via Doug
Archive for August, 2006
Snap Back To Reality
August 28, 2006Thursday afternoon (so like 5 days ago) we drove down to Melbourne for a conference on poverty and social justice issues and the church. The drive took us about 12 hours, which wasn’t too bad divided between 4 people, but arriving at the conference center at 2am was a bit rough… That and it was freezing out. But we managed.
So… Nothing like having your ass kicked around. So I have BEEN contemplating my consumerism, materialism, the poor, and what my faith speaks on that… and why my life doesn’t equal that faith. This weekend was basically a confirmation of all those suspicions about that imbalance, and a complete and utter stripping of any excuses we had been making to not step up, change, and do something about it.
It was good to have so many people articulate feelings we’ve had. It was tough to listen to rebuke. It was embarrassing to hear scripture for the first time… even though I have read it over many, many times.
This phrase from Tony Campolo echoes in my head:
“You cannot have a personal relationship with Jesus, if you don’t have a personal relationship with the poor.”
We also heard some insightful stuff about worship music, sexuality, and oppression. But I’ll save some of those for other posts.
The “snap” moment came last night. The airport we flew home from (bro-inlaw and sis in law who drove down with us stayed for a few days on holiday) was on the other side of Melbourne so we stopped in the Little Italy of Melbourne for dinner. Sitting outside waiting for our pasta we met Mark.
Mark was a homeless guy. Maybe early to mid twenties. Playing harmonica to make money for a bed for the night. The conflict within started immediately. He was polite, but was causing a scene. Was his story even true? Did he just tell us a story about how he killed some mugger? To be honest, I just wanted him to leave us alone. I was embarrassed by my inner monologue. I rebuked it, though I wish it had’ve been faster. When your own depravity shows it’s ugliness… it’s ugly. The monologue only took 5 seconds in my head. But I felt something else. I felt the exchange was meant for a 2-fold purpose. One, to show me that even though I desire to be a radical follower of Jesus, I have much work to be done in me. I was reminded of how much more I need the Spirit of Jesus in my heart to act out that desire. I am prone to revert-back-ed-ness. And Two, to recognize Jesus in Mark. To treat people like Mark like I would Christ. To not miss the opportunities to mingle with God incarnate.
I was frustrated with myself for the next few hours because of this. That I took too long to respond. That I even had the monologue. But I don’t shy away from critique. I need to change. It is one small, but significant step. The first of many.
The Lord’s Prayer For Justice
August 24, 2006via Mike Todd
Our Father… who always stands with the weak, the powerless, the poor, the abandoned, the sick, the aged, the very young, the unborn, and those who by victim of circumstance, bear the heat of the day.
Who is in heaven… where everything will be reversed, where the first will be last and the last will be first, but where all will be well and every manner of thing will be well.
Holy be Your Name… may we always acknowledge Your holiness, knowing that your ways are not our ways, your standards are not our standards. May our reverence for You pull us out of the selfishness that prevents us from seeing the pain of our neighbor.
Your kingdom come… help us to create a world where, beyond our own needs and hurts, we will do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with you and our neighbors. Teach us our own poverty, and to receive Your kingdom as a gift by the power of Your Spirit.
Your will be done… open our freedom to let you in so that the complete mutuality that characterizes your life might flow through our veins, and thus the life that we help generate may radiate your equal love for all and your special love for the poor. Teach us to partner with you as you renew and redeem creation.
Give us this day… give us life and love; teach us to receive Your life so that we may in turn give it away. Give not just to our own but to everyone, including those who are very different than the narrow �us.� Give us this day and not tomorrow. Do not let us push things off into some distant future so we can excuse our passivity or our apathy. Unveil to us the Presence of Your Kingdom.
Our daily bread… so that each person in the world may have what they need, enough food, clean water, clean air, adequate health care, and access to education. So that we may learn how simple are our true needs, so that we may work for a sustainable world.
And forgive us our trespasses… forgive us our blindness toward our neighbor, our self- preoccupation, our racism, our sexism. Forgive us our capacity for blindness, for believing the lies about progress, for adopting a consumer lifestyle.
As we forgive those who trespass against us… help us to forgive those who take advantage of us. Help us to forgive imperfect parents, impersonal corporations and the systems that wounded them and us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever… Amen.
And That, My Friends, Settles It!
August 23, 2006Behold. The atheists nightmare! Excuse me while I further the debate by shoving crayons up my nose. Posting may be irregular for a while.
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