Peace In the World??? - Part 2

I want to return to the topic not to bash on church which I suppose is the way I came off and not even to talk about the play at all, but to further describe my underlying argument which I feel was over shadowed by the church argument. And if you haven’t read that one yet you probably should. Thanks.

I just finished a short book by Henri J. M. Nouwen, called Out of Solitude. In one chapter I learned that the word "care" comes from the Gothic word Kara which means lament. And I quote him "the basic meaning of care is: to grieve, to experience sorrow, to cry out with.

Maybe its not so much to solve problems, all though that is a worthy goal. But maybe its about caring enough to sit with and say I don’t understand either. A point which the author also makes, he describes it this way: "We have a strong tendency to refer to specialists. When someone does not feel well, we quickly think, "where can I find a doctor?" When someone is confused, we easily advise him to go to a counselor. And when someone is dying, we quickly call a priest. Even if someone wants to pray we wonder if there is a minister around." He then tells a documented story, of when the constitution was being drafted, Benjamin Franklin proposed they start the session with prayer since they were having a difficult time, the motion was rejected not because of unbelief but because they figured they could not afford to pay a Chaplin. He sums it up by saying "although it is usually meaningful to call on outside help, sometimes our referral to others is more a sign of fear to face the pain than a sign of care, and in that case we keep our greatest gift to heal hidden from each other."

I could pretty much quote the whole book, and SERIOUSLY recommend it , it cost 1.75 and is easily read in 20 minutes. Just read it please! Either way I apologize again if I offended anyone, and wish I could have another chance to experience the play in its entirety maybe its getting at the same point I am, but for clarification I’ll tell you more about that night as I should have done in the first place.

First off I was thinking a lot about the issues I would face here in LA, and the stories Brandi told me of her encounters with the homeless were busy attacking my conscience. But as we prayed in youth group just before going into the play, some of my friends (that though I barely knew seemed close to me as only a bond formed through ministry together can seem to bring) received a phone call that their friends who run a hotel in Arizona were gunned down. Their close friend was wounded and in serious condition in the hospital, and his fiancé was killed along with several others. I saw the pain in their faces as they cried and all we could do was pray for them. Then I turned around and walked into a service that I acknowledge was already underway where they sang there is peace in the world tonight. I hope by now it is clear that I realize the church had other intentions, but hopefully also you can understand my reactions to hearing of tragedy and then hearing peace in the world. I guess perhaps if I was stronger I could have rejoiced that God is still alive and at work, I guess I should have praised God that I can have peace in the midst of that tragedy. But I admit I was not strong enough, and though it wasn’t even my burden to bare I did and I was, wrongly, bitter.

However I still hold to my argument and hope tonight’s ramblings can further clarify that though I long for healing and peace I wish for the strength to suffer with if justice can not be served here on earth. And rather than seeking comfort and blessing, I seek to endure the same hardships that others are forced to suffer, for what makes us any better? What right do we have to experience the “good” things in life if they cant?

Maybe that’s what mother Teresa was getting at when she said “come and see“, maybe that’s what Jim Burns meant when he said, “I believe they chose to be in ministry as adults because they had a chance to have their hearts broken with what breaks the heart of God when they were in the impressionable years of adolescence.” Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when he said in Matthew 6, “25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Or what Mohatma Gandhi Challenges us with when he says, “In my judgment the Christian faith does not lend itself to much preaching or talking. It is best propagated by living it and applying it. When will you Christians really crown Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace and proclaim Him through your deeds as the champion of the poor and oppressed?”

Maybe if we “stop worrying” and really give our selves to the mercy of God’s care, and “go and see” so that “our hearts can be broken with what breaks the heart of God” we will begin to “really crown Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace and proclaim Him through our deeds as the champion of the poor and oppressed”.

Maybe…

Napoleon Bonaparte and Zacheous...

I went over to a campus crusade for Christ at university of southern California last night and I thought about something when the speaker Greg was talking about Zacheous.

Why is it that Jesus wanted to be with Zacheous. His name and this story comes up a lot when referring to the poor, since after his encounter with Jesus he gives half his possessions to the poor and repays several times more than what he took from them. But I questioned for the first time Jesus' reasoning for having a meal with Zacheous.

This past Monday for class we were given 20 bucks and headed down to skid row in groups of two to take a homeless person out to lunch and have a conversation with them. Not evangelize just hang out and learn about them. Later many of us came back to the group not discouraged because we all felt touched by the end of it, but surprised. Most of them would not accept the meal, some wouldn’t come with us to go eat and we got the feeling they distrusted us. And most were friendly one said "no I’m trying to lose weight" and then demonstrated by standing up and showing us her pants were kind of tight and one even said sure she'd tag along but when given a menu simply ordered a drink and said she wasn’t all that hungry. And one lady who didnt want to eat sat around talking to us about the cats she was helping out for a while, then when we had to leave she told us "make sure you head over to the shelter and help out those poor cats, you know it costs 12 dollars a day to feed em dont cha?"

Here’s where my questions began. Why do we expect them to trust us just because they are homeless? If a stranger came up to me on the street and asked me to go to lunch I'm not sure I'd go either. Is it because we think they are desperate? Do we have a mentality that they are like an animal and will come around if we have food? Now for curbing comments sake, of course many people accepted and I think we still should try to help feed the homeless, they are indeed in need of it. But I was struck by the things I just mentioned.

Back to Jesus. Why do we complain out "big oppressive evil corporation powers" and then turn to the poor for results. Its like if your car is leaking oil, you can keep putting it in day after day or you can go get the leak fixed. Now of course if you don’t keep putting it in on the way to the garage that’s not good either. So I see a need for and encourage people to take care of the poor, but while we are doing so we must be working to get the leak fixed. Now we see time and again the bible old and new testament and Jesus helping the poor but notice when Jesus comes across this system he goes straight to the source. He seeks out Zacheous and has a meal with him, not with the poor.

What if instead of taking a homeless man out to lunch, we took a politician or a company executive to lunch? Crazy I know, most will turn you down, but I’m sure some would do it and if you pester someone long enough or sound professional enough they will eventually give in. Wouldn’t that be humbling to be so rich and powerful and think you have everything and then have some college kid, or high school kid or however old you are pay for your lunch? Would it be humbling enough? Could you be compelling enough for them to give half of their possessions to the poor? Jesus did it. And Paul tells us that "through Christ all things are possible."



On another note, Greg read a quote that I though was awesome and thot inspiring:

"I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a man. Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires, and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is between Christianity and whatever other religions the distance of infinity..." So says Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), emperor of France.

Napoleon expressed the following thoughts while he was exiled on the rock of St. Helena. There, the conqueror of civilized Europe had time to reflect on the measure of his accomplishments. He called Count Montholon to his side and asked him, "Can you tell me who Jesus Christ was?" The count declined to respond. Napoleon countered: "Well then, I will tell you. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions will die for Him. . . . I think I understand something of human nature; and I tell you, all these were men, and I am a man; none else is like Him: Jesus Christ was more than a man. . . . I have inspired multitudes with such an enthusiastic devotion that they would have died for me . . . but to do this is was necessary that I should be visibly present with the electric influence of my looks, my words, of my voice. When I saw men and spoke to them, I lightened up the flame of self-devotion in their hearts. . . . Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man toward the unseen, that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy; He asks for that which a philosopher may often seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself. He demands it unconditionally; and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful! In defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable, supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man's creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength nor put a limit to its range. This is it, which strikes me most; I have often thought of it. This it is which proves to me quite convincingly the Divinity of Jesus Christ."

Why did we have to wait for Eminem to get angry.

***Warning explicit lyrics!!! I don’t support the language but if you can get past the vulgar “ness” then I hope you can see the message,***

I never would've dreamed in a million years I'd see, So many motherfuckin' people who feel like me, who share the same views And the same exact beliefs, it's like a fuckin' army marchin' in back of me, so many lives I Touch, so much anger aimed, in no particular direction, just sprays and sprays, and straight Through your radio waves it plays and plays, 'till it stays stuck in your head for days and Days, who would of thought, standing in this mirror bleachin' my hair, with some peroxide, Reaching for a t-shirt to wear, that I would catapult to the forefront of rap like this, how Could I predict my words would have an impact like this, I must've struck a chord, with somebody Up in the office, cause congress keeps telling me I ain't causin' nuthin' but problems, and now They're sayin' I'm in trouble with the government, I'm lovin' it

White America, I could be one of your kids, white America, little Eric looks just like this, White America, Erica loves my shit, I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get

Look at these eyes, baby blue, baby just like yourself, if they were brown, Shady lose, Shady Sits on the shelf, but Shady's cute, Shady knew, Shady's dimple's would help, make ladies swoon Baby, {ooh baby}, look at my sales, let's do the math, if I was black, I would've sold half, I Ain't have to graduate from Lincoln high school to know that, but I could rap, so fuck school, I'm too cool to go back, gimme the mic, show me where the fuckin' studio's at, when I was Underground, no one gave a fuck I was white, no labels wanted to sign me, almost gave up

See the problem is, I speak to suburban kids, who otherwise would of never knew these words Exist, whose mom's probably would of never gave two squirts of piss, 'till I created so much Motherfuckin' turbulence, straight out the tube, right into your living room I came, and kids Flipped when they knew I was produced by Dre, that's all it took, and they were instantly hooked Right in, and they connected with me too because I looked like them, that's why they put my Lyrics up under this microscope, searchin' with a fine tooth comb, its like this rope, waitin' To choke, tightening around my throat, watching me while I write this, like I don't like this, Nope, all I hear is, lyrics, lyrics, constant controversy, sponsors working 'round the clock, to Try to stop my concerts early, surely hip-hop was never a problem in Harlem, only in Boston, After it bothered the fathers of daughters starting to blossom, so now I'm catchin' the flack From these activists when they raggin', actin' like I'm the first rapper to smack a bitch, or Say faggot, shit, just look at me like I'm your closest pal, the posterchild, the motherfuckin' Spokesman now for...

Its true would eminem be such a big deal if he were black? Wouldn’t he just blend in to the rap scene, cuz I mean were used to that right “those crazy black people always shooting each other and what not” We as a nation, not talking about individually, are still very racist. We might blame it on the “fact” that most blacks or at least intercity blacks are gangsters. But wow a white guy starts living the life style and makes his way into your living room “straight out the tube, right into your living room” speaking to the white kids “See the problem is, I speak to suburban kids” that “would of never knew these words Exist”, and suddenly people start to get angry.

Well they weren’t mad when black kids were subjected to this kind of material, only when it hit closer to home. When he “was Underground, no one gave a fuck I was white, no labels wanted to sign me, almost gave up” when he wasn’t in the public spotlight no one cared, but once he got some attention people finally got angry. I by no means support the way he is shedding light on urban issues, by subjecting “white kids” to the same thing blacks and all urban kids (that just might not be in the spotlight due to poverty) have to be exposed to. But I must admit he’s effective. It’s a shame he had to bring these issues to the rest of the world's kids to try to get answers but it’s their fault they were too comfortable sheltering themselves and their families from the real problems that other families have to face. What right do we have to not be subjected to this material if they do.

He sheds light on the “people who feel like me, who share the same views And the same exact beliefs, it's like a fuckin' army marchin' in back of me, so many lives I Touch, so much anger aimed, in no particular direction, just sprays and sprays”. so much anger is out theere why can people just ignore the problems, why do we move to better neighborhoods to give our kids a better chance what right do we have to not let our kids be subjected to the same issues and struggles? Money? Does money give you the right? Do you really still believe the terrible myth that minorities choose to live the way they do or are all bad? Cant you see the generational links, lets see one persons parents might not have a lot of money but still get help to get through college then when they have kids because they have been helped and have gotten better jobs and opportunities they are then in a place to help their kids with college. But if you walk off a plantation, or come back from a war, or migrate here looking to escape hardship with nothing to your name and the government not only doesn’t offer you assistance but legalizes polices like redlining “poor” neighbor hoods, which means they draw a line around the area and don’t let anyone get loans or other services(because they are “high risk“), then because they received no privilege they can not help themselves let alone help their kids. So other bad habits come along in the process which I don’t excuse. But, and read this this is my main point, does it make them worse people? What if we switched kids, at birth, privileged families take poor kids and poor families took privileged kids? Wouldn’t the privileged kids end up succumbing to the same issues the traditionally poor kids do? Wouldn’t the poor kids end up going to school and getting the jobs?

Who are we to marginalize people? Who can say with a clear conscious after actually meeting and taking time to talk to a poor or even homeless person and say RETARDED AND UNEDUCATED statements like “most of them choose to be that way” or “its their own fault”. I know I’m supposed to maintain an attitude in which maybe I can educate people who are innocently ignorant but I swear the next person that tells me that, I might not be able to restrain myself.

"True Love Comes Not From Helping Those In Need Out Of Your Resource, But Living Among And Sharing Their Burdens."

Politics, Economics, Religion, And Freedom. Just Some Thots.

So I’m starting to get tired. I've been exposed to so many issues and problems this last month my head is spinning. Half of me wants to fight all the evil in the world, and half of me wants to crawl up and forget it exists. I'm reminded constantly of the verse Ecclesiastes 4:2 which says "therefore I praise the dead who are all ready dead, more than the living who are still alive. Yet better than both is he who has never existed, who has never seen the evil work that is done under the sun." All these issues I do have opinions on but that’s not why I'm writing I'm writing because spiritually I am drained. Its become so clear to me that ignorance is indeed bliss, and part of me wishes I never knew.

I am looking for answers because it seems to me that all this effort and talk is empty words. The people that want change don’t know how to bring it about and I'm beginning to believe its not possible. Not because I'm being cynical or because I'm depressed but because it seems more and more clear to me that civilization in general is the source. Is there any system where all persons benefit? Isn’t the whole basis of society the struggle of the few to gain "carefree" lives at the expense of others? Is there any other method of gain? Its hard to think about it but everything we do that is a benefit to us directly or indirectly harms someone else. We buy our wives diamond rings that are most likely conflict diamonds, if you don’t know what that is try watching blood diamond sometime. Even if its not we are willing to pay pieces of paper to someone to actually go do the hard work. But even if they are not conflict diamonds the reality is you are paying a retailer crazy amounts of money compared to the tiny amount the actual worker gets. And you never think of it, its not like your trying to hurt someone, your intentions are pure, in fact your trying to make someone happy. What about clothing, somewhere back in time we decided to pay someone else to make our clothes for us so we didn’t have to. Eventually or maybe even back then too the people actually stitching the clothing receive far less than what is deserved for their hard work. Do you think about it every time you buy clothing? of course not.

Here’s my problem, you can argue all day for better labor laws, better enforcement of labor laws, you can scream "change!!!" but unless your willing to make your clothes yourself there is never going to be a perfect system. But of course not we like options, style, and convenience not things I’m condemning, but I’m a little sick of someone whining about sweat shops with brand name clothes on. You can try to better the system but the reality is it will never be "fixed" until the demand is gone from consumers, as long as we want something some one will give it to us. Of course we can lobby for more laws and take more and more of our freedoms away.

Oh wait maybe you didn’t realize that. See every time you ask someone to protect you lose "freedom". Think simply here. If you hire a body guard to protect you at all times, you lose a certain amount of privacy, and probably the freedom to go where ever you want. If you ask the government to regulate business, then business owners lose the freedom to run their business as they see fit and you as a consumer lose the right to ask for lower prices. You cant have your cake and eat it too, I swear if some people actually took an economics class... you cant regulate a business and cry about high prices. Look at the auto industry for instance Henry ford once built the automobile for the average man, when he started out he wanted to be able to sell his auto at a price all the workers building that auto could afford. And he did, but look now and be sure to add safety requirements, air bags, auto braking systems, load range specific tires, a guarantee, and crash test results and you cannot sell a vehicle at the price the average person can afford. Its the same with housing. We tell landlords you have to have this this and this, fire doors, plumbing, water, heat, lack of vermin, and then say oh yeah and we want it at a price we can afford. How?

I'm not saying these things are bad, we should want to be safe, relatively, but all I’m saying is that this nation was founded on the direct opposite. We want to claim all the founding fathers were Christian when we ask for “In God we trust” to stay on the dollar or to keep prayer in school. But where is their religion when they founded a capitalist nation? Do most people even know what capitalism is? In short our economics was founded on rebellion to over government regulation, taxes!(remember the Boston tea party?), and so we used a system that literally means hands off (meaning keep governments hands off business). Wrong or right is your personal decision that’s not what I’m getting at I’m just wishing more and more people would take real facts into account before they say things like we should make laws against this or that, or why isn’t the government stopping this. There’s a fine line somewhere and I do not claim to know where it is but more and more I’m wondering if that line has to float around and in fact a truly "Christian" one doesn’t exist.

Where were the founders religion when they drew this up, probably right there with them, not to say it was a good system morally but to say that things like politics and economics should never be mixed with religion. Look at other nations that have other religion mixed in their government what do most of them do? They persecute other religions(and we get upset when its us). So especially with elections coming up maybe we should become more aware that we should be wary of "Christian" politicians, not to focus on the fact that most use it as a rallying point to get votes and that’s it, but that even if we believe our religion is correct, which I believe it is, does it give us the right to do what other religious nations do? Is it ok to persecute other religions? Is it ok to persecute gays? There’s a saying by a founding father or philosopher I cant remember, I want to say it was John Locke but I’m probably wrong, it says something like I may not believe what your doing is right but I will fight to the death for your right to do it. This nation, this "free" nation was founded on just that freedom, is it freedom to do whatever we say is morally correct or is it freedom to do anything that doesn’t impose on someone else’s freedom? I think the latter, so we can dream up "perfect Christian societies" ,that scarily reminds me of communism, or we can love everyone where they are, who they are. I don’t like to throw out the "Jesus card" but I’m pretty sure he never persecuted anyone, didn’t he eat with sinners prostitutes and tax collectors? Maybe we should let the government do what it wants and be glad we live under a nation that gives us freedom to practice our religion and focus on loving people not forcing them to do it our way, like the puritans and witch trials, didn’t Paul say law cannot make a man good.... And when the rich young ruler of John 10:17-22 went away sad because he couldn’t receive eternal life was it because he didn’t follow all the rules? I’ll let you read that one and figure it out.

I’ve decided that the answer might be one of two options. Either we are to live simply, I’m talking like Amish simply and rely only on family and friends for all our needs and oppress no one. Or maybe question why it was Jesus said give to Caesar what is Caesars. Did Jesus ever "fight a system" or did he seek to change hearts, was his goal ever to throw off oppression? Did he ever seek to overthrow the roman empire as many of his followers expected him to? but then again if we are thinking of living simply wasn’t Jesus homeless? didn’t he wander the countryside with not a penny to his name? hmmm...