Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
What can we learn from the MIchael Brown Tragedy?
In America, there is a persistent and false cultural assumption that is rarely spoken but widely believed.
Many people believe that we get what we deserve, economically, socially and vocationally. The idea is that if you are poor, you should work harder and be a better (moral) person. If you are affluent, then you must be working hard and be a good, worthy individual.
Nothing could be further from the truth. And the worst part is that many of the people in our churches buy into this worldview, maybe only half-knowingly, but buy it they do. Grace for salvation and all of the material and familial blessings we receive are nothing but a gift. But somehow, we often cannot see that we do not deserve what we have.
Beyond the misunderstanding of why people are poor in the first place, there is an even greater evil.
Those who profit from and intentionally marginalize the needy. There are whole industries run by people, ranging from payday lenders to slumlords to voter suppressors who have put their collective feet on the throat of the poor.
And our system of justice is complicit in the situation as it seems to be slanted towards protecting those who have all the resources and power while ignoring those who find themselves left out of the spoils.
I can't pretend to understand/comprehend the rage that leads to our current situation surrounding the tragic death of unarmed teen Michael Brown. As a believer in non-violence, I grieve the actions of a few criminals souring what could be powerful and peaceful protests.
But I think that we must listen to our brothers and sisters who are speaking out. We should pay attention to the millions of folks who are fed up with a system of "justice" that is clearly bent.
Many people believe that we get what we deserve, economically, socially and vocationally. The idea is that if you are poor, you should work harder and be a better (moral) person. If you are affluent, then you must be working hard and be a good, worthy individual.
Nothing could be further from the truth. And the worst part is that many of the people in our churches buy into this worldview, maybe only half-knowingly, but buy it they do. Grace for salvation and all of the material and familial blessings we receive are nothing but a gift. But somehow, we often cannot see that we do not deserve what we have.
Beyond the misunderstanding of why people are poor in the first place, there is an even greater evil.
Those who profit from and intentionally marginalize the needy. There are whole industries run by people, ranging from payday lenders to slumlords to voter suppressors who have put their collective feet on the throat of the poor.
And our system of justice is complicit in the situation as it seems to be slanted towards protecting those who have all the resources and power while ignoring those who find themselves left out of the spoils.
I can't pretend to understand/comprehend the rage that leads to our current situation surrounding the tragic death of unarmed teen Michael Brown. As a believer in non-violence, I grieve the actions of a few criminals souring what could be powerful and peaceful protests.
But I think that we must listen to our brothers and sisters who are speaking out. We should pay attention to the millions of folks who are fed up with a system of "justice" that is clearly bent.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
What is our response to racism?
In the midst of all this Donald Sterling hullabaloo, let's not forget that racism and oppression exist in the dark and are rarely obvious.
Before we congratulate ourselves on being united by blatant bigotry, we should each examine ourselves for subtle prejudice and hatred.
Love is a hard road to walk and expressing outrage at hate speech is only one tiny inch of the journey. May we not give up on walking it. #pray4America #peacemakers
Before we congratulate ourselves on being united by blatant bigotry, we should each examine ourselves for subtle prejudice and hatred.
Love is a hard road to walk and expressing outrage at hate speech is only one tiny inch of the journey. May we not give up on walking it. #pray4America #peacemakers
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Noah
Over at TheWayOnCampus.com, Curtis and I have been putting out a regular podcast where we discuss scripture, culture, sports, music and other entertainment happenings.
Download | Duration: 00:25:26
In the latest episode, we share our thoughts on the big-budget epic telling of the Noah story, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Check it out and feel free to chime in via the comment section! Also, one of my projects this summer is exploring the ancient discipline of haiku poetry and then using it to critique films because, hey, who has time to read a paragraph these days?
Download | Duration: 00:25:26
In the latest episode, we share our thoughts on the big-budget epic telling of the Noah story, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Check it out and feel free to chime in via the comment section! Also, one of my projects this summer is exploring the ancient discipline of haiku poetry and then using it to critique films because, hey, who has time to read a paragraph these days?
Wicked washed away
Fierce flood disaster movie
Watchers named Treebeard?
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Thursday, November 21, 2013
God is in the slums
A couple days ago, I spent half a day with a friend of mine, Dr. Nzash Lumeya, who is a missionary to Fresno. Originally from The Congo, Nzash studied in France, got a doctorate from Fuller Seminary and somehow found himself ministering among the poorest people in our city. As he spent half a day taking us around the neighborhoods he serves, I was struck by the longevity of this humble man and his impact on families. For over 7 years, he has been selflessly reaching out to those for whom he might be the closest thing to "church" they will ever see, touch, or hear.
One thing he said to me I have not been able to shake.
"When we help people directly, through meeting the needs of the poor, then God's love for them goes from speculation to reality."
Most people have an idea of what they think church is about, who they think Jesus is. Many times this impression is overwhelmingly negative. What I heard from Nzash is this: when we put tangible action ahead of rhetoric then people get to see who God's followers are and hopefully, what He is really like.
This whole business of trying to be faithful to the character of God within the confines of organized religion can sometimes be incredibly discouraging. And yet, where challenges persist, innovations are always possible. Recently, I was at a District Advisory Committee meeting for Clovis Unified School District and we were shown this inspiring story.
And so we press on to find ways to bring the solution into contact with the people who need it. Since we need the solution (Jesus) ourselves, it shouldn't be hard to share with others. As long as we are looking in the right places.
One thing he said to me I have not been able to shake.
"When we help people directly, through meeting the needs of the poor, then God's love for them goes from speculation to reality."
Most people have an idea of what they think church is about, who they think Jesus is. Many times this impression is overwhelmingly negative. What I heard from Nzash is this: when we put tangible action ahead of rhetoric then people get to see who God's followers are and hopefully, what He is really like.
This whole business of trying to be faithful to the character of God within the confines of organized religion can sometimes be incredibly discouraging. And yet, where challenges persist, innovations are always possible. Recently, I was at a District Advisory Committee meeting for Clovis Unified School District and we were shown this inspiring story.
And so we press on to find ways to bring the solution into contact with the people who need it. Since we need the solution (Jesus) ourselves, it shouldn't be hard to share with others. As long as we are looking in the right places.
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