Trayvon Martin... are we honoring Christ in how we respond?

I’m not even going to try and wade into the legal mumbo jumbo of the recently decided Trayvon Martin case.  Better, and in some cases, lesser minds than mine, have already said probably too much regarding this tragic situation. No matter which way the jury decided, a significant part of our country was going to be upset.  Sadly, it is where we are as a country that when there is a significant case that revolves, even tangentially around race, we will not agree. But it is not that disagreement that has me wishing there was another way. It is how we have decided to disagree. I have seen good friends call each other idiots, fools, racists, stupid and ignorant.  And this is just what I can print.  If you look across the blogosphere, from both liberals and conservatives, you will see an amount of vitriol that surpasses anything in recent memory. Not only does there not seem to be a way to disagree agreeably, there is a surprising lack of interest in either side to consider the point of view of the other. This would not be so unnerving to me were it not for the fact that a great majority of the people of whom I am speaking claim to either love God, follow in the steps of Jesus, or be Christians. If you know me, you know I’ve always struggled to connect the teachings of Jesus and Paul to where we live our daily lives.  Some days are better than others for me in this regard.  Like many, I too often lose my temper, especially when driving and will let lose with an indignant dry of “Throckmorton” or worse when someone cuts me off or is not driving as I think he or she should. It’s a bad habit and I know it, but I try to keep my indignation confined to my car and my unlucky companions at that moment. However with the Martin case, people have decided to publicly let loose with all sorts of venom.  Facebook, twitter and any other social sites are full of contempt for anyone who dares to have a different outlook on this case.  It seems as if both sides have dug in, decided the other is wrong, and have thrown caution to wind, confident in the strength of their position. This is no holds barred trench warfare and let the loudest voice win, regardless of the impact on friendships, or how it makes the family of God look.  Leonard Sweet once asked the question “Would we rather be right, or in relationship?”  Clearly it seems many have chosen to be right. Is it any wonder people look at Christians and ask why anyone would want to be part of such a loving bunch. I doubt the angels are rejoicing today in heaven at how we are conducting ourselves.

Give the Gift of Water... literally!

$100.00. One Benjamin.  A C-note.  One bill. What if I told you that by giving just $100.00, you could change a family’s life?  Would you do it? What if I told you that $100.00 could be the single most important ministry gift you make this year because it could save someones life?  Would you make that donation? And what if I told you that by giving one C-note, you might save a little boy or girl from dying of dehydration?  Would you empty your change jar and instead of turning it into Coinstar, give it to Adventures in Life Ministry? Here’s the newsflash... it’s all true! That’s right.  A single donation of $100.00 to Adventures in Life Ministry, in response to this appeal will literally save lives. Let me explain. More than 10% of all babies born to indigenous women in Mexico will die before they reach five years old.  I have personally heard from many parents that one of the reasons they have so many kids is that they assume at least one child will die young. One of the main reasons for these early deaths is lack of quality water.  Many rural parents lack an ability to buy clean water and often, they are living in an area with no potable water source or sewer system.  That means two things... one, outhouses and two, water from polluted wells near those outhouses. Taken together, this is a recipe for disaster, especially mixed with a lack of quality medical care when your baby does get sick. So, how can you help? With a Sawyer Water Filter. It really is as simple as that.   A $100.00 donation will help a family in our little corner of Oaxaca, Mexico have a water filter that will literally change their life.  Pastor Chable, with whom I’ve worked for many years told me in March that his family has not been sick since they got their filter in August.  It is the first time in all his life that his family has ever gone 6 months without being sick! Incredible isn’t it? In an age when almost everything we want is at our fingertips here in the United States, our neighbors just to the south are needlessly dying for need of quality water.  And we have within our grasp the ability to change that equation for less than the cost of a few Vente Mochas at Starbucks. Think about it.   Every $100.00 will give us one filter to put into the hands of a family in Oaxaca and help support the ongoing ministry of Adventures in Life and Pastor Chable in this challenging area. Are you able to help us save a life today so that we will have the opportunity tomorrow to share about an eternity with Jesus?   If so, follow this link to our support page and then drop me a line to let us know you are on board.

It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin...

I think I was 19 years old when it happened. I was up at a Christian Camp in the mountains, with my soon to be wife and hundreds of my closest friends.  The place was packed because that particular year, we had someone speaking to us who was unlike anyone else we had ever heard way back in 1978. His name was Tony Campolo and he was to become a larger than life figure for me. Throughout the weekend Tony weaved a call to serve the poor with Jesus call on our lives, admonishing us to do something great for God with our lives. I remember one person shared with him that she wanted to be a doctor in the nice suburban area where she had grown up.  Tony looked right at her and asked why she would want to do that when she could serve the poor and make a real difference.  "There will always be plenty of doctors to serve the haves" he said, "why not help those who can't get to a doctor?" She was devastated by his challenge. I was stunned. For the first time in my young life, the Gospel made practical sense and I made the decision that weekend to give my life to missions and serving the poor. Almost 15 years later, in 1992, along with a friend, I founded Adventures in Life Ministry to do mission work in Mexico.  Add another 20 years on that, and today, the majority of our work in Mexico is centered in the state of Oaxaca, the second poorest state in the country. There is no other way to say this... I am a missionary because God used Tony that weekend and over the years to touch and call me in ways I never expected. At the end of that conference where I first met Tony, he shared his now famous "It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin'" sermon. I think it's appropriate today on Good Friday to take a listen and reflect...

Some Pre-Lenten Reading

Each year as we head into the Lenten season and Ash Wednesday, it seems as if for a lot of people, their hearts turn towards the spiritual side. This year I feel will be no different, so let me get ahead of the curve and share a few items that have recently come across my desk. First up are a couple of videos. Actually it is one video broken into two parts talking about Christianity and the Mayans in Mexico. The first video starts at the Pyramid of Kukulcan [pictured above] in Chichen Itza in the Yucatan. Taken together, the two parts give a good overview of the impact of Christianity in Mexico. If you have served with me in the past, you will want to check out both of these clips. I apologize for just giving links, but the embed code has been disabled on both of these clips. Part 1. Part 2. Next up is a little post titled "Is Christianity Evolving or Eroding?" If you keep up on the latest news coming out of the Christian world, you know the name Rob Bell. Well it seems that Bell, like Brian McLaren before him, has decided to ask some questions about hell. At least that is what the dust jacket for his most recent book, "Love Wins" says. As you can imagine, that has jump started the religious discussion this Easter season. The post I've cited has collected some great posts from people on the issue. Then we have something from one of my favorite writers, Don Miller [no relation, at least not this one!]. It is titled "When Truth is the Enemy of Truth." Miller, like me, is one who likes to ask questions. The problem is, a lot of times, orthodoxy does not like questions. You can imagine how that plays out when it comes to religion. Check this one out, it is a good read. Finally, from Eugene Cho, comes this little gem. Sometimes, in our zeal as Christians, we lose sight of the fact that we are to act in love towards not just our brother, but our enemy as well. As Cho talks about contending for the Gospel. he urges us to do so without being jerks. Good counsel for all of us I'm sure.

The War on Extremism

A friend of mine shared this with me today. It is written by one of my favorite authors, Donald Miller. Sadly, he is not related. I am just posting a snippet for you here. Follow the link, read the entire article, and let me know what you think. A few nights ago, twelve friends and I attended the lighting of the Portland Christmas tree in Pioneer Square. My friends had all flown in for Thanksgiving, and we decided to join ten-thousand others who walked from all over downtown for the event. What we didn’t know is the spot where we squeezed into the crowd was 25 feet from a van filled with what a young man believed were six, fifty-gallon barrels of explosive material. As you know, the FBI had staged a sting, and as the young man made a call on his cell phone from the train station across town that would detonate the bomb, we were singing Christmas carols well within the blast zone. We didn’t hear about the threat until the following morning, and didn’t even know how close we were to the bomb until I saw a picture in the paper, taken only a few steps from the corner of Pioneer Square where we had been standing. read more...

A Little Sunday Humor

[thanks elwood]

Capitalism and Christianity

There are not many things clearer in Christian theology than the idea that God is creator of all. Perhaps right along side this is our understanding that in order for God to be fully Lord, and not just Savior in our lives, we must turn everything we have, wish, desire, or hope for over to Him. This is beautifully portrayed in a little homily by the now deceased Presbyterian Pastor Bob Munger, “My Heart, Christ’s Home.” Munger takes us on a journey of our heart, envisioning it as a home, walking us through the many rooms until he comes to the hall closet. It is there that he posits Jesus beckoning us to give Him even that still dark grimy area many of us fiercely protect at all costs. Jacques Ellul, noted French theologian, in his book “Prayer and Modern Man” attacks the classic empty praying hands image of someone waiting for God’s filling. He asks if it isn’t more biblical for someone to come to God with his hands full, and give everything to God, thus emptying himself. Clearly, the teachings of Christianity lead us to understand that what belongs to God is His, and what belongs to us, is His also. We are taught, and readily accept that for a strong relationship with Jesus, we must give all that we are, and all that we have over to Him, and live in trust, that he will love, provide for, and take care of us. I bring all of this up to shed some light on an issue, and because of the encouragement of a blogging friend o' mine, Tao. There has been a lot of talk lately about the United States becoming a socialist nation under Barack Obama. We have also heard that we are a capitalist nation founded on Christian principles. But let’s look at the main pillars of capitalism. Capitalism, according to Wikipedia is “an economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth, are privately owned.” In short, what’s mine is mine, and what is yours is yours. Plain and simple. Except you cannot square this in general, and private ownership in particular with biblical faith as it was understood and practiced by the early Christian church. Clearly the theological teachings of serious scholars, and the practices of the early Christian community, as evidenced in the Book of Acts, stand against these main tenets of capitalism. Now I am not necessarily advocating socialism as a reasonable alternative, nor denigrating capitalism as a workable system. I am merely pointing out that it is hard to make the case for capitalism as Christian based, as some are trying to do. It may indeed be a great system for acquiring wealth and prosperity, but let’s not claim it is somehow rooted in Christianity.