A Very Human Face

We have been blessed at our church to have Archbishop Desmond Tutu come and speak twice. If you don't know who he is, shame on you! Truly an awesome presence. One of the things he told us was to be careful not to demonize our enemies. C.S. Lewis speaks of this as well in Mere Christianity. He wrote about how when we have problems with people, we tend to begin to see them as all bad, when in reality, no one is all bad, or all good for that matter. And it is true, we tend to do that, see people we dislike as larger than life monsters in our minds eyes. There are monsters among us, to be sure, but most of us fall somewhere in the in between.

Last week, for the first time, I saw the face of a would be suicide bomber. The young man was in his teens. He was from Jordan and had come to the West Bank to visit. While there he got caught up in the politics of the current situation and after seeing the smiling faces of two martyrs decided to volunteer to become a suicide bomber. After strapping on explosives, he came to his designated target. But as he approached he saw children playing in a park. He changed his mind. He walked into the middle of a field to blow himself up. He pressed the trigger. Nothing happened. The next day he was picked up by Israeli police. The interviewer asked him, " Are you sorry the bomb didn't go off?" He looked at the reporter like he was nuts and said, "No! Of course not! I want to go back to Jordan and get on with my life!"

What struck me about this young man was how much he talked and acted just like any other young man of his age. He could have been one of my sons. He was so...normal! That is the problem with labels, such as terrorist. They erase the human identity of the accused and turn them into a monster of irrational proportion. They allow us to tell ourselves that the bearer of the label is void of all human decency and lacks the ability to be reasoned with. They absolve us from bearing the responsibility of trying to work out our differences in a mature and rational manner.

I wonder, if when we watch the news, and see the horrors that other people have lived through, if we ever stop to put ourselves in their situation. If we imagine what it would be like to live in your family home for hundreds of years, only to be driven out and watch it bulldozed. I wonder if we imagine what it is like to watch your children go hungry. I wonder if we put ourselves in the shoes of someone watching a loved one wasting away with disease. Do we really truly try to understand the depth of the pain that people endure or do we, as the reporter in Hotel Rwanda stated, say, "Oh that's a shame." and go on with our dinners? Or do we only empathize with those who look and sound like us?

The young would be bomber has 15 years before he will be able to go home to Jordan and get on with his life.

McGaza

Maybe I should start this post with a disclaimer...I really don't want to offend anyone, or make light of the situation in Gaza. This is a heart wrenching situation, I think, regardless of where you stand on the issue...

My sons and I always try to catch the McLaughlin group on Saturdays up here in the Windy City. Today they were discussing the possible effects of the Gaza pull out on terrorism. What really surprised me is that I didn't hear anyone speak on the current living conditions of the Palestinians and how much that directly aids in the recruitment of terrorist. Its easy to recruit suicide bombers among people who live in such desperate circumstances they feel they have nothing to live for. I turned to my son and said, "Give those kids an mp3, a pair of Nikes and McDonalds and see how many you can find willing to blow themselves up!" Of course I was being facetious, but I honestly feel that the best defence Israel would have against Palestinian terrorism is investment and development...

Green Snake

I used to work with a woman who married a man from South Africa. Shortly after her marriage, they went there so that she could meet his family. While they were there they took a walk in the jungle. At one point during the walk she looked down and saw a beautiful tiny pencil thin neon green snake circling in and out between her feet. They stopped and her husband began to whisper to her, "Don't move or it will run away!" He softly exclaimed over the beauty of the snake while it circled his wife's feet, going in and out, in and out, in and out. All the while he whispered to her, "Don't move, you'll scare it. It will run away." With hushed voices they stood admiring it for a few more minutes until finally it grew bored with its game and slithered off into the jungle.

After they came out of the jungle, her new husband told her that the snake was one of the deadliest in the jungle, and if she had jumped or moved in anyway it would have surely bit her and she would have died immediately.

I don't know why I felt compelled to post this. It is a true story, and one I usually share with my students to teach them the value of listening and following directions, even when they can't see why they should, or don't understand. But it has also spoken to me many times in my own life, especially concerning my walk with God.
Is it about faith?
Trust?
Obedience?
Is it about how things that appear to be beautiful can actually be deadly?
Is it about the importance of being sensitive to the voice of God?
All of the above?

DO UNTO OTHERS

Norman Rockwell's Do Unto Others (1961)

Oh What's Goin On?

Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today

Father, father
We don't need to escalate
War is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding, yeah, today

Aw, picket lines, picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me so you can see

Oh what's going on
Tell me what's goin' on

Mother, mother
Ev'ry body thinks we're wrong
Baby who are they to judge us
'Cause our hair is long
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today

Good God

Carl Larsson

Carl Larsson is one of my favorite artist. He painted beautiful idyllic pictures of rural family life in Sweden. He overcame a harsh childhood as the son of an alcoholic father and grew up to become a successful artist and family man.

Happy Independence Day!

August 15th marks the Independence of India from British rule. Below is an excerpt from the famous speech, "Tryst with Destiny" delivered just shortly before midnight on the eve of Independence, marking not only the birth of the worlds largest democracy, but also the successful conclusion of India's NON-VIOLENT REVOLUTION!

Tryst with Destiny

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru		The Indian Flag Saffron stands for 'Patriotism', White stands for 'Purity', Green stands for 'Prosperity' and the blue Ashoka Chakra (Wheel) in the middle stands for 'Progress'.

Chabad House

I went to the Chabad House last night to share Shabbat with Orthodox Hasidic Jews. It was a truly beautiful experience. The Rabbi and his wife were a young couple with three adorable children, 4, 5 and 7 months. They were irresistible. It was warm. They were welcoming, and for me this was an opportunity of a lifetime. I have read and been fascinated by Hasidism since I was 19. I'm now 41. That's a long time to carry a torch. We lit candles, sang, had service, ate, argued, drank 12 year old scotch, and in general had a blast. I look forward to returning, especially with my sons. But as I sat there and watched and listened to 4 year old Esther sing her "Welcome Shabbat" song, my joy was indescribably bitter sweet.
I married a man from India at the age of 21. If you don't know this, foreign students tend to stick together. And why not? They are strangers in a strange land, after all. So when we got married I met an incredible amount of people from all over the world. The were 19 nationalities represented at our wedding. I learned. I learned how to ask questions. How to be respectful. How to be open. But sitting at the Rabbi's table last night, I felt such a sense of Deja Vu. I thought to myself, "How many times have I sat at a table just like this and shared a family meal with Indians, Muslims, Asians, Christians, Hispanics, African Americans....My God! We are so much alike!"
During the meal, the end times were brought up, fasting was brought up, being the "chosen people" was brought up, Israel was brought up. I have had this conversation with Muslims, Jews, and Christians, each group claiming to be "God's chosen people". The Jews and Muslims claiming to have permission to annihilate the unbelievers... And now the Christians seem to have happily jumped on the annihilation bandwagon...All three groups utterly and devoutly believing their claims. How do you reconcile THAT!?! My saddest moment was when Rabbi Yossi said they would know when the Messiah had come because there would be peace on Earth. I despaired for an answer.
You know, I am sold out for Christ. I believe He is the one. But I also know that when we see the term "chosen" in the scripture, it is paired with the word "servant". Isaiah 41:8 "But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen,..." I have heard it said that God saves us to be a trophy of His grace. And that would certainly be an apt description of the definition of what it means to be chosen among most of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims I have met. But think about it...what is a trophy good for? It sits on the shelf, calling attention to itself. You rarely put anything in it. And you sure don't pour anything out of it.... In fact, many times, it just gathers dust while calling attention to glories past. It is usually one of the least serviceable items you will find in any given house....
In Isaiah 42:1, we again see this mystical pairing of the words servant and chosen... "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;" He continues on throughout the 42nd chapter talking about the purpose for which His chosen one has been called: to bring forth justice, to be a light to the gentiles, to open blind eyes, to free captives from prison, to release from the dungeons those who sit in darkness...

Sounds mysteriously like hard work, sounds like service to others...not something trophies are known for.

Perhaps the answer I despaired of won't be found in us trying to convince each other that WE are truly "the chosen." Maybe our answer will be found in redefining what being "chosen" really means...

Praying Jew

Marc Chagall

" ... when Christ disarmed Peter he disarmed all Christians."

Father George Zabelka

a Catholic chaplain with the U.S. Air Force, served as a priest for the airmen who dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, and gave them his blessing.

Relativity

Okay, this was too cute to pass up... and for the purist, I apologize in advance for any sensibilities I may offend.



Relativity
M.C. Escher

Arrested

I'll never forget it. I was a young stay at home mother with two young babies living in the middle of nowhere, going about my normal daily routine. Out of the blue, I heard God speak to me as clearly as He had ever spoken to me in my life. He said, " You have racism in your heart." I was arrested in my tracks. "What?" I thought. "You must be kidding! I love everybody! What are you saying God?"
He spoke again. " You have racism in your heart because you think that its okay for African Americans to live in poverty because you feel that is all they have ever known."
I was dumbfounded. But I was also convicted. I knew God was right. I was also flabbergasted because I had no explanation for why God was saying this to me now. I lived in the middle of nowhere. The few Black people that I knew were far away. There hadn't been any recent occurrences that I could think of that would cause God to address this issue in my life now. Little did I know then where my life would carry me.
I grew up in overwhelmingly White communities. African American History was relegated to two paragraphs in my History book. I knew about three African Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglas and Hariette Tubman. But God had his hand on my life. When I was about twelve I found myself deeply fascinated by African American authors. Its only because of this that I learned about Frederick Douglas. I would go to my school library, check out the books and take them home while friends and family would ask, " Why are you reading that!?! I couldn't explain it, but something in those writings resonated deeply within me. Still, even with that, I knew so little of the real horrors of slavery, Jim Crow laws, segregation, and the true story of lynching in America. Nor did I know anything of Emmett Till, Malcolm X, Bessie Coleman, Nat Turner, Langston Hughes, or James Baldwin. Nothing. I was ignorant with a capital I, yet I had graduated in the top 10% of my High School class with honors.
I knew precious little about African American History and racism until I moved into a predominantly African American Community on the south side of Chicago. And though I know much more now than I did before, I truly feel I know precious little still. But I am learning. Oh yes, I am. Because of all the things I have learned over the past six years, the most important one is that African American History is everyone's History. Eradicating racism is not a Black issue, it is a human issue. We try to deny it, ignore it, or bury it, just as a Mississippi Sheriff tried to hide the truth by burying the mutilated body of Emmett Till 50 years ago. But how can we ever be free, if we don't even understand how bound up we are?
The subject of racism isn't something I take lightly anymore. I wish I could say the same for the rest of my fellow Americans. But for whatever reason, whenever the subject of racism pops up in a group of non-African Americans, I can count the seconds before I begin to hear the same predictable old disclaimers with sickening familiarity:
"Those people are always playing the race card."
"People see racism where it doesn't exist."
"That was so long ago! They need to move on and just let it go!"
"Racism doesn't happen anymore."
And the walls of denial go up. The listening ends and the discussion is over, the hope of understanding eradicated. And yet the gap between the test scores of African American children and White children is horrendously wide, there are more young African American men in prison than in college and the median income for the average African American household is $18,000. less than that of non-Hispanic Whites.
It is said that those who do not learn from their history are doomed to repeat it. But how can you learn from a history you do not know? How can you learn from a history that has been whitewashed and sanitized?
Racism and racist attitudes do not merely manifest in the hateful shouts and actions of the KKK. Racism can live in suburbia, in corporate America, among the educated and the political policy makers, and even a young mother who "loves everybody." It can be deeper and more subtle than who you want to live next to or even date and marry. African American History is everyone's history, and we all have a lot more to learn and a very good reason to learn it. Eradicating racism is everyone's responsibility, and it begins in our own hearts.

False Mirror

Rene Magritte

Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

White Crucifixion

Okay, so the symphony is complete and its time to move on, at least for now. Don't guess there is any room for doubt about how I feel about the subject of War. I have decided to start regularly posting art, the main reason being that I love art, but don't know nearly as much about it as I would like to. If you are in the same boat, maybe we can learn something together. Please feel free to comment on the post.


White Crucifixion

Marc Chagall
1938

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
Herman Goering
Nazi Reichsmarshall and Luftwaffe-Chief

Encore

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."
Jesus Christ, Son of God

Finale

...but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them even as Elijah did?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and he said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." and they went to another village.


Luke 9:53-56

Ode to Non-Violent Revolution OPUS VII

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Solidarity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Solidarnosc

Solidarity (Polish Solidarność) is a Polish trade union federation founded in September 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyards, originally led by Lech Wałęsa. In the 1980s, it gathered a broad anti-communist social movement ranging from people associated with the Roman Catholic Church down to members of the anti-communist Left. The union was backed by a group of intellectual dissidents (Komitet Obrony Robotników - KOR), and it was based on the rules of nonviolence.

The survival of the Solidarity was an unprecedented event not only in Poland, a satellite state of the USSR ruled by a one-party Communist regime, but also in the whole Eastern bloc (Warsaw pact).

It meant a break in the hard-line stance of the Party which in another protest in 1970 had ended in bloodshed with dozens of people killed by machine gun fire and over 1,000 injured. In 1968, the Prague Spring was crushed by the Soviet Army tanks in the streets of the capital of Czechoslovakia.

The factors contributing to the initial success of Solidarity in particular, and dissident movements in general in the 1980s, were deepening internal crisis of Soviet-style societies due to degradation of morale, worsening economic conditions and the impending defeat in the Cold War. (See Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Collapse of the Soviet Union)

The ideas of the Solidarity movement spread very quickly throughout Poland; more and more new unions were formed and joined the federation. The program, although concerned with trade union matters, was universally regarded as the first step towards dismantling the Party monopoly.

"The Rural Solidarity", a union of farmers, was created in May 1981. By the end of 1981, Solidarity had nine million members. Using strikes and other industrial action, the union sought to block government initiatives. On December 13, 1981, the government leader Wojciech Jaruzelski started a crack-down on Solidarity, declaring martial law, suspending the union, and temporarily imprisoning most of its leaders. Poland then banned Solidarity on October 8, 1982. Martial Law was formally lifted in July, 1983, though many heightened controls on civil liberties and political life, as well as food rationing, remained in place through the mid- to late 1980s.

Throughout the mid-1980s, Solidarity persisted solely as an underground organization, supported by the Church and the CIA. But by the late 1980s, Solidarity was sufficiently strong to frustrate Jaruzelski's attempts at reform, and nationwide strikes in 1988 forced the government to open a dialogue with Solidarity.

In April 1989, Solidarity was legalised and allowed to participate in the upcoming elections. In these limited elections union candidates won a striking victory which sparked off a succession of peaceful anti-communist counterrevolutions in Central and Eastern Europe starting on June 4. By the end of August a Solidarity-led coalition government was formed and in December Wałęsa was elected president, resigning from his post in Solidarity.

Since then, the organization has become a more traditional trade union, but a political arm was founded in 1996 as Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS - now having a negligible political significance). Solidarity currently has around 1.5 million members.

Ode to Non - Violent Revolution Opus VI

"Only a philosophy of eternity, in the world today, could justify non-violence."
Albert Camus

American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)

American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The civil rights movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all citizens of United States. It has been made up of many movements, though the term is often used to refer to the struggles between 1955 and 1968 to end discrimination against African-Americans and to end racial segregation, especially in the U.S. South.
The civil rights movement has had a lasting impact on United States society, both in its tactics and in increased social and legal acceptance of civil rights. This focus on the years between 1955, when the Montgomery bus boycott began, and 1968, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, is somewhat arbitrary; the civil rights movement continued in different forms after that, and continues today.
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Ph.D., (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was a Nobel Laureate, Baptist minister, and African American civil rights activist. He is one of the most significant leaders in U.S. history and in the modern history of non-violence, and is considered a hero, peacemaker and martyr by many people around the world.

Ode to Non - Violent Revolution Opus V

"Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever walked upon this earth in flesh and blood."
Albert Einstein

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of India's independence from British colonial rule to world attention. His philosophy of nonviolence, for which he coined the term satyagraha, has influenced both national and international nonviolent resistance movements to this day. He is hailed by India as the 'Father of the Nation'.

By means of nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi helped bring about India's independence from British rule, inspiring other colonial peoples to work for their own independence, ultimately dismantling the British Empire. Gandhi's principle of satyagraha (from Sanskrit satya: truth, and agraha: endeavor), often translated as "way of truth" or "pursuit of truth", has inspired other nonviolent activists, such as Martin Luther King, John Lennon, Steve Biko and the 14th Dalai Lama.

Gandhi often said that his values were simple; drawn from traditional Hindu beliefs: truth (satya) and nonviolence (ahimsa). His autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth reveals his inner persona and reflections on his early life.

Enter Mission

Salvador Dali - Christ of St John of the Cross

Ode to Non - Violent Revolution OPUS IV

"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."
Isaac Asimov

Rose Revolution

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Rose Revolution refers to a peaceful 2003 revolution in the country of Georgia that displaced president Eduard Shevardnadze. Georgia had been governed by Eduard Shevardnadze since 1992 (President of Georgia since 1995). His government—and his own family—became increasingly associated with pervasive corruption that hampered Georgia's economic growth. The country remained very poor by European standards. Two Russian-supported breakaway regions (Abkhazia and the so-called South Ossetia) remained outside the control of the Tbilisi government, and the autonomous republic of Ajara was ruled by semi-separatist leader Aslan Abashidze. The political and socioeconomic crisis was close to reaching its peak just before the parliamentary elections appointed on November 2, 2003. Shevardnadze’s political alliance “For New Georgia” and Abashidze’s “Union of Democratic Revival of Georgia” were opposed by popular opposition parties: Mikhail Saakashvili’s “United National Movement” and “Burjanadze-Democrats” led by Parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze and ex-speaker Zurab Zhvania.

Georgia held parliamentary elections on November 2, 2003 which were denounced by local and international observers as being grossly rigged. Mikhail Saakashvilli claimed that he had won the elections (a claim supported by independent exit polls), and urged Georgians to demonstrate against Shevardnadze's government and engage in nonviolent civil disobedience against the authorities. The main democratic opposition parties united to demand the ouster of Shevardnadze and the rerun of the elections.

In mid-November, massive anti-governmental demonstrations started in the central streets of Tbilisi, soon involving almost all major cities and towns of Georgia. “Kmara” (“Enough!”) youth organization (a Georgian counterpart of the Serbian “Otpor”) and several NGOs were active in all protest activities. Shevardnadze’s government was backed by Aslan Abashidze, the semi-separatist leader of autonomous Ajara region, who sent thousands of his supporters to hold a pro-governmental counter-demonstration in Tbilisi.

The opposition protest reached its peak on November 22, the day of an opening session of a new parliament, which was considered illegitimate. The same day, opposition supporters led by Saakashvili with roses in their hands (hence the name Rose Revolution) seized the parliament building interrupting a speech of President Eduard Shevardnadze and forcing him to escape with his bodyguards. He later declared a state of emergency and began to mobilize troops and police near his residence in Tbilisi. However, the elite military units refused to support the government. In the evening of November 23 (St George’s Day in Georgia), Shevardnadze met with the opposition leaders Saakashvili and Zurab Zhvania to discuss the situation, in a meeting arranged by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. After the meeting, the president announced his resignation. That prompted an euphoria in the streets of Tbilisi. More than 100,000 protesters celebrated the victory all night long, accompanied by fireworks and rock-concerts.

The outgoing speaker of parliament, Nino Burjanadze, assumed the presidency until fresh elections could be held. The Supreme Court of Georgia annulled the results of the parliamentary elections. In the January 4, 2004 presidential election Mikhail Saakashvili won an overwhelming victory and was inaugurated as the new President of Georgia on January 25. On March 28, 2004, new parliamentary elections were held, with a large majority won by the Saakashvili-supporting National Movement - Democrats, and a minority representation of the Rightist Opposition.

Ode to Non-Violent Revolution OPUS III

"Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak... Non-violence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win."

Cesar Chavez

Velvet Revolution
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The "Velvet Revolution" (Czech: sametová revoluce, Slovak: nežná revolúcia) (November 16 - December 29, 1989) refers to a bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the communist government there.

It started on November 16, 1989 with a peaceful student demonstration in Bratislava. One day later, on November 17, 1989, another peaceful student demonstration in Prague was severely beaten back by the communist riot police. That event sparked a set of popular demonstrations from November 19 to late December, and a general two-hour strike of the population on November 27. By November 20 the number of peaceful protestors assembled in Prague had swelled from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million.

With other communist regimes falling all around it, and with growing street protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announced on November 28 they would give up their monopoly on political power. Barbed wire was removed from the border with West Germany and Austria on December 5. On December 10, the Communist President Gustáv Husák appointed the first largely non-communist government in Czechoslovakia since 1948, and resigned. Alexander Dubček was elected speaker of the federal parliament on December 28 and Václav Havel the President of Czechoslovakia on December 29 1989.

As one of the results of the Velvet Revolution, the first democratic elections since 1946 were held in June, 1990, and brought the first completely non-communist government to Czechoslovakia in over forty years.

Ode to Non-Violent Revolution OPUS II

"An armed soldier relies on his weapons for his strength.
Take away from him his weapons--his gun or his sword, and he generally becomes helpless.
But a person who has truly realized the principle of nonviolence has the God-given strength for his weapon
and the world has not known anything that can match it."
Mahatma Gandhi

The Singing Revolution
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In 1988, as the Soviet empire showed signs of cracking and the all-pervasive sovietisation was coming to an end, Estonia's bloodless Singing Revolution made history. Night after night, a cycle of singing mass demonstrations eventually collected 300,000 Estonians (more than one-fifth of the population) in Tallinn to sing the forbidden national songs as rock musicians played. The Singing Revolution lasted over four years with various protests and acts of defiance.

On August 23, 1989 about two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania stood on the Vilnius-Tallinn road, holding hands across the three countries, protesting Soviet policies. The unprecedented living chain measured nearly 600 km in length.

In 1991, as Soviet tanks were rolling throughout the countryside in an attempt to quell The Singing Revolution, the Estonian Soviet parliament together with the Congress of Estonia proclaimed the restoration of the independent State of Estonia. Estonians stood as human shields to protect radio and TV stations from the tanks.

As a result of the revolution, Estonia won their independence without bloodshed. This, along with the other Baltic states gaining independency, started the disintegration of the USSR.

Ode to Non-Violent Revolution OPUS I

"For years now, we have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can we just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence; it's nonviolence or nonexistence."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Orange Revolution

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Orange-clad supporters of Viktor Yushchenko gather in Independence Square in Kiev.

Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" of 2004-2005 was a series of protests and political events that took place throughout the country in response to allegations of massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud during Ukraine's Presidential Run-off Election of November 21, 2004, as reported by numerous domestic and foreign observers. The November 21, 2004 run-off was mandated by Ukrainian law because, according to the official results of the presidential election held on October 31, 2004, no candidate carried the absolute majority (> 50%) of the vote cast, a case where a run-off between two top candidates with the highest number of votes was specifically required by the law. The winner of the run-off was to become the country's third president since its 1991 independence following the demise of the Soviet Union.

Orange was adopted by the protesters as the official color of the movement because it was the predominant color in opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko's election campaign during his run for president. The symbol of solidarity with Yushchenko's movement in Ukraine is an orange ribbon or a flag bearing his "Tak! (Yes!) Yushchenko!" slogan.

Sometimes called the Chestnut Revolution due to the abundance of chestnut trees in Kiev — the capital city of Ukraine and center of the revolution where a large 24-hour tent city was set up by Yushchenko supporters —the action was highlighted by a series of nationwide protests, sit-ins, and planned general strikes, organized by supporters of opposition candidate Yushchenko following the disputed results of the November 21 run-off election.

Due in large part to the movement's efforts, the results of the original run-off were annulled and a second run-off election was ordered by Ukraine's Supreme Court for December 26, 2004. Under intense international scrutiny, the official results of the second run-off proved to be virtually problem-free, legally valid and clearly in Yuschenko's favor. He was declared the official winner and with his inauguration on January 23, 2005 in Kiev, the Orange Revolution reached its successful and peaceful conclusion.

Extreme Forgiveness

My favorite devotional is "Extreme Devotion", written by the Voice of the Martyrs. Below is one of my favorite passages from this book.

Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:12

In Communist Romania, churches were closed and pastors arrested as part of a seven year drive to "eliminate the nation of all superstition." so when Brother Vasile and his wife began holding more church meetings in their little home, they knew it would not escape the attention of the government forever. Every evening Vasile prayed, " God if you know of some prisoner who needs my help, please send me back to jail." His wife shuddered as she mumbled a reluctant "amen."
Then they learned that one of the church member's homes had been raided and copies of Vasile's sermons had been confiscated. They also learned that the assistant pastor their friend and coworker, became an informant and had denounced Vasile. It was 1:00 a.m. when the police raided the little apartment and placed Vasile under arrest. As they handcuffed him, Vasile said, "I won't leave here peacefully unless you allow me five minutes to embrace my wife." The police reluctantly agreed. They would have their way soon enough.
The couple held each other, prayed and sang with such emotion that even the captain was moved. Finally they escorted him out to a police van with Vasile's wife tearfully running after them. Vasile turned and called out his last words before disappearing for many years, "Give all my love to our son and the pastor who denounced me."

Me Street

The fine people over on the Emmaus Theory Blog are very fond of posting little quizzes and questionnaires. I take them for the fun of it, which is the intent, I think. On Fridays Cindy post the Friday Feast, which has little to do with food and is rather a series of questions posted along the lines of a menu, appetizer, salad, main course...etc. One of today's questions asked what we would name the street we live on, if we were able to rename it. I stated playfully that I would name my street "Me Street" So that everyone who lived on it could say, "This street is named after me!" But of course, my mind working the way it does, I couldn't leave it at that and continued thinking about it, and I came to realize, don't we all kind of already live on "Me Street?"

My sons are half Asian Indian and half me -- European American. I was married to their father for nearly 8 years. I learned a lot about Indian and Middle Eastern culture. I can tell you, there is some resentment in our society towards Indians. Every time people found out I was married to an Indian, I had to hear their litany of bad experiences with Indians. As if they had never had a bad experience with someone of their own culture...right!
People tend to wonder, what is it about Indians that enables them to come to the U.S. and do so well academically and financially. I can tell you what it is. Indians do not live on "Me Street", they live on "We Street."
Indians have a completely different idea of family and finances, and family finances. There is no shame in India in going to another family member and asking for financial support. In fact Indian families will pool their resources in order to help one family member go to school, come to the U.S., start a business, etc... so that when that family member succeeds, he/she can then turn around and help pull the rest of the family up in the world. They learned that their chances of success were much greater if everyone worked together, rather than each individual trying to make it own their own. That is very different from the family I grew up in, which to this day has an "I got mine, you get yours!" mentality. So the next time you are wondering why all the doctors you go to are Indian and all the Dunkin Donuts are owned by Indians etc...just remember...its because they learned how to live on "We Street."

BTW

It is my intention to eventually have my eldest son help me to put links on my site to some of the blogs I read daily. You know who you are! If you do NOT want me to link to your site. Please send me an email. I promise I won't hold it against you. Not for long anyway...

In the Temple

Jesus was in the temple.
Jesus was in the synagogue.
Think about it, for a minute.
He taught from the mountain tops. He taught from boats. He taught walking through fields. He taught in private homes. But He also taught in the temple. In the very face of those who hated him the most. In the face of those who wanted Him dead. When you stop and think about it, you gotta admit, the Messiah had moxie... Kind of makes you wonder doesn't it? Everybody loved Him on the mountain top! At the mere rumor of his presence multitudes gathered instantaneously...before the invention of the radio, t.v. cell phone, or text messaging. They clamored for Him, lay branches across the road for Him, peeled back a roof for him, climbed trees, pressed through crowds for Him, and even when He tried to get away from the crowds, many times He couldn't. Yet He went to the temple and taught in the face of the most inappreciative crowd imaginable. It wasn't as if He was hard up for a gig. What was He thinking? It seems almost... dare I say it ... confrontational?... I mean I know that we all have this sweet little image of the Christ, walking around with a benevolent smile, patting the heads of very clean and well fed children, with a lamb thrown around His neck for good measure... So why did He do it? Why did He walk straight up in the face of the powers that be, the guardians of the status quo, to preach His sermons? And the enormous crowds that followed him everywhere must have made quite a spectacle at the temple. They weren't your normal, "church crowd". Thieves, harlots, tax collectors, the poor, the oppressed... Was Jesus sending a message to more than just those who were willingly there to hear Him? Was it His way of telling the regular "church crowd" that since they had neglected their duty to come out from behind the church walls to care for the least of these, he had brought the least of these to them? Was this the first sit in? We don't normally think of Jesus as an "In your face!" kind of fella. Could it be we need to think again...?

Letter from Birmingham Jail

"So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Red Current Daily Image

I really love this site. I go to it every morning just to start my day with something beautiful.

http://www.redcurrentphotos.blogspot.com

Movie Quotes

I am a self - professed movie junkie. These are some of my favorite quotes. Please feel free to share your own.

"Name a shrub after me - something prickly and hard to eradicate."
Capt. Jack Aubrey, Master and Commander

"...happiness can be found even in the darkest of times,
when one only remembers to turn on the light."
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

"Everything here is eatable. I'm eatable, but that, my children, is called cannibalism
and it is frowned upon in most societies."
Willie Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

"Why do we fall, sir? So that we might better learn to pick ourselves up."
Alfred Pennyworth, Batman Begins

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."
Maximus, Gladiator

"I wasn't scared to die."
Pai, Whale Rider

"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
Jessica Rabbit, Who framed Roger Rabbit

"Only the weak are cruel.
Gentleness can only be expected

from the strong."

Leo Buscaglia

"If you want your children to be brilliant, tell them fairy tales. If you want them to be very brilliant, tell them even more fairy tales."

Albert Einstein

The Bus II

I took the bus to a rally yesterday. It was crowded, hot and sticky. Midway through the ride, the person sitting next to me got off and an adorable little girl took his place. I glanced down and saw her tiny hand reach out to touch the brightly colored bangles I happened to be wearing. Her face wore a mixture of pure fascination and wonder. But she caught herself and pulled her hand back just in time. To my own surprise, I was sorry that she had caught herself and woken up from her momentary enchantment. I thought about telling her it was okay, she could see my bangles, but not knowing if her reaction had been the result of fear or parental training, I regretfully remained silent.
I thought about the incident and it occurred to me how like the little girl I am at times, especially concerning the things of God. Countless are the times I have felt God calling me, drawing me into new territory, deeper waters... Countless are the times I have heard Him speak fascinating things that excited me and captured my imagination, things that would make me reach out to him in wonder, only to draw back again in fear and doubt. At times I do push through the negative feelings. It takes sheer force of will on my part to go by what I know and not by how I feel. But all too often I give into my feelings and allow them to short change me on my journey. I wonder if at these times God is disappointed as I was when the little girl on the bus caught herself just in time.
There is a beautiful quote by Marianne Williamson that was used by Nelson Mandela during his inaugural address. It is one of my favorites.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, " Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that others will not feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone! As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Church Camp

The Christian walk is not always serious. Some very funny things can happen along the way. My pastor shared an amusing story with me a while ago.
Our altar is a truly beautiful work of art. It is solid mahogany and like many of the pieces within our sanctuary it is an original African artwork commissioned by a Chicago artist. But this altar was not original to the building. One prior to it was quite different with an opening underneath. One night my pastor heard the alarm go off in the sanctuary. They entered to find a homeless man. They pulled back the altar cloth only to find cigarettes and all of the other paraphernalia of his life under there. He told him he had been living under our altar for quite a while. When they informed him that they would find him a shelter to go to and help him get on his feet.
He responded, " Well can't I stay here until you do? I like living here!"

Also a more recent occurrence. During Palm Sunday, our visiting priest who does our 8:30 mass was standing in the balcony, using the little whisk they use to bless the palms with holy water. As he was blessing the palms the whisk flew out of his hand and through the air. He said "oops" and someone standing with him yelled quite loudly to the people below, "DUCK!" Soon giggles began to break out, until the entire church was giggling uncontrollably...

I'm thinking that there must be a lot of funny church stories out there, and I invite you to share them.

Milkweed

Anonymous as cherubs

Over the crib of God,
White seeds are floating
Out of my burst pod.
What power had I
Before I learned to yield?
Shatter me, great wind:
I shall possess the field.

From:"Two Voices in a Meadow," from Advice to a Prophet and Other Poems
by Richard Wilbur

Be Thou My Vision

At­trib­ut­ed to Dal­lan For­gaill, 8th Cen­tu­ry (Rob tu mo bhoile, a Com­di cri­de); trans­lat­ed from an­cient Ir­ish to Eng­lish by Ma­ry E. Byrne, in “Eriú,”


Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

SUDAN

Here is another site which you can access and send a message to President Bush to aid those in Darfur. You can also send a contribution through this site, but if you are unable to do so you can just send a message by clicking on the red box on the upper left hand corner of the webpage.

http://www.darfurgencodie.org

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't."

Sammuel Longhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)

Persepolis

I've had a lot of cool things happen to me in my life. There was the time I sat in the street, blocked traffic and got arrested with my rebel priest and fellow church members and took a crooked suburban Mayor and a store selling drug paraphernalia to task. That was pretty cool. Going to the Southwest to visit the Indian ruins at Mesa Verde, and other such places was also a highlight. And I have no words to describe Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. But as far as God ordained experiences, there is one that tops the cool list without competition...

The one place I want to visit more than anywhere in the world is Persepolis. But being that it is located in Iran ... I'm not holding my breath...Persepolis was the main palace of King Xerxes and Darius. It is believed that Nehemiah, Daniel and Esther all spent time there. A while back, I was going through a particularly difficult trial by fire. It was pretty rough. In fact it was one of the most difficult things I have ever endured. There were days when I literally had to pray my way out of bed. One morning during this time while I was worshipping before our church service, I saw myself in the Spirit. I was worshipping at Persepolis. I wondered what on earth it meant. It was an intense experience to say the least. As I sat in service a while later, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to me almost audibly. He directed me to go to the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, a place I had not been in nearly twenty years and remembered nothing about. Now mind you, I am not one of those people who says that God told me what to wear today, what to eat today, etc... I went on line as soon as I got home and found out that the next time I would be able to visit would be Tuesday. Tuesday morning, after prayer, I scooted over to the Oriental Institute. I walked through the museum and saw some very fascinating things. Took a few notes, etc, still wondering why I was there. I finally entered the last room and read the plaque on the wall. "Persepolis Exhibit." And I was so glad I was alone, because I could have sat down in the middle of the floor right then and there and bawled like a baby. I walked around looking at the different artifacts, fighting the tears. It made me breathless to think that Queen Esther herself had walked past the same adorned columns that I now stood beneath. I went to the gift shop and bought a lapis and silver ring to commemorate the event. To remind me of what had happened. I made a pledge to God that day, that I was married to my destiny, and that I would do all I could do to overcome any obstacle and desire that would try to pull me away from my God ordained purpose. The whole experience still blows my mind, and the Oriental Institute has become one of my haunts. I wear my ring nearly everyday. When things happen that discourage me, I take it off and hold it up to my face and look at it, I remember how God spoke to my heart and ordered my steps to give me a word of encouragement in one of my darkest hours. I remember that it was just between He and I, that He didn't need anyone else's help to speak to me, just my obedience. I remember that I am part of a holy nation and a royal priesthood. And that's pretty cool.

Grasshoppers & Royalty

I had another one of my "acid" dreams. But promise not to judge me unless you read Daniel and Ezekiel first.
I dreamt that two creatures were laying on the ground in front of me. One was badly injured. I don't remember what it was. The other was a very large brightly colored grasshopper. I bent over to help the other creature, as it seemed obvious that it was the more badly injured and needed my help. But the grasshopper began to speak to me. Yes...the grasshopper talked. It began to insist that I stop what I was doing and look to its needs. It insisted that it was injured and desperately needed my help. So I paused for a second and looked at it. I began to see another identical grasshopper emerge from its belly. I said, "There isn't a thing wrong with you! You're just giving birth!"
I woke up thinking, " Grasshoppers give birth to grasshoppers."

And what does this have to do with royalty? There is quite a bit of controversy and argument over the role Mary should play in the church. Protestants accuse Catholics of worshipping her. Catholics accuse Protestants of neglecting her. She has been given titles such as the Mother of God& Queen of Heaven. We fight about her birth... was it immaculate conception? We fight about if she ascended after her death. Being raised Protestant and now being Catholic, I can tell you I have done quite a bit of pondering about Mary. I still can't bring myself to say the "Hail Mary", but when I pray I will sit in front of her statue and ponder her testimony. You see to me its all about giving birth. What ever you believe about Mary, she has something to say to us, because we all give birth. Oh, some of us may not have a physical womb...but trust me, you are still giving birth. It may not be a physical baby to be held and coddled in your arms... it might be something of a much less innocent nature....maybe hatred, or strife, or selfishness, lies or deception. Psalm 7:14 tells us that he (yes... it reads "HE"!) who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. But hopefully as a disciple of Christ it is his Kingdom you are birthing into the world around you. Hopefully as disciples of Christ we are birthing hope and joy, peace, patience and kindness, truth, love and self-control. Hopefully we are birthing compassion for the truly injured, and concern for the weak. We all give birth. We are all called, like Mary, to be fully submitted and yielded to the will of God so that the Holy Spirit can birth the Kingdom of God through us...on this Earth as it is in Heaven. Grasshoppers give birth to grasshoppers. Royalty gives birth to royalty. What are you birthing?

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."

I Peter 1:22

Be a Witness

Please visit this site and ask our networks why they are choosing not to cover the genocide in Darfur.

http://www.BeAWitness.org

Chance

"There is no such thing as chance, and what we regard as blind circumstances actually stems from the deepest source of all."

Friedrich von Shiller

That's what Family is For

I love to cook. As a result, I get many magazines and catalogs geared toward cooking. I turn the pages looking longingly at the many gadgets and electrical specialty products marketed towards people like me. Some times I indulge, more often than not I turn the page wistfully acknowledging that my budget doesn't have room for the heart shaped waffle iron, even if my kitchen does. Last year I was doing just that, turning the pages of the most recent catalog I had received when I came upon the knives. Henckels knives... oooooooo, ahhhhhhhh. Was this longing or just outright LUST that I was feeling? I said to myself..."Laura, you might as well turn that page because never in your life will you have knives like those!"
In the faith community I am a part of, we have a dear sister named Marguerite. Marguerite is the picture of elegance and decorum at all times. She is also an intercessor. We are friends, but not close enough to talk even frequently, so I was thrilled when she showed up at my 40th birthday party. She walked towards the table and handed me an unusually heavy bag. I'm sure you have already guessed...inside were Henckels knives. She told me God had woken her in the middle of the night and told her to get me Henckels knives. She said He continually "pestered" her about it so much throughout the day that she finally said, "Okay God, I promise I will get her the knives as soon as I get off work!"
That was cool in and of itself...but it was about more than knives to me. For me it was about knowing that God was watching me and aware of even my most trivial desires. It was about God sending me a message to stop saying what I cannot have. As a result of the incident, I immediately enrolled into a program at DePaul university for older adults. And I never reach for a knife now without being reminded of all of the above. But none of it would have happened if my sister in Christ had not heeded the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and obeyed in generosity. Marguerite didn't just buy me knives...she allowed the Holy Spirit to use her as an instrument to help change my life. That's what family is for...and I am forever grateful.

In the Trenches

Lately I have been hearing our soldiers talk a lot about the camaraderie that develops on the battlefield. They say that the friendships that develop in war are like none other. While I have never been a member of the armed services, I think I can relate at least a little...being in a church that is very active I can attest that after you have marched alongside people, been arrested with them, prayed with them over their trials, illnesses, & funerals, loaned them 5 bucks just to make it for the next three days until payday, knowing next week it might be you asking...when you have encouraged them when they were on their last leg, and a few months later they returned the favor for you... to say a bond develops would be an understatement. Relationships formed in the trenches are like none other. This is something people who do not go to church will never experience or understand. This is something an arm chair quarterback cannot relate to.
The church for sure has its issues, but anyone can quit, walk out, take their marbles and go home, sit in the corner and lick their wounds, etc... but how much courage does that take? Anyone can sit on the sidelines and criticize the plays of others, but where is your game? I have had my issues with church to be sure. So why don't I walk away? For the same reason I didn't move to Switzerland after the last election, I prefer to stay and work for change where it is needed. Also I have learned that everything isn't instant...God takes His time to work things out, and usually while He is working out something in my situation He simultaneously is working out something in me! But if I walk out, I will never have the pleasure of seeing the end result of patient faith either in me or my circumstances.

Honor Them

I protested the war. I still have my sign. Even when no one I knew was protesting, I carried myself downtown with my sign, " God is not an American." I stood for hours with it elevated above my head, refusing to lower it even though my arms ached. I marched. I chanted. I prayed. I lit candles. I'm on the email list of many peace groups.
A few hours ago, a bomb hit London. Innocent people died. A few hours later, I saw the reports. I looked at the carnage. I thought about some of the most beloved friends I have ever had who are from England. I thought about my son who takes the public transit system downtown everyday to his summer job. I thought the unthinkable. I heard our Chicago journalist boast that our subway system is protected by one of the most sophisticated camera systems in the world, the only one better being the one in London...
Then I went to open my email. Already one of the "peace" groups had sent me an email concerning the bombing...the basic message was in a nutshell "We told Bush so." I deleted it in disgust.
Have I changed my views on war?
Absolutely not.
Has this endeared me to the Bush agenda?
unequivocally NO!
Do I think our foreign policy might have something to do with this?
Probably.
But I am so sick of the rhetoric. I am sick of agenda driven groups who will disregard the sanctity of human life to get their message across. I am sick of people trying to manipulate my emotions in order to garner my support. Real people died in London. Mothers, husbands, children, friends, co workers and lovers. They are not statistics. They were real people. And they shouldn't be treated as collateral damage by either side. Can we call a halt to the blustering b.s. hubris for just a moment and try working together for some real answers for a very real problem? In such a response, perhaps the memory of the real people who died would actually be honored.

The Election Results are In

Since the last election, I have reflected quite a bit on my changing attitude towards voting. Having grown up in small towns and rural areas, I have to admit, voting was a whole lot more of an abstract game for me back then. You listened to the candidates, decided who you agreed with and cast your ballot, but honestly life pretty much went on the same regardless of who was in office. Its a very different thing for me now. A whole new ball game. And I take the election outcomes very personally. You see now, when I see the candidates, I see the faces of the children I work with everyday. When I'm hearing the candidates speak, I am seeing the faces of the children. When I walk into cast my ballot, I'm seeing the faces of the children. They haunt me in my dreams and in my waking hours. In their faces I see the vibrant hope of their sacred dreams, as well as shadows of impending clouds of doubt, as if deep down inside they posses a wisdom beyond their years that knows their grip on hope is tenuous at best...
And now when I cast my vote, I vote for them. I vote for the tiny boy who fainted with hunger and fell out of his chair and onto the classroom floor. I vote for the industrious seven year old girl I know, who due to her mother's alcoholism is more of a mamma than a child. I vote for the four year old who watched through the window while his daddy was being shot in the back yard. I vote for the oh so clever and personable 14 year old boy I know who already seems trapped in a life of gangs and drugs. I vote for the teenage girl who despite being surrounded by a family totally entrenched in addiction, is trying to stay focused, stay in school and make something of her life. I vote for the numerous children I hear pray that their mother / father / sister / brother will come back home and off of the street. I vote for the young people I know who want to go to college, but have to quit for a semester to work to save up enough tuition to return to school due to insufficient financial aid.
Why is it that the most needy, the most vulnerable, and the most innocent segment of society is always the hardest hit by government policy? Yes, I take elections very personal now. How can I not when I'm face to face with the results every day of my life?

True Freedom

"Where poverty exist, there can be no true freedom"

Nelson Mandela

SOS To Mission Control

As most of you know, I live and work in the inner city. Yes, me...raised a country girl and still one at heart if truth be told. When I first came here and rolled up my sleeves to apply some elbow grease to the task at hand, oh my was it daunting. For every hungry child I fed, it seemed three more appeared. For every child I comforted another one seemed to be the subject of a news cast , the tragic victim of abuse, neglect and even death. While great changes were taking place within the community where I lived, a few minutes on the bus was all it took to show me how much more needed to be done. My sons were harassed by two White police officers who wanted to know why two white boys wanted to live in this community. The children in the neighborhood had to deal with watching their parents being shot at, one child was left at my house for three days over Thanksgiving with no warning or explanation afterwards. It could get so overwhelming. In fact it could get paralyzing to the point one just felt like throwing their hands in the air and giving up. It seemed so impossible at times.

In spite of all of the emotion and passion that I felt for what I do, eventually I had to learn to let go. I had to learn that regardless of how things look to me, God is still on the throne. I had to learn that I am not called to do everything, ...just what I can. I'm not called to nurture every child in the world...just the ones I can. And I had to learn that even one life touched and altered is a big thing. I had to learn about the ripple effect. But most of all I had to learn that I am not Mission control. I am not the little Dutch boy standing with my finger in the damn afraid that if I make one wrong move all will be lost. I've learned how to let go and send my SOS to the one who is really in control.

The In Crowd

I used to want to be a part of the "In Crowd." I spent a lot of time and emotional energy trying to fit in. Trying to gain the acceptance of the important people. Desiring the affirmation of the "right " circle. But somewhere along the way, the "in crowd" lost its power to attract, and I learned that favor with man is a poor substitute for favor with God. While favor with man might help you get what you see before you, favor with God will get you what you haven't even imagined.

I'm not sure what it was that set me free from the power of the "in crowd." Maybe it was hearing one too many people say things about others such as,
"I made him."
"After all I've done for him!"
"I taught her everything she knows."
" He couldn't have made it without me."
Maybe it was that I finally learned that men who do you favors have a way of coming back to you and calling them in. Maybe its that I have learned in a world where men's souls are bought and sold like cheap commodities, there is incredible power and an exhilarating freedom in knowing that no one is entitled to a piece of yours.

I Thirst

"I thirst."

The only word's Christ spoke on the cross that seemingly alluded to his physical suffering.

"I thirst."

One of the most amazing things to me about the crucifixion is that Jesus continued to minister to the needs of others while nailed to the cross.
"Today you will be with me in Paradise."
"Woman behold your son."
"Father forgive them..."

Even while hanging in mortal agony the focus of His thoughts were towards the needs of his sheep. So when He said those words, "I thirst."... was he really after water? After all He created it. He had even turned the water he created into wine...surely water would have been a small thing for Him to produce. Nobody would have blamed Him.

What were you thirsting after Jesus?

Could we find the answer in the sermon you preached on the mount. "Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...shall be filled" And if your thirst wasn't really about water at all, but was actually about righteousness...even your thirst was not about yourself. You were already spotless, sinless, the lamb of God, pure, the Holy One of God. Could it be that the righteousness you were thirsting for was actually our righteousness, and that even in those words you were still focused on us?

Through the Fence

There is a house I like to pass on my morning walks. It has beautiful flowers. I love flowers. I can't look at one closely and not wonder how anyone can doubt the existence of God. Recently I was able to enjoy the lush blooms of white peonies with delicate pink streaks in this yard. Now the lilies are in full swing. I live in an apartment building and can't grow my own flower beds, so I guess in a way I'm living vicariously through the owners of this particular house. The only thing hampering my enjoyment of the fruit of my neighbor's labor thus far has been a fence. It has obstructed my view, if ever so slightly. But this morning I saw that the lilies had managed to grow through the fence and spread onto the easement that is technically government property. Ah ha! The rebels...I guess no one had told them where to stop. And truth be told, I was grateful because now that they had broken through the fence, my view was no longer obstructed and I could inhale their beauty to the fullest. Maybe it was the wee small hours, or maybe I was hallucinating, (there goes that acid again) but as I looked at the fence, and the flowers that refused to be held back by it, I began to see hands reaching through the fence. Reaching through the fences that have held us back from enjoying the fullness of each other's beauty. Fences that have set boundaries of racism, class-ism, denominational-ism, nationalism etc . . . Fences of desease, imprisonment, and fear. Have they been erected by others, or are they self imposed? Fences. Can we be like my friends, the rebel lilies and push through the fences? You'll never be able to fully appreciate the beauty or fragrance of a flower until you hold it to your face.

Strange Dreams

When you eat strange food do you have strange dreams? I do. I have wild dreams that make me wonder if I have been inadvertently dropping acid or something. Strange food will give you strange dreams. And I’ll be honest, when I look at the church today, I wonder what they have been eating, because it seems to me we have some really strange dreams in the church. Jesus told us to eat His flesh and drink His blood and take up our cross. Wait a minute, I must have read it wrong…it must have said build mega churches, form kick ass mass choirs, and increase our annual budgets… it has got to be in the Bible somewhere…I mean I know that all of the original 12 apostles except forJohn were matyred and they all lived lives of great hardship to build the church. But that was then and this is now…Now we have to meet the people where they are at…we have to convey the right image to people. I know this is true because my last pastor told me he drove his Cadillac for me. No one would want to be a Christian if they thought it was a life of suffering and self sacrifice. Our cross is metaphorical…isn’t it?
When did it change? When did the external trappings of success become a direct indication of a persons spirituality rather than the invisible inward transition of a soul from lost to saved, darkness to light, death to life? When did we become more obsessed with appearing blessed and successful than we have with becoming truly holy people? Who took our dreams and made them soulish & worldly? We used to aspire to truly great things: humility, selflessness, loyalty, devotion, steadfastness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, and all the fruits of the Spirit. We used to dream of the sacred. Now it seems that we are caught in a tailspin of one up man ship, constantly trying to out razzle dazzle one another with the greatness of our spiritual gifts. …Strange dreams. What are we eating. Are we like the ones Paul wrote about…Where our God has become our belly? I mean it would seem that the cry that we are hearkening to the most is the call of the flesh to be comfortable.
It kind of reminds me of the commercials where they show people in advanced stages of drug addiction and you hear the voice, “ Nobody ever said, ‘ I want to be a crack head when I grow up.’” I guess the Gospel as is isn’t very marketable. I mean…my God, look what happened to people who really followed Jesus…eaten by lions, thrown in jail, torn to pieces, turned out of their homes, beaten, stoned…I wonder what kind of dreams those people had. God knows, they must have been feeding on some really solid food. I don't hear a lot of Christians today saying, "I want to give my all for Jesus and cause such a stir that they take everything I own and put me under the jail!" We don't have many preachers like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who gave all he had then gave his life and died with nothing... I guess nobody says, " I want to be destitute when I grow up!" What are our dreams? What are we eating? Are we eating the bread came down from heaven, or feasting on the ideology of the world...Strange food will give you strange dreams.

Happy Father's Day

In 1984, I lost my father to pancreatic cancer. At that time I was 19, and at the height of my rebellious youth. I hated church and oh boy did I hate Christians...and just as sure as God made little green apples, I was deeply at odds with my very born again family. My father had come to his faith late in his short life of 53 years. His life story was a harrowing one. He was born at the beginning of the depression and into abject poverty with eight other brothers and sisters. His parent's lives spiraled into destruction as alcoholism increased its grip on their home. As a result his beautiful mother who bore the nickname "China Doll" and who had once been known for her angelic voice in the church choir died a tragic and horrifying death. My father struggled with his bitterness and anger over his mother's death until the age of 50, when he said he finally came to understand that it wasn't God who took his mother from him, but that his mother had died as a result of his parent's own poor choices. My Dad's conversion was dramatic. He was a man's man, something of a mixture between Johnny Cash and John Wayne. To see this rough and tumble man kneel humbly in nightly prayer was an incredibly touching scene, even for a self declared "agnostic" like me.
In the weeks leading up to his death we spent quite a bit of time in the hospital.
Near the end my father spent most of his time unconscious, with very few alert or even semi-alert moments. One late night as I sat across the room from my father's sick bed he opened his eyes and looked at me. He was here and he was speaking to to me, but it was as if he was speaking from another place. He said, "I understand now. We eat all that we can eat, and we drink all that we can drink, and then we stretch out our arms and die." The last words my father spoke to me before he passed. Although I still have my moments of ambivalence towards the church and fellow Christians...I am very much "saved" now, and with each step on my Christian journey, my father's last words pierce my heart more deeply than ever. Happy father's day Daddy. I understand now too ...

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." John 6:53

Here we are again...

I take public transit every Saturday to go to my French class at the AllianceFrancaise in downtown Chicago. I have lately noticed a consistent increase in the number of homeless people hanging out on the trains. It's becoming very like the Chicago I remember of the 1980's. When I first moved to this great city in 1985, I came from a very small town in the south. I saw things that blew me away and horrified me. People eating out of trash cans and sleeping in front of and in the recessed window ledges of swank department stores, such as Neiman Marcus...was I the only one that saw the irony in that!?! I will never forget one day in particular, it was very sunny, but there was snow on the ground. As I passed by yet another multi-storied monument to American consumerism an elderly man staggered towards me. He looked as though he was in a trance. He was wearing disposable foam hospital slippers on his feet...in the snow...

And here we are again. When I board the trains there is nearly always one homeless person on any given car I choose to enter, sometimes more than one. Many times they exhibit signs of mental or physical illness. Why are we not caring for these people?

Time Transfixed

There is a very famous painting by the Belgian artist Renee' Magritte entitled Time Transfixed. If you are not familiar with it, it is a depiction of a train coming through a fireplace. Magritte believed that whenever we look at an object, subconsciously we see something else in our mind's eye, so to speak. He tried to portray that in his work. I like most of his work because it reminds me of the way God looks at me. When God looks at me he sees me through the blood of His only son, Jesus. Not only that...but as time is in God, He doesn't just see me as I am at any given moment, He sees the composite of all that I was, all that I am, and all I am called to be! When God looks at me time is transfixed. He sees His image and likeness. He sees the mark of the high calling. He sees a life hidden in Christ. No wonder Paul is able to say in Roman's 8, " I consider that our present trials are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in us."

Discovery

" The real voyage of discovery consist not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
Marcell Proust

Heaven & Earth

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Escape Velocity

Escape velocity...it's the speed at which an object must be traveling to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth's surface. We are born, live and die under the influence of gravity. Every grammar school child learns it is the only thing that keeps us from flying off into outer space. But gravity isn't the only pull that we experience in life. Most of us feel a variety of forces pulling at us in any given time frame in our lives...parents, friends, work, children, church... Depending upon their influence over our lives their pull can be positive or negative. But there are forces that can without a doubt pull us and hold us into a pattern of living and thinking that is neither productive nor life giving...self-hatred, racism, sexism, classism, or just the general problems of everyday life that would try to hold us back and keep us down... I guess that is why worship is so important to me. It lifts my focus to the "Rock that is higher than I" and in the process it lifts me, and the true test of its authenticity would be that my life is lifted as a result...Is there an actual change that occurs within my day to day living as a result of what I experienced in worship? If not, then it was just an "experience." But if my life changes as a result of the time I spent in the presence of God, then I have truly reached my "escape velocity".

Life/Death

Life and Death. The two eternal inevitables. Anything that lives, is most certain to die. And anything that has died has most certainly lived. Prior to His crucifixion, when Jesus spoke about life and death, it was always in very paradoxical terms. "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses His life for my sake will find it." I can just picture the disciples now, looking at each other with raised eyebrows and facial expressions that asked, "Huh?" But the truth of the matter is, when we are called to serve Christ, we are called to our own crucifixion. "Come, follow me." And again, "...Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." The truth is, if we want to live, we just have to die. We have to die to self. But I think for many of us, the hard part is understanding that we aren't just asked to die when we are wrong and to things that are sinful...sometimes, okay, many times we have to die when we are right... Oh my. Sometimes we have to submit in humility to that impossible and immature boss. Sometimes, we have to love and forgive, and cooperate with that co-worker who ruthlessly stabbed us in the back for no good reason. Sometimes we have to be kind to the one who wants to make us the target for their internal anger... Jesus, perfect and sinless chose death, that we might live. Us, the angry mob. The ones who spit on Him. The ones who mocked Him. The ones who pierced him. Are you ready for your crucifixion? Your very personal invitation is engraved in the palms of His hands.