Mass Communities, Preventing School Violence

I was asked yesterday my thoughts on how to stop the mass shootings, particularly at schools, short of "world peace, spiritual revival, and extensive gun control." This is not an area that I approach lightly, with so many families effected by gun violence. I also know I'm not a mental health professional, but I know communities pretty well. There are several common things I see in mass school shootings that we all can have a role in changing.

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1) Lonely guys:

Almost every perpetrator of mass shootings was a male viewed as an "outsider, quiet guy, someone who kept to himself, or had a few friends." This pattern has been repeated for the last 20 years. While it is a dangerous stereotype to create (being one of those quiet guys in school), it is an important one to understand.

We need more caring adults in the lives of our youth. We need greater spiritual, emotional, and developmental support of youth. Our churches need a transformative presence in our communities, our communities need meaningful relationships, and our families need interconnected networks. Families, churches, schools, and community cannot do it alone, this is a fight for every youth, both victim and perpetrator.

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2) Relationship Corruption:

These perpetrators tend to be young men who have had issues with developing and maintaining relationship, more than the average teen. These tend to be heterosexual males, most often they have recently broken up with a girlfriend, been rejected by a girl, or warped expectations of relationships with women. Again and again, these young guys choose to deal with heartbreak, rejection, and frustration through violent expressions.

We need better examples, better media, and better relationships. I don't expect a "Leave it to Beaver" world, but we lack good media examples of families with values. Our youth are looking for leaders, for men (and women) who can guide and encourage them, invest in their lives, care for their souls, and create a brighter future. We need stronger families that teach how to deal with frustration and disappointment aside from violence or separation. We need better media that doesn't objectify women and glorify sexuality, that doesn't, in the same broadcast, talk about a violent crime against women and then discuss the latest celebrity's body modification or photo scandal. If journalism is to be respected again, publish meaningful news. Lastly, we need better school systems that allow for more creative outlets and teach kids how to express them selves in other more acceptable ways. We need sports, play, arts, and entertainment opportunities for our youth. We need funding for these "non-core" courses that can make all the difference with our youth.

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3) Weaponized Violence:

These mass shootings have just that, guns. I do believe that law-abiding citizens have the right to carry guns. I know that gun laws do impact those citizens the most and gangs still get guns. What we have a problem with is our culture of guns. Most perpetrators obtained guns legally, as youth, or had access to them in their homes, despite warning signs and behavioral alerts. Many had a "fascination" with guns, violence, or studied mass shootings. There are few of these that happen as stabbings, drivings, or smashings... these are shootings, guns must be addressed.

I won't open this debate up here too much, but I cannot address shootings without addressing the tool used to create them. We need more supervision and limitation over youth access to guns. I get that it is culture and that it has not been my family's culture. Those with founded mental issues, should not have access to guns. Those that do not secure their weapons and have them stolen, should probably lose their access to guns. Also, guns aren't cars, cars were made for transportation, guns were made to kill, we have to have policy that addresses them as such. We have had shootings in all corners of the country, with all sorts of backgrounds, this is a gun culture issue. We have to address the issue and not shy away from the tough and meaningful discussion. We cannot just use anecdotes, stories, and fears of government take over to frame the conversation, but that this is real and meaningful issue in our community. We must be willing to put aside our beliefs about guns and find real solutions. We have to start to love our youth more than our guns.

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This isn't a conversation for everyone, but is one that we have to have. I share this because it is on my mind and heart. It is time for our churches to see our real need for community revival, our families to become beacons in our neighborhoods, and our schools to become sacred community ground to be protected and supported. This is possible, but we have to be willing to go the extra mile, to invest ourselves, and to take risks forming new relationships.

Perfection: getting sued for your bike and offering them your car.

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt 5:48

Perfection comes, not through separation from our surrounding community, but through immersion. From being around those that don't want you around, that are likely to use and take advantage of you because of your giving. It takes us being centered in Christ, letting his love work through us. This is uncomfortable.

Christ describes that perfection in 10 important ways like this (Matt 5:38-48):

1) Love your neighbor...

2) Love your enemy...

3) Bless them that curse you...

4) Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you...

5) When sued, give your coat and your cloak...

6) Go the extra mile...

7) Lend to those that don't return it...

8) Give them your other cheek...

9) Welcome the stranger...

10) Be centered on heavenly perfection...

I've read the "be-attitudes" ever since I was a little kid. You know the "Blessed are the..." peacemakers, righteous seekers, mourners, meek, poor, persecuted... Well, if you keep reading down the instruction he gives we often get to a very routine set of spiritual goals that most of us have given up trying to live. This list is always a good moral guide, often when convenient, and is often tied to the "golden rule" by considering our enemy as one that is not to be hated but loved. 

I don't know how many times I have read this passage and missed two "Be's":
 Be Perfect & Be Vulnerable.

1) The first thing i would always miss was the intent of the passage wasn't to set out a checklist but a description. I would read this passage and say "hope I can be that way some day." What I missed in understanding the passage is it wasn't a to do list at all, it was a descriptor list of spiritual perfection. Verse 48 clearly tells us to be this way, not try to, not hope to, but to be this way. This is not an act but rather a state of being, a presence of mind to respond to a challenge with love rather than rage. 

2) The second thing I found towards the end of the passage where he tells us not to be as the "publicans" and only wave at the people we like, or to only hang out with the religious people we value. Often we think that to be closer to God is to be separated from the world, but Christ challenges that idea. As he describes, to be closer to God we get closer to people, especially people we don't know, are uncomfortable with, and need the gospel message. It is our tendency to close ourselves off for safety that keeps us from serving him fully.

How many of these are we really following? How would the gospel spread if we put our own priorities aside, got uncomfortable and spent time with the lost?

Got me thinking this morning.

Church Official: Christ is fat, drunk, and just one of the guys

"And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

...And the Lord said 'Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?...

...For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, 'He hath a devil.'

'The Son of man [Christ] is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber [a drunk], a friend of publicans and sinners!

'But wisdom is justified of all her children.'" Luke 7.29-31, 33-35

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This passage has been an eye opener for me...

The religious leaders of the day accused Christ of being a "glutton, a drunk, and a friend of sinners."

They missed the reality that our relationships and fellowship with the lost, sick, and rejected are critical to our Gospel mission. They wanted him to minister and live as the religious of the day did, to associate only with other religious people, to eat and drink in ways that they had been limited to, to only visit homes and places they wanted him to go.

Instead they missed the entire point of Christ's ministry: seeing souls receive the Gospel.

Christ says that the "wisdom" in which he ministers will be "justified" by her "children" (by the results) in vs 35. He says this know what just happened in the verses preceding, vs 29, where "all the people that heard him," except the religious leaders, accepted the Gospel and were baptized. Christ's wisdom in choosing to eat and drink with the rejected, partying, lost crowd was justified by the work of the Gospel to change those lives.

Are we only ministering in safe ways? To only people like us? Only in places that our religious friends approve? Only in places that we are comfortable, places where we are not tempted?

This passage has hit me hard.

I should always be checking to see if my fear of temptation or fear of falling becomes a barrier to service. I know that Christ went to many unsavory homes and was tempted, but remained without sin. I'm not Christ, but I believe his willingness to go there is to show the capability of a spirit led life to over come temptation. I find it is often easier to fall in the places I am most comfortable rather than new or challenging places.

May I never become too spiritually refined that I would never be accused of associating with the lost. May I not do so much to avoid temptation that I avoid those that need Christ the most. May my faith in God's spirit of love, power and a sound mind be greater than fear of failure and accusations.

When people see me, may they see a student of the Great Physician ministering among the spiritual wounded and sick. May I have the boldness to enter, the humbleness to minister, and the discernment to live a balanced life.

I will not be justified in the end by what I didn't eat or drink, but by the work of the Gospel in the lives around me.

Learning to be uncomfortable for Christ.

Leftover Sacrifices

What if our churches shut their doors until we decided to give ourselves wholly to Christ? How many would be open today? What example would the ones still open be within our world today as churches full of true disciples? 

“Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” Says the Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands." Malachi 1.10 (nkjv)

The people of Israel were offering moldy bread,  blind, sick, and lame animals to the temple as sacrifices and saw nothing wrong with it (vs 7-9).  Even the priests excused it, so that God would rather they shut the doors than see them give leftover sacrifices. How much more do we serve out of our excess rather than out of our weakness? Do we give the things we can live without our live without that we may give? 

Our churches and we, as believers, need revival. We need a renewed faith, a broken spirit, as a cup poured out, we need a new heart - holy, full of love,  sacrificial, heavenly minded, full of joy unspeakable, abounding with life, speaking the truth in love,  given wholly to Christ. We need to live as true disciples of Christ, living in a spirit of love,  power, and a sound mind. Given to him, not for security or favor of God, but out of a love and acceptance of his precious  offer for us. 

 "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me" 
- Jesus

I was studying this (in Crazy Love by Francis Chan) as i was preparing to teach this morning and can not shake the thought, hope you are challenged too. 

5 Community Partnership Principles

I have been strongly reminded this month that this neighborhood work is a messy work.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not here to just provide a community service (trash pick-up, put out fires, repave a road...), I am here to empower and equip people to improve their neighborhoods.

These are 5 of my principles that I think makes for a good neighborhood partnership.

1. Empowerment: If you come to me with your hand out, I ask that you reach into your own pocket first, then take a quick inventory of what and who you know to help you accomplish the task.
   
2. Ownership: I can assist you, I can guide you, but you have to do it. It isn't mean to say no, because it is often the only way the effort will last and it will mean something to you for accomplishing it. Start simple and grow as your resources grow.
   
3. Respect: Value your partners, when you undermine the work they do, they will not run to your aid so quickly the next time. Stand up for them, respect them, challenge them, and be honest with them.
   
4. Unity: It has to be done together and can not be done alone, each person has a role they can fulfill better than most others. Do it, do it well, and do it together.
   
5. Adaptability: Everyone starts at a different place, so what has worked for one may not work for another. Treat everyone fairly, not necessarily the same.

White Flight, Christian Separation, And Good Citizenship

WARNING PLEASE WEAR PROTECTIVE BOOTS, I MIGHT JUST STEP ON SOME TOES WITH THIS ONE....

So we have been talking a lot lately around the office concerning the influence of financial mobility and its impact on local school choices. Then this article on the Huffington Post pops up and brings up some great points for discussion:

Why White Parents Won't Choose Black Schools:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abby-norman2/why-white-parents-wont-ch_b_8294908.html 

Many people I know explain these choices based on very inaccurate perceptions of our public school systems. Some people blame the philosophies of "secularism," a need for "separation [i.e. religious focus]," lack of "safety," too many "socialistic teachings," or promiscuously biased "sexual education" as the reason they choose other schooling options [alliteration intended].

But as this article points out, there are often just bad perceptions, unannounced/un-admitted stereotypes, unacknowledged fear, and hidden racism that underlie many of these excuses. Parents that believe in these dangers of their local urban schools and with the financial ability to do so, are often either moving to the suburbs, turning to private/out-of-district schooling [if they can afford it] or homeschooling [if private schooling is not affordable or not readily available or want even more control].

Don't misread what I am emphasizing, I fully support the idea that parents should be the ones to choose what schooling arrangements meets the needs of their child and family. Just don't based those decisions on false conjecture, skewed perceptions, or biased parental fears. We all are part of this community and therefore all have a part of the reason for why "that school" is the way it is. What is that I see quoted all the time: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke) Remember, this applies to our public educational system too, we weren't called to abandon the world just yet, but to be a force for positive change.

We see this in churches and social circles too where we now viewing our public/volunteer lives as a consumer interactions that must meet my needs and desires rather than fulfill our responsibility to be good citizens, meeting the community's needs, and challenging our school/churches to be better because they are "ours" and not some unknown other persons.

As believers we need to get real about our great commission to "go unto ALL of the world" and get ready to be "TOO diverse" in our worships, our gatherings, our fellowships, our organizations, and our relationships.

The Apostle Paul said it often:

"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Rom 10.12-14

In full disclosure, my kids do go "out of district" out of convenience to our family's lifestyle. However, I will refuse to bad mouth our neighborhood school, and will do whatever I can to support and promote their success.

As an attendee of a public schools for over 19 years of my life (college included), and in very diverse communities, I can attest to the quality, the values, and the richness that being involved and committed to our community schools can bring. Not to mention the influence of my Christian parents on my friends was an invaluable testimony that many parents often forget (i.e. stop being selfish about public education views, it isn't just about your kid it is about our calling to be "in the world but not of the world").

You see the age old rebuttal was that it "isn't fair to make our kids missionaries in the "lost" public school" is based on the same flawed philosophy that they are "protecting their kids from the bad influence of liberal teachers." This flawed philosophy rest on the belief that teachers are the only ones who are the keepers of the keys to a good education. In fact I agree with many that use this flawed argument: Education is more than just good teachers and yes it does begin at home, but that applies whether you are in public, private, or home-schooled.

We have to stop taking a relatively easy way out and say that "the right school will be the solution to educating our kids." Keep in mind that it is only a small piece of the equation that should look more like this:
(parenting) X (teachers + school + community + friends + students) X (prayer + fasting)
= Student Success

The scary thing for many modern parents is that they are only one part of that equation in which that they have direct influence on, however, it is a vital piece to that equation and defines these results. I have witnessed too many friends who have gone by the wayside or hit some very rough patches in their lives because even our Christian parents forget the principle of community influence and parental foundations.

We must begin to critically look at our perceptions and motivations that drive our decisions. I know for some this is going to be major paradigm shift in worldview, It will likely take them from a comfortable homogeneous society to a very diverse, heterogeneous community that values our differences as unique but unified for the cause of Christ and the betterment of the community.

But for that shift to occur we have to remember who we, as believers, are honoring in those decisions. Am I seeking a parenting award for successfully educating my kids in all things by being everything in that equation? Or am I living a life that puts my family in unique opportunities to be a witness of the good news?

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." 2 Peter 2.9-10

{...steps off of small soap box and goes back to reading..}

Health in Unity, Strength in diversity

So with a day off, I have been doing some thinking (watch out, have about 6 posts almost ready to graduate from draft form). So, just as the counter party offers a response to state of the union, this is my Non-Papal Address...

"...that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light..."

I have come to believe that when a church begins to lack a vision for the fields, both local and abroad, that are ready for harvest, they begin to look only within themselves, at the local body, and atrophy, loading strength and ability to fulfill its calling.

I also believe that we have become way too sensitive with fellow believers. We would rather give up on one local body for another local body than accept our differences and celebrate them together. There are several spots on the spectrum of believers.  Some, it seems, are ready to "help" those that "look less spiritually mature" and it has driven some believers to find less challenging congregations.  Others it seems finds it easier to just seek absolute stability and unity, willing to sacrifice themselves (and others) for the sake of the group, letting others turn away without effort to meditate. And there are those who ache for the unity of others and yarn to see growth and unity, building bridges between church bodies. These are the ones needed most these days, the ones who see the similarities and gifts of everyone and seek to create new connections that strengthen the body.

You see, to me the diversity of how we praise, pray, proclaim, profess, relate, reachout, refresh...is what makes Christianity special and unique. It is in the inclusive opportunity of the exclusive truth of the gospel can we find great, lasting unity.

If I am true to this ideal of what other believers around me should be,  I don't want to see myself replicated, but the beautiful creations of Christ that stand out from the crowd of self made righteousness for their unique love for one another.

Lastly, I believe the greatest risk for today's churches isn't government sanctioned persecution but the internal breakdown of the unity of the believers. It was this unity that Paul continuously wrote about, a unity that transcends the earthly organizations to which we belong but are joined by something deeper, stronger, and more flexible than any other. Yet, our "spiritual body" that we call churches are plagued with an arthritis, a painful inflammation of our "spiritual" joints,  that is keeping us from focusing on the beautiful work we have been called to do.

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

As you relax this labor day,  think about how you have helped your church's body lately. Are you building up and helping to strengthen these earthly fragile bonds with heavenly healing? Or are you creating unnecessary friction in the body in the name of revival? Or are you sitting silently by, feigning helplessness rather than speaking up,  encouraging, and reconciling?

Practically,  we have to stop thinking we can church shop, we have to be real with our struggles, our disagreements, our direction, our hope, our common ground. We have to protect all members of the body, we have to uplift, build up, fortify, and not "give up" on anyone. What if Christ decided that instead of calling out the pharasees, he just went to another city,  what would happen to those in the first city that missed out on his teaching when he gave up treaching there because of the critical few? We are due some serious,  intimate, concerned conversations in our churches. Not Facebook rants, blog posts, or gossiping questions of why, but real sincere conversations that are held in a spirit of unity and growth. We must do it together,  within the congregation, and between congregations. Every day souls are lost, hearts are hurting, members are stumbling, and we continue doing the same thing we have known, it is time for a change.

Hope you enjoyed your day off... now is our time to get real and get busy doing great things together. We have been called to do show the praise of a great God, in a marvelous way... now let's do it.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2.9-10

Charitable Giving: Investing in Solutions, not Servitude

I was watching Dan Pollotta's TED talk on charitable giving practices and I have to agree with his assessment of current misconceptions on compensation for non-profit leadership (this includes public service, teachers, public safety and pastoral/missionary service in my opinion). 

One key business principle stands out, you have to invest more to make more (i.e. money follows money). If we short change our giving practices we are more likely to see short lived change in our "charity" work.

I believe the Apostle Paul understood this principle of giving freely as well...

6Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galations 6:6-10)

The translation of "communicate" includes the idea of giving more than just words, but also of resources. Give (communicate) good things... give beyond what you are able (Not be weary)... give anytime you are able (opportunity)... give to the benefit of both believers and non-believers (all men). I don't see anything in this passage about giving only to feed the poor, cloth them with the cheapest clothes, or to help them give a cheap apartment. The direction is to give, give freely, give to those who don't deserve it (especially to those who are believers and teachers).

I think the hardest example of giving to follow is the giving that Christ instructed believers to follow:

40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. (Matthew 5:40-42)

(Makes it hard to turn down the cold call donation asks. This kind of living is certainly a measure of our faith, to balance stewardship and to be a generous giver.)

This approach to giving is not a silver bullet to solve all of the challenges we face in our societies but definitely worth considering.

(By the way, Dan Pollotta is speaking on his book in Downtown Norfolk this month. More information here: TCC Roper Center.)

For Dan Pollotta's TED Talk: Dan Pallotta TED Talk

Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly - The Eric Garner Ruling

Today we struggle with understanding our justice system and the impacts of the power we bestow on certain individuals in our society. We see the permanence of our actions, as a national community, and the residual effects of our ancestral decisions in the decision announced today. We question how we view others, how we hold each other accountable, and how we maintain an orderly and welcoming society. 

First, please see NFL Player Benjamin Watson's post (it is very spot on in both incidents):
http://www.facebook.com/BenjaminWatsonOfficial/posts/602172116576590


Let me explain my understanding of the current events and my perspective:

• The ruling in the Eric Garner case is not a controversial case, it is a heart breaking case.
• Unlike the questions that remain in the Michael Brown case, the Garner case was recorded from the initial the confrontation to the moment that he went unconscious (and eventually died).
• Eric Garner was not a perfect, model citizen, but that is not a reason to arrest someone or take them down with a prohibited use of force. There are little things called due process and reasonable suspicion that are required and have not yet been presented publicly in this case. This is what makes the case even more disturbing and fosters greater frustration (as my friends have shared numerous stories of "driving while black").
• The choke restraint was not allowed as a use of force by NYPD and it specifically cited as the cause of death, which was ruled a homicide (whether death was intentional or not, 7 minutes before CPR efforts doesn't seem accidental). 
• When a crime by a public servant is recorded on tape, a homicide is the confirmed ruling by a public official, and the decision is quickly made to not take it to trial... justice is not complete nor served.
• Even those who are chosen to protect and serve make bad choices, sometimes don't know their limits, and they can get caught up in the moment, it does not excuse them from legal responsibility.
• I have no doubt that this is an incredibly difficult job and ever more difficult these days than ever before. The demand for safe communities are higher, the potential for litigation broader, and the lack of staffing and increased demands on fewer officers makes keepers of the peace an ever tougher career. 
• However, they have the legal and physical power to take away every right and privilege that any of us have ever had, including freedom and life itself. This responsibility is an incredible one and I deeply respect my friends and coworkers who have entered into this profession and served our communities proudly and effectively.
• This is more than a race issue, it is an assumption and a relationship issue. 
• Race issues are learned assumptions about other groups that guide our thinking and ultimately our actions. These issues are about how we relate to one another, an aspect in which this society has lost the ability to do in ways that we once new. The tension that exists politically, religiously, socially, and racially (and any other -ly) is greater than it has been in a long time. This tension has caused us to only have "easy" conversations and perpetuate an isolation of ourselves into groups that only think like us, further enhancing our relational tensions.
• We all have a responsibility to stand together in the face of injustice, justice requires the community to stand and speak together, not as mobs and rioters but as a community and as an American people.
• We may not agree on the causes, the solutions, or the who is at fault, but if we do not come together to stand against injustices, we cannot heal the deep wounds of our forefathers and foremothers. A color blind or politically correct response will only get us through the immediate crisis, but through open and honest dialogue can we begin to hear, understand, and move together towards a stronger truly American society. These will not be easy conversations, but they are necessary.

This brings me to the mini-message that I can't seem to shake. God clearly tells us that he expects us to walk with three key principles in our lives. These principles should guide all we do and be the lens through which we see our imperfect and challenged world. These three principles reflect the very character of God, the embodiment of his personage in the Godhead. 

What does the Lord require of us? Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with our God

Do Justly
We are to be as our heavenly Father and proclaim his perfect wisdom, his law, his holiness that does not tolerate the weak to be taken advantage of, the good to be wronged, the kind to be abused, and the lesser to be destroyed. His justice is perfect and true, he is consistent and fair, his eye is pleased by the work of the righteous, and his joy is from his children that follow his ways.This should be the basis for our blind symbol of our justice system, the system that rules with no consideration for race, clothes, stature, or appearance.

We are called not only to rule justly but to DO justly. This is an active and engaged work, a value that should exude from us in our actions and walk. The action of justice is one that observed, inspires, and creates the great societies that we aspire to live in. An actively just society is one built on trust and dialogue, one that is genuine and stable, one that supports and care, and one that protects the weakest and uplifts the poorest.

Love Mercy

Mercy is the work of Jesus Christ, the gift of the just Father to redeem a fallen world. Christ embodies the love of mercy, his mission to give his life a sacrifice for us, a substitution for our condemnation, the payment for our conviction. He was full of grace and truth, the perfect law and the perfect love.  "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." He is the example of giving and seeing others as greater then they deserve and worth of his greatest attention. He lived with the rejected and despised, he taught the wisest the simplest truths of neighborly love, he met both spiritual and physical needs and gave of his greatness for the most undeserving.

We are called to LOVE Mercy, it should be the thing that fills our hearts. Mercy should be the thing that motivates, empowers, and thrills us. Giving of ourselves out of our strengths and our weaknesses should be the hope of our life. Our love for mercy should move us to act and not just feel bad, it should move us to share and not just wish others the best, it should move us to be a part of the solution instead of creating barriers. Our love for mercy drives us to what is right, it drives us to do justly, it puts other first and ourselves last. A love of mercy gives no matter the return, the reward, or the gratitude, it gives and excuses because it loves to. The love of mercy is the act of charity, it is the forgiveness of wrongs and the attraction of peace.

Walk Humbly

The walk is guided by our powerfully humble comforter, the Holy Spirit. He reminds us of our position, our potential, and the power that resides in us. He guides us and encourages us, he builds our faith, our knowledge, our strength, and matures our spirit. He reminds us of others, their need, and speaks on our behalf when we cannot. He is Christ reigning in us. He is the King's spirit that directs, instructs, and empowers. He is able to "do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." It is through him that we bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. 

To WALK Humbly impacts all of our life, the private, religious, public, employment, and spiritual. When we walk humbly we walk differently, the value of others is greater then ourselves, the walk is not what is expected in this world. The humble walk is one that values life, even the lowest and most unlovable ones. Through humility we see other's perspectives, we learn how to see other's needs and values and how to live a life of giving for the best of others. The humble spirit is perceived not announced, it is subtly bold and quietly proud, it finds strength in something other than itself. Humility from the spirit bears fruit for self control, inner peace, and deeper purpose. 

So when I see the case of Eric Garner, I feel many different and conflicting things, the greatest being outrage in our imperfect system, our imperfect society, and our imperfect answers. I must turn to the source that brings peace, that shows love, and that acts justly. 

I can't help but pray for his family through this time and hope that they find peace in this same source. That they trust in the God who promises justice, who freely gives mercy, and gives us the strength to walk walk humbly. 

I pray for our country, my friends, coworkers, and our families. I pray for their protection, their care, and their perspective, that they see others through the Spirit's eyes, they show mercy as Christ did, and they act out of justice as God has blessed. 

I pray for a justice system that seeks heavenly guidance, considers merciful decisions, and rules mercifully and honorably. 

And I pray that I always serve my community, locally and beyond, in a manner that reminds others of the Justice, Mercy, and Humility. 

This I pray.

Civic Repsonsibility

I've been working on a couple of posts, but in the meantime, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to share this Op-Ed that captures my election thoughts as well...

Op-ed: Civic Life is More Than Voting

"Finding solutions to public challenges isn’t easy. It requires more than voting. It requires time and energy and a willingness to consider different points of view. It means focusing on the common good rather than self-interest."

Citizenship not about party affiliation but a about daily participation. Do your first civic responsibility, vote, and then do your second, serve.

The same applies for the Christian life... Eph 2:19 "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God"