Module 10 - Jesus' Missing Years

GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH SEMINARY

MODULE 10 --- JESUS OF NAZARETH

JESUS’ MISSING YEARS

Objectives;  By the end of this Module you should
1. Have knowledge of Jesus' teenage years and His 'Missing Years'
2. Have an appreciation of different traditions as to how Jesus spent His Missing    Years as a young man
3. Be able to read the Gospels to gain a deeper insight into Jesus' formative years
4. Be able to continue to develop your personal living relationship with Jesus Christ in prayer


Contents;  
10.1 Jesus' Teenage Years in Nazareth
10.2 Jesus and Marriage
10.3 The Missing Years of Jesus
10.4 Called to be Messiah
10.5 The Death of Joseph




10.1 . JESUS’ TEENAGE YEARS IN NAZARETH

Jesus returned to Nazareth after His escapade in Jerusalem, and entered a quiet period in His life. Adolescence with its changes and emotional need to start developing as an individual, and to forge the ability for a career now became driving forces in His Life. Joseph took pride in teaching Jesus the craft of carpentry, and Jesus spent many hours working in the family shop.

Jesus worked very hard at carpentry. All lumber was hand hewn. He became well used to hammers, saws, chisels, nails and planes. It is possible Jesus worked with stone as well as with wood, as wood was scarce in the region. It is also possible that He built and repaired boats by the Sea of Galilee, and ploughs and yokes for farmers.

Nazareth was probably too small to support full time carpenters, so Joseph and Jesus may have travelled to Sepphoris to find work or to sell their crafts. Herod Antipas financed a major construction project at Tiberius around 15 – 19 AD, which could have provided much work for carpenters in Galilee, including Jesus. Jesus came to know Herod Antipas, who later schemed to have him assassinated. He called Antipas a fox (The New Testament, the writer Luke Chapter 13 verse 32).

The pay per day for carpentry could be at most two sesterces per day, which was not a lot. Jesus and other carpenters could be thrown back on their own resources when jobs ran out. Jesus possibly had experience of standing with other workers, waiting and hoping to be chosen for work so they could buy food and pay for necessities. In later years Jesus drew on the experience in his sermon of the landowner and the men standing around, hoping for a day’s work (The New Testament, the writer Matthew Chapter 20 verses 1 to 16).

As a young boy, Jesus experienced at first hand the cheating and high taxation which went on of poor people like Himself. Jesus used this experience in his sermons, such as in his description of fraud (The New Testament, the writer Luke Chapter 16 verses 1 to 8). As a boy, Jesus was appalled at how people were treated financially in the Temple. In later years He vandalised the tables of the money changers, and the benches of the dove sellers. He drove out all dealers in the Temple, and it is clear that force was used (The New Testament, the writer Matthew Chapter 21 verses12 to 16).  Jesus’ action stemmed from years of observing injustice towards Himself, His family and other people also in the poverty trap.

10.2  JESUS AND MARRIAGE
The usual time for men to marry in the time of Jesus arrived for Jesus. Joseph had taken Mary as wife. Now suitable brides were being looked at for Jesus. Jesus was well aware of the young women in Nazareth and Sepphoris. However, He must have somehow felt that now was not the right time for Him to settle. If He did, and fathered a family, He would be totally responsible for His family, and would not be free to follow the Father’s Will for Him which was to carry out the duties of a Messiah. And Jesus was still finding what those duties were.

Jesus wanted to become a spiritual leader, and was exploring what this call of His meant. He had heard the story of the constellations which had marked the skies at His birth, and also of the three astrologers who had travelled to His birthplace. Jesus was aware of the wisdom of other cultures, and experienced with the hard work for a pittance of money in Nazareth and Sepphoris.


Jesus as teenager became aware of many of the situations around Him in society. He saw the poverty widowhood caused for women. In later years He saw an elderly woman donate two coins, a small amount of money in His time which had the buying power of a loaf of bread. Yet His kindly and knowing eye saw that she had put in all she had to give from the desperate poverty in which she lived (The writer Mark, Chapter 12, verse 41).


Jesus saw the disempowerment of girls and women in society, and He determined that in the new ministry He was envisioning, He would give girls and women true place with roles in His ministry. In later years a woman became  the first missionary preaching of His role as Messiah
(the writer John Chapter 4 verses 1 to  42). He chose a woman to be the first apostle to preach of His Resurrection (The writer John Chapter 20 verses 1 to 18). 

10.3 . THE MISSING YEARS OF JESUS

Luke’s gospel tells us that Jesus went to Nazareth at the age of twelve where He lived under His parents’ authority. Jesus increased in wisdom, stature and favour with God and His people (The Gospel of Luke Chapter 2, verses 51 to 52).  The years after Jesus turned twelve have sometimes been called the Missing Years of Jesus. Various traditions abound. 


One tradition holds that Jesus stayed in Nazareth, practising as a carpenter until the time came when He began His public ministry. When Jesus came to preach at Nazareth as a grown adult, the congregation asked each other was this not Joseph’s son (The New Testament, the writer Luke Chapter 4 verse 23).  The congregation then  tried to execute Jesus by throwing Him from a cliff, but at the place of execution He managed to escape. The people of Nazareth had been enraged by Jesus’ teachings, and the fact that He claimed that He was the Messiah, the fulfillment of the text of the Prophet Isaiah Chapter 61 verse 1 to 2 (the Old Testament).

Another tradition tells that Jesus went to the East in his early adult years, and that He travelled to India. An ancient manuscript in Ladakh, India, honour a great saint. The manuscript is called ‘The Life of St. Issa, the Best of the Sons of Men.’  Here Issa is the name for Jesus. The manuscript was written in the first or second century AD.

Spirituality in India embraces the Achar Samhita, the Code of Conduct. This includes teachings of Truthfulness, Mercy, Charity, Serving Others, Compassion and Ethics. According to the manuscript, St. Issa spent six years studying spiritual texts, and learning to tap His abilities to teach, heal the sick and perform exorcisms – all crucial to His healing public ministry.

Issa then reportedly left the area and moved to Nepal. Thereafter the manuscript records that Issa eventually returned to Israel, and began the last phase of His public ministry.

According to the manuscript, Issa proclaimed one God;
‘The eternal Lawgiver is One; there are no other Gods than He’.
St. Issa affirmed how sacred life is, teaching, ‘Not only must ye refrain from offering human sacrifices, but ye may not lay on the altar any creature to which life has been given’. 
This is in line with Jesus’ driving out the dove sellers in the Jerusalem temple, preventing the sacrifice of innocent animals.

The teachings of St. Issa in India are laid out in the manuscript.

‘Deceive none, that ye may not yourselves be deceived’.

An old woman approached the group to hear Issa. She was pushed aside by one of the men, who was reprimanded by Issa.
Issa said, ‘It is not good for a son to push away his mother, that he may occupy the place which belongs to her. Who does not respect his mother – the most sacred being after His God – is unworthy of the name of son.

Hearken to what I say to you; Respect woman, for in her we see the mother of the universe, and all the truth of divine creation is to come through her.

She is the fount of everything good and beautiful, as she is also the germ of life and death. Upon her man depends in all his existence, for she is his moral and natural support in his labours.

In pain and suffering she brings you forth; in the sweat of her brow she watches over your growth, and until your death you cause her greatest anxieties.
Bless her and adore her, for she is your only friend and support on earth.
Respect her, defend her. 
In so doing, you will gain for yourself her love; you will find favour before God, and for her sake many sins will be remitted to you.

Love your wives and respect them, for they will be the mothers of tomorrow and later the grandmothers of a whole nation.

Be submissive to the wife; her love ennobles man, softens his hardened heart, tames the wild beast in him and changes it to a lamb.

Wife and mother are the priceless treasures which God has given to you. 
They are the most beautiful marvels of the universe, and from them will be born all who inhabit the world.

Even as the Lord of Hosts separated the light from the darkness, and the dry land from the waters, so does woman possess the divine gift of calling forth out of man’s evil nature all the good that is in him.

Therefore I say unto you, after God, to woman must belong your best thoughts, for she is the divine temple where you will most easily obtain perfect happiness.

Draw from this temple your moral force. 
There you will forget your sorrows and your failures, and recover the love necessary to aid your fellow-men. 


Suffer her not to be humiliated, for by humiliating her you humiliate yourselves, and lose the sentiment of love, without which nothing can exist here on earth.


Protect your wife, that she may protect you - you and all your household.
All that you do for your mothers, your wives, for a widow, or for any other woman in distress, you will do for your God." *


This beautiful manuscript is inspirational, as is the devotion of the Buddhist monks who have kept the manuscript safe. 


Various other traditions are told of how Jesus spent His Missing Years. The Gospels do not give detail of this time in Jesus' Life, and we do not know for absolute certain what occurred. What we do know is that Jesus emerged from this time a vibrant Messiah, ready for the task that faced Him.


10.4 CALLED TO BE MESSIAH
 As His relationship with God the Father had continued to grow during His younger years, Jesus had pondered His Call. If He were the Messiah, how was He to bring peace and happiness to the world? He had begun to seek an alternative to the pain and suffering He saw around Him by considering a new approach, a changeover to a society based on the Law of Love, caring, mercy and forgiveness. Jesus considered that complete and total Love, one for each other, with absolute respect for life, human and otherwise, was essential to bring about peace and happiness in all relationships. Jesus now set out on the road to learn the skills He needed. 

10.5 THE DEATH OF JOSEPH
As Jesus grew stronger in body and mind as his years wore on, Joseph died. It is not clear what the cause of his death was, and there are no reliable records in the Scriptures as to what happened. The experience would have been a devastating blow to Jesus. A young man, on the way to adulthood, naturally relies on the male role model in his family. When his father dies, something precious dies. A relationship which could have supported Jesus in His years of ministry was no more, and Jesus grieved as only a child can grieve when a parent dies. Mary was left a widow, and according to the mores of the time, Jesus was now responsible for her care. If away, He would have returned home to take up his responsibility to be the new head of the household, caring for His Mother and providing a home for her as was the custom of the time. The next phase of Jesus' Life had begun ...

COPYRIGHT NOTICE


Copyright 2012 by Rev. Catherine Whittle D.D. All rights reserved.

* Quotation taken from  http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/uljc/uljc17.htm
Photograph taken by Rev. Catherine. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose.

Sewing Circle Tips - How to make a pillowslip

So; you've either started a sewing circle, or are sewing yourself. How do we make a pillowslip/ pillowcase?
It's so easy.


Making a simple pillow case
Pillowcases can be as simple or as complicated as you wish. One sewing circle Lumiere Charity helped to start began with simple pillowcases. After a few years the sewing circle had grown into an independent business, and the pillowcases were being made of matching material with the duvets; the cases had frills, and embroidery. Altogether, the business was doing brisk trade. You can use your imagination and creativity with pillowcases.


Choose a suitable fabric/ material
A suitable fabric or material needs to be chosen for pillowcases which are washed often, and need to be long wearing. Cotton or cotton/polyester mixtures are the best fabrics/ materials for this purpose, as they are hardwearing. A good tip is to scout around your local sewing stores; off cuts of materials (often really beautiful pieces of material) are often sold for very reasonable prices. Buy some of the off cuts; they are marvellous for pillowcases.


How to make the pillow case with French Seams
Cut the pillowcase in one piece. It is made slightly larger than the pillow for ease of taking the pillow in and out. You can take a clean old pillow case, unpick the seams, and iron it. This forms a great pattern for your new pillowcases. Alternately, you can measure the length and width of your pillow. You will need a piece of material the width of which is equal to the pillow width, plus 5 centimetres (2 inches). The length of the material should be twice the pillow length, plus 22 centimetres (8 and three quarter inches).


Turn under 5millimetres (or quarter inch) along one short side, and then another 1.5centimetres (half inch). Pin the seam, tack, and stitch close to the edge. Hem the opposite short edge in the same way. Take in 4.5cm (1 and three quarter inches) for the second turning.


Fold the edge with the narrower hem to the wrong side for 10centimetres (4 inches). Neatly bring the opposite edge to meet the first fold. Pin the seam, tack it and stitch down both long sides 5 millimtres (quarter inch) from the edges. Turn the case the wrong side out, and turn the pocket so that it is over the edge which has the wider hem. Press (or iron) the seams so that they fall neatly on the edges. Remember to use a steam iron, or if you do not have this, use a damp piece of material and iron through it.


Now stitch down each side once more by taking a 1centimetre (half inch) seam allowance. Turn the pillowcase the right side out. To make a really lovely set, make a matching duvet cover with two pillowcases in the same material. Or; Make a duvet cover in, for example, a green and white pattern. Then make one pillowcase with the same pattern, and the other pillowcase with a matching green colour; or white colour.


Colours that can be mixed and matched are;
Purple, white
Red, green, brown
Pink, white, yellow
Cream and pink
Brown and cream
Brown and black
Dark blue and white
Dark blue, light blue and white
You can use your imagination, and create many more colour mixes. Look at nature; often flowers blossom at the same time, and their colours match. You can gain much inspiration from nature. Or look at a beautiful garden with lovely mixes of flower colours, or great pictures in books or magazines.


Directions for single duvet cover and double duvet cover can be found at
http://lumierecharity.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-not-start-sewing-circle-for.html
Great patterns still to come! Watch our Sewing Circle space


I would like to pay tribute to the great ladies in my life who taught me to sew. At lean financial times it has been great to be able to make my own clothing, and many is the item or stuffed toy I have sewn and sold which has made funds for those in need.
Thank you to Ouma (Annie Nooij), my mom (Luky Whittle), Sr. Ottmar and Sr. Gebhard who spent many hours teaching me to sew. Please find a photograph of my Mom and my Uncle Josje at my Grandaunt's wedding. Ouma made the lovely bridesmaid's dress and page boy suit.

Lumiere Charity remembers Al Houla Syria

Lumiere Charity remembers those reported recently killed in Al Houla Syria. A lit candle has been burning in remembrance of those departed and the bereaved. The deceased children range reportedly from as young as two years old. Heartrending videos and photographs have been viewed by Lumiere Charity. The videos of the children and the distress of those around are beyond belief. Alice and the Avaaz team sent an email to Lumiere, asking us to join voices from every corner of the earth and petition for international monitors to protect civilians in Syria. Please consider signing the petition of Avaaz, at the following link;
http://www.avaaz.org/en/syria_will_the_world_look_away_c/?cl=1830482243&v=14726


Please tell your family, friends and colleagues about the petition, and post on Twitter and Facebook.

Amazon rainforest under threat - please help

The Amazon is spoken of as being the lungs of the earth - twenty percent of our oxygen comes from this forest. Lumiere Charity received an email from Luis and the Avaaz team asking us to support the safety of this vital forest. They highlight a situation which is close to the Charity's heart - that of conservation of the beauties of the earth God created for us to exercise stewardship over. 


Luis and the Avaaz team apprise a forestry bill has been passed that gives free rein to loggers and farmers to cut down huge swathes of the Amazon.  Avaaz has an urgent petition to stop the chainsaws. 
The petition will be presented by Avaaz shortly.  Please sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone you know. Please send the information on to your family,  friends and colleagues, and post the link on to your Facebook and share it on Twitter. 
Let us hold hands together in our global village and save the wonderful world our God has made.


Here is the petition;  http://www.avaaz.org/en/veto_dilma_global/?vl

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming apprises that the Amazon rainforest is a critical influence on the South American climate and one of the world's most important carbon banks. It is home to twenty percent of the world's animal and plant species, and plays a crucial part in the precipitation cycle of South America, pumping oxygen into the atmosphere. *



Avaaz; http://mainstreetags.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/avaaz-org-stop-the-amazon-chainsaw-massacre%E2%80%8F-petition/

*  http://globalwarming.house.gov/impactzones/amazon

The wondrous plant life of the Amazon, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igkjcuw_n_U

Ants create a lifeboat in the Amazon, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A042J0IDQK4&feature=relmfu

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette - please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

A Hot Box for Food

Many people struggle in areas without electricity, or to keep bills down. A great way - especially in squatter camps and areas with minimal facilities for full electricity - is to build a hot box for food. Teresa explains in her ehow article, that a hot box can keep cold food cold, and hot food hot. It is also an alternative to using regular stoves or ovens. A hot box can be used in combination with a stove top and cooking container. The items needed are a large cardboard box, towels, medium cardboard box, small blankets, large pot and newspaper. Teresa goes on to explain step by step how to build a hot box for food. This is an excellent way to cook food for families who are undergoing difficult times. Please find the link to the ehow article at the bottom of this blog post.


Many hot box recipes are available, such as for brown and white rice; stews and soups. Please find links to recipes. Working in Charity brings us in contact with people needing practical guidance and help with difficult circumstances. Why not print out the instructions to the hot box and give them around? They can really make a big difference ...

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6306239_build-hot-box-food.html

http://www.thehotboxco.co.za/recipes.html

Can you help in Central African Republic?

The wonderful group War Child have advised in a tweet of the great need in Central African Republic. CAR urgently requires help as it experiences severe humanitarian funding shortfalls, according to a report by Alertnet//George Fomineyn, Dakar*. The report apprises that hundreds of thousands of people have been uprooted from their homes. Funding for basic humanitarian needs is urgently needed, according to John Ging, the Director of Operations at the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). War Child is operational in the area, and doing great work. They affirm they are there, 'trying to turn things around'.


War Child are supporting street children in C.A.R.'s capital Bangui, and in the South East. The population in Bangui is four million, and the life expectancy is 47 years old. War Child has a drop-in centre for street children in Bangui, and are supporting children's education in Rafai and Zemio. 


It costs just £30 to send a street child in Bangui to school for a year. It is true that many of us have been hard hit by the recession, and have commitments such as care for our families, paying the mortgage for the family home, and children's schooling. Yet there are so many needs, and one child receiving education and having his or her life turned around by this great privilege, can break the cycle of poverty and emotional pain for the child and his or her future family and generations to come. Education is the great key to a better future. So, in the spirit of Lumiere, why not get together with your community at your local place of worship/ with your colleagues at your place of employment/ with your family members/ at your local school with your principal and parents' permission/ at your local library/ at your local store/ and fundraise with a coffee morning, or fete, or collection, or raffle; and make £30 per year for War Child, in order to help one specific child.


We individually cannot save the whole world. We, as community, can help to save one child. If every group in every area sponsored the education of one child, what a difference it would make to future generations. Children marked by war have so much emotional pain and at times, physical disability to work through. What a blessing it would be for them if at least they received the gift of education. Why not donate to War Child? You can do this by clicking into the following link,
http://www.warchild.org.uk/what-we-do/central-african-republic/project-street-and-vulnerable-children-bangui-and-rafai

* http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/cars-dire-humanitarian-crisis-hit-by-funding-shortfall-un

Why not start a Sewing Circle for Unemployed

Are you struggling with high unemployment in an area? Working in an area with people desperate for work, and few options? Why not start a sewing circle? Lumiere Charity has assisted in the founding of numerous sewing circles, which have all been successful without exception.


Here's how we did it. Fundraise among friends, your church group and at coffee mornings. With the funds collected, purchase donations of sewing machines, material, scissors, sewing needles, cottons, tape measures, rulers, pins, unpickers, sewing needles. If the area where you are starting has no electricity, try and get the old fashioned style of treadle machines. We will be writing a number of blogs giving ideas on items to make for sale. Items which have proved popular and always in demand include duvets, pillow slips, sheets, dresses, trousers, clothing for adults and children, clothing for services in churches.


Today we will pass on some tips to make duvet covers. Remember, the two main stitches always needed in any kind of sewing are straight stitching and zigzag stitching. Always helpful in sewing items are zips and buttonholes. A very simple duvet cover can be made as follows;


For a single duvet cover, cut two rectangles of fabric, the breadth 150 centimetres, and the length 213 centimetres  (or 59 inches in breadth, and 83 inches in length). For a double duvet cover, cut two rectangles of fabric 213 centimetres in length, and 213 centimetres in breadth (or 83 inches in breadth, and 83 inches in length). Prepare the bottom end of the cover to take the Velcro fastening. Do this by neatening the two raw material edges with zigzag stitch. Turn back a hem of 2.5 centimetres (two and a half centimetres) or 1 inch (one inch). The hem needs to be turned to the 'wrong'side. (The wrong side is the side of the material which is less brightly patterned, the side which will not be facing outwards when the duvet is put on the bed). Iron or press the seam down. Remember, if you iron or press each  seam while you are sewing your duvet, the finish will always be professional. 


The next step is to place the right sides of the fabric together. Pin the fabric, and then tack it. Tacking is when you sew large stitches by hand with needle and thread to hold the material firmly in place, so that when you sew  your duvet with the sewing machine, it will not move but stay firmly in place. The tacking is taking out after the seams have been sewn on the sewing machine.


So; with right sides of the fabric together, stitch the two bottom edges of the cover together along the crease line, leaving an opening in the centre large enough to insert the duvet later. Cut the Velcro strips to length.


Now stitch the Velcro to each side of the opening. Iron or press the turnings in. With the right sides of the fabric facing, sew the remaining three sides together with straight stitch on the machine. Remember to take 1.5centimetres (one and a half centimetres or half inch) turnings at the corners. Neaten the corners with a zigzag stitch. Turn the cover through the the right side and iron or press.


Another way to get a pattern for a duvet is to get a duvet cover, and unpick the stitching. Look carefully how it is made, and use the unpicked pieces as a pattern. A good plan is to ask a trained seamstress or tailor to volunteer their time to the new sewing group in order to teach them how to sew the duvet cover without hurting themselves on the sewing machine. Whenever you sew, keep your fingers away from the sewing machine needles which flashes up and down and can go into and through your finger (yes, I have done that when I was learning sewing. It is really sore, and not a good idea...) Another risk is if you pull on the needles while the fabric is still under the needle. The needle can break, and fly outwards. Be careful of your eyes.


Do not sew while children, babies or animals are nearby. Always close up your sewing machine carefully afterwards. If you are using electricity, switch the machine off, and pull the plug out. Don't leave scissors, needles and other sharp objects where children can get at them.


Good luck with your sewing circle! Sell your items and you can make funds to pay your and your family's needs again.


*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

Lumiere Charity remembers India

Lumiere Charity remembers those all in the tragedy of the recent ferry sinking on Brahmaputra River in Dhubri, Assam. Our thoughts are with all those who have lost their lives, for those injured, for their families and for all who have assisted in caring for the injured. A lit candle has been burning in remembrance for India.

Our oceans are endangered - please sign petition

Lumiere Charity received an email from Stephanie and the Avaaz team asking us to support a rescue package for the world's oceans. They highlight a situation which is close to the Charity's heart - that of conservation of the wonderful earth God created for us to enjoy and to use its resources responsibly. It is a fact that species are either extinct or threatened with extinction. Now the Avaaz team tell us that the oceans are dying, beset by pollution and demolition fishing.

 

In the next 72 hours, governments are considering a new rescue plan - and we can help to push it through. The plan is to craft a new treaty to protect the high seas, and establish critical marine protection reserves. The vision of Avaaz is to champion the idea. This crucial meeting is being held at the UN. Avaaz wishes to deliver global support to Europe to save our oceans. Please sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone - once Avaaz hits 500,000 signatures, they will deliver the petition straight into the meeting.  Here is the link to the petition;

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/72_hours_to_save_our_oceans/?tta

 

There are just three days left - please send the information to friends and family, and post this link on your Facebook wall and share it on Twitter.  According to Avaaz, our marine ecosystems are under threat, and 85% of fish stocks are depleted. They go on to tell that scientists say that what we need right now is a plan that sets aside 20% of our blue planet as conservation areas by 2020, allowing the seas to replenish themselves for generations to come, and create a new protection agreement for the oceans outside of national boundaries.

 

In  the beginning God created the earth and all in it;  let us not be able to write that in 2012 humanity by not protecting its resources helped to destroy some of it.

 

Thank you for taking action to support a rescue package for the world's oceans.

 

Please place the link on your Facebook wall or link it to Twitter;

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/72_hours_to_save_our_oceans/?tta


SOURCES made available by Avaaz

International Policy: United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Pew Environment Group)
http://www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/compilations/international-policy-united-nations-conference-on-sustainable-development-328397

Six steps for successful oceans negotiations (Greenpeace)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/89557361/Six-Steps-Rio-Oceans-Rescue-Plan-Greenpeace

Our Endangered Oceans (Ecoworld)
http://www.ecoworld.com/animals/our-endangered-oceans.html

Threats to Oceans and Coasts (WWF)
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/

 

*Photograph courtesy of Avaaz petition