Awakenings

BEING the Answer to our Prayers – Part 2

Awakenings

March 14, 2012

Have you ever asked “what if?” What if I won a million dollars? or What if I hadn’t eaten all those beans last night? or What if I had actually studied for that test? There are so many “what-if” questions out there. Here’s another one: What if we were to actually live a kingdom of love and justice and compassionate action? What if Jesus actually meant what He said? What if the reality found in Luke 4:18 was lived out and not just read, spoken of, or quoted?

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free.”

If the above words (Luke 4:18) were actually lived out, phrase by phrase, this is how I think the reality would look:

– The Spirit of the Lord is upon me –

God is LOVE and this Spirit, LOVE, is the essence that changes the world. When this Spirit is on me and you, and IN me and you, that is how the Revolution begins.

– He has anointed me –

You and I and all of us who are alive at this time in history are anointed. We are all sacred, so therefore we all must protect the sacredness of each other – no matter where we are from. And this anointing is of LOVE, which as Cornel West says, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” We are all anointed, but we all can choose to reject this mindset of anointing – this mindset of LOVE/JUSTICE – and we can choose to live a different culture of walls and selfishness and materialism. Whatever we do with the time we’ve been given, one thing is for sure: we will make ripple effects, regardless of what we choose to live for.

– Bring Good News to the poor –

Bringing good news to the poor is not necessarily about preaching. What good does preaching do for people who do not have food, clothes, a shelter, or basic human rights? They need “good news” in the form of actions and needs met. Like the old saying says: “actions speak louder than words.” In fact, most communication specialists say that words only constitute 7% of communication, tone of voice is 23% of communication, and body language, or actions, is 70% of communication. So what good does it do someone in need if I tell them God loves them, but I don’t prove it by my actions in helping to provide some basic needs? If God does love them, and that LOVE is on me and in me, I will do so much more than mere words. As Saint Francis of Assisi put it: “Preach the Gospel to all the world; and if necessary, use words.”

– He has sent me –

To be sent means that there is something greater beyond my little box, my little world, and my little reality. There is a need that must be met, and if I don’t step outside myself, then someone’s universe will be lacking. And we are all sent. To be sent means to leave something and go somewhere else. I believe this place we are to leave is not necessarily a physical location, but it is a me-culture, a kingdom of selfishness and greed and materialism that is constantly shouting at us, surrounding us, and pulling at us. We are to leave that mindset behind and go…

– Proclaim that captives be released –

If I have the ability to proclaim that captives be released, that means that I am in a position of freedom and power to do so. In other words, a lot of people could say that releasing captives is someone else’s “job” or “calling”. But if the spirit of LOVE is upon us, I am in a position of liberating others, regardless of who I am. This LOVE has liberated me, so that I can then liberate others. When we are experiencing any kind of freedom in our experience, be it financial freedom, educational freedom, spiritual freedom, the freedom of a geographical location (do I live in a country that gives me the freedom and resources to choose my direction in life), then it is our duty to proclaim freedom to every living soul. And I can do this “proclaiming” in so many ways: I can offer financial assistance; I can educate and raise awareness for others; I can share my LOVE through small acts of kindness with every sacred person I come in contact with; I can use the status of where I live as a power to help those who don’t live in a free situation; and I can use my talents to change the corners of the world I find myself in. And the list could go on. This is what it means to “proclaim.” It’s not just about updating my Facebook status or making a speech, it’s living a reality of proclaiming through every miniscule task, tweet, text, email, purchase, smile, conversation, etc. that another world is possible! That there is a reality of freedom that belongs to every single soul on this spinning planet. I must proclaim! Every single moment of every single day, I will choose to proclaim!

-That the blind will see –

What if “the blind” is referring to me? What if I am the blind, unaware of human need and suffering? What if I am the one shutting my eyes from the atrocities of evil that surround me? What if I am the one who can help to end suffering, but I close my eyes tightly shut because to see that suffering and acknowledge it, means that I must now get involved. And to get involved would mean that I change my way of living for myself. To shut my eyes keeps me safe, and naive, and comfortable, and clean, and sterile, and especially keeps me from being accountable. As the quote from Spiderman says, “with great power comes great responsibility.” So if I choose not to see that side of the fence, I can have an excuse not to move. And so many times we choose to believe the lies of advertisements which scream at us: “You deserve that!” “Don’t help others – they got themselves in that situation.” And we turn into the Pharisee that prays “Thank you God that I am not one of them.” We feel justified to only look in the mirror and build up our kingdom of self. And when someone does shine the light on a situation to raise awareness, many times we shrink back and close our eyes tighter, trying to make excuses for not getting involved. But the flip side of shutting my eyes is to settle for a reality of living that keeps me cold, empty, selfish, bitter, greedy, bored, tired, entitled, bigoted, and ignorant. It keeps me devoid of LOVE. But when I let LOVE heal me, when I open my eyes to the world around me, beyond me, and the poverty within me, I can see through a different lens – a lens of compassion, justice and mercy, and I will be compelled to take action. But just remember: the first time you see, it may hurt – the awareness of light may hurt our eyes cuz we are so used to darkness. As we experience compassion, it may hurt because now we are involved, but it also means that we are alive and I have found that this hurt propels me into compassionate action. As Mother Teresa says: “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

-That the oppressed will be set free-

Oppression is defined as “Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control, and the state of being subject to such treatment or control.” We are to set free those who are victims of cruel, unjust treatment, or cruel, unjust control. Every person who is in this condition is my responsibility to get involved and unlock their chains. This ties into “proclaiming”, cuz not only do I proclaim, but I am to care. I have to become invested. I choose to do what is in my means of control to break the chains of oppression.

However, what if this last step, “the oppressed will be set free” is also referring to you and me? Aren’t we under cruel and unjust treatment and control? And most of it we put on ourselves by believing lies of financial debt, entitled living, non-involvement, social status, living-for-self, and compartmentalized outlooks on the world.

Oppression of the soul.

Chains that we perhaps put on ourselves, or we let society put on us.

Chains that are constantly trying to suffocate our passions, dreams, and empathy.

These chains are trying to make a captive out of you and a captive out of me.

What if this is the oppression that steals at us? What if this is the oppression that locks up our freedom to be who we were meant to be for this time in earth’s history? How do I become a captive? Usually the chains that attempt to shackle us are greed, selfish living, a sense of entitlement, apathy, pride, distractions from my purpose, noise, disdain for others, blindness to the condition of my brothers and sisters around the world, or maybe it’s discouragement or fear…and the list could go on. I must recognize these chains that are constantly trying to wrap around my soul, and squelch my passion and my ability to take action. I must be reminded that I am defined by something so much greater than my title, status, social class, etc. I must be reminded that I am FREE. That when myself or others come and try to lock my soul back up in expectations or apathy or selfish-paper-castle-living, that I am FREE from all those voices. I am defined by something so much greater. I am defined by LOVE. And it is there that the cycle starts over again: The Spirit of Love is upon me and in me…and that is what defines my journey, and that is what propels me to see and celebrate every living soul for the sacred, beautiful creation that they are. One World. One Love. One Life…. Let’s do something!

Being the Answer to Our Prayers – Part 1

Awakenings

3 comments

March 10, 2012

I am blown away, seriously. When I first saw the words “KONY 2012” and word of some video on the internet, I overlooked it, thinking it was just another random video. I was kinda annoyed, really, as I scrolled through my Facebook status updates and kept seeing this “KONY 2012” statement over and over again. That was Monday. Then I started seeing more of it Tuesday. Some of my Facebook friends suggest I watch it right away, but when I saw how long the video was, I was discouraged cuz I just didn’t have the time right then and there. Finally, by Wednesday morning, I had 30 minutes to spare, and so I opened the video up and began to watch…

I was spellbound right away. I was brought to tears. I was reminded, once again, of the sanctity of human life. I was reminded to not be apathetic. I was reminded that there are more important things out in the world happening besides checking my Facebook status…although ironically I had to check Facebook to see the video ;). And I was impassioned to do what I could do at that moment. And so I hit the “SHARE” button, not knowing at the time that I was participating in history, helping to make this video go viral – literally.

I didn’t know at the time that the video had only been released at noon on Monday – two days prior to my viewing it. And by the time I watched it, 2 days later after release, it had received over 5 million views on YouTube. By Wednesday evening, YouTube viewings jumped to 11 million. By Thursday morning, viewings were at 27 million. And on this day, Friday evening, only a little over 5 days from posting the video, YouTube viewings are at 60 million and climbing. On a recent interview on the Piers Morgan show, Jason Russell and Ben Keesey of Invisible Children, the organization behind the video, hope that it gets to a billion views. They say that it went above and beyond their expectations and they are simply blown away. (To see the interview with Piers Morgan, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MSYdMsfsbc) On an interview with CBS news, Invisible Children‘s Jedidiah Jenkins states that their goal was to get 500,000 views of the video by the end of 2012. Well, that happened probably in the first 24 hours! (To see the whole CBS interview, click here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505266_162-57394045/charity-defends-kony-2012-video-expenses/).

This truly is an amazing thing. Videos have gone viral before, but to have a video that is 29 minutes long, and is raising awareness about justice, and to have it go this crazy within days, shows the power of not only social media, but also reveals to the world the desire for justice that we have for our fellow humankind. My husband said it this way: There are an estimated 27 million slaves in the world today. In 5 days a video has had more than 60 million views – proving that people can make a difference and that every person has the power to change the world. If every person did something for just one other person, could it be possible to eradicate such things as slavery, hunger, poverty? According to these numbers, I believe so. I mean, we weren’t having these conversations a week ago…We, as a human race, are indeed powerful…especially when coupled with the power of social media.

But it all comes down to choice. There are some great questions being asked about this whole KONY 2012 thing, and many great discussions and answers are taking place. And then there are a lot of people who have seen this as an oppurtunity to sit back and point fingers and be critical. Some of them have good questions to ask, but then there are many of them who are making ignorant statements, or are seeing all the hype and trying to put their two cents in to get some of the spotlight. And then there are those who have actually said things to the effect of “what can we really do? If we take KONY down, then another evil person will rise up to take his place, and what about all the other evil people in the world?” This line of logic makes me crazy. Cuz the underlying message is this: “since there will always be evil people in our world, why even do anything good? Evil will always win, so let’s just do nothing.” Bury our heads in the sand. Live for self. It’s as if we don’t like being faced with the fact that maybe we could, actually, change the world. It’s like we are suddenly afraid that, could it be true, we have far greater potential for power and change than we had ever hoped? But that thought is so frightening, that we shut it out with remarks like “well, someone else will take KONY’s place, so….” So what, we shouldn’t even try?? As Edmund Burke says, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

What if what we’ve just witnessed with the KONY 2012 going viral the way it has, is proof and evidence that we already have the tools to change this world, to fight injustice, to live and uphold love, to promote and actually experience love to all humankind, beyond race and border and country? What if what Jesus said is true – that another world is possible? What if the only thing holding us back from experiencing this reality of love is us?

I will close with this verse taken from Luke 4:18, where at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry He quotes:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”

What if we all were to quote this – and then take it far beyond a quote and actually LIVE it? What if instead of videos going viral, a lifestyle of love, compassionate action, justice, and mercy were to go viral the way this KONY 2012 video has? What if we were to inspire each other as we made the above-mentioned kingdom a living reality, and others were impacted with witnessing the change, and so started to step out and love others, and they hit “SHARE” and began living this kingdom, too? What if others saw that passion, and then started to try it out and then others jumped on and the ripple effects went crazy and we, as the human race, actually became a reality of compassion, love, justice and mercy?

You know how some people say that when they pray it seems like God isn’t answering their prayer, cuz look at all the evil that is still in the world. And we pray for it to stop, and there just seems to be more and more evil. But could it be God already answered our prayer? What if God has answered our prayers, and the answer lies within us, right now?? And as we question God with “why won’t you answer our prayer and stop all the injustice in the world,” maybe He answers back and says, “I did: Look in the mirror!” One thing is for sure: we are more powerful than we realize.

To watch the KONY 2012 video, check it out! To find out more about Invisible Children, go here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

The Rat Race

Awakenings

2 comments

March 6, 2012

(I wrote this a few years back and ran across it yesterday. It was a good reminder from my past self. Hope it can lift you up today!):

Do you ever have days when you don’t think you can take another step? When the routine of the day-in-day-out seems like crusted mud that has dried on your soul, where tire marks reveal the signs of being driven over and over again? Do you ever feel so empty inside that you don’t even feel broken, just cast aside like an old frumpy dust cloth, lying at the bottom of a heap of old, forgotten, unimportant laundry that hasn’t been washed in months. The world rushes on as if driven by some insane train conductor, where the breaks have gone out, and you feel like you have to run along-side it and match it’s speed, yet be sure you don’t break a sweat so as not to draw worried attention. Do you ever feel like you’ve accidentally set your soul down on a park bench somewhere and oops, forgot to pick it back up? Like you’re wandering aimlessly, a shallow empty shell of the human species searching for something; what you know not. Just as long as you search, as long as the tires spin and the air fills with smoke, you are living, and so you rush to chase after…after what?

And then suddenly you run into an unexpected alley where there is a deadend and your footsteps echo as you come to a stop. This isn’t where I was heading. How did I get here? And you stop. And it feels good to stop. But your brain tells you you can’t stop. And it doesn’t matter that it’s a stinky alley with trash rotted into the asfault, it just feels good to take a hush moment. And the still small voice comes whispering into the alley like a lonely afternoon breeze: “what are you doing? where are you madly rushing to? And why?” And as my breath races and my brain screams that I’m losing the race, the quiet reaches somewhere deep in my soul and almost convinces me that this is what i’m searching and rushing towards…and i begin to relax. Tense muscles slowly letting loose, breath slowing to a steady pattern. And here, in this alley of a deadend street, i start to see that herein lies my destination of fulfiillment. my eureka of longing deep inside. my answer to the question of who am i. I’ve been madly rushing past so many silent alleys for so long. I collapse in a heap at the edge of a dumpster, and as i smell the stench of rotting trash, i realize it’s full of my attempts at self – accomplishments and duty-bound exercises of self-significance.

I can’t take the pace anymore. I can’t carry the burdens anymore. And so i let go. Nothing at all to give except to just be. And then it occurs to me as I watch the madness of the traffic from my alley hideout: could this be the destination everyone is rushing to attain? Peace. Peace with self and God. Honesty of the fragile grass I am. Wouldn’t it be ironic that in the mad rat race, we are really just running from the truth of who we are and Who He is. That we are not God. That we truly were meant to just be still. That in that moment we are then found and fulfilled…. I don’t have all the answers. All I have is me, raw, chipped, grey (have you ever thought of your emotions as colors?), marred, empty, dry, wrung-out, helpless, demanded, creationless, even dreamless at the moment, and scared of my weaknesses…but it’s nice to finally see all of them in one place. And so the beauty of honesty begins to dawn on my mind…what will I choose to do with this silent beautiful moment? Only what role I choose to run in the race will tell…

Bullhorn Religion

Awakenings

2 comments

March 3, 2012

It was a beautiful day. Sun out, birds singing. It was the kind of day you feel free and there are 101 things to do, and they all seem possible. But then it happened. I could see them coming from afar, agenda written all over their face. Smiling on the outside, overly excited, but you know the cartoon dollar signs that appear in cartoon eyes? That’s what I could see when they looked at me. Like a moth being drawn to the flame, they came at me – assuming that I so desperately need what they have to offer. Assuming that I am lost. And so, there I was – whittled down to a number, an agenda, a goal to reach and push. I was a box to put a check mark in. And even though the sun was still shining, it was as if a small cloud appeared.

I’m sure you’ve experienced or seen the same thing. People who are convicted that they need to push their ideas or views of “God” on others, and that’s the highlight of their existence. They can appear as people thrusting religious tracts into your hands, or holding signs claiming that “God” feels a certain way about other people’s sins, or maybe they’re yelling into a bullhorn informing everyone of coming doom or of a “hell” that should motivate us to make a change. It makes me sad and embarrassed.

And to vent for a moment, when have you ever seen people swarming to an angry religious person yelling into a bullhorn, telling everyone that they’re gonna die? When have you ever seen people come to them and say, “tell me more! This is so interesting! Wow, you’ve changed my life!” ? And to be honest, when a tract is being pushed into my hands, I always wonder, “why doesn’t this person want to look me in the eye and have a conversation? Does this person want to hear about my heart and how my day is?” And then there are the signs saying horribly degrading things about “God’s” thoughts towards others…really? That’s your best way to spread your opinion and try to get everyone to believe and follow your “God”? Really??

I like this guy's approach to the other signs 🙂

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m sure tracts have a place for some people. And maybe bullhorns are good if you’re trying to get people’s attention in a large crowd at a certain event. And picketing with signs can be a good thing for some events, but when it comes to a concept of God and His love (or hate) and thoughts about people, it’s just so tacky and disgusting. The time and energy that is put into making tracts, or yelling at people, or making signs, I feel could be better spent in actually doing acts of love, justice, and compassion for others. Or maybe listening to people with no agenda at all, except to just listen and hear a human soul. Or maybe to really look into the eyes of another sacred human brother or sister, and just see them for the beautiful creation they are, right here, right now. What if all the time that is spent in creating ways to push religion on others, would rather be spent in living a life of love to others and for others? But to listen to someone, or see someone, or come alongside someone…well, that would take way too much time and energy – it’s much easier and much more safe and sterile to just hand someone a tract…

It’s crazy how people can believe in a Being called “GOD” and there are so many different ideas and versions about Who this Being is. I don’t believe in a God that is yelled about, or put on a sign, or confined to a tract. The God I believe in cannot be caged. The God I know has a nickname, and in case you haven’t heard it, it’s “LOVE.” The God I know, loved hanging out with real, everyday people, and never treated any human soul as an agenda or a number or a box to put a check mark in. The God I know went to hell already, so we don’t have to. In fact, the God I know is with me and you and everyone else in the world (regardless of race, gender, social class, or religious beliefs) in every situation we find ourselves in – there’s nothing that can shock Him or offend Him. The God I know is at the receiving end of slurs, hate crimes, and is NOT the one holding the signs condemning people, nor did He commission people to do so. In fact, I believe the way we “take the name of the Lord in vain” (mentioned from the 10 commandments) is not necessarily saying OMG, but rather it is when we claim we know God, but then misrepresent His character of Love and screw His reputation to others, by doing things in the name of God that are not of God at all (don’t forget God’s nickname: LOVE).

So put down the bullhorn and let acts of LOVE, JUSTICE, COMPASSIONATE ACTION, AND MERCY shout out from every pore of your being! Instead of passing out religious tracts with mere words on them, become what James 1:27 speaks of when it says, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress…” – take the time and investment to become more than mere words to someone. Put down the hateful signs, and show true signs of love, justice, compassionate action and mercy to others. Perhaps what it comes down to, is that to believe in a God of LOVE is to let go of control. Cuz when there are no agendas, when there are no ways to keep track of my righteousness weighed against other’s sins, when I let go of my control and just love and live in active compassion and just BE, that is a moment of the Divine. That is when the mystery of God’s character can be glimpsed in the mundane of human imperfection!

A Lifestyle of Love – But Where to Start?!

Awakenings

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February 28, 2012

Do you remember when you were a kid and your room would be a complete disaster – and a parent maybe told you to clean your room, and it would seem so overwhelming?! I remember what my mother used to tell me: “start by making your bed.” And it always seemed to help. For some reason, that made the daunting task of cleaning the cluttered room actually seem possible. Why? Looking back, maybe that’s the most noticeable thing in the room? Maybe it’s a mind-game that perhaps if I can make that look all neat and clean, then it gives me motivation and fortitude to tackle the other, smaller piles and messes? Or, perhaps, it’s because that’s the easiest mess to start with. I sleep in the bed every night, so therefore it’s the easiest thing to fix right away cuz it hasn’t had time to acquire piles on top of it. After making my bed, it always seemed that the room eventually got cleaned up, as long as I stayed focused on finishing what I started.

When it comes to living a life of this reality, “Small things with Great Love”, at first the task can seem daunting. Our lives, which have been scattered with “stuff” appear out-of-whack and we see the need to organize, and clean up. But it can appear to be discouraging. So my advice? Start with the “bed.” What is one thing in your life that you can control and change right now? Remember, it’s small things with great love behind it. What would “making the bed” look like in a normal person’s life? Here’s some suggestions, some taken from real, every-day people:

-If you like chocolate, start buying only Fair Trade Chocolate. This is a quick, easy way to vote with your dollar. To get motivated on why to buy fair trade chocolate, see the video here: http://documentaryheaven.com/the-dark-side-of-chocolate/

-Go to World Vision and decide to sponsor a child. For only $30 a month, you provide meals, healthcare and an education. That’s about $1 a day!

-Become a big brother or big sister to a child who doesn’t have a father or mother, or a positive adult in their life. To find out more, check this out:http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962335/k.BE16/Home.htm

-Instead of spending so much on cable TV or Dish, opt out for a lower bundle and use the amount of money you would spend every month saving to go on a mission or humanitarian trip, or donate to a cause of your choice.

-Use moments and opportunities that present themselves to you as a moment to trade. My brother started a website called Trade for Freedom. You can check it out at www.tradeforfreedom.org. In it, he wants to use different things in his life to trade for the freedom of a human being. For instance, instead of getting a certain drink he likes, he’s going to put that money toward International Justice Mission where a slave can be freed. He had a moment this past weekend where someone vandalized his car, and instead of buying the hood ornament (about $40 on ebay), he is donating that money to IJM – he’s trading for freedom. As he puts it, “I don’t want to just send money off and not have to be too closely involved. I want to be closely involved. I want to make more of an impact and to understand more and just be the change…What if I take something I don’t really need to get, and every time I would normally buy that instead I trade it for someone’s freedom? I suppose that is still donating, but I feel it’s different when there is great love behind it. And a way that we can do something really small, with great love is to trade something really small, for the freedom and rescue of a hurting lost fellow human. And it doesn’t have to be money. If I have an old computer I’m not using anymore, I’m going to sell it and donate the money to those who are on the front lines. Yes, I would love to be on the front lines. But until I can be, I can do this…I can trade for freedom.” Join him, or start your own unique journey.

These are just a few ideas. The message is clear – start somewhere, and like my mother meant when she told me to “start with making your bed”, start in the easiest place that you notice right now. And remember: It’s “Small Things with Great Love” that change the world, one step at a time. What are some things you’ve done to start living a lifestyle of love?