Sara Groves heads out on ArtMusicJustice Tour

Thursday August 21, 2008

Categories: Christian music tours, Christians involved in social justice

Sara Groves has gathered fellow-acclaimed artists and friends Brandon Heath, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken and author/artist Charlie Peacock for her fall Art*Music*Justice Tour, which will benefit both the International Justice Mission and Food For the Hungry.

For most of her life, Sara Groves admits she was a control freak, afraid to take chances of any kind, let alone travel around the world on behalf of others.

Then a few years ago she picked up the book, "Terrify No More," by Gary Haugen, president of the International Justice Mission (IJM). The book documents IJM's raids in the Cambodian village of Svay Pak, notorious for its sex-trafficking of underage girls.

She was already feeling that she'd already been all dressed up with no place to go, spiritually speaking. But the book stirred in her a willingness to go where God was calling, even though it meant letting go and stepping into the unknown.

She went to Louisiana to bring aid to Hurricane Katrina victims. She travelled to Rwanda with Pastor Rick Warren and a group from Saddleback Community Church to learn about the challenges of reconciliation and economic development 11 years after mass genocide.

She told me a couple of years ago, that when they asked her to go to Rwanda, her initial response was, "Over my dead body, because I have enough to think about. I don't want to go to Rwanda and add a Rwanda-sized burden."

But she stepped out in faith and her life was changed forever.

"The first thing that was exposed in my heart was the self-congratulatory attitude about how I'm helping Africa," she said, speaking of her promotion of AIDs education and support of DATA. Then came the realization that rather than taking on the weight of the world, witnessing the effects of mass genocide and meeting it survivors revealed to her the fullness of life.

"Oh Lord, I cannot believe I didn't want to do this," she said with emotion. "I just saw something that changed me and I'm not dashed on the rocks. I am lifted up."

Now the admitted 'fraidy cat is a social justice advocate, championing causes from sex slavery to poverty.

With the Art*Music*Justice Tour, Groves hopes to further educate the church about God's heart for justice, gain advocates for the oppressed, and show evidence of a God at work in this world. If she can do it, we all can.

The tour kicks off September 19 in Wheaton, IL and ends October 26 in Springs, TX. For complete tour dates, visit the Art*Music*Justice MySpace page.

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