This past Friday, SoChange hosted “An Evening with Stephen Lewis and Panel” in Hamilton, ON. To say the event went off without a hitch would be a mis-truth. The first hitch was the protesters. Why were there protesters at an event examining global health and our role in the affluent north? Because these individuals took offense to Stephen Lewis’ positions regarding HIV/AIDS, condoms and abortion. For some, the protesters were a nuisance. For others, they presented an opportunity. And while they didn’t buy into what the evening was all about, and though they may not have been swayed by what was being presented, at least they generated a lot of interest and buzz leading into the night’s discussions.

The second hitch was the lecture itself. To quote one attendee: “Thank you so much for the evening with Stephen Lewis last night. It was powerful and prophetic in all the needed ways. I left broken and encouraged.” There’s the hitch: broken and encouraged. The lecture and panel discussion caused people to stop - they could no longer continue viewing the world the way they had when they first stepped into the theatre. They met a hiccup. A hitch. But, the hitch didn’t paralyze you. Instead, it encouraged you to do something - to move forward.

We live in a broken world. This is true both physically and metaphorically. Look at Haiti. Cambodia. Rwanda. World War II. Consider slavery. Sexism. Racism. Xenophobia. Our climate is changing. The disparity between the haves and have nots continues to grow. We, as a global community, have hit a major hitch. So, now it’s our choice: do we stay hung up, or do we go out there, encouraged that it doesn’t have to be this way, and make a change?

There are many opportunities for us to get involved. Haitian relief efforts continue - from volunteers on the field, to fundraisers at home. This summer, the G8 and G20 will be on our doorstep - quite literally - as they descend on Huntsville and Toronto to talk about many issues, including climate and poverty. We have a chance to stand up and speak out - but we have to seize it.

What’s got you hung up? What issues are weighing you down? These are indeed important questions to ask - but if, and only if, you also consider the opportunities these challenges present. Find the encouragement. Get out there. In the overly quoted words of Mahatma Ghandi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Your actions have the potential to serve as encouragement in a broken world.