Governments should be afraid of their People

I know not how my words are of any use anymore. I know not how I can be of service or even of use to anyone. I know not how this world can change and how it can truly be better for everyone. But maybe that’s ok.

I've come to a place where I must wonder why I continue. If not I would not be human. I have become desperate. I have seen all this pain and yet if it were not for the very privilege I now find that I despise, how would I know of it? I have come to wonder what it is we strive for. But perhaps there is not a goal to struggle to achieve, except to embrace the goal of struggle itself.

I find myself surrounded by those that also have become weary. But in their weakened state they have found this "righteous anger" which burns for change. This burden for mankind has become entangled in their rage against those that oppress. They talk of policy and of a utopian society where all struggle is eliminated. Where all people can have... Have what? What are we seeking?

I would love for this country to embrace "Christian" values. I would love for us to vote in a good "real" Christian president. I would love for all our laws to be just. But is that the point? All good and well but is it intended to be first on our agenda? We speak of Jesus and his goals as political campaigns. Jesus the politician... Bullshit. Jesus never came to change the law of the Romans. Jesus never came to free the Jews from roman rule. Jesus said give to Caesar what is Caesars. Yes Jesus shook up his nation and people. Yes Jesus did have a "social justice" agenda. But not in the way we argue in our activist mindsets.

Jesus did everything in Love. Jesus changed things not by attacking people and saying your wrong but doing things so right, so perfect that people could no longer do things the way they previously did.

There was a story brought up in my class about how there were some migrants coming over the border and out of need for water they would go into backyards and drink from hoses in Texas communities. And so homeowners began to build fences to keep out the unwanted guests. So often church and state become so mixed and law seems so good to us Christians that we are able to justify the response as protecting ourselves, "we don't know them, they could be dangerous", and saying "well they are breaking the law" "they deserve it". What if instead of all this the church in that community had preached a message of loving our neighbors? What if pastors had the boldness to preach "the sheep and the goats story" "where God was thirsty and we gave him nothing to drink" despite their congregants unwillingness to hear it? Or maybe the members didn’t even know and needed that little push from the pulpit to get out there and do it. What would it look like if the church superseded law?

If we look at the African American struggle for justice we see a huge involvement from, not the whole church but, the African American church and some other churches that were willing to "stand up and be counted". Many times pastors such as Martin Luther King Jr. broke the law. Unjust laws.

This is because we are not first citizens of the US, we are citizens of "God's kingdom here on earth" first and secondly citizens of this nation. While we still have a duty as a citizen of this nation to vote accordingly for justice issues and work to bring them to the public spotlight, our primary goal is to emulate the love Jesus demonstrated here on earth.

I love the quote from the movie V for Vendetta that says, "People should not be afraid of their Governments, Governments should be afraid of their People." Jesus may never have had the direct intention of changing roman law, but through loving others and setting an example people couldn’t help but to copy, He started a revolution in which He and those that followed Him no longer feared their Government, But instead His government feared Him and His following, so much indeed that they would crucify, the highest punishment, a "peasant", a "homeless man", a technically powerless and wealth less man.

Again as citizens of this nation we are responsible to help guide it through policy and such, but what would it look like if instead of that our actions would speak so loud that our government would have no choice but to go along with us. (I'm sorry that the topic of immigration is my main example but it has become close to my heart) What if, for example, instead of building walls to exclude those who were breaking the law, and protect our selves we went down and handed out water to those who are thirsty, or fed those that are hungry?

Isn’t this against the law? Wouldn’t we be aiding and abetting a criminal? Heck nowadays this is a matter of "national security" we may be labeled a terrorist. But what if instead of fearing a government, or not even fearing but just standing silent in order to maintain status quo and protect "our" freedom, we obeyed God's commandments first? What would the government do if the entire church went down to help those in need, or began caring for those that are here, or Christians began giving jobs to those that need work to feed their families? What if at least 3/4s of our nation, us "Christians" cared for the alien among us.(Deuteronomy 10:17-19, 14:19)? The tide would shift to where instead of culture infecting church, God's church would become so anti culture that culture itself would change. Wouldn’t our Government, not necessarily fear us, but at least have to rethink its policy? I am convinced that it would. I am convinced that we as the church are not to be impacted by culture but that we are to impact culture.

This "ideology", as it has become labeled, is obviously not as "task oriented" or progressive as activism. Arguing with people until you get your way and are able to pass laws that force others to "be nice" is obviously a faster route. But does this solve anything? "The early church was called The Way. It was not called The Answer or The Destination. Those who follow Jesus are searchers on a Way that never arrives in this life." - Dennis A. Jacobsen. Spiritually there is a question that we ultimately must answer. Because if we do good, and follow the example of Jesus just to get something in return(heaven) then we miss the point. We must ask ourselves, If there was no heaven, If there was nothing after this life, If all it is is you die and there is nothing more, Would you still follow Jesus? As if that’s not difficult enough I'd like to pose the same question in a different way. If there will never be a utopia, If there will always be poor among us, If we cannot "fix" human suffering, Will you still Love? If our nation and this world cannot come to agreement, If they cannot establish laws that protect the oppressed and make this world more just for all, Will you instead give up the privilege that same society gave to you and be in solidarity with the poor? Will you stop arguing and pick up your cross, deny yourself, and follow him? Many times we think of carrying our cross to follow Jesus to heaven. But though I have faith that is one day where it will lead, I think Jesus' cross lead him to love the unlovable, and befriend the friendless, and ultimatly to death. So many times we follow Jesus, with our cross, but see the death as just a means for our salvation, which it is, but it is also the cost. There is a cost and though only Jesus can pay it for our sins, it is also our cost. (if we are followers of Jesus we don't only get to follow the good stuff we get to follow the hard parts too)

What would it look like if we all died to our selves, not to our personal sins to become "good people"(which is just selfish and arrogant), but died to everything that is us just to give something, some unworthy gift, to someone who has nothing. And "In the courtyard of such death, ...(we) proclaimed the resurrection of Christ, the unbending hope in the power of life, the unyielding belief that God, not death, has the last word." - Jacobsen.

This blog sometimes goes astray, but it is my intention, as I have labeled it, for it to reflect the deep burning of my heart. And as laying these burdens often leads me to growth through correction, also my convictions are strengthened and I beg you that (to steal another line from V) "if you see what I see and you feel as I feel" you too will no longer keep silent. For I find truth in the words of Jeremiah which were also quoted by Jacobsen in my reading tonight, "O Lord, you have enticed me and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed... For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak anymore of his name," then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot" (Jeremiah 20:7-9)

Where Is My Mind? Maybe I’ve Gone Too Far...

With your feet in the air
and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself

Where is my mind [3x]

Way out in the water
See it swimmin'

These lyrics from the pixes song "where is my mind?" might be familiar to you from the ending of the movie fight club, for me it is a lyric that plays over in my mind, and when it does I once again find myself identifying spiritual qualities to music. This isn’t for everyone, its just the way I feel like God communicates with me sometimes. But anyways, when this lyric plays over and over in my mind, I start to search deeper and wonder "where is my mind?". As of late I can fully admit to and this blog is evidence of the fact that my mind has been elsewhere, and not where it needs to be.

I find that the questions David Ziggler used to ask us "where is your heart" and "what’s nipping at your heels" are beneficial to discus with your friends and fellow believers. I'll start with the later because its the "bad news" and maybe we can get to some form of good news before this is over. The truth is that life has been nipping at my heels, but not what matters in life, just the things that ensnare us, just the junk, which we have to be careful to continually examine ourselves for because it can be very "good" things we get caught up in. But lately the question of where I will go next semester, when I will get to leave and see my dearly missed friends and family, when I’ll get to drive my car and turn a wrench on the jeep, when ill get to do what I want. all good things, but all things we are never promised, and things we do not deserve to expect. Thus these reasons have kept my God from my mind except for that small fraction of time that I cleverly disguise as plenty of time, and I suppose in a less important way have kept me from this blog.

Where is my heart... Hmmm maybe we wont get to any good news... For tonight as I spill over the lyrics and recite the song as its sound assaults me at full volume, I have nothing but remorse to offer for where my mind has been, but I will finally spit out where it is if I can. Its something that I fear words can not explain, for I have heard the stories, I have seen the pictures, I have donated the money, but my eyes today have seen and my ears have heard the stories and my heart has wept.

Tonight my mind is with a man who's name my arrogance and culturally illiterate "education" have robbed me of. I will never forget his face, but since his name is Spanish and I could barely understand it, I will not be able to lift him by name in my prayers tonight, although I assure you he will be in them. He is a man who was deported yesterday for being an illegal immigrant.
I don’t care to know the images and stereotypes that just filled your mind, because until today they were mostly mine as well. But today a new image was instilled, one that I so desperately hope I can instill in yours. First I want to apologize because ignorance is truly bliss and the image of some one breaking the law, someone who "deserves it", someone who is different from ourselves and therefore some how not entitled to the same privileges we enjoy and should just "go back where they came from" is an easier one to deal with, it is harder to deal with the fact that he has been living and working in the United States for the last 15 years. 15 years. most of you that read this are probably under 30, if you are 20 the example works even better. Imagine (if you are 20) that when you were 5 years old your parents moved to another country, you grew up speaking their language and then one day you are deported back "where you came from" how can this be, wouldn’t you feel as if that’s not your home? you might say: well yeah I was born there but this is where I live, this is where I go to school, this is where my friends are, this is where I go to church... the mission I visited today in Tijuana serves those who were recently deported. They told us of a man who lived in the united states for 53 years and then was deported. 53 years. if you couldn’t wrap your mind around 15 years good luck, if your 20, now imagine living here for another 33 years and then someone telling you "go home" aren’t you all ready home? this man I talked to, the one who lived in the US for 15 years, was deported without warning, he said yesterday he woke up in Pomona, CA, which is minutes from Azusa CA where my school is based out of, and by the end of the day he was in Tijuana Mexico. As if that’s not bad enough for himself, it gets worse, he is a proud father of 4 children, all of whom were born in the US and are legal citizens, the ages are 15, 12, 9, and 6. Imagine his wife trying to explain to the 6 year old why daddy isn't coming home. Heck take a stab at explaining it to the 15 year old. And you cant even blame it on him, because he loves his children and did everything he could to provide the best for them, and wishes with everything inside him to be home with them. Now his family must leave their home, school, friends, and church (yes church even illegal immigrants love Jesus!) to be with their father, and in doing so must "take a vow of poverty". Then there’s the sick twist that since they are citizens they have to wait to get their passports before they leave... So he is looking at a minimum of 2-3 months alone in a country he hasn’t been to in over 15 years to wait for his family, job less , and homeless. And we cry "God bless America".

If you think this story is not common, think again. The mission houses 80 men a night they are allowed to stay a maximum of 12 days to try to find a job or to contact relatives for money or housing. The mission served just over 10,000 people last year, and since it has been open has become the temporary home of 170,000 "displaced persons". One of our guides, a Lutheran pastor in san Diego, said it this way "how come these issues never come across the pulpit? wouldn’t we want to do something if we knew?, did you here about this? I didn’t! I was too busy hearing about forgiveness of sins and how to get to heaven."

Sadly this is Christian America, we are looking to be entertained by church. We give pats on the back and say good word this morning pastor! we some how incorporate our arrogance in to church service by pledging allegiance to the flag after 9/11 in service and making sure we pray for "the boys" in Iraq while rarely if ever remembering to pray for the families in Baghdad. Am I unpatriotic, no I love America this place is great, but we must not mix our allegiance, We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven(here on earth) first and "Americans" second. When we cannot distinguish the two is when these issues where the church should be loving others and saying I turn my other cheek get lost and forgotten. We get caught up in this patriotism and as "Christian Americans" we love everyone... who is an American.

I read a terrifying passage in Shane Claiborne’s "irresistible revolution" just the other day. He was talking about this very topic, and I’m probably basically plagiarizing him in most of what I’ve written but there is one paragraph where Shane asks a ten year old just days after the attack on September 11th what we should do. He said "well those people did some thing evil” “but I always say two wrongs don’t make a right, it doesn’t make sense for us to hurt them back. Besides we are all one big family.” How shocking that was too read, how come I was not strong enough to respond in such a way? How come the church was not strong enough to respond in such a way? What would it have looked like if instead of God bless America, and pledging allegiance to the flag in church, which contributed to a patriotic complex, which according to the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “only lead to violence“, we publicly said we love and forgive you Osama bin laden?

Maybe I’ve gone too far, maybe loving our enemies isn’t “popular” with Christians today. Or maybe that’s our good news. Maybe that’s something we can get excited about. Could we get excited about finding ways to do something that is difficult but yet God’s will? Could loving illegal immigrants and terrorists be that thing that sparks the life back into Christianity, where we leave our melodramatic, apathetic, comatose “religion” behind and the world will have no choice to say “who are these that love despite the terrible things done to them?” “who are these that would give up everything the world says they are entitled to and follow in the footsteps of a mere carpenter, denying themselves everything and holding others needs above themselves”???? After experiencing these things, it is impossible to find any vindication in the “American dream” I cant think about a boat and a big house when all I want right now is for my new Mexican/American friend to hold his children. How can we desire a heaven and forgiveness of sins if are heart is busy burning for and loving those in need? Could it be that our individualistic selfishness has permeated church? And we are so busy with securing our salvation that we have no time to help those in need? I am not saying go sin and help others, I am saying truly love, with your whole heart, and there will be no room for sin.