Here are some things I know:
*Jesus knew how to love people and He did love people.
*Jesus said some stuff that is extremely hard to live.
*Jesus offended a lot of people with His actions and His words. In fact, He offended them so much that they killed Him.
*Jesus hung out with a lot of imperfect people. sinners, outcasts, rebels, the common, poor, hurting, people who sore our eyes, weirdos.
*Jesus didn't have a place to lay His head. At least not a permanent one.
*The people who were 'supposed' to know God, and supposed to know Him.....didn't.
*Jesus called people whitewashed tombs. He said the most loving thing possible to people, even if it required saying something not so nice to them.
*Jesus had no fear of man.
Some would say it's better if I don't attach myself to the label of 'Christian' because of some of the connotations it has now. But if they ask me who I am, how then do I explain it? If they want to know why I care about people, what will my answer be? If they are astonished by the way I view the world, what do I reply?
How do I remove something from an answer that is so entangled with who I am that in doing so I would lose myself?
I understand that the name of Jesus has been abused, has been used to justify things lightly, even to deceive........
But how dare we try to hide who He actually is because we are scared of people's reactions. And how dare we try to be deceptive salesmen- in the sense that we want people to help, but we need to be tactful in how we use Jesus' name so others aren't offended and will still want to help or be involved in whatever it is we are trying to do.
I also don't think we need to shove Jesus down people's throats until they choke on Him.
But in saying that, I refuse to hide my reason for doing this, I refuse to hide why I am who I am:
I am a Christian.
I am a follower of Jesus the Christ.
And He has changed everything I am, He has wrecked it all and continues to do so, makes new things and beauty where there was none previously.
I have never been happier to have my life wrecked.
That is what this is about. It's not my attempt to make justice fashionable, or to convince people to be 'good'. This isn't my plea to get people to help.
This is who I am. This is why my tears fall, this is why things shatter my world, this is the only reason why things matter, and why my heart rips and bleeds and compels me to say something, to do something, to live something.
Everything I have and am is found and made into reality only by knowing Jesus.
And if that sounds cheesy or offensive..... well, maybe it is, but it is also true.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Oh Santa, fill our shopping bags, Please!
"Under these circumstances, it's truly amazing when you think about all the news that led into the holiday season, it certainly appears that consumers are willing to spend more than most expected," said ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin. "Everybody wants value for their dollar, so we saw a tremendous response to the discounts."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_bi_ge/holiday_shopping
"It felt a little freakish," customer Ellie Berhun, 48, told the Daily News. "Some man lost his life because a VCR was on sale? Please. It's just too sad for words."
Other workers were knocked to the ground as they tried to rescue Damour, and customers simply stepped over him and kept shopping even as the store announced it was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.
ह्त्त्प://अब्च्नेव्स.गो.कॉम/उस/विरेस्तोरी?ईद=६३५६८९५
I have to admit, I hid out at The Space on black Friday. I didn’t want to be within a mile of any store that had any chance of producing rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth shoppers who have lost their humanity. It no longer surprises me that people could care less that their clothing, carpets, furniture, car parts, etc…. could come from somewhere that might not exactly be……well, ethical. As long as they can get it for a cheap deal, and so long as nothing disrupts the flow of making museums out of our houses, anything is permissible. I am NOT lumping everyone into this group, I am, however, pointing out that when thousands of people are in a frenzied rush to accumulate more ‘things’, that they have to make room somewhere for those ‘things’. And it would seem that physical possessions actually take up more than just physical space. What are the things we sell for more stuff? Love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, joy……does any of this sound familiar?? We sacrifice ourselves on an alter that demands everything good from us and in return? …..we get more stuff.
Does this sound absurd to anyone?
DOES THIS SOUND ABSURD?
…..if it doesn’t, you might want to consider the view you are looking from. And you might want to have your ears checked……or maybe your heart.
Does this sound like greed ?
Do we really need anymore stuff?
Sometimes I think that we hit a point, where every time we get something new, we essentially make a trade-off.
More stuff, less love.
And I have to wonder if we have walked so far away from what is good, that we aren’t even within distance to see what it looks like……….
I don’t want to sound like we have no hope. We do. I think there is little hope until we recognize how far away we are.
I’m only astonished at how long it has taken me to reach the point I am at…..and I still don’t know how to entirely remove myself from the situation. Or if it is possible.
But I do know, that no one can any longer justify our way of life in this country to me. You cannot justify consumerism. A man was killed because people wanted things on sale. Millions are enslaved because we need more things, and we don’t want to pay to much for them, or ask too many questions about where they came from. The biggest priority to people in the election was the economy.
We voted for ourselves, most of us, not others.
And here stands America, the great land of freedom. And also the great land of abused freedom. In the end it isn’t about America, or westernization, etc…., it’s about what humanity always tends to lean toward if left to ourselves. And it doesn’t usually look pretty.
Advent started on Sunday, and I’m starting to realize I don’t have to look very far to see the desperation for a savior….I don’t even have to look beyond myself.
The waiting has began.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_bi_ge/holiday_shopping
"It felt a little freakish," customer Ellie Berhun, 48, told the Daily News. "Some man lost his life because a VCR was on sale? Please. It's just too sad for words."
Other workers were knocked to the ground as they tried to rescue Damour, and customers simply stepped over him and kept shopping even as the store announced it was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.
ह्त्त्प://अब्च्नेव्स.गो.कॉम/उस/विरेस्तोरी?ईद=६३५६८९५
I have to admit, I hid out at The Space on black Friday. I didn’t want to be within a mile of any store that had any chance of producing rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth shoppers who have lost their humanity. It no longer surprises me that people could care less that their clothing, carpets, furniture, car parts, etc…. could come from somewhere that might not exactly be……well, ethical. As long as they can get it for a cheap deal, and so long as nothing disrupts the flow of making museums out of our houses, anything is permissible. I am NOT lumping everyone into this group, I am, however, pointing out that when thousands of people are in a frenzied rush to accumulate more ‘things’, that they have to make room somewhere for those ‘things’. And it would seem that physical possessions actually take up more than just physical space. What are the things we sell for more stuff? Love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, joy……does any of this sound familiar?? We sacrifice ourselves on an alter that demands everything good from us and in return? …..we get more stuff.
Does this sound absurd to anyone?
DOES THIS SOUND ABSURD?
…..if it doesn’t, you might want to consider the view you are looking from. And you might want to have your ears checked……or maybe your heart.
Does this sound like greed ?
Do we really need anymore stuff?
Sometimes I think that we hit a point, where every time we get something new, we essentially make a trade-off.
More stuff, less love.
And I have to wonder if we have walked so far away from what is good, that we aren’t even within distance to see what it looks like……….
I don’t want to sound like we have no hope. We do. I think there is little hope until we recognize how far away we are.
I’m only astonished at how long it has taken me to reach the point I am at…..and I still don’t know how to entirely remove myself from the situation. Or if it is possible.
But I do know, that no one can any longer justify our way of life in this country to me. You cannot justify consumerism. A man was killed because people wanted things on sale. Millions are enslaved because we need more things, and we don’t want to pay to much for them, or ask too many questions about where they came from. The biggest priority to people in the election was the economy.
We voted for ourselves, most of us, not others.
And here stands America, the great land of freedom. And also the great land of abused freedom. In the end it isn’t about America, or westernization, etc…., it’s about what humanity always tends to lean toward if left to ourselves. And it doesn’t usually look pretty.
Advent started on Sunday, and I’m starting to realize I don’t have to look very far to see the desperation for a savior….I don’t even have to look beyond myself.
The waiting has began.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I have been reading a lot about pacifism lately.....and it only confirms to me the reason why I am one- if you want labels.
"If innocent people were killed in this operation, we apologize and express our condolences to the families and the people of Afghanistan," he said, adding that the facts were "unclear at this point."
I mean, really, what else could you say?
the people who have these wars, do they feel any remorse at all? Can you imagine being a family member or friend of someone innocently killed like that, and then having these words relayed back to you?
They sound so hollow. They sound like the people killed were just another statistic of war. and an 'oops, we're sorry' apology will fix everything. We made a mistake, but it's ok since we are apologizing.
I'm not saying don't have grace toward people. All I am saying is that it would be nice to actually see some real remorse from someone..... and not an apology because you made a mistake and got caught.
People were killed.
I can't get this across in words. Go cry-go weep for them. Then you will understand what I can't say.
here's the rest of the story:
http://www.truthout.org/110508R
"If innocent people were killed in this operation, we apologize and express our condolences to the families and the people of Afghanistan," he said, adding that the facts were "unclear at this point."
I mean, really, what else could you say?
the people who have these wars, do they feel any remorse at all? Can you imagine being a family member or friend of someone innocently killed like that, and then having these words relayed back to you?
They sound so hollow. They sound like the people killed were just another statistic of war. and an 'oops, we're sorry' apology will fix everything. We made a mistake, but it's ok since we are apologizing.
I'm not saying don't have grace toward people. All I am saying is that it would be nice to actually see some real remorse from someone..... and not an apology because you made a mistake and got caught.
People were killed.
I can't get this across in words. Go cry-go weep for them. Then you will understand what I can't say.
here's the rest of the story:
http://www.truthout.org/110508R
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
can someone explain priorities to me?
"According to the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. GDP of $14.3 trillion constitutes 23% of the gross world product at market exchange rates and almost 21% of the gross world product at purchasing power parity (PPP).[4] The largest national GDP in the world, it was about 4% less than the combined GDP of the European Union at PPP in 2007.[61] The country ranks eighth in the world in nominal GDP per capita and fourth in GDP per capita at PPP."
So can someone please explain to me why everyone is going crazy over the economy? perhaps they are all concerned about the well-being of others; they realize that it may have the possibility of making the nearly-destitute actually destitute, and those who are already so, dead. funny though, I haven't heard much about that side of it. Does it really deserve to be the number 1 issue for politicians to be discussing? REALLY?!!!
Worldwide Slavery
Number 15 Top Story in Top 25 Censored Stories for 2009
Sources:
Sojourners, March 15, 2007
Title: “From Sex Workers to Restaurant Workers, the Global Slave Trade Is Growing”
Author: David Batstone
Twenty-seven million slaves exist in the world today, more than at any time in human history. Globalization, poverty, violence, and greed facilitate the growth of slavery, not only in the Third World, but in the most developed countries as well. Behind the façade in any major town or city in the world today, one is likely to find a thriving commerce in human beings.
As many as 800,000 are trafficked across international borders annually, and up to 17,500 new victims are trafficked across US borders each year, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ). More than 30,000 additional slaves are transported through the US on their ways to other international destinations. Attorneys from the DOJ have prosecuted ninety-one slave trade cases in cities across the United States and in nearly every state of the nation.
Commerce in human beings today rivals drug trafficking and the illegal arms trade for top criminal activity on the planet. The slave trade sits at number three on the list, but the gap is closing. According to the US State Department’s 2004 Trafficking in Persons Report, the FBI projects that the slave trade generates $9.5 billion in revenue each year. A report put out by the International Labor Office in 2005, titled “Global Alliance Against Forced Labor,” estimates that figure to be closer to $32 billion annually
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/project-censored-not-for-sale-featured-in-top-25-censored-stories-of-2009.html
"Slavery is not a horror safely consigned to the past; it continues to exist throughout the world, even in developed countries like France and the United States. Across the world slaves work and sweat and build and suffer. Slaves in Pakistan may have made the shoes you are wearing and the carpet you stand on. Slaves in the Caribbean may have put sugar in your kitchen and toys in the hands of you children. In India they may have sewn the shirt on your back and polished the ring on your finger. They are paid nothing."
"The brothels are incredibly lucrative. The girl who "cost" $150 can be sold for sex up to ten times a night and bring in $10,000 per month. The only expenses are payments to the police and a pittance for food. If a girl is a troublemaker, runs away, or gets sick, she is easy to get rid of and replace. Antonia Pinto described what happened to an eleven-year-old girl when she refused to have sex with a miner: "After decapitating her with his machete, the miner drove around in his speedboat, showing off her head to the other miners, who clapped and shouted their approval." ' -disposable people, kevin bales
Do we not like to hear this because it's ugly?? How dare something rock us out of our comfortable ignorant existence and demand of us some action. How loudly do their voices have to shout in agony before we hear them and make THEM a priority instead of our economy (which is probably a factor in why they are being enslaved.)
And that is only one problem.
In 2006 the U.S. spent 528 billion dollars in military expenditures. That's 46% of what the entire world spent . Not only that but the U.S. was the largest supplier of arms to developing countries totaling 36% percent of what the world supplied and adding up to 10.3 billion dollars in weapons sales. wow. Our country sure makes a killing (quite literally) on selling weapons to help further promote the violence in our world.
( http://www.infoplease.com/world/statistics/arms-sales-developing-nations.html )
"One man may not kill. If he kills a fellow-creature, he is a murderer. If two, ten, a hundred men do so, they, too, are murderers. But a government or a nation may kill as many men as it chooses, and that will not be murder but a great and noble action.Only gather the people together on a large scale, and a battle of ten thousand men becomes an innocent action. But precisely how many people must there be to make it so?-that is the question. One man cannot plunder and pillage, but a whole nation can. But precisely how many are needed to make it permissible? Why is it that one man, ten, a hundred, may not break the law of God, but a great number may?" -Adin Ballou (quoted in "the kingdom of God is within you" by leo tolstoy)
why do I not hear more of this being talked about? could it be that we have deceived ourselves into thinking we are supporting the idea of freedom and democracy in other countries.....that they too will learn how to defend our glorious rights? ...when really all we are doing is helping to kill each other, breed violence and fear....oh, and freedom of course, to follow the american gospel of prosperity.
Or maybe politicians don't want to talk about it because it isn't poplular, and then they wouldn't get elected if they decided to actually put other people before ourselves, if they promoted loving your enemies instead of hating them, if they in humility admitted that we are all a huge part of all the issues and problems that we are trying to do something about.....but, well, that wouldn't exactly get anyone elected, would it?
In fact, it tends to get people killed. Self-denial doesn't seem to be a message the masses want to hear. To be honest it isn't really a message I want to hear about 99% of the time.
But let me give you one last perspective on all this.
one that means the most to me.
maybe we should take heed of this:
"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it." -ezekiel 16:49-50
"Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
declares the LORD.
But you have eyes and heart
only for your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
and for practicing oppression and violence." -Jeremiah 22:15-17
Do we really take Jesus seriously?
"blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted th prophets who were before you."- matthew 5:3-12
"you have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' but I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." -Matthew 5:38-48
And I am a huge part of all this.
God have mercy, for the shoes on my feet and the shirt on my back, for the money I pay in taxes that go to the government that supports our greed, and even worse, supports people dying. This is not the way I was meant to spread who You are.
Forgive us all for our ignorance, forgive me for my lack of action, and for my lack of words. I will not be silent any longer. I would rather cry out than forfeit that to the rocks and the very groaning of the earth. ....and I hope anyone who has endured this far won't remain silent either.
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
"In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." -Jesus
So can someone please explain to me why everyone is going crazy over the economy? perhaps they are all concerned about the well-being of others; they realize that it may have the possibility of making the nearly-destitute actually destitute, and those who are already so, dead. funny though, I haven't heard much about that side of it. Does it really deserve to be the number 1 issue for politicians to be discussing? REALLY?!!!
Worldwide Slavery
Number 15 Top Story in Top 25 Censored Stories for 2009
Sources:
Sojourners, March 15, 2007
Title: “From Sex Workers to Restaurant Workers, the Global Slave Trade Is Growing”
Author: David Batstone
Twenty-seven million slaves exist in the world today, more than at any time in human history. Globalization, poverty, violence, and greed facilitate the growth of slavery, not only in the Third World, but in the most developed countries as well. Behind the façade in any major town or city in the world today, one is likely to find a thriving commerce in human beings.
As many as 800,000 are trafficked across international borders annually, and up to 17,500 new victims are trafficked across US borders each year, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ). More than 30,000 additional slaves are transported through the US on their ways to other international destinations. Attorneys from the DOJ have prosecuted ninety-one slave trade cases in cities across the United States and in nearly every state of the nation.
Commerce in human beings today rivals drug trafficking and the illegal arms trade for top criminal activity on the planet. The slave trade sits at number three on the list, but the gap is closing. According to the US State Department’s 2004 Trafficking in Persons Report, the FBI projects that the slave trade generates $9.5 billion in revenue each year. A report put out by the International Labor Office in 2005, titled “Global Alliance Against Forced Labor,” estimates that figure to be closer to $32 billion annually
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/project-censored-not-for-sale-featured-in-top-25-censored-stories-of-2009.html
"Slavery is not a horror safely consigned to the past; it continues to exist throughout the world, even in developed countries like France and the United States. Across the world slaves work and sweat and build and suffer. Slaves in Pakistan may have made the shoes you are wearing and the carpet you stand on. Slaves in the Caribbean may have put sugar in your kitchen and toys in the hands of you children. In India they may have sewn the shirt on your back and polished the ring on your finger. They are paid nothing."
"The brothels are incredibly lucrative. The girl who "cost" $150 can be sold for sex up to ten times a night and bring in $10,000 per month. The only expenses are payments to the police and a pittance for food. If a girl is a troublemaker, runs away, or gets sick, she is easy to get rid of and replace. Antonia Pinto described what happened to an eleven-year-old girl when she refused to have sex with a miner: "After decapitating her with his machete, the miner drove around in his speedboat, showing off her head to the other miners, who clapped and shouted their approval." ' -disposable people, kevin bales
Do we not like to hear this because it's ugly?? How dare something rock us out of our comfortable ignorant existence and demand of us some action. How loudly do their voices have to shout in agony before we hear them and make THEM a priority instead of our economy (which is probably a factor in why they are being enslaved.)
And that is only one problem.
In 2006 the U.S. spent 528 billion dollars in military expenditures. That's 46% of what the entire world spent . Not only that but the U.S. was the largest supplier of arms to developing countries totaling 36% percent of what the world supplied and adding up to 10.3 billion dollars in weapons sales. wow. Our country sure makes a killing (quite literally) on selling weapons to help further promote the violence in our world.
( http://www.infoplease.com/world/statistics/arms-sales-developing-nations.html )
"One man may not kill. If he kills a fellow-creature, he is a murderer. If two, ten, a hundred men do so, they, too, are murderers. But a government or a nation may kill as many men as it chooses, and that will not be murder but a great and noble action.Only gather the people together on a large scale, and a battle of ten thousand men becomes an innocent action. But precisely how many people must there be to make it so?-that is the question. One man cannot plunder and pillage, but a whole nation can. But precisely how many are needed to make it permissible? Why is it that one man, ten, a hundred, may not break the law of God, but a great number may?" -Adin Ballou (quoted in "the kingdom of God is within you" by leo tolstoy)
why do I not hear more of this being talked about? could it be that we have deceived ourselves into thinking we are supporting the idea of freedom and democracy in other countries.....that they too will learn how to defend our glorious rights? ...when really all we are doing is helping to kill each other, breed violence and fear....oh, and freedom of course, to follow the american gospel of prosperity.
Or maybe politicians don't want to talk about it because it isn't poplular, and then they wouldn't get elected if they decided to actually put other people before ourselves, if they promoted loving your enemies instead of hating them, if they in humility admitted that we are all a huge part of all the issues and problems that we are trying to do something about.....but, well, that wouldn't exactly get anyone elected, would it?
In fact, it tends to get people killed. Self-denial doesn't seem to be a message the masses want to hear. To be honest it isn't really a message I want to hear about 99% of the time.
But let me give you one last perspective on all this.
one that means the most to me.
maybe we should take heed of this:
"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it." -ezekiel 16:49-50
"Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
declares the LORD.
But you have eyes and heart
only for your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
and for practicing oppression and violence." -Jeremiah 22:15-17
Do we really take Jesus seriously?
"blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted th prophets who were before you."- matthew 5:3-12
"you have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' but I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." -Matthew 5:38-48
And I am a huge part of all this.
God have mercy, for the shoes on my feet and the shirt on my back, for the money I pay in taxes that go to the government that supports our greed, and even worse, supports people dying. This is not the way I was meant to spread who You are.
Forgive us all for our ignorance, forgive me for my lack of action, and for my lack of words. I will not be silent any longer. I would rather cry out than forfeit that to the rocks and the very groaning of the earth. ....and I hope anyone who has endured this far won't remain silent either.
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
"In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." -Jesus
Friday, October 3, 2008
my eyes feel swollen. I want so badly to live and breath a reality. I want to see. I want the heavens to rend....I want my heart to break. I ache for it with an with an indescribable ache. When I read these words I want them to be more than words. I want them to be a reality that I can dance about, one that the heavens shout, that the earth sings.....one that lends sight to us who are blind. One that shakes and only leaves that which cannot be shaken. I ache for their truth. I groan for my life to be more than a plastic castle. toys so easily thrown away. I want love. I want to see it with my own eyes, I want to know what God's footfall next to mine sounds like. I want to know what these words mean, in a way that makes me live the meaning. inescapable beauty.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you, and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-Jesus.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you, and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-Jesus.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
People want injustice to stop, so they help people, they rescue people, they rally to get things to stop...... all amazing and very necessary. But the other day I was reading bonhoeffer, and realized that if we really want injustice to stop....we face the dirty task of not only loving the abused, the victims, but of genuinely loving the oppressors... The only way injustice will stop is for those who are wronging others to learn to love.
Monday, July 21, 2008
"Now they must be what they really are-otherwise they are not followers of Jesus. The followers are a visible community; their discipleship visible in action which lifts them out of the world-otherwise it would not be discipleship. And of course the following is as visible to the world as a light in the darkness or a mountain rising from a plain.
Flight into the invisible is a denial of the call. A community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him. 'Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but the stand.' Once again we are confronted with an alternative; the light may be covered of its own choice; it may be extinguished under a bushel, and the call may be denied. The bushel may be the fear of men, or perhaps deliberate conformity to the world for some ulterior motive, a missionary purpose for example, or a sentimental humanitarianism. But the motive may be more sinister than that; it may be 'reformation theology' which boldy claims the name theologia crucis, and pretends to prefer to Pharasaic ostentation a modest invisibility, which in practice means conformity to the world. When that happens the hall-mark of the church becomes justitia civilis instead of extraordinary visiblity. The very failure of our light to shine becomes the touchstone of our Christianity. But Jesus says, 'Let your light so shine before men.' For when all is said and done, it is the light of the call of Jesus Christ which shines here." -deitrich bonhoeffer, the cost of discipleship
I don't know where to start, what to say. So often words fail to hit where they should, they remain letters of the alphabet written on a page. And until our mouths reflect our hearts, what is the point of speaking...or rather, until our hearts reflect our mouths?
Repentance is not just confession. It's actually living a different life than we previously led. It means being a different person, living differently, thinking differently.
How many different portraits of brokenness do we, do I, need to be fed before I actually see? How many pictures must be published of people starving, dying, hurting, losing before we change our ways? How many stories must be told, how many reasons given? How many screams and echoes of the empty hands of innocent children stretched out toward us does it take?
I'm so exhausted by all the excuses we hurl to eachother, all the masks we wear, all the trends we create to be fashionable. I didn't think it was possible. But people have actually turned justice into a trend. It's fashionable.
The problem with this is that it lets us do just enough to alleviate our own conscience, and to appear good in the eyes of others, without actually costing us anything. Justice is something we do on occassion, when it should be the way we live our life.
We haven't been doing it to love others, we've been doing it to make ourselves feel good. Self-righteous justice. And nothing changes, and we don't change, not until we decide to actually get down on our knees and look the broken in the eyes, not until we actually see another person sitting in the dirt.
But how long will we sit in our comfort before we follow God's voice out into the reality He sees? How long will we hide behind walls of buildings we have created to contain God, before we realize He is out there, mingling with those who hunger? How long will we simply keep praying for God to bring justice, and righteousness and love to the earth before we actually become that because of Him? In 1 jn 4:11-12 it says this: ' Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.'
God meant for people to see Him, through us. And yet we refuse to look any different.
"only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes."
Flight into the invisible is a denial of the call. A community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him. 'Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but the stand.' Once again we are confronted with an alternative; the light may be covered of its own choice; it may be extinguished under a bushel, and the call may be denied. The bushel may be the fear of men, or perhaps deliberate conformity to the world for some ulterior motive, a missionary purpose for example, or a sentimental humanitarianism. But the motive may be more sinister than that; it may be 'reformation theology' which boldy claims the name theologia crucis, and pretends to prefer to Pharasaic ostentation a modest invisibility, which in practice means conformity to the world. When that happens the hall-mark of the church becomes justitia civilis instead of extraordinary visiblity. The very failure of our light to shine becomes the touchstone of our Christianity. But Jesus says, 'Let your light so shine before men.' For when all is said and done, it is the light of the call of Jesus Christ which shines here." -deitrich bonhoeffer, the cost of discipleship
I don't know where to start, what to say. So often words fail to hit where they should, they remain letters of the alphabet written on a page. And until our mouths reflect our hearts, what is the point of speaking...or rather, until our hearts reflect our mouths?
Repentance is not just confession. It's actually living a different life than we previously led. It means being a different person, living differently, thinking differently.
How many different portraits of brokenness do we, do I, need to be fed before I actually see? How many pictures must be published of people starving, dying, hurting, losing before we change our ways? How many stories must be told, how many reasons given? How many screams and echoes of the empty hands of innocent children stretched out toward us does it take?
I'm so exhausted by all the excuses we hurl to eachother, all the masks we wear, all the trends we create to be fashionable. I didn't think it was possible. But people have actually turned justice into a trend. It's fashionable.
The problem with this is that it lets us do just enough to alleviate our own conscience, and to appear good in the eyes of others, without actually costing us anything. Justice is something we do on occassion, when it should be the way we live our life.
We haven't been doing it to love others, we've been doing it to make ourselves feel good. Self-righteous justice. And nothing changes, and we don't change, not until we decide to actually get down on our knees and look the broken in the eyes, not until we actually see another person sitting in the dirt.
But how long will we sit in our comfort before we follow God's voice out into the reality He sees? How long will we hide behind walls of buildings we have created to contain God, before we realize He is out there, mingling with those who hunger? How long will we simply keep praying for God to bring justice, and righteousness and love to the earth before we actually become that because of Him? In 1 jn 4:11-12 it says this: ' Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.'
God meant for people to see Him, through us. And yet we refuse to look any different.
"only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes."
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