Tuesday, February 12, 2008
For Everything There is a Season
I met with my mentor last night, and we went over my schedule together, as I pretty much felt like crying whenever I thought about it. Thank goodness for Michele, because she was able to state clearly that there was simply too much there, and that it wasn't a matter of me being able to do it all, but a matter of prioritizing and cutting things out. I have a sermon to give in two weeks that isn't prepped, and a new job to find as my temp one is ending, so those are my two urgent priorities in this season. As much of my week, including this entire weekend, is booked with Servant Partners and Northwest Neighbors commitments, it takes drastic steps to guard my remaining few precious hours of free time. Therefore, in addition to saying no to social engagements during these next two weeks, I probably won't be posting on here, and I won't be able to respond to your emails or phone calls. It's only for a season, but right now I just need to hunker down and weather this storm out. Thank you for understanding! And if you know of any helpful resources on 2 Samuel 12:1-10, please let me know!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Call to a Movement
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Jesus (Luke 4:18-19)
"Therefore any gospel preached that is not good news for the poor is not the gospel of Jesus Christ." Jim Wallis (my paraphrase from memories and jotted notes)
I had the privilege of hearing Jim Wallis, one of the main staff of Sojourners, speak in Pasadena this last Monday on some of the topics he covers in his new book The Great Awakening. He had a number of profound statements throughout the evening, but one of his trains of thought has particularly stuck with me as I've been anxiously following the election madness of the last two days. He talked about how no matter which candidate ends up being elected as president, our society will not change unless we come together in a movement. Without a movement of people to change the social pressures, politicians who want to make change will be unable to and politicians who don't want change will have no one forcing them to make it happen. Think M.L.K. and the civil rights movement--finally forcing the issues and changing the social atmosphere so that politicians had to change the legal aspects. I confess that I am tempted sometimes to place my hope in a candidate instead of realizing that whether my chosen candidate is elected or not, that doesn't take the responsibility off of me to become part of the movement for change. My part in pursuing a more just society is far more than casting my ballot for someone else at the voting booth.
To be clear, however, I firmly believe that doesn't mean that we disengage from politics (and Jim certainly didn't seem to be going in that direction either). The political realm has immense implications for how our schools and local, national and global economies are run; whether illegal immigrants' children or poor children can access health care or not; whether we invade other nations and where and how many people die. If I as a Christian care about justice in my neighborhood, if I care about the girls that I'm working with in Pasadena and the failing school system that they are in, if I care about the impact of American foreign policy on people in Thailand and the Gaza Strip, then I am compelled to address these issues both personally and on a social and systemic level. I believe that to only address one is to fail to accept the responsibility I have for whether my personal actions and relationships work for shalom or not, or to fail to accept the realities that 1) injustice is perpetuated through systems as well as individuals, and 2) I as an individual have a responsibility for how I interact with those systems and hold them accountable. "Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts," says the God I follow (Amos 5:15). Spirituality and social justice are social and communal as well as personal and individual, for "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6 -- a wonderful passage, if you've never read it I highly recommend looking it up). I won't go into a whole study of what the Bible says about corporate justice and dealing with systemic injustice here, nor will I discuss anthropological and sociological perspectives of systems, but it's worth looking into with some friends if you've never read much about it. Let me be the first to acknowledge that I have a long way to go in terms of right living in relation to myself as an individual before God, within my immediate relationships, and in my interactions with systems. But I'm thankful that God keeps deepening and widening my understanding of justice and that he is faithful to keep me going along that journey even when it gets uncomfortable and I don't want to go.
In other news, our apartment does not seem to be a good place for plants. Dia and I appear to have killed one, unfortunately the one our neighbor gave us as a gift, and my dear plant that I've had since summer before my sophomore year of college is looking not-so-great. The leaves have a brownish tinge that I associate with being sun-scorched, but that isn't possible because our plants get almost no sun right now, if any, as they are inside in the dark all day while we are at work. Karen, the cactus you gave me is the only one that still looks ok, but maybe that's because it's a cactus and hasn't changed too much! I'm not quite sure what to do for them, as a neighbor told us that putting potted plants (at least flowering ones) outside is a sure way to get them stolen. One thing's for sure; it's going to be traumatic if my plant doesn't manage to survive and thrive here.
"Our mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world." --Sojourners' posted mission on their website
"Therefore any gospel preached that is not good news for the poor is not the gospel of Jesus Christ." Jim Wallis (my paraphrase from memories and jotted notes)
I had the privilege of hearing Jim Wallis, one of the main staff of Sojourners, speak in Pasadena this last Monday on some of the topics he covers in his new book The Great Awakening. He had a number of profound statements throughout the evening, but one of his trains of thought has particularly stuck with me as I've been anxiously following the election madness of the last two days. He talked about how no matter which candidate ends up being elected as president, our society will not change unless we come together in a movement. Without a movement of people to change the social pressures, politicians who want to make change will be unable to and politicians who don't want change will have no one forcing them to make it happen. Think M.L.K. and the civil rights movement--finally forcing the issues and changing the social atmosphere so that politicians had to change the legal aspects. I confess that I am tempted sometimes to place my hope in a candidate instead of realizing that whether my chosen candidate is elected or not, that doesn't take the responsibility off of me to become part of the movement for change. My part in pursuing a more just society is far more than casting my ballot for someone else at the voting booth.
To be clear, however, I firmly believe that doesn't mean that we disengage from politics (and Jim certainly didn't seem to be going in that direction either). The political realm has immense implications for how our schools and local, national and global economies are run; whether illegal immigrants' children or poor children can access health care or not; whether we invade other nations and where and how many people die. If I as a Christian care about justice in my neighborhood, if I care about the girls that I'm working with in Pasadena and the failing school system that they are in, if I care about the impact of American foreign policy on people in Thailand and the Gaza Strip, then I am compelled to address these issues both personally and on a social and systemic level. I believe that to only address one is to fail to accept the responsibility I have for whether my personal actions and relationships work for shalom or not, or to fail to accept the realities that 1) injustice is perpetuated through systems as well as individuals, and 2) I as an individual have a responsibility for how I interact with those systems and hold them accountable. "Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts," says the God I follow (Amos 5:15). Spirituality and social justice are social and communal as well as personal and individual, for "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6 -- a wonderful passage, if you've never read it I highly recommend looking it up). I won't go into a whole study of what the Bible says about corporate justice and dealing with systemic injustice here, nor will I discuss anthropological and sociological perspectives of systems, but it's worth looking into with some friends if you've never read much about it. Let me be the first to acknowledge that I have a long way to go in terms of right living in relation to myself as an individual before God, within my immediate relationships, and in my interactions with systems. But I'm thankful that God keeps deepening and widening my understanding of justice and that he is faithful to keep me going along that journey even when it gets uncomfortable and I don't want to go.
In other news, our apartment does not seem to be a good place for plants. Dia and I appear to have killed one, unfortunately the one our neighbor gave us as a gift, and my dear plant that I've had since summer before my sophomore year of college is looking not-so-great. The leaves have a brownish tinge that I associate with being sun-scorched, but that isn't possible because our plants get almost no sun right now, if any, as they are inside in the dark all day while we are at work. Karen, the cactus you gave me is the only one that still looks ok, but maybe that's because it's a cactus and hasn't changed too much! I'm not quite sure what to do for them, as a neighbor told us that putting potted plants (at least flowering ones) outside is a sure way to get them stolen. One thing's for sure; it's going to be traumatic if my plant doesn't manage to survive and thrive here.
"Our mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world." --Sojourners' posted mission on their website
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Thoughts on Pasadena public transportation
I can't tell you how many times I've expressed my frustration to friends that L.A. doesn't have a more comprehensive public transportation system. As I don't have a car, I've had to make my way around by walking, taking the bus, or riding in friends' cars for the most part. In my current job search, I've been considering getting a car because it would greatly expand the number of jobs that I could take. In the whole process of making that decision, I've been reflecting a lot on my experiences with public transportation in Pasadena.
In my experience riding the bus to work and around Pasadena to do errands, almost all of the people on my bus rides are Latino or African American. Most of the white people that I see are older folks who are either lower income or who appear to have a mental disability. A lot of young Latino and African American teenagers also take the bus to school and back. Clearly these are generalities, and I do occasionally see people who break the mold taking the bus, but the overwhelming demographic stays the same.
Riding the bus has been a very mixed experience for me. I have enjoyed not paying for gas or car repairs or other worries that come with having one's own car. It's really important to me to care for the environment by putting less pollutants into the air, and public transportation is a pretty effective way to do that. This resolution has been seriously tested, however, when I'm standing in the rain or cold (yes Oregon people, I'm still cold in California) at the bus stop, taking 45 minutes to get somewhere that is only 15 minutes away in a car!
One of the most difficult parts of taking the bus has been dealing with unwanted attention. On several occasions I've had men in their 30s and 40s hit on me while riding the bus, which makes me really uncomfortable. The worst is that recently one of my regular bus drivers started doing it. I've thought about waiting an extra half hour to take another bus home, but for now I've just been paying for my fare and walking by as quickly as possible, while politely shutting down any kind of conversation he tries to start. It depresses me because I hate feeling rude, but I'm realizing that sometimes any sort of response gets you attention you don't want. Sigh.
On the other hand, the best part of riding the bus is finding out that it's actually possible to build relationships while doing it. I've ended up riding the bus with one of the high school girls in Northwest Neighbors several times in the mornings, which was a great chance to chat (she made fun of how sleepy I looked :P). I've also been getting to know a woman whom I'll call Rosa, who takes the bus every morning from my stop at the same time as I do. She initiated conversation with me, and has since shared with me a lot about her past, her coming clean and out of homelessness, her relationship with her family and her kids, and her current work situation. It's been a real privilege to learn about her life. I'm currently wondering how to build the relationship further and what entering into deeper conversations might look like, but it's been beautiful to see a relationship develop where I wasn't even looking for one or expecting one.
To close off, on a completely different note, I've added a couple of great links on the right-hand side. The first two links are to blogs by two of my friends and fellow first year interns. They are both living in South L.A., and their blogs provide another take on the internship experience. The Margins is a blog by a woman named Erika Haub who is also living in South L.A. following Jesus, though she's in a slightly different stage of life as she is married with young kids. Her posts are almost always thought-provoking. And finally, there's links to Servant Partners and to Northwest Neighbors, the local non-profit that I am partnering with as part of my internship.
In my experience riding the bus to work and around Pasadena to do errands, almost all of the people on my bus rides are Latino or African American. Most of the white people that I see are older folks who are either lower income or who appear to have a mental disability. A lot of young Latino and African American teenagers also take the bus to school and back. Clearly these are generalities, and I do occasionally see people who break the mold taking the bus, but the overwhelming demographic stays the same.
Riding the bus has been a very mixed experience for me. I have enjoyed not paying for gas or car repairs or other worries that come with having one's own car. It's really important to me to care for the environment by putting less pollutants into the air, and public transportation is a pretty effective way to do that. This resolution has been seriously tested, however, when I'm standing in the rain or cold (yes Oregon people, I'm still cold in California) at the bus stop, taking 45 minutes to get somewhere that is only 15 minutes away in a car!
One of the most difficult parts of taking the bus has been dealing with unwanted attention. On several occasions I've had men in their 30s and 40s hit on me while riding the bus, which makes me really uncomfortable. The worst is that recently one of my regular bus drivers started doing it. I've thought about waiting an extra half hour to take another bus home, but for now I've just been paying for my fare and walking by as quickly as possible, while politely shutting down any kind of conversation he tries to start. It depresses me because I hate feeling rude, but I'm realizing that sometimes any sort of response gets you attention you don't want. Sigh.
On the other hand, the best part of riding the bus is finding out that it's actually possible to build relationships while doing it. I've ended up riding the bus with one of the high school girls in Northwest Neighbors several times in the mornings, which was a great chance to chat (she made fun of how sleepy I looked :P). I've also been getting to know a woman whom I'll call Rosa, who takes the bus every morning from my stop at the same time as I do. She initiated conversation with me, and has since shared with me a lot about her past, her coming clean and out of homelessness, her relationship with her family and her kids, and her current work situation. It's been a real privilege to learn about her life. I'm currently wondering how to build the relationship further and what entering into deeper conversations might look like, but it's been beautiful to see a relationship develop where I wasn't even looking for one or expecting one.
To close off, on a completely different note, I've added a couple of great links on the right-hand side. The first two links are to blogs by two of my friends and fellow first year interns. They are both living in South L.A., and their blogs provide another take on the internship experience. The Margins is a blog by a woman named Erika Haub who is also living in South L.A. following Jesus, though she's in a slightly different stage of life as she is married with young kids. Her posts are almost always thought-provoking. And finally, there's links to Servant Partners and to Northwest Neighbors, the local non-profit that I am partnering with as part of my internship.
"Never make the same mistake twice or you'll never get around to all of them."
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