Steve Bell

Several years ago Christian singer Steve Bell and his wife traveled to Ethiopia with Canadian Food Grains Bank. Bell performed at a C.F.G.B. luncheon recently and shared the story of that trip. He says it was a two week adventure, traveling about 1,400 kilometres around the country in a Jeep. Bell adds it was an amazing experience, noting they witnessed great sadness and the struggles of the country but says it's also spectacularly beautiful with incredibly friendly people.

Those in attendance at the luncheon ate a typical refugee meal, and Bell is encouraging us to fast for hunger. He says if you pick up even a humble fast it makes you conscious of your consumption. Bell adds he is fasting from coffee because that's what would remind most in a day, noting every time he reaches for a cup he thinks about why he's doing this and says a prayer. He says fasts don't change the world but they change you, they focus you in a way you wouldn't otherwise do so.

Bell adds he's always chosen to share these experience with his concert audience and notes as a rule the response is positive. He says as a musician you have opportunities other people can't have so it's his responsibility to come back and have people live vicariously through him. Bell notes when you talk about the people you've met and things you've seen people almost go away as if it's their own memory.

He says it's the role of a singer to help expand people's world connection and see things from a different perspective and experience things they wouldn't necessarily otherwise.

Bell adds we may not be responsible but we are response-ABLE and so the question is "how can I help?" and you do what you can.


links:
Canadian Food Grains Bank - http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/
Steve Bell - http://stevebell.com/humanitarian/