For Team B (my team) it was another good day. We had 25 kids again and they were attentive and engaged and very well behaved. We started the day in a small field about 1/4 mile from the church; which is better than yesterday when we walked very nearly a mile to a field that was very overgrown and difficult to use. Apparently the pastor had not known about the close one, but the kids did because they play soccer there. It worked out great for us. We only had to move once for a group of cows (vaca) to be driven through. We did have one little girl step in a fresh pile in the morning. And Stacey managed to get it on my shorts while we were cleaning her shoe--I still owe her one for that. After lunch we took the boys back to the field for games and while we were playing soccer one of the kids made a sweet slide tackle on one of the other kids and both of them went down in a fresh pile of poo. They were the subject of much sport after that; and they had to guard each other the rest of the game because no one else would get near them.
Team C, Bruce's team, had an interesting day. The village Orthodox priest had shown up ahead of them and told the kids who had come for the club that they had to go home because the clubs were bad and God didn't like us (Baptists). Apparently the kids didn't put too much stock in it because they just left by the front gate and circled the block and came in by the back gate. They still had about 45 kids for the day. And Pastor Vasile along with the local village pastor had a chance to talk to the priest for quite a while, which has been a challenge for them, and at least reach a reluctant truce. It's quite astonishing to see how much power the priests in the villages hold over the people. They can keep them from associating with the evangelical churches by refusing to provide any sacraments of the Orthodox Church to the entire family of someone who crosses over. And as far as the people are concerned (because it's what they've been taught since they were infants) the sacraments of the church are required to get into heaven. The priests also teach religion in the schools in the villages and they will fail a kid who angers them or whose family angers them. It's really amazing how opposite from God these types of activities are and they're being done in the name of God. How little we seem to learn from our history, we silly humans.
Bruce's team also ran into a snag when the rain started about 3:30. With a couple of hours left in the club time, they had no shelter except for a small overhang. Dan and Ken were able to spend some time with some older kids on the soccer field at the school where they were holding the club. Emmi went with them to interpret and they were able to share the gospel and a couple of the kids accepted Christ. Plus Dan then got to play soccer with them. Very cool.
Team A, Lucy's team, had a pretty good day although when the rain drove them inside they were in rather cramped quarters. But they made it work for them and the kids did great. There was, however, one incident that we may not have heard the last of--on a potentially international scale. I'm not really allowed to discuss the details, but ask Lucy or Chris about the inner tube, child dragging debacle. Perhaps they can provide the details.
Oh, and I ate 10 of the little dessert cakes that Pastor Silviu's wife made for lunch for teams A and B. Apparently that makes me some kind of dessert hero. All I know is that they were puerta bene.
We are off for another day. Please pray for us.
Mike
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Some General Observations About Romania
- It is a beautiful country. I don't know exactly what I expected, but it is different than that. It is very rural and pastoral and the mountain ranges are quite spectacular. I can see why so many tourists come here now.
- Campina, where we are staying, is a fairly large city as suburbs go and it is very common to see horses and cattle--both tended and untended--traveling on the streets. There is much poo as well.
- It is quite common to see people traveling by horse-drawn cart once you get out of the cities. They are also in the cities, but not so often. They travel on the roads just like the cars except on the main national highways.
- I saw a man who appeared to be quite poor who was sitting in his horse cart at the end of a side rode, waiting to guide his rig out into the flow of traffic, and he was gesturing wildly and talking in a very animated way on his cell phone. That made me giggle pretty hard for some reason.
- American culture and influence are present here in a much stronger way than I could have imagined. From clothes to music to television and movies, I see the effects of our culture. I don't necessarily see that as a good thing (although sometimes it is), I just see it. For example, so many Europeans speak English as their second language that nearly all the signs in the tourist towns are in Romanian and English, or just in English. And away from the tourists areas the signs are probably still about half English. I did not expect that either.
- There are many oil wells, at least in this part or Romania, and they leave the derricks in place and just build the pumps underneath them. So there are the big grasshopper-looking pumps pumping away with the entire structure of the derrick, now abandoned in place, looming above.
- Every house--and I mean every one of them--has a fence; and the gate is always closed and it is impolite to pass through it until the owner knows you are there and invites you in.
- I don't think I've seen a house yet that didn't have at least one dog. And most of them--at least the larger ones--are named Rocky.
- Many dogs roam the streets and sleep wherever they want--and that includes the street. One particularly suicidal dog plopped down for a nap in a lane of traffic on a railroad crossing. They are unaffected by traffic or horns.
- My beautiful wife would not be able to ride in a car in Romania--at least not with her eyes open.
- A blinker in Romania is not a courtesy or a request, but a warning--ready or not, here we come.
- On 2 lane roads the slower cars will get as far to the right as they can so that the faster ones can pass them in the middle--while oncoming traffic does the same thing. Exhilarating, to say the least.
- I would enjoy driving in Romania.
- A lot of people here ride bikes, scooters and motor driven bikes; in the road.
- In the countryside, the men urinate beside the road as the need arises with no regard for being observed by approaching traffic.
- Romanians love football, but not the American kind.
- The poorest homes nearly all have a TV satellite dish. The government apartments are covered with them on the outer walls.
- 98% of Romanians profess to be Christian; 87% of those identify with the Greek Orthodox church.
Romania Day 7
It always seems to be late when I'm working on this--oh well. I've been collecting photos from everyone for the last several hours and uploading them to Picasa. Be sure to check them out at www.picasaweb.google.com/mcarojcc. I still have some uploading, but I hope to finish tonight.
The village time was much different today than it was on Monday and Tuesday. We only had about 20 kids and they were, for the most part, very well behaved. We had no issues with the games or the crafts or even the stories, really. They participated and listened and seemed to really enjoy themselves. It was like the kids in Minier Village had come from another planet; or been a bad dream. But when we were talking about it afterward, Josh said something that made the rest of us on the team think--he said it was too easy; that he missed having at least some challenge from the hard kids. In a way I can agree, but it's also nice to be able to feel like we are accomplishing some of what we set out to. The truth is ultimately that God is in charge and all we can do is put it out there no matter which planet the kids are from. We give them our best effort every time and pray for them and there's nothing else we can do.
I thought I'd give a bit of a run-through on what we do with the kids so you can have an idea of what our days are like. The clubs start at 10 AM and we try to arrive at least a half hour before that. The ride can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 90; like Bruce's team has today and tomorrow. Once the kids start to arrive (they trickle in a few at a time in the mornings) we have them get a name tag (a must) and then start playing with the parachute. Once the bulk of the kids have made it in we get them all seated on the parachute and introduce ourselves (for a day one) and then sing some songs, pray together and head into a Bible story. We have 4 stories that our team is using--this is from among the 8 or 9 that we had available to us. Our stories are the feeding of the 5000 (which Adam tells on day one); Jesus heals a blind man (which I tell on day one); the birth story (Stacey-day two) and the crucifixion/resurrection (Josh-day 2). Each story has a craft which goes along with it so we'll tell one story in the morning and do the craft and then tell the second story in the afternoon and do the craft. We have also taken individual photos of the kids which we print out overnight and take back on the second day. The kids have painted picture frames the day before and then they finish decorating them and we put the pics in for them. They are always thrilled to have the photos. One little gypsy boy in Minier Village stared at it as if he had never seen a picture of himself in his life. Maybe he hadn't. Intermingled with all this other stuff are games which I refuse to describe individually, but they're typically physical but designed so that all the kids can play.
That's all for now. Check out the photos and keep us in your prayers.
Mike
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Days 5 and 6
We started our work in the villages yesterday (Monday). Each team went to a different village to run the children's Bible clubs; these will be 2 days and then move to the next village. The village where our team served the past 2 days is one that has a high percentage of gypsies (I know) and is very poor. We had 48 kids show up the first day and 58 today. I couldn't believe how many there were. I suspect some of them came out of sheer boredom--especially the older ones. But most of them just want to be with someone who will pay some attention to them. And we had plenty who did anything they could to get it. In fact, Monday was probably the most challenging ministry experience of my life. Several of the older kids were very difficult to control which made it that much more difficult to maintain the attention of the younger kids, who were barely holding on anyway. The entire team was exhausted by the time we sent the kids home, a full 45 minutes ahead of schedule. Speaking of the team, besides Stacey, Josh, Adam and me, we have 4 local teens who are helping us out--Christina, Eliza, Alin and Samuel. They provide a lot of stuff we need, especially translating skills. We are learning some Romanian words though; stuff like 'come here', 'go over there', 'sit down', 'be quiet', 'line up'; all the basics.
Day 2 in the villages (day 6 of the trip) was today. After yesterday I was braced for the worst, but hoping for better, fulling expecting that God would have his way regardless of how difficult it seemed to us. Things were certainly not as chaotic as yesterday, but still plenty eventful. I had a talk with the older boys first thing in the morning and that helped keep them somewhat in check. Some of the little ones were testing us, but it was overall a much better day.
We took digital pics of the kids yesterday and used a small photo printer to print them out overnight and took them back today. It was amazing and humbling to see how much appreciation they had for something as simple as a photo; something so taken for granted by us that we can't fathom the thrill it is for them.
Each day consists of games, stories, crafts, songs, etc. that we do with the kids. The second day focuses on the stories of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. We had 2 kids in our group who talked with Stacey and Christina and prayed to accept Christ. I always wonder if the kids really understand what's going on. And Lord knows how hard it will be for them to get any real reinforcement of what they have heard the past 2 days. But I pray that their experience was real the that they will be able to find support for their faith in that poor village.
The other groups had 40 and 38 kids yesterday and then 50 and 38 today.
So far it is thrilling, frustrating, exciting, fulfilling and everything in between.
Mike
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Quick Review of Day 4
This will be a quick review because I am dead tired. It's 11 PM here and I think the trip over is really starting to catch up with all of us. We start the all day children's ministries tomorrow so we will need some rest.
Today each of the 3 teams went to a village church and participated in the services. Josh, Chris, Ken and I spoke at the different venues (Josh broke off from our team and spoke at Maranata in Campina, which is Pastor Vasile's church). Our team members also gave testimonies at the churches and did some music.
It was very interesting to see and hear how they do worship here. Much of the service centers around prayer and it is open to anyone in the congregation who feels led...and most of them do. People all around the room, including the teenagers, will pray and this will happen 2 or 3 times during the service. I could only understand 2 or 3 words that they were saying but it was moving to hear the passion of the people as they prayed and to hear the others respond to what was being said. One of the few words I know is the Romanian word for 'thank you' and it would be repeated many times during each prayer.
It's wonderful to see how these folks have so much less than we and they still have sweet and honest worship. The service lasted about 2 hours; and this is the typical time for Sunday mornings here.
We lunched with the pastoral families at each church and the meal at each, according to the descriptions I got from the other teams, was a small feast. After we returned to the Vasile home we prepped for the coming week with our teams and then had a bit of free time before going as a group to the Sunday night service.
This was a different Sunday night service than normal for the Vasiles. The final Sunday of each month 6 different churches--from 6 different denominations--in this part of the country get together for a joint evangelistic service. There were a lot of people there...more than I ever expected. It was a very good service except the guy who preached the main sermon went for about an hour and a half. Poor Adam fell asleep and nearly fell into the floor from the pew. Funny stuff.
It's been tough to keep up the posts on the schedule I had hoped to because internet access can be rather spotty. I'm also trying to keep up with the photo uploads so keep checking the link in the posts from Saturday and Sunday.
Pray for our mission.
Mike
Today each of the 3 teams went to a village church and participated in the services. Josh, Chris, Ken and I spoke at the different venues (Josh broke off from our team and spoke at Maranata in Campina, which is Pastor Vasile's church). Our team members also gave testimonies at the churches and did some music.
It was very interesting to see and hear how they do worship here. Much of the service centers around prayer and it is open to anyone in the congregation who feels led...and most of them do. People all around the room, including the teenagers, will pray and this will happen 2 or 3 times during the service. I could only understand 2 or 3 words that they were saying but it was moving to hear the passion of the people as they prayed and to hear the others respond to what was being said. One of the few words I know is the Romanian word for 'thank you' and it would be repeated many times during each prayer.
It's wonderful to see how these folks have so much less than we and they still have sweet and honest worship. The service lasted about 2 hours; and this is the typical time for Sunday mornings here.
We lunched with the pastoral families at each church and the meal at each, according to the descriptions I got from the other teams, was a small feast. After we returned to the Vasile home we prepped for the coming week with our teams and then had a bit of free time before going as a group to the Sunday night service.
This was a different Sunday night service than normal for the Vasiles. The final Sunday of each month 6 different churches--from 6 different denominations--in this part of the country get together for a joint evangelistic service. There were a lot of people there...more than I ever expected. It was a very good service except the guy who preached the main sermon went for about an hour and a half. Poor Adam fell asleep and nearly fell into the floor from the pew. Funny stuff.
It's been tough to keep up the posts on the schedule I had hoped to because internet access can be rather spotty. I'm also trying to keep up with the photo uploads so keep checking the link in the posts from Saturday and Sunday.
Pray for our mission.
Mike
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Romania--Day 3
Today was our second day in the country and with the family. It was a tourist day for us when the family took to see some sights and buy some souvenirs. We went north out of Campina toward the Carpathian Mountains where we passed through a couple of resort towns geared toward tourist and business visitors. They cater to conventions and sightseers in the warmer months and skiers during the winter. They are very beautiful places with amazing views of mountain peaks and expansive valleys spread below. I never thought of Romania as such a place.
Our final destination for the trip was a town called Bran and its famous castle called, appropriately enough, Bran Castle. There are a ton of pics showing the inside and outside of it at this link. It's notoriety is based upon it's being the point of origin for the Dracula legend. Construction on the castle began in 1377 and the tour of it was pretty amazing. I recommend seeing it if you have the chance. However, the odds of you having as exciting a visit as we are very small, as one of our team--Nick--managed to fall approximately 10 feet down the side of a rock ledge in a small, but impressive, cascade of rocks ranging from pebbles to about melon size. He received a cut on the bridge of his nose, a badly scraped right knee, a gashed left knee and an ankle injury that may or may not be a fracture. We won't know that until he is able to have it x-rayed tomorrow. It was quite an adventure. Dan doctored him as much as we could (we had climbed up to the entrance to the castle) and then he and I carried Nick back down to the valley and placed him in the care of the Vasile family while we caught up with the rest of the group for the castle tour.
In spite of the pain and frustration of the injuries, Nick has been a great sport; because, as soon as we determined that he wasn't permanently damaged, we had a bit of fun at his expense. There are also pics of this at the link above. Dan was actually taking a picture of him as he began to fall which captured him just as gravity reclaimed it's dominion over him.
Our supper tonight was great. We had grilled sausage and beef with fresh bread, tomatoes and the most incredible jam I've ever tasted--and I'm still not sure what kind it is. Bruce knows, but he's holding out on me. Also, we have met all of Pastor John's (pronounced Yon) kids now. He has 3 sons--Andre, Emmi and Timmy; and 2 daughters--Christina and Ewana. Timmy (13) and Christina (16) are still in high school and Emmi is still in college. They are all great people who are already like family to us.
Tomorrow we go to some of the local churches that Pastor John has planted to help with the services. Chris, Ken, Josh and I will be preaching at various ones and Lucy will be singing. Pray for us in these efforts as we will be working entirely through interpreters.
More tomorrow.
Mike
Our final destination for the trip was a town called Bran and its famous castle called, appropriately enough, Bran Castle. There are a ton of pics showing the inside and outside of it at this link. It's notoriety is based upon it's being the point of origin for the Dracula legend. Construction on the castle began in 1377 and the tour of it was pretty amazing. I recommend seeing it if you have the chance. However, the odds of you having as exciting a visit as we are very small, as one of our team--Nick--managed to fall approximately 10 feet down the side of a rock ledge in a small, but impressive, cascade of rocks ranging from pebbles to about melon size. He received a cut on the bridge of his nose, a badly scraped right knee, a gashed left knee and an ankle injury that may or may not be a fracture. We won't know that until he is able to have it x-rayed tomorrow. It was quite an adventure. Dan doctored him as much as we could (we had climbed up to the entrance to the castle) and then he and I carried Nick back down to the valley and placed him in the care of the Vasile family while we caught up with the rest of the group for the castle tour.
In spite of the pain and frustration of the injuries, Nick has been a great sport; because, as soon as we determined that he wasn't permanently damaged, we had a bit of fun at his expense. There are also pics of this at the link above. Dan was actually taking a picture of him as he began to fall which captured him just as gravity reclaimed it's dominion over him.
Our supper tonight was great. We had grilled sausage and beef with fresh bread, tomatoes and the most incredible jam I've ever tasted--and I'm still not sure what kind it is. Bruce knows, but he's holding out on me. Also, we have met all of Pastor John's (pronounced Yon) kids now. He has 3 sons--Andre, Emmi and Timmy; and 2 daughters--Christina and Ewana. Timmy (13) and Christina (16) are still in high school and Emmi is still in college. They are all great people who are already like family to us.
Tomorrow we go to some of the local churches that Pastor John has planted to help with the services. Chris, Ken, Josh and I will be preaching at various ones and Lucy will be singing. Pray for us in these efforts as we will be working entirely through interpreters.
More tomorrow.
Mike
Friday, July 25, 2008
Romania Trip Days 1 and 2
I'm doing the first 2 days together because they have completely run together for us. We have not slept, other than a fitful nap on the various flights, (and not even that for most) since we left St. Louis on Thursday at 7 AM. That was over 30 hours ago. We lost pretty much a full day in transit as it is now 10:30 PM in Romania.
We flew from STL to Chicago to Munich to Bucharest for a total in transit time of around 20 hours in the air and then had a couple of hours left in vans to reach Campina, and Pastor Vasile's home--our final destination. The travel was more or less uneventful once we got Bruce and Conner back off of the plane to Toronto that they mistakenly boarded while we were in St. Louis. Also, after last year's team arrived in Bucharest with none of their checked bags, we were only missing one--Ken's bag with his clothes in it. Fortunately, we all packed an extra change of clothes in our carry on bags for just such a contingency. So long as his bag catches up to us tomorrow, he will be fine. Of the 12 of us on the trip, 3 have been here before and 9 of us are 'newbies'. But the pastor and his family have taken us in as if we are lifelong friends. They are wonderful people with great hearts for God.
Once we arrived at the Vasiles' home around 3:00 PM local time, we unloaded our stuff, claimed our rooms and had a brief meeting with the team. Many of us grabbed quick naps prior to supper at 6:00. It was a great meal, nothing exotic or out of the ordinary except that we had fresh peaches that were delicious.
After the meal several of us went out into the neighborhood where they live and passed out flyers for an upcoming evangelistic event that a cooperative of local evangelical churches have organized. We were accompanied by his younger son and daughter, Christina (16) and Timmy (13). We were out for a couple of hours and walked quite a distance. We met a lot of people and most of them were quite nice. I learned some Romanian words from Christina, which I used haltingly during my meeting with the locals. Josh used them quite freely and with a fair amount of comic effect. Especially when he stopped at a home along the way and bought a watermelon from a man who was selling them in his yard. Very funny stuff.
We are readying for bed (thankfully) after having met with an American missionary who lives in Bucharest. He stopped by to see Pastor Vasile and Bruce and Lucy. We had more cookies, fresh pears from the family's tree out back and Josh's watermelon to top it off. We are exhausted and happy. Tomorrow we do some sight-seeing (hopefully to Dracula's castle) and then on Sunday we will help with church services in 3 of the local village church plants. I will be speaking at Miner Village, Bruce at one of the others and Chris at a third. Then we will all attend the main joint service with the local churches in Campina.
Click this link to view photos of the first couple of days-- http://picasaweb.google.com/mcarojcc/Romania2008
God bless...please pray for us. I am going to try and post some pics, but that may or may not work out. If they are not available on the blog, I will also have then on facebook.
Mike
We flew from STL to Chicago to Munich to Bucharest for a total in transit time of around 20 hours in the air and then had a couple of hours left in vans to reach Campina, and Pastor Vasile's home--our final destination. The travel was more or less uneventful once we got Bruce and Conner back off of the plane to Toronto that they mistakenly boarded while we were in St. Louis. Also, after last year's team arrived in Bucharest with none of their checked bags, we were only missing one--Ken's bag with his clothes in it. Fortunately, we all packed an extra change of clothes in our carry on bags for just such a contingency. So long as his bag catches up to us tomorrow, he will be fine. Of the 12 of us on the trip, 3 have been here before and 9 of us are 'newbies'. But the pastor and his family have taken us in as if we are lifelong friends. They are wonderful people with great hearts for God.
Once we arrived at the Vasiles' home around 3:00 PM local time, we unloaded our stuff, claimed our rooms and had a brief meeting with the team. Many of us grabbed quick naps prior to supper at 6:00. It was a great meal, nothing exotic or out of the ordinary except that we had fresh peaches that were delicious.
After the meal several of us went out into the neighborhood where they live and passed out flyers for an upcoming evangelistic event that a cooperative of local evangelical churches have organized. We were accompanied by his younger son and daughter, Christina (16) and Timmy (13). We were out for a couple of hours and walked quite a distance. We met a lot of people and most of them were quite nice. I learned some Romanian words from Christina, which I used haltingly during my meeting with the locals. Josh used them quite freely and with a fair amount of comic effect. Especially when he stopped at a home along the way and bought a watermelon from a man who was selling them in his yard. Very funny stuff.
We are readying for bed (thankfully) after having met with an American missionary who lives in Bucharest. He stopped by to see Pastor Vasile and Bruce and Lucy. We had more cookies, fresh pears from the family's tree out back and Josh's watermelon to top it off. We are exhausted and happy. Tomorrow we do some sight-seeing (hopefully to Dracula's castle) and then on Sunday we will help with church services in 3 of the local village church plants. I will be speaking at Miner Village, Bruce at one of the others and Chris at a third. Then we will all attend the main joint service with the local churches in Campina.
Click this link to view photos of the first couple of days-- http://picasaweb.google.com/mcarojcc/Romania2008
God bless...please pray for us. I am going to try and post some pics, but that may or may not work out. If they are not available on the blog, I will also have then on facebook.
Mike
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Off to Europe
I leave with the rest of our team for Romania tomorrow. I'm very excited about what God is doing in my life right now and I think this trip may be a tipping point; I hope so.
One issue we are facing with the trip is purely logistical. Lufthansa, the airline we will be flying from Chicago to Munich to Bucharest, is in the process of taking a strike vote among their ground crew employees. There should be no chance of interference with our flight over, but the trip back could be more eventful. I wonder what it would be like to be trapped in Europe by an airline strike. There are worse things, I suppose. Too bad the dollar's so weak right now.
On a related note, the saga with my missing laptop continues. Here's a shipping company recommendation...do not, under any circumstances, use DHL if what you are shipping absolutely, positively has to be there overnight. Apparently their guarantee only applies if it works out that you actually get your package. I am very frustrated with them at this point. On the other hand, if this is my biggest worry, life isn't too bad.
Pray for peace and our mission trip.
Mike
One issue we are facing with the trip is purely logistical. Lufthansa, the airline we will be flying from Chicago to Munich to Bucharest, is in the process of taking a strike vote among their ground crew employees. There should be no chance of interference with our flight over, but the trip back could be more eventful. I wonder what it would be like to be trapped in Europe by an airline strike. There are worse things, I suppose. Too bad the dollar's so weak right now.
On a related note, the saga with my missing laptop continues. Here's a shipping company recommendation...do not, under any circumstances, use DHL if what you are shipping absolutely, positively has to be there overnight. Apparently their guarantee only applies if it works out that you actually get your package. I am very frustrated with them at this point. On the other hand, if this is my biggest worry, life isn't too bad.
Pray for peace and our mission trip.
Mike
Teaching Again
I taught at the college gathering tonight at the Realm. It's been a while since I taught in that type of setting and it's always a rush. The group was very engaged and we had some lively discussion at the end. I even got to pretend that it worked out the way I planned it--although that is what I had hoped for.
The lesson was on what it means to have a Christian world view. In order to have a viable ethical construct upon which to base our moral choices, we must have a biblical foundation. Ethical systems built without it fall apart in the face of moral relativism. Without a concept of God as the ultimate authority for our system, I cannot ultimately defend any ethical precept as being independent of human whim. It becomes just another victim of logic; I cannot logically assert and defend the position that my ethic has more authority than yours unless the source of it is outside of human control and influence.
Part two of the teaching news is that I will be preaching the 2 Sunday morning services at FBCH on August 10th. It is kind of my audition for the interim preaching job while we search for a permanent replacement for David in the head pastor's slot. I would honestly like to be considered for that position, but I don't think there would ever be a chance I could be chosen. My experience is limited and my pedigree lacking in the PhD department. I believe that with God's help I could do it, but I don't know if God would support my desire any more than the church would. Anyway, the interim gig will likely be 8 to 12 months. It would give me a great chance to sharpen my gift and skills, get some valuable experience and get some exposure for other speaking/preaching opportunities in the years to come. It might even get me a shot at a pastor's job somewhere else.
My true prayer is that if God gives me this chance that I will approach it with total humility and a full commitment to see lives changed through what God says through me. I want to be good at it and enjoy it and grow because of it. My best learning takes place when I am allowed to teach others.
I'm torn by what to preach on. I have several messages on my heart at this point and just pray that God will make one of the choices clear to me.
Pray for peace.
Mike
The lesson was on what it means to have a Christian world view. In order to have a viable ethical construct upon which to base our moral choices, we must have a biblical foundation. Ethical systems built without it fall apart in the face of moral relativism. Without a concept of God as the ultimate authority for our system, I cannot ultimately defend any ethical precept as being independent of human whim. It becomes just another victim of logic; I cannot logically assert and defend the position that my ethic has more authority than yours unless the source of it is outside of human control and influence.
Part two of the teaching news is that I will be preaching the 2 Sunday morning services at FBCH on August 10th. It is kind of my audition for the interim preaching job while we search for a permanent replacement for David in the head pastor's slot. I would honestly like to be considered for that position, but I don't think there would ever be a chance I could be chosen. My experience is limited and my pedigree lacking in the PhD department. I believe that with God's help I could do it, but I don't know if God would support my desire any more than the church would. Anyway, the interim gig will likely be 8 to 12 months. It would give me a great chance to sharpen my gift and skills, get some valuable experience and get some exposure for other speaking/preaching opportunities in the years to come. It might even get me a shot at a pastor's job somewhere else.
My true prayer is that if God gives me this chance that I will approach it with total humility and a full commitment to see lives changed through what God says through me. I want to be good at it and enjoy it and grow because of it. My best learning takes place when I am allowed to teach others.
I'm torn by what to preach on. I have several messages on my heart at this point and just pray that God will make one of the choices clear to me.
Pray for peace.
Mike
Miscellanea
Liz got back from her Mexico mission trip Sunday. She was very tired, but excited about the trip--I guess. It's hard to really get any real conversation out of her about it. I've been able to hear conversations she's had with friends about it and they indicate that she was effected by it in a good way. I hope it will turn her heart even more toward Jesus and toward service.
I leave with our team for Romania in 2 days; actually in less than 36 hours. How cool is that?! We've been keeping a journal of our daily Bible study for the past 30 days and I can look back at it now and see God preparing me for what he has in store for me; not just in Romania, but well beyond.
I came back from a business trip to Columbus, OH last Friday sans one laptop computer. How stupid was that? I left it in the hotel room on the desk right next to where I was standing when I packed the cord, mouse and other peripheral gear. It's been an adventure trying to get it shipped back so that it will arrive before I depart for Europe, but it left there today and is supposed to be here by 10:30 tomorrow. I checked online and it is definitely on the way. I still can't believe I did that.
Becca got to see the Jonas Brothers tonight. It was a total surprise for her. Sandi bought the tickets about a month ago with one of Becca's friend's mom so they could go together. Pretty cool deal for her. I can't believe our baby girl is starting to grow up. They'll both be gone before you know it.
Sandi and Becca were in Alabama for just over a week and got home last night. I was glad to see them home again. I missed them a ton.
I leave with our team for Romania in 2 days; actually in less than 36 hours. How cool is that?! We've been keeping a journal of our daily Bible study for the past 30 days and I can look back at it now and see God preparing me for what he has in store for me; not just in Romania, but well beyond.
I came back from a business trip to Columbus, OH last Friday sans one laptop computer. How stupid was that? I left it in the hotel room on the desk right next to where I was standing when I packed the cord, mouse and other peripheral gear. It's been an adventure trying to get it shipped back so that it will arrive before I depart for Europe, but it left there today and is supposed to be here by 10:30 tomorrow. I checked online and it is definitely on the way. I still can't believe I did that.
Becca got to see the Jonas Brothers tonight. It was a total surprise for her. Sandi bought the tickets about a month ago with one of Becca's friend's mom so they could go together. Pretty cool deal for her. I can't believe our baby girl is starting to grow up. They'll both be gone before you know it.
Sandi and Becca were in Alabama for just over a week and got home last night. I was glad to see them home again. I missed them a ton.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
More Greed
I have seen, in several different places--including on TV--advertisements for foreclosure bus tours. This is where realtors create an 'event' of sorts that involves renting a bus and taking prospective buyers on a tour of all the foreclosed homes in the area.
I realize that neither the buyers nor the realtors created the foreclosures, but something about it seems wrong somehow. I can imagine how someone who has been foreclosed upon must feel when they see the banners and commercials. They've lost their home. We're not talking about vagabonds or drug addicts or mean people, but families with children and jobs and friends and churches. (I realize some of them may be mean or on drugs or whatever--don't be stupid). Listen to the way that sounds in your head--they've lost their home.
Must we consistently make our way by treading on the backs of others? It makes me very sad. I fear we've lost our way in this country.
Someone forwarded an email to me recently that was very disturbing. It was quite lengthy and was basically all about how everyone who isn't like them should go somewhere else--to another country, preferably. It was cloaked in a great deal of flag waving and patriotism. If you don't like America then get the f@@@ out of it--that sort of thing. There's a lot of underlying fear in a message like that. I believe people sense that we are on the verge of upheaval in our country and, whether they can verbalize it or not, whether they are conscious of it or not, people can sense that and it makes many of them afraid. People can be very mean when they are scared.
I guess I have a bit of fear about it as well, but it's that kind of fear when you know something weird is going to happen and it will make you feel a way you don't usually feel, but the anticipation is very exciting as well. It's a bit like riding a new roller coaster for the first time, or going white-water rafting for the first time. You can see the power and feel the fear/anticipation/excitement/adrenaline rush and you like it but too much of it might overwhelm you. Your brain seems to actually crackle or hum.
But there's a real fear also in this coming change. It's that pit-of-the-stomach fear; that whistling-past-the-graveyard fear. The kind that knows if things go wrong the consequences will be dire; perhaps crippling--or fatal. My fear is that once the upheaval occurs the status quo will have won. The fear-mongers will rule completely and America will become even more egotistically committed to this nationalistic colonialism that is increasingly isolating us from the rest of the world in a way that is moving far beyond being just inconvenient.
If that happens, we will suffer and fall. It makes me very sad.
In the sage words of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility". If we wield that power with impunity (and we have been), we will suffer and fall.
It makes me very sad.
I realize that neither the buyers nor the realtors created the foreclosures, but something about it seems wrong somehow. I can imagine how someone who has been foreclosed upon must feel when they see the banners and commercials. They've lost their home. We're not talking about vagabonds or drug addicts or mean people, but families with children and jobs and friends and churches. (I realize some of them may be mean or on drugs or whatever--don't be stupid). Listen to the way that sounds in your head--they've lost their home.
Must we consistently make our way by treading on the backs of others? It makes me very sad. I fear we've lost our way in this country.
Someone forwarded an email to me recently that was very disturbing. It was quite lengthy and was basically all about how everyone who isn't like them should go somewhere else--to another country, preferably. It was cloaked in a great deal of flag waving and patriotism. If you don't like America then get the f@@@ out of it--that sort of thing. There's a lot of underlying fear in a message like that. I believe people sense that we are on the verge of upheaval in our country and, whether they can verbalize it or not, whether they are conscious of it or not, people can sense that and it makes many of them afraid. People can be very mean when they are scared.
I guess I have a bit of fear about it as well, but it's that kind of fear when you know something weird is going to happen and it will make you feel a way you don't usually feel, but the anticipation is very exciting as well. It's a bit like riding a new roller coaster for the first time, or going white-water rafting for the first time. You can see the power and feel the fear/anticipation/excitement/adrenaline rush and you like it but too much of it might overwhelm you. Your brain seems to actually crackle or hum.
But there's a real fear also in this coming change. It's that pit-of-the-stomach fear; that whistling-past-the-graveyard fear. The kind that knows if things go wrong the consequences will be dire; perhaps crippling--or fatal. My fear is that once the upheaval occurs the status quo will have won. The fear-mongers will rule completely and America will become even more egotistically committed to this nationalistic colonialism that is increasingly isolating us from the rest of the world in a way that is moving far beyond being just inconvenient.
If that happens, we will suffer and fall. It makes me very sad.
In the sage words of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility". If we wield that power with impunity (and we have been), we will suffer and fall.
It makes me very sad.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
A Tale of Two Cities
I am in New Orleans for a couple of days on business and I got a tour of the city today that I bet most people don't get. A friend of mine who grew up here (he lives in Baton Rouge now) picked me up at my hotel this afternoon and drove me around his old neighborhood. After that we went through the 9th Ward and then to the more popular tourist areas. The picture I got is one of extreme divergence; hope vs hopelessness; rebirth and neglect; vitality as opposed to poverty.
"Jack" is African American and he grew up in a government housing project which has since been torn down. We drove by the site and he showed me the tree that the balcony of his family's apartment used to overlook. Across the street from that balcony is a store where some of his old pals still hang out doing nothing in particular. Jack told me that, as a youth, he had seen several shootings in front of that store. It was almost an off-hand remark, as if he were telling me that he used to buy ice cream there when he could scrounge the spare change. We drove up and down a lot of streets there--places where I wouldn't have been safe if I were alone. The tour commentary consisted of things like "That's where my father-in-law lives", "That's the church I grew up in", "That's where my wife lived", "This is the street where I sold most of the drugs I used to sell", "This is the corner where I was talking to one of my boys when a guy came out of that house right there and started shooting at me". I asked him what he did when the guy was shooting at him and he said, "I ran my ass off, man" and kind of chuckled.
Damn.
Most of the houses still have the large spray-painted "X" on the front with the numbers and letters in the quadrants showing that they had been searched and whether or not any bodies had been found. Most of them were in various states of disrepair--shingles missing, doors askew, windows boarded on some. Most of them needed paint or siding repair. Most of them have people living in them regardles of their condition.
The 9th Ward was worse--much worse. Many of the houses that were there are simply gone; pushed to the ground and loaded on trucks for the landfills; not worth the cost of repair; never to be rebuilt. One thing that Jack told me that seemed to him to be most tragic about the missing homes--missing families--is that the homes they lost represented, in many cases, their family history. They were literally handed down from one generation to the next. Extended families living together, expanding in one direction and shrinking from the other as new children were born and the old folks died off. That's gone now, carried away by floods, bulldozers and dump trucks. He showed me where his grandmother's house used to be. Now there are only weeds and scrub brush. We went by Fats Domino's house, still intact, still in the hood. I was surprised that it didn't really stand out from the others except that it was painted a subdued yellow and had the letters "FD" in black about a foot high on the front gable. It is slightly larger than the other homes on the block, but not opulant by any standards. Perhaps a testament to his committment to his roots, and to the fact that celebrities are much better compensated than they were when he had his hayday.
We talked a lot about what it was like for him growing up in that situation and how he got out of it. He said he never took drugs, ever. But he also didn't blanch about selling them to support his family; always carrying a pistol for protection against the junkies and other dealers. He always worked regular jobs too, once he was old enough. And it was always about being able to make something better for his mom. He was finally able to move her out of the projects into a house several blocks away, but after a couple of years she wanted to move back because all of her friends were still in the housing.
His work ethic was part of what got him out of there, but it seems like part of it was also almost accidental (providential?). A chance meeting while he worked at a gas station got him a better job that turned into a career that made enough money to get him a better life. His brothers and sisters all got out too. They have jobs and careers and families and none of them live in the poverty they grew up in. I've never met her, and Jack didn't say so (I forgot to ask), but I bet his momma had a lot to do with it. How could all those kids succeed where so many others had failed if it were otherwise?
What's funny (not funny haha, but funny 'damn') is that even though he's from there, his history is there, he says he feels scared now when he goes back and talks to some of his old friends and visits some of the old places. He's succeeded where others haven't and there's a tension because of it. There's a sense that he's in danger from those who would want what he's got in his pockets or in his truck. There's also the possibility that someone with a long memory might still hold a grudge and decide to act upon it. Maybe it's true--we can never go home.
We went from the 9th Ward the short distance to the heart of the city, where all the tourists go. We saw Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, the French Quarter, Convention Center, Riverwalk, French Market. We went past giant hotels and the world's largest land-based casino--Harrah's. I bet you had no idea that it was in New Orleans--me neither. In all of those places we saw what is possible when civic powers put their minds, talents and money to the task of recovery. And we also saw what is of value to us in this country in contrast to what is not, even when it's located only a few short blocks away.
Poverty is not about race or geography. It's about what we decide is morally acceptable. It cannot be solved by governments alone, but it cannot be solved without significant committment from them either. The answers are not simple and the solutions will not be quick, but we are commanded by our God to help those in need. As the rich get richer off of the blood of the poor and the shrinking middle class we are in grave danger ("we" meaning us Christians) of coming under the judgment of that God.
Poor children need a quality education, adequate food, health care. Poor working moms need help with child care; both in terms of having an adequate supply and the money to afford it. Families need access to counseling and other benefits that will help them to stay whole and stable. And there must be jobs, real jobs, jobs that pay a living wage and provide fulfillment and self esteem.
All of you ultra-conservative scoffers can mark this down. God has laid out quite plainly the moral responsibility of those who have to assist those who do not. There are 2000 verses that refer to justice for the poor and disadvantaged. We will not be exempt from them when we stand before God. Don't believe me? Read Matthew 25, especially starting around verse 30. Please do not be condemned by the hypocrisy that Jesus so deeply loathes.
Pray for the poor. Pray for peace. More to follow.
Mike
"Jack" is African American and he grew up in a government housing project which has since been torn down. We drove by the site and he showed me the tree that the balcony of his family's apartment used to overlook. Across the street from that balcony is a store where some of his old pals still hang out doing nothing in particular. Jack told me that, as a youth, he had seen several shootings in front of that store. It was almost an off-hand remark, as if he were telling me that he used to buy ice cream there when he could scrounge the spare change. We drove up and down a lot of streets there--places where I wouldn't have been safe if I were alone. The tour commentary consisted of things like "That's where my father-in-law lives", "That's the church I grew up in", "That's where my wife lived", "This is the street where I sold most of the drugs I used to sell", "This is the corner where I was talking to one of my boys when a guy came out of that house right there and started shooting at me". I asked him what he did when the guy was shooting at him and he said, "I ran my ass off, man" and kind of chuckled.
Damn.
Most of the houses still have the large spray-painted "X" on the front with the numbers and letters in the quadrants showing that they had been searched and whether or not any bodies had been found. Most of them were in various states of disrepair--shingles missing, doors askew, windows boarded on some. Most of them needed paint or siding repair. Most of them have people living in them regardles of their condition.
The 9th Ward was worse--much worse. Many of the houses that were there are simply gone; pushed to the ground and loaded on trucks for the landfills; not worth the cost of repair; never to be rebuilt. One thing that Jack told me that seemed to him to be most tragic about the missing homes--missing families--is that the homes they lost represented, in many cases, their family history. They were literally handed down from one generation to the next. Extended families living together, expanding in one direction and shrinking from the other as new children were born and the old folks died off. That's gone now, carried away by floods, bulldozers and dump trucks. He showed me where his grandmother's house used to be. Now there are only weeds and scrub brush. We went by Fats Domino's house, still intact, still in the hood. I was surprised that it didn't really stand out from the others except that it was painted a subdued yellow and had the letters "FD" in black about a foot high on the front gable. It is slightly larger than the other homes on the block, but not opulant by any standards. Perhaps a testament to his committment to his roots, and to the fact that celebrities are much better compensated than they were when he had his hayday.
We talked a lot about what it was like for him growing up in that situation and how he got out of it. He said he never took drugs, ever. But he also didn't blanch about selling them to support his family; always carrying a pistol for protection against the junkies and other dealers. He always worked regular jobs too, once he was old enough. And it was always about being able to make something better for his mom. He was finally able to move her out of the projects into a house several blocks away, but after a couple of years she wanted to move back because all of her friends were still in the housing.
His work ethic was part of what got him out of there, but it seems like part of it was also almost accidental (providential?). A chance meeting while he worked at a gas station got him a better job that turned into a career that made enough money to get him a better life. His brothers and sisters all got out too. They have jobs and careers and families and none of them live in the poverty they grew up in. I've never met her, and Jack didn't say so (I forgot to ask), but I bet his momma had a lot to do with it. How could all those kids succeed where so many others had failed if it were otherwise?
What's funny (not funny haha, but funny 'damn') is that even though he's from there, his history is there, he says he feels scared now when he goes back and talks to some of his old friends and visits some of the old places. He's succeeded where others haven't and there's a tension because of it. There's a sense that he's in danger from those who would want what he's got in his pockets or in his truck. There's also the possibility that someone with a long memory might still hold a grudge and decide to act upon it. Maybe it's true--we can never go home.
We went from the 9th Ward the short distance to the heart of the city, where all the tourists go. We saw Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, the French Quarter, Convention Center, Riverwalk, French Market. We went past giant hotels and the world's largest land-based casino--Harrah's. I bet you had no idea that it was in New Orleans--me neither. In all of those places we saw what is possible when civic powers put their minds, talents and money to the task of recovery. And we also saw what is of value to us in this country in contrast to what is not, even when it's located only a few short blocks away.
Poverty is not about race or geography. It's about what we decide is morally acceptable. It cannot be solved by governments alone, but it cannot be solved without significant committment from them either. The answers are not simple and the solutions will not be quick, but we are commanded by our God to help those in need. As the rich get richer off of the blood of the poor and the shrinking middle class we are in grave danger ("we" meaning us Christians) of coming under the judgment of that God.
Poor children need a quality education, adequate food, health care. Poor working moms need help with child care; both in terms of having an adequate supply and the money to afford it. Families need access to counseling and other benefits that will help them to stay whole and stable. And there must be jobs, real jobs, jobs that pay a living wage and provide fulfillment and self esteem.
All of you ultra-conservative scoffers can mark this down. God has laid out quite plainly the moral responsibility of those who have to assist those who do not. There are 2000 verses that refer to justice for the poor and disadvantaged. We will not be exempt from them when we stand before God. Don't believe me? Read Matthew 25, especially starting around verse 30. Please do not be condemned by the hypocrisy that Jesus so deeply loathes.
Pray for the poor. Pray for peace. More to follow.
Mike
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
My Trip to Frisco
On the lighter side of things, I was in California late last week and had to stay through the weekend. My friend, Rickey, and I decided we would make the relatively short drive from Sacramento to San Francisco on Saturday afternoon and take in some of the sites. Little did we realize that we had decided to visit the bastion of gay pride during national gay pride week. Quite a surprise for us. Our friends and coworkers have made quite a bit of sport of us. Oh, well...it's still a beautiful city and we got some great pics of the Golden Gate Bridge; and the people of California as a whole were very friendly--and I don't mean it like that so stop smirking.
A Difficult Message
I'll be leaving for Romania in a few weeks on a mission trip. It's my first one and I'm pretty excited about it; about the chance to be placed where God will stretch my abilities and gifts and force me to rely on him more than I probably ever have. As part of our team's preparation for the trip we are doing 30 days of Bible studies and journaling our thoughts.
Since beginning this process about 9 or 10 days ago a lot of what I've read and contemplated has drawn me back to the idea that God has something for me to do that I either haven't figured out or haven't been listening closely enough to hear. Consequently, I've approached these studies as not only a way of getting ready for our mission, but also as a possible way that God plans to communicate to me what the next part of my journey will be. I think I may have gotten a glimpse of that this evening.
Our reading was from Jeremiah 1:4-10. It's the passage that describes Jeremiah's commissioning for his mission as well as God's equipping of him for that mission. The comments about the passage talk about how Jeremiah was being assigned the task of giving the Israelites a message that they did not want to hear and to which many of them were not going to listen. In fact, as you read on through the book you find out that they tried to kill him on more than one occasion because of his unrelenting proclamations. I see in this somewhat of a parallel to where my passions have turned over the past couple or 3 years--the church's abandonment of the cause of social justice in exchange for political clout.
When I talk about the church in this context I am well aware that there are still many people involved with programs and ministries that help the outcast and downtrodden, but the vocal leaders of the conservative evangelicals in America have consistently and stridently preached the gospel of conservative politics in the name of some of the most divisive issues in the history of this country: abortion and homosexuality among the most volatile. And because the Republicans have given loud and consistent lip service to the conservative stance on these issues the evangelical leaders have fallen into lock-step behind them and endorsed their candidates and their agenda carte blanche. They have preached this agenda from the pulpits of their churches and touted it on every national media outlet to which they could garner access. They have told us that to vote against this party is to vote against Christ. In fact, I have heard church members say that anyone who votes Democrat is not really a Christian. As I have studied church history I believe we must go back many centuries to find such complete and utter idolatry and sin within the church.
I don't care which party's candidate you vote for, but how dare you have the audacity to tell me that the veracity of my faith resides within a voting booth! I will prayerfully vote my conscience regardless of a candidate's affiliation and I hope to be damned (literally) if I ever allow anyone to convince me otherwise. I made that mistake once and it shall never happen again.
The Republicans lie about their intentions in order to rally our votes and the Democrats have for decades (until quite recently) dismissed us as incapable of having real input on issues that they have failed to realize do have moral implications.
Jesus Christ did not deal in half-truths and pompous judgmentalism. He spoke quite plainly and vehemently about our responsibility to care for the less fortunate and to deal with everyone from a position of love--the unconditional kind. The people he chose to follow him and represent him were not the powerful and political, but those who would stick the biggest bur in the saddles of those very types. If he were physically present on earth today I believe he would spend his time in the inner cities and in the towns devastated by corporate greed. He would be in the homes of people who were dying because the have no insurance and therefore cannot be treated for their diseases. He would wander the villages of third world countries where boys not old enough to date are kidnapped and forced to commit genocide; where young girls are gang raped and killed because they belong to the wrong clan or tribe; where people are beaten to death because they did not support the current dictator. I can see him in the middle east tending to the wounded Palestinians and Jews in the West Bank and Gaza; or in Baghdad cruising the alleys for those in need, both spiritually and physically. I submit to you that these are the places where the real acts of terror are being committed. I do not believe that he would ever set foot in the White House--regardless of by whom it was occupied--unless it was to chase out the 'money-changers' with a braided whip.
This message is not popular with those who hold sway within evangelical circles. But I believe they see the approach of their demise. They see a generation of Christians rising up who will think for themselves and will not be swayed from the cause of Christ by the lure and promise of political clout. I think that God is calling me to this cause. I also believe that it will cause me pain in the places where I have normally felt safe and welcome. My heart breaks for the poor and abused and it fills with anger at those who ignore or exacerbate their plight. I believe that a new journey begins for me tonight.
Pray for peace--real peace.
Mike
Since beginning this process about 9 or 10 days ago a lot of what I've read and contemplated has drawn me back to the idea that God has something for me to do that I either haven't figured out or haven't been listening closely enough to hear. Consequently, I've approached these studies as not only a way of getting ready for our mission, but also as a possible way that God plans to communicate to me what the next part of my journey will be. I think I may have gotten a glimpse of that this evening.
Our reading was from Jeremiah 1:4-10. It's the passage that describes Jeremiah's commissioning for his mission as well as God's equipping of him for that mission. The comments about the passage talk about how Jeremiah was being assigned the task of giving the Israelites a message that they did not want to hear and to which many of them were not going to listen. In fact, as you read on through the book you find out that they tried to kill him on more than one occasion because of his unrelenting proclamations. I see in this somewhat of a parallel to where my passions have turned over the past couple or 3 years--the church's abandonment of the cause of social justice in exchange for political clout.
When I talk about the church in this context I am well aware that there are still many people involved with programs and ministries that help the outcast and downtrodden, but the vocal leaders of the conservative evangelicals in America have consistently and stridently preached the gospel of conservative politics in the name of some of the most divisive issues in the history of this country: abortion and homosexuality among the most volatile. And because the Republicans have given loud and consistent lip service to the conservative stance on these issues the evangelical leaders have fallen into lock-step behind them and endorsed their candidates and their agenda carte blanche. They have preached this agenda from the pulpits of their churches and touted it on every national media outlet to which they could garner access. They have told us that to vote against this party is to vote against Christ. In fact, I have heard church members say that anyone who votes Democrat is not really a Christian. As I have studied church history I believe we must go back many centuries to find such complete and utter idolatry and sin within the church.
I don't care which party's candidate you vote for, but how dare you have the audacity to tell me that the veracity of my faith resides within a voting booth! I will prayerfully vote my conscience regardless of a candidate's affiliation and I hope to be damned (literally) if I ever allow anyone to convince me otherwise. I made that mistake once and it shall never happen again.
The Republicans lie about their intentions in order to rally our votes and the Democrats have for decades (until quite recently) dismissed us as incapable of having real input on issues that they have failed to realize do have moral implications.
Jesus Christ did not deal in half-truths and pompous judgmentalism. He spoke quite plainly and vehemently about our responsibility to care for the less fortunate and to deal with everyone from a position of love--the unconditional kind. The people he chose to follow him and represent him were not the powerful and political, but those who would stick the biggest bur in the saddles of those very types. If he were physically present on earth today I believe he would spend his time in the inner cities and in the towns devastated by corporate greed. He would be in the homes of people who were dying because the have no insurance and therefore cannot be treated for their diseases. He would wander the villages of third world countries where boys not old enough to date are kidnapped and forced to commit genocide; where young girls are gang raped and killed because they belong to the wrong clan or tribe; where people are beaten to death because they did not support the current dictator. I can see him in the middle east tending to the wounded Palestinians and Jews in the West Bank and Gaza; or in Baghdad cruising the alleys for those in need, both spiritually and physically. I submit to you that these are the places where the real acts of terror are being committed. I do not believe that he would ever set foot in the White House--regardless of by whom it was occupied--unless it was to chase out the 'money-changers' with a braided whip.
This message is not popular with those who hold sway within evangelical circles. But I believe they see the approach of their demise. They see a generation of Christians rising up who will think for themselves and will not be swayed from the cause of Christ by the lure and promise of political clout. I think that God is calling me to this cause. I also believe that it will cause me pain in the places where I have normally felt safe and welcome. My heart breaks for the poor and abused and it fills with anger at those who ignore or exacerbate their plight. I believe that a new journey begins for me tonight.
Pray for peace--real peace.
Mike
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