its both

Over the last six weeks, i've been thinking of several things i read or listened to, from my old church in Oregon to other blogs or postings. My first reaction to most of what i heard was emotional...all were on issues I care passionately about - Kingdom living and social justice. The first two things I heard were from Danny, the pastor at my old church talking about reformation of our inward being to live for the Kingdom - the second was from this blog i occasionally read called Accidental Traveler about the author's struggles with her behavioral patterns that did not meet the standards of Kingdom living. The second was a blog posting on Relevant Magazine - and I cannot find the link but I will post it when I do find it again.

Basically, the arguments put forth is that what is inside of us is what counts - free from sin, impurity of the heart and mind, demonstrating grace, showing God's redemption. I get how these are important for Yeshua himself said it is "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Mt. 12:34). It is vital that we, as children of God, allow him and his word, which has been written in our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33b), to change us within. We need to be above reproach, be holy in our mannerisms.

But thinking higher thoughts also means thinking beyond ourselves. Over and over I hear in Church how we can improve ourselves - we must bring the "unsaved" to church so they can be saved, we must follow the ten commandments, and not be "worldly." Yet at these same churches, the Pastor gets up and asks the thousand before him for 3 million dollars in three weeks for some reason unknown to anybody sane. I mean, this place has a bloody parking garage, and police escorting traffic. Higher thoughts mean we do not fall victim to the system - seeking the treasures of this world, seeking to elevate ourselves while our brothers and sisters go hungry. Higher thoughts, kingdom living is just as much about bettering the world around us as it is about bettering ourselves. Both are important - only one though, is a true fruit that Yeshua talked about earlier in Matthew 12. This is why social justice matters and should matter to more who profess to be part of the kingdom of God.

I recall reading a comment somewhere that the government is not supposed to take care of the poor and needy because that is the church's job. Well church, where are you? I know some open their doors to the homeless in the evenings, run soup kitchens, but where are the churches banging on the doors of government and asking it to do something about those who are the losers in globalization? Now in my past employments, I've been fortunate to meet individuals to who touch my heart with their passion for justice - resulting in the creation of the Trafficking in Persons and International Religious Freedom offices within the United States government. I wish churches displayed more of that passion rather than advancing book sales of Hagee and the likes.

"the kingdom is within you. It will either expand you or break you."

beyond oneself

I went on vacation recently, to my home, which I love and miss. Immediately upon landing in my second home, I was blasted by rudeness and pain in the ass delays: pilot circling Baltimore for 20 minutes with no cabin update, 30 minute wait for luggage, shuttle bus driver immediately rude when I ask him to wait for my husband who was juggling three bags, elevator in parking garage broken, healthy organic supermarket with the scantiest bulk foods aisle ever. I mean, WTF over, especially on the last one. How far will i have to travel to buy some blasted split peas.
I also came home to a whirl of news. Israel bombarding Gaza, Hamas bombarding Israel. Flashes of 2006 rhetoric over and over again. Bombs going off in Pakistan, Russia cutting Ukraine's natural gas supply, Sri Lankan army overtaking Tamil Tiger stronghold and sister-in-law's cancer worst than thought.

WOW. overwhelming.

There is so much out there - life is so much than ourselves, and our perceived problems (like lots o' books and not so many bookshelves, disheveled closet, wondering if I made the right career choice, etc). As a follower of God, we need to stop everything and pray for our world, his Kingdom. Doing Kingdom work isn't just about the nine-to-five or the volunteer work. Its caring about the things the Maker of the Universe cares about.

His people, all created in his image. Whether they be Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians, Ukrainians who may freeze without more gas, and others suffering right now, living in fear, living without peace.

The Psalmist tells us to "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem." (Ps. 122:6). Yeshua tells us to pray for those who persecute us (Mt 5:43). Saul (Paul) however you may feel about his writings, encourages the Philippians to "not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Ph. 2: 6).

We all know things may not turn out the way we want them to. and its scary. But being a servant in God's Kingdom demands that we think beyond ourselves, and the bubble we created for ourselves, and start caring for those all around us, throughout the four corners of the earth. Its part of Kingdom living.

BeGods

Sorry once again for the delay - I have simply been distracted.

One of the books I have been reading lately is "The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation" by Brad Young. Really thought provoking so far. One thought that hit me, as I obviously have politics on my mind with the election and all the talk surrounding me in DC, is a point Young raises on p 10.

Young is explaining the meaning of parable, Mashal in Hebrew. In ancient Hebrew tradition, parables are a way of telling a story about God, as we know from what is recorded about Yeshua throughout the gospels. It is a way to reveal something about God and also conveys a moral story.

What I was struck by is the description of this verse "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God things that are God's" found in Luke 20:25, Matt 22:21 and Mark 12:17. Young says, "In Judaism, Haggadah inspires esteem for others by calling to remembrance God and each person who is created in his image...The Bible simply describes the story of creation, Haggadah reveals the ones created in God's image in the nameless faces of all humanity."

The verse above is a parable - something I wouldn't have thought until I opened up Young's book. When Yeshua is asked about if its lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, he makes one simple point: this coin has Caesar's image on it. Therefore, it belongs to Caesar. On the contrary, we all bear the image of God on our likeness. Therefore, we belong to God.

This hit me hard. Whatever I feel about myself, I belong to God. Whatever you may feel about God, you cannot escape him for you are made in his image. Whatever happens, we belong to God because our image reflects him. period. for good or for bad too - which is a scary thought. Let us hope we reflect at least a fraction of his goodness.

shabbat shalom

Rejoice!

Two thoughts, neither of which are my own but nevertheless..

“I think we all sin by needlessly disobeying the apostolic injunction to " rejoice" as much as by anything else”.
-who else but CS Lewis

You have been invited to meet The Friend
No one can resist a Divine Invitation
That narrows down all our choices to just two:
We can come to God dressed for dancing
or
be carried on a stretcher to God's ward
-the lovely Hafiz

I think I'll take the dancing!

CSL

I adore CS Lewis. In fact, I used to joke that he was meant for me, if I had been born at a much earlier time and until I met my dear love. CSL was wholly devoted to his Maker, as a good skeptic can only be. As an atheist that discovered God he met his doubts face to face and took them on. I'm not saying that to truly believe, we have to doubt, but to know that we know that we know (yikes, I just quoted Sarah Palin!), sometimes we need to dig deep into ourselves and lay the doubt out before us. I love his balanced approach to spirituality. I also love how he dwelled in the details, like any good philospher, without losing sight of the vision. He reminds me a bit of rabbi - writing and observing his faith, aware of the irony, facing the difficulties, and always, with humor. I also love how he made nature so romantic. One of these days, I shall journey to the rolling green hills of the UK so I too can experience what inspired him.

So over the course of the next days, I will share some of my favorite CS Lewis quotes with you:

"Looking for God - or heaven - by exploring space is like reading or seeing all Shakespeare's plays in the hope that you will find Shakespeare as one of the characters or Stratford as one of places. Shakespeare is in one sense present at every moment in every play. But he is never present in the same way as Falstaff or Lady Macbeth. Nor is he diffused throughout the play like a gas. If there were an idiot who thought plays existed on their own, without an author...our belief in Shakespeare would not be much affected by his saying, quite truly, that he had studied all the plays and never found Shakespeare in them.

"I am not suggesting at all that the existence of God is as easily established as the existence of Shakespeare. My point is that if God does exist, He is related to the universe more as an author is related to a play than as one object in the universe is relatd to another...To some, God is discoverable everywhere; to others, nowhere. Those who do not find Him on earth are unlikely to find Him in space. (Hang it all, we're in space already; every year we go a huge circular tour in space.) But send a saint up in a space ship and he'll find God in space as he found Him on earth. much depends on the seeing eye"
-The Seeing Eye, Christian Reflections.