In our friday morning free store conversation we had a group of college students from the University of North Carolina join us. They were doing community service hours for credit in classes they are taking in ethics and philosophy taught by our friend and their teacher Ellyn Ritterskamp. So before we put them to work cleaning the store, organizing donations, and making sandwiches for lunch we got into a discussion about our consumer culture and its impact on our lives.
We started the conversation with the question about what are some of the negative effects on our lives of our consumer culture. As there were some business majors with us we thought someone might challenge the assumption that consumerism is a bad thing. However, no one did so we proceeded with our assumption that most of us probably have more stuff than we need and could get by with a bit less. We all laughed when somone suggested a new free store tag line, "Stop buying shit. Shop at the free store."
Ellyn suggested that we could do something as simple as get a library card as a way to check our consumeristic habits. She said that as a result of doing this a few years back she had saved money and was able to limit her purchases to books that she would go back to multiple times.
Our friend Mark told us about a bartering system in Charlotte about 10 years ago. He said that he did some home renovation work for a local doctor in exhange for cancer treatments. He said that this really helped him at the time and that he actually walked away from the deal cancer free and with some money to spare.
Someone else told us about being involved in a project in which a company donated personal hygiene products that were then shipped overseas. Another friend shared how her dad would take produce from his farm that he was not able to sell and donate it to a local food kitchen. She told us that it was very satisfying to know that you could give something that could help someone else.
Someone shared about watching a YouTube clip of the actor Peter Coyote talking about a free store art project in LA in the 1960's. He made the point that enough goods are manufactured in the world that every person could have everything they need to live but money creates scarcity.
We concluded our discussion by talking about the importance of finding creative and relational ways to share the wealth and abundance in our world.
If You're Not Living on the Edge You're Taking Up Too Much Space
4.01.2011
How We Live is the Ultimate Expression of What We Believe
On Thursday morning our friend George Dunn led us in a great discussion about the importance of living the truth and not just talking about it. As one of our friends says, "Don't just talk good news, be good news." George told us about a time in his life when he talked a lot about the bible and theology but didn't practice it. He told us about how a friend had challenged him at one point to live the truth that he claimed to believe. Although he didn't like the advice it made an impression on him and helped him to become a more authentic individual. And from our experience George is a very authentic character.
At this point Shawn asked the question about why so much of the bible depicts a violent God that commands people to be destroyed and punishes those that disobey. He asked us to pray for him as he was really struggling to understand this. Someone said that was a great question and there were no simple answers to it. George said that we just don't know the answer to that question which many of us found resfreshingly honest. Someone quoted Bono who says, "Jacob wrestled the angel, and the angel was overcome." We talked about how it could seem easier to just turn back from the struggles involved in honestly facing hard questions. The tension between faith and reason, between rationality and spirituality tempts us to choose easy answers but it is far more rewarding to live with the tension. It may be difficult to wrestle the angel but we encouraged our friend to keep struggling as the rewards far outweigh the difficulties.
At this point in our discussion the question came up about terrorists that kill in the name of God. Someone suggested that every religion has its extremists that will use violence against others if given the chance. Another friend said that the commandment against killing was based on the reality that human beings are in the image of God and that to kill another person is an attack against the divine reality at the heart of the universe. We talked about how even in cases where killing can be justified, like warfare and self-defense, it does something to a person when they take the life of another human being. Someone said that this is why soldiers coming home from the battlefield can have such problems adjusting to civilian life.
We also talked about the significance of creative, non-violent ways to deal with the problems in our world. Someone mentioned the importance of people like Martin Luther King and Gandhi for their non-violent approach in confronting injustice and bringing about positive change. Our friend Shawn reminded us that Malcolm X had also brought about positive change even though he chose the violent path.
As our conversation came to an end George reminded us that how we live is ultimately an expression of what we really believe. We found that message both challenging and encouraging.
At this point Shawn asked the question about why so much of the bible depicts a violent God that commands people to be destroyed and punishes those that disobey. He asked us to pray for him as he was really struggling to understand this. Someone said that was a great question and there were no simple answers to it. George said that we just don't know the answer to that question which many of us found resfreshingly honest. Someone quoted Bono who says, "Jacob wrestled the angel, and the angel was overcome." We talked about how it could seem easier to just turn back from the struggles involved in honestly facing hard questions. The tension between faith and reason, between rationality and spirituality tempts us to choose easy answers but it is far more rewarding to live with the tension. It may be difficult to wrestle the angel but we encouraged our friend to keep struggling as the rewards far outweigh the difficulties.
At this point in our discussion the question came up about terrorists that kill in the name of God. Someone suggested that every religion has its extremists that will use violence against others if given the chance. Another friend said that the commandment against killing was based on the reality that human beings are in the image of God and that to kill another person is an attack against the divine reality at the heart of the universe. We talked about how even in cases where killing can be justified, like warfare and self-defense, it does something to a person when they take the life of another human being. Someone said that this is why soldiers coming home from the battlefield can have such problems adjusting to civilian life.
We also talked about the significance of creative, non-violent ways to deal with the problems in our world. Someone mentioned the importance of people like Martin Luther King and Gandhi for their non-violent approach in confronting injustice and bringing about positive change. Our friend Shawn reminded us that Malcolm X had also brought about positive change even though he chose the violent path.
As our conversation came to an end George reminded us that how we live is ultimately an expression of what we really believe. We found that message both challenging and encouraging.
3.31.2011
Can Rules Make Us Right With God?
In our free store conversation on Wednesday morning Carlos led us in another fascinating and fun discussion of a passage in Galatians 4. Although before we got started we had a bit of fun at Sheila's expense when a rather unpleasant sound came from her direction. She immediately blamed it on the chair which got us all laughing and it took a while for us to settle down enough to resume the discussion.
Carlos started the conversation with the observation that the Apostle Paul was mad at his friends because they were reverting to behaviors that were not consistent with their freedom in Christ. Sheila thought that freedom was a very good thing. We also found it refreshing to see such a human side of such a "holy man." We talked a bit about the importance of being completely honest about ourselves and our lives and not putting so much importance on our image or appearance. This led Sheila to share a bit about her experience of being homeless a couple years ago. She talked about how it was something you could never really understand unless you have gone through it. She told us about watching someone eat a hamburger and not being able to get one for herself and how helpless she felt.
Carlos observed how it was very common for people to try to gain God's and other people's approval through the things they do. We talked about the different kinds of things that people think are required to get right with God, like tithing, or going to church, or getting baptized, or believing a certain set of doctrines. But none of those things get to the heart of what really matters about life. We also talked about how all of those actions can be performed without the need for faith at all. One of our friends brought up the example of how we will often promise to do things for God if God will do certain things for us. George said he prayed like that many times when he was in prison.
Someone said that since every person reflects the image of God that when we do harm to ourselves or others we are actually hurting God. It is an amazing thing to recognize that each person is an extension of the divine being. One of our friends talked about a Christian group that goes to the funerals of gay military personnel and condemns them to hell for their homosexuality. He said that he thought this was showing disrespect for God.
As our discussion moved to a conclusion someone asked the question, "Why are people so attracted to religious groups that focus on the rules?" Someone suggested that maybe it is easier to focus on specific rules rather than embrace some vague thing like love as a guide for our actions. Carlos thought it was an excellent question and hoped we could talk more about it in future conversations.
Carlos started the conversation with the observation that the Apostle Paul was mad at his friends because they were reverting to behaviors that were not consistent with their freedom in Christ. Sheila thought that freedom was a very good thing. We also found it refreshing to see such a human side of such a "holy man." We talked a bit about the importance of being completely honest about ourselves and our lives and not putting so much importance on our image or appearance. This led Sheila to share a bit about her experience of being homeless a couple years ago. She talked about how it was something you could never really understand unless you have gone through it. She told us about watching someone eat a hamburger and not being able to get one for herself and how helpless she felt.
Carlos observed how it was very common for people to try to gain God's and other people's approval through the things they do. We talked about the different kinds of things that people think are required to get right with God, like tithing, or going to church, or getting baptized, or believing a certain set of doctrines. But none of those things get to the heart of what really matters about life. We also talked about how all of those actions can be performed without the need for faith at all. One of our friends brought up the example of how we will often promise to do things for God if God will do certain things for us. George said he prayed like that many times when he was in prison.
Someone said that since every person reflects the image of God that when we do harm to ourselves or others we are actually hurting God. It is an amazing thing to recognize that each person is an extension of the divine being. One of our friends talked about a Christian group that goes to the funerals of gay military personnel and condemns them to hell for their homosexuality. He said that he thought this was showing disrespect for God.
As our discussion moved to a conclusion someone asked the question, "Why are people so attracted to religious groups that focus on the rules?" Someone suggested that maybe it is easier to focus on specific rules rather than embrace some vague thing like love as a guide for our actions. Carlos thought it was an excellent question and hoped we could talk more about it in future conversations.
3.30.2011
Real, Raw & Messy
In our free store conversation yesterday the issue of the law/the don't system came up yet again. As a group we apparently have some issues with authority and mechanisms of social control. We talked about how even Jesus didn't blindly follow the laws of his own people and nation. Someone suggested that Jesus wasn't the nice guy that is depicted in much of the traditional church artwork. Unlike most nice guys he managed to make a lot of enemies among the law and order crowd and was eventually crucified among rogues.
We agreed that society could not function without law because many people have not grown up beyond their childish need for rules to govern them. This led us to talk about our own experiences with the law. One of our friends said that the police in the small town where he grew up knew him by name and would pull him over and search his 1968 Camaro on a regular basis. George said that at one point in his life he would fight the police and that he was so strong and wiry that he made it difficult for them to control him. He also told us about getting into a fight with a police officer and having the opportunity to grab the officer's gun and shoot him but didn't do it. Curtis told us that in his experience breaking the law had brought him a lot of pain and heartache.
Sheila said she had always been a good girl and never got in any trouble. We didn't entirely believe this but without witnesses we had no way to dispute it. Although some of us have seen her do an Oyster Shooter at Boardwalk Billy's so we were fairly certain she wasn't telling the whole truth.
We also talked about how not all laws are just and some laws should be opposed. Someone said it was a good thing that people have opposed the slave laws in our own American history or their would still be slavery in this country today. Someone else suggested that drug laws seem to target the poor and the addicts rather than the wealthy dealers and corporate fat cats that smuggle them into the country. This led one of our friends to quote the lines from a metal song by System of a Down/B.y.o.b, "Why don't presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?" It seemed to us that many laws simply protect the interests of the rich while furthering the oppression of the poor.
Our conversation ended with a bit of a discussion about how keeping the rules might make a person a good citizen but it doesn't mean that you would want that person as a friend. Someone said that the Pharisees in Jesus day probably didn't throw very good parties which gave us a good laugh. And we all agreed that people that play it by the book all the time aren't that much fun to be around. Apparently our free store group likes things a bit real and raw and messy!
We agreed that society could not function without law because many people have not grown up beyond their childish need for rules to govern them. This led us to talk about our own experiences with the law. One of our friends said that the police in the small town where he grew up knew him by name and would pull him over and search his 1968 Camaro on a regular basis. George said that at one point in his life he would fight the police and that he was so strong and wiry that he made it difficult for them to control him. He also told us about getting into a fight with a police officer and having the opportunity to grab the officer's gun and shoot him but didn't do it. Curtis told us that in his experience breaking the law had brought him a lot of pain and heartache.
Sheila said she had always been a good girl and never got in any trouble. We didn't entirely believe this but without witnesses we had no way to dispute it. Although some of us have seen her do an Oyster Shooter at Boardwalk Billy's so we were fairly certain she wasn't telling the whole truth.
We also talked about how not all laws are just and some laws should be opposed. Someone said it was a good thing that people have opposed the slave laws in our own American history or their would still be slavery in this country today. Someone else suggested that drug laws seem to target the poor and the addicts rather than the wealthy dealers and corporate fat cats that smuggle them into the country. This led one of our friends to quote the lines from a metal song by System of a Down/B.y.o.b, "Why don't presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?" It seemed to us that many laws simply protect the interests of the rich while furthering the oppression of the poor.
Our conversation ended with a bit of a discussion about how keeping the rules might make a person a good citizen but it doesn't mean that you would want that person as a friend. Someone said that the Pharisees in Jesus day probably didn't throw very good parties which gave us a good laugh. And we all agreed that people that play it by the book all the time aren't that much fun to be around. Apparently our free store group likes things a bit real and raw and messy!
3.29.2011
Give Your Life Some Flavor and Live Out Loud
We had a lively free store conversation on Saturday morning about the importance of being an individual and not fearing what others think of us. The discussion started with an exploration of what Jesus might have meant when he told his friends that they were the “salt” and the “light” of the world. None of us knew much about salt but we agreed that it definitely added flavor to otherwise bland foods. We also talked about how salt that loses its saltiness isn't good for much. We discussed how difficult it is when a person loses their mojo and becomes depressed and feels worthless. Several people said that had happened to them but that it is possible to get it back which we found very encouraging.
Someone made the observation that our friend George uses a lot of salt which made us laugh. Someone else noticed that some of our friends use large amounts of sugar in their coffee as well. This got us talking about some of the flavorful characters we know.
Characters are welcome at the free store and we have met some very salty friends over the two years we have been at Area 15. One of our favorites is our friend Billy that used to sit at our table and write out his “Homeless, Hungry, Please Help” sign and would then wink at us as he left the store and say he was “going to use my credit card.” We agreed that such friends have made our lives much richer by their presence so we hesitate to even call them poor anymore.
Someone suggested that it is very important that we express our individuality and not live in fear of what others might think of us. We talked a bit about how we tend to stifle our individuality so that we can fit in with others. Maybe we don’t really say what we are thinking because we are afraid of what others might think about it. Or maybe we try not to be noticed because we are afraid that we might attract some negative attention. Or maybe we don’t try something that we would really like to do because we don’t want to be criticized. We agreed that this was not a particularly satisfying way to live. Someone suggested that we should take some risks because “if we aren’t living on the edge we are taking up too much space.” For some reason that gave us all a good laugh, even the guys that walked in off the street just for a hot cup of coffee before moving on.
We moved on in the discussion to talk about what it might mean to be the light of the world. Someone suggested that light was vital to life. We thought that gave great significance to our lives. We talked about how light does not exist to be hidden but to be seen and to light up the surrounding darkness. Someone mentioned the way that a room can light up when someone that you really care about prances in.
There is an old Jewish proverb that says, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Although it might be gratifying and a bit therapeutic to occasionally rail at a cold, dark universe it is ultimately better to get about letting our inner light shine into the dark places of our world.
Someone made the observation that our friend George uses a lot of salt which made us laugh. Someone else noticed that some of our friends use large amounts of sugar in their coffee as well. This got us talking about some of the flavorful characters we know.
Characters are welcome at the free store and we have met some very salty friends over the two years we have been at Area 15. One of our favorites is our friend Billy that used to sit at our table and write out his “Homeless, Hungry, Please Help” sign and would then wink at us as he left the store and say he was “going to use my credit card.” We agreed that such friends have made our lives much richer by their presence so we hesitate to even call them poor anymore.
Someone suggested that it is very important that we express our individuality and not live in fear of what others might think of us. We talked a bit about how we tend to stifle our individuality so that we can fit in with others. Maybe we don’t really say what we are thinking because we are afraid of what others might think about it. Or maybe we try not to be noticed because we are afraid that we might attract some negative attention. Or maybe we don’t try something that we would really like to do because we don’t want to be criticized. We agreed that this was not a particularly satisfying way to live. Someone suggested that we should take some risks because “if we aren’t living on the edge we are taking up too much space.” For some reason that gave us all a good laugh, even the guys that walked in off the street just for a hot cup of coffee before moving on.
We moved on in the discussion to talk about what it might mean to be the light of the world. Someone suggested that light was vital to life. We thought that gave great significance to our lives. We talked about how light does not exist to be hidden but to be seen and to light up the surrounding darkness. Someone mentioned the way that a room can light up when someone that you really care about prances in.
There is an old Jewish proverb that says, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Although it might be gratifying and a bit therapeutic to occasionally rail at a cold, dark universe it is ultimately better to get about letting our inner light shine into the dark places of our world.
3.27.2011
Good Things Can Come Out of Bad Situations
In our conversation on Friday morning we talked about some of Jesus' sayings that are commonly known as the beatitudes. He says things like "blessed are the poor" and "blessed are those that mourn." We agreed that these are difficult sayings, not so much because we don't understand them, but because they sort of rub us the wrong way. We imagined it might be like the feeling a cat would have if we petted its fur from the tail end toward the head rather than stroking it the other way.
We found it interesting that Jesus said that things we view as bad actually contain a blessing. The question came up about what could possibly be good about being poor. Linda suggested that when you are poor you appreciate things more and that you learn that money can't buy the things that are really important in life. And George shared how he learned how to paint with pastels when he was in prison (he was taught the technique by a man on death row). So we had to acknowledge that good things can come out of bad situations.
Someone said that maybe "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, because there is more crap over there." We thought this was funny. We talked about how sometimes things can get so bad that we might be tempted to give up. Linda told us that she had reached that point last February and had tried to commit suicide. She took 45 pills and then went and lay down in a cemetary to die where no one would bother her. She lay there for hours experiencing frightening hallucinations. But she also remembered praying to God that she had made a mistake and that she wanted to live. Amazingly she woke up hours later and then admitted herself into a 30 day treatment program.
We also discussed a bit about the saying, "blessed are the peacemakers." We talked about how the government spends so much money on weapons (56% of the national budget on defense) and so little on peace. Someone said that peacemaking is harder than troublemaking. Linda told us that someone had ripped the top of her tent in the night and that she woke up half wet the next morning. At this George told us about a man he knew in prison named "Mule-Head" Hunt. This man was on death row for the murder of over 30 people. We realized what a difficult and yet extraordinary thing it is to make peace in a world filled with so much violent and destructive behavior.
In closing we decided it was encouraging to know that we could find blessings even in midst of all the crap in our world and in our lives!
We found it interesting that Jesus said that things we view as bad actually contain a blessing. The question came up about what could possibly be good about being poor. Linda suggested that when you are poor you appreciate things more and that you learn that money can't buy the things that are really important in life. And George shared how he learned how to paint with pastels when he was in prison (he was taught the technique by a man on death row). So we had to acknowledge that good things can come out of bad situations.
Someone said that maybe "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, because there is more crap over there." We thought this was funny. We talked about how sometimes things can get so bad that we might be tempted to give up. Linda told us that she had reached that point last February and had tried to commit suicide. She took 45 pills and then went and lay down in a cemetary to die where no one would bother her. She lay there for hours experiencing frightening hallucinations. But she also remembered praying to God that she had made a mistake and that she wanted to live. Amazingly she woke up hours later and then admitted herself into a 30 day treatment program.
We also discussed a bit about the saying, "blessed are the peacemakers." We talked about how the government spends so much money on weapons (56% of the national budget on defense) and so little on peace. Someone said that peacemaking is harder than troublemaking. Linda told us that someone had ripped the top of her tent in the night and that she woke up half wet the next morning. At this George told us about a man he knew in prison named "Mule-Head" Hunt. This man was on death row for the murder of over 30 people. We realized what a difficult and yet extraordinary thing it is to make peace in a world filled with so much violent and destructive behavior.
In closing we decided it was encouraging to know that we could find blessings even in midst of all the crap in our world and in our lives!
3.25.2011
Dream Big and Live Large
In our conversation Wednesday morning we talked a bit more about the "Don't System." This is a major theme of the book of Galatians that Carlos has been leading us through when he is with us. We have learned that the law/don't system isn't bad in itself but that it is designed for children rather than mature adults. And that we can't really form good friendships on the basis of what we don't do to people although that can be a good start.
We had a bit of fun exploring the don't system when someone suggested that it includes things like, "Don't pick your nose." Sheila said that it's ok to pick your nose but just "don't show it to anyone." We got a good laugh at this. Carlos pointed out how ridiculous it is for us to try to gain God's approval either through the things we don't do or through the things that we do.
We talked about how there would be no need for the don't system if people would just respect and love each other. We wondered if there would even be a need for prisons in a world where people had grown up into mature adults. Carlos suggested that it is not a very good sign in a relationship when we start to say things like, "Don't you treat me like that."
Somehow we got into a bit of a discussion about sibling rivalry. We talked about how kids will often compete for a parent's approval. Someone also said that this same thing happens in religious groups that act like they are in a competition for God's approval by either not doing certain things or by doing things better than other groups. This seemed a bit ridiculous to us and yet we all knew from experience that it happened.
As our conversation wrapped up we turned toward the idea of what kinds of things we could do to be better friends to each other. Our friend Cheronne told us about how he was confronted the night before by some guys that insulted and physically threatened him because he was different. He said that he wasn't going to let this bother him because he was going to change the world even though he didn't know exactly how. We discovered that Cheronne has a non-profit organization called The Who We Are Movement and he also has a FB page called Difference Makers. His youthful optimism made us smile but we all encouraged him to do just that and to not let the harsh realities of life keep him from dreaming big and living large!
We had a bit of fun exploring the don't system when someone suggested that it includes things like, "Don't pick your nose." Sheila said that it's ok to pick your nose but just "don't show it to anyone." We got a good laugh at this. Carlos pointed out how ridiculous it is for us to try to gain God's approval either through the things we don't do or through the things that we do.
We talked about how there would be no need for the don't system if people would just respect and love each other. We wondered if there would even be a need for prisons in a world where people had grown up into mature adults. Carlos suggested that it is not a very good sign in a relationship when we start to say things like, "Don't you treat me like that."
Somehow we got into a bit of a discussion about sibling rivalry. We talked about how kids will often compete for a parent's approval. Someone also said that this same thing happens in religious groups that act like they are in a competition for God's approval by either not doing certain things or by doing things better than other groups. This seemed a bit ridiculous to us and yet we all knew from experience that it happened.
As our conversation wrapped up we turned toward the idea of what kinds of things we could do to be better friends to each other. Our friend Cheronne told us about how he was confronted the night before by some guys that insulted and physically threatened him because he was different. He said that he wasn't going to let this bother him because he was going to change the world even though he didn't know exactly how. We discovered that Cheronne has a non-profit organization called The Who We Are Movement and he also has a FB page called Difference Makers. His youthful optimism made us smile but we all encouraged him to do just that and to not let the harsh realities of life keep him from dreaming big and living large!
3.22.2011
Be Extraordinary!
In our free store conversation on Saturday morning we talked about some of the things Jesus said in one of his most famous sermons that we know as the sermon on the mount. We noted that just like Moses received the ten commandments on mount Sinai and brought them down to the people (who were in the act of breaking them, which for some reason made us laugh) so Jesus brings something new to the people from the Mount of Olives. "You have heard" but "I say."
We talked a bit about how Jesus was not stuck in tradition but was very open to new ideas and new ways of looking at things and doing things. The question came up why people tend to cling to the old way and reject the new. Someone said that maybe we just get comfortable with doing things in a certain way and so we can be threatened by change.
We grappled with what Jesus meant when he said, "love your enemies." Well actually we didn't grapple with it because it seemed very clear but we thought it was a bit crazy if not impossible to put into practice. Our friend Dave suggested this was like a saying he heard about keeping your friends close but your enemies closer. Debbie later told me that this was a line out of "The Godfather." It made me smile to think of Marlon Brandon with his slow forceful drawl quoting Jesus to his slow-witted and brutal associates! We did agree that Jesus was calling us to go beyond the social norm when dealing with people. If even "tax-collectors" and "pagans" can love their neighbors how hard can that be!
We talked about how it is fairly easy to be friendly to people that are friendly to us (unless it is too early in the morning and the person is too damn chipper!). And it is not that hard to love the people that love us. Although someone mentioned that we are not always open to receive the love that other people want to give us. So in effect we felt that Jesus was telling us to go beyond the social norm in our dealings with people. We talked about how sometimes it is the hard things in life that are the most worth doing. In the movie A League of Their Own the star baseball player quits before the final game because "it's too hard," to which the coach says, "If it was easy everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great."
At this point Dave told us a story about when he was younger and spent fifty bucks to ride a horse that ended up bucking him off and giving him a very sore backside. Apparently he was trying to impress some girls. Someone also shared a story about our friend Jonathan who did an amazing canon ball when he was five years old in a diving contest. Unfortunately he did it before the judges were ready and ended up losing the competition to a pretty little four year old that most likely won it on the strength of her cute looks. We weren't exactly sure how these stories fit in but they were entertaining and we enjoyed them a great deal.
In wrapping things up we talked about how we thought that Jesus was calling us to go beyond the ordinary and to become extraordinary people. We think he was telling us to do the hard thing and love even our enemies rather than just taking the easy "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" approach to relationships. It felt good to know that we could be extraordinary!
We talked a bit about how Jesus was not stuck in tradition but was very open to new ideas and new ways of looking at things and doing things. The question came up why people tend to cling to the old way and reject the new. Someone said that maybe we just get comfortable with doing things in a certain way and so we can be threatened by change.
We grappled with what Jesus meant when he said, "love your enemies." Well actually we didn't grapple with it because it seemed very clear but we thought it was a bit crazy if not impossible to put into practice. Our friend Dave suggested this was like a saying he heard about keeping your friends close but your enemies closer. Debbie later told me that this was a line out of "The Godfather." It made me smile to think of Marlon Brandon with his slow forceful drawl quoting Jesus to his slow-witted and brutal associates! We did agree that Jesus was calling us to go beyond the social norm when dealing with people. If even "tax-collectors" and "pagans" can love their neighbors how hard can that be!
We talked about how it is fairly easy to be friendly to people that are friendly to us (unless it is too early in the morning and the person is too damn chipper!). And it is not that hard to love the people that love us. Although someone mentioned that we are not always open to receive the love that other people want to give us. So in effect we felt that Jesus was telling us to go beyond the social norm in our dealings with people. We talked about how sometimes it is the hard things in life that are the most worth doing. In the movie A League of Their Own the star baseball player quits before the final game because "it's too hard," to which the coach says, "If it was easy everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great."
At this point Dave told us a story about when he was younger and spent fifty bucks to ride a horse that ended up bucking him off and giving him a very sore backside. Apparently he was trying to impress some girls. Someone also shared a story about our friend Jonathan who did an amazing canon ball when he was five years old in a diving contest. Unfortunately he did it before the judges were ready and ended up losing the competition to a pretty little four year old that most likely won it on the strength of her cute looks. We weren't exactly sure how these stories fit in but they were entertaining and we enjoyed them a great deal.
In wrapping things up we talked about how we thought that Jesus was calling us to go beyond the ordinary and to become extraordinary people. We think he was telling us to do the hard thing and love even our enemies rather than just taking the easy "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" approach to relationships. It felt good to know that we could be extraordinary!
3.19.2011
Is It Really Possible to Live Without Worry?
In our free store conversation on Friday morning we talked about some of the things Jesus said in Matthew 6. It struck us as pretty radical that he basically told people, "Don't worry." We joked about how if anybody else would say that to us we would probably think they were a bit crazy. We agreed that it seems very unrealistic to tell people not to worry. But we knew that Jesus didn't say this because he had a soft cushy life with nothing to worry about.
We also talked about how he didn't just say, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Jesus actually told people not to worry about the big stuff, like eating and drinking, and having clothing and shelter, or about the future. So we talked a bit about the things that had us worried and kept us awake at night. Linda said that she often worried about being attacked in her tent at night, either by wild animals or those with "two legs." Then she shared with us how a little mouse had come to her tent last night and it made her feel good that someone cared about her. Tony said that he worried about his aging parents and his 18-year old daughter and her future. At this heads were nodding in agreement so others were also worried about their families. George said that he worried about getting his driver's license and his GED and having to go back on the street if his roomates move and he loses his room. Someone mentioned how worried the people in Japan must be today. It was sobering to realize all of the serious things that people have to worry about in our world.
At this point in our discussion we wondered how Jesus could tell people not to worry. And we discovered that his logic was fairly simple but that didn't mean it was easy to accept or put into practice. He said that we don't have to worry because we can trust in a God that cares for us as well as all of the natural world. And he also said that worry was not profitable because it doesn't add anything to our lives (not even an inch to our height which we thought was a very clever way to make the point!). If anything worry can be destructive rather than constructive. Linda shared how her mind snapped and she became severely depressed and had to be hospitalized because of anxiety at one point in her life.
Near the end of our conversation the question came up about what would be the perfect worry free day? George said that would be a day that he could mow seven lawns which the rest of us then teased him about. But George said that he felt best when he could keep busy. Someone else said it would be a day on the beach listening to the waves lap the sand with the warm sun shining down. Linda said that she hadn't been to the beach in ten years. And then Rick shared about a time he fell asleep on the beach and ended up with a blistering sunburn! But we all agreed that a day on the beach is overall a pretty good day.
Interestely, we all seemed to feel a little more relaxed and less stressed after talking about these things. We decided that although Jesus sayings can be very radical and challenging they also contain profound wisdom that can really make our lives better.
We also talked about how he didn't just say, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Jesus actually told people not to worry about the big stuff, like eating and drinking, and having clothing and shelter, or about the future. So we talked a bit about the things that had us worried and kept us awake at night. Linda said that she often worried about being attacked in her tent at night, either by wild animals or those with "two legs." Then she shared with us how a little mouse had come to her tent last night and it made her feel good that someone cared about her. Tony said that he worried about his aging parents and his 18-year old daughter and her future. At this heads were nodding in agreement so others were also worried about their families. George said that he worried about getting his driver's license and his GED and having to go back on the street if his roomates move and he loses his room. Someone mentioned how worried the people in Japan must be today. It was sobering to realize all of the serious things that people have to worry about in our world.
At this point in our discussion we wondered how Jesus could tell people not to worry. And we discovered that his logic was fairly simple but that didn't mean it was easy to accept or put into practice. He said that we don't have to worry because we can trust in a God that cares for us as well as all of the natural world. And he also said that worry was not profitable because it doesn't add anything to our lives (not even an inch to our height which we thought was a very clever way to make the point!). If anything worry can be destructive rather than constructive. Linda shared how her mind snapped and she became severely depressed and had to be hospitalized because of anxiety at one point in her life.
Near the end of our conversation the question came up about what would be the perfect worry free day? George said that would be a day that he could mow seven lawns which the rest of us then teased him about. But George said that he felt best when he could keep busy. Someone else said it would be a day on the beach listening to the waves lap the sand with the warm sun shining down. Linda said that she hadn't been to the beach in ten years. And then Rick shared about a time he fell asleep on the beach and ended up with a blistering sunburn! But we all agreed that a day on the beach is overall a pretty good day.
Interestely, we all seemed to feel a little more relaxed and less stressed after talking about these things. We decided that although Jesus sayings can be very radical and challenging they also contain profound wisdom that can really make our lives better.
3.18.2011
What On Earth Is God Doing? (by George Dunn)
I recently heard a marvelous story. A little 6 year old girl was in a drawing lesson. She was in the back of the room. She hardly ever paid attention in class but was doing so this time. The teacher was fascinated and walked over to her and asked, “What are you drawing?” And the girl said, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” The teacher said, “But nobody knows what God looks like!” To which the girl replied, “They will in a minute!”
I'm reminded that Jesus was asked by his guys, his students (disciples), "Show us the Father?!" In a nutshell His response was: “He who has seen me has seen the Father."
Whew, this adds a new dimension to the little girls’ story. If "He" (Jesus), who we say is very God, lives His life in and through us, perhaps the only way the world can see Him, is by looking at us. As if to say, “Want to know what God is like? Wondering what on earth God is doing! “Look at me!” We are his picture!
How does the world see God? And…What on earth is God doing? This question is the beginning, for me, of a new journey of exploration, contemplation and especially self examination.
I can tell you from experience that lately God has been doing some stuff. Just yesterday He spent some time with His friends Dennis and Paul and with his wife Nancy, talking about responding to homelessness, poverty and the needs of those in our community. Later, He helped his wife pack and get ready for her trip and yes, God IS married. Later, God spent time purchasing and programming a new cell phone for Nancy’s trip to Michigan and ordering Nancy’s special vitamins and protein foods to be delivered to where she will be staying. Later He (in me) made and confirmed Nancy’s rent-a-car and Hotel reservations. God even washed some of her clothes – reluctantly. Earlier, that morning, God spent some time at the Free Store in downtown Charlotte. It is run by his friend Paul Fisher. As He does every week, God conducted a devotional bible study with some homeless folks and fed them donuts and coffee instead of loaves and fishes. Around noon He (God in me) had lunch at Dim Sum with Dennis, Paul and Nancy. Together they had a lively theological discussion. God, it seems, is quite fond of Chinese food – especially sweet and sour pork! Oops, not kosher. It’s worth noting that He left the waitress a very generous tip. God is not cheap! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He loves to give and He wants you to have your best life NOW!
In the early evening God spent a lot time just relaxing. He rested from his labors. Later in the evening it became evident that God is fond of Netflix! He especially enjoys reruns of the TV series 24! He and Jack Bauer are in the same business – saving the world! After watching episodes for much of the evening - God (in Christ, in me) undertook reading and responding to some spiritual e-mails. Then He did some blogging and of course journaling followed by prayer! Amen! God is good! Then He curled up with a good “Christian” book by theologian Howard Snyder. As you probably know, God is very keen on intellectual and theological writings and discussions. He religiously spends countless hours daily in such pursuits. About midnight, God was seen asleep in his favorite chair with his feet propped up on his favorite ottoman.
Just this moment it struck me that I may have to rethink this, see God or Jesus by looking at me stuff. I’m somewhat uncomfortable with this new revelation. It seems like strange fire – not very evangelical. Right now I find myself in uncharted theological waters. I’m feeling uncomfortable with this new faith. “Want to see God look at me” sounds kind of brassy and showoffy! Come to think of it, I’m too unpretentious for that approach. I don’t like to be in the limelight or to bring attention to myself! I’m more comfortable with, “Want to see what God is like – don’t look at me - look at Jesus!” That’s just the kind of guy I am. Humble.
I'm reminded that Jesus was asked by his guys, his students (disciples), "Show us the Father?!" In a nutshell His response was: “He who has seen me has seen the Father."
Whew, this adds a new dimension to the little girls’ story. If "He" (Jesus), who we say is very God, lives His life in and through us, perhaps the only way the world can see Him, is by looking at us. As if to say, “Want to know what God is like? Wondering what on earth God is doing! “Look at me!” We are his picture!
How does the world see God? And…What on earth is God doing? This question is the beginning, for me, of a new journey of exploration, contemplation and especially self examination.
I can tell you from experience that lately God has been doing some stuff. Just yesterday He spent some time with His friends Dennis and Paul and with his wife Nancy, talking about responding to homelessness, poverty and the needs of those in our community. Later, He helped his wife pack and get ready for her trip and yes, God IS married. Later, God spent time purchasing and programming a new cell phone for Nancy’s trip to Michigan and ordering Nancy’s special vitamins and protein foods to be delivered to where she will be staying. Later He (in me) made and confirmed Nancy’s rent-a-car and Hotel reservations. God even washed some of her clothes – reluctantly. Earlier, that morning, God spent some time at the Free Store in downtown Charlotte. It is run by his friend Paul Fisher. As He does every week, God conducted a devotional bible study with some homeless folks and fed them donuts and coffee instead of loaves and fishes. Around noon He (God in me) had lunch at Dim Sum with Dennis, Paul and Nancy. Together they had a lively theological discussion. God, it seems, is quite fond of Chinese food – especially sweet and sour pork! Oops, not kosher. It’s worth noting that He left the waitress a very generous tip. God is not cheap! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He loves to give and He wants you to have your best life NOW!
In the early evening God spent a lot time just relaxing. He rested from his labors. Later in the evening it became evident that God is fond of Netflix! He especially enjoys reruns of the TV series 24! He and Jack Bauer are in the same business – saving the world! After watching episodes for much of the evening - God (in Christ, in me) undertook reading and responding to some spiritual e-mails. Then He did some blogging and of course journaling followed by prayer! Amen! God is good! Then He curled up with a good “Christian” book by theologian Howard Snyder. As you probably know, God is very keen on intellectual and theological writings and discussions. He religiously spends countless hours daily in such pursuits. About midnight, God was seen asleep in his favorite chair with his feet propped up on his favorite ottoman.
Just this moment it struck me that I may have to rethink this, see God or Jesus by looking at me stuff. I’m somewhat uncomfortable with this new revelation. It seems like strange fire – not very evangelical. Right now I find myself in uncharted theological waters. I’m feeling uncomfortable with this new faith. “Want to see God look at me” sounds kind of brassy and showoffy! Come to think of it, I’m too unpretentious for that approach. I don’t like to be in the limelight or to bring attention to myself! I’m more comfortable with, “Want to see what God is like – don’t look at me - look at Jesus!” That’s just the kind of guy I am. Humble.
3.16.2011
The Don't System and the Do Way
Our friend Carlos, one of the owners of Area 15, led us in a fascinating conversation Wednesday morning. He is walking us through the book of Galatians when he is with us and was talking about chapter 4.
Carlos referred to the Apostle Paul's references to the law as "The Don't System." Don't lie. Don't rape. Don't spit on your brother. This system is based on external motivation and is primarily rooted in fear of consequences and punishments. Although such mechanisms of control help to bring order to society they don't go far enough because they don't create mature and loving people. Someone observed that the don't people don't throw very good parties!
The question came up about what happens when you do the very things forbidden by the don't system? George suggested saying "sorry" which gave us a good laugh! And though that is a good thing to do we all intuitively sensed that it would not be enough. Carlos said that if the cop pulled you over for speeding and you told him you were going home to do the dishes for your wife you would probably still get the ticket.
Carlos also suggested that the don't system is part of the child mentality and not the mature adult. It might prevent us from kicking each other but that is hardly enough to make for good relationships with others. We laughed when someone suggested that the not kicking would probably be "a good start."
We then switched gears and talked about "The Do Way" of living our lives. This way is all about faith and internal motivation. This is the way that we become mature loving people. By focusing on the positive things that we can do to make our relationships with others more satisfying we grow in ways that we could never grow by focusing on the don't system with its rules and restrictions.
We explored the question, "What would someone have to do to be your friend? Sheila said we could help her clean her house which gave us a good laugh. George said that a friend should be honest and not make up stories about having more than they really do. Ron said that a friend should be willing to listen and talk about things that really matter.
For some reason we ended up talking about the things we all liked about our friend Rick. Rick has a great sense of humor and has made many of the signs we hang at the free store. One of our favorites was when he wrote on the sign on the front door, "The Free Store is Closed Because It is Not Open."
Carlos referred to the Apostle Paul's references to the law as "The Don't System." Don't lie. Don't rape. Don't spit on your brother. This system is based on external motivation and is primarily rooted in fear of consequences and punishments. Although such mechanisms of control help to bring order to society they don't go far enough because they don't create mature and loving people. Someone observed that the don't people don't throw very good parties!
The question came up about what happens when you do the very things forbidden by the don't system? George suggested saying "sorry" which gave us a good laugh! And though that is a good thing to do we all intuitively sensed that it would not be enough. Carlos said that if the cop pulled you over for speeding and you told him you were going home to do the dishes for your wife you would probably still get the ticket.
Carlos also suggested that the don't system is part of the child mentality and not the mature adult. It might prevent us from kicking each other but that is hardly enough to make for good relationships with others. We laughed when someone suggested that the not kicking would probably be "a good start."
We then switched gears and talked about "The Do Way" of living our lives. This way is all about faith and internal motivation. This is the way that we become mature loving people. By focusing on the positive things that we can do to make our relationships with others more satisfying we grow in ways that we could never grow by focusing on the don't system with its rules and restrictions.
We explored the question, "What would someone have to do to be your friend? Sheila said we could help her clean her house which gave us a good laugh. George said that a friend should be honest and not make up stories about having more than they really do. Ron said that a friend should be willing to listen and talk about things that really matter.
For some reason we ended up talking about the things we all liked about our friend Rick. Rick has a great sense of humor and has made many of the signs we hang at the free store. One of our favorites was when he wrote on the sign on the front door, "The Free Store is Closed Because It is Not Open."
Is It Bad to Love Myself?
Why are we socialized to think that somehow love of self and love of others are in conflict? That is one of the questions that we discussed at The Free Store on Tuesday morning. Many of us have been raised in conservative religious traditions that have told us that we have to love others more than we love ourselves and that self-love is bad and sinful.
We looked at a text in Ephesians 5 that makes the point that "the man should love his wife as he loves his own body." Most of us know how to love our own bodies because we instinctively protect ourselves from harm (the characters in the movie Jackass seem to be the exception!) We wondered if people that stop caring for themselves physically have lost their ability to love in some way.
The text also says that "the one who loves his wife loves himself." We talked about how this only makes sense if the two are connected in some deep, mysterious, almost mystical way. We agreed that this could idea be extended to relationships beyond a husband and wife. It is as if the other person is an extension of the self and so the way that we treat that person is actually the way that we are treating ourselves.
We wondered if maybe loving ourselves and loving others is really just the two sides of the same coin. Our friend George said that before he went to prison he didn't care about anyone else and was very hard inside. We were fascinated by this because George is one of the most sensitive and artistic people we know. We talked about how it might be possible to extend our circle of concern ever outward to embrace more and more people recognizing that every person is part of us in some mystical but very real way.
Interestingly, at the end of our discussion George pulled a coin out of his pocket that had heads on both sides! Maybe that coin was a message to us that only emphasizing self love or other love is really a distortion of the authentic two-sided coin of genuine love. We don't think there is any real tension between loving ourselves and loving others. When we love another person we are loving ourselves. And in loving ourselves we learn to love others.
We looked at a text in Ephesians 5 that makes the point that "the man should love his wife as he loves his own body." Most of us know how to love our own bodies because we instinctively protect ourselves from harm (the characters in the movie Jackass seem to be the exception!) We wondered if people that stop caring for themselves physically have lost their ability to love in some way.
The text also says that "the one who loves his wife loves himself." We talked about how this only makes sense if the two are connected in some deep, mysterious, almost mystical way. We agreed that this could idea be extended to relationships beyond a husband and wife. It is as if the other person is an extension of the self and so the way that we treat that person is actually the way that we are treating ourselves.
We wondered if maybe loving ourselves and loving others is really just the two sides of the same coin. Our friend George said that before he went to prison he didn't care about anyone else and was very hard inside. We were fascinated by this because George is one of the most sensitive and artistic people we know. We talked about how it might be possible to extend our circle of concern ever outward to embrace more and more people recognizing that every person is part of us in some mystical but very real way.
Interestingly, at the end of our discussion George pulled a coin out of his pocket that had heads on both sides! Maybe that coin was a message to us that only emphasizing self love or other love is really a distortion of the authentic two-sided coin of genuine love. We don't think there is any real tension between loving ourselves and loving others. When we love another person we are loving ourselves. And in loving ourselves we learn to love others.
3.15.2011
The Healing Power of Friendship
We had a very interesting conversation at the Free Store on Friday morning that started as we reflected on Psalm 23. It is a psalm that is so familiar that we can recite it or hear it without even thinking. So even though it is one of the most well known verses in the bible it is also probably one of the least understood.
We talked about how God is pictured as a shepherd and what that might mean. Why a shepherd? Isn't that a bit of a step down for God? And we decided that maybe that is exactly why that image is so important. It gives us a view of a God that identifies with low status positions and by doing that raises the status of people that don't get the respect they deserve in the world. We joked that maybe we could paraphrase the verse to read, "God is our garbage collector" or "walmart greeter." There are many very important but relatively low status jobs in our society. However, God identifies with people at the low end of the status spectrum! That struck us as a a pretty subversive act of imagination.
We then talked a bit about going from "green pastures" and "still waters" (which we liked to think of as a party with plenty of food and drink!) through the valley of the shadow of death to the house of God. This got us thinking about dark times in our lives.
One of our friends shared that she tried to commit suicide with alcohol and pills when she was 44. Another friend told us that he had been run over by a truck on his bicycle and found himself laying under the truck thinking he might die. Another friend said that he was in a bad car accident when he was younger in which his best friend's girlfriend was killed. As we sat there listening to these painful stories it struck us that unless we get beneath the surface of other people's lives we have no way to know what trauma may lie hidden deep within.
Trauma comes from a greek word which literally means, "a wound." We talked a bit about how we never really know what traumas people have been through in their lives. And yet those wounds may lie just under the surface but never really heal.
We came away from that conversation with a renewed appreciation for the hurt that people often carry around hidden deep within. We also sensed the healing power of relationships where such painful things can be talked about without fear of further injury.
We talked about how God is pictured as a shepherd and what that might mean. Why a shepherd? Isn't that a bit of a step down for God? And we decided that maybe that is exactly why that image is so important. It gives us a view of a God that identifies with low status positions and by doing that raises the status of people that don't get the respect they deserve in the world. We joked that maybe we could paraphrase the verse to read, "God is our garbage collector" or "walmart greeter." There are many very important but relatively low status jobs in our society. However, God identifies with people at the low end of the status spectrum! That struck us as a a pretty subversive act of imagination.
We then talked a bit about going from "green pastures" and "still waters" (which we liked to think of as a party with plenty of food and drink!) through the valley of the shadow of death to the house of God. This got us thinking about dark times in our lives.
One of our friends shared that she tried to commit suicide with alcohol and pills when she was 44. Another friend told us that he had been run over by a truck on his bicycle and found himself laying under the truck thinking he might die. Another friend said that he was in a bad car accident when he was younger in which his best friend's girlfriend was killed. As we sat there listening to these painful stories it struck us that unless we get beneath the surface of other people's lives we have no way to know what trauma may lie hidden deep within.
Trauma comes from a greek word which literally means, "a wound." We talked a bit about how we never really know what traumas people have been through in their lives. And yet those wounds may lie just under the surface but never really heal.
We came away from that conversation with a renewed appreciation for the hurt that people often carry around hidden deep within. We also sensed the healing power of relationships where such painful things can be talked about without fear of further injury.
3.11.2011
Words Can Never Hurt Me? Really?
We had a great conversation yesterday morning at The Free Store about the power of our words. Words can actually wound and heal, build and destroy. Our friend George shared about how his father could be very abusive and harsh with words and as he spoke I noticed a lot of heads around the room nodding in sad agreement. As a kid I remember my mom used to say, "Paul you are enough to make a preacher cuss, and I ain't no preacher!" And I knew to prepare to have my ears singed (bless her heart).
So we intuitively and through personal and often painful experiences know that words are powerful so we try to protect ourselves from their power. We say things like "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me" which we know isn't really true. But that is our way of trying to minimize the harmful power of all the damaging words we have both heard and spoken.
We also talked about how difficult, if not impossible, it is to control our words. We agreed that the tongue is a very unruly part of the anatomy! And it can get us into a whole lot of trouble in short order. But we can tap into a power greater than ourselves and gain self-control if we want. The Genesis story tells us that God created the world through speech. That same story tells us that we are made in the image of God so we felt empowered knowing the incredible power of our words to create new and beautiful things in our lives, our families, and our communities.
George ended our discussion by encouraging us to use the power of our words to heal rather than harm, to bless rather than curse, to create rather destroy.
Go ahead, create something beautiful with your words today! As Nike says, "Just Do It."
So we intuitively and through personal and often painful experiences know that words are powerful so we try to protect ourselves from their power. We say things like "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me" which we know isn't really true. But that is our way of trying to minimize the harmful power of all the damaging words we have both heard and spoken.
We also talked about how difficult, if not impossible, it is to control our words. We agreed that the tongue is a very unruly part of the anatomy! And it can get us into a whole lot of trouble in short order. But we can tap into a power greater than ourselves and gain self-control if we want. The Genesis story tells us that God created the world through speech. That same story tells us that we are made in the image of God so we felt empowered knowing the incredible power of our words to create new and beautiful things in our lives, our families, and our communities.
George ended our discussion by encouraging us to use the power of our words to heal rather than harm, to bless rather than curse, to create rather destroy.
Go ahead, create something beautiful with your words today! As Nike says, "Just Do It."
3.09.2011
My Life As of Today: To Be Healed (by Liz Eagle)
So yesterday morning I caught the tail-end of the conversation at the Free Store. Our friend, Gary, was sharing about a man he knew who was a "serpentine" (or something along those lines. Please keep in mind I came in at the end :)...) The story's summary is that the guy worked with snakes and would systematically inject himself with small amounts of venom in enough increments to where he had developed immunities to the multiple types of snakes he worked with. A while after this, an individual he knew was bitten by a snake and had no anti-venom nor a way to combat his wound. The guy flies to his friend was and is allowed somehow to have his blood injected into his friend, thus healing him and saving his life.
That's some pretty powerful blood.
As we continue talking, our friend Paul, begins to speak on how frequently we pray for miracles, not realizing we're sitting on one everyday. He speaks of a book that takes pages and pages to describe the complex process of the healing process your body goes through when you, for instance, knick yourself while shaving. The blood rushes to the wound, and immediately goes to work to, in essence, heal itself.
That's some pretty powerful blood.
Now, praying for healing is a dangerous thing, much like praying for patience. You pray for patience, you get trying situations. You pray for healing, and, well, you get wounded. We often don't see our miraculous emotional and spiritual healings until we are first hurt and wounded.
So, for me, lately I've been feeling "off". Like something just wasn't right. There had been a lot of bitterness and anger in some aspects of my life. I courageously began to pray for healing, understanding it was an often painful process. Through this prayer, I found myself back in 8th grade, (a scary time for everyone), to an situation I had all but forgotten about.
Sometimes, I realized, things happen to us that inadvertently shape who we will become. We have no control over it. I realized I had let one lie control everything I had become. As I prayed through this healing, I realized the growth could not have come without the pain. The healing could not have come without the acceptance.
As Gary shared of the man with the anti-venom blood's healing ability for his friend, we learn how we can be this for others. The man injected himself with venom little by little, which was painful and uncomfortable. As time went on, the doses became stronger. He also thought it was solely for himself- to allow himself to combat a potential attack. What he found, instead, was that this blood of his was not only good for himself and his own healing, but for others suffering the same types of attacks.
So our wounds and our healings are not just for us. Paul also mentioned that as we are looking for these miracles, we forget that we have the power within us to heal. God has given it to us. This blood flows through our veins. If he is our healer, and he is in us, we are never alone and are never without our Great Physician (both spiritually and physically). You kind of come to accept that there is a greater purpose behing everything, you just have to be willing to let yourself go there.
*Dedicated to my Best Friend/life partner Jamie Smith, who heals me more than she knows*
That's some pretty powerful blood.
As we continue talking, our friend Paul, begins to speak on how frequently we pray for miracles, not realizing we're sitting on one everyday. He speaks of a book that takes pages and pages to describe the complex process of the healing process your body goes through when you, for instance, knick yourself while shaving. The blood rushes to the wound, and immediately goes to work to, in essence, heal itself.
That's some pretty powerful blood.
Now, praying for healing is a dangerous thing, much like praying for patience. You pray for patience, you get trying situations. You pray for healing, and, well, you get wounded. We often don't see our miraculous emotional and spiritual healings until we are first hurt and wounded.
So, for me, lately I've been feeling "off". Like something just wasn't right. There had been a lot of bitterness and anger in some aspects of my life. I courageously began to pray for healing, understanding it was an often painful process. Through this prayer, I found myself back in 8th grade, (a scary time for everyone), to an situation I had all but forgotten about.
Sometimes, I realized, things happen to us that inadvertently shape who we will become. We have no control over it. I realized I had let one lie control everything I had become. As I prayed through this healing, I realized the growth could not have come without the pain. The healing could not have come without the acceptance.
As Gary shared of the man with the anti-venom blood's healing ability for his friend, we learn how we can be this for others. The man injected himself with venom little by little, which was painful and uncomfortable. As time went on, the doses became stronger. He also thought it was solely for himself- to allow himself to combat a potential attack. What he found, instead, was that this blood of his was not only good for himself and his own healing, but for others suffering the same types of attacks.
So our wounds and our healings are not just for us. Paul also mentioned that as we are looking for these miracles, we forget that we have the power within us to heal. God has given it to us. This blood flows through our veins. If he is our healer, and he is in us, we are never alone and are never without our Great Physician (both spiritually and physically). You kind of come to accept that there is a greater purpose behing everything, you just have to be willing to let yourself go there.
*Dedicated to my Best Friend/life partner Jamie Smith, who heals me more than she knows*
3.05.2011
Bruton Smith or Chilly Willy?
This morning at our free store bible study we talked about a very interesting passage in James chapter 2 about showing favoritism to people based on external appearances. We often size people up based on what we see on the outside, whether it is beauty, fancy clothing, or other symbols of status and wealth. James challenged such judgments and questioned the motives behind them.
We talked about what it would be like if Bruton Smith (the owner of Lowe's Motor Speedway) walked into our meeting followed by Chilly Willy (the most famous homeless man in Charlotte). Why would we be tempted to treat Mr. Smith any better than Chilly? Would we want to give Mr. Smith the best seat in the free store (we laughed because none of the seats would have been nearly nice enough for Mr. Smith!). One of our friends suggested that Mr. Smith may not be nearly as nice and loving as a person as Chilly if you got to know them personally. You can't really see the most important part of a person from the outside!
We talked about how the poor can be rich in faith. And how in God's kingdom everybody would have a place and there would be no one left out in the cold or exposed to the elements. We also observed that those that have the most wealth and power can mistreat and exploit others. Such a kingdom has no future because it is based on violence and fear, but God's kingdom has no end because it is based on peace and love!
One of our new friends told us that he had recently come to Charlotte from New Jersey. He said that he had been homeless for two weeks now but that he was viewing it as a "pilgrimage" and that he was learning a great deal about himself and about his faith. He said that he noticed how some people treated him differently because of it but that he found much to be grateful for.
We decided that making judgments about people based on external appearances is not a very good way to live. The most important things about a person are internal and can't be seen from the outside. And we are all the children of God and have been created in the image of God so at the most basic level we are all equally valuable and important! And that is very good news for all of us.
We talked about what it would be like if Bruton Smith (the owner of Lowe's Motor Speedway) walked into our meeting followed by Chilly Willy (the most famous homeless man in Charlotte). Why would we be tempted to treat Mr. Smith any better than Chilly? Would we want to give Mr. Smith the best seat in the free store (we laughed because none of the seats would have been nearly nice enough for Mr. Smith!). One of our friends suggested that Mr. Smith may not be nearly as nice and loving as a person as Chilly if you got to know them personally. You can't really see the most important part of a person from the outside!
We talked about how the poor can be rich in faith. And how in God's kingdom everybody would have a place and there would be no one left out in the cold or exposed to the elements. We also observed that those that have the most wealth and power can mistreat and exploit others. Such a kingdom has no future because it is based on violence and fear, but God's kingdom has no end because it is based on peace and love!
One of our new friends told us that he had recently come to Charlotte from New Jersey. He said that he had been homeless for two weeks now but that he was viewing it as a "pilgrimage" and that he was learning a great deal about himself and about his faith. He said that he noticed how some people treated him differently because of it but that he found much to be grateful for.
We decided that making judgments about people based on external appearances is not a very good way to live. The most important things about a person are internal and can't be seen from the outside. And we are all the children of God and have been created in the image of God so at the most basic level we are all equally valuable and important! And that is very good news for all of us.
3.04.2011
Goals Can Fail But a Mission Has to Be Accomplished
In our Free Store bible study this morning we explored a segment of the life of Nehemiah. We discovered that Nehemiah was a man on a mission. And as my daughter's friend Brittany said recently, "Goals can fail, but a mission has to be accomplished." That's some profound wisdom from a teenage girl.
Nehemiah had the daunting task of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem that had been sacked and lay in ruins for about 70 years. Amazingly, he did the job in 52 days! Now that was certainly an incredible accomplishment. For 70 years those walls lay in heaps of rubble but in only 52 days Nehemiah had the rubble cleared and the walls stood strongly erect as a symbol of the renewal of the people living within them.
How is something like that possible? There are many things that could be said about such an achievement but our discussion revolved around one verse in particular. "When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites." (Neh. 2:10) We think that Nehemiah was successful in his mission because he was doing it for the "welfare" of others. He was motivated by a desire to improve the lives of others and in doing that he tapped into a power greater than his own. In stepping outside the circle of his own personal concerns Nehemiah was empowered by a greater power to do what did not seem humanly possible and had not been done for 70 years.
Our small group was encouraged by Nehemiah. We felt empowered to think that we could achieve things that we might not have thought possible in the past, hard things that remained undone in our lives, in our families, and in our communities. Our friend George felt encouraged that he could complete his studies and get his GED at the age of 51. Another friend said that she felt that God would help her attend the funeral of a friend that she was afraid would be too diffult and painful to attend.
It is extremely empowering to think that we can achieve great things, things we might have thought impossible, by taking upon ourselves the "mission" of promoting the well-being of others!
Nehemiah had the daunting task of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem that had been sacked and lay in ruins for about 70 years. Amazingly, he did the job in 52 days! Now that was certainly an incredible accomplishment. For 70 years those walls lay in heaps of rubble but in only 52 days Nehemiah had the rubble cleared and the walls stood strongly erect as a symbol of the renewal of the people living within them.
How is something like that possible? There are many things that could be said about such an achievement but our discussion revolved around one verse in particular. "When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites." (Neh. 2:10) We think that Nehemiah was successful in his mission because he was doing it for the "welfare" of others. He was motivated by a desire to improve the lives of others and in doing that he tapped into a power greater than his own. In stepping outside the circle of his own personal concerns Nehemiah was empowered by a greater power to do what did not seem humanly possible and had not been done for 70 years.
Our small group was encouraged by Nehemiah. We felt empowered to think that we could achieve things that we might not have thought possible in the past, hard things that remained undone in our lives, in our families, and in our communities. Our friend George felt encouraged that he could complete his studies and get his GED at the age of 51. Another friend said that she felt that God would help her attend the funeral of a friend that she was afraid would be too diffult and painful to attend.
It is extremely empowering to think that we can achieve great things, things we might have thought impossible, by taking upon ourselves the "mission" of promoting the well-being of others!
3.22.2010
Touch the Fire
I've been thinking a lot lately about finding your way when you feel lost. About getting your bearings when you feel disoriented. About finding your mojo when life has sucked you dry. All these things are painful in themselves and we often struggle in isolation to understand our lives. But we don't have to be alone!
So often though it is our own hardness that creates and then perpetuates the isolation. We put up strong defenses in the form of emotional and mental barriers against others, even those we are closest to. I think we do it to protect the spark of the soul, to preserve that one final reservoir of vitality from being snuffed out in a cold and dark world.
And we suffer because we can't really connect with those around us. Well, we connect but its rarely at that deep center that we are trying to preserve. Because real connection with real people is risky. They may quench the fire! No. No. Or they may stoke the fire. Gasp. Gasp. And either way that is the end of us, or so we think. "Oh that is just way too dangerous," we think to ourselves! Not consciously but at the deepest core of our being which we aren't even aware of for the most part.
However, it occurred to me that the fire at the center of our lives is in reality a divine fire. That fire can't be blown out or even stoked by another human being (although there are other fires in us that can be!). It's just a small spark of that divine fire that penetrates the coldness of an infinite universe and draws out the dormant life that is there.
And there are special moments when that divine spark in one soul touches the divine spark in another. It can happen between friends, and spouses, and even maybe somebody we've just met. And it is truly magical and beautiful but hard oh so hard to manage. It seems to me that such experiences remind us that life is a gift and grace is alive!
So often though it is our own hardness that creates and then perpetuates the isolation. We put up strong defenses in the form of emotional and mental barriers against others, even those we are closest to. I think we do it to protect the spark of the soul, to preserve that one final reservoir of vitality from being snuffed out in a cold and dark world.
And we suffer because we can't really connect with those around us. Well, we connect but its rarely at that deep center that we are trying to preserve. Because real connection with real people is risky. They may quench the fire! No. No. Or they may stoke the fire. Gasp. Gasp. And either way that is the end of us, or so we think. "Oh that is just way too dangerous," we think to ourselves! Not consciously but at the deepest core of our being which we aren't even aware of for the most part.
However, it occurred to me that the fire at the center of our lives is in reality a divine fire. That fire can't be blown out or even stoked by another human being (although there are other fires in us that can be!). It's just a small spark of that divine fire that penetrates the coldness of an infinite universe and draws out the dormant life that is there.
And there are special moments when that divine spark in one soul touches the divine spark in another. It can happen between friends, and spouses, and even maybe somebody we've just met. And it is truly magical and beautiful but hard oh so hard to manage. It seems to me that such experiences remind us that life is a gift and grace is alive!
Opening Up to the Life That is Waiting
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." (Joseph Campbell)
It is no easy thing to give up on one's plans. At least if it's a plan in which we have invested significant amounts of thought and energy. And it is often quite inspiring to hear the stories of those that have persevered in spite of difficulties to achieve something against the odds! However, we also instinctively know that the life we planned is not always the life we get to live. And if we refuse to open ourselves to a reality other than that which we intended we might become embittered by what seems like failure.
Great literature reminds us that life is a journey over which we have little control. The stories of heroes such as Gilgamesh and Oddyseus remind us that life is a road with many twists and turns along the way. Life is determined largely by the way that we respond to the circumstances that impinge on our plans and frustrate our desires!
The book of Genesis records the story of Abraham, one of the great heroes of the Jewish faith. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'" (Gen. 12:1-3)
Abraham is here asked to leave the life he was planning for himself and to embark on a journey with no roadmap. He was asked to leave the security of his nation, his culture, and his immediate family into an unknown and seemingly insecure future. Abraham experienced this as a divine invitation to step out and embrace the life that awaited him. And in giving up the life he had planned for himself and embracing the life that was waiting on the distant horizon he became a different man than he would otherwise have been.
Sometimes it is in letting go of the life that we planned for ourselves that we open ourselves to the life that is waiting!
It is no easy thing to give up on one's plans. At least if it's a plan in which we have invested significant amounts of thought and energy. And it is often quite inspiring to hear the stories of those that have persevered in spite of difficulties to achieve something against the odds! However, we also instinctively know that the life we planned is not always the life we get to live. And if we refuse to open ourselves to a reality other than that which we intended we might become embittered by what seems like failure.
Great literature reminds us that life is a journey over which we have little control. The stories of heroes such as Gilgamesh and Oddyseus remind us that life is a road with many twists and turns along the way. Life is determined largely by the way that we respond to the circumstances that impinge on our plans and frustrate our desires!
The book of Genesis records the story of Abraham, one of the great heroes of the Jewish faith. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'" (Gen. 12:1-3)
Abraham is here asked to leave the life he was planning for himself and to embark on a journey with no roadmap. He was asked to leave the security of his nation, his culture, and his immediate family into an unknown and seemingly insecure future. Abraham experienced this as a divine invitation to step out and embrace the life that awaited him. And in giving up the life he had planned for himself and embracing the life that was waiting on the distant horizon he became a different man than he would otherwise have been.
Sometimes it is in letting go of the life that we planned for ourselves that we open ourselves to the life that is waiting!
8.06.2009
The Good News of an Unauthorized Act of an UnNamed Woman
Mark 14.1-11 tells the story of an unnamed woman that creates a stir by anointing Jesus with a ridiculously expensive aromatic oil. Let’s unpack the story and see if we can get a glimpse of what may have caused such a flash in that ancient social pan. And maybe along the way we might just extract some significance for our own lives.
Mark tells us that the incident takes place during the feast known as Passover. And that Jesus' enemies were plotting out the most politically expedient way to arrest and kill him. Now the Passover was the ancient equivalent of a national holiday. Like the American 4th of July celebration I imagine most people were just glad to have off work, to be with family, and to drink and eat way more than is really necessary for survival. But like the 4th of July celebration there would have been a deeper symbolic significance to the celebration as well. I wonder if it is appropriate to view The Passover as the ancient Jewish Independence Day. It seems to me that the Passover defined a people that had once been slaves but had become an independent nation through the power of a liberating God known as Yahweh. There was a reason that Passover made imperial Rome more than a bit nervous.
Now Mark tells us that Jesus is enjoying a good meal at the table of a man known as Simon the Leper. Unlike the plotting priests at the Temple center of Jewish life Jesus is on the social edge just chowing down on some chalah bread with people excluded from the sacred precincts of power and prestige. I wonder if these were people that still had the audacity to consider themselves included under the tent of a liberating God. Is it possible that Jesus just loved being with people that wouldn’t let the narrow interests of those in power totally exclude them from a promise as expansive as the world itself?
Enter the unnamed woman and heroine of the story. Ironic that no one bothered to record her name in a story that Jesus said would be told in memory of her! But those at the bottom of the social ladder well know the reality of being a nameless nobody.
So the woman brings with her a jar of obscenely expensive aromatic oil that she is about to drop like a grenade onto a playground. She swiftly breaks it open and pours it on Jesus' head to the dismay of all and disapproval of some of those present. The extravagance rankles some. Or maybe they were just hiding behind a façade of concern for the poor? Nevertheless the comment is made that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Surprisingly maybe, Jesus doesn’t side with those that side with the poor in this instance. Instead he defends the woman’s controversial action and gives her a place at the table of his most trusted disciples. In fact, this unnamed woman becomes the prototypical disciple in Mark’s gospel. In a world of posers, wannabees, and imitations she is the real deal!
Let’s look at her action a little more closely. She poured the aromatic oil on Jesus’ head. Anointing was a powerful act in the ancient world. It is something that was done to kings and priests as a way to signify their ascent to power. Her act is reminiscent of the prophet Samuel anointing David to kingship outside of the established kingship of Saul. Ironically, it is an unnamed woman that anoints Jesus as king outside of the authorized channels of power. Hers was a very subversive act in that ancient culture. And Jesus embraced and defended her in doing it.
Jesus was no defender of status quo with its established traditions. In this case he elevated a woman that rebelled against narrow social constraints and had the audacity to perform an act typically reserved for male prophets and priests. Ironically, it was an anointing of a king for burial! Such is the upside-down wisdom of the gospel story. The gospel is a story that turns the world on its head by elevating the status of an unnamed woman and promoting the cause of a crucified king.
Anyway, it’s a great gospel story. And it leaves me wondering about the implications for my own life and culture.
Mark tells us that the incident takes place during the feast known as Passover. And that Jesus' enemies were plotting out the most politically expedient way to arrest and kill him. Now the Passover was the ancient equivalent of a national holiday. Like the American 4th of July celebration I imagine most people were just glad to have off work, to be with family, and to drink and eat way more than is really necessary for survival. But like the 4th of July celebration there would have been a deeper symbolic significance to the celebration as well. I wonder if it is appropriate to view The Passover as the ancient Jewish Independence Day. It seems to me that the Passover defined a people that had once been slaves but had become an independent nation through the power of a liberating God known as Yahweh. There was a reason that Passover made imperial Rome more than a bit nervous.
Now Mark tells us that Jesus is enjoying a good meal at the table of a man known as Simon the Leper. Unlike the plotting priests at the Temple center of Jewish life Jesus is on the social edge just chowing down on some chalah bread with people excluded from the sacred precincts of power and prestige. I wonder if these were people that still had the audacity to consider themselves included under the tent of a liberating God. Is it possible that Jesus just loved being with people that wouldn’t let the narrow interests of those in power totally exclude them from a promise as expansive as the world itself?
Enter the unnamed woman and heroine of the story. Ironic that no one bothered to record her name in a story that Jesus said would be told in memory of her! But those at the bottom of the social ladder well know the reality of being a nameless nobody.
So the woman brings with her a jar of obscenely expensive aromatic oil that she is about to drop like a grenade onto a playground. She swiftly breaks it open and pours it on Jesus' head to the dismay of all and disapproval of some of those present. The extravagance rankles some. Or maybe they were just hiding behind a façade of concern for the poor? Nevertheless the comment is made that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Surprisingly maybe, Jesus doesn’t side with those that side with the poor in this instance. Instead he defends the woman’s controversial action and gives her a place at the table of his most trusted disciples. In fact, this unnamed woman becomes the prototypical disciple in Mark’s gospel. In a world of posers, wannabees, and imitations she is the real deal!
Let’s look at her action a little more closely. She poured the aromatic oil on Jesus’ head. Anointing was a powerful act in the ancient world. It is something that was done to kings and priests as a way to signify their ascent to power. Her act is reminiscent of the prophet Samuel anointing David to kingship outside of the established kingship of Saul. Ironically, it is an unnamed woman that anoints Jesus as king outside of the authorized channels of power. Hers was a very subversive act in that ancient culture. And Jesus embraced and defended her in doing it.
Jesus was no defender of status quo with its established traditions. In this case he elevated a woman that rebelled against narrow social constraints and had the audacity to perform an act typically reserved for male prophets and priests. Ironically, it was an anointing of a king for burial! Such is the upside-down wisdom of the gospel story. The gospel is a story that turns the world on its head by elevating the status of an unnamed woman and promoting the cause of a crucified king.
Anyway, it’s a great gospel story. And it leaves me wondering about the implications for my own life and culture.
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