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Reflections On Being Arrested

This is what I wrote in my journal a few weeks ago on being arrested…

I don’t feel regret for coming out to help my friends to serve tea and biscuits for those striking. I knew deep down it was right where Jesus wanted me to be. The best place in life is to be where you see Jesus is. The best thing to be doing is to do what you see Jesus is doing at this very moment. The Gospel is incredible, liberating and full of good news. Yet it is also scandelous, nervewrecking and costly. It will call you to actions beyond your wildest imagniation. It will call you to go the extra mile. The extra mile that you have not prepared to go or thought about doing. We all have our limits but the Gospel will stretch us beyond ourselves into extraordinary living. It will cause us to live life on the edge.

I feel that this was all part of God’s plan for me,  helping me to grow and become all that he is calling me to be. This was Jesus discipling me on what it means to follow him.

17, January, 2012 | Categories: Life & Personal, Theology & Faith | Tags: , , | Leave A Comment »

“I got drunk and stayed drunk for five days.”

The other day Vickie was reading one of my favourite reads, ‘The Ragamuffin Gospel‘ (visual edition) by Brennan Manning. She read back to me one of my favourite stories in the book in which a recovering alcoholic got drunk and stayed drunk for five days. I think it is a great picture on so many different levels of what church and what a church get-together could look like if we just strip away the facade and turn off the spotlights.

In a sweltering summer night in New Orleans, sixteen recovering alcoholics and drug addicts gather for their weekly AA meeting. Although several members attend other meetings during the week, this is their home group. They have been meeting on Tuesday nights for several years and know each other well. Some talk to each other daily on the telephone, others socialize outside the meetings. The personal investment in one another’s sobriety is sizable. Nobody fools anybody else. Everyone is there because he or she made a slobbering mess of his or her life and is trying to put the pieces back together. Each meeting is marked by levity and seriousness. Some members are wealthy, others middle class or poor. Some smoke, others don’t. Most drink coffee. some have graduate degrees, others have not finished high school. For one small hour, the high and the mighty descend and the lowly rise. The result is fellowship.

The meeting opened with the Serenity Prayer followed by a moment of silence. The prologue to Alcoholics Anonymous was read from the Big Book by Harry, followed by the Twelve Steps of the program from Michelle. That night, Jack was the appointed leader. “The theme I would like to talk about tonight is gratitude,” he began, “but if anyone wants to talk about something else, let’s hear it.”

Immediately Phil’s hand shot up.

“As you all know, last week I went up to Pennsylvania to visit family and missed the meeting. You also know I have been sober for seven years. Last Monday I got drunk and stayed drunk for five days.”

The only sound in the room was the drip of Mr. Coffee in the corner.

“You all know the buzz word, H.A.L.T., in this program,” he continued. “Don’t let yourself get hungry, angry, lonely, or tired or you will be very vulnerable for the first drink. The last three got to me. I unplugged the jug and…”

Phil’s voice choked and he lowered his head. I glanced around the table- moist eyes, tears of compassion, soft sobbing the only sound in the room.

“The same thing happened to me, Phil, but I stayed drunk for a year.”

“Thank God you’re back.”

“Boy, that took a lot of guts.”

“Relapse spells relief, Phil,” said a substance abuse counselor.

“Let’s get together tommorow and figure out what you needed relief from and why.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Hell, I never made even close to seven years.”

As the meeting ended, Phil stood up. He felt a hand on his shoulder, another on his face. Then kisses on his eyes, forehead, neck, and cheek. “You old ragamuffin,” said Denise. “Let’s go. I’m treating you to a banana split at Tastee Freeze.”

If this is a snapshot of what Jesus intended for his church to look like, sometimes I wish I was a recovering alcoholic.

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Credits:

Image: Photo by unknown. Lifted from here.

15, November, 2011 | Categories: Missional & Church | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Squatting In Parliament

A bill is being debated in Parliament today which would make squatting a criminal offence in the UK. This is a hot issue at the moment with many opinions on both sides.

It is a sin (A.K.A. selfish) when there are so many empty buildings and homes in London when there are people living out on the streets. It is a sin (A.K.A. selfish) when our refrigerators are full of food when there are so many people who go hungry in our city. Sin is what happens when we start to live life without regard to God or to our neighbour. Selfishness is what happens when we begin to live life at the expense of the other.

The first two sins recorded in the Bible illustrates this well. In the first sin, Adam & Eve chose to live life without regard to God by choosing to eat fruit from the tree which God told them not to eat from in the first place. In the second sin, Cain chose to live life without regard to his neighbour when he murdered his brother Abel. In both of these instances, life was lived at the expense of the other.

Regardless of how you might feel about squatting, please pray for those in parliament that they will make decisions out of compassion and righteousness rather than greed and corruption.

At least someone is taking the initiative in redeeming empty buildings and turning them into homes for those who are vulnerable.

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Credits:

Image: Photo by unknown. Lifted from here.

 

1, November, 2011 | Categories: Life & Personal, Theology & Faith | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments »

The Winds Of Change Are Blowing…

The Occupy Wall Street protest has now entered its second week in New York City. It is based on how a tiny minority of people (1%) control the majority of people in the world (99%) through greed and corruption.  They are using the Arab Spring tactic to achieve their goals and encouraging everyone to practice nonviolence to maximize the safety of everyone.

Recently, the Occupy Wall Street released an official statement. It was voted on and approved by the general assembly of protesters at Liberty Square: Declaration of the Occupation of New York City.  As I read it, I can’t help but think how much of what they wrote are actually some of the values that Jesus has.

God is moving in our world. Something is definitely happening. Mission  is about catching up with what God is doing in our world and joining in with God. It is about getting out of our holy huddles and affirm where we see Jesus’ values in practice in our world and ultimately introduce Jesus to others. What do you think?

As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.

They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.

They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.

They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.

They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.

They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.

They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.

They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.

They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.

They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.

They have sold our privacy as a commodity.

They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.

They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.

They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.

They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.

They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.

They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.

They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.

They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.

They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.

They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.

They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.

They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*

To the people of the world,

We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

Join us and make your voices heard!

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Credits:

Image: Photo by Erika Morningstar. Lifted from here.

 

5, October, 2011 | Categories: Life & Personal, Missional & Church | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Practice Solidarity, NOT Charity!

There’s this sign on the wall at the local squatting collective I am part of. It reads in bright bold letters ‘Practice solidarity, NOT charity!‘ In my head I’m thinking that this is not only a great quote but it’s also a great ethic to live life by. It also seems like my lovely anarchist and squatter friends know a few things about Jesus whether they realise it or not.

A cursory look at Jesus’ life and ministry reveals that Jesus practiced solidarity and not charity. For starters, Philippians 2.6-8  reveals how Jesus

…who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross.

One of the most basic ways Jesus practiced solidarity with humanity was by becoming a nobody and becoming one of us. If Jesus wanted to practice charity instead, all he had to do was jump down from heaven and parade around as if he is some god who has come to play the part of a hero and save us from our misery and then walk away from the mess. But no, that is not how the story plays out! Jesus went the extra mile and practiced solidarity with you and me!

A simple look through the Gospels we see glimpses of Jesus practicing solidarity with the poor, the sick, tax collectors, and those marginalized by society and the religious system of the day. By practicing solidarity, we see how Jesus became part of their lives and how they became part of Jesus’ life. With Jesus, there was no such thing as an ‘us‘ and ‘them‘ mentality. It was simply us as in all of us in the same boat called life. Jesus chose not see people as a problem to be solved  but someone to love, share life and carry heavy burdens on this journey called life. Instead of seeing people as a charity case, Jesus practiced solidarity and as a result he brought on a revolutionary way of living that would turn the world upside down.

In the last few weeks, we have seen some really dark days with riots breaking out all over London and the UK. Just two blocks away from my house was the scene of some of the worst of the rioting in London. Windows were smashed, shops were looted, buildings and cars were set on fire. It was not a pretty sight. In the days following the riots, droves of people came out wanting to do something good and help clean up the streets of London. It was great to see this outpouring of love and support by so many different people. More than ever do our cities need it. However according to my wife Vickie who’s a community worker, it is interesting that while a lot of people wanted to do good charity by getting involved in the cleanup efforts, most do not want to get involved in their local communities and show solidarity on a regular basis. It is easy for anyone to do a good charitable deed. But it takes so much more effort out of us to show solidarity with others

At the end of the day, to practice solidarity and not charity is an issue of holiness. A basic working definition of holiness is being like Jesus and doing the things that Jesus did. As a result, it is overwhelmingly clear from looking at Jesus’ life that holiness involves practicing solidarity and not charity with those who are marginalised by society and have no voice. Ever since religion has been delegated to the private sphere of life, holiness has been understood as a personal matter. However our  holiness means nothing if it is not expressed in the context of relationships and the communities we find ourselves in.

If practicing solidarity and not charity is one dimension of what it means to be holy, then we need to ask ourselves how well we are living up to Jesus’s call to follow him. I admit that Jesus does set the bar so ridiculously high in order to follow him. It is so high that it is impossible even for me to reach it. But what makes the Gospel radical is that it is a message of grace. Following Jesus is about growing in grace and not by our strength. It is by God’s grace that I can grow in love for him and for my neighbor. Suddenly that ridiculously high bar does not seem so high anymore.

It is funny what we can learn from those who are marginalized from society about Jesus if we only take the time to listen to them.

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Credits:

1st Image: Image by Edel Rodriguez. Lifted from here.

2nd Image: Photo by Unknown. Lifted from here.

22, August, 2011 | Categories: Missional & Church, Theology & Faith | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Lost For Words

(This blog is a continuation from my previous post, Riding The Rails To Auschwitz-Birkenau.)

My friend Tom and I arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in the afternoon after a morning of riding the rails. We decided to take a tour of this former Nazi-Germany concentration camp. Little did we know that this tour would last roughly four hours. We could not believe what we were seeing with our own eyes. Over the next few hours the only words I heard from my friend Tom was ‘How could this happen?!‘ over and over. I found myself asking the same question as I walked around the grounds of the former concentration camp. I even found myself asking where was God in all of this. It felt as if we were visiting hell on earth and witnessing the devestation that this hurricane called Evil brought with it.

As I walked into the crematorium where over two million prisoners met their death, I found myself grieving for what happened here. When I entered one of the barracks which housed the prisoners, I found myself grieving for the inhumane conditions they were living under. When I visited the room in the basement where the Nazis experiemented with Zyklon B to see how much of it is needed to exterminate their prisoners, I found myself grieving for the Nazis  whose hearts were bent towards such unimaginable things. It became too much for me to take it all in. I did not know that my heart could take this much grief. I did not know how much more grief I could take on. Finding myself overwhelmed with such grief, I found a place to sit on the grass.

I look at my immediate surroundings and I heard God whispered into my ear that he grieves for what happened here as well. The grief that I felt was only a tiny fraction of what God feels. What happened here was the result of living life without regard to God or to our neighbour. This is what evil tries to do, create division between us and them so that reconciliation and healing never takes place.

More than anything, this place inspired me to pursue the way of love. To overcome evil with the power of love. Another world is possible and it begins with love. I am free to love others unconditionally because of the realisation that I am ultimately loved by God.

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Credits:

All photos by Rob Schellert

20, July, 2011 | Categories: Life & Personal | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Riding The Rails To Auschwitz-Birkenau

While in Poland my friend Tom and I decided that we should visit Auschwitz-Birkenau which was one of the bigger Nazi-Germany concentration camps. I remember learning about what happened in these places such as Auschwitz-Birkenau in history class in school. I have read several books about those who lived and survived long enough in these places to share their experiences with others. I even have watched films and documentaries such as Schindler’s List about what happened in these places. However, I found out that none of the above could ever adequately prepare me for what I was about to experience.

Since we were in the northern part of Poland, we had to take a four hour train traveling south in the direction of Krakow in order to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. While on the train I found myself thinking about what will this day bring to me. My friends Tom and Paulina are sleeping and the train is quiet. The only sound I hear is a baby crying and the sound of the wheels of the train rolling along the tracks. I couldn’t  ignore these sounds as they were penetrating inside my head. As a result, I soon found myself meditating on the noise. It dawned on me that I was travelling to a concentration camp the same way people who were taken to concentration camps by the Nazis. I hear the baby crying and I think about how horrible that journey must have been for those being deported to places such as Auschwitz-Birkenau.  As I heard the sound of the wheels churning as we rolled  along the tracks, my heart felt heavier as the sound of the wheels completing its cycle  sounded a death-bell within me that we were getting closer and closer to hell. Those who were deported to concentration camps rode trains designed to carry freight, for days in squalid conditions, not knowing where they were going or what awaited for many of them. It was too much to think and I began to cry. Here I am on the train crying and I’m not even there yet I thought to myself as I looked out the window of the train.

We arrived at our station and got off the train. We had to walk to the other side of town to catch a bus to get to where we needed to go. While walking to the bus stop, my friend Tom dropped everything down on the pavement and shouted ‘Wait a minute!‘ I turned around and looked at him as he tells me that he lost his passport somewhere along the journey. It turns out that he has no other forms of ID on him to prove his identity. We were lucky to be travelling with our friend Paulina who knew Polish as she began to make some phone calls trying to track down Tom’s passport. I stood there on the street and could not help but think about how those who were deported to places like Auschwitz-Birkenau were stripped of their identity and their lives. Today was becoming too real I thought to myself.  After visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, we found out that Paulina got a call from the train operator saying that they found Tom’s passport and it was on its way to him.

To be continued…

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Credits:

1st Image: Image by Rob Schellert.

2nd Image by Rob Schellert.

19, July, 2011 | Categories: Life & Personal | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment »

Day 4: Living Out Radical Reconciliation Workshop

Today is the last day of the festival and the last day of the living out radical reconciliation workshops I have been leading this week.  I will be spending another day in Poland and then I will be reconciled with my wife! ;)

This morning we will be looking at how we can  be Radically Moving Forward  by being radically reconciled with one another.

We all long for forgiveness. We all long to be forgiven and when we are in the right mood, we long to be able to forgive others. Why then is it so hard to forgive?

Forgiveness is something that is big on Jesus’ heart. In his model prayer we are taught to seek forgiveness as we forgive others. Jesus is calling us to have a heart that forgives.

To understand what forgiveness is, we need to understand what forgiveness is not.

1) Forgiveness is a not a feeling. It is a decision. Many people keep a record of wrongs recorded against them. To forgive  is a choice to let things go and move on regardless of how we feel.

2) Forgiveness is not forgetting. It doesn’t mean that we forget what has happened. To forgive is to choose not to dwell on the pain caused by the person has done wrong to you. It doesn’t mean that we play “dumb” and let them hurt us all over again.

3) Forgiveness is not excusing. The very need for forgiveness suggests that what someone did was wrong and inexcusable. It doesn’t mean that the consequences should be wiped out for the person who has wronged us. Granting forgiveness involves acknowledging what someone did was wrong and without excuse.

Forgiveness is a gift that we give to ourselves and to others who have wronged us. Anger and bitterness puts us in prisons which seperates us from others. The act of forgiveness sets us free and frees others. To have a heart that forgives is to see forgiveness as a gift that keeps on giving.

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Credits:

1st Image: Image by Unknown. Lifted from here.

2nd Image by Unknown. Lifted from here.

9, July, 2011 | Categories: Life & Personal | Tags: , , | 1 Comment »

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