Resurrecting Hope in Transition

Uncertain, unpredictable, volatile, inconsistent... these and many other unstable-oriented adjectives (UOA's) are occupying a good portion of our society's thinking these days. We are in an age of transition. Transition is OK... for everyone else. Tolstoy said, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." When UOA's call for me I'd rather not pick up the phone. They're messy and usually call collect. Yes, I've had lots of experience with change. Jobs, deaths, fires, relationships, and parenting have all brought opportunity for immense transition. One would assume that by now I would be able to navigate these waters with a great outlook. Not necessarily.

I had a conversation with our 14-year old daughter recently. She knows our family is almost certainly facing some kind of dramatic change in the near future. She went out of her way to assure me that whatever the changes were, she was committed to being positive. I was so grateful to hear her unsolicited encouragement. I looked at her for a moment and thanked God for her.

And then I asked God to protect her.

Because hope can do something for her but it can also do something to her.

Don't get me wrong. I want her to hope. It's what we're told to do. "Be joyful in hope". I know it's good. But I've lived long enough to know that anything good can cast a shadow. In the case of hope, the shadow is called vulnerability. The truth is, hope opens me up to potential disappointment in a way that not hoping doesn't. Hope is a down the road, future-oriented investment and like any good human I'd rather have the immediate payoff of anxiety.*

Still, her resolve helped me. The 14-year old is positive. I will be as well. And you can be too. Wrestling with transition has helped me come up with three action points for you...
1-Be still. Be in the moment. You cannot fast-forward and you can't afford to go in reverse. The only thing left is to be where you are, right now. Something internal must happen before the season changes and internal things can't be rushed... nor the seasons.

2-Hold on to what you know is true. (Which is what the pastor from Mtn Valley reminded me last weekend.) There are many UOA's out there that may or may not happen. Focusing on them only makes life overwhelming. Simplify. Focus on what you know to be true and then let all the other things come or go as they need.

3-Accept responsibility of being joyful in hope. Not choosing to hope is giving into fear and blame. Sometimes the only person you blame is yourself. It feels tough but it's really not. When you blame yourself it reinforces fear. Then you end up convincing yourself that you cannot do this, you cannot change. Well, that's not an option so accept the responsibility.

*June Issue of The Atlantic - George Vaillant - provides interesting study on happiness and hope.

A New Social Gospel Movement

Thanks to my friend, Lori, for sending this Bill Moyers video link to me. This is very good.

Listening to our Own Echoes

If we only talk with those who sound like us how will we hear?
If we only look at those who look like us how will we see?
If we only touch those who touch like us how will we feel?

Self-sorting niches, groups, societies, churches, teams, politics, schools, religions, ideologies are a mixed blessing. However unpleasant it might be, a good dose of pluralism is indispensable for maturity.

The Good Samaritan not only helped someone else... he helped himself.

Cell Phones and the War in Congo

On the verge of yet another new cell phone I thought it would be a good time to speak with my friend, Woody Collins about the conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. If you need to get caught up on the atrocities happening in the DRC related to technology check out enoughproject and playstation war.

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Is Coltan/Tantalum still being mined in Eastern Congo?

WC - Yes, as it's one of the few world sources of this mineral. Congo is the biggest source.

What are the mining conditions like now? Has it improved since some of the stories broke regarding the atrocities that were being committed?

WC - I have not read of any improvements in the mining conditions. Most of the news out of eastern Congo has focused on the renewed conflict between government armed forces and the various armed rebel forces. Also, the world economy has had big negative effect on the legitimate mining industries of cooper and diamonds. Hundreds of thousand of workers are now unemployed. Therefore, I suspect the coltan market is down, too.

Companies should be held liable if they have been a part of this mess but it’s so difficult to follow the trails. Why is it so difficult to track where the metal goes?

WC - Coltan mining is not an organized industry like cooper and diamonds. Most of coltan mines are run by rebel groups in eastern Congo . Therefore, there has not been an industry standard group willing to develop a tracking mechanism like the Kimberly Process for diamonds. But there is some moment towards a tracking mechanism. A German firm is developing a tracking mechanism for or with Congo government approval. I think they predicted summer of 2010 for testing.

I checked at places like Sony and Apple and of course they have what they call “supplier code of conducts” that state they only do business with suppliers who are "upholding the human rights of workers, treating them with dignity and respect, abstaining from indentured labor, not using children under the age of 15, etc…” Is the “code of conduct” working? What does it mean?

WC - That is meaningless statement. Since you can not track the coltan, they can always deny that their suppliers are in violation.

What can individuals do to help?

WC - Individuals need to pressure the manufacturers into doing more to self regulate beyond their current supplier code of conduct. But, nothing is really provable until a tracking mechanism is developed and implemented. However, the chance of someone individually tracking some coltan to Sony or Apple may prompt them to do more.

Indy Star Interview with Woody Collins

The Church of the Exclusionary

The Church of the Exclusionary translasion of Philippians 2:3-4...
Do most of what you do out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, and seriously, do not consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look to your own interests. Others will figure it out in due time.

Or Romans 14...
Shun contact with fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—in particular when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, you have a religious institution to protect. Treat them harshly.

Or Colossians 4:5-6...
Be ungracious in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of truth, seasoned with harshness, so that everyone has the answers to the questions you want them to ask.

Well, what do you think? Is it the responsibility of the un-churched to adapt to our sub-culture or is it the responsibility of the mature believer/church to adapt to the un-churched? Sometimes we get it backwards don't we? All we really have to do is seek him first and then all the other stuff will be given us.

On Top of the World

With my boys on the Continental Divide at 12,000 ft.

Fasting

According to this NY Times blog, "It’s long been known that glucose fuels many brain functions. Having a bite to eat appears to help boost a person’s willpower."

So, if you're learning to fast, when you're struggling, just have a bite to eat. That will help. Hmmm...

I fasted a bit a few weeks back. I wish I was more spiritual because it wasn't fun. It took a lot of focus. Maybe it's me just getting older but it was tough. David talked in Psalm 109 about being weak when fasting and I guess I experienced that.

But i do recognize that something deep happens during the midst of it. I really can't explain it. Rewards of Fasting and Too Busy Not to Pray are a couple books that I read during my fast. Both are helpful. I would recommend each of them, although the former is the harder read.

4 Benefits of Fasting...
1-increased hunger for God
2-clarity
3-holy detachment
4-increased focus in prayer life

Scripture References to Fasting

Faith - The Campsite and the Trails

Faith has a campsite and miles of hiking trails. The campsite is where the stories are preserved. The trails are where the stories originate.

More often than not churches resemble the campsite. It's the place where we preserve, build walls, fortify and safely talk about the great hiking adventures. As important as stories are we can't forget where the majority of the adventures come from. They come from the trails, out in the mountains, out on the edge.

A authentic 21C church provides an intersection where the safe and the unsafe collide. Playing it safe will not build prevailing churches any more than it will build a prevailing life.

"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Hellen Keller