The streets of Atlanta…

picture courtesy of Emerging Grace

So, I’m in Atlanta for a meeting, conference and expo and I had a chance to do some exploring today (which is rare these days when I travel for a meeting). On my way back from Olympic Park, a guy approached me on the street to ask where I was going. I told him that I was on my way back to my car by the MLK, Jr. historic site. After saying that he was surprised that I was walking that far, he shared with me that he was homeless. His name is Eric. We introduced ourselves and after explaining why I had traveled all the way from Pennsylvania, I asked him to share his story with me. It turns out that he has only been on the streets two-and-a-half months. He told me that he found his wife sleeping with another man and turned to alcohol. Eric was arrested for DUI and has been living on the streets ever since.

This is the second divine ordained encounter (if you will) with a homeless person in the past week. All of this following my conviction after reading Todd’s blog.

I want to share a few things that I learned from Eric:

Eric believes in God. When he found out I work with churches and preach on the side, he asked me to pray for him. In fact, he is confident that God is using this situation to strengthen him and teach him what it means to appreciate things after having everything stripped away. Eric appreciates what he has and where he is. He thanks God that he is alive, has a new pair of boots, and has only been on the streets for two-and-a-half months (a lot shorter than most of his other friends).

Eric told me that he appreciated that I talked to him. He said most people won’t even look at him. He said that in most cases if he approaches someone to ask them for something or talk, the police tell him to move along so he doesn’t harass anyone.

Eric wants to work. He said he has filled out a number of applications, but most employers will not consider him if he lists a shelter as his home. A friend of his uses a P.O. Box number to have a better chance. He asked the owner of a restaurant if he could help them clean in exchange for food and they called the police on him. He asked someone for money and they began to curse him out.

What hurts Eric the most is when people dehumanize him (by not looking at him, acknowledging him, or seeing any value in him). You could see it lift his spirits when I told him that the two of us are no different. For whatever reason God has placed us in the current situations we find ourselves.

Eric has been on my heart and mind ever since. I have been praying for him. After he left, I wondered if I would remain so faithful despite losing every material thing that I have. I wondered why I live in comfort with no real need when so many others do not. God has been working in my heart on the issue of homelessness lately. I pray that God continues to give me compassion and love for the least of these, so that I do not grow desensitized to their plight. I pray that I do not take what I have for granted, but continue to give out of the abundance that God has blessed me with. I pray for Eric for safety, encouragement, strength, faith and that God will bring him out of this current situation at just the right time to bring glory to His name. And if Eric does not find his way off the streets, I pray that God will continue to use him as an inspiration to those like myself who so often look past the poverty and injustice right under our noses.

props for my pops...

My Dad has had a concern for the people of Darfur on his heart for the past few years. He lives in a development in Northern Virginia where they have an annual Christmas decorating competition for their homes. It has been amazing to see the time and money people put into this competition. Last year, someone in his development actually paid someone to design and install their.

Well, he recently put together a proposal for his idea: "Dark for Darfur", shown to the left. His idea is to have people calculate how much they would normally spend decorating their house with lights and instead of putting up the lights, donate that money to the Save Darfur Coalition funding the crucial awareness and advocacy programs that play a critical role in building the political pressure needed to end the crisis in Darfur. Unfortunately, this is not a political issue, it is a humanity issue. Yet through Save Darfur, it is our hope that the word gets out so that we will not longer stand quietly while a brother or sister is subjected to atrocities and genocide. Save Darfur enthusiastically accepted his proposal, so this year will be the kick-off of the campaign. Each person that commits to going Dark for Darfur with a donation will receive a yard sign bearing the logo above so you can let your neighbors know why your house is dark. I think this is an excellent way of raising awareness and taking a stand for our brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe. I encourage you to check it out at the website (which has just launched recently). Oh, and if you are too attached to the tradition and look of the lights, make a donation and go Dark for Darfur, one night, one night a week, whatever works for you.

interesting interview...

I stumbled upon this interview in Christianity Today. I think these types of dialogues can help us as followers of Jesus understand modern Judaism better. Although tone is really hard to read in text, I sensed some judgemental tone in Kendall. Maybe that's just me, you can "judge" for yourself. HA!

The following quote bothered me a bit though:

Kendall: Christianity is basically about a person, Jesus of Nazareth—who was, we believe, the God-man. And it isn't as much what he taught about loving one another and all of the things people say they admire about Jesus. The heart of Christianity is the person of Jesus, who he was and what he did more than what he said, although we accept what he said as true.

What do you think of this statement? So as to not bias your responses, I won't elaborate on my thoughts until I get some responses.

Introducing Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED

It's VERY rare that I plug a product, but Hallmark just recently joined the (PRODUCT) RED team and I love this commercial.

breaking the silence...

The blog has been silent for a bit...sorry about that.

I have been listening to two great teaching series lately and I highly recommend them both. Check out Mars Hill and The Village Church current teachings by clicking on the links. They are both podcasts so you need iTunes to listen.

journal entry...

Not sure why, but I felt moved to share this...

I feel this sorrow in my soul, on the verge of tears, I’m not sure from where it comes. Call it a crisis of faith? No it’s not close to that, but I wonder why I am who I am, where are you calling me to go? The confusion surrounds me wherever I go. Lead me and guide me. Never forsake me. Help me to know that you will never let me go.

Up, down, I look all over. Searching for your face. Is it Jesus? Is it the Holy Spirit? Is it you? Aw, the reflection stares back at me and it looks just like me, but maybe it’s you living inside of me. How could I be more than what I am? I don’t know, but maybe you do.

I feel these words flowing from within, as a pit in the bottom of my stomach. I want to get them out, can’t type fast enough. Maybe you are typing in the midst of my world. I don’t understand, I fear I never will, reveal to me, reveal to me your will.

Help me, hold me, lift me up. So that I might be high enough to catch a glimpse. To catch a glimpse of your glory, just as Moses did. Would it be enough then? I doubt it would, I doubt it ever will be, for just as Moses was not satisfied, I long for more, I long for it deeper, is that wrong? I long for more in the midst of all you’ve already given. Am I selfish, am I a fraud?

I know I love you deep within, but is it knowledge, is it spirit? I don’t know what to call it, it just is. Your love is more than I can comprehend, your love, your expectation for us to send, to send ourselves into this world and conquer it with love for your cause. But you’re more than a cause, more than a crutch, more than anything I can comprehend.

In the end, it’s just you and me. And I struggle to understand what it’s meant to be. Thank you Jesus, thank you so for loving me and letting me go from all the burdens, all the fears, all the turmoil. If I let it, it would eat me up, but with you, you just build me up.

I sense your Spirit, I sense your presence, Oh my God, if I could only describe the feeling that is inside. If I could write it down or paint it true, I fear that it wouldn’t really describe you. Lead me, guide me through it all, Father God, you are my all in all.

too much caffeine...

Those of you who know me know that I cannot do caffeine. In fact I have completely cut it out of my diet for health reasons. I thank God that for whatever reason I can still enjoy chocolate since it does not tend to bother me as much as caffeine in soda. Anyway, I had an evening meeting tonight and picked up a green tea and dark chocolate for the ride home and I am way too wired now...so what else to do but blog?

I have been reading through (and listening to) the book of Joshua lately and today I heard something interesting for the first time.

Joshua 2:15 reads, "So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall."

Now prior to this, we are told that Joshua secretly sends two spies to look over the land, "especially Jericho." They went and entered the house of Rahab, a prostitute. She hides the spies because she knows, "that the LORD has given this land" to them and "the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below." In exchange she asks for protection for her and her family.

After the Israelites cross the Jordan and come to Jericho in the most bizarre story of conquering a city ever, God gives them the city upon following his command to march around the city seven times on the seventh day (of marching). How do they get into the city? "The wall collapsed."

First, Rahab has amazing faith in God in the midst of a city filled with people who for all we know do not believe in the one true God. This faith gives her the boldness to hide spies who were scoping out her land to conquer, and to bargain with them for her and her family's lives. She does as the spies tell her and ties a scarlet cord in the window so they can distinguish her from the others. Yet, we are told that she lives in the city wall and the wall collapsed. Can you imagine the fear that Rahab and her family must have experienced as they felt the wall collapsing around them waiting for the promise to be fulfilled?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the cost of following Jesus. We are told by Jesus himself that it is not easy. We are told to take up our cross and follow him. We are told that in this world we will have trouble. But we are also told that Jesus has overcome the world! As difficult as it must have been for Rahab and her family to trust in God's promise in the midst of the chaos and disaster unfolding around them, after the siege of the city, her faith was rewarded with the fulfillment of God's promise to save her and her family. And more than that, her faith was rewarded with being included in Jesus' lineage.

Just like Rahab, although we experience trouble and difficulties that test our faith, God keeps his promises. And just as Rahab is saved and included in Jesus' lineage, we are saved by Jesus and included in his lineage as "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

In a culture where we avoid suffering at all costs, may we come to understand this text more deeply through the presence of Jesus in our lives and truly understand what it means to share in Jesus' sufferings. I know; it's a very scary prayer...