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Hello, all,


Sorry there haven't been as many posts lately. I am working on creating a new format for the blog. So stay tuned to some of the changes and more regular postings... coming soon!

Thanks!

A More Simple Christmas

Christmas. What a wonderful time of year.

Many people have various reasons for loving Christmas. For some it can be the presents. For others it could be spending time with family (and not at work!). Some people love it because of the snow and the cold. Others think its great because of all the decorations and lights and things. There are thousands of reasons why people love Christmas. And I just thought I would take a quick minute to share mine with you.

My favorite part of Christmas is the nostalgia. I absolutely love the connection with the old days. Whether it is a beautiful picture of a horse and sleigh shooshing through the snow to get to a far away country home or if I am watching White Christmas – I love the fact that Christmas connects us with how life used to be.

Really, I am not trying to spell out doom and gloom or anything by defaming Christmas in its present form today (no pun intended). Even though Christmas today is different than it used to be, that is not all bad. No, the reason that I love the nostalgia around Christmas is because it takes us back to a simpler time – a time where everything about Christmas was much more simple yet no less joyful.

I love seeing people get delighted over a cup of hot chocolate. I love it that families used to read Christmas stories around the fire to each other. I am amazed that simple gifts like marbles and oranges and candies and nuts were met with smiles and excitement when found in stockings. I love that people actually used to carol. I love it that snow was a big deal. I love it that people used to only get one present each – and that was a great Christmas. I think it is so cool that people used to stand around the piano together and sing Christmas songs. I love that folk used to go downtown to shop and walk around and see all of the Christmas decorations. I love that Christmas trees were all real, and they were decorated with popcorn and tinsel and holly. I love that eggnog was a specialty. All of these incredibly simple things were considered such treats to people in years past.

Can we ever connect the present with the past? I hope so. I know things will never be like they used to be. But I also know that some elements of the Christmas spirit in years past can be incorporated into our Christmas lives today. We can look in wonder at the beautiful Christmas trees that we pass everyday. We can bask in the glow of all the Christmas lights that surround us. We can treat presents more like gifts and less like obligations. We can walk downtown and see the shops. We can enjoy our moments in the snow. We can sing the old songs and tell the old stories. We can connect the present and the past.

Really, we are not doing that bad today. But I think that we can learn a lot from looking back. They were doing a lot of things right back then. There’s a reason those were the ‘‘good ‘ol days’’. And it would be good for us to take a more simple approach to Christmas – to take joy in the actual things and not the quantity of something.

And, of course, the farther we look back to connect the present with the past leads us all the way to Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus…and that was a pretty simple Christmas, too.

Merry Christmas, ya’ll. Enjoy the simple pleasures of the season.

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day was yesterday. Did anybody know that? Do we feel bad that we didn't know that? Is it something that we should know? Well, whether it is just a flowery attempt to put a band-aid on a problem or a real attempt to make change that needs more support - World AIDS Day can teach us at least one thing. We need more than one day in order to solve the AIDS crisis.

Last year, I was in Africa during World AIDS Day, and I participated in all of the events of the day right there at ground zero for HIV/AIDS. It was an amazing experience. But this year I am in Nampa, Idaho just living and working and having a normal life. So I kept asking myself a question leading up to yesterday, "What can I do to make a difference on World AIDS Day?"

Man, I thought and I thought and I thought about it. And I'm sure someone who is a better person than I could have thought of something great to do on World AIDS Day. But I did realize something throughout my process I realized that I am missing the point completely by trying to make a difference on that specific day. We can't just focus on AIDS for one day or try to make a difference only for one day. We have to expand our our priorities, focus, and attention. I need to expand my priorities, focus, and attention on AIDS from just one day to all year.

So whether you know about World AIDS Day or not makes no difference. (Don't get me wrong, World AIDS Day is great. It brings awareness and connection and publicity. It's a great supplement to the overall fight against AIDS). The thing that makes the difference is people working towards the end of AIDS on a daily basis all throughout the year.

So World AIDS Day was yesterday.

But the day to make a difference against AIDS in the world is today.

And each day afterwards...

Do You Find Adventure? Or Does Adventure Find You?

Do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

A simple enough question. And a question that is seldom asked. But its implications have affected tens of thousands of stories, myths, men, and women for generations upon generations. It is a foundational question. It is at the heart of the great deeds of mighty men. It is the beginning of age-old stories. It is the start of a thousand journeys. And its answer has far-reaching implications for me and for you.

Do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

There are countless stories told throughout the centuries that revolve around a basic premise. A person is minding their own business when a chain of events out of their own control puts them in the middle of a great adventure. Throughout history there are examples of great men and women who had no intention of being involved in an amazing story but were unexpectedly thrust onto the path of adventure. There are stories and myths about unassuming heroes who followed their hearts and their convictions and that led them right into the midst of an adventure. Some people might use the word ‘destiny’ to describe a person who was not looking for adventure, but adventure somehow found them.

But is that how adventure works? Do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

There are also stories of great men and women who went out on journeys seeking adventure, and their desires were met in a variety of ways. From Achilles all the way down to General MacArthur – people have sought out adventure and found it. They have wanted to be a part of a grand story, and they succeeded. Whether there was a specific enemy that needed to be destroyed or a person or people that needed to be saved – there are countless stories of men and woman who chased after adventure and found it.

But, again, do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

I think that all of us – whether you think so or not – want to have adventures. We all want to be a part of a story – an amazing, adventurous story. There is something deep down inside of our hearts and souls that longs to be a part of something heroic and romantic. Even if it is way down there (and each and every day you push it down a bit further and a bit further…), each one of us has a longing to be a part of an adventure. So how do we do it? Do we seek it out or do we wait for it to find us?

Anti-climatically, I think that we can probably find adventure both ways. There are times when adventure will just sneak up on you and carry you off like a wave. There are also other times when the adventure is out there waiting for you only if you have the courage to find it. It is a boring answer, but I think it is the right one.

So if you are seeking adventure and want to be a part of an exciting story – then keep going, my friend.


And if you are not seeking adventure then, well, be careful: it just might be seeking you.

True Christian Activism

There are several people here in the Treasure Valley who call themselves "Christian Activists". But they have a completely different definition for Christian activism than what the concept truly means. These individuals believe that Christian activism deals with causing a raucus, making the news, standing all alone, challenging authority, and causing enough fuss to get your issue in the papers. If someone's not getting upset - then you are not doing your Christian activism job very well.

But this is not true Christian activism.

This is only an outer shell - a prideful outer shell that is more focused on the activism part than on the Christian part.

In order to see the true heart of Christian activism, you have to look at the heart of Christ. Would Jesus Christ care if there was a monument for the Ten Commandments that nobody ever saw in a lonely park? Or would He instead care about the homeless man who sleeps next to it - and try to fulfill His life through hope, purpose, help for his addictions, and job training. Would Jesus be holding huge anti-abortion signs in front of a clinic? Or would He be talking with the young girls and their families in their homes - trying to bring restoration and healing in the midst of a difficult situation. Would Jesus travel all the way to China just to get arrested for illegally throwing His beliefs all over the country? Or would He focus on real and practical ways to be able to spread His church around the globe?

The heart of Christ is other people. The heart of true Christian activism needs to be other people. It needs to be tangible help and hope for the lowly and the poor. It needs to be relevant assistance for those who are suffering or being oppressed. It needs to be a loving strategy, loving actions, and loving attitudes.

True Christian activism flows from the heart of Christ.

The things that some people are doing now are not Christian activism.


So where are all the true Christian activists? Who will stand up to take back the reputation of the Church and bring real help and hope to those who really need it?

The Reputation of Christianity...(and the things we do to destroy it)

Recently, there was an incident involving a local 'Christian activist'. This woman went over to China for the beginning of the Olympics in order to protest something and stand up for human rights. While her intentions may have been admirable (misplaced, but admirable), her actions were unwise. This woman simply went to Tienamann Square (spelling??) and unfurled a large banner that said "CHRIST IS KING". She was immediately detained. Her banner was taken away. And she was deported back to the US.

Things like this happen all the time. And they all happen under the title of "Christian activism". There are many other things that happen under similar 'Christian' titles, as well. Violence and gross protests at abortion clinics. Money-grubbing televangelists. Affairs and indescretions from top leaders. Really dumb Christian t-shirts. All of these things happen within the name of Christianity - and that is usually all that everyday people see about Christianity.

The reputation of Christianity is built upon the things we do that make the news and that are interesting to people. I mean, I know that Christians do lots of good things in the world. But these types of things are not in newspapers and on magazines and debated in talk shows. Nope. The things that are on the news and in the media and engrained in people's psyche are these other things that make us look so bad. But who's fault is that? Is it the everyday person's fault because they only know about Christianity what they read on the newspaper and see in the streets? No. It is Christianity's own fault that our reputation is so bad.

We have to be more mindful of our overall reputation. The local 'Christian activist' who I referenced at the beginning was nnot thinking about the overall reputation of Christianity. Her actions did not help anyone over in China. They did nothing for anybody over there. And her exploits were plastered all over the news here in the US. So the reputation of Christianity being a religion that does not respect other countries, does not do anything to really help people, and has selfish and oblivious 'activists' is furthered and cemented. Basically, this woman's actions did more to hurt Christianity's reputation than to help anyone.


We have to protect the reputation of Christianity. We have to value the reputation so much that we do not allow other people to ruin it. We need to do all that we can to restore the reputation of Christianity so that it accurately reflects our heart, beliefs, and personality.

And we have to do it now.

A little corny, but...

Ok. Here is a new joke. I thought before I send it to Reader's Digest (and get rejected again for the hundredth time... one day... one day...) I would test it out on the audience of about 3 that actually go to this blog. So, mom, Kevan, and Kit Boone - this joke is for you.


So how big do you think Bigfoot's carbon footprint is?

Probably pretty big, right... Yeah.


So the delivery might be a little off on that joke. But it is my part in helping out with the environment. So I sojourn on.

Here we come, Reader's Digest.

The Emergent Church: An Illustration, if you please...

The Emergent Church Movement has been an increasingly interesting movement that is not without its detractors or its supporters. Unfortunately, the extreme detractors and extreme supporters who have the loudest views are the only ones whose message actually gets heard through print and media. Thus far into the Emergent Church Movement there has been a lot of controversy, misunderstandings, and arguments. But most of the negative things surrounding the Emergent Church Movement are from people who unfortunatley do not understand the heart and concept of the Emergent Church.


In fact, I was reading an article lately that brought up one of the reasons why a certain pastor was against the Emergent Church. After generalizing the Emergent Church based on the thoughts of a very few individuals, the author gave an all-encompassing illustration to clarify his position on the entire Emergent Church Movement. He stated that the Emergent Church Movement is like a porcupine - don't get too close or else you will get hurt.


When I first read this, I thought it was ridiculous. Actually, I still think it is ridiculous now, too. It is extremely unfair to put a blanket illustration over the top of a multi-faceted and still developing concept. But since this author is employing that tactic, I will do the same. But I will show you an illustration that actually makes sense for the current status of the Emergent Church Movement.


The Emergent Church is like a teenager. I really feel like this is a perfect description. Just like a teenager, the Emergent Church is still developing and growing. Like a teenager, they might make a few mistakes every now and then. They are still young enough that they do not quite know how to do everything exactly right yet. And, just like a teenager, the Emergent Church is not fully aware of who it is yet. It has not had enough time to develop and grow. But, also like a teenager, the Emergent Church is filled with potential and hope for the future.


Nobody would judge a teenager forever simply by the things that he or she does when they are in their teen years. No good parent gives up on their teen because they make a few mistakes during their growing teen years. That would be ridiculous. It wouldn't be fair, and it would just be ridiculous. Everyone knows that teenagers need their teen years to grow and develop into the person that they are going to be. They need encouragement and support to become all that they can be.


This is exactly the same with the Emergent Church. Why are so many pastors and leaders putting it down? Why are so many influential people telling others to stay completely away from it? They are treating it like the porcupine when they should be treating it like a teenager. If these same leaders took the amount of time that they spend decrying it into supporting it - then the Emergent Church would be developing and shaping into the church of the future.


Don't let leaders fool you. Don't let them scare you into missing out on something great. And, leaders, don't give up the Emergent Church. Instead, treat it like a teenager and help it, shape it. Come on, now, everybody.


Let's stop putting things down and start building things up.


The Emergent Church is not a porcupine that we should not get close to.


It is a teenager that we should help shape and grow in these developing years.

Christian Book Store: Unfortunate Represenation of Mainstream Christian Culture

So I was thinking the other day about the culture of Christianity. We have a very unique culture - and sometimes that is not a very good thing. Actually most times that is not a very good thing. Christianity is often far behind the rest of society concerning trends, style, fashion, and popularity. This is not to say that religion should be a popularity contest or on the up-and-up with Vogue or US Weekly or anything like that. But much of Christianity is out of touch with society and not relevant with the daily lives of people. What am I talking about? Let me entertain you with an example.


Christian culture is the exact same as a normal Christian book store. There are dozens of reasons why this is almost a perfect mold of Christian culture. Anyone who has ever been inside of a Christian book store can attest to the accuracy of the following claims. Here are a couple examples of how current Christian culture is like a Christian book store.

1) The Music: Right when you walk into a Christian bookstore, you are quietly bombarded by the magical mistings of praise, worship, and contemporary Christian music. It is a light and airy effervescence that permeates everything around you. This is exactly like our Christian culture. It is not church or a Christian gathering unless there is "Christian music" playing somewhere in the foreground or background. Also, just as you will never hear Jack Johnson or Dear and the Headlights in a Christian book store - most "non-Christian music" is not a part of mainstream Christian culture. It is just not something that we encourage or allow. We only allow the soft tones of worship music in our book stores and our lives.

2) The Books: Not like it is a bad thing or anything, but Christian book stores only have Christian books. I mean, I totally understand it. It is a niche market; therefore, Christian bookstores sell Christian books. But it just feels like the only things that we should read or watch should be Christian. Christian culture shows a strong disregard for most things that are not 'Christian'. We should only read Christian books and things. Just like the Christian book stores - Christian culture presents that the only valuable things to us are explicitly Christian.

3) The People: Christian books stores generally attract one type of person: Christians. They have Christian books, music, videos, gifts - and all of these things are made for Christians. The only people that come through the doors are Christian. It is like a world unto its own. This is the exact same with our current Christian culture. In our own little Christian culture we have made a world entirely for ourselves. We are the only ones that are in it, and everything that we are about is for us and by us. Just like a Christian book store - Christian culture only attracts one type of person: Christians.


These are just three of the examples that show how the Christian book store represents mainstream Christian culture. There are many other parallels, as well. Both Christian book stores and Christian culture rely on old and un-imaginative marketing. Both Christian book stores and Christian culture use products and strategies that are not relevant at all toward people's everyday lives. There are lots of other ways that these two are extremely similar, as well.


I guess I point all this out just to say this: we have to make our Christian culture relevant again. Just as a normal person off the street wouldn't walk into a Christian book store for basically any reason - a normal person off the street would not fit into mainstream Christian culture, either. We have to update our Christian culture to make it more relevant and in tune with today's society and the daily life of Average Joe.


Actually, we should update Christian book stores, too.

Arrogant Stance, Ignorant Sight

Christians have been against abortion since the very beginning. For years they have fought against this medical and non-medical procedure of the killing of an unborn baby. Christians claim that they value life; therefore, they stand against the role of abortion. But this is not new information. Everybody knows that Christians are against abortion.

Everyone also knows that Christians protest against abortion. They protest abortion clinics, in front of planned parenthood offices, and at political happenings and political places. Some of these protests have been violent, but the majority of the protests involve signs and banners and chants. Besides protests, Christians spend an inordinate amount of time on abortion related ventures. They write letters to politicians. They hold rallies and raise money to stop it. They wear t-shirts, buttons, and such. In all, Christians take very seriously the value of human life - and that is why they spend a lot of energy exhausting every avenue possible to try to stop it.

But on many levels, these things are extremely arrogant and even more ignorant.

How can Christians claim to value human life while so many children are dying from AIDS in Africa and other developing countries? How can we as Christians be so arrogant in our own stances on abortion while being so ignorant of situations outside of our line of sight?

It is literally ridiculous when you think about it. Christians spend so much time and money and energy trying to stop abortion with little to no success. For all of the resources that we put into it, we have very little to show. Granted, some things have been done - but nowhere near what we are seeking. For all of the protests, arguments, and rallies - babies are still being aborted everyday.

But in our arrogance and short-sightedness, we doggedly fight on with our protesting and raving and ranting. We put the full weight of the religious right behind trying to stop something that we have not been able to stop in forty years. We tarnish our Christian reputation by participating in violent protests at abortion clinics. We make our faith look horrible when we stand out in front of clinics and offices holding up pictures of dead babies. We make people even more annoyed with Christianity when all we constantly talk about is how terrible abortion is because of the value of each human life.

And yet the worst part is that we don't even value human life enough to look outside of our borders!!! We say that each life is precious while we turn a blind eye to the tragedies happening in Africa and other developing with AIDS. We try to save the life of a child who may or may not be born WHILE THERE ARE MILLIONS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE BORN WHO ARE DYING OF AIDS IN AFRICA AND OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. We spend time protesting and praying about the evils of abortion while we don't even know about the crisis that is happening across the Atlantic Ocean. How can we say that we value human life when we haven't done virtually anything to help the children dying from AIDS in Africa and other developing countries? What the heck, Christianity.

I could write a novel about all of this. I could go on and on about how we have failed - and how we continue to fail with this.

But instead of doing that, I will try to offer an apology and a challenge - an apology to those we have neglected and hurt and a challenge to those who are humble enough to see the light.

We have been arrogant in our stance...and we have been ignorant in our sight.

For far too long.

Emergent Church - Fair Shake

Recently I read two separate articles in the Treasure Valley Christian Newspaper about the Emergent Church. In each of these two articles, the subject of the Emergent Church was discussed. But in both of these articles - the Emergent Church was not given a fair shake at all.

The authors of these two articles both decried the Emergent Church Movement. Yet their reasons were completely generalized, off-base, and non-understanding. The articles listed off certain beliefs of the Emergent Church and why they were spiritually and Scripturally wrong. It explained the roles of Brian McLaren and other top leaders in the Emergent Movement and how their teachings and thoughts were completely wrong. Both articles listed out all of the reasons why the Emergent Church was incorrect and dangerous.

Yet the entire tone of these two articles was marinated in ignorance and judgment. Am I being too harsh? Probably not harsh enough. It was plain to see that the authors had pre-supposed dispositions to the Emergent Church movement gathered from prooftexting books, sermons, and blogs most likely. Their information was scarce and unrefined. They used specific small information to cast conclusions on general substances. I am sure that the articles resonated well with traditional Christians who want to hear the simple and the clean-cut. But for those of us living in reality, these articles were another example of the Church missing an opportunity to connect with those outside of its walls and demographics.

To clarify, I am not proposing that the Emergent Church is perfect. By no means. But I am propounding that the media and everyone else can at least give the Emergent Church Movement a fair shake. Here is what I am talking about.

The Emergent Church is so young that it has not been fully defined or developed. It is still changing and adapting; therefore, it is premature and unwise to state definitively something about it. Also, the Emergent Church Movement is much bigger than the leaders that supposedly started it. McLaren and others are simply a small part of the larger whole. In fact, the Emergent Church Movement is not so much a set of specific beliefs as it is a concept and a mindset. It is the concept and mindset that we need to use different means of sharing the same Message of Jesus Christ in order to reach a new generation living in a new society. There are thousands of good things coming about because of Emergent Churches and Emergent movements around the country and around the world.

Yet the articles mentioned nothing about these things. It simply took the bad theology from specific individuals that are associated with a small part of the Emergent Church. It did not give the Emergent Church a fair shake at all. The authors' attitudes, demeanor, and stance were arrogant, ignorant, and narrow.

Maybe that is why we have a Church that is trying to emerge from this...

Child's Play and Christianity

I was talking with a friend recently, and she told me an interesting story about a little boy that she nannies. The little boy's name is Michael. He is a fun, rambunctuous little boy. He loves to explore and discover. Just a classic little boy.

My friend has watched Michael for a little while now, and she has seen how he has grown up. Now that he can walk and crawl and get around a little bit, my friend has watched him travel all over the house. He explored everything and just loved discovering all that he could. But then he reached a point when he had seen everything. He had been everywhere in the house. He had played with all the toys. He had crawled in all the rooms. He had been there, done that. And now he needed something else.

I guess Michae proceeded to get into trouble by touching the things that he was not supposed to get and getting into the places that he was not supposed to get into. My friend told me that since Michael had been everywhere and done everything - now he was exploring into the places where he wasn't allowed to go and touching the things he wasn't allowed to touch.


Isn't this how we are, too?


We all have a desire to explore and discover. None of us want to be bored and predictable. We want to have fun and have adventures and stuff like that. Yet - just like Michael - we can find ourselves in a situation where we have been there and done all that already. We are bored with our surroundings, our situation, and our life, basically.

So what do we do? Just like Michael, we start to touch the things we shouldn't touch and go to the places where we shouldn't go and do the things we shouldn't do. It's the only excitement we can find. It's the only new thing that we have in our life. It's the only thing that is yet unexplored. And so out of a psuedo-desperation and need - we just get ourselves into trouble.

So what should we do then? I think a simple answer might be best. Go find something else that you haven't explored - something that is good and right - and explore it. There are so many things to do in this world and so many areas that need help and so many people who are ripe for relationship that we should never be bored enough to resort to cheap and harmful amusements. You cannot tell me that you have done every adventure available on earth and explored every type of world situation and interesting facet of God's creation. No way.

So get on out there. Explore. Discover. Enjoy. Something new.

Maybe Michael will be there, too.

Arm Hair and Africa

One of my favorite things when I was in Africa was attending the nightly devotional time at the orphanage. It was an incredible time of African culture and a wonderful time with the kids and teens. It was exactly like you would think an AIDS orphanage African devotional time would be: all of us crammed into a small room lit by only one light, loud African worship songs filled with movement and singing and clapping, close community feeling, and everything else. Those nightly devotional times were some of my most memorable moments – and they were the highlight of my time in Africa.

Inside of those times, the children did something that I will never forget. As I noted before, we did not have a ton of room for our devotionals. We would basically be sitting on top of each other. Since I was the only white person there (obviously), the little children especially loved sitting next to me. And when they sat next to me, they all did the funniest thing.
None of these kids had ever seen arm hair before, and they all went crazy for it. The whole time during these devotional meetings the kids would sit next to me and play with my arm hair. They would pick at it and stroke it and pull it and feel it – they just couldn’t believe it! The first few times I was really surprised and didn’t quite know what to do. But after that, I just went with it. It actually became pretty endearing. I just got used to having the kids play with my arm hair. I actually kind of miss it, to tell the truth.

Anyways, I was just thinking about that the other day. Just thought I would share a story about Africa.

There are a lot of them.

Jesuscrat. Dumb.

Recently I read about a situation that has really gotten under my skin. The situation deals with something that happened in Caldwell, Idaho about three weeks ago. There was a small Christian conference called “Shake the Nation” that was held in a Baptist church. The speaker for the conference was a controversial preacher who spoke out for school prayer, the Ten Commandments in public places, and other high profile Christian political issues. This man and this conference instigated some contention in the area and were met with protests.

This man said something that is reminiscent of an out-of-touch, arrogant preacher during his time there. A reporter asked him “Are you a Republican or a Democrat?”. He responded with a smile, “I am a Jesuscrat!”. This is an example of an old, unwise strategy that does exactly the opposite of what it intends. Here are a couple of reasons why the last thing Christianity needs is “Jesuscrats”.

1) What’s the point?? It’s not funny. I don’t know if this guy meant it as a joke or a clever play on words, but it is not funny. So he couldn’t have meant it as a joke. Plus, who would the joke even have been directed to? Maybe – on an off chance – some terribly narrow Christians would think this is a funny play on words. But I don’t think so. So what is the point of saying this? Is this a very small attempt at humor for about 100 people that consequently ticks off about 30,000 people?
2) It doesn’t make sense. There is no such thing as a Jesuscrat. There are democrats. There are republicans. There is no such thing as a Jesuscrat. Again, I don’t know why he would say this. There is no such thing. It is simply incorrect. And still not funny or clever.
3) It’s disrespectful. This is such a disrespectful comment. It disrespects the American political process. It disrespects the true Christians who are Democrats and the true Christians who are republicans. It disrespects the entire political everything. Since you can’t really be a Jesuscrat, that would mean that you can’t vote. It’s not a political party. It’s not a viable option. It is just a big disrespect for everything dealing with the running of the American society.
4) It’s arrogant. He makes it seem like Jesus would not be either one or the other. He makes it seem like he knows more about what Jesus would want than anyone else. He makes it seem like Jesus is the only thing that should matter in any and all political dealings. It is a comment that does not bring anyone together. It is a comment that is entirely negative without any positive on the other side. It is an arrogant message that just screams out, “I am a going to totally disrespect everything you are all about to try to make a joke that only my friends will laugh at and portray that only I am living a true Christian life!!!!!”. Dumb.


The last thing Christianity needs is an arrogant, out-of-touch and incorrect representative like this man. And the last thing Christianity needs is a “Jesuscrat”.

A Coke from an African tribe...

When I was in Kenya, I went on a microfinance trip out to the rural parts of the country near a city called Kisumu. I was going to speak to a group of people from a very small village. These people had never seen a white person (musungu) before. They did not have electricity, running water, telephones, or any modern luxuries. But what they lacked materially, they made up for in charity – and they taught me the true meaning of generosity.

I stayed with the people when I was there. It was interesting to sleep in a grass hut and share life with these people for a few days. We worked together to set up a milk business. Once they received the money to buy a cow, they were going to use its milk to sell in the local market. This should bring in enough of a steady stream of money for them to be able to send their children to school. As it was now, they did not have enough money to send their kids to school. In fact, they barely had enough money for the necessities – food, clothes, medicine, etc.

But the second nite that I was there, they were unnaturally excited about something. They were just acting all excited and happy – like they had a surprise or something. So they had me come outside where they were all (like 20 people) standing. They led me to the middle of the group, and then the leader started saying something in the local language. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I was now really excited to see what was going on.

My excitement turned to humility when the leader presented me with a Coke. Their simple innocence of excitement for this Coke about broke my heart. I can’t imagine what they had to sacrifice to pay for this gift for me. I was so blown away by their generosity that I didn’t know what to say or do (although they explained that I was supposed to drink it right there in front of them while they watched!). It was just such an amazing experience. I couldn’t believe that they – living in the most extreme poverty on the earth – would be so generous as to buy me a Coke. They taught me the true meaning of generosity that day.

And they cemented it in my mind by doing it two more times after that.

Commonalities

There are basic elements of every single person on earth by which we can know the true measure of every man and woman. Even though every person on earth is different and people live in such different environments – there are things that are common to every man and woman. These things are commonalities that every man and woman on earth possesses and the measurement of us all.

The world is separated by education, technology, money, and opportunity. We cannot judge everyone on how smart they are – because not everyone has the same chance for education. We cannot measure people’s successes – because success is different for each and every person depending on where they live. We cannot measure a person based on family or children or marriage or things like that – because it is simply going to be different for each person. Who is to say if a child that is dying of AIDS in Africa is any different than a real estate agent in California? How can we measure people against each other when one person has every opportunity that North America provides and other people are offered no chance of any opportunities at all? We can only measure and judge ourselves upon all of the commonalities of man.

The first thing is attitude. Everyone in the entire world can control their own attitude. No matter if you live in America and have tons of money or if you live in Africa and have very little money or anything. Anyone can choose their own attitude. No one else can choose it for you. A bad attitude is a person’s own fault – regardless of situation. And a good attitude is a testament to the measure of that man or woman.

The second is effort. Everyone in the entire world can give all that they have for a cause or mission. Everyone in the entire world can work as hard as they can at something. Even if someone cannot work very hard due to handicap, injury, or sickness – they can still give all that they can. No matter if someone is rich or poor or wherever they are or in whatever situation they are in – everyone on the earth can give their best effort for things. No one can hold back your effort. It is entirely yours.

The final thing is love. Everyone has the ability to love. No matter what situation your life is currently in. No matter what environment you grew up in. No matter what, no matter what, no matter what – everyone in the world has the ability to love. No one can ever force you not to love. Who you love and how you love is totally up to you.

These three things are the commonalities of man. No one can force a person to do these things or not do these things. These are three things that are independent of any life situation. They are the three things that we all have in common. They are the three things that we all can control. And they are the only three things with which to universally measure a man: attitude, effort, and love.

So if these are the only three things that we all hold in common and that we all share –
how are you doing with these things?

Two Men and Peru

When I was down in Ecuador, I had an interesting experience with two men who helped me get into Peru. Looking back – well, it’s embarrassing looking back, so I try not to do it too much with this story – but looking back I would have done several things several different ways. Yet, it was still an fun couple of days.

So, basically, if you were a poor, weary traveler in Ecuador then you traveled by bus. Since I was a smart poor, weary traveler – I traveled by nite bus. The whole time I was in Ecuador I really wanted to go to the two countries that bordered us: Columbia and Peru. Columbia is a whole ‘nother story, but one weekend I did decide to go to Peru. It was about 15 hours away by bus. So early one evening I boarded a bus destined for Peru…and I was sitting next to destiny.

Actually, I wasn’t sitting next to destiny. It was more like stupidity. Actually, no, stupidity was who I met when I got off the bus. Ah, but enough attempts at humor. I digress.

In reality, I ride on this bus all nite and into the next morning. When we finally pulled up at the border of Ecuador and Peru, I pulled my sweaty self off of the seat, grabbed by way-too-big backpack, and got off the bus. Immediately when I got off the bus, I was bombarded by dozens of Peruvian men vying for my attention (and money). They all wanted to help me get across the border. So – being the innocent fresh meat that I was – I went with the guy who was yelling the loudest. That’s just the principle I live by.

Without a word he shuffled me quickly over to a waiting car. I got in the backseat and he and his friend were in the front seat. We started driving before we even started talking (not the wisest course of action). The following conversation ensued. I will translate it into English here.

Me: I need to go to Peru.
Them: Yes, yes, Peru. We will help you. Yes.
Me: So you know how to get me into Peru?
Them: Yes, yes, Peru. We will help you. We are helpers and friends.
Me: Umm, where are we going right now?
Them: (silence).

So now that I had confirmed what was going on and still very confused, we continued driving. After driving about 2 minutes through this marketplace that kept getting more narrow and more narrow, we arrived at this makeshift parking lot. From there we walked for about 40 minutes through another marketplace and to a different car. When we got in the car, the guys asked me if I had my papers. I looked blankly at them.

So after walking back to the car and driving to the Ecuadorian Immigration Office, we then drove back to the parking lot, walked the 40 minutes back to the other car, and started driving. We drove for about an hour to this small office: Peru Immigration Center. Once we got there, the guys told me that I needed to give them my passport and that they would then go and talk to their friends. At this point I still really don’t know who these guys are, I have literally no idea where we are or even what country we are in, I have no idea how to get back to Quito, and I am keeping a firm grip on my backpack and the door next to me unlocked. After much haggling, I finally gave them a copy of my passport and some American granola bars. They said this would suffice.

I sat in the car alone for about ten minutes. Then all of a sudden the two guys come back running. They sprint to the car, jump inside, and put the pedal to the metal getting out of there. At this point, I didn’t even ask what happened. I simply held onto my backpack and kept the door unlocked. But – after some more interesting maneuvers through markets and a quick business deal later – we finally made it back to the bus station. They then told me that I owed them 200 dollars each for their services. Riiiiiiight. We haggled some more and finally came to an agreement: 10 dollars each…and another granola bar.

Guys, which hero would you want to be?

Okay, here is a really interesting question that I have been thinking about lately. If you could be any of the movie/literature heroes out there, guys - which one would you want to be? (p.s. this is a very different question than determining which is your favorite superhero. There are a lot of different factors that come into play here).

Indiana Jones - He's an archeologist. He is a professor. He has a doctrate degree. He is pretty cool and does something that almost nobody else does in the world. It's kind of a cool gig.

Batman - Batman would be pretty cool. First of all, he's loaded. He has like billions of dollars and kind of runs this huge company. He fights crime with thousands of cool gadgets at nite, and he has Alfred basically do everything for him.

Jack Ryan - This is an interesting one. Jack Ryan is doing very well financially. He is basically a genius. He has a habit of getting himself into sticky but awesome situations that have a large stake in world government. He works for the CIA. He has a great family.

Harry Potter - You might not put this one in there, but I think that it is a good one. He has a ton of money (wizard money, but still). He has all kinds of powers. He has a cool scar on his head and an awesome history/lineage. He has all kinds of adventures and gets himself into the most interesting and cool stories.

Neo - This one would be kind of cool. First of all, he is the "One". That is cool. He can do basically anything in two different worlds. He is very cool, and he has a dedicated girlfriend.

Ethan Hunt - He has almost any resource that he needs. He is kind of a like a hero-consultant who doesn't have to work all the time. He can do almost anything. And he is generally pretty cool.

Jack Bauer - Ummm, need I say anything more?

Jason Bourne - He can literally do anything...at any time. He is awesome. He can disappear. He can figure out any situation. And he seems like a pretty good guy.

Spiderman - He is a scientist. He has a very cool girlfriend. He is a good guy who is naturally humble. He has a crappy job, but he also doesn't need much. Oh, yeah, and he is Spiderman.

Superman - He is a newspaper reporter. He has a great family (even though he is an alien). He has a killer body (p.s. what would happen if he got fat? Would his fat be bulletproof?). He can fly. Oh, yeah, and he can fly.

So just from these guys there is a lot to choose from. You could be someone who has super-human abilities. You could be someone who is filthy rich. You could be someone with a family or without. You could have all kinds of cool adventures or you could have the regular adventures.

Which one would you want to be?

Moments.

There are certain times in life that can only be classified as “moments”. These are things when it almost seems like God is smiling down upon you. It is an accumulation of a lot of hard work and effort that materializes itself in one well-deserved moment. It is a time when the best parts of you all come together in a moment that you will never forget.

These are the “moments” of life.

A friend recently had one of these moments. He was retiring from a job that he had dedicated himself to for the past 15 years. He might not have been fully appreciated during this time, but – as he was in his final days – people realized just how much he had done for this organization. All of his hard work, great successes, and wonderful relationships all came together in a retirement ceremony held in his honor. I watched as a throng of people stood in line to shake his hand and thank him. He had all of his family around him. He was playing with his grandchildren and having funny banter with his wife. He was enjoying the fruits of his labor, being blessed by the relationships he had developed, and humbly reveling in the work that he did exactly where God wanted him to do it. He was having a “moment”.

These moments are things to pursue in the future and things to hang onto from the past. They build a foundation of faithfulness from God, and they provide the motivation for service to the Lord, as well. Every life can be full of these moments. But, sadly, many lives do not have near enough. How can people make sure that their lives are full of these moments? Have you ever had one of these moments?

Work hard. Love people. Trust God. He will bless you in big and small ways. Your moment may be different than everybody else’s moment. It will be special for you. Work hard for it. Look for it. Live fully in the midst of it. And hang on to it afterwards. These moments are special things in life. They are some of the most special things in life. Praise that Lord.

For My Mom...

With mother’s day being today, this is a blog post for my mom.

Literally, if there was an award for Best Mom in the World – my mom would probably win it. And anyone who knows my mom would definitely agree, too. Simply put, my mom is an amazing mom. She is just the best mom in the world. Actually, I would even put her up against the moms on Mars and Venus and Pluto and other planets. I think that my mom is the greatest mom in the universe!

But some of you might not know why my mom is so great. Let me just tell a couple of quick things about my mom that make her so great. First, my mom is so good at anticipating needs. I can’t even explain how great she is at helping people before they even ask and being there for people simply based on seeing a need. She meets people’s needs without making them feel badly or embarrassed. Basically, I think my mom is so great at anticipating people’s needs because she is so in tune with people. It has been a lifelong example for me, and I hope I can be half the helper that my mother is.

Also, another thing that makes my mom great is her ability to always be there. One of the things that I looked forward to the most when I came back from Ecuador and from Kenya was simply seeing my mom. I knew she would be there for me. I knew she would just be mom. That was one of the things that I knew I could depend on. And my return from Ecuador is still one of my favorite moments with my mom. She is just always there for me – no matter where I am. I love my mom.

(And, yes, I really did write this blog for my mom. Although I have to print it off and give it to her…because she has no idea what a blog is.)