Back in April of this year I attended the United Methodist Women’s General Conference Louisville, Kentucky.  The conference was an incredible opportunity for me to connect with women (and a few men) of differing cultural, economic, and spiritual backgrounds. Nearly 10,000 women marched down the streets of West Louisville to advocate for social justice, economic justice, and an end to racial discrimination. Beecher Terrace, the community where the rally was held, has one of the highest incarceration rates in the state of Kentucky, which has one of the fastest-growing prison populations in the country.

http://player.pbs.org/viralplayer/2365232588

The conference focused on “Radical Hospitality” and referenced the miracle of the feeding of 5000 (women and children not included). Throughout the story, Jesus requires and demands that his disciples (the followers of Christ), not just be responsible for feeding the crowd, but also making them figure out how to feed the people. Additionally, Jesus shows the crowd, that when their little bit, in this case food, is shared with their neighbors they have a surplus.  This is one of the many lessons of community organizing that we are shown throughout the bible. Hilary Clinton was the keynote speaker for the event, and I even took a few courses in Urban Farming.

Check out more pictures from the conference here