Step Into the Bright Side

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5

Today’s Reading: Psalms 33-34; Acts 24

What an inspiring verse that is!

Sometimes it's hard to see all of the goodness around us when the bad screams and hollers for our attention. It may be hard to believe, but there actually IS more good than bad in the world.

Need proof? We are still here! Remember the Cold War?

Yep… that was real as steel… but back to my point.

I wonder what would happen if more of us made it a point to look at the good around them rather than the bad. I bet we would all be more inspired to take part in that good, to add to it, invest in it. And with every small investment each of us made into that bank, the dividends would grow exponentially.

Years ago I talked to my host mom about what it was like living in the Brazilian dictatorships back in the day. I asked her why more folks didn't fight back, and she said because those that did got shut down. Then I asked, what would it have taken for her to join them? Nobody was happy right?

She agreed.

So I went on to say that if nobody liked the status quo, how many people would it have taken to make her take action? She said that she didn't know.

What if 20% were ready to fight? No. 30%? No. 50%? maybe...

Man... Fear is a powerful thing.

To keep it 100% real I totally get that. I’m much more down with being George Washington than being Crispus Attucks…

Fear makes most of us look around, waiting for someone else to step up. All the while the minority rule the majority. We are silenced and suppressed by our desire to preserve our own lives; even if that means that we cannot fully live them.

But, that scripture is a reminder of the truth... The good ALWAYS out number the bad.

Always.

We just have to remind ourselves of this by making sure we focus on the good before the bad. Before we look at a homeless person begging for money, why not look at the person next to us who gave her a sandwich? Instead of looking at the fact that the economy is in dire straits, why not look at how our families are pulling together to help each other weather the storm. Instead of looking at the fact that some of us don’t have a job, why not look at all of the extra time we have to pursue our dreams?

This isn’t a matter of the glass being half empty or half full. The glass is full to overflowing… It’s just that sometimes it’s hard to see the glass through the tears of our fears.

It’s ok to be afraid, as long as we don’t get stuck in that fear. Look at the bright side! Step out of the darkness and into the light.

Everything’s gonna be alright.

An Intimate Relationship

Since you are my rock and my fortress,
       for the sake of your name lead and guide me. - Psalms 31:3

Today’s Reading: Psalms 31-32; Acts 23:16-35

Wow… “for the sake of your name lead and guide me”.

There is something so striking about those words. It is not just their beauty, but also the force, power, love, affection, and faith behind them. What do they say about the relationship that the author had with God? When I read those words I feel like I am being let in on a secret conversation between two best friends, or two life companions. It is just so intimate to me.

The author is pleading for help. He is asking to be heard, listened to, and rescued. He is seeking salvation from life’s woes and has chosen to ask the one that he trusts the most for help in his time of need.

And that one is God.

I have never had faith that strong. In these types of moments I have always searched within myself rather than searching outside of me. And of course when those moments refused to relent I was forced to recognize that I didn’t have enough.

That’s what humility is I guess… a constant recognition that we are not alone, that we need help, and the courage to reach out from the solitude of self to find true power in the community of God and others.

I cannot wait to find out what life is like when I am able to fully let go; fully put my faith in God rather than myself or my fellow man. It’s funny because when my back gets pushed up against the wall and I decide to finally put my trust in God, miracles do happen.

It’s ok though… just like everything else in life, faith is a work in progress. It’s just amazing to see how far along the writer has come; and how far I need to go. 

Go Big

Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
       praise his holy name.

For his anger lasts only a moment,
       but his favor lasts a lifetime;
       weeping may remain for a night,
       but rejoicing comes in the morning. - Psalm 30: 4-5

Today’s Reading: Psalm 29-30; Acts 23:1-15

Recently, I have had several conversations with friends and family about the times we are living in.

These are tough times.

There is just so much uncertainty. Many people have spent over a year looking for jobs that seem impossible to find. They struggle to understand how they will pay their rent, how they will put food on the table, how they will provide for the needs of their children.

Many folks who do have jobs have seen their hours cut short, wages diminished and careers stagnate. They were raised to believe in a world where a good education and a strong work ethic meant a reasonable measure of success climbing the corporate ladder. Now it seems that this isn’t enough. It seems like who you know and what you can do for them are the only things that matter. It’s a dog eat dog world and there are only so many bones to go around.

The climate may seem bleak, but I see the dawn of a new day. Like many, I have experienced some of these same feelings of fear and insecurity; hopelessness and worry. But it is when the night is at its darkest that the sun is about to rise.

The silver lining around the dark storm clouds of our time is the fact that we have nothing to lose. We can no longer indulge in a false sense of security about tomorrow; hoping to refinance our way to more and more material wealth. We are being forced to find new ways of being. We are encouraged to search within ourselves to come up with the answers to the problems of today.

And this is where things get exciting to me. If we have nothing to lose then why not go big? Why not pursue those dreams we buried deep within our souls when we decided to get the degrees that don’t seem to be paying off? Why not go hard on our passion projects during the idle hours that unemployment has ushered into our lives? Why not jettison the fear of failure when all that we have been holding onto has already been lost?

I see more and more of the people around me making this decision. They are deciding to live life on their terms rather than busting their balls to hustle back onto a corporate ladder that was quick to shake them off.

This is the time to go BIG.

Why? Because there is nothing to lose.

And whenever we start to feel that fear of the unknown and start to worry about the uncertainty before us we can remember what the Psalmist said:

       weeping may remain for a night,
       but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Today is a new day. Get prepared to watch the sun rise.  

"Crazy" Folk

 6"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'

 8" 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.

   " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. – Acts 22: 6-9

Today’s Reading: Psalms 26-28; Acts 22

Imagine this scene. Paul is in Jerusalem, facing an angry mob. Finally, gets them quiet so that he can speak his peace and this is what he says?

I bet he sounded absolutely bonkers. What’s amazing to me is that he had the courage to speak freely about what he believed in the first place.

This reminds me of something that happened recently. I just moved to Pasadena and my homie was showing me around. We walked to this really good Mexican restaurant and there was an older black man standing outside the entrance. His clothes were mildly tattered, somewhere between unkempt and homeless. He had a stammer to his stride as he walked around, speaking seemingly random nonsense to passersby. The folks who approached tried to ignore him, but the more they did so, the louder and more belligerent he got. He pushed some of them so far that they became visibly uncomfortable and picked up the pace as they hurried to their cars.

It was in one of these fits that we entered the restaurant, thankful that some less fortunate souls had removed him from our path.

However, when it was time to leave he was right outside of the door. I observed him for a second and then a calm set over me. “Maybe he isn’t as crazy as he seems” I thought to myself. “Maybe I’ll talk to him if he says something to me.”

Plus, I just finished telling my friend about how I was always taught to speak to the black folks that I come across. I can’t punk out on that now, right?

So as we exited the restaurant, our eyes met. I gave him the nod and said hello. He responded in kind and then asked if I had any change. I told him I did not but asked him how he was doing. Then we talked for a minute or two. He seemed like a perfectly nice fellow. He walked with us about half a block and as we were about to turn the corner to head home I said my goodbyes. I wished him luck and he did the same. Then he reached out his hand. Without thinking I responded in kind and we shook hands.

We both smiled.

Sometimes when we encounter people who don’t fit into our comfortable little boxes it can be scary. Paul said some crazy things to the mob of folks in Jerusalem and before he could finish they shouted him down and had him thrown in jail.

Ok, on the real… sometimes when we see something “crazy” we should be afraid. Some of these folks are not to be messed with.

But other times we should stop, wait and listen. It really may not be as crazy as we first thought.

That’s what the man outside the restaurant taught me. He just wanted to be heard and seen. He wanted his humanity to be acknowledged. The more folk fought to deny him this basic human need, the louder he shouted, demanding that they surrender it to him.

As our eyes met and we shook hands, I saw in him a reflection of me and of God. We all want to be heard. We all have something to say. Maybe if we work a little harder at listening first then we will have the opportunity to say what needs to be spoken to the world.  

Psalm 23

Today’s Reading: Psalm 23-25; Acts 21-40

Psalms 23 is one of those super famous passages in the Bible; so famous that it is almost cliché. When I was growing up it was more of an afterthought than anything else.  It was one of those passages that kids had to memorize in sunday school, but in all of those years I never really thought about what it said.

Now when I read it I am blown away. As someone who likes to think he is a half way decent, beginner writer, I am totally humbled by it. I mean good gracious, whether you believe in this book or not you have to admit that this is some incredible writing.

I really don’t have anything to say about this Psalm. Well I do, but I’d rather hear your thoughts. What are your impressions? What does this passage say to you? Has the message changed over the years?

I think if you take the time to really sit and read this short, but complete, work of art you will find that it says way more than you thought it did at first glance.

Enjoy.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
       he leads me beside quiet waters,

 3 he restores my soul.
       He guides me in paths of righteousness
       for his name's sake.

 4 Even though I walk
       through the valley of the shadow of death,
       I will fear no evil,
       for you are with me;
       your rod and your staff,
       they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me
       in the presence of my enemies.
       You anoint my head with oil;
       my cup overflows.

 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
       all the days of my life,
       and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
       forever.

Just Do It.

May he give you the desire of your heart 

       and make all your plans succeed.

We will shout for joy when you are victorious
       and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
       May the LORD grant all your requests. – Psalms 20:4

Today’s Reading: Psalms 20-22; Acts 21: 1-17

My buddies and I were having a back and forth email conversation the other day and something interesting came up.

The homie Kieran sent a link to a new song by a local Los Angeles R&B artist. After listening to it his first impression was hey, am I trippin or can I do that?

I responded by saying, yes you can man, you can sing. All you gotta do is do it.

Then my other friend Larry cosigned with the universal truth here. He said that this is what life is all about. Life is about doing things. We either do things or we don’t and the people who just decide to do things are the folk who make the big impacts.

And then of course I come across the passage above.

I really do think that success boils down to just doing something. Sure one must have some degree of talent but, on the real, how much does talent really matter? You might be a natural genius at something but that doesn’t mean that you will be able to use that talent in such a way that makes others want to experience it.

It takes hard work and planning to hone our individual skills. They must be refined in the crucible of practice before they will shine bright enough for the whole world to see.

If you try and try at something and it still is not working out then you might need to do a reality check. Is this really what you are supposed to be doing with your life at this very moment? Are you doing it well? Is your product something that you would pay your hard earned money for if you didn’t know the person who created it? Do you love exercising your talents in this particular way so much that you are willing to put in the years of grunt work necessary to become a professional without being paid for it?

Any answer other than “yes” to these questions might suggest that a new endeavor is in order.

But honestly, I think these cases are the exception rather than the rule. I think that most of us really know what we want to do but are afraid to do it. We fear rejection. We fear failure. No one likes to be told no.

But if we can muster up the courage and strength to keep going, keep getting better, keep refining the skills that God has given us; then one day the fruits of all this labor will come.

Just do it. And keep on doing it. 

A Courageous Love

"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Acts 20: 22-25

Today’s Reading: Psalms 18-19; Acts 20:17-38

Wow.

Last year I went back with my Dad to Birmingham for a family reunion. In an earlier post I wrote about the hope that I found in this trip; hearing all of these stories about the great people in the civil rights movement from the mouth of a man who witnessed it as a child.

This passage immediately brought me back to that place.

What courage it must have taken for those men women and children to stand up for what was right? What courage must have been required to set out on a mission of peaceful resistance only to know that they would be met with violent hostility? What courage must have been required to get up every single day and fight for something that was systematically denied them; when it meant risking their lives?

Of course our elders of the civil rights movement aren’t the only people who have done this. Countless people have and continue to struggle against oppression and tyranny this very day for so many different reasons.

But when I read Paul’s final goodbye to those that he loved I stopped for a second and really asked myself… why does anyone go through this? Why take the risk when you will not personally reap the reward? I was still asking myself as I began to type these words and the answer was revealed.

Love.

Love is what makes us capable of the incapable. It makes the impossible possible. It challenges us to stand in the face of fear and gives us the sword and shield to vanquish it. It gives us the hope and faith to transform our today so that those who come after us will have a better tomorrow.

Love is God and God is love.

I believe that, not in a hokey, superficial kind of way; but rather, I believe that literally. It is the foundation of how I endeavor to live my life. It is the fuel for my dreams. The more I love, the more that the impossible seems possible. The more capable I am to fulfill the desires of my heart.

I try to imagine the love that Paul felt, that inspired him to keep going in the face of certain death. Is it a love that is out of reach to us?

No.

We have seen it written in our history books. We have heard tales of it that were passed down in our families and our traditions. As those carrying the torch of love into the new millennium it is not our duty to bring about some crazy radical change. It is not our duty to change any one specific law or change the hearts and minds of others.

Our duty is to love.

And as we act in love everything else will unfold quicker and more fantastically than we could have ever imagined. We cannot do it all alone; but with love, there is nothing we can’t do.

Stand up and fight for what you believe in. Fight for truth. Fight for your dreams. Fight for love. 

Was That Really a Miracle?

Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. Acts 20: 9-12

Today’s Reading: Psalms 16-17; Acts 20:1-16

This reminds me of a scene from The Prestige (spoiler alert!). In the movie the main characters are magicians and they are doing the good old stuck in a water tank trick. You know the one where the magician’s assistant is dunked in the water tank tied up and then the magician makes her vanish. Of course the trick is that she is tied with a slip not that she can get out of.

Well this time the knot was not to be messed with.

When he revealed the tank she was still in it squirming about. They beat on the glass side of the tank to try to break her free. She becomes unconscious just before they can free her. As she slid out with the rushing water her husband held her and tried to shake her awake.

She did not wake up.

As I watched this all I could think to myself was “dude, y’all didn’t have CPR?” She had JUST lost consciousness. Doesn’t it take like at least four minutes for the oxygen deprived person to start having serious brain damage?

So me and my buddy looked up CPR and found out that it didn’t really come into its current form and popularity until the 1960s!

I was blown away by this. CPR seems like one of those things that has been around forever for some reason. I figured that if one of us went back in time to the time that this movie was set and performed CPR on the woman, her husband would think we brought her back from death.

This is what I thought about when I read the passage above. Of course things like walking on water and turning water into wine can’t be so easily explained but I wonder if when dude fell out of the building he really wasn’t dead.

Sure it was a long fall but maybe he just got knocked out. Maybe he was really close to dying but Paul was inspired to do something to him that the current medical community would have done to save that man’s life.

But when I think about the scene in The Prestige, and that the woman did end up dying, there is something strangely valid about the brought back to life concept. I mean in that day and age people did die of things that people don’t die of now. The woman in the prestige WAS dead as far as they knew. They started wrapping up her body while it was still warm!

Would the future existence of CPR make her revival any less a miracle?

Part of me says yes, and part of me says no.

But in the end it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s just fun to think about. There is one thing that I do know for sure… Three stories is quite a serious fall.

I’m glad he turned out to be alright; miracle or not. 

No One Is Good, But Try Your Best

All have turned aside,
       they have together become corrupt;
       there is no one who does good,
       not even one.

 Will evildoers never learn—
       those who devour my people as men eat bread
       and who do not call on the LORD ?

 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
       for God is present in the company of the righteous. Psalm 14: 3-5

Today’s Reading: Psalms 13-15; Acts 19: 21-41

So I had an interesting facebook discussion with my folks online today. It started when I posted the following statement:

“Sometimes it feels like it pays to be bad. But bad seed will never sprout good fruit. The law of the harvest ain't no joke.”

The statement was in response to some general things I have been noticing lately as well as a recent conversation that I had with my mom. We were talking about how a lot of the rules we encounter that don’t seem to make sense are made to control for a few foul folks trying to get over.

Because of them, we are all inconvenienced.

When I posted that comment I didn’t think much of it. It was just something that I was feeling at the time… so I was surprised that I got a litany of responses from it. All of the responses were good and full of wisdom. I think that God was speaking to me through my friends and loved ones.

Thank you all for allowing yourselves to be the wonderful messengers that you are.

But one comment in particular got me. It was from Isaiah’s mom, Nya. She challenged my implicit notion of goodness. She said that as long as we live on this earth we will never be good or perfect. This immediately took me back to what we read in the Gospel of Mark when Jesus said the following:

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone” – Mark 10:18.

She was dead on right with this one.

I was challenged to think about what I really meant. I didn’t really mean “good” in the sense above ya know, I really just meant there are good people and bad people. You dig me right?

Eh… I guess…

But this whole good and bad people thing gets to be problematic. I am no better than anyone else no matter what I think about someone’s actions. Positioning me as good versus someone else is an implicit value statement. And as I have said countless times in the past… Judging is NOT the business.

So this conversation bounced around my subconscious for the rest of the evening until it was time for me to do my daily reading. That’s when I came across the Psalm above. It was the second confirmation of what she was saying.

“There is no one who does good, not even one.” – Psalm 14:3

But then it goes on to say that “God is present in the company of the righteous”.

What in the heck does “righteous” mean? How can it say that no one is good in one breath, and then mention the righteous in another?

They must mean different things.

Of course of to the Wiki I went and found this article. I also checked my mammoth concordance and they both supported my initial spark of understanding. Righteousness is a statement about a person’s actions whereas “good” is a statement of being.

None of us are good or perfect but that’s ok. We aren’t required to be. But what we are required to do is to do our best to keep our actions in a righteous place. Although we will never be able to act in a justifiable way at all times, or even most of the time, we can always strive towards a higher standard of excellence.

That’s what this life journey is all about anyway right? Shoot for the stars and perhaps we’ll hit the moon. And if we hit the moon we will have still gone out of this world.

One thing that this journey through the Bible has taught me is that understanding doesn’t come all at once. It must be patiently sought out and worked toward. If we persevere then maybe we will get a glimpse of it, a vision that may change our lives forever.

Seeking wisdom is like being a sculptor. You gotta patiently chip away at confusion to reveal the beauty of understanding.

I’ve got my hammer and chisel in hand. Hopefully soon I can pull out the sand paper to smooth out the edges.

A Fancy Handkerchief

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Acts 19: 11-12

Today’s Reading: Psalms 10-12; Acts 19: 1-20

Wow… it’s been a while since I’ve hit on a magical mystical part of the scripture. I guess the whole Job thing was a bit of a downer. It’s all good though. Sometimes we gotta deal with the really real right?

Right.

But look at this one! Pieces of cloth that touch Paul are being taken to the sick for healing. It’s kinda cool to think that he could touch a handkerchief and it could be used in this way. But I wonder what the circumstances were. Did someone let Paul borrow his handkerchief while he was debating in the synagogue? Was he wiping his brow like one of them hot and sweaty Baptist preachers? What did the sick person think when that damp, sweaty mess of cloth was brought to him?

Sick Person: Don’t touch me with that mess.

Person with Handkerchief: But it’s Paul’s sweat on it.

Sick Person: I don’t are if it is Jesus’ sweat. That’s nasty.

Person with Handkerchief: Shut up and let me put this on you.

Sick Person: Over my dead body!

Person with Handkerchief: Ummm… well that is an option.

Sick Person: fine… but keep it away from my mouth.

Yeah, something like that.

What’s interesting is that this is commonly known as prayer by proxy. Someone who could not make it to the assembly of believers is sick. That person’s loved one comes and asks for healing for that person. Since the assembly cannot physically lay hands on the sick, they pray for an article or clothing, or pray for the sick person while touching the loved one. They then go to the sick person and lay hands on them, serving as the proxy for the original blessing.

Yeah it sounds hokey but stranger things have been proven to be true. If I didn’t know better I might be like the Sick Person above. Get that mess away from me!

But during this time of reading the Bible I have seen miracles happen. At this point I won’t categorically reject any of this stuff. Over and over again the theme of the impossible becoming possible has been drilled into us. All that is required is the proper measure of faith.

I think I can do that. Who knows… maybe I’ll try this in the future and come back to talk about it.

Plus, Paul was a regular person like you and me. We can do what he did right?

Right. 

Staying in the Light

O righteous God,
       who searches minds and hearts,
       bring to an end the violence of the wicked
       and make the righteous secure.

 My shield is God Most High,
       who saves the upright in heart.

He who digs a hole and scoops it out
       falls into the pit he has made.

The trouble he causes recoils on himself;
       his violence comes down on his own head - Psalm 7: 9-10, 15-16

Today’s Reading: Psalms 7-9; Acts 18

I was chatting with someone the other day on IM and she said something that made me really think. She said that it is the very few bad people in this world that are the cause of all the trouble for the good folks in the world.

I picked up the phone and called her. I had to see what she meant.

We then talked for a while about the topic from many angles. I brought up how our society is based on this false notion of scarcity so we are taught to live by the maxim “I gotta get mine before you can get yours”. She agreed and pointed to items in the news like the oil spill. The egregious negligence of a few has destroyed the ecosystems of the gulf for God knows how long. These folks are still rich while many hard working people who live on the gulf shores have lost their livelihoods.

It all seems so sad and hopeless when we look at it this way. How will the little guy make it in a big man’s world? How can we avoid being trampled underfoot as we scramble to live our lives?

Then it hit me… we were focusing on the wrong things.

Yes, the way of the world can be sad. Yes, there are some shady folks who have stolen and cheated their way to the top; and they use those tactics to remain there. And now that they are at the top they still leave wakes of destruction behind them as they struggle to stay there.

But so what?

These feelings of helplessness that we sometimes have are nothing new. Look at the Psalm above. The writer has placed their faith in God that they will make it through. He believes that in the end those who rose by destruction will be destroyed by their actions.

There are two ways to make it to the top. One can choose the dark side and try to climb to the top by any means necessary. As the psalm says, the chickens always come home to roost for these folks. From the outside looking in another person’s life may seem like a dream; but that is only because we cannot see the nightmare that is their reality.

The flip side is to stay true to our values. It may sound romantic or overly cliché but I really do believe that good things happen to good people. The more good we do, the more good comes to us. If we conduct ourselves and our business on the up and up remembering to have love as the foundation of our motives then we cannot help be successful.

Why?

Because who doesn’t want to be around people that they love? Who doesn’t want to do business with honest and trustworthy people? Sure the shady way may be the fast way but there is no long term security in it.

The reliable path to joy and prosperity is in the light, not the darkness.

So next time you feel like someone is doing you wrong or you feel like “The Man” always seems to win at the expense of the little guy, just remember that they may not be winning as much as you think.

A Divisive Taboo

A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? – Acts 17: 18-19

Today’s Reading: Psalms 4-6; Acts 17:16-34

I really find this interesting. Paul is in Athens, preaching about Jesus in the marketplace and some Greek Philosophers stumble across him. They start off by saying “What is this babbler trying to say” but then transition to “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?”

I love this.

I honestly think that this is the ideal way to approach life. Why can’t we share our beliefs as well as our ideas?

Growing up I always heard that there were two things that we are not supposed to talk about at work: Religion and Politics. Call me crazy but these are the things that I enjoy talking about the most. I have found that when I have these conversations with people I build stronger bonds rather than bigger barriers between us. I enjoy hearing other people’s ideas and beliefs and sharing my own.

For the longest time I wondered why those topics were off limits and then I realized why. It is hard for us to separate faith from knowledge.

Here’s what I mean.

Most of the stuff that we think we know we actually believe. It is an important distinction to make. To be clear, just because we believe something but don’t know it for sure doesn’t mean that our beliefs are wrong. Maybe they are right. But when we understand that many of the fundamental things that we all believe cannot be proven as fact then it gives these conversations a different tone.

I once had a boss that was very conservative. I am liberal. One of the things that I enjoyed most about working for him were our political conversations. Every time we discussed a hot topic we gave each other the space to speak. We listened. We challenged each others ideas, not to destroy them, but to better understand. The purpose of the conversations was to learn, share our knowledge and beliefs, but not to judge each other.

What I learned from him is something that I have learned from many such discussions about values: we all want the same things in life. We all want security and prosperity. No one wants to wonder how we will get our next meal. No one wants to worry about shelter. We all try to live by a code that will provide for that security, that safety, that comfort. We all want to spend time with those that we love. We want to do work that makes us happy. We want the freedom to pursue that happiness.

He and I differed in some of the ways we thought best to obtain that happiness, that that was ok. We were able to learn from each other, and hopefully, both of us grew from the experience.

Yes I know that talking about these issues is a very delicate proposition, one not without risk. But if we challenge ourselves to share more of what matters to us, I think we will find that we have more in common than we thought. Without this understanding we will remain stuck in our destructive factions, blind to the fact that we all share a common human experience.

Communication is the first step toward understanding, and understand leads to peace. Ultimately peace is what we are all after anyway right?

The Psalms

Today’s Reading: Psalms 1-3; Acts 17: 1-15

Psalms has always been one of those books that I have kind of taken for granted. It wasn’t until recently that I started to understand how valuable they are.

Proverbs are my bread and butter. Part of it comes from my background in philosophy and my outside studies of different books of wisdom. But also another part of it is the form that they are written in. The Proverbs are very specific and direct. They provide guidance, advice, and instruction in a way that is undeniable and unambiguous.

The psalms are quite different. I am starting to understand their importance in my life in a very specific way. They provide me with guidance but in an emotional and spiritual sense. This isn’t to say that the proverbs don’t do this, but the Psalms speak directly to my heart. Much like Job, they articulate things that I have felt but couldn’t express. They are filled with joy and sadness, pain and pleasure, fear and courage.

They are a collection of the range of human experiences and emotions. It is impossible for anyone to read them and not see themselves in at least one of them.

That’s pretty powerful for works that are thousands of years old.

It wasn’t until I started really facing my feelings and my fears in an honest way that I was able to feel what the psalms were talking about. The honesty in them requires a certain level of openness and courage within the reader to face all aspects of who they are. That is something that I am still working on.

So hopefully you will enjoy them as I am learning to and feel free to teach me what I don’t know.

Cause oh buddy is there a whole heck of a lot that I don’t know. 

Appreciate The Love

"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
       I will question you,
       and you shall answer me.'

 My ears had heard of you
       but now my eyes have seen you.

 Therefore I despise myself
       and repent in dust and ashes." – Job 42: 4-6

Today’s Reading: Job 41-42; Acts: 16:22-40

It’s funny how it often takes the lowest of lows to appreciate the wonderful things in our lives that have been there all the time.

Right under our noses…

I realized this last year when I broke my ankle. I have always been a very active person. I grew up playing basketball and as an adult have made the transition to Capoeira. I cannot remember an extended period of time where I did not do some kind of exercise.  

I was really frustrated by it. I was in a cast and literally could not care for myself. Sure I could crutch myself to the bus stop to get to work but that was about it. I couldn’t buy my own groceries. I couldn’t drive. I was dependent on others.

I hate that.

It was in this moment of need that I discovered the love that surrounded me. I had no idea how many loving people I had in my life. Their acts of loving service made my life much easier. Looking back on it I felt bad. I felt bad for not recognizing the love that these special people have for me. Since then I have worked hard to try to express my love for them in return.

Y’all know who you are. I love you!

Unfortunately I go through this same thing with God. It seems like I get real close to God when times get tough. And when I emerge from the tough season with 20/20 hind sight I am able to see that God was always there. He was there in the good times and in the bad. It was just that in the bad times I wasn’t checking for him.

Sometimes it takes going through the valleys of life to be able to actually see what God can do. Like Job said, before he had heard of God but now he sees Him.

I can relate.

That next step is to get to a place where I continue to see him when times are good. I imagine that if I can keep that humble focus during the highs, my lows won’t go as low or last as long.

And if they do, I’ll have that much more faith to sustain me through them.

A work in progress I am… just like you.

Riding the Waves

"What is the way to the abode of light?
       And where does darkness reside?

 Can you take them to their places?
       Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

 Surely you know, for you were already born!
       You have lived so many years! – Job 38: 19-21

Today’s Reading: Job 38: 19-21 Acts 16:1-21

Any time a section of the Bible is entitled “The LORD Speaks” one might want to pay special attention to it.

God has responded to Job; and he came with the thunder.

This makes me think a lot about myself actually. I have always been one to ask why. And when I don’t understand or agree with the answer I am none too pleased as well.

I suppose there is arrogance in this. It is great to understand why things are, or why things have happened but is it really the most important question to ask?

In third grade we had to write current events. They were small reports based on something that happened in the news. The questions that had to be addressed were who, what, where, when, why, and how. The answer to the question “why” was the bread and butter of these assignments. The answer showed whether or not you read and understood the article. A proper understanding of “why” demonstrated a mastery of the topic.

Is it possible to have such a mastery when it comes to the way that life unfolds? Even if we did understand “why” is there anything we can do about it?

This is what God is saying to me as I read these chapters:

So you want to know why? Ok that’s cool… let’s pretend that you could actually comprehend the answer to “why”; what exactly would you do about it? Do you have the power to act on it? Do you want to be me? Just be you lil’ homie… just be you. I promise you that this is a job that you do not desire and are not qualified for.”

As we go about the world endeavoring to live the best lives that we imagine possible it can be easy to fall into the illusion that we are in complete control. This is why bad events and unexplainable happenings trouble us so much. They jar us into recognizing that ultimately we are not in control.

Much like how sails and rudders direct a boat on the water; ultimately, the boat is at the mercy of the waves and winds that it rides upon. Sometimes our lives have calms seas and gentle winds. We are able to direct our paths with relative ease, thinking that we are responsible for arriving at the destinations that we seek. But when the storms of life send rains and waves and winds crashing upon our masts, we are reminded of our place.

No matter how much we try to steer and force our way; ultimately, we must try to navigate along with the sea. It is in these moments that we are driven to God, whether to pray or to curse him. We are driven in this direction because we know, to some degree, that we are not in complete control. We realize that no matter what we do we cannot help ourselves.

At times life’s journey is as perilous as it is joyous. If we remember that we will never master the oceans of life, then we will better appreciate when the seas are calm. And when they are rough, we will be better equipped to trust and have faith that things will be ok.

We just have to ride the waves instead of fighting them.

Twitter Rant: Why

Reading Job 38-40

Sure it was a bit much of Job to want to state his case to God but I feel him

Sometimes things are so rough that we can't get past asking "why".

“Why” is such a problematic yet beautiful question. It is the wellspring of much suffering, but also much creativity and growth.

We must never stop asking why, but we must also recognize the futility of demanding an answer.

Answers come when we have born them through fruitful action and perseverance.

Focusing on "why" blinds us to the present. It is a question shackled in the past or future.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. - Acts 15: 37-41

Today’s Reading: Job 36-37; Acts 15: 22-41

Friendship is a tricky thing.

When we choose to make strong bonds with people it can be so amazing. Often times these people are drawn to us based on common interests or a common purpose. Sometimes we meet them on a common path. Some of my best friends I met in college. I cannot imagine what my life would be like had I chosen to go to a different school. Some friendships are that powerful.

That is why it is so hurtful when these friendships splinter. We feel betrayed and hurt. We feel misled. We wonder why in the world we opened up to these people. After all they aren’t family anyway. There’s no reason to get so close right? It’s just a whole lot of heartache and pain in the end. It can’t be worth it.

Wrong.

Some relationships are only meant for a season, some for years and others for a lifetime. Most are only meant for a couple days or a week. We all have our own paths to walk. We cannot expect that the people who enter our lives along our path are destined to remain there forever.

And why would we want that? Sure it might seem comforting for a great friend to go along with our dreams and purpose. But truly loving someone means that we have to set them free. We have to encourage them to follow their dreams, to walk their own path to their purpose.

Sometimes that freedom leads them to be close to you. Sometimes that freedom takes them far away. In the case of Paul and Barnabas their disagreement over Mark sent them on different journeys. They were still doing the same great work but could not do it together in that season. Both had to do what they thought was right and as a result, more folks heard their message.

Don’t be afraid to set your friends free. That’s what love is. Even if that freedom leads them away from you, the love that you share means that you will always remain in each other’s hearts.

After all, home is where the heart is anyways. If we have the courage to love our friends enough to set them free, then it is possible that they will be friends for life.  

Food Inc.

Today was a very interesting day. I went to the beach and worked out and afterwards rewarded myself with a Double Double with fries and an extra large coke from In N Out.

Mmmhhmmmm!

In the back of my mind though was the obvious thought… “really Clarence? A fatty burger after burning all that fat? That’s why you don’t have abs son!”

Eh… but the burger was delicious.

Something that has been on my mind a lot over the past year is my diet. It really started for me back in October of 2009 when I broke my ankle. As I started the rehab process in the following February I noticed that the bone was healing slowly so in typical nerd fashion I analyzed my diet. I was getting only a fraction of the calcium that I need.

Not a good look.

The problem started in college where the cafeteria milk made me lactose intolerant (or so I thought). But with desperate times come desperate measures. I need calcium and I can only eat so much spinach.

Time to bring back the cow juice!

So I posted this declaration on my facebook status and immediately got hit up with a litany of comments from loved ones about how I was throwing away my life at the shrine of the white drink. Incredulous, I tried to ignore these well meaning, albeit quite annoying naysayers until I could stand it no longer.

To the wiki I went. And ohhh buddy were they right. It was on this day that I first felt compelled to watch Food Inc.

Food Inc is a documentary about the industrialization of food and how that affects the lives of all of us. I remember when it first came out. All of my hip and groovy friends swooned over it. I, on the other hand, knew better. There was not way I’d every watch that flic.

Why you might ask? I could give you all kinds of creative and cockamamie excuses but the truth is there is only one real reason: Ignorance is bliss baby!

But I can only be ignorant for so long.

I watched it today and was blown away mainly because it was not at all what I expected. I expected the movie to try to convince me that the food that I love was bad. That I am horrible for loving to eat four legged creatures and other miscellaneous critters with eyes and faces. I was ready with my subconscious defenses, the best of which is “how do you know that plants don’t have feelings too?” (seriously… think about that for a second… Gandhi is the only person that I will take heat from in the diet department).

But no, the movie very clearly articulated a crucial point. The problem isn’t necessarily the food we eat. The problem is how it gets from the “farm” to our plates and what that means for our food choices in terms of price, quantity, and quality.

It laid out a convincing case for how bad our food economy has become and what we can do as consumers to change it. I also enjoyed its treatment of Walmart. They were fair to the big box chain in showing their progress in line with their profit motives. It was refreshing to see a thoughtful look at a huge problem as well as some small steps that we can all take to help make things better for ourselves and everyone else.

Of course this movie does not claim to be the end all be all for how to save our diets, cure childhood obesity and diabetes, and feed the entire planet; but it is a good start for those like me who have avoided this issue like the plague. It is a good place to begin if you have ever wondered why you should care about what you put in your mouth everyday and what you can do to make better decisions in this regard.

After all our bodies are temples right? Living a fulfilling spiritual life starts within. What better way to affect our walk than to stop bringing the crap in the temple. Sure bad movies, music, and TV may not be ideal to consume. But the same goes for bad food.

My challenge to myself is to work at being the best I can be everyday. Food Inc was today’s step along that path.

And to all of the fast food in the world I say get thee behind me!! I am free from your clutches! Well… until I really really want some In N Out…

Baby steps you know? But moderation has begun. 

Under the Knife

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."

God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." Acts 15: 5, 8-11

Today’s Reading: Job 34-35; Acts 15:1-21

A few thoughts here…

I’m lightweight feeling the ex Pharisees here. It’s pretty funny to me actually. They’re like, “wait a minute… I had to go under the knife and these jokers don’t have to?? oh no… that is NOT the business!”

Hahahaha

Ok, I’m kinda mean to laugh but that’s what I see here. Sure I know they are riding for Moses, but I think that most of all they are salty that they had to get circumcised and the gentiles don’t. I mean really, who would volunteer for that?

But all joking aside, Peter’s response is a key point. You remember the laws of Moses. It is impossible to follow them perfectly. That was the whole point of Jesus coming right; to free us from the laws, to provide a way of connecting to God even though we cannot measure up on our own.

I had a conversation with a friend about this recently. We were talking about marriage and fidelity and he asked me if I thought it was possible in a lifetime of marriage. And I responded to him by saying that that was one of the interesting philosophical points of Christianity. Whether you believe it in it or not, it is quite interesting to understand what Peter is saying here. We are not capable of a perfect standard on our own. But with God’s help we can do all things that He has set out for us to do.

We are not alone in this difficult and perilous journey that life can be at times. We have help when we struggle. We will be lifted up when we stumble.

What is our responsibility? To believe and try our best so that everyday we get closer to being who we are capable of being.