What Happened to Social Justice?

I set out at the start of the year to blog about social justice issues throughout the year. Well, after the terrible earthquake in Haiti, I decided to pause on social justice issues until March. Throughout the rest of February, I want to post about relief efforts for Haiti.

Note: Please donate to help the relief in Haiti. As Christians we are called to help everyone, and this is a great chance to exercise that.

 

Feeling Like Mary and Martha

Okay… the title to this post can be, almost, a little misleading. However, I want you to follow my thoughts here.

Lately I have been trying to put pieces of 2009 together to answer a few questions that I have been dealing with. I never really thought that Mary and Martha experienced the same kind of moments in regard to the death of Lazarus, but it is true. (You may be pondering what the world I am talking about here, so let me explain.)

In 2009, a couple of my good friends moved either back home or to another country for an awesome reason. Soon after that, I lost the job I had had for two and a half years, and a couple of months later, I was no longer on leadership for a campus ministry, where I had been on leadership since April 2006. Through all of that, I wondered where God was going with all of it. (In fact, I still wonder about that at times.) For lack of a better phrase, my life changed. I have spent some time trying to answer that question for myself, and I came to the recent conclusion that I don’t know right now, but one day I will know, and I am looking forward to knowing what was going on.

I think sometimes, I tried to blame others for different things, but I have to say a majority of the blame has to fall on me. I can’t say that 100% is all me, (I can’t control friends moving… I am just saying), but in the events that led to me not having a job and not being on a leadership team for a campus ministry, falls on me. It gets complicated here, but I know that God knows, and that’s my comfort. While I ponder what’s going on, I am reminded of a couple of women from the book of John, and how they too wondered what was going on.

The two women I am speaking of here are, of course, Mary and Martha when faced with the declining health of their brother Lazarus. (For the full story read John 11.) When the exchange between the sisters and Jesus begins, we learn that Lazarus is sick and they want Him to do something about it. However, Jesus states, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4, ESV).

Personally, that is not what I would want to hear if someone I loved was sick. I mean, it’s not comforting… at all. In verse 11, Jesus comments that He wants to return to Judea because, “[Their] friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him” (ESV). At this, the disciples were thinking that Lazarus was just merely sleeping, so Jesus tells them that, in fact, Lazarus had died. At this point, if I was Mary and Martha, I would be really mad at Jesus. For they told Him a few days prior that their brother was sick, but it appeared that Jesus did not really care, because Lazarus died. I can only imagine that they were filled with grief (which is true, a few verses later it is reported they were crying), and confusion. How can the Son of God walk around performing miracles and healings, then seem to do nothing in this instance? Where was Jesus?

Finally, Jesus appears in the company of Mary and Martha once more and we get one short, and oddly comforting verse about His emotional response to what had happened. “Jesus wept” (John 11:35, ESV). You may be asking, how can that two word verse be comforting, and here is my answer: Think about it, the God of all creation shows up in human history in Jesus. He has known about everything that has happened, was happening, and was yet to happen, and He showed He cared with tears. He was good friends with Lazarus and that may have induced the tears (I feel that that is a good argument for Jesus’ humanity), but it showed that God cares deeply about us all. He cries when we cry, He comforts when we need it, and when the unexplainable happens, He’s the One to lean on for answers.

If you have grown up in church (or have read the Gospel of John), you know that Jesus resurrects Lazarus from the dead and Lazarus helps spread the Gospel. Think about this, in the moments of grief for Mary and Martha, they were probably wondering what God was doing. Wondering why Jesus had not shown up to save their brother from the grave. Trying to figure out the reason. Which, when big “life-altering” moments happen in life, we are the same way. We stop and begin to wonder what just happened. In those moments we are faced with two choices, run from God or run to God. Jesus wept for Lazarus, some part of me feels comforted knowing that He most likely weeps for us and with us too.

While I cannot say I know the answers as to why 2009 was such a roller-coaster year, I start 2010 knowing that I can run to God. I feel comforted knowing that right now, I am loved beyond words and that I need to embrace that love like never before. (To be honest, a small part of me wanted to run from God in shame and fear, but I knew deep down that that decision would be awful for me.)

Since I am no longer working at the Christian Store, I look and see that everybody is really an image bearer of God and that no matter the differences in opinion or religion, I am still suppose to show them the love of God. I have had the chance to do that with a sporting goods store, and, starting in a week, I will have the chance to do that at a clothing store. While I may no longer be on leadership for a campus ministry, I have more time rebuilding a foundation with God, and using what I learn in the process in a Sunday school class for elementary students.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).

 

Social Justice Issue of the Month

As I said in my previous blog post, I want to start looking at different social justice issues every month. Well, considering that President Obama recently proclaimed Jauary 2010, National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, I felt it was only fitting to explore this issue.

Below are excerpts from President Obama’s proclamation (found on www.whitehouse.gov):

“…As a Nation, we have known moments of great darkness and greater light; and dim years of chattel slavery illuminated and brought to an end by President Lincoln’s actions and a painful Civil War. Yet even today, the darkness and inhumanity of enslavement exists. Millions of people worldwide are held in compelled service, as well as thousands within the United States. During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we acknowledge that forms of slavery still exist in the modern era, and we recommit ourselves to stopping the human traffickers who ply this horrific trade.

“As we continue our fight to deliver on the promise of freedom, we commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation, which became effective on January 1, 1863… Throughout the month of January, we highlight the many fronts in the ongoing battle for civil rights — including the efforts of our Federal agencies; State, local, and tribal law enforcement partners; international partners; nonprofit social service providers; private industry and nongovernmental organizations around the world who are working to end human trafficking.

“The victims of modern slavery have many faces. They are men and women, adults and children. Yet, all are denied basic human dignity and freedom… Whether they are trapped in forced sexual or labor exploitation, human trafficking victims cannot walk away, but are held in service through force, threats, and fear. All too often suffering from horrible physical and sexual abuse, it is hard for them to imagine that there might be a place of refuge.

“We must join together as a Nation and global community to provide that safe haven by protecting victims and prosecuting traffickers… The men, women, and children who have suffered this scourge can overcome the bonds of modern slavery, receive protection and justice, and successfully reclaim their rightful independence.

“Fighting modern slavery and human trafficking is a shared responsibility… Together, we can and must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation…”

Over the next couple of weeks I want to look at the issue of Slavery and Human Trafficking.

 

2010: What To Expect

I have a new year’s resolution to blog more often. I have realized that I have not been blogging nearly as often as I used to, and less than I have wanted to. 2010 is the start of a new year and a new decade, so why not go ahead and blog more often? I have a decent amount of free time these days, and I want to learn more about a variety of topics. I know that I have said that before, but I mean it now more than ever. At the start of the month, I want to look at a certain social justice issue and then throughout the rest of the month, I want to look at other aspects of it or relay stories of how people around the world are helping out. I also want my book reading volume to increase, and I want to blog about those as well. It’s time to keep enriching my blog, and my Facebook, and to reach out to others for their input on different topics as well.

Keep reading for a different take to my blogging!

 

A Decade In The Making

Usually around this time of year I like to look back at the past year and pull out a few highlights of the year. I decided to go all the way back to 2000 and mention some highlights of the past decade.

2000
- It was the turn of the century and turn of the millennium. The 1990s became “so, yesterday” and computer glitches were all the worry. This was a highlight for me because of Y2K and it’s possible toll on the world. Luckily, it was not really as big a deal as everyone thought it was going to be, so that’s a great thing!

2001
- 9/11: The first disaster that I remember seeing on TV… as it happened. The concern afterward was safety, safety, safety. Things still have not returned to pre-9/11 conditions, and my thought is, they never will. It’s still sad what happened that day.

2003
- Operation Iraqi Freedom started with the “Shock-n-Awe” bombing campaign over Baghdad. I remember watched “Star Search” on CBS and they interrupted the live show with footage of bombs raining down on the capital of Iraq.
- Missouri Business Week: This was a great week! It was so much. I got to spend a week in Wolpers Residence Hall and meet people from all over the state of Missouri. This was also where I accepted Christ as my personal Savior.

2004
- April of 2004, my grandmother (on my dad’s side) passed away. It was quite possibly one of the saddest things that has happened in my life.
- I had a speaking role in Hallsville’s Fall Musical, “Oliver”. I was a little bit nervous about it. I got nervous just giving presentations in class, so doing “Oliver” drove the butterflies in my stomach to a higher quantity than ever before. I was trying to remember the lines and blocking while trying to show that I was not nervous about doing it. Six years later I am really glad I did it. It was so much fun and it pushed me to grow and not be as nervous while giving a presentations.

2005
- The Spring play at Hallsville was “The Pink Panther Strikes Again”. It was awesome! I only had one line the entire play, but it was still fun to do. I tried to channel my inner Ed McMahon. I failed at the attempt do to nerves, but it was still cool to do!
- Three words: High school graduation
- The following fall, I was a freshmen at Mizzou and was nervous beyond my wildest dreams. My graduating class was in the 60s people wise, my first day at Mizzou found me in a Sociology class of over 200 people.

2006
- Thanks to my friend Kyle, I got involved with Chi Alpha. It was a major blessing to find a group of really cool people that wanted to be my friend. I had gone almost all of first semester without knowing anybody at Mizzou, when I came to Chi Alpha, I knew God had great things in store.
- I got my first car and my driver’s license the summer 2006!

2007
- Indirectly because of Chi Alpha, I had become good friends with a few awesome people. Hitoshi, Scott, and David all have helped in different ways with my walk with God. I have been truly blessed to have become closer with those three awesome guys throughout 2007.

2008
- The fall of 2008 found me as a student once again, this time at MACC: Columbia. It was a little weird to be taking classes again, but it was nice.

2009
- This was the first Winter International Student Orientation I had helped out with. It was cold because it was in January, but it was fun to do. I met an awesome guy named Mohammed.
- As Winter Semester ‘09 moved on, I got the chance to hang out with Ryan about once a week. While challenging at times, I have been really glad we were able to hang out.

So… that’s some of the highlights of the past decade. What will happen from 2010-2019? Who knows, but I have a feeling, God’s got a plan.

 

Loving Pain And Hating Calamity

As many people know, I have recently had some rather unfortunate luck in regard to my job. It really has opened my eyes to a few things (beyond that I need a job), and I want to reflect for a little bit.

Recently I read Rob Bell’s new book Drops Like Stars. In the book Bell covers the idea that when we are suffering, when things are not going well in our lives, that is when we are best suited for creativity. When we simply want to scream at the top of our lungs, “WHY?!”, we are more open with our creativity in those weak moments. Before I left Lemstone-Parable I had the opportunity to read this book. I recommend it to all (it is $35 off the shelf, but it is a short read). It was really encouraging to me, because it pointed out that when we don’t know what to do (outside of prayer) when the proverbial “crap hits the fan”, we should channel that energy into something that shows off our creativity. Now, I really have been trying to figure out what that looks like for me. To be honest, when you no longer work where had been working for the past two and half years, it gets you a little down. It takes a lot to channel that upset feeling into something healthy. I can’t stop thinking about how uncreative I am. Then, I realize something, I have put more passion into blogging (although it’s still not a regular practice) and into one-on-ones that I have. If you are going through a hard time (for any various reason), realize that you do something in your day-to-day life already that you can channel those negative feelings into and let it out in a healthy way.

Even though it may seem a little lame, we could take a page out of Tyler Perry’s book, and journal about what is going on. Through the tough times in Perry’s life he wrote the plays that have turned him into a star. (Those plays are slowly being turned into movies with spin-off television series.) I am not saying that if you write a play that it will be turned into a famous play, but it could help you release. (Of course, again, I state, do that after prayer. God helps you through all things in life.)

Where does that leave us now? Well, moving forward and learning. Sometimes when something causes a hiccup in our lives, we forget to move forward. Always looking behind you only gives you a retrospective, but looking forward gives you goals. If stuff is going on, take life by the horns and push onward. It is so easy to see that one last disaster and forget that we should be moving forward.

 

A Modern Take On The Lord’s Prayer

As you may (or may not) know, Jesus gives his disciples a model of how to pray, in modern times it is known as the Lord’s Prayer. (If you need a refresher on the Lord’s Prayer check out Matthew 6:9-13.)

Well, I have been reflecting on that lately and I want to offer my modern take on it. No, I am in no way saying that you should follow me (follow God, not me). But I want to offer a glimpse of what this famous prayer means to me:

Father in Heaven,

I come before You, a humble child of Your creation, in praise and worship. You made all of this Yourself to give us daily reminders of Your compassion. I praise Your name and glory above all else in life. Even when the noise and sound of this creation collide to mask Your voice, I still listen for that gentle whisper amongst it all. I pray for a time when You will return to Your creation to issue in a new, sinless world. When Your full glory will consume this world and when You will squash Satan like the bug he is. Thank You in advance for an eternal life spent with You without the division of sin. In the meantime, Father God, I pray for guidance from Your Holy Spirit to know what and where You have in mind for me. It is so easy in this world to decide for ourselves that we need to do this or need to do that. When Father God, we should be listening to You for the plans You have for our lives. I wait patiently at Your feet to know Your will and Your plans for my life.

Father God, I know in the deepest parts of my heart and soul that You provide when this world fails and Father God, I ask that of you today. I pray for a stronger faith to know, that when the food and money of this world slip through my fingers, that You will always be there as a great provider. I pray that I experience Your living water every day until I see You in person. Father God, Your Son spoke from the cross a word of forgiveness for those that were His killers. And Father God, since I am to live a life echoing what Your Son did, I pray that I can forgive anybody that wrongs me just as He forgave them. I know that I am sinner that deserves the worst punishment from You, but Father God, I seek forgiveness for the sins I have committed toward You and toward my fellow brother.

Father God, I also pray that when Satan goes on the attack that I turn toward You with out stretched arms and seek Your face. You proved on that cross and from that grave that only You can overcome Satan and the strongholds he has over this world. Father God, equip me daily with the proper weaponry to fight off the attacks of the enemy.

May Your name, glory, and power stand strong for eternity,

Amen

 

It’s That Time Of Year Again

I can’t believe that Chi Alpha has been going strong for almost a month now. I guess that old saying, “time flies when you are having fun,” really is true. We started strong with what we call Alpha Week (but would properly be called Alpha Weeks). We helped move people into the dorms. in mid-campus (I was not there for either of those days). The next thing was when we passed out popsicles (again, I was not there). The very next day we had an awesome BBQ at Stankowski. It was a lot of fun!! The largest volleyball tournament so far for a Chi Alpha BBQ. A few days later we had an awesome Fiesta on Lowry Mall. The staff and leadership’s hard work really shined that night. Then we concluded the major part of Alpha Week with our International Student Friendship (ISF) Picnic. James really did an awesome job that night!

Then the next night we celebrated the first week of school with two kegs of Root Beer at the Chi Alpha House. That was fun… and that was a lot of root beer. (Personally, I think I am good on root beer for a little bit longer.) The following Tuesday we kicked off Chi Alpha Worship, and that was cool. Tom does an awesome job with his sermons and Missi (and the rest of the worship team) do an awesome job at bringing people to a place of worship.

Chi Alpha’s annual Fall Retreat starts tomorrow and I am super excited about it. It is going to be awesome!!

 

Introducing: Journeys Along The Way

I have a goal to enrich people that are apart of my community (both near and far) in the coming year. It’s often times easier said than done, more because others, more often than not, already know the information that I want to share. With that said, sometimes it is good to repeat things or to mention new things. When I realized that I then reflected on how I could do that. Well, that’s point of my theme for my WordPress and a little bit for Twitter: Journeys Along The Way. I want to take time and examine the books that I am reading, the sermons I am listening to, and the questions I have. I know that it may sound boring now, but I do have a point. I want to reach out further and further and explore more and more of the things I know nothing about and I want to explore deeper the things I know a little about. Part of this is also to give Scott some reading material while in Kazakhstan. In every post in the Journeys Along The Way series, feel free to post feedback and make it a form to engage in conversation to build on a digital community. Come and join these Journeys Along The Way.

 

The Gray Areas Of Heavy Topics

Something that I have been thinking about lately are the gray areas of life.  What I mean are the areas that the Bible takes stances for or against, but then we, in our human knowledge, begin to wonder where that line ends.

Below are some of these areas and if you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to share.  I want to challenge my thoughts and beliefs to grow closer to a Biblical understanding on these topics.

1) Abortion: Christians are typically anti-abortion, however my question is this – what about incest and rape?  Is abortion okay in those instances or is it not okay?  Why or why not? (Another question presented by a friend: What if the life of the mother is in danger if the child is born or the life of the child is in danger if the mother gives birth?)

2) Violence: One of the more controversial topics since not all Christians agree on what exactly the Biblical stance is, but here we go anyway.  For pacifists – How can we read in the New Testament “love your enemies” yet look in the Old Testament and see that God caused the Flood (a violent act since it ended the life of many) and read about the killing God commanded?  For non-pacifists – How can you “love your enemy” and “love your neighbor” yet still kill them?  How do we rationalize, in either point of view, mercy killing and assisted suicide?

3) Political Patriotism – I’m writing this post on Memorial Day, not a day typically set up for a Biblical understanding to life, it’s more about America and America’s military, and that’s exactly why I brought it up.  We in America get consumed by the pro-America holidays (Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and the biggest one Independence Day), but how are we, as Christains, suppose to respond to those days?  I know I enjoy watching the fireworks (I more enjoy lighting them and then watching them) on July 4, but should we participate at all?  How should our allegiance to the Biblical Kingdom interact with the kingdoms of this world?

4) Easter – Okay, now for some more controversy.  Easter is one of the two most important holidays for the Christain religion, but some the fun Easter activities for kids are not in the Bible (Ex: Easter Egg Hunts, the whole Easter bunny thing, etc.).  I love the Biblical Easter, but how do we look at Easter and not see all the non-Biblical Easter stuff that comes with it?

5) Austin Powers vs. Pearl Harbor - The Bible is pretty clear to stay away from sinning and for a lot of people sex (and all of it’s not so wonderful baggage) is where that gets a little weary.  For that group, sex is something to stay away from, but what about violence?  We try to avoid movies and games with sex in them, but what about movies and games that have a lot of violence in them?  We can play Halo in multi-player and kill each other, but aren’t we, in a way, taking out some kind of aggression toward one another?  What about art like the statue of David and the Sistine Chapel in Italy… how are those different than the nudity in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”? (This point was also brought up by a friend, but it made me start to think about it as well.)

These are the topics that I have questions about and would love to engage in conversation about.  What are your thoughts?