Take it or leave it?

Several conversations in the past few days have left me thinking about this word: accompaniment. I use that word a lot, because it is the term we use to describe the model through which the ELCA partners with our neighbors around the world who are engaged in efforts to fight hunger and end extreme poverty. To me, it means acknowledging that no one knows better about the root causes of poverty than the person experiencing it him- or herself. It means letting go of a "take it or leave it" attitude, and embracing an attitude of service in a very real way. It means that I'm not "the decider" when it comes to how my gifts for God's work will be used, but that those whose lives will be changed through the work ought to be leading and shaping it. It means that those gifts were not really mine to begin with...but they rightfully belong to God. Isn't there a saying along those lines? Letting go and letting God...

P.S. The next time you have 38 minutes free, check out the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla's comments on accompaniment - there's a video available here (you need to have RealPlayer installed)...it's kinda long, but good info.