My brother is standing next to me. He wants me to say something “awesome” about him.
It’s funny that I’m trying to do daily blog post and I’ve spent the last few Sunday posts saying go spend time with friends and family, but, well, maybe that’s a good idea. We are going to go watch my sister play some Ultimate Frisbee. Family is awesome. Go spend some time with them. Or call them. But let them know they are loved.
They finally got copies of Jesus For President at the public library, and I was one of the first on the hold list. Surprisingly, in all of Minneapolis, there where only three holds on the book. I wonder if that is at all telling of the type of people that are interested in the book (like, they don’t use the library? or something). Anyways, having been keeping up on Shane, The Simple Way and the sort of movement of interest, I definitely wanted to check out the book, and I was not disappointed.
A large portion of the book is a biblical and theological look from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) through the new, and keeping in mind and at the forefront a “political” mindset. I had previously read Walter Wink’s book, The Powers That Be (which I highly recommend and own a copy so you can borrow it), and had since read through the Bible keeping in mind this power structure idea (Which Greg Boyd describes as Power Over vs. Power Under), but I’d never really learned about and read through with a “political” perspective. I’ve read The Politics of Jesus too (also a great book, and also referenced a lot in Jesus for President), but I think I missed a lot because of the Academic language. Anyways, back to the book at hand. If you’ve never read your Bible with politics in mind I’d highly recommend the first sections as they lend at the very least great insight into thinking about what and how the Biblical narrative might speak to the politics of today.
I should also mention that the book is not laid out in plain traditional format, but is in color and creatively designed by SharpSeven, Ryan Sharp (who I had the pleasure of chatting with at a campfire at PapaFest 2006) and his wife. It is really neat, and the artistic design and layout definitely adds something to the reading experience.
And the books final sections give ideas and being politically creative in our times. It’s great to hear the stories and begin stirring our political imaginations. It was also encouraging to me to find that I had already heard or been aware of a number of the stories, makes me feel like maybe I’m not alone in my interest after all.
Anyways, that’s it for my summary, there are other bloggers who’ve written far more in depth and thought provoking summaries, but this is just my attempt to stay on my goal of a book a week.
Think back to the last time you saw a scary movie, or heard about or witnessed something that kept you up at night and that cluttered your thoughts throughout the day. Imagine experiencing the effects of that only 10 or 100 fold for the rest of your life, that’s only a glimpse of what it might be like to experience Combat Trauma, or PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which the vast majority of our countries war veterans experience after their tours of duty.
Currently there are thousands of veterans returning from duty in Iraq having experienced horrific situations that have left them struggling to maintain and begin normal life here in the states. Charles Thomas, 43, served as a platoon sergeant. “He had been in firefights. He had fished bloated bodies out of the Tigris River. He had removed equipment from military vehicles stained and reeking from the blown-out brains of his soldiers who had been killed…When he came home from war and retired from the military, however, he couldn’t sit in a crowded room. He was still scanning overpasses for bombs and snipers, even as he was driving to work in Phoenix, especially on a stretch of Loop 202 that reminded him of Iraq. And he went into a panic in a traffic jam.” As much as 42% of those returning from duty are requiring mental health treatment. There is no question, whether for or against the war, there is a huge need to “support our troops” in dealing with the trauma upon their return.
In addition to those recently returning there is a large percentage of veterans from the Vietnam war and other armed conflicts, who are still today struggling to lead healthy lives here in the states. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans there are nearly 200,000 veterans without a home on any given night and nearly 400,000 experience homelessness in a given year. A conservative estimate says that one in every three men you see standing on the corner, sleeping on a bench or under a bridge has done a tour of duty for this country. There are a wide range of reasons one can point to as to why a person might currently be experiencing homelessness, but there is a stark reality that thousands of men, fit mentally and physically to serve our country in military service, have come back and find themselves struggling with substance abuse, unable to hold jobs, chronically ill, mentally incapable of normal day to day functioning, and many unable to provide the means to keep a roof over their heads.
What is the Christians roll in all this? Where family, government services, friends and non-profits have failed them, the church has an opportunity to love their combat traumatized and homeless veterans as themselves. Providing support, understanding and a welcome environment for these men and women is important to them and the community at large. Jesus tells the story of a man who is robbed and left for dead on the side of the road. It is a Samaritan, from the ‘other side of the tracks’, who comes and cares for the man, and Jesus then tells us to “Go and do likewise.” How clearly this parable speaks to the need to care for war veterans, our fellow countrymen (and women), who have been more or less, “left for dead” by our society. They need much more then your money or occasional charity project, they need loving caring communities to welcome and embrace them and walk with them on their journey to wholeness, for weeks, months, years, maybe even for life.
What you can do (from the NCHV website):
Resources:
It’s that time again, looks like this worked pretty well last week. I read some interesting articles about immigration and race, a Brennan Manning Video and some thoughts from McClaren on simplicity. Pretty interesting, but I’d like to hear more.
I figured maybe I’d do a themed one this time. If you’ve come across a well written or challenging blog post or new article or something on the topic of Race recently I’d love to see it. Just post it (and your name or the name of the article) below…
Daniels post from last week was great and I’d love to see your feedback on it too so go visit.
It occurred (or was pointed out) to me that I haven’t really posted anything just about me recently, and because there seems to have been an influx of new readers, it might be wise to say a little something, so you have an idea of who I am. I’ll be brief, but here’s a rambling random insight…
I’m 25, if you want to bother keeping track still (October 7th), but I married up; in age, style, looks, intelligence, charm, she’s way out of my league…which is why my kid is so stinking cute (and smart). I’ve been married almost five years, yeah I know, it’s nuts. Graduated high school in 2000, went to YWAM, cause, well, I didn’t want to go to college, but I wanted to change the world or something. The whole thing left we with far more questions and doubts then I came with, but I did meet my wife there. Had I been planning it I would have met her 6 years later, backpacking Europe or something, but I wasn’t in charge; which is a good thing.
Went to Wheaton College, don’t ask me how I got in or how I paid for it (starts with “m” ends with “afia”), but I did. Got bored (or antsy) after 2 years, so I got married, and we went and hung out in Atlanta for a year, doing after school programs with AmeriCorps. My wife fell in love with the city, which was good, because we were starting to think that’s where we’d be hanging out for a while. Went back to Wheaton to finish out senior year there, and then headed South to Nashville so my brilliant and beautiful (and did I mention charming) wife could become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Met, worked with, and lived with some amazing people for two years there before making a trek to our now permanent (I think) home in North Minneapolis. Oh, yeah and along the way we had a baby, she’s 9 1/2 months and stupendously incredible.
Any Questions?
I saw Desmond Tutu speak the other day at a Peace Jam event. This is a short promo video for the 2006 event, but still a good clip to hear him in. If you don’t know who he is you should pick up his book.
Steve Connell “… why not wine coolers” (ht. Mark):
Now this is a little league game as it should be:
A trailer for a very interesting looking video, Lord Save Us From Your Followers (ht. lucas):
And one final sweet trailer, A Purple State of Mind (ht. TWotP):
At this point, I’m not sure there are many or any people from my neighborhood that read this, which isn’t a big deal, but it also mean this might not be that relevant here.
I think I’m going to start a Wiki for my neighborhood. Mostly, the benefit will be for myself, sort of an online notebook with entries pertaining to each and everything I can learn about the different businesses, organizations and initiatives going on around the neighborhood. From what I’ve seen there doesn’t appear to be anything like that, at least not in a truly condensed form, so this might prove useful to other community members as well. We’ll see. For those who don’t know what a Wiki is, check out Wikipedia, it’s basically an online encyclopedia. In the same way I’d love to see an Encyclopedia for North Minneapolis that would be able to provide detailed information about the neighborhood. And, the cool thing about a Wiki is anyone can edit it, so it can be a truly collaborative effort. For now though, it will just be my personal notebook of sorts on the neighborhood.
Anyone ever try and do something like this for their neighborhood, city or community?
Anyone know of a good Wiki Software or website to use for something like this?
Anyone interested in helping with this project?
Caring for the poor is not some unique passion of mine. My awareness of my need to care for the poor came during some of the more spiritual dark times of my life, when I picked up my Bible and starting reading the words of Jesus…
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” (Luke 14:13)
‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
And then this one:
Luke 10:27-37
He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Today I have the opportunity to see and hear from Desmond Tutu. If you don’t know who Archbishop Desmond Tutu is you should pick up his book, No Future Without Forgiveness. Prior to reading the book, which I borrowed from a friend when I new Tutu would be visiting, I hadn’t know much about him either, only that he had been involved in ending the apartheid in South Africa and working on reconciliation afterwards. This book gives a phenomenal insight into the way South Africa worked through the healing process after years of terrible racial atrocities.
The first few chapters are a little difficult to get through. Tutu is a brilliant academic and tends to use large words that makes it difficult to read quickly. However, those beginning chapters carefully lay the groundwork of how the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed and what it set out to accomplish. It was an amazing task that they undertook. The goal being to bring truth and reconciliation to a broken country. The shift, when apartheid ended and Nelson Mendela became president in 1994, was monumental. You might compare it to when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed in the USA, ending Jim Crow segregation. In both of those situations there is still an ominous history that can not simply be swept away. I believe the racial tension experienced in the USA today has a lot to do with the fact that we never did anything to honestly address the injustice of racism and segregation.
In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up to try and address that very dilemma. However, it was unique in that it was not a law-enforcing body, setting out to punish the wrong-doers, a task that would have been nearly impossible to really implement (How many here have been arrested or imprisoned for the lynchings, discrimination and harassments enacted before the Civil Rights Movement?). Instead, the TRC set about providing a forum for people to share their stories. Radio and Television gave special attention to the Commission, helping provide a national platform for sobering truth to be shared. Victims where provided opportunity to tell of the atrocities they or their family experienced, and there was healing in the sharing. Those who had committed crimes could apply for amnesty, provided they shared and gave full disclosure to all that they had done. The amnesty process was a controversial one, but I came to agree with Tutu’s perspective that it was the right thing to do. Many police, military and government officials came forward, sharing information that could have otherwise been kept secret for years to come. The sharing of truth provided closure for some many families who simply had know idea what had happened to their loved ones. The stories in the book are heartbreaking and yet the willingness of the victims to forgive and reconcile is profoundly moving.
If you haven’t read anything about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, you should pick up this book. I think it’s such a shining example of doing things differently than the retribution system we currently have in place. I’m not saying it’s necessarily going to be effective all the time, but it points to the human imagination, created by God to love one another far deeper and more creatively then racism, injustice and vengeance ever could.