringleader a lesson in manners. Vida, Noxeema, and Chi-Chi do what they can to be positive and they set out to improve the lives of the townspeople. This includes makeovers and assistance in organizing the annual “Strawberry Social” event.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Dollard is ridiculed by his colleagues, who believe he was beat up by a woman. He goes in search of the drag queens with a list of places to look entitled “Places for Homos”, which reads: (1) flower shops, (2) ballet schools, (3) flight attendants’ lounges, (4) restaurants for brunch, and (5) antique shops.
Vida, meanwhile, becomes acutely aware of Carol Ann’s abuse at the hands of her husband Virgil and, shortly thereafter, the three queens overhear Virgil giving Carol Ann a beating. Vida decides to intervene and beats up Virgil before throwing him out of the house. The next day Virgil runs into Sheriff Dollard at a bar and the two realize that the newcomers to town are the same people Dollard has been searching for. They head back to Snydersville and Dollard insists the townspeople turn over the drag queens.
The townspeople, who now realize the true gender of their new friends, begin to protect them. One by one they step up and confront Dollard, each one claiming to be a drag queen, a la Spartacus. Dollard is humiliated and flees. The Strawberry Social commences with everybody dressed in vibrant red outfits for the party. Shortly after, Carol Ann repairs their car and the ladies are finally able to leave Snydersville, though by now they are slightly saddened to leave behind their new friends. They eventually make it to Los Angeles where Chi-Chi, after having received many tips from Vida and Noxeema during their ordeal, wins the title of Drag Queen of the Year. Fittingly, the crown is presented by Julie Newmar herself.
Here’s a story of solidarity for you. The link I am including is a breif article. Todya show did about 4 minutes on this a few weeks back, but I couldn’t find a link to it anywhere. It may be on YouTube, but I don’t have acess here.
Short story is a HS basketball team has had a disabled student as assistant/manager/team member for several years. His dad was assistant coach, and the boy has come to all the practices and all the games. Senior Night for the team rolls around, and the team decides that they will give a spot in the starting line-up to the disable student. In the end, the disabled student scores six points as the team wins the game.
Could be a Hallmark Move of the Week!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29021055
God Bless,
JAy.