Social Justice.

I'm looking for some verses to use tomorrow in the talk Luke and I are giving to his parents' Sunday School Class and I just read this, which I found incredibly interesting (Luke only mildly so...). Pay special attention to the bold...

Deuteronomy 27:14-26

The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

"Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol—a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman's hands—and sets it up in secret."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's boundary stone."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife, for he dishonors his father's bed."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who kills his neighbor secretly."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
"Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

Among stealing and sleeping with your sister is denying justice to the alien, the fatherless and the widow...

More thoughts later.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb--
Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb?

Do you see what I see?

The star, the star dancing in the night
with a tail as big as a kite,
with a tail as big as a kite.

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy--
Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing though the sky, shepherd boy?
Do you hear what I hear?
The song, the song high above the trees
with a voice as big as the sea,
with a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king--
Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold,
let us bring Him silver and gold,
let us bring Him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere--
Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people everywhere
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night,
He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light.

I absolutely love this song--at all times of the year, really. (Especially when it is sung by Mac Powell of Third Day...).

I am still trying to wrap my mind around the concept of the working poor. While I have known theoretically that these people exist, and while I have thought about the concept before, never have I been faced with it so blatantly than while living here. I think it is easy for people (including myself) in the "middle class" (let's not even mention the "upper class" here) to forget that the working poor exist (let me reiterate--myself included). These people work hard--usually physical labor--and yet do not make a living wage. We get caught up in living, in trying to make our own ends meet and forget that there are many people who cannot make ends meet, regardless of how they manage their money.

On Tuesday night a man knocked on Luke and my door and asked us if we had any money. His wife has diabetes and needed medication and he doesn't get paid until next week. This isn't the first time he's asked us for money, and we know that he will pay us back as soon as we gets his paycheck (he has before), and so we trust him. The paying back really isn't an issue anyway, which we stated once, but after thinking about it I think it might have been a bad idea; this man had to humble himself enough to come knock on our door, the least we could have done was protected his pride by assuming that he can and will pay us back. This man works for the apartment company that Luke and I rent from...after hearing how much he makes an hour Luke and I did a little bit of figuring. At the very most, our monthly rent only pays for one hour of his work a month...and he definitely does much more for us than just an hour of work a month (that is assuming that he only gets paid for 40 hours a week, even though we're pretty sure he works more than that--maybe we should cut the Gelman Company some slack...). After expenses he can't make it until the end of the month.

And he's not the only one. There are women in the organization where I work who, though they hold down full-time positions, will sometimes catch a charge for renegading (the term used for a woman who used to work with a pimp, gets rescued from a trafficking situation or kicked out because she is pregnant, old or sick, and therefore now works in the line of prostitution on her own) because they need to make money and it is the only other way they know how (let alone all of the other emotional trauma or mental disorders they suffer from). The concept of working poor should not exist.

As I think about it all I get frustrated and angry. When I think about the lyrics above--about goodness and light, about peace brought by a baby named Jesus who would grow into a man and save the world--I wonder where the goodness is for these men and women, do they get lost in it all? But then I remember that this babe--this man named Jesus was born of a peasant, the son of a carpenter, He was a refugee, the first to worship Him were shepherds, His closest friends were fishermen and tax collectors, He hung out with lepers and women who had been prostituted...this Jesus came for the working poor, for the non-working poor, the forgotten, the untouched.

There is peace, goodness and light for all. There is hope and love regardless of capitalism or socialism, of republicans or democrats...there was a man named Jesus whose very essence was love and peace and He was--no, IS--available to all, regardless of socio-economic status, race or any other of the imaginary barriers we use to separate ourselves...He spoke of justice...of loving your neighbor as yourself (does it really get any more just than that?).

And He calls us to the same way of love and justice. Do you hear what I hear?

Around the Office.

These are bits of conversations as heard in the office today:

When discussing whether or not prostitution should be legalized...

M: NO! Because you can't trust the sick perverts!
K: Are you talking about the Johns (men who purchase sex) or the Government?

In a teleconference about decreasing the demand for sex...

These guys (Johns) are disease vectors!
They are bio hazards!
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I will write more on the subject later, but let me just say this pimps (and they do exist) should never be glorified. The word pimpin' should never be used as a compliment. And Ice T should no longer be allowed to be a main character on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I just found out he is (or was...) a pimp, has written songs about pimping and his name is inspired by an ex-pimp who now writes books.

Chicken Flavored

Over the past few weeks Luke and I have been living on lots of cheap foods. Many of these cheap foods are "Chicken Flavored". Don't ask me how you get chicken flavoring (according to Luke it has something to do with squeezing a chicken...), but obviously it's cheaper (and easier) than real chicken and thus it ends up in our kitchen cabinets waiting to be eaten. As I sat eating my Chicken flavored Ramen Noodles the other day I was musing over how chicken flavoring is clearly not as good as real chicken. Even though it (may) taste like chicken it is not chicken, it does not have the nutritional value of real chicken, and therefore you cannot live off of chicken flavoring.

I kind of feel like this is the way I am living; a kind of chicken flavored life. I'm made for community--for real community. I've known this for a long time, and I truly found it during my senior year of college among good friends and long conversations laying in the grass or sitting in the Union. I miss discipleship and good friendships that seem to come naturally. I miss real community...not chicken flavored community. And yet the worst part about it is that I can't seem to motivate myself towards finding this community. Instead I read Acts and think about what it means and refuse to act out the way I think it should be acted out here. Instead of engaging those around me I sit and wish that they would engage me. We talked about Barnabas today during church, and I realized that I really do enjoy encouraging people and discipling--I miss it, I long for it and I want to do it. And yet at this moment I find myself unable to be vulnerable with anyone, including my husband. What is going on? I'm made for community--I long for community--and yet I just want to curl up into a little ball most of the time, refusing to engage others or to be engaged by others. Yes, my friends, I am living a chicken flavored life.

On top of it all the thoughts that go through my head are not about the present, but rather about the future. I think about where Luke and I will be in a year or five and think about how we will engage the people around us THEN...not now. It's like having five bucks in your pocket and you can buy chicken flavored cup'o'noodles or a piece of juicy fried chicken (neither of which are really healthy, but go with the idea)...instead of just buying the friend chicken you get the cup'o'noodles, and while you heat the water and wait the three minutes for the cup'o'noodles to be ready you wish that you would have gotten the fried chicken...

No, my friends, community does not come easily. It is hard and it takes a lot of effort. And it makes me tired just thinking about how we are going to engage the people around us, serve the poor of the city, all the while looking ahead to the future and balancing this crazy thing called following Jesus...learning what it means to take care of ourselves, trust God to do it for us and selling all we have to give to the poor. What do these things mean?

In the same vein, Luke and I have been reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne together and it is really, really challenging us. What does all of it mean? One of the more challenging quotes/ideas that we read recently is this: [Yes, Jesus said that the poor will always be with us, but this makes me ask] "Where are the poor? Are the poor among us?" The answer is usually a clear negatory. As we study the Scriptures we see how many texts we have misread, contextualized, and exegeted to hear what we want to. Like this one about the poor being among us, which Jesus says in the home of a leper and after a poor woman anoints his feet with perfume. The poor were all around him... (emphasis added and first part paraphrased).
Again, I ask, what does this mean for us today? It's so hard, so challenging...this man named Jesus and the things He asks us to do...

But even though it's hard, and we have many tough conversations, and sometimes I just want to give up I know that the fried chicken life is so much better than the chicken flavored life...so can you pass the chicken please? Some how there's a community to build, and I can't think of a better way to do it than around dinner...

...I'll let you know how it goes...

Singing a morning.

I really like this part of the movie Babe:

(If I had words to make a day for you,

I'd sing you a morning, golden and true.
I would make this day last for all time,
And fill your nights with moon shine.)

There's something so spectacular about the thought of singing a morning golden and true.

Maybe it's because presently I have other thoughts...I just can't seem to put them into words tonight...Maybe I'll sing you a morning tomorrow...
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p.s. my husband is walking around the apartment singing "You don't always die from tobacco, sometimes you just lose a lung. You don't always die from tobacco, sometimes they just snip out your tongue..." in a robotic voice. I asked him why. He said he can't help it if it's "a catchy song".

Autumn

I do not really know how to start this post (the third in 4 days...what is going on?). There are so many thoughts going through my head--thoughts of a beautiful day well spent, thoughts of cooking and baking and yummy foods, thoughts of justice and love and what they look like, and how they really are the same, thoughts of socialism and the early church, and thoughts of prophets of old and present day prophets (of false?). So many things that I have thought about this week, and so many places to start...so many blogs for the future, perhaps?

But let me start with Autumn. Beautiful autumn. I will begin by saying I hope my journey in this life does not permanently land me in the city. While I have enjoyed the bustles and free museums of the city, I thoroughly miss the outdoors and nature absent from it. Seeking to find an adventure in the woods seems to me, before it takes place, like an adventure too costly in energy. But today we took advantage of the cooling weather and found this adventure across the street from our humble home in Fort Totten Park. And it was well worth it. I forget how being in nature rejuvenates and refocuses me. It is nice to hear the sound of leaves beneath your feet and the wind in the trees above you. And the colors--the colors were absolutely breathtaking. I will attempt (and as always, probably fail) to post some pictures on this blog in an orderly fashion.

Fort Totten, as some of you may know (I, however, did not before today), was one of the forts protecting the city of Washington, DC during the Civil War. The park at Fort Totten, which is up a hill and across the street from our humble abode, is a memorial, of sorts, to this Fort, and still maintains some of the earth works that are left over from the war. The earth works, Luke tells me, are the parts of the earth that were built up to make the fort harder to attack. It was pretty amazing, and definitely could not be captured on film. However, we did hike around the earth works, and when you come visit you can too!

I have always loved the colors of autumn. How greens burst into bright gold, reds and oranges. How leaves slowly and beautifully drift to the ground. It is such a shame that it ends so quickly, and yet the crisp air holds promise of snow and cozy winter months (hopefully cozy...). I was delighted to find that autumn colors are just as vibrant in the city as they are in the wooded areas of North Carolina. Our God is truly an artistic God. But I will cease my narration for a moment and just show you the pictures for yourself. I will remind you that I am not nearly the photographer that I wish I was, and so these pictures do not capture the true beauty we saw...but I'm sure you could have guessed that.

In other news (but what other news besides the glory of nature is there?), Luke and I will be attending a church for two weeks in a row...we think we found a good one, folks, and we're pretty excited about the whole idea of finding a place where we can belong in the body of believers. We'll let you know how it turns out.

Speaking of the body of believers, I've been in Acts lately and I've found it really challenging. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but since moving here I've discovered that I'm a pretty materialistic person. Even since Luke has gotten a job I've found myself struggling with the ideas of what it will be like to have money versus what it will look like to give that money away. I know that there is being a good steward of your money, but then there is also the point where you have to hold it with open hands and let God show you what being a good steward of your money is, and I'm just not sure what that's going to look like. The passage I've found most striking is this one:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. (Acts 4:32-37)

Now, I have to admit, I've read this passage before more in judgment than in self-judgment. Wondering why other people aren't this giving and open. But when Luke and I were struggling with moving and paying the rent several people opened up their wallets, offering to help if we needed it, and I thought that was really amazing and it knocked me off my feet. And now we are wondering the same kind of things...how are we going to be good stewards of our money, and how are we going to hold our possessions with open hands, willing to help anyone who might come across our path. God calls each and every Christian to a higher way of living...a giving kind of living...and humble way of living...dare I even say a Socialist way of living...but maybe that is taking it too far...

I don't really know what to make of this passage in Acts. And I don't know what to make of other passages either (like ones in Isaiah where God says that our offerings mean nothing unless we also live a life of justice...what does that mean?)...and I'm sure there will be many more musings over what it means like to live a giving life of justice. I do know one thing...the world is headed in one direction and we, as Christians, are called to head the other way. But these are just some stirring thoughts on a beautiful day...

(Just a throw in picture so you can see my handsome husband...plus, I thought it was appropriate...)

Rainbows

Luke and I were just talking about songs about rainbows when Luke made the comment:

"Without Kermit the Frog there would be
no songs about rainbows..."

I begged to differ, which ultimately led me to YouTube, which led me to this, which, I suspect, will only be appreciated by my little sisters...

Political, if only for a moment.

Don't worry, there will be no talk of McCain or Obama here. But I will say, before I go on a rant about race and socioeconomic class, that it is pretty amazing that the United States has voted an African-American man as the next President, and it's historical, no matter who you are.

Unfortunately, it is not the end of our racial problems in the United States, and part of me is afraid that it is the way that this election will be viewed.

I have been to the Superior Court building for 3 separate trials/ceremonies since I have been at Polaris Client Services, and tomorrow will be my fourth. After these three I can pretty much tell you what I will see tomorrow:

I will be one of the only white people in the court room. The other white men and women I will see will be officers of the court, the judge will probably be white, as well as some of the lawyers and the grand marshal. While I am 100% sure there are white men and women on drugs, purchasing sex and selling sex the only people who I will see prosecuted for these crimes tomorrow will be black (and maybe Latino).

Now I don't know the ins and outs of the courts system or the criminal justice system. I have heard people talk about the injustice and racism inherent in the system and that only a few get caught and those few are often times minorities. I know that these problems are big...huge, even, and they cannot be tackled completely by a handful of men and women charged with keeping a city safe, and I'm figuring that these problems are not blatent racism, but rather inherent in the system, but I have never seen the evidence of racism so apparent than when I am sitting in a court room in Washington, DC.

I am not saying that these people who have been caught for these crimes should not be prosecuted and punished for the crimes that they commit...I am not saying that at all...But there is a white Senator who is very close to winning a Senate race in Alaska who was just convicted of 7 felonies. And there is a New York governor who was caught in a prostitution ring who has served no jail time.

You can't tell me that everyone in this country has an equal opportunity.