Thursday, April 29, 2010

Peace In the City

In his book, the Beloved Community, Charles Marsh quotes Presbyterian minister Mark Gornik. Gornik and his friends were committed to fostering community development incarnationally and moved into Baltimore row housing in 1986. Gornik’s words are important for all who struggle with privilege in the midst of inequality:

“I cannot escape my background as a white male born into a world of options and privileges. But I can and should struggle with my obligation as a Christian to view the city in all of its forms and conditions through the eyes of the stranger, the excluded, and the poor. Christian reflection on the inner city must emerge out of relationships: the bonds of commitment to Christ and his peace for the poor. In Christ’s fellowship with the poor, in his identification with the depths of suffering through the cross, the cries from the depths of the inner city are also his, and the pleas that all things might be made right becomes a yearning in the Spirit of God for God’s reign of peace.

These words beg all of us to consider our privilege. Whether it comes by way of economics, education, or in by being a part of the ethnic majority we are called to leverage our privilege for the sake of others.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Waiting (Mobility pt. 4)


We have a difficult time waiting. Whether it is waiting in line at the grocery store as the person ahead of us stumbles through the “self-check-out” in a clumsy manner or awaiting test results from the doctor; waiting is a difficult process.

Waiting is the antithesis to mobility. It renders us passive, stationary, and still when we would rather “get on with it”. We long for our moments of waiting to be short and quick so that life can be lived. Waiting is irritating and a waste of time.

Waiting is viewed as the space between where we were and where we want to be; waiting leaves us feeling powerless and helpless.

Henri Nouwen writes on those who wait in Scripture: “…there is none of this passivity in Scripture. Those who are waiting are waiting actively. They know that what they are waiting for is growing from the ground on which they are standing. Right here is a secret for us about waiting. If we wait in the conviction that a seed has been planted and that something has already begun, it changes the way we wait. Active waiting implies being fully present to the moment with the conviction that something is happening where we are and that we want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, believing that this moment is the moment.”Finding My Way Home

May you see that your moment of waiting (no matter how long) is the moment and may you find the peace and hope of God fully present in the midst of your waiting.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Prayer: for the Good of Others


“O God, we thank thee for the abundance of our blessings, but we pray that our plenty may not involve want for others. Do thou satisfy the desire of every child of thine. Grant that the strength which we shall draw from this food may be put forth again for the common good, and that our life may return to humanity a full equivalent in useful work for the nourishment which we receive from the common store."

Friday, April 23, 2010

Mobility and the Biblical Narrative (Mobility pt. 3)

The Biblical narrative gives us another way to view mobility. In the Old Testament the Israelites are led out of slavery and into the promise land. At a quick glance it may seem as if God is concerned with the upward mobility of his people, but upon further study more is taking place. Although God is leading them to a place of hope and promise, God also leads his people through a place of struggle and pain; the wilderness. In fact as the journey out of Egypt unfolds, the Israelites request they be sent back to Egypt (Exodus 14:11-12; 16:3; 17:3).

For the Israelites this is not the type of mobility they had hoped for, yet God is concerned not just with “where they are going”, but “who they are becoming”. The Exodus story is not simply about God’s people moving from the slums to the suburbs but rather moving from a scattered and fearful people to a new community that finds its identity in God.

The life of Jesus is also one that causes us to re-think our affinity for mobility. In the Gospels Jesus has a conversation with the mother of Zebedee’s sons (Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45). She makes a request that her two boys sit next to him at his thrown; this is the request of upward mobility. Jesus replies by asking if they can drink from his cup…the cup not of his “success” but rather of his suffering. The account then goes on:

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:26-28

Jesus communicates in his words (see his conversation with the rich young ruler) as well as with his life (especially the journey to the cross) that type of mobility one is to aspire to as his follower is one of downward mobility. While our culture may aspire to moving at a greater speed and acquiring more in the name of success and efficiency, Jesus beckons us to cast aside our nets and follow him not on a path of mobile comfort but rather down the path that leads to Calvary for the sake of the Kingdom.

What other examples from the Scriptures/life of Jesus do you see regarding “downward mobility”?
What is lost in a life of “downward mobility”? What is gained?

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

"The Silver Chair"

“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink,” said the Lion.
“May I – could I – would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

“Will you promise not to – do anything to me, if I come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion.

Jill was thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
“Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming a step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”

“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.

- C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

Monday, April 19, 2010

Prayer: for the Church

“O God, we pray for thy church, which is set today amid the perplexities of a changing order, and face to face with a great new task. We remember with love the nurture she gave to our spiritual life in its infancy, the tasks she set for our growing strength, the influence of the devoted hearts she gathers, the steadfast power for good she has exerted. When we compare her with all other human institutions, we rejoice, for there is none like her. But when we judge her by the mind of her Master, we bow in pity and contrition.

Oh, baptize her afresh in the live-giving spirit of Jesus! Grant her a new birth, though it be with the travail of repentance and humiliation. Bestow upon her a more imperious responsiveness to duty, a swifter compassion with suffering, and an utter loyalty to the will of God. Put upon her lips the ancient gospel of her Lord. Help her to proclaim boldly the coming of the kingdom of God and the doom of all that resist it. Fill her with the prophets’ scorn of tyranny, and with a Christ-like tenderness for the heavy-laden and down-trodden. Give her faith to espouse the cause of the people, and in their hands that grope after freedom and light to recognize the bleeding hands of the Christ. Bid her cease from seeking her own life, lest she lose it. Make her valiant to give up her life to humanity, that like her crucified Lord she may mount by the path of the cross to a higher glory."

Walter Rauschenbusch

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Unwanted Side Effects of Mobility (Mobility pt.2)

While living a life that values increasing mobility may seem as harmless as pursuing the “American Dream”, our highly mobilized culture comes with some unwanted side effects. One of the effects of mobility is the creation of distance. Essentially this means that as we become increasingly mobile and transient we lose out on connection with one another as well as with creation.

Think about the individual or family that rushes through a drive-thru to scarf down a combo meal on the way to the next sports/club event. Little attention is given to the food; where it came from, where it was harvested, who prepared it, as well as the working conditions of those who prepared it. Compare this to a family that operates at a slower pace, choosing to spend meals around a common table, perhaps even preparing food harvested locally. Is it possible that in our quest for a highly mobile lifestyle we lose out on deep human connections?

Further, the speed created though mobility desensitizes us to the world around us. While watching the TV or on the internet if a commercial, news clip, or pop-up occurs that informs me of a devastating event I have the ability to “click away” to the latest sports scores. Mobility affords me the luxury of constructing a world that keeps me comfortable, safe, and happy while being desensitized to the pain of others.

What is gained in a highly mobile lifestyle? What connections are lost?
How are we desensitized to the world around us by the pace at which we move?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Thin Line Between Creative and Crazy (pt. 3)


"Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It's like being possessed. You try to sleep, but the song won't let you. So you have to get up and make it into something, and then you're allowed to sleep. It's always in the middle of the bloody night, or when you're half awake or tired, when your critical faculties are switched off. So letting go is what the whole game is."
- John Lennon

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Mobility God (Mobility pt. 1)

Our Western culture prides itself in its capacity for movement and mobility. From the telling of our history, which includes the “discovery” of the West, to the speed at which we communicate with one another via social networking sites on the internet, our movement oriented culture thrives on conquest, achievement, and efficiency (just think about the names of the cars we produce in America: “Expedition”, “Explorer”, “Mustang”, “Voyager”).

The notion of “Upward Mobility” is hard-wired into us as individuals. Upward mobility suggests value in a movement towards something more; it fuels those who have “little” to achieve “more”, encouraging them on with progress, speed, and efficiency. An example of our desire for a life of upward mobility can be reflected when a young couple finds there first place to live.

Often a “starter home” (even this term suggests the need for progress towards something “better”) is smaller, modest. Possibly one’s first home, because of funds, is not purchased but rented; maybe even in an area of town that is viewed as less desirable because of crime, schools, etc. As the couple grows older, presumably makes more income, their ability to afford more by way of a house (as well as standard of living) increases. This causes them to leave their first home/apt and purchase something bigger and better (possibly leaving the area all together for a more “stable” community). The goal for the family is one of upward mobility (the hope that one day they will have the “house of their dreams”) and is made possible by an individual’s (or in this case, a couple’s) wealth, privilege, and power.

The philosophy of upward mobility also values speed and efficiency and can be seen in the way we communicate and process information. Telephones no longer exist to merely make connections from one household to another, instead each person has their own personal mobile phone that processes information (emails, web-surfing, news feeds, Facebook updates, etc) at lightning fast speed; yes, they still make phone calls as well. Further, the cost of the devices that make our fast exchange of information possible (iPhones, LCD TV’s, computers, etc) as well as the cost to manage/power our devices (mobile phone plans, internet plans, cable bills, etc) require a great deal of financial prosperity.

In short: our fascination with the mobile lifestyle is one that reflects a great deal of wealth, prosperity, and privilege.

Mobility as a value in our culture is not inherently bad, but I am wondering if there are any unwanted side effects of a mobile lifestyle.

Where else do you see our culture’s desire for “upward mobility”?
If a life of “upward mobility” is afforded by wealth, prosperity, and privilege what does this mean for the poor among us (are they able to live a life of “meaning”)?

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Prayer: By the Works of Our Hands

“O God, we thank thee for the sweet refreshment of sleep and for the glory and vigor of the new day. As we set our faces once more toward our daily work, we pray thee for the strength sufficient for our tasks. May Christ’s spirit of duty and service ennoble all we do.
Uphold us by the consciousness that our work is useful work and a blessing to all. If there has been anything in our work harmful to others and dishonorable to ourselves, reveal it to our inner eye with such clearness that we shall hate it and put it away, though it be at a loss to ourselves.
When we work with others, help us to regard them, not as servants to our will, but as brothers [and sisters] equal to us in human dignity, and equally worthy of their full reward. May there be nothing in this day’s work of which we shall be ashamed when the sun has set, nor in the eventide of our life when our task is done and we go to our long home to meet thy face."

Friday, April 9, 2010

A Constructed Heart

As I was cleaning out my 1st grader’s backpack yesterday I came across this craft she had made.

I began to envision her creating this cut-out paper heart. Moving the scissors in a precise manner to give the heart its shape, intentionally placing two heart stickers on each side, and circling each word of a phrase she had memorized in her own heart and now wanted to share with others: “love god love people”.

There is a sweet simplicity to this piece, yet it came by way of a careful and deliberate construction.

May you find joy in living out this simple phrase. May you intentionally embrace all the depths of its practice in the midst of a complex world; always growing in a deeper love and obedience for the Creator and a more sacrificial love for your enemy. And may the heart that is constructed in you beat with such fervor that the hearts of others come alive with the simple hope that has found its home within you.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Thin Line Between Creative and Crazy (pt. 2)

"It is only true that a lot of artists are mentally ill - it's a life which, to put it mildly, makes one an outsider. I'm all right when I completely immerse myself in my work, but I'll always remain half crazy." - Vincent van Gogh

Monday, April 5, 2010

The “Progress” God

We are a culture of progress. A combination of advances in technology, science, and social enlightenment have made “today” better than “yesterday”. Whether it has been technologies invented to bring us light in our homes, medicines discovered that cure disease, or bigotries defeated for the benefit of cross-cultural relationship we as a society/humanity have progressed.

And ironically, just as we recognize where we’ve come from we also recognize where we need to go (we are still a long way off from racial equality in this country). So we move on, working toward a better tomorrow.

In all of these ways, our desire for and participation towards, progress are good and true. However is it possible that the notion of “progress” also carries with it a dark side? One that might not lead us towards a more hopeful future for all but instead move us deeper towards injustice and imbalance?

Progress becomes problematic (and even harmful) when it comes by a purely humanistic understanding of the world. In this sense, those moving towards betterment seek to achieve it through the autonomy of humanity. Their “Triune-Progress-god” is one of science, technology, and economy. In this model progress happens as people push scientific limits to discover how “the world works”, develop technologies that serve for the luxury of our existence, and set up economies for prosperity. It constructs a society, a “tower”, that is strong, tall, and shiny…seemingly flawless.

When we serve human betterment through the gods of science, technology, and economy, we become people who construct our own Tower of Babel. A towering society prides itself on its “magnificence”, a spectacle of what can be accomplished when people work together to move forward. Yet when our betterment comes apart from Divine participation and rests solely on our own self aggrandizement we make severe flaws in the tower’s “construction”. This is the story of our Western modern culture as well as the story of how empire always operates.

In this version of “progress” betterment only comes to those who are benefactors of the Tower (the living situation at the “top floor” is certainly better than that of those in the shadows of the tower). Our human systems on their own are unable to bring about complete, whole, true harmony for all.

And when the “Progress” god fails and the Tower falls? It brings devastation (ex: the market collapse of ’09). In the midst of the Tower’s rubble and ashes, the collapse also brings with it possibility; a possibility that our progress might once again resume, yet this time not solely on the might of human autonomy but rather through the tandem movement of both humanity and the God of progress.

In this sense we become co-laborers not for a Tower that will one day topple, but co-laborers for a Kingdom that will bring lasting peace, justice, and equity for all.

Where do you see example of human progress that although bring good to some also bring oppression to others?

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter



“…they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!’” – Luke 24:3-6

Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday


"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we esttemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." - Isaiah 53:4

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Maundy Thursday

Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment, to love one another as he loved them. Write this commandment in our hearts; give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, who gave his life and died for us. Amen. - The Lutheran Book of Worship