One Word

Broken.

That’s the only word I have for it.

Broken.

Broken pavement on the roads.

Broken windows in the houses.

Broken glass on the playground.

Broken hearts from the abuse, incest, and rape.

Broken families from the poverty and unemployment.

Broken lives from gang murder, drugs, and alcohol.

Broken.

Less than 2 hours from the jobs available in Phoenix, less than 50 miles from the affluent bounty of Superstition Springs Mall, is the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

Less than a day ago, I went with a ministry co-worker, Amber, for a tour of the reservation where we saw for ourselves the pain and desperation of this place. 

Stories.  We heard lots of stories.  A twelve year old boy murdered by gang members.  A pre-teen girl whose uncle got her drunk in an attempt to molest her.  A young teen boy who attempted suicide in a house full of his younger siblings and cousins.  Girls pregnant at the young age of 13-15.  Those same girls, grandmas at thirty, sobering up for the first time so they can take care of their grandchildren for their addicted daughters.  Corrupt politicians handing out free 40s of malt liquor in order to garner votes.  Husbands taking the $250 a month the family lives on to gamble at the casino only to lose it all.

We saw things too.  A mom, with her two children, whose only notable fact was she happened to be sober for once.  Graffiti and gang symbols everywhere.  Sheds, shanties, rusted out cars, and tarps where whole families live without electricity or running water.  A police officer’s home, with bars on the windows next to a drug dealer’s home.  Broken Colt 45 beer bottles on the kids playgrounds.

I have no words to describe the heartache that I felt from seeing and hearing all of this.

I do have another word, though.

Hope.

The ministry that gave us the tour builds homes for the homeless on the reservation.

They provide back-to-school backpacks and supplies for kids.

They provide Christmas stockings and presents to families.

They are working on a battered women’s shelter.

They have a bus ministry that we got to take part in.  The bus drives through the neighborhoods and stops periodically and toots its horn.  Kids come running from houses all around to get a chance to go on the bus.  It then pulls up in an empty field next to a basketball court and the kids sing, get a Bible lesson, eat a snack, and then take part in games and crafts.  I got to hand out otter-pops to 45 smiling children, teach a young boy named Jay how to roller skate, and play basketball with a couple of other boys.   As we were leaving, Jay came up and handed me a rock, saying, “I found this cool rock for you, thank you for helping me to skate.”

Children are the same everywhere.  In the midst of poverty and abuse, on a playground covered with shattered glass and trash, they are still able to play and smile.

All they need is a little hope.

It’s there, in the ministry of a few people who care enough to sacrifice lives of comfort and material comfort in order to minister to those who need.

Hope.

Hope for shelter and food.

Hope for a safe place to grow up.

Hope for an education that will someday provide for them.

Hope for healthy relationships and families.

Hope for freedom from addiction and abuse.

Hope for the future.

Hope.

If you would like to help out, visit www.azrez.org and donate your time and money.  Take a trip with them to build houses.  Donate school supplies and Christmas stockings stuffed with presents.  Donate Walmart gift cards or donate cash.

Lights

Love everyone… This includes people who think differently than you, difficult people, and those who have hurt you.

Feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty.

Visit the prisoner.

Provide for the widow

Care for the orphan.

Invite in the stranger and immigrant.

Be hospitable.

Clothe the naked.

Care for the sick.

Stand up for the marginalized and defenseless ones.

Be humble.  Treat others as better than yourself.

Speak carefully.

Be slow to anger.

Don’t show favoritism towards the rich, famous, or powerful.

Don’t love money and don't be a slave to it.  Be wise and generous with your finances.

Practice justice.

Give mercy.

Shelter the homeless.

Don’t envy.

Don’t be selfish.

Make peace whenever possible.

Be gentle, kind, and caring.

Don’t be arrogant and boastful.

Be patient.

Use your gifts to help others.

Be self-controlled.

Don’t be hypocrites.

Speak the truth but don’t be a jerk about it.

Be trustworthy.  People should believe what you say.

Don’t talk bad about others.  Gossip and slander are destructive.

Do good deeds.  Even when it’s hard.  Even when others don’t.

Be respectable.  Live so you have a good reputation with others.

Do what is right, even if you suffer for it.

Don’t drink, eat, party, or anything else to excess.

Be clear-minded and alert.

Serve others even when it means sacrificing your own comfort, especially if it means sacrifice.

Treat those older than you with respect and those younger as brothers and sisters.

If someone has screwed up in life, restore them gently.

Don’t listen to liars, idiots, or those who stir up trouble.

Respect and obey the government so.  Even the ones you didn’t vote for.

Don’t fight with one another and don’t be quarrelsome and divisive.

Don’t sleep around, treat your body and others with respect.

Be a good example.

Take care of your own family, whether you like them or not.

Live with joy and contentment even in tough times.

Be generous and willing to share.

Respect your parents and treat your kids well.

Treat your spouse well.

Forgive those who have hurt you.  Quickly.

Don’t take what doesn’t belong to you.

Be honest in your business dealings.

Don’t be a slave to pleasure and entertainment.

Study God’s word and teach them to others.

Don’t put up with false teaching.

Pray.

It’s not about gimmicky services.  It’s not about ‘relevant’ music.  It’s not about being seeker sensitive.  It’s not about bigger and better props.  It’s not about rock star preachers and self-help messages.  It’s not about growth at any price.  It’s not about hooks to get them in the door so we can spring the trap on them.  It’s not even about us versus them. 

We shouldn’t have to paint up the gospel like a $20 hooker in order to try to attract people.  P.T. Barnum showmanship and used-car-salesman trickery have no place in the body of Christ.  If you believe that ostentatious glitter and flashy extravaganzas are what is required to for people to come to belief, then that suggests to me that you don’t believe that the gospel is enough yourself.

Neither should we be the obnoxious and arrogant evangelists who beat people with a twisted gospel or try to trick them into hearing it with cartoon tracts and baited questions.  Protest signs, angry words, and megaphones have no place here either.

It’s about a radically gentle, life-changing love that affects us enough to become living evidence to others.  It’s about individual, personal change and the struggle of daily turning towards God and His way, as evidenced in the list above.  It’s about walking together through good times and hard times.  It’s about turning away from the world of self-aggrandizement, self-enrichment, and selfish pleasure.  That was the message at the beginning and that is the only relevant message in a world of distraction and dissipation that we live in today.

If our lives actually reflected change, people might actually see our deeds and realize the truth of God’s message.  It’s almost as if that’s in the Bible (Matthew 5:16, 1Peter 2:12)

The message of the cross is offensive only because it acknowledges the evil in all of us, even those who think they are good people.  And,it offers grace to everyone, even those we don’t like or we don’t feel deserve it.  If we offend people with the gospel for any other reason, we are not being faithful to the message. 

Read the above list* again.  This is what a follower of Jesus looks like.  I think that the rest of the world would have much less problems with ‘Christians’ if more of us looked like this.

Do your deeds reflect God’s message? 

Do your actions demonstrate your faith?

Does your life show that you believe in something that matters?  Does your growth and discipleship demonstrate a way that might help others?  Do your actions exhibit a faith that is a light to others?

If your friends, coworkers, family, and neighbors didn’t know you went to church services, would they still know you were a follower of Jesus?

Perhaps it is time for each individual in the church and the church as a whole to take Peter’s advice in 1Peter 3:3-4.

³Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Let us become lights to this world through our quiet but active devotion to our God and to the people around us.  Let each of us be like a simple, single candle burning in the darkness instead of trying to be garish neon facades like the Las Vegas strip.

* this list is a compilation of exhortations and admonitions taken from the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament.

Translations

It’s not polite to talk about religion or politics.  You might offend someone.

Poppycock!

I don’t believe you can actually understand someone unless you discuss ideas and beliefs. 

I love discussion.  I enjoy bandying about ideas and considering the merits of various systems of thought.  Philosophy is fun.  Theology is entertaining.  Politics are engaging.   We don’t have to be rude; discussion can be gracious while still challenging.

OK.  I’ve probably already lost you.   “What a weirdo,” you are thinking. 

You just might be right.

Because I grew up without religion, I was an agnostic through high school and college.  I have a lot of respect for someone who admits they don’t know, and even more for the person who doesn’t give up at that point, but keeps on searching.  I have significantly less respect for someone who holds a belief system that they’ve never put any real thought into and won’t even discuss.  This goes for Christians too.  I have met many who grew up with Christianity but have never considered it deeply and have never put any thought into their own beliefs.   I truly believe that an unexamined life is not worth living and an untested faith is probably a weak one.  Truth can stand up to questions and it is OK to admit you don’t have all the answers.

Over the years, speaking with people about religion, I’ve noticed that there are some Conversation-Killers that people use when they don’t want to talk about the subject or, as is often the case, they want to talk about their ideas but don’t want any conflicting ideas.  These Conversation-Killers are short statements that are flippantly tossed out by the person in hopes that they’ll sound deep and intellectual without actually having to engage in any real dialogue.  Conversation-Killer statements sound like one thing, but they actually mean something else. 

I have taken the time to provide translate some of the most common that I have run into and, in some cases, actually said myself in the past (sigh).  Please know that some of this is tongue-in-cheek, but there are also deeper truths behind each of them.  My intention is not to be deliberately mocking if you say these things, but to challenge you to real thought and deeper discussion. 

TRANSLATIONS – When someone says the following statement, here is what they are really saying:

“I’m not religious, but I’m a spiritual person.”   Translation:  I want to feel like I am religious without ever actually sacrificing or committing to anything specific.

“I don’t believe in organized religion.”   Translation: I don’t want to wake up early on Sunday or actually have to connect with other people who might have questions that I can’t answer or might challenge me to growth.

“I believe all religions lead to heaven.”   Translation:  I don’t really know anything about the various religions, I’m just trying not to offend anyone.

“I don’t believe in two thousand year old superstitions.”   Translation: I believe in my own set of modern superstitions.

“I’m too rational for religion.”   Translation:  I’m so caught up in my own superior beliefs and personal egotism that I can’t conceive of anything I haven’t personally experienced.

“You can’t prove God scientifically.”   Translation: I don’t really understand how the scientific process works and so mistakenly believe that most things in the world are scientifically verifiable.

“There is no evidence that Jesus ever existed.”   Translation: I’ve never looked at the evidence, and I don’t understand how the evidentiary process works or how we know about historical figures.  Therefore, I can just choose who I choose to believe existed and who didn’t based on my comfort level.

“Religion is something that weak people need to get through life, but not me.”  Translation: I have my own unprovable rationalizations for things I can’t explain and that gets me through my weak times and don’t want to think too hard about it. 

“Religion is the cause of everything that is wrong in the world.” 
Translation:  Hey, I can explain away the shortcomings of mankind by blaming everything on human belief systems.  Wait a minute…That’s a belief system too.  Oh crap.

“I’m an atheist.”  Translation:  A religious person or people (probably Christian) hurt me, so I choose to accuse others of having unprovable belief systems while I stand firm on my own unprovable, belief system*.  I probably still live my life with mostly Judeo-Christian values, but don’t believe in God (except for that niggling feeling in the back of my brain).   *yes Atheism is a belief system.

“I just think love is the answer.”  Translation: I like touchy –feely emotional explanations that sound cool but require nothing from me personally.

“All religions say the same things.  It’s all about the Golden Rule.”  Translation:  I have never really read anything from the various religions and don’t know what the word ‘contradiction’ means. 

“Religion is society’s way of controlling people.”  Translation:  I don’t want someone or some book to suggest that I’m not already a perfect person and might need to change or grow.

“I believe that your religion is true for you and mine is true for me.”  Translation:  Contradiction, what’s a contradiction?  If everyone is right, then no one is wrong and nobody has to feel bad.  I just don’t want to consider that I might be wrong and don’t want to hurt you by suggesting that you might be wrong.  Except, I just did suggest that you are wrong.

“Christians are narrow-minded and judgmental.”  Translation: I am narrow-minded and judgmental because I can’t even consider the possibility that someone else might be right.  I also am unable to see the ironic narrow-minded judgment in my own statement.

“I prefer to be open-minded.”   Translation: I prefer to be empty-minded and can’t compare and analyze ideas that might require me to reject something.  If I actually thought about it, I might have to commit to something and that might be difficult.

“Christians are intolerant.”  Translation: I’m intolerant and can’t handle ideas that conflict with mine.

“There are too many religions in the world to know if one is right.”   Translation: Thinking is hard for me and I just don’t want to do it. 

OK, that was probably offensive for some people and I’ll probably get a few nasty messages about what Christians really mean.  The funny thing is, I’ll probably agree to some extent because, as I said earlier, I’ve met lots of people who grew up in church and have never really considered their beliefs on a deeper level.  I don't like bumper-sticker answers from Christians either, such as "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" or "You just have to believe."  These are Conversation-Killers too. 

If someone is offended by an idea that differs from theirs that is politely shared, that is their problem.  No need to be a jerk to them, but let's be honest here: they aren't alone in this world.  This world has a rich tapestry of ideas, good and bad, and you just can't pretend that you live in a bubble where no one else's values, morals, ideas, or beliefs can touch you.  If you offend someone by polite sharing of an idea, that's their problem.  If you offend them by being an overbearing jerk about it, that's your problem.

Really, I just want to encourage you to discuss ideas.  Religion and politics are perfectly acceptable conversation topics, just keep it on a conversational level.  I think that is what scares most people, that the conversation will turn unfriendly.  I’ll be honest, there are some people that I don’t bother discussing these topics with, because they just can’t handle it without getting irrational and angry.  But, if you can handle it, I really want to know your story.  But don’t be surprised if I have questions for you.  I want to understand what you believe and why.  I also want you to understand what I believe and why.  This ultimately brings us closer to understanding each other.  Besides, discussing the weather is dull.

So, go ahead, ask me some questions.  I’ve got a few for you. 

Let’s talk.

P.S. – I’ve never actually used the word ‘Poppycock’ in conversation, but it’s kind of a fun word.   

Looking for a Sign

Feed the hungry. Or else.

That is the short version of Jesus’ message in Matthew 25:31-44. He also mentions giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and nursing the sick, inviting in the stranger, and visiting the prisoner. He makes no bones about the threat of punishment to his followers who do not do these things.

So, what does that look like in our world?

A close friend of mine, Amber, and a few of her buddies were planning to go on a mission trip to help the poor. The plans fell through and left them with about $1400 in cash raised and some time on their hands. They talked about helping out a local ministry such as a food bank or homeless shelter. They also discussed visiting other places such as the Indian reservation or Mexico. In the end, they decided to put the money and their time directly to work by buying food and taking it to the homeless in local parks.

There is a large park downtown where many homeless sleep, so they chose to go down there. They setup a small canopy and started handing out sandwiches. Park personnel immediately came over and told them they weren’t allowed to feed the homeless in the park and made them leave.

I visited the park this morning with Amber to find out more. We were looking for a sign that had rules to see if there was a statute posted, preventing them from feeding the homeless. We found a sign with park rules and regulations. No loud music, pick up your pet poop, and don't play golf, but no mention of feeding the homeless, so we flagged down a park maintenance truck and met Terry. He told us there was no official regulation or statute, but it was park policy because of the mess that the homeless leave. He then went on to share that he has tried to help the homeless in the past, including putting some up in a rental property he owns, all to no avail. “Most of these people don’t want real help and they don’t want the Lord, they just want a hand out,” Terry told us. He did direct us to a local church abutting the park that fed the homeless on their property. We thanked Terry and went on our way.

As we walked across the park, we saw a group of people wearing red t-shirts pulling rolling coolers, handing out water bottles and lunch sacks to the homeless. I flagged them down and talked with Brian, a volunteer from a church in Anthem (about an hour or so North of Central Phoenix). Brian said his group had been feeding the homeless there every Monday for several years. They have been kicked out several times, but each time address the complaint and come back. First they were told that too many people were gathering and needed a park permit, so they went and passed the word that they would walk through the park pass out food and water without gathering everyone in one place. Then they were told that they had to have food handlers’ cards and a restaurant license, so they began using prepackaged food such as Vienna sausages and bagged chips. He said, “We do get hassled, but always try to be respectful and polite while doing our service.”

Amber and I thanked Brian and continued on to Grace Lutheran Church where we met Evelyn. She and a group of women have been feeding lunch to the homeless every weekday for over a decade. She shared that she has found mental illness to be a huge issue. “These are the people who have slipped through the cracks,” she said, “No one wants them and there aren’t enough facilities or beds for all the ones who need real mental health assistance.” She also said that considering life circumstances, "there but for the grace of God go we."

Like many issues, homelessness is a problem that is very complex and is not easily solved by sound-bite answers and simplistic solutions. It's easy to say, "Get a Job." It's easy to call them bums and derelicts, but it's much harder to realize that life circumstance could leave any one of us there, just as Evelyn pointed out.

Is it better to give money to organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul or the Phoenix Rescue Mission who provide food, but also job training, life skills, and other assistance in getting out of a bad situation? Possibly, but due to space limitations and distance to their location, they can’t help every homeless person in Phoenix.

Is it good to hand out food and water in the parks? This provides temporary assistance and possibly keeps people away from the shelters that might help them. But, it does help someone who is distress at this very moment.

Thank you to Amber Steven, Laura, and Kaylee for being willing to get out there and do God's work instead of just sitting in pews and saying, "someone should do something about that. Thank you also to Terry from the park, Brian from Anthem, and Evelyn from Grace Lutheran for sharing on this issue.

A final observation: Terry, Brian, and Evelyn all had one thing in common. When I approached them on asking about feeding the homeless, their response was immediately defensive as if they had been burned before regarding this issue. It wasn’t until they realized that I didn’t have an agenda to push on them that they calmed down and shared openly.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this: Jesus calls his followers to feed the hungry, help widows and orphans, clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty, and nurse the sick.

So that is what I must do.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Time to Grow Up and Act Like Kids Again

“It’s MINE!!!,” screamed the Stephen as he took the big red ball away from the Anne. Anne promptly burst into tears and went running to the teacher where she sobbed and stuttered trying to tell her version of the story. Stephen came running up a few steps behind yelling, “I had it first and she took it from me." Both children are full of righteous anger and primed to fight for their rights with no regard or thought for the other.

The teacher was now left to sort out the issue and deal with the children, not just with their refusal to share, but also with their behaviors after the fact.

You might think this is a story of two preschoolers, but perhaps not…

Recently, in Phoenix, a black city councilman was in a confrontation with a white police officer. The actual outcome of the situation is murky with blame to be assigned to both sides, but the interesting thing is the gigantic outpouring of anger from the black community in that area. Even if this single episode was not actually racially motivated, someone had better pay attention to the issue of community policing in that area because the response tells me there are much deeper issues there.

In the past months, we have seen a Health Care Bill signed into law by Democrats who completely bypassed any semblance to open and honest legislation, provoking some of the largest angry reactions that I have seen in politics during my lifetime. This gave a boost to the Tea Party movement that has been agitating for change in government.

Sometime later, Arizona Republicans signed a law into effect that some said could lead to racial profiling, leading to an enormous backlash by Hispanics and others.

Each of these events have something in common: the response was much more powerful than expected and in some cases, has yet to die down.

The response in each of these cases is due to the feeling of disenfranchisement by one group in response to the actions of another.

As a White man, it is easy to dismiss the situation that occurred with the City Councilman because he is black and ultimately had a large degree of fault in the events that transpired. But the event was merely a catalyst that opened the lid of simmering issues between the Black community and the Law Enforcement community.

Democrats are quick to dismiss the Tea Party movement as a bunch of crazies and racists, but the truth is, they are by and large ordinary people that are sick of the abuses of government and want to be heard.

Arizona Republicans and supporters of SB1070 and similar laws like to shut down the immigration argument with sound bites about ‘rule of law’ but fail to recognize the very real fears of many legal Hispanic immigrants and citizens as well as the complex issues of our historic immigration policies.

Whatever race we are, whatever political or religious affiliation, we must remember that there are people who hold different ideas than we do. Our actions as a majority may seem right to us, but may trample the rights of others or appear to do so.

If large numbers of people stand up in response, there just might be a problem that the majority doesn’t recognize or refuses to see. Dismissing our opponents and denigrating their values is not healthy or productive.

Democrat or Republican, White or Black, Legal or Illegal, Christian or Atheist, Tastes-great or Less-Filling, we all share this nation and we must work together and listen to each other.

In Kindergarten we learn to share, to respect each other, and to play nice.

It is the time to dial down the rhetoric and work to open avenues of communication.

It is the time for openness and truth.

It is the time for cooperation and compromise.

Let’s remember those lessons from Kindergarten…

It’s time to grow up and act like kids again.

Don't make me go tell the teacher.