An Spectacular Day in Kenya!

Awoke to rain last night. It’s raining again tonight too. Elijah, our Kenyan director, always proclaims, “Rain is a blessing!” in his baritone voice. While it is not snow like currently is falling from the sky in Michigan, there has been plenty of rain here during the past two weeks. Plenty enough.

Today the local church had declared the day ‘Youth Sunday’ so all the kids from the Kenya Matters home were involved with the leading of the service today. Today the Kenyans outdid most American churches. When they declare ‘Youth Sunday’ they allow a teenager to give the message, collect the offerings, and lead the entire service. And what a job of leadership these thirty orphan kids along with some of the other local kids did today! They were amazing. They would have been amazing had they been Americans or Kenyans. They would have been amazing had they had two parents or no parents. I am so proud tonight.

On most days I’m appreciative of my own three children. Tonight I am so impressed and appreciative of thirty orphan children who are making a way in this world that is impressive. Sure, they will have their stumbles along the way, but today. Today was John Ngugi, the class clown if you will, as a sixteen year old teenager leading the worship service. For anyone who knows this kid, you’re thinking, ‘You must be kidding me.’ No. I am not. Tonight my heart is full.

Our Kenyan director, Elijah Wachira, had the vision for this endeavor ten years ago. Today we have kids orphan children who are growing into adults, and they’re doing it with determination and conviction and character. Something good began when this project took wings in 2005, and  today I had the opportunity to see orphan  children soar. Well done Elijah and staff. You have shaped lives that this world often gives up on, but these kids are not giving up. They are doing quite the opposite.

And I suppose that is enough for a great day in Kenya, but then there was a soccer game. For forty dollars we grabbed a local van owner and headed off to see a great match between two of the best amateur teams in this part of Kenya. There was no admission fee. Just the cost of the van.

And with those forty dollars we got a ride to and from the game. And I had the opportunity to watch a dozen boys, a handful of girls, and a few adult chaperones enjoy a great game. And yes, we all fit in that one van. This is Kenya, and we do things Kenyan style here.

So this day concludes with the rain on the roof, having shared conversations and worship and soccer and real life… and my heart and soul are full. I’ve spent nearly three months on Kenyan soil over the past five years. And today is one that rates right at the top.

To all who have supported these kids, thanks. To those who have yet to do so, jump on this train. It’s going in a good direction, and life is too short to miss this one.

Back to Kenya at 40,000 Feet

We’re now midway through our flight from Detroit to Amsterdam, and the plane is hushed. The cabin lights are off with the exception of a few reading lights and the glow of small screens showing movies. A college student sits a few seats away and is working on something that appears to be important to her.

A few minutes ago I had gotten up to stretch. In the process I met two ladies likely in their sixties who are going to be spending ten days floating down the Rhine. A mother was feeding her infant while her husband attempted sleep.

My kids, on the other hand, are more like their dad. I doubt there will be much sleep on this flight tonight. Its somewhat of a strange thing. We took off at 4 p.m., were served dinner two hours later, and nearly half the plane is trying to sleep at 8 p.m. It begs me to ask why so many people can sleep at this time of day?

Are our lives so filled with busyness that we crave sleep even at 8 p.m.? Or perhaps there is a possibility that people can fall asleep much easier than me. I recall taking naps in the middle of the day on those trips from Michigan to Colorado when I was a kid, waking up in a different state without realizing the boredom, was pretty cool. Waking up was even better when we had changed time zones.  So perhaps sleep is a means to kill the boredom and wake up bouncing onto the runway in Amsterdam is the prize.

Regardless though, flying distances is an odd thing. We walk onto a plane with hundreds of people whom we do not know by name, place, or nation. Yet, we are stuck together at 40,000 feet hanging in the atmosphere for eight hours with no way to leave these people. Some of us will strike up conversations or sell their wares to perspective clients while others simply speak only to the flight attendants between their studies, games, or movies.

What to think of it all I do not know. To imagine Freud or Shakespeare reflecting on an oddity such as this would intrigue. Yet, one thing is certain; we are all up here, and we are all in this together. Perhaps this is the way of Kenya Matters too. For those who have traveled with us, and for those who have not, we are hanging together with the hope that the world will become a better place for our efforts.  Knowing these orphaned kids and the people of their community by name, infusing it with goodness, kindness, and financial capital will alter this community and these people for the better.

Now for the slowest part of this flight – the last two hours and thirty-nine minutes. Perhaps I too should try sleep.

Paul Ryan's Matrix

"I accept the calling of my generation to give our children the America that was given to us, with opportunity for the young and security for the old -- and I know that we are ready," Ryan said. "Our nominee is sure ready. His whole life has prepared him for this moment -- to meet serious challenges in a serious way, without excuses and idle words. After four years of getting the runaround, America needs a turnaround, and the man for the job is Gov. Mitt Romney." - Paul Ryan

The America that was given to them, Ryan and Romney in the 1980's, included income tax for the wealthiest Americans at 50%. Today those same Americans are finding ways to pay approximately 13% (Romney's return for the past three five or so years anyway), and the capital gains tax is significantly less than it was in the 1980's. Yet, they want less taxation. 

Romney was never one of us. He was always the son of a very wealthy father. To think that we have a baby that was coddled from crib to being sixty years old on the coattails of wealth to be the most powerful leader in the world... this is not the America that Romney or Ryan grew up with. Romney is not   Nixon, Reagan, Ford, Bush nor even his son. Ryan is still much less of a man. 

In fact, for Ryan to put himself and Romney into the same category of knowing about America is ludicrous. Romney is nearly twenty years his elder. Paul Ryan doesn't remember the bicentennial of our nation. He would have been six years old... probably the summer between kindergarten and first grade. I'm a only 46, but for Ryan to say that he and Romney grew up in the same America is reaching for a Norman Rockwell moment that was never reality. It didn't' happen Paul.

If you're looking forward to an America where the wealthiest 1% buy and sell politicians for their personal gain, then welcome to Ryan's America. Welcome to the future of the free world when ideas and hopes and dreams are only the reality of the wealthiest 1%. Welcome to the Matrix. Welcome to being a person who works for the sake of the machine known as the 1%. 

Paul Ryan, this is your hope for America. You believe you can fix us all and nobody else can. You've worked so hard hating our current President that you have no other choice but to extol a voice in the wilderness as if you have some prophetic knowledge that nobody else has.

 In your reality, you believe business without conscience for humanity will fuel an economy that makes all of us feel better. In reality though, only the 1% control the machine. Only the 1% get more than bread to take home for their families. This is your hope and this is Romney's reality.  

Paul Ryan, in realty you know that your possible Vice-Presidnecy may become the end of the working class. In reality, Bain Capital raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the 1% while putting businesses into bankruptcy and making working class families become unemployed as Bain helped close their factories.

In reality, you are the Matrix. Our choice is simply the red pill or the blue. We hope we still have a choice. But do we really? 

Surreal Moments - Today in Kenya

Surreal moments are the theme of this trip. It would take pages of writing beyond my abilities to describe all of the details and nuances that gave color to this day, but here are a few glimmering stars.

We visited a couple of the local boarding schools where Kenya Matters children are attending. At the first school we met Margo; she is 74 and from California. After her husband died, she wondered what was next in life. In 2005 she came to Kenya and started a Girls Catholic School. Today nearly three hundred girls attend this school.

As we climbed into our cars to leave, Margo accepted our invitation to visity our project. She arrived around 2 p.m. in the midst of a downpour. We invited her into the house, and as we sat on the porch talking and sipping tea, she told us her story. At 74, she is filled with more hope for life than most of us imaged at 20. Her organization can be found at KenyaHope.us

An hour after Margo left, we welcomed Stephan Lutz to the site. He works for the CRWRC as a project manager. His specialty is agriculture, and we happen to be designing an irrigation project for a third of an acre. Thus, crop rotation, fertilizers, pest control, among other things were discussed. Additionally, he gave us official channels by which Kenya Matters could work more directly with the CRWRC. The opportunities for partnerships are plentiful here.

Tonight we found ourselves helping oversee the homework of the children, share devotional time, and then direct them toward bed. Our housemother for the children, Jane, is ill. So the team of us filled in the gap. While Alyssa was tucking in the girls, Kathy was talking with a few of the older boys. Those of us who remained stood in the courtyard encouraging the kids to use the bathrooms before the climbed into their bunks for the night. Who in America wakes up in the morning and imagines tucking Kenyan children into bed at night?

Before I hit ten years of age, missionaries and the mission board in the church basement were a curiosity. Yet, never did I imagine helping thirty-two orphan children in Kenya would be a slice of life. Nor did I imagine lives of Americans and Kenyans intersecting in surreal ways would bring so much goodness, kindness, justice, and mercy to a very small speck of the world.

Yet, it is still a speck. And on this speck there are children thriving who would have otherwise been thrown away as orphans. Instead, hopes and dreams are growing into realities. As I am about to slide into my Kenyan bed, I wonder what tomorrow brings, and I trust we as Kenya Matters have only begun this journey here in Karai, Kenya.

Reflections from Kenya - Why Politics Matter

It is day five in Kenya. We’ve had our fun and been amazed with a safari to the Mara where we came face to face with hundreds of animals. The creation of our world is absolutely spectacular beyond words. A mother cheetah sitting atop an anthill with her four young fuzzy cubs is not a sight to be found many other places in this world.

We are now an hour away from Karai. We will be greeted with voices of kids and hugs to fill any hearts. I dream of a day when all the orphans in this small community will be nurtured, educated, and filled with hope for their future. The ways of Jesus call for us to care for the poorest and marginalized of our society. We find it quite easy to feed the poor in theory, but when it becomes a question of a tax break for us or feeding ‘the least of these’, then what will we choose?

Before leaving for Kenya, I was reading of my local U.S. Congressman’s desire to roll back tax rates for the wealthiest of our nation while cutting programs that help feed our poor. In the midst of Kenya Matters doing so much good, I often wonder if I am called to a full-time pursuit of these dreams for orphan children in this nation. Yet, I am also reminded of our inabilities to see our own greed and give preference to our own personal agendas over the biblical agenda of caring for the poor, the widow, the alien, and the orphan at home in the States.

The ways of the gospel necessarily confront the powers of this world. We need to become people who care about God’s creation including all of humanity. When we give preferential treatment to the wealthy, aka ‘Job Creators’, over and against helping create sustainable lives for the poor, we are far from the biblical text.

If we are to pray “Your Kingdom Come on Earth as it is in Heaven,” then we necessarily need to acknowledge the horrific reality that our own government is choosing policy that gets those on the left and right re-elected rather than chase after justice and mercy.

I encourage you to walk alongside and live into the biblical words of the prophet Micah, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and seek mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Giving tax breaks to the wealthy and taking from the poor is absolutely contrary.

May we learn to struggle with what it means to be Christians living in America rather than deferring to our political parties – of which we often inherited from our youth. Making conscious decisions in the ways of the kingdom of God will always be a better option.

Grace & Peace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Randy

We Can Do Better

Tonight I spent time with friends who I don't know that well. Yet, they are amazingly good people. They care deeply for their fellow persons; thinking and acting for 'others' is what they are about just because they are good people.

Driving home after being with them, I thought of my constant nemesis, the U.S. Congressman who represents my district. He claims to follow the ways of Jesus, and I believe he is a Christian. Yet, his political positions always favor the wealthy, the business owner, and the people who are not marginalized.

I've gone to Christian day school and a great Christian college and then a seminary. Yet, I can't figure out why this particular elected official continues to be against health care that will care for 32 million Americans who have no heath care? He may claim that they didn't' work for it or that they don't deserve it or that we can't afford it. YET, the biblical text doesn't even allow for these questions to be asked.

Jesus clearly states that whatever we do for the least within our communities, whatever we do for our neighbors who can afford nothing, whatever we do for the stranger or alien, is what we do for Jesus Christ. This is a NON-OPTION. We have no choice if we are really about following Jesus Christ.

With much pain, I think we've allowed people to claim they follow Jesus and then let them run off with their political convictions for their own gain. YET, if we are about Jesus, I believe we are called to become people who embrace goodness, kindness, righteousness, justice and mercy. Being this kind of person is what it means to be fully human and to be a reflection of the ways of Jesus.

Anything less is dishonest, pathetic, and a selfish reflection of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

I write the previous sentence because either we ultimately embrace the ways of the God whom we claim to love or we embrace a political system that gets us re-elected and gives us more power for the future of our life.

While I am critical of Representative Bill Huizenga, I do not know him other than the way he votes and choses to side with the far right on virtually every political issue... as if Jesus was a far-right Republican. Anyone serious about the ways of Jesus needs to admit that Jesus did care for the poor and marginalized, and he didn't say it was only the duty of the church to help these people. Instead, it is the duty of everyone who is fully human to care for the poor.

Either we shut up about being followers of Jesus or begin to live into the reality that God has called us to be -- a follower of the most high and the one who says 'I am the God of gods.' Either Jesus people live into this reality or we are making a fool of the one we claim to follow.

I write this thinking of the following: Today a friend of mine who is a director of an orphanage in Kenya flew back home. He departed Gerald R. Ford at 5:30 p.m. Only four years ago I met him, and at the age of retirement he is giving the rest of his life to orphaned children in Kenya. He embodies the best of what it means to be fully human.

My college years and my deep respect for Paul Henry, a former U.S. House Representative who died of brain cancer at too young of an age, calls me to my passion to challenge systems that are broken and people who claim to represent the ways of Jesus only to actually pursue power and position. Paul was an amazing man and leader who lived into his deep convictions.

While I believe Bill Huizenga is a good man, his mixture of passion for party platforms and gaining access to far right donors is more than disturbing. Neither the marginalized of our society are served well nor are the ways of Jesus Christ really honored. We can say the church needs to care for those without health insurance, but we all know that this is an issue even the American churches can not do alone.

We need to find people who are fully human, who support the poorest in our society while also not attacking the business people who are conducting themselves with unquestionable integrity. (These people do exist. I know them, and I can call them by name. Some are Republicans and others Democrats. I think too often they are persuaded by the political parties of their childhoods rather than by their faith and trust in the ways of Jesus.)

I currently live in a U.S. Congressional District that is primary Republican. While it's too late for the 2012 elections, it would be fair and honest to let Representative Huizenga know that values and living into these values really do matter. We in America still love to be represented by people who hold to our values.

Integrity matters, and if we do not see a significant change in the way Bill leads us in D.C., then there will be a change of leadership in his district in November of 2014. Partisan politics are not the way of Jesus regardless if you are a Democrat or Republican. Partisan politics do nothing to make Holland Christian nor West Ottawa nor Hudsonville a better school district nor does this make for a healthier democracy for our nation.

The gauntlet has been thrown down. It's either time for Mr. Huizenga to be a representative for all of us in this district and make decisions that are good for the next hundred years of our nation, or it's time we find a new leader who will embrace the diversity of this country while pursuing goodness, kindness, justice and mercy for us all.

I have no idea if we can get Bill's attention, but it is time that he begins to listen and stop being a echo board for his party's politics. We are smarter that than. We are wiser than that. We care more for the ways of Jesus and for our neighbor than he publicly embraces. Even our grandparents who taught us how to live expected more of our lives and our representatives.

Let it be known that it's time for a change in West Michigan. We expect something more than we have gotten in the first two years of his decision making in Washington. If we can't afford a health system that cares for the poor, then either Jesus was wrong or we didn't believe him in the first place. Either our neighbors matter to us or we are paying lip service to nothing at all.

Join us as we find a better candidate for 2014 regardless if you are Republican or Democrat, rich or poor, black or white, business owner or employee. Coming Soon: BetterthanBill.com

Irreconcilable Politics with the ways of Jesus

For clarity, my politics continue to be challenged by my belief in the ways of Jesus Christ. While I once found myself a strong far-right conservative, I always appreciated integrated faith and politics regardless of the political persuasion of someone.

The former Paul Henry of Grand Rapids, Michigan is my most admired local politician of the past century. Unfortunately his life was cut short due to cancer, but his example continue to shine in the lives of some of us who knew him or studied him and his politics. Vern Ehlers, while more conservative than Paul and less likely to cross the isle on issues, also made an incredible attempt to have an integrated faith that included his political persuasion.

Those who might suggest that Paul or Vern were pushing their Christian values into the U.S. government fail to recognize most of the positions of these men. Paul Henry lived a life of goodness, kindness, faith, hope and love. Regardless if you were a Muslim, Hindu, Catholic, or Atheist, Paul wasn't a threat to you. His life and his politics embodied the best of an American politician. While you may not have agreed with him, he always exhibited respect and honor regardless if you agreed with him.

I write the previous because Paul is my example, and I often dream of another politician from West Michigan rising to the level of integration of faith and politics that reached exceptional levels. Living in the Second District of Michigan, my Congressman is Mr. Bill Huizenga. We attended Calvin College together, and we both studied political science. We are both products of the Christian Reformed school system in West Michigan. As graduates of a Christian college where integrated life and faith are central to the mission and vision of the school, I would hope that Mr. Huizenga would be forming his political positions in the shadow of Paul Henry.

In reality, whether it be due to the shifting winds of politics in the decades since Paul Henry left us behind, big corporate money, or blind loyally to the political party of our birth, Bill Huizenga has not but for a few passing moments walked in the shadow of Paul. I am both saddened, disappointed, and angered that we as the electorate in the 2nd District have allowed Bill to continue in the identical footsteps of his former boss.

When the good people of the 2nd district were tired of Guy VanderJagt who has represented us well for decades, we chose to look to Peter Hoekstra. Mr. Hoekstra represented us, but like the Mr. Huizenga who followed him, his politics were largely driven by rugged liberty and far-right convictions. Given the party people of the 2nd District are largely in this vein, it is no wonder Pete and now Bill have chosen this as their political safe haven. Their convictions found them financial funding for their campaigns and in turn votes for election and re-election.

While re-election and holding power seems to be the way of politics in America these days, Paul Henry didn't bite on towing the party line, and neither did he cater to the politics winds of the moment. He held a faith that was so integrated into his politics that he was virtually beyond reproach on the issue. Why have we not seen such a representative since his passing?

In a West Michigan culture where we care dearly for family, life, faith, education, society, and work-ethic. In our West Michigan society with excellent private colleges that push for an integrated life of faith and politics, most notably Calvin, Hope, Aquinas, and Cornerstone, we need to soul search as to why we don't seriously pursue elected officials who hold more than our political persuasions but hold a life of faith and politics in accord, in balance, with integrity standing and living before the Creator of all good things.

What have I missed? Perhaps I am naive, but I still hope the ways of Jesus win the day. I still hope for a day when blacks, whites, protestants, catholics, jews, married, single, straight, gay, men and women will together stand together and claim "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty we are free at last."

By this I am not simply reminding us of Reverend King. He was certainly a man, though flawed, who lived with hope for a better tomorrow. It was a contagious hope that spoke not only to individual hopes and dreams but of corporate hopes and dreams. His were the dreams that society could be bettered with. The hopes and dreams of Paul Henry made us as a society better - much better.

Yet, we have been succumbed by partisan money and partisan politics, and we have settled for our U.S. Representative being less than the shadow of the hope I observed in Mr. Paul Henry. Why have we settled? Why do we claim to hold a faith that cares for the least, for the poorest, for the marginalized of society and yet adhere to a politic that is anything but this.

Instead, we have been led to believe individual liberty and protecting our hard earned money are our greatest values. Thus, we 'have who we have' as our representative. If these are indeed our highest values, then we are only paying lip service to the ways of Jesus. We are much less than 'poor reflections' as the Apostle Paul says about the shaping of our lives.

I can already hear opposition voices claim that the government should not care for the marginalized. Ironically, those of us in the reformed tradition should be influenced by the theological mind that shaped our tradition, John Calvin. If one is to study the life of Calvin, it is abundantly clear that faith and politics is not limited to the church and the good works of the church. For Calvin it was an integration of the goodness of the Jesus-centered life that could positively influence government for the sake of corporate society.

In the tradition of catholicism, Thomas Aquinas and so many theological minds before him, faith and politics were also integrated. While catholic churches created hospitals and often had/has a parish nurse that is paid by the local church, the corporate good was always held in highest regard.

Today we settle for a U.S. representative who believes taxes are too high for the wealthiest, health insurance should be only for those who have a high paying job, and individual liberty should be held in the highest regard. In the tradition of the Apostle Paul, John Calvin, Thomas Aquinas, and Paul Henry, I ask why have we settled for a politic that is neither honoring to our forefather nor honest with the Christian faith?

It is time we hold our money less tightly, our individual rights as valuable but not of the highest value, and again find a faith the breathes hope into a society and broken lives that often are without hope. In so doing, we will search for elected voices who represents the ways of Jesus that strive for an integrated life. As much as I want to stay away from this issue, holding a politic that adheres to the tea party platform is far less than the requirements of living as a follower of Jesus Christ. For us to believe such ignores the best politicians, theologians, and ultimately the life of Jesus Christ.

Join me in longing for an elected voice from the 2nd district who would aspire to walk in the footsteps of Mr. Paul Henry. If that day is to come, our country and our world will be a better place. Justice and mercy will again be central to our societal values, and our reflected politic will be Christ-like, more fully human.

Kenya Matters Invitation to You!

Gingrich: S.C. 'decided to be with us in changing Washington'

Washington may need a few good people who understand how to cut budgets without killing people. Yet, it is hard to imagine Newt being the person who would change D.C. politics. 

Consider this:

Newt is on his third marriage, and he had a mistress in marriage #1 & marriage # 2 prior to each divorce. Each time the mistress became the next wife. Either this is Washinton's current norm or he is ushering in the next wave of mistress acceptability in our nation's capital. 

Newt was once the third most powerful American in the nation as the U.S. House of Representative Speaker. He left this office in the middle of a term rather than be removed by the U.S. Congress for ethical failures. Either ethical failure is the new norm or evangelical Christians have decided that it's good to forgive people for their failures. The later option would be a good change except that this attitude of forgiveness hasn't' been extended to President Obama for having the second name of Hussein or for being a black man in charge of this country. Why does an overweight ethnically-unaware white man get a free pass over the brilliantly kind hope-filled black guy?

Newt talks about cutting deficits and budges, but there will be few cuts to our military and tax exemptions for oil companies will continue even though they had record profits in 2011. Cuts to African aid relief, cuts to our nations poor, and cuts to 'the least' and marginalized in our society are certainly on his horizon. Fortunately, a tea party majority of sixty senators is out of his reach for 2012; so the democrats can tie up Newt's ideas for four years, and we'll plunge further into debt as neither side can agree to share a meal together -- let alone share power.

In reality, everything will change if Newt is elected. The liberal media will be kept out of the White House Press Room, and the evil questions posed by the evil empire of the liberal media will be kept at bay. Thus, Newt will usher in an entirely new day for our country, and we shall all be saved  by his generosity, goodness, kindness and love.

Sometimes we create fairy tales and they are kept alive by our desire to hope for a better world. Newt's proclamation for changing Washington is just that - a fairy tale.

Death is never 'meant to be'

Nearly fourteen months ago a friend of mine, Dennis Dykstra, suddenly died of heart failure. He seemed to be hitting his stride in life with a newfound passion for orphans and issues of justice in Africa.

One person who saw this picture commented, "What a great picture...you can HEAR them laughing!" Indeed, if you have ever been to Africa or have a great imagination for just a few seconds, you can hear the kids. It's likely many of these kids had never touched a white man before this moment; so even the idea of white skin is a silly thought to a ten year old in East Africa.

Dennis had found his midlife calling to his wife, his family, and pursuing justice. Then life abruptly ended... 

I remember receiving the phone call, and even as I recall it now, I get chills through my entire body. Life is not meant to end this way. Life is not.

As followers of Jesus, we so often say or hear others say, "It was in God's time." "It is according to his plan." At that moment, it seems like consolation, and pushing back against that thought while at a funeral or while giving empathy would be inappropriate. Yet.

This idea that God is fine with death, that God plans for erratic endings to life is wacked.. The ways of Jesus are always about life. Always. While death is a reality of every life, death is never part of the goodness of God. 

While I do believe the God of Israel reigns as Lord of all things, it is impossible to fully understand this idea in a world where suffering and brokenness continue to be the reality in which we live. To prove that death can be overcome, Jesus along with others in the biblical text, rise from the dead. Yet, this isn't the current reality in which we live.

I believe we use phrases like "It was in God's plan" to deal with the complex reality of a God who reigns but not yet fully reigns. If God were to have his way with the world at this moment, Dennis would not have died. He would still be loving his wife and children and chasing after justice around the globe. 

The tragedy of a life cut short is just that - tragedy. There is no great moment that heals all pains. The story never ends as a beautiful romance that keeps the heart warm forever.

Here is my hope as we stop using the sort of terms 'Christian' community has created to solve deep issues of tension -- that we continue to believe that God is FOR life, for hope, for love, for goodness, for kindness, for justice, and for mercy.

As we pursue these things, the ways of Jesus will make themselves more known over the landscape of the earth. When children stop dying of AIDS, when kids have moms & dads, and when bellies are full and water is abundant, THEN we will experience the reign of God. 

When justice flows through the streets of every city and countryside around this mighty planet, then we will know that there is a God who reigns. Until then, we live in part of the hope of God's reign, but human tragedy is never part of that hope. 

So, let's pursue the things that set the heart of Dennis on fire. Let's hope that we can walk alongside the Creator of the universe to do great things. Let us urgently fight AIDS, put an end to poverty, and drill wells for every community in on every continent. In pursing the these things, we find hope in the life of Dennis and so many others. 

God always reigns in healing, in hope, and in resurrection - never in death. Always in life.

Another Way of Being Church

Liberty for what purpose?

It is interesting how ‘compassionate conservatism’ has no traction these days. Perhaps though, evangelical America is so solidified behind the republican party that their votes are expected rather than desired?

Having recently finished Frank Schaeffer’s most recent book titled ‘Sex, God and Mom’, I find his thoughts on the the ‘right’ and evangelical America to have much value. Americans talk about ‘ObamaCare’ as a four letter word while entirely ignoring the millions of people who can’t afford to see a doctor when necessary for healthy living. We cover our disgust of the new health care laws under the guise of ‘liberty’, and yet we fail the biblical text to love our neighbor.

Somehow we’re still o.k. about ignoring our neighbors plight on the same day we heard a sermon of the ‘Good Samaritan.’ But of course, we never find ourselves in that story. We’re good church going republicans… or so we tell ourselves while we proclaim the kingdom to our coworkers who were not in church on Sunday…