She is known as "The Secular Saint." Jane Goodall was asked a few pointed questions on CBC Marketplace this weekend.Q. Just what is the cost of giving your life to the cause? "It's an enormous sacrifice to become Dame Jane Goodall. What has the sacrifice been personally for you?
A. It took me away from the life I love (being in the forest, observing the animals, writing) but there is no way I can get off this treadmill. It's a crusade. It's a mission. I have impacted the world much more than I ever thought I would.
Q. Do you ever have a crisis of faith in your own beliefs?
I had a crisis of faith when my husband was dying of cancer. When you watch someone you love suffering it's very difficult.
Q. So, faith plays a role in your life?
A. Yes! It's just there. It's part of who I am. Part of a belief system. For me, it's very important.
"Founded by renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, Jane Goodall Institute is a global nonprofit that empowers people to make a difference for all living things. We are creating healthy ecosystems, promoting sustainable livelihoods and nurturing new generations of committed, active citizens around the world."
So, what of our sacrifice? To be a missionary in the inner city means we set aside our own aims and ambitions. It means we give our lives to the cause of the poor. And it also means we work tirelessly at a cause that has no end. How can we stop when we know that there are children who still need to be fed? When men and women are still trapped by the temptations of poverty? We cannot.
Do we, like Jane, have our crisis' of faith? Yes, of course. We are mere mortals, committing our existence to serve God in Regina's inner city. Sometimes what we see is distressing and heartbreaking. But perseverance and partnerships are key. Won't you join us in 2008?
This is the first part of the story we read yesterday:
The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials.
The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.
I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.
Philippians 3:2-11
