From the Publisher
Seek the Peace and Prosperity of the City in which I have placed you.
וְדִ רְ שׁוּ אֶת-שְ ׁלוֹם הָעִיר, אֲשֶ ׁר הִגְלֵיתִ י אֶתְ כֶם שָ ׁמָ ּה, וְהִתְ פַּלְלוּ בַעֲדָ הּ, אֶל-יְהוָה: כִּי בִשְ ׁלוֹמָ הּ, יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שָ ׁלוֹם ז
JEREMIAH 29:7
Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man…24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
אז יהוה עשה אלוהים מן הצלע הוא הוציא מן האיש,22 :2בראשית מסיבה זו אדם יעזוב את אביו ואמו24והוא הביא אותה אל האיש … האיש ואשתו היו25להיות מאוחדים לאשתו, הם יהפכו לבשר אחד. עירומים, והם לא חשו בושה
GENESIS 2:22
Children worldwide will pick up a crayon to create works of art that reflect who they are and the world as their young hearts see it. Bluetiful Bea may be the new color that a child picks out of the box to start their work of art, but Bea doesn’t have to be new, out of the box, for a young artist to get all the coloring she needs. One of the great things about crayons is that the broken nub of crayon performs its designed function broken just as well as new.
One of the great things about crayons is that the broken nub of crayon performs its designed function broken just as well as new.Jim Walker
Years ago I taught Sunday school, and the children would come in early and either play at the Lego table or the art table. The tables were built with deep containers on the side to hold the unused Legos and crayons. The children would shift through the containers to find the right piece of Lego or crayon for their creation. These crayons were always short or broken stubs because that is where the teachers put the broken crayons after the Sunday school esson project was completed. The children didn’t care if the crayons were broken or new; they would dig through the container to find a piece that would allow them to color their picture
Genesis 2 records the creation of man, designed by God, with the purpose of enjoying God and having dominion over God’s creation. Genesis 3 records the fall of man, which made him no longer able to fully function as God had designed. The Bible is the history of man in a broken relation with God and his fellow man, but more importantly it shows us through time how the grace of God restores man to his relationship with God – allowing man to fully serve the purpose despite man’s brokenness.
Memphis is a city, like all cities, that has elements of brokenness that keep it from being all that its citizens desire it to be, but despite our history of brokenness, Memphis is known for its generosity. The city, through its civil and faith-based leadership, is working hard to build a city that supports and respects the diversity of Memphis. The law enforcement community is working diligently to protect the city without the racial tension that many of America’s cities have had to endure. The not-for-profit community that 4Memphis is privileged to highlight works to bring our city together by taking care of the less fortunate of Memphis.
You can feel the pride that Memphis citizens have in all aspects of living here.Jim WalkerMemphis’ brokenness, much like a crayon, has not kept our city from serving the function of its mission, to be a community that works together to provide an environment where families can be raised, young people see opportunity, and the less fortunate have a place to turn for help. You can feel the pride that Memphis citizens have in all aspects of living here. The work will never be completed, but we can take pride in the efforts being made throughout the Mid-South despite our brokenness. So pick up the nub of a crayon and help to draw something beautiful.