race and the death penalty

Anyone who thinks racism is dead in our country needs only to look at the death penalty and our justice system as a whole. This photograph was taken by my friend Scott Langley at an execution in Austin, TX just a few years ago. Racism still takes many forms in our society, and the death penalty uncovers some serious problems with race in our justice system and our society as a whole.

With the ongoing debate over immigration reform and other hot topics, it is obvious that racism and discrimination still exist in our society and that as our society and culture change, the face of racism will change as well. Sure, it might not look like it did in the Jim Crow south, but it still exists, and I would argue, there are those who would love nothing more than to reinstate Jim Crow laws.

As Christians, we should be on the forefront of equality movements and denounce racism as it exists in our country today. Unfortunately, we as a church seem to be afraid to take bold stances in controversial times. I say it's time we got ourselves into a little trouble.

the interconnectedness of all actions and finally a time to use the word interconnectedness

After several conversations with friends, I've come to this conclusion: our actions do not exist in a vacuum. That is to say, everything we do is connected to something or someone else. This eliminates the notion of a "personal" decision, because ultimately, no decision affects only one person. Whether we acknowledge it or not, our actions have consequences, not just in our lives, but in the lives of those around us. The consequences of our actions extend even beyond the human race, as we are seeing with global warming and the daily addition of endangered species around the globe. We have so bought into the myth of individualism and "freedom" that we believe our actions are ours and ours alone. This simply is not true.

This is not true in a spiritual context, either. As Christians, we are a part of a Body, or family if you will. The myth of a "personal" faith is detrimental to the world. It creates a faith that is only inward and not outward. There is no better example of how the church has taught this than the question so many of us have heard; "Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?" Jesus as our personal Savior places the emphasis on us.

As Brian McLaren notes, "In a self-centered and hell-centered salvation, doesn't Jesus- like every company and political party- appeal to me on the basis of self-interest so that I can have it all eternally and can do so cheaply, conveniently, easily, and quickly?"

McLaren goes on to say "I still believe that Jesus is vitally interested in saving me and you by individually judging us, by forgiving us of our wrongs, and teaching us to live in a better way. But I fear that for too many Christians, "personal salvation" has become another personal consumer product (like personal computers, a personal journal, personal time, etc.), and Christianity has become its marketing program."

I think McLaren is on to something. We as Christians have fallen into the trap of individualism, and have forgotten John 3:16; "For God so loved the world..." We tend to forget that Jesus' death and resurrection were for the entire earth and all that is in it. Saying that Jesus died "for me" places far too much emphasis on myself and blinds me from seeing that the salvation of the world has already taken place. Our role as Christians isn't to "save" others; it is to awaken them to the reality that they have already been saved, and to call them to follow the One who saved them. I'm not calling for universalism; I am simply saying that if we are to claim to have Good News, we have to understand that generally speaking, "news" refers to something that has happened or is happening. Salvation isn't something that's waiting around to happen in each person "individually" as they accept Jesus as their "personal Savior"; rather, it is something that has happened already, and the next step is to be awakened to that salvation within us. I really believe if we started seeing salvation for what it really is, we'd stop fighting over the few lifeboats and concern ourselves with saving the entire ship.

Our actions do not exist in a vacuum. And neither does our salvation.

true fasting

Isaiah 58

1 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.

2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.

3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?

6 "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?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

dear reader

i realize there are several people who read this (all three of you), and i would like to hear from you! if you come across this collection of thoughts, please say 'hello' and introduce yourself! i'm a friendly person, i promise!

UPDATE: i fixed it so anyone can comment. comment away!

our world is broken...

As you've probably heard, a jury has sentenced Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison instead of giving him a death sentence. I realize there are mixed emotions surrounding this decision, but I believe the jury made the right decision. Several 9/11 family members agree. Read the article by clicking the photo above.

In other news, the state of Ohio tortured a man for an hour and a half before killing him. Read about it here.

gather round friends, tell another joke at the ol' choppin' block

you may be wondering, dear reader, what i have been up to as of late. well, let me tell you kind friend. i have had several joyous evenings with incredible friends in the past week, ranging from sitting around a fire at a backyard cookout to dancing to jazz at a speakeasy party to sharpening my modeling talent. yes, indeed, i have been quite busy, but i have been happy.