Digging into the archives again. I wrote this over five years ago when I was at Wheaton College. It’s a parable…

Once there was a great king who had three servants. The King had big plans for the servants and so he gifted them in different ways to accomplish their different task. To the first he gave a small home and food and immediately sent him about doing the daily chores that were essential to the functioning of the house. The second he also feed and clothed, but he sent this servant away to learn the skills for the trade he had in mind for him. He also had plans for the third servant to participate in the works he had planned. For the third servant he abundantly feed and clothed him; He gave the servant a very comfortable living quarters so that little could distract him from his studies and work. In addition he gave the third servant an abundance of resources with which to carryout his task. After a few years the King returned to check on his servants. The first reported, “I have diligently done those task which you gave me to do since you left, and I thank you for the blessing of food and clothing.” The king replied, “Well done. I have many more joyful works for which you can be a part.” The second servant reported, “I have learned the skills you sent me to learn and am ready for the task that you have prepared for me.” The king replied, “You have been faithful in your preparation, go now and participate in the joyous works I have in store for you.” Finally, the third servant reported, “I am proud to tell you that I have done well in the studies you have put me to. I far exceed in skill and intelligence your second servant, and in comparison to my peers in this school I am quite up to par. I do have a request though, I know the food you provide me is the best there is, but I’m tired of those slaves who provide the food telling me when I can eat, don’t they know who I am?” The king replied, “You wicked and foolish servant! Do you think you are deserving of anything you have been given?! You some how think that the resources and education and provisions you have been given are for your own worldly pleasure?! I have a plan for you to participate in my work in a way that is different, but no more superior to your fellow servants. But you have disgraced me and your fellow servants by using your gifts to satisfy your own desires. You foolish servant! Do you think I do not have your best interest in mind?! I have given you those resources so that you could share in the amazing joy of giving to others. But more importantly you have missed completely the point of your studies. I have not blessed you with your intelligence and put you in this place for you to measure up to the worldly standards of GPA. You lazy glutton! You are throwing away my gifts to you!! You have been blessed with knowledge so that you can bless others. There is a huge part of my body of believers that does not have a through knowledge of scripture. There is a world full of poor to which I plan on my hands reaching through your gifts. There is economic problems, I have given you the knowledge to fix it. There is political problems, I have given you the knowledge and ability to solve them. There are health problems, I have given you the resources and know how to heal them. How dare you take what I have given you and use it for yourself!”

Okay, so, just a heads up on what you’ll be reading this month.
I’ve been digging through old files and have found a lot of stuff I want to share on here. I used to do fifteen minute writing sessions before bed. Often, they where just a journal of my thoughts from the day, but other times I had some constructive things I put together. I figure they are old and my views have changed somewhat, but I think posting them and allowing for dialog will maybe help reignite some old thoughts and questions and maybe bring some positive conversation out.
The other honest reason I’m doing this is because I want to make sure I’m outside more. I’ve been trying to get ahead on my writing on here so I’m not trying to put together a post the night before, but I seem to have dropped the ball on that. So, I’m going to try and future post the majority of the month of May’s posts, in hopes that I’ll be able to get further ahead in my June writings. Does that make sense? Basically, I’m saying it’s gorgeous out and I’d rather be outside then trying to write a blog post.

I think I’m also going to take a brake from weekend postings. Though we’ve had some good dialog on those posts, a lot of people don’t read blogs or write blog posts on weekends (seems like a good idea to take a break) so I figure I won’t either, at least for right now. I’ll do a post tomorrow for my book review, but then I’ll do book reviews on Friday’s until June.

Sorry for the housekeeping post, I figured it was necessary at the moment.

Finally, I’ve had a lot of new readers lately, and I just wanted to give proper shout-outs. Go check out these blogs (some of you have been reading for a while, but I wanted to still make sure I got you some link love):

http://www.simplelifeinchrist.com/
http://bluetonz.blogspot.com/
http://sobeale.blogspot.com/
http://asiaheppersonrock.blogspot.com/
http://www.benlukecooper.blogspot.com/
http://myspace.com/biasedwriter
http://christophercocca.wordpress.com/
http://www.chatfieldumc.org/
http://www.fousty.blogspot.com
http://blog.teamcrossworld.com
http://www.christopherbennett.blogspot.com
http://www.communicatecorrectly.com/
http://www.jamiemulhern.com/blog
http://www.smoochagator.com/
http://brianalexander.wordpress.com/
http://emergentmindedchristfollowers.com/intothewilderness/

Inspired by Jake, I’m going to pull some stuff from old writings, journals, papers, etc that I’ve done and post them here. Below is some rambling thoughts from my journal after my first Art Appreciation class at Wheaton College with Jeff Thompson. But before that, an explanation of my history with art.
Though my mom painted all over our house (literally), I’d never been a big fan of ‘formal’ art. One particular event scarred my art appreciation. Sometime during middle school my parents got a membership to The Art Institute of Chicago, and in doing so, received tickets to view the Monet exhibit when it came through one summer. They dragged us along and I had the terrible experience of waiting for nearly three hours in a line as we wove in and out of exhibit halls waiting to see Monet’s work. Some of the art while we waited was cool, like a painting that nearly looked like a photograph of a man’s face, but others where ridiculous like a massive black canvas with a random digital clock time painted on it. There where also drawings and sculptures that my kid brother could have easily done. When we finally arrived at the famous Monet (sarcasm, but remember, I was a middle schooler), I walked through the 50+ paintings of haystacks in less then a half hour and a fell asleep on a bench at the end of the exhibit. That experience forever scarred my appreciation of art… now back to Thompson’s class.

Here are my notes after my first evening of class:

So artist are people who try to express, communicate, through language, not just words, but body and audible and written and more. They try to communicate the perfect embodiment of human kind. God is an artist. He perfectly embodied his divine nature in the person of Jesus Christ. Thompson is a crazy guy, truly an artist in the stereo typical sense. He’s off the wall with his comments, and yet was quite linear in what he talked about today. He gave some bible verse today, about the rocks crying out and things like that. I appreciated it a lot. The goal is to develop more my appreciation for art and so far so good. Though we haven’t really looked at very much art. His advice to us is when we see an artist encourage them. Listen to them, look at them. But are we all artist? Do we all in some way embody artistry? Or has God put this desire for expression in only a few of us? That is a question worth contemplating for a while I think. But I wonder, what benefit is it for the kingdom to spend hours and hours practicing to play a small part in a ballet that is attended by the very rich? The rich need Jesus too, don’t get me wrong. And I certainly believe God can use all things to bring people to himself, like the worshipful communication that one might see in a ballet, but isn’t there other ways? More direct, or applicable ways to bring people to Christ? I wonder. What would the world be like with out art? God is certainly an artist, with words, with creation, with people, with everything. Are we to be like him in that attribute and create our own artistic expression? Are we to encourage extravagantly expensive artistic activities and individuals spending countless hours expressing themselves in this way? Then again can you draw a line down the middle and decide which art is worshipful expression and which art is superfluous? Can you? I think maybe we just can’t. Well that’s all for now.

Those were real questions, and though I had some of them answered during the course of the class, a lot our still floating out there. Any thoughts?

A month or so ago, while browsing the blog of one of the amazing writers for Geez Magazine (which I’ll be reviewing on Saturday), Chris Cocca, I learned about a site called 6 Sentences. The site basically contains stories that are six sentences long, and they are quite good. Anyways, it seemed like an excellent writing exercise to help improve me writing abilities, so I gave it a shot. I’m going to try this or something similar (maybe some spoken word) at least once a week, and I just might post it. Here’s my first story.

Triumphal Entry

She sat on the kitchen counter in faded jeans and a plain white undershirt, her hair pulled back in an unassuming ponytail, her knees pulled up to her chest, a few tears trickling down her cheek. He leaned back and took another swig of milk, straight from the carton, trying to let her words settle in. She’d fully expected him to hit her, not because he’d ever been physically aggressive before, but her story was so outlandish, she’d imagined only the worst. “Was it James…” He questioned out loud, partially to himself, but also giving her a chance to come clean, “Matt, maybe?” Her tears came down again, hard now, she hadn’t expected him to believe her impossible story, she almost wished the truth was as simple as he thought, but her heart still broke as his questioning gave indication that her hopes for the future were quickly slipping away. It was over, before it had even begun, and all that awaited her now was a life as an outcast, whispered about at the market, ostracized by her community, left alone to raise her child, that bastard child.

Continue reading Six Sentences: The Triumphal Entry →

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.

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):

• Determine the need in your community. Visit with veteran’s assistance providers. Contact your local mayor’s office for a list of providers.
• Involve others. If you are not already part of an organization, pull together a few people who might be interested in attacking this issue.
• Participate in local homeless coalitions. Chances are there is one in your community. If not, this may be the time to start bringing people together around this critical need.

Resources:

1. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0319anniversary0319.html
2. http://ptsdcombat.blogspot.com/2007/11/jama-mental-health-longitudinal.html
3. http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm

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?

Mashal was six years old when he and his family returned home to Kabul, Afghanistan after the war in 2001. Like many children do, Mashal was playing outside of his home when his mother heard a loud explosion. He screamed once and then became quiet. His right leg had been completely blown off.1

Landmines kill nearly 20,000 people every year, 90% of them civilians, 8,000 of those are children. Over 70 million landmines litter the ground in 1/3 of the countries of the world, having been dropped there during military conflicts even decades ago.2 It took the concerted efforts of many human rights groups and political leaders to push forward a UN ban on landmines in Ottawa in 19973, but that did not bring an end to the perpetuation of destruction. With landmines banned, new military technologies have come into use, causing the same devastating impact to civilians that landmines had caused and still cause. Cluster bombs, used heavily by the USA in it’s invasion into Afghanistan, cause similar destruction, killing and maiming thousands of civilians long after the conflict has ended.

The issue of land mines and cluster bombs is not one about being for or against “The War.” Even the most staunch war supporter can see that the indiscriminate killing and maiming of children is wrong. Those against the war can begin to take specific steps to at least reduce the civilian casualties by addressing specific issues such as cluster bombs.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
One of the early church leaders, James, emphasized the importance of declaring our faith by what we do, and specifically he gave this charge, to look after orphans and widows in their distress. Many, like Mashal and his mother, are trying to survive in war-torn lands, and we have the opportunity to help them.

There are several things you can do:

Inform: Tell your friends and family, neighbors and politicians about the effects of landmines and the stories of the families of those who’ve been killed. (you could start by emailing this post).

Act: You can take specific action right now to address this issue by donating financially https://secure3.ctsg.com/aam/donation/, signing a treaty http://www.icbl.org/action and ask others to take similar actions

Organize: If your compelled to do more, many of the organizations have opportunities to organize dinners, school groups, churches and more to take broader actions and campaigns to clean up landmines.

References:
Adopt-a-Minefield
Human Rights Watch
International Committee of the Red Cross

_____
1 http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/afghanistan-stories-231107
2 http://www.landmines.org/crisis/landmine_fact_sheet.cfm
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Treaty

Go and hug a friend now. Hug your spouse and your kids. Hug your mother.

And then, find someone your not close friends with, and let them know their loved. Stop worrying about whether you’ll sound dorky, or aren’t cool enough to talk to that person. Life shouldn’t be about impressing people.

I care about you.

I’ve wanted to do a series of post like this for a while and I think now is the time to tackle it. The goal is to write a series of posts (every Friday) on social issues I believe Christians should be aware of. The posts will be brief, summarize the issue, present the facts, and then attempt to make a connection as to why Christians should be concerned about the topic.

I haven’t settled on the 50, but here is my current list from a brainstorm:

AIDS globally
AIDS in USA
conflict diamonds
consumerism
death row exoneration
divorce
domestic abuse
eating disorders
female genital mutilation
gentrification
history of the Native People (in the USA)
homelessness
immigrants
international debt
lack of clean drinking water
Lack of tithing in the USA
land mines
leprosy
malaria
marketing to children
military industrial complex/revolving door
multinational corporations (walmart, coke, nike, etc)
police brutality
pornography
self mutilation
sex exploitation in SE Asia
Sex trafficking
slavery
STDs
suicide
the cancer belt
unequal public education
voter discrimination
wage gap
sweatshops
orphans worldwide

If you have another topic to add please do so here or leave it in the comments. I’m also interested in your opinions of the above topics, are they important, overwhelming, outdated, unnecessary?