Reflections on my Grandfather

My grandfather has been given a couple of days to live. A week back, he was hit with a huge stroke that has left him partially paralyzed and generally unresponsive to cues. He spends most of his time with his eyes closed, but occasionally will open them to the world. My family in Minnesota has been by his side, showering him with love and presence. My grandma, who has been married to my grandpa for nearly 70 years is by his side bringing love, but is struggling to overcome her own issues that naturally come when you know you are imminently going to lose your spouse and best friend. These have been trying days.

I shared the gospel with my grandfather a couple of times…I wrote him letters that I felt God wanted me to…and have prayed for him. Those in my family feel that he knew Jesus and relied on Him as Savior. I hope and have prayed this is true.

When I found out about his imminent death, I was overcome with grief. I haven’t lost a family member since my dad died when I was very young. I was too young to even remember him, so this is actually the first death of a family member I will have to process and find God in. I guess we will see where my faith lies when the rubber hits the road….God gave me a clear refrain to pray, that I have continued to pray even up to this moment: “God, have mercy…Lord, have mercy..” That has been my plea and petition this past week. I prayed to the Lord from the depths of my heart last night, forgetting using graceful words or eloquent speech..and that is the closest I have felt His presence for a while. God, have mercy.

My grandfather can be remembered for a lot of things. He was a self-made successful businessman, a faithful husband for countless years, a shining example of dedication and perseverance. However, I will remember him as a man who loved me and others in our family deeply. I was adopted into the Walsh family over 30 years ago, and not for one day have I ever felt like an outsider. And my grandfather is a big part of that. He loved me with a fierce and devoted love. When I think and reflect upon that reality, I am comforted that his love for me is representative of God’s love for me. I was adopted into my earthly family at birth, and have since been adopted into a heavenly family..for which I have nothing but thankfulness in my heart for.

Dear Grandpa,
I love you so much. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving our family. Thank you for all of the beautiful memories and loving-kindness you gave. You are in my heart always…I will tell my son Judah about the legacy and heritage you gave us. I will lead and love my family, through the power of Jesus, the way you lead and loved grandma and all of us.
Your loving grandson,
Grant

Reimagining Repentance

John the Baptizer penetrates the heart with authority when he commands, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!”, in chapter 3 of the Gospel according to Matthew. These words are powerful and loaded with meaning.

We often hear of the idea of “repenting” or “repentance”. Many times the concept of repenting is simply equated with “personally getting right with God”, asking for “forgiveness of sin” or “individual cleansing”. While this is a correct and proper view of what is at the heart of repentance, it is also a narrow view and doesn’t fully encompass the biblical idea of the matter. The Greek word used here by John translates repentance as “changing one’s mind” or “turning away from one thing to another”, and in this case, towards God and his kingdom.

Back to John. After he says, “Repent!”, he then tells the crowds to “bear fruits worthy or repentance”. This is found in the Luke 3 passage of the same event. This highlights the definition given above, that John the Baptizer is expecting fruit or different outcomes/behaviors as repentance happens. The crowds fired back right away, asking John, “What then shall we do?” The crowds wanted to know what repentance looked like. John replied, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise” (Luke 3:11).

John is equating repenting with the movement from self to others. John is saying that repentance looks like helping those in need, the poor. The kingdom of God is at hand when we “turn away” from current selfish behavior towards the needs to the poor, marginalized, and oppressed. No wonder Jesus says in His first line of the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20).

Repentance does need to be individualized to a certain extent. We need to ask God for forgiveness of sin and be cleansed. However, to stop there is insufficient and unbiblical. Repentance also has corporate meaning within the kingdom of God. John the Baptizer said repentance looks like helping those in need. Repentance needs to bear fruit towards the commandments to “love God and love others”. Without fruit, it is worthless and idle chatter to God. The Lord in Isaiah (58) commented on empty ritual saying that fasting and prayers without concerning oneself with the oppressed or the poor or injustice is “meaningless”.

We need to embrace a comprehensive understanding of what it means to repent. I sit in my room at night asking for God’s forgiveness for having unloving thoughts towards others, or impure thoughts, or for not managing my time right…but I also need to repent for having a house full of food and a closet full of clothing. After all, John didn’t say if you have 5 pairs of jeans, give 1 away. He said if we have 2 we should do away with 1…early church fathers used to say things like, “If you have 2of such and such, one belongs to the poor.” Another thing that grabbed my attention about this passage with John is that after he “preached the good news” (funny that this is part of the good news as well) to the crowds, the crowds were questioning in their hearts whether John was the Messiah. Of course he wasn’t and John corrected them, but the point remains: this was a powerful and holy message.

In a world full of “financial security”, pension accounts, fancy cars and houses, and abundance of resources such as food at our overindulgent fingertips, it’s time to re-imagine repentance… not in a new way, but in a way as old as our faith. Please pray for me as I try to live into this life of simplicity, so others may see the love of Jesus and simply live. I will be praying for you as God leads you if you are convicted as much. If you are open to accountability, encouragement, etc. please let me know and we can journey this path together. In this with you!!

Colors of God

My book review as a contributor of such for: http://www.theooze.com/

When I first saw the title and cover for this book, my interest (and skepticism) swelled. They always say, "Don’t judge a book by its cover (or title)", but I couldn't resist. Then I read the subtitle, "Conversations about Being the Church" and immediately felt more at ease…I was interested.

“Colors of God” is a thought-provoking, compelling dialogue between 3 men trying to think about the convergence of faith, culture, and application. Author Randall Mark Peters is a former university professor who is now on television hosting a show and teaches at neXus church. He says this book shares his “journey away from religion into a world much larger and mush more beautiful.” Author Dave Phillips left the professional life of counseling and now teaches at neXus church (with Peters). The final author, Quentin Steen, works for the Christian Labour Association of Canada “making sure justice, respect, and dignity” are provided for all workers.

The format of this book is what I found the most refreshing aspect and interesting part of the entire reading. Like the church they are all tied to in one way or another, neXus, the authors use dialogue and conversation as the vehicle for sharing their convictions and message. NeXus church does this as well. The leaders at that church use an informal, conversational context for church teaching. And it has worked well there…it works well here….

The book describes 4 colors of God: Blue (the Gospel of Jesus), Green (Healthy Living), Red (community), and Yellow (Cultural Engagement). Blue is naturally the lead color and of which every other color stems from. The authors drive home the aspects of Jesus (only) as life-giver and definer. To my surprise, quite frankly, they speak of every fact of life only getting meaning from and through Jesus. They speak of grace much like Reformers would. It was quite refreshing. The rest of the book is built on that foundation, and it is good.

I would recommend this book. The format is inspiring and keeps one interested (the even have an FAQ after each section to answer questions critically), and these guys work off one another and complement one another nicely, so that you just don’t get one voice, one perspective on being the church. Granted, they often agree with one another, but it isn’t at detriment to the book because each has a unique story and perspective they bring.

World Missions: A New Era

William Carey, missionary to India, and the “father of modern day missions” first had the idea of coordinating and hosting a World Missionary Conference. He had this idea in 1810. 100 years later, this idea was realized as many Protestant denominations and missionary societies sent 1,200 delegates to the “1910 World Missionary Conference” in Edinburgh, the first world missions conference of its kind.

This conference was driven by the goal of “evangelizing the world in this generation”, a noble and stretching cause for the world of missions in that day. This goal, indeed, is as noble and stretching for our day as well. Christianity Today states, “Edinburgh 1910 marked the culmination of a century of missionary passion, drew attention to Christians outside Europe and North America, and gave birth to the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches.”

In 1974, the First International Congress on World Evangelization was held in Lausanne, Switzerland. 2,700 Evangelical leaders participated in that conference with the theme of “Let the earth hear His voice”. This conference is most known for producing the “Lausanne Covenant”, one of the most influential documents in modern Evangelical history. This Covenant included many aspects of what is regarded as Evangelical doctrine, and also included specific statements concerning holistic mission, specifically through social justice/action (section 5). Initially, before the formation of this particular document, the proponents of this understanding of integrated mission were marginalized and branded “liberals” by their more conservative counterparts. They paid a severe cost. At Urbana 2009, the largest North American Missions Conference, 17,000+ people got to hear the stories of Escobar and Padilla (the main spearheads of holistic mission who were marginalized). The point was driven home – we were the fruit of their toil and labor, as the entire 5-day Conference revolved around issues of incarnation and social justice/action in mission.

It’s hard to believe that just 30-40 years ago, Evangelical leaders were being marginalized for their commitment to social justice/action in mission. But now “God is doing a new work” as one Urbana speaker stated.

This past June, in Edinburgh, Christian leaders gathered to discuss world missions once again…100 years removed from the first World Conference in 1910. The future of mission described by this conference - “deconstructing boundaries” in the church, including ecclesiological, political, economic, and so on. “Disturbed by the asymmetries and imbalances of power that divide and trouble us in church and world, we are called to repentance, to critical reflections on systems of power, and to accountable use of power structures.” (from “Common Call”).

In Cape Town in October of this year will be the next Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization. 4,500 Evangelical leaders, from various backgrounds (i.e. 10% had to be under the age of 30, 35% had to be women, etc.) will gather to discuss missions. The future of mission – mobilizing Christians for “global solutions” to HIV/AIDS, poverty, globalization, and other global issues.

Not all that long ago my brothers and sisters in Christ were taking a stand (and getting buried) against the notion that mission was only about “vertical” relationship with God (with limited horizontal implications) and that evangelism and social concern were “mutually exclusive” endeavors. Now, in 2010, the leaders, yes indeed the followers, of the current missions movement are integrating mission with social justice/action. I, for one, am thankful and feel blessed that God has called and convicted myself and my family to serve in this time, for “such a time as this”.

The Cost: The Story of Those in Afghanistan

Every time I read about Christians being killed in Afghanistan, which has been often, my heart drops. It always comes in the blink of an eye. I open up Yahoo and the headline is inevitably on the top. It always says something like this, “Christian aid worker(s) killed in Afghanistan”. Its right at this moment my heart gets anxious and nervous. The expat community in the country is very close, very family like. And having lived there I can attest that we are all brothers and sisters. And I know one of my family has been impacted.

Since I left Afghanistan in 2007, several aid workers have been killed there. I still have pictures on my office wall of the Koreans murdered by the Taliban in late July 2007. Gayle Williams’ picture, murdered in October 2008, is next to the Koreans. I was never friends with these people, but nevertheless were impacted like a friend would be with their untimely deaths. All died with purpose. All died with Hope. All are with Jesus.

This weekend I opened up Yahoo to this headline, “8 Aid Workers Killed in Afghanistan.” Like the other headlines I have read since 2007, I immediately became anxious. I read the story of these workers who calculated risk and moved out in Call and love. I knew what they were doing and why they were doing it. Love. I then read a subsequent article that released names. Then my worst nightmare came true….

Martyrdom is no longer an abstract reality. I actually know and have interacted on a meaningful level with one of those killed a few days ago. When I read the name…my heart sank…and it sinks still…I knew in the depths of my heart that someday this could happen to a friend in Afghanistan. But I wasn’t really prepared for the reality of it.

God can turn every evil into good. I believe that. I affirm that. That is not just an abstract reality to me or thought I have. I know it’s true. I believe God will work out the blood of these servants for His glory…somehow..someway…and truth be told, I have already experienced the tiniest fraction of what He is doing with this. I am moved. I am compelled even the more for Him.

My heart mourns. But we are not a people without Hope. My prayer is that what God is showing me through this, He will show others. And that is this: The world needs to see our love, and that love needs to be moved out in real and meaningful ways. Amen.

Reclaiming the (Whole) Gospel

The Gospel according to Luke has always been a book that I have traditionally paid less attention to. The Gospel according to Matthew has always been where I tend to read about Jesus' life, mostly because of the Sermon on the Mount…Luke’s account of miracles, healings, etc. really hadn’t moved me all that much…until recently.

Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, made an intriguing statement that has stayed with me for a long time. We as Christians are constantly asking each other, “How is your spiritual life?” While this is commonplace in Evangelical Christianity, it is a question and concept rarely, if ever, found in the Canon (look up how many times the word "spiritual" shows up in the Bible). Bell goes on to state that if you or I lived in the 1st century and walked up to Jesus and asked Him, “How His spiritual life was”, we would likely get a confused look back. This is because in the Hebrew mind and worldview, there is no separation between physical and spiritual. There is no compartmentalizing. There is flesh/Spirit, but those passages are dealing with a whole different topic. So Jesus would likely respond, “Well, what do you mean by “spiritual”? We would reply, “You know…your devotions…prayer life…church…etc.” But the problem with that line of thought is that Scripture views life as a cohesive, non-compartmental effort. Your “non-spiritual” life, what we sometimes call work, rest, play, TV watching, working out, eating, vacationing, the way you drive, what you spend your money on, etc. are in fact very spiritual endeavors. The whole life is spiritual. That is why Scripture commands us, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it unto the Lord.” (Col. 3)

Back to the Gospel according to Luke. With this framework that, in fact, everything is spiritual, we can begin to appreciate the beauty of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus is healing. Jesus is reaching out to the marginalized. He is spending time with children. He is attending to the WHOLE person. And when one reads Luke’s account, it becomes quickly apparent that the whole book hinges on Luke 4:18-19. The whole person as it ought to be, the whole being, the whole world, is indeed this idea of the “Kingdom of God.” Jesus, therefore, sums His whole life and presence as this:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because He has anointed me
To proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
And recovery of sight for the blind,
To set the oppressed free,
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

All of this was fulfilled in Jesus, and His ushering in of the Kingdom. With these verses in mind as you read the rest of Luke, you begin to see that Jesus is not only fulfilling these verses spiritually (figuratively), but physically (literally). He is literally meeting the felt needs of those He encounters, and the brokenness of this world. Go ahead and try it…read Luke with these verses in mind…you will likely find, as I did, that all of what Jesus does points back to these verses.

We need to reclaim the “Kingdom of God” as our thrust in mission. To attend to one’s soul without care for the body (person) is neglecting what Jesus fulfilled, and now has called us to do. To only attend to one’s body without care for the soul is equally as unproductive and useless. It is the WHOLE Gospel we must seek and preach to the world. Because in fact, everything is spiritual.

Celebrate Inter-dependence Day

Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of us all being bound up in an "inescapable web of mutuality." He talked of how we have encountered half the world by the time we have put on our clothes, brushed our teeth, drunk our coffee and eaten our breakfast, as there are invisible faces that make our lives possible every day. That's why I've always struggled with "Independence Day."

Patriotism can be a dangerous thing if it leads to amnesia about the dark patches of our nation's history. And it can leave us shortsighted if our nationalism prevents us from seeing pain or hope beyond our borders. As an American, and especially as a Christian, I am convinced that a love for our own people is not a bad thing, but love doesn't stop at borders. Love is infinitely boundless and all about holy trespassing and offensive friendships.

We are taught to celebrate independence. But independence and individualism have come at a great price. In the wealthy and industrialized countries we have become the richest people in the world, but we also have some of the highest rates of loneliness, depression, and suicide. We are rich, sad, and lonely. We are living into patterns that not only leave much of the world hungry for bread and starved for justice but also leave us longing for the good life and for meaning and purpose beyond ourselves.

The good news is that we are not alone in the world.

This year, let's celebrate Interdependence Day -- recognizing the fact that we are part of a global neighborhood. Let's appreciate all the invisible people in our lives, and let's lament the fact that the human family is terribly dysfunctional.

It's not about being anti-American but about being pro-world. It's a beautiful thing to realize that we need each other and that we are not alone in the world. So, I've worked with some friends to brainstorm great ways to celebrate "Interdependence Day" this Fourth of July. Here's what we came up with:

1) Track down old teachers and mentors. Let them know the influence they have had in your life.

2) Babysit for someone for free, especially someone that might really need a night off and not be able to afford a sitter.

3) Try to go a whole week without spending any money. If you have to, barter or beg a little to make it through.

4) Hold a baby goods exchange where parents can bring toys and clothing their kids have outgrown and trade them.

5) Attempt to repair something that is broken. Appreciate the people who repair things for you on a regular basis.

6) Look through your clothes. Learn about one of the countries where they are manufactured. Do some research to discover the working conditions and commit to doing one thing to improve the lives of people who live there.

7) Look for everything you have two of, and give one away.

8) Dig up a bucket of soil and look through it to see the elements and organisms that make our daily meals possible.

9) Spend the Fourth of July baking cookies or bread. Give them away to the person who delivers your mail or picks up your trash the next time you see him or her.

10) Host a rain-barrel party and teach neighbors how to make and use rain-barrels to recycle water.

11) Spend a day hiking in the woods. Consider how God cares for the lilies and sparrows -- and you.

12) Gather some neighbors, and plant a tree in your neighborhood together.

13) Hold a knowledge exchange where you gather friends or neighbors to share skills or something they are learning.

14) Track to its source one item of food you eat regularly. Then, each time you eat that food, remember the folks who made it possible for you to it it.

15) Become a pen-pal with someone in prison.

16) Try recycling water from the washer or sink to flush your toilet. Remember the 1.2 billion folks who don't have clean water.

17) Leave a random tip for someone cleaning the streets or the public restroom.

18) Write one CEO every month this year. Affirm or critique the ethics of their companies. (You may need to do a little research first.) Consider starting with BP.

19) Wash your clothes by hand and dry them on a line. Remember the 1.6 billion people who do not have electricity.

20) Learn to sew. Try making your own clothes for a year.

21) Eat only a bowl of rice a day for a week (take a multi-vitamin). And remember the 25,000 people who die of malnutrition and starvation each day.

22) Begin a scholarship fund so that for every one of your own children you send to college, you can create a scholarship for an at-risk youth. Get to know his or her family and learn from each other.

23) Visit a worship service where you will be a minority. Invite someone to dinner at your house, or have dinner with someone there if they invite you.

24) Confess something you have done wrong to someone and ask forgiveness.

25) Serve in a homeless shelter. For extra credit, go back to that shelter and eat or sleep there and allow yourself to be served.

26) Go through a local thrift store and drop $1 bills in random pockets of clothing being sold.

27) Experiment in creation-care by going fuel-free for a week -- bike, carpool or walk.

28) Go to an elderly home and get a list of folks who don't get any visitors. Visit them each week and tell stories, read together, or play board games.

29) Laugh at advertisements, especially ones that teach you that you can buy happiness.

30) Go down a line of parked cars and pay for the meters that are expired. Leave a little note of niceness.

31) Connect with a group of migrant workers or farmers who grow your food. Visit their farm. Maybe even pick some veggies with them. Ask what they get paid.

32) Mow your neighbor's grass.

33) Ask the next person who asks you for change to join you for dinner.

34) Invest money in a micro-lending bank.

35) Start setting aside 10 percent of your income to give away to folks in need.

36) Write paper letters (by hand) for a month. Try writing someone who needs encouragement or whom you should say "I'm sorry" to.

37) Contact your local crisis pregnancy center and invite a pregnant woman to live with your family.

38) Go without food for one day to remember the two billion people who live on less than a dollar a day.

Add yours to the list.

May we celebrate Interdependence Day today and everyday. It is a gift to be part of this inescapable web of mutuality.

-Shane Claiborne