Prophetic Preaching: The Same Light

Written at 6am when I couldn't return to sleep...

This morning I awoke from a dream where I was in church and a preacher was (once again) declaring homosexuality as a sin. The unique part was that he opened up the space for a time of questions/comments after the sermon. (I have often wondered what would happen if preachers did this after any sermon.)

The air was very thick. I could feel the blood pumping through my veins, my muscles straining yet frozen where I was. A few people were crying. A thousand and one reasons came to my mind why I disagreed with him, but my final answer did not arrive until I awoke.

You see, I believe that 3,300 some years ago, a group of people cried out to their god and were delivered. They had seen a great light, and they had believed.

Later, when their ancestors were straining under the oppression of the Romans, they cried out once more, except this time the light shed to the whole world. Yet over time, humans tried to put this light out, and its message grew dimmer and dimmer.

Until once again, this very light led the African slaves out of slavery, gave the women freedom to vote, through off the yoke of colonialism in India, and continues to reveal itself in miraculous ways. Today, that same light still shines, and will lead us beyond ourselves and our debate about homosexuality.

So getting back to my answer... we are to embrace one another, to gently and firmly seize hold of the other, to physically bridge the divide as our emotions and thoughts catch up. As our chapel preacher and Marin Interfaith Director invoked Friday, we need to have more face-to-face encounters with 'the other'.

My answer is a hug. And not just one, but many, many hugs... symbolizing the gracious nature of our Loving God, shining through in the person(a) of Jesus Christ.

Power Outage

It’s amazing how much we rely on certain things in life. Call them your “baselines.” Perhaps your baseline is that you will keep your job, have a car that runs or have a loved one always there for you… yet all these things (or persons) will pass you by, sooner or later.

For me, my baseline was electricity. Another big storm has hit the U.S., and this time it’s once again in my neck of the woods, the Bay Area. Powerful gusts over the night eventually knocked out the power this morning.

At first, nothing changed. I still reached for the light switch, looked at the clock and put my food in the microwave. After my experctations weren’t met, I remembered the reality of the situation: there is no power. And I have struggled to feel powerless.

All today, I’ve had to re-think the answers to many of my questions: Don’t know something? Look it up online… oh, wait. Need to email someone? Just… nope. Get some reading done? Snuggle up in a chair and… better be by a window.

Gradually I’ve transitioned into a different state, were power is not just in electrons and time does not feel like eons. I can still read for my classes, write thank you notes (long overdue), reflect on life, play guitar, meditate… and just be, with out the need for excessive energy.

For after all, electricity is a luxury: one-third (over 2 billion) of the world’s population do without it everyday. Taking one more step in solidarity – not by choice, but lived into.

Oh, and how was I able to write this? With the wonderful invention of battery power… only to post it later when all’s back to ‘normal.’

Kenya's Darkest Days

As I write this, the violence continues in Kenya after December's disputed presidential elections. It has not reached levels like that seen (and fled from) by the West in Rwanda, but it's taking on the tone of ethnic cleansing as tribal gangs kill one another in towns across the Rift Valley. The leaders of the two main groups, the government and the opposition, will hopefully begin official talks this week under the mediation of Former UN GS Kofi Annan. (For further information, see this article and check the bbc.com for the latest.)

At this point, I don't know what else to do besides donate money to the Red Cross Kenya, and certainly PRAY. Pray for the political leaders, that a peaceful solution can be reached. Pray for the street leaders, that they will be temperate in the actions and not reprise violence with more blood. Pray for the poorly trained and equipped military personnel, that they have the courage to keep order and the wisdom not to exacerbate the situation. And pray for the people of Kenya, that they will all work for peace, stability and democracy, and not give up on the dreams of their fathers and mothers. A dream of peace, a dream of a nation of their own, a dream of hope for their children.

(So far none of the violence has harmed my friends over there, but there are many I have not heard from... please keep them in your prayers, too: Amos, Michael, Mosogu, Deborah, David, and others in Nairobi - Cathy, Wycliffe, Njeri, Joyce, Andrew, Esther, Beatrice, Nancy, Mary, Sarah - and the YAVs in Kenya this year... and all the families caught up and split up in the turmoil.)

Re-Building Walls

Some questions I have from today:

Is our societal system based on walls, i.e. what I own versus what you (do not) own? Are we about the protection of private property, the right to bear arms and the freedom of speech? Or do we stand for something more than our individual rights, something beyond ourselves? Are we about the universal rights of the people to natural resources, the right to be peace-makers and the freedom to build wholistic community?

God's Economy: No Scarcity

In God's economy, there is no scarcity of resources. Just as there is no scarcity of God's love, there is no scarcity of food for the hungry, shelter for the destitute, or clothing for the naked.

The basic principle of economics is that resources are scarce, and it is precisely this scarcity that gives things their value. Capitalism takes natural resources, which God gave us to provide our basic needs, and turns them into a commodity.

What gives you your value? Your possessions? God doesn't care about what you "own." Your intelligence? God doesn't care about from which school you did or did not graduate. Your unique ability? God doesn't care how you market yourself. God loves you for who you are, wherever you are and whatever you do. After all, like a parent, he created you.

How you respond to God's love will give God joy or pain. To imagine, that we can cause pain in the heart of God! Yet how much more so if we were to give our brothers and sisters joy - so, too, will God celebrate. How audacious!!

I'm reminded of some U2 lyrics:
"Where you live should not decide
Whether you live, or whether you die."

What a world look like where pay were undifferentiated, regardless of what you did? What would a world look where the poor were our celebrities, our role models? What would a world look like where resources, such as access to water, food, shelter and good health, were available regardless of wherever you live?

Maybe it would begin to look like the Reign of God.

Engaged!

Now that I've completed seminary midterm stuff, as in two papers and two tests within two days, I'm able to come up for a breath of fresh air... and declare the rumors (you may have heard) true: Yes, I am in fact engaged to a lovely Ms. Emily Ruth Presley. My version of events, with confirming photos:

It all started when the landing gear got stuck. I was leaving Oakland on my way to meet Emily in the Atlanta airport, where we would continue on to New Orleans, when the plane turned around because the pilot couldn't get the landing gear up. Thankfully it was stuck in the 'down' position. After a second try the next day at noon on the same plane, and the same problem occurred, they put me on a different plane and I arrived almost 12 hours later than expected. Meanwhile, Emily had arrived in New Orleans and spent the entire day getting to know my uncle, Lee, who was celebrating his birthday.

Together At Last

Lee, his partner Doug, Emily and I proceeded to have a wonderful few days in New Orleans, complete with a (day) tour of Bourbon St., various delicious ethnic foods, and even a wading through the streets of NO during a particularly heavy downpour. On Wednesday, October 24th, we flew back to Atlanta, where we would each part our separate ways...

...or so SHE thought! I had secretly made arrangements to fly back with her to Detroit. We had a tearful goodbye at the gate before she boarded the plane, before I then through on a friend's hooded sweatshirt and beanie, and acted like I was on the cellphone to cover up more of my face. I ended up just a few persons behind her in line on the plane, but had put her in the back of the plane and myself in the front. When we deboarded in Detroit, she was quite shocked to see me standing there!

"Oh No He Didn't!"

Her mom picked us up from the airport, and we had a good laugh at how I surprise her... little did anyone know this was just the precursor to the main event. A few hours later I took her to dinner at a nice Italian place in her hometown of Northville, MI. We then went for a walk in the historic park in her town, and came upon a large white gazebo decorated with rose petals and candles, and nicely arranged with a wooden bench, some crates with a large single candle on top and a dozen roses (I had enlisted her uncle Ed, an interior designer, to assist me). By now she new this was probably it... I bumbled through some nice words, saying what I could remember from what I had planned to say, and then got down on one knee and the rest is history.

Engaged in the Gazebo by Candlelight

So, thanks to all who have played an integral role in our relationship - Emily and I both tremendously value your impact on our lives, and we look forward to continuing on this life journey together.

No, really, WE'RE ENGAGED!

May this story bless your day today. It was a lot of fun in the making.

Hiking Mt. Tam

One mile was on a road to the park...


The Crew: Rachel, Nori, Julia & Talitha

There was treacherous wildlife, like this (hardly) poisonous banana slug (at least 5 inches long!)

And the views just didn't stop... the Bay Area looking South, with San Fran rising out of the waters