and the groom crushes the glass with his foot, hoping that next year, God's people would have a home.

Here is a question to ponder: What is the most effective form of revolution? When i say effective, i mean a long-lasting, world changing type of revolution.

Is it the French Revolution type, with blood flowing unbridled? Or the Enlightenment type, with people depending solely on their minds to elevate society? Is it best sparked by words, or are actions the most useful impetus? Are they fueled hottest by a yearning to get away from something bad or is the best fire the one that burns up the passions of those seeking to attain something higher, deeper? There is a difference, i'm convinced. To leave something bad and to have nowhere to go is to thrust yourself into only another cellar, one that may even be worse than the one you've just left.

It is interesting. The French revolution gave way to much bloodier ones. Just look at the civil war that has ridden Rwanda and much of Africa. The picture above is of a man who did not support the genocide taking place in Rwanda, was placed in a concentration camp, nearly starved to death, and hacked with machetes. He was rescued by the Red Cross. (See the last post concerning foreign aid.) If you aren't familiar with the revolutionary genocide that took place in Rwanda, it was, very simply, this: between 800,000 and 1 million people were slaughtered in 1994. Over 300,000 children were orphaned. (There is much more involved, and i would encourage you to read about it, because it makes this story so much more powerful.)It was a revolution. A bloody one that no one likes to discuss. But was it effective? As you think about the question i posed, you should read this article. It is an absolutely amazing account of how one revolution was replaced by another. It is simply unfathomable what this kind of revolution can do. Read it. Think about it. Look into the gacaca courts and the incredible hand they've had in rebuilding the nation of Rwanda. And then ask yourself again, "What is the most effective form of revolution?"

catch for us the foxes.

"We live in a beautiful world."

That's what Chris Martin wrote, anyway. i mean sure, the statement depends solely on your point of view in said world, but right now i can definitely see that. It has been snowing for i think three days solid? I love the snow. That's why the world i'm living in is at least superficially beautiful, for now. That's the thing about the superficial, though. It's always changing face and definition. What's great and awesome today is outdated and faded tomorrow. Great and awesome. I need to do a better job with my adjectives. Anyways, more deeply, the world is beautiful in some ways that have absolutely nothing to do with the various points of view contained in it. Jesus said, "I am making everything new!"



Today the United States of America inaugurated its 44th president. Barack Obama is his name. aka Change, Hope, etc. i don't usually delve into politics here, but i care a great deal about it, so why not. If you hate me for what i say, then shame on you. If you hate the words themselves, well, shame on them i guess. There's no shame on me because this is my blog. I did not vote for this man. This doesn't matter much, though, because enough people did so that he was rightfully and legitimately elected. But i am starting to hear a message that goes somewhat like this: "We all just need to root for him because our country needs him at this time in our history. Just put aside our differences and help the man." This is a huge bunch of rubbish. If i wanted to Obama to succeed, i would have voted for him. As it is, i disagree with every single ideal he has put forth, though they are few and far between and scattered amongst a bunch of words like "change" and "hope" so that even if he has no substance he still is a savior. What i want is for the U.S. to succeed, and i think it has its best chance succeeding if most of what Obama is saying (especially regarding the economy, abortion, foreign diplomacy, social reform, etc.) never, ever happens.

There are many Christians who voted for Obama in large part because they think that he will help the poor more and provide more aid to third world countries. These are things the Bible teaches, and so i can easily see why his economic policies would strike a chord with those of us who care about those less fortunate than ourselves. The problem is that we Christians are often even more ignorant than the rest of the population and have no idea that policies like increasing the minimum wage will in fact do nothing but hurt the poor in the long run. They have no idea that in taxing the rich until they bleed will eventually cause that tax bracket to become nonexistent. Nevermind that those countries most in need are most corrupt. Why not try to change the root of the problem? Nevermind that it is nigh impossible for the Federal Gov't .to monitor "foreign aid" once it gets to countries like Nigeria. Nevermind that it is well documented that the most efficient aid comes from places like the Red Cross and other organizations that go to those countries directly with help, bypassing their corrupt governments altogether.

What i can't figure out is, where in the Bible does it say that governments are supposed to help the poor and unemployed? It doesn't. What it does say is that Christians should be doing that individually. The only reason why there is an issue is because we haven't done nearly enough. Start doing more yourself and stop complaining about the government.

i know i sound like sour grapes. But really, i am not. i know that God for some reason put Obama in that seat, and i also know that it wasn't because He agreed with his politics. That is the reason why i will continue to fight against the tide that embraces emotion and words without seeking truth. People say they prayed about voting before voting for Obama, good for you. But did you use your mind to dig into the issues for real truth? You can't change your vote, but you can change your intellect. You can choose to do some research. You can refuse to just take at face value the things that sound good. For heaven's sake, please just stop being content with everyone else's "knowledge" and seek some for yourself.

Joy

The waters saw You, O God
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.

The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
Your arrows flashed back and forth.

Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
Your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.

Your path led through the sea,
Your way through the mighty waters,
though Your footprints were not seen.

You led Your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

~Psalm 77:16-20

This is our God. The God who can blaze a path through the mighty waters and not leave a footprint. The God who can melt the heart of thickest stone. The God who took the driest of dirt and molded a race who would one day reject Him.

There is a joy that my God brings to me that I can't explain. It's deeper than happiness, and stronger than sadness. And yet, why do I suppress that joy so amazing? I think it is because it is deeper than happiness. And I think it is because it is so much stronger than sadness. Yes, it seems to me that the very reason I refuse to take part in the joy of the Father is because it is so incredible. Sometimes it is just easier to be happy or sad or indifferent. It is much harder to take part in the joy that is offered us, because to understand that joy is to understand just how desperately we need a Savior. We must realize that our mountain of sin is much too high to climb. And then the joy comes when we see that Jesus doesn't merely help us climb that mountain. He destroys it.

And so the Israelites were full of Joy that day. They saw the sea in front of them and knew that they would be massacred by the Egyptians unless a Savior came. So He did. And He didn't put them in boats so that they could cross it, He moved the sea so they could go through it.

this doesn't make sense.

Luke 6:27-36

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Now most of us, myself included, have one intrinsic, instinctive thought when it comes to giving. It may be conscious or subconscious. It may come in this form or that. But nonetheless, at ground zero, it is there screaming at our heart from 18 inches above. It says simply this: "What will i get in return?" Of course we will all deny this flatly at first, but I guarantee you that if you will be honest with yourself you will find, as i have, that this is indeed the case. Of course there are obvious, more sinister examples like, "If i give money to X Charity, then a tax exemption will come year-end." Or, "Look, I gave the church $X, they should definitely put my name on a pew." But to be honest, i'd say that there are probably plenty of people who don't give in this way. Still, the mind is always asking, "What will i get in return?"

You see, we as humans give to people that are thankful. It makes us feel better. We give to our family, because we love them and we love the reaction they have on Christmas morning. We give to organizations that will update us on how our money and resources are being used tangibly. We give to places so that we can make a difference. Let me be clear. These are not bad reasons. But this is not the highest picture of Grace. And more importantly, this is not the way Jesus gave, nor is it the radical way He invites us to. This is what I'm getting at. The way we give is not the way Jesus gave. It surely is not what Christ said in Luke 6. He called for a radically new way of thinking about giving. A type of giving that would separate Christ-followers from the United Way. From UNICEF. From good people who give asking "What will i get in return."

I promise that you cannot get around that passage above. It is very concrete in its language. It has no qualifiers. It has no loop holes. It does not call the government to action. It does not call rich people or middle-class people or poor people. He doesn't single out Socialists or Capitalists. He singles out Christians. He singles out those who would call themselves "little-christs" as it literally meant in the Greek. This is not for the faint of heart, but only for those who seek radically after a Savior who actively demonstrated everything He calls us to.

To go back to the last post, here is what i think is the answer:The most unselfish thing you can do for another person is to give when they don't deserve it. To give when you know they will not thank you. To give not knowing of any tangible results. To give to your enemies. To give when it seems beyond hopeless, beyond helpless. "Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Then who we are will become what we are. We are sons and daughters of the Most High already, but then we will act the part.


i said earlier that Jesus did not give the way we give. This is the biggest part of what i'm trying to communicate. Ask yourself this: What would have happened if Jesus had come down to earth to die only for thankful people? For people who would accept His gift and let it change their lives? For people who would actually follow what He was trying to tell them? The answer is simple. HE WOULD NOT HAVE COME IN THE FIRST PLACE. The world (you and i included) has rejected Christ for over two thousand years. For goodness sake, WE CRUCIFIED HIM. The very race that He came to save from eternal slavery to sin scoffed at Him and nailed Him to a cross.

Its Grace. It comes up in everything. It IS everything. God calls Christians to join Him in establishing His Kingdom. He doesn't need our help, but He offers us a part anyways. He wants us to do it by taking the Grace He's given us and spreading it around the world. We need to stop giving only wondering "What will i get in return?" We need to start giving in a way that doesn't make sense.

ask yourself this.

What is the most unselfish thing a person could do for someone else?




i was asked that today by someone whom i respect very much, and it sparked one of the most meaningful, challenging conversations that i've had in a long time. If the first thing that comes to your mind is "dying in someone else's place" then good, but challenge yourself to really think about it conceptually. Go beyond a specific action and come up with an answer that can be applied to every day life. i think the answer is also very counter intuitive to human nature, and that's why you should question the first thing that comes to mind.

2008 + 1

20 years ago today I was in my mother's womb as she attended the 1989 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.



I feel that 2008 was a tough year for the world, but that is no surprise because every year is. However, for the United States, we are spoiled (conservative word), and for our standards this year was quite tumultuous. I find no value in recapping all the events which made it so, but if you aren't sure what I'm talking about, then stop being an ostrich.

Even for me personally, it was an up and down year. I ended my first year of college and started my second year. God allowed me to enter into something exceptional, and then showed me that I needed to grow some more and took me away from it. It's interesting though, anytime I really sit down and think about the year in relation to the rest of the world, it was overflowing with a grace and mercy that is too much for words. I look at Mumbai and Darfur and Zimbabwe and Gaza and a host of other places and wonder how in the world I could ever complain. I look at families that I met in Boone who live in real poverty and am disgusted with myself for taking so many things for granted. I look at my church in Boone which is spending 6 million dollars on a new building and find myself angry and perplexed that college students with no money are taking care of those impoverished people in the same town. I am even more upset with myself for living almost 20 years on Earth before I really felt any compassion towards those less fortunate than I. I look at how I have hurt people and crave their forgiveness. I am sorry that I and so many Christians have turned people away from Grace and Love.

But this is 2009. it is New.

I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.

So I say, "My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord."

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:17-23