A Public Apology

It's election season. And it seems that every election season brings its own set of drama. But, maybe it's just because I'm more informed than ever before, or maybe it's that this is only the second time I can vote and I think I made the wrong choice last time around (sorry world...), but it seems to me that this election season has brought on more drama than usual.

And I'm a little - a lot - embarrassed.

Christians across the country (and maybe even around the world) are giving my Lord a bad name. My Jesus is not pro-war, pro-rich, pro-death, pro-judgement, pro-racism, pro-violence, pro-mudslinging, or pro-discrimination. My Jesus does not ride into battle in a tank. My Jesus does not make cartoons calling the homeless lazy. My Jesus does not use out-of-context proof texts to name someone as the Antichrist. My Jesus does not call someone terrorist, or insinuate that to be Arab is to be dangerous. My Jesus doesn't shout "Off with his head!" at the sound of someone's name.

No, my Jesus is pro-love, pro-charity, pro-life (and, therefore, I believe anti-death penalty, anti-war, and anti-anything that brings death), pro-acceptance, pro-healing, pro-meekness, pro peace. My Jesus rides on a donkey, not to bring hatred and violence, but to bring a violent love. My Jesus silently endured the shouts cast at his own name, led like a lamb to the slaughter.

My Jesus taught us beauty. My Jesus taught us to serve the widow, the orphan, the foreigner. He taught us to live in such a way that no one should ever be in want - even if it means giving up of ourselves (and our hard-earned money) in order to do so.

America likes to call itself a Christian nation. And yet there is violence. There is hatred. There are those in need, and, what's worse, they are abandoned by those who have more than enough to help. Because we are so concerned about our own comfort - so "in need" of that Wii, that car, that computer, those extra 100 channels on your TV, those extra 3 seconds saved by a faster internet connection - we refuse to help those who are in need of food, clean water, and a roof over their heads. We refuse to help the ones who don't even have the basic human needs, when we have more than some could ever ask for.

And so I apologize. I apologize for all those "Christians" who work so hard to prove someone is the Antichrist, a terrorist, or a killer. I apologize for all those "Christians" who throw around words of hate. I apologize for all those "Christians" who will not help, even in the face of a God who went so far as to suffer torture and death on our behalf.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
Phil. 2:5-7

He emptied himself. Emptied himself. Made himself nothing.

My Jesus is beauty. My Jesus is love. My Jesus is peace and selflessness and mercy and grace. And now we are the body of Christ here on earth, and we let it lie limp. We throw it back in the tomb to let it rot, lest we lose our comfort.

I'm sorry for the very unChristian behavior of some "Christians" as of late.

They are not my Jesus.

A Letter to the Church in the United States

I found this from the Micah Challenge website (through a series of clicks and links, etc.) and thought it was a powerful reminder of our call in Christ. I could write more about it, but I think I'd rather it speak for itself...

If, after you read it, you decide to take action, an easy way for you to start is included on this same website: sign a letter the soon-to-be president of the United States (read it and sign it here).

August, 2008

TO THE CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES

As the Church of the Lord in what is known as the "Southern" part of the world, moved by the Holy Spirit to fight for the abundant life that Jesus Christ offers, we address our Christian family in the United States, a Church of the same covenant, faith and love. Grace and Peace to all of our brothers and sisters.

We know your works of love; these works have allowed millions of human beings for many generations in our countries in the South to receive the gospel, the Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of His Salvation. The U.S. church's untiring missionary effort planted in our lands Hope in Him who came to reconcile EVERYTHING.

Nevertheless, the political, social and economic situation in the places where this hope has been announced is increasingly distressing. Millions of people in the global South are dying of hunger, violence and injustice. These situations of poverty and pain are not simply the product of the internal functions of our countries; rather they are the results of the international policies of the governments that wield global power.

Therefore, we have this against you, brothers and sisters, that along with this powerful announcing of the Gospel, the Church from the United States has not also raised its voice in protest against the injustices that powerful governments and institutions are inflicting on the global South - injustices that afflict the lives and ecosystems of millions of people who, centuries after the proclamation of the Gospel, still have not seen the sweat of their brow turned into bread.

The worsening inequality and poverty in the South is alarming. Seven years since the United States and 191 other nations publicly promised to cut extreme global poverty in half by the year 2015 through the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), your country has made only a little progress towards fulfilling its commitments.

The MDGs should stir us to action because they echo the calls of the biblical prophets for justice and equity. Further, they are achievable and measurable markers on the roadmap to end extreme global poverty.

And so we ask you as sisters and brothers, citizens of the wealthiest most powerful nation on earth, to publicly challenge your candidates and political leaders - now and after the elections are over - to lead the world in the struggle to cut global poverty in half by 2015. If you who know the Truth will not speak for us who will?

The Church in the United States has the opportunity today to be faithful to the Hope that it preaches. We urge you to remember that the Hope to which you were called as a messenger demands that you seek first the Kingdom of God and God's justice.

Out of love for us, the global Church, in holiness, use your citizenship responsibly for the benefit of the entire world; it is for this very reason that the Lord poured out His life on the Cross.

All who have ears, let them hear what the Lord says to His Church.

Ndaba Mazabane

President

Association of Evangelicals in Southern Africa

Bishop Gerry Seale

General Secretary/CEO

Evangelical Association of the Caribbean

Dr. Richard Howell

General Secretary

Evangelical Fellowship of India

Rev Moss Ntlha

General Secretary

Evangelical Alliance of South Africa

C. Rene Padilla

President

Kairos (Peru)

Pastor Owen Isaacs

General Secretary

Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana

Bishop Efraim Tendero

President

Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches

Rev Heng Cheng

General Secretary/CEO

Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia

Bishop Paul Mususu

Executive Director/CEO

Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia

Rev Bambang Semedi

General Secretary

Southern Part Sumatera Christian Church

Dr. Reynaldo R. Avante

National Coordinator

Micah Challenge Philippines

Bishop Mano Rumalshah

Bishop

Diocese of Peshawar (Pakistan)

Alfonso Weiland

Co-founder

Paz y Esperanza (Peru)

Erika Izquierdo

Paz y Esperanza (Peru)

Lawrence Tempfwe

National Facilitator

Micah Challenge Zambia

Rev Joe Simfukwe

Principal

Bible College of Central Africa

João Pedro Martins

National Coordinator

Micah Challenge Portugal

Rev Soleman Batti

Chairman

The Toraja Church (Indonesia)

Rev Untung S.K. Wijayaputra

President

The Toraja Mamasa Church (Indonesia)

d'Karlo Pyrba

Director

YABIMA Foundation (Indonesia)

Semuel Takajanji

Director

Kuda Putih Sejahtera Foundation (Indonesia)

Rev Iskandar Saher

Executive Director

Center for the Development of Holistic Ministry (Indonesia)

Gahungu Bunini*

General Secretary

Evangelical Alliance of Rwanda

*Signed on with the names of 16 pastors in the Evangelical Alliance of Rwanda

Bishop Mano Rumalshah

Bishop

Diocese of Peshawar (Pakistan)

Rev Michael Dasey

Rector

Gungahlin Anglican Church (Australia)

Rev Geoffrey Taylor

Director

SoulSupply (Australia)

Rev. Paul Craig

Senior Pastor

Diamond Valley Baptist Church (Australia)

Rev Greg Templeton

Pastor
Sydenham Baptist Church (Australia)

Morris Alex

Pastor

Souls Outreach Church

Captain Robert Casburn,

Commanding Officer

The salvation Army Northern Waves Fellowship (Australia)

[from http://www.micahchallenge.us/letter_to_the_church.shtml]

Green with Envy?

Jeremy and I have been working hard on Jeremy's green card lately. A couple of weeks ago, we finally sent of all the forms (which gave us both an incredible lightness), along with a huge collection of recent pay checks. Meanwhile, we underwent another rather stressful process of making sure that all our taxes and income files were complete, up-to-date, and giving Uncle Sam all the money he needs from us - an important process, since we had to report all our income and assets on the green card forms. Meanwhile, we got confirmation that our paperwork had been received and is being processed as we speak - as well as some money back from fees that we apparently didn't need to pay!

After some internet research, we learned some great news: the center which is processing our forms is one of the fastest in the country, and should give us the green card itself within three months of their receiving the forms. This should put us somewhere around Christmas, which hopefully won't delay the process, and may make us change some of our plans during Jeremy's Christmas break - but would be a great Christmas present!

Meanwhile, life as usual continues. We're currently trying to solve Charlie's poison breath problems; his adult teeth are coming in, which makes it really hard to brush them - it just makes his gums bleed. So, we bought a dental treat and a teeth cleaning toy, which will hopefully let Charlie give us kisses without leaving us smelling like horrible, horrible doggy breath.

Also, Jeremy's birthday is tomorrow (Happy Birthday!) and mine is on Monday, so we're looking forward to a birthday date. Jeremy and I have been longing to go to an Ethiopian restaurant over in Easttown Grand Rapids - but have felt too guilty spending money on eating out - so we're using our birthdays as an excuse to go out to eat and buy the Planet Earth series DVDs, both of which we've been wanting to do for a long time (and the DVDs were on a HUGE sale...) Meanwhile, we're looking forward to a brunch with Jeremy's parents, grandma, and uncle (who is coming from Malaysia to pick up his grandma and bring her back home) soon, as well as Jeremy's parents' gift to us - dinner at probably the most high-end restaurant in Grand Rapids.

Anyway, that's the latest news from here! Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of fantastic pictures to share...so I'll spare you more shots of Charlie. :) When I have some cool ones, I'll let you know.