So here are a few of the things I've done today.
Watched many video clips about violence against women. Including films about sexual violence in the Congo due to the ongoing wars there, institutional and sexual violence against Dalit women in India and the issue of women who are trafficked as sex slaves, either as prostitutes or strippers.
To make myself feel better about this violence in the world - I spent the afternoon reading about why apartheid in South Africa was a good thing. (To be fair this article was written by an Afrikaner in 1951) I also read an article explaining why the best solution to the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict is simply for Israel to annex all the territory that they already occupy. This way they can be the benevolent government for the all the Palestinians who live there, who of course would be given full civil rights. (of course, my foot). This has been my day.
However, I have to have hope. Hope is the reason that I am watching all these videos and reading these articles. I have hope that by sharing these stories of suffering we can learn to identify with each other. Through identifying with people we can begin to love ALL people. Love is the solution. I know it sounds cheesy, but we need to believe it and we need to act to make it a reality.
Pray for me that I will not be overwhelmed by all the violence in this world.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Heaven?
One of the bloggers that I like to read recently wrote a post about what it takes to get into heaven. Her article was interesting because we do condemn the idea of indulgences from the middle ages as something that we would never do. After all we protestants reformed the Catholic Church over that issue, among others. Yet, it seems that legalism knows no time. There was legalism in Jesus' day among the Pharisees and Scribes. There is legalism today within every strand of Christianity.
I struggle with legalism. Yet, Jesus came to set us free from these rules. It's hard to understand what that means though - I mean what does that really mean? I suppose the difference is how we approach the rules. If we are simply following rules so that we can get into heaven some day that is legalism - but if we are choosing to live our lives as Christ calls us to and that happens to mean that we live by the same rules that the "legalists" live by, we are still not living under legalism because the rules are not an end in themselves. The rules are simply another way of following Christ. After all that is the point of being Christian - at least in my opinion.
Last night I had some really interesting conversations with a friend who invited me over for dinner. After dinner we were talking about if we thought the world had more problems today than in the past. I am not sure about this - sometimes I think that we just have more knowledge of the problems than actually having more problems. He seems to think that we actually have more problems. (Of course numerically there are more problems simply because there are more people in the world). We ended the conversation by agreeing that whether or not the world has more problems today - the problems that we have today are epic. If we do not change our entire world order we will destroy ourselves. Yet changing everything about society seems impossible - however it is just as impossible that things continue the way they are. Strangely enough, this is the exact same conclusion that I had been reading in an articles I am editing for Student World. But the article was written just after World War I in 1919! Perhaps this change in society is the freedom that Christ came to show us.
I struggle with legalism. Yet, Jesus came to set us free from these rules. It's hard to understand what that means though - I mean what does that really mean? I suppose the difference is how we approach the rules. If we are simply following rules so that we can get into heaven some day that is legalism - but if we are choosing to live our lives as Christ calls us to and that happens to mean that we live by the same rules that the "legalists" live by, we are still not living under legalism because the rules are not an end in themselves. The rules are simply another way of following Christ. After all that is the point of being Christian - at least in my opinion.
Last night I had some really interesting conversations with a friend who invited me over for dinner. After dinner we were talking about if we thought the world had more problems today than in the past. I am not sure about this - sometimes I think that we just have more knowledge of the problems than actually having more problems. He seems to think that we actually have more problems. (Of course numerically there are more problems simply because there are more people in the world). We ended the conversation by agreeing that whether or not the world has more problems today - the problems that we have today are epic. If we do not change our entire world order we will destroy ourselves. Yet changing everything about society seems impossible - however it is just as impossible that things continue the way they are. Strangely enough, this is the exact same conclusion that I had been reading in an articles I am editing for Student World. But the article was written just after World War I in 1919! Perhaps this change in society is the freedom that Christ came to show us.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Blogs
What's the point of blogging?
Sometimes I feel selfish that I write all these words about my life here and expect people across the globe to read them. Is my life that interesting? Yet, people do read my blog. In the past month 139 people have visited this site 24 different countries. Now, many of these "visits" are me writing and seeing if anyone has left comments (btw I LOVE it when people leave comments - hint hint...) But as I am not in, nor have I ever been to, Brazil I know that the person (or people) there visiting my site are not me! I wonder who that person (people) is (are)? I like that fact that people I do not know read my blog. I think that is the point of the Internet. There is something to creating community with people you already know - but there is also something to creating some form of community with people you do not know (and will never know?).
I also have other blogs that I read. I read blogs of people that I know like a friend from college -or people that I have never met. (I particularly like this blog) I read these because either a) I care about the person and want to know what their doing or b) I think that the things the person says are inspiring and related to my life or c) both of the above. I enjoy reading these blogs.
I am thinking about blogs quite a bit because as part of this video project I'm working on with the WCC we are going to have blogs. Many, many interactive blogs. However, we are thinking of calling them something else. The word "blog" has connotations and some people may not even know what it is! So we are thinking of calling them personal reflections. Does that change the way I relate to what people write? Does that change what I will write? I have no idea. I suppose we'll find out....
Topics I might consider in the future (or you can leave your thoughts on).
Sometimes I feel selfish that I write all these words about my life here and expect people across the globe to read them. Is my life that interesting? Yet, people do read my blog. In the past month 139 people have visited this site 24 different countries. Now, many of these "visits" are me writing and seeing if anyone has left comments (btw I LOVE it when people leave comments - hint hint...) But as I am not in, nor have I ever been to, Brazil I know that the person (or people) there visiting my site are not me! I wonder who that person (people) is (are)? I like that fact that people I do not know read my blog. I think that is the point of the Internet. There is something to creating community with people you already know - but there is also something to creating some form of community with people you do not know (and will never know?).
I also have other blogs that I read. I read blogs of people that I know like a friend from college -or people that I have never met. (I particularly like this blog) I read these because either a) I care about the person and want to know what their doing or b) I think that the things the person says are inspiring and related to my life or c) both of the above. I enjoy reading these blogs.
I am thinking about blogs quite a bit because as part of this video project I'm working on with the WCC we are going to have blogs. Many, many interactive blogs. However, we are thinking of calling them something else. The word "blog" has connotations and some people may not even know what it is! So we are thinking of calling them personal reflections. Does that change the way I relate to what people write? Does that change what I will write? I have no idea. I suppose we'll find out....
Topics I might consider in the future (or you can leave your thoughts on).
- God is love - our job is to manifest this. I talked with a friend about this during my trip to Lugano.
- Should France ban the Burqua? A clip I watched on French News : France might ban the burqua (head to toe Islamic covering for women). Does that improve the distance between religion/state or is that an interferance of people's right to practice their religion?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Jesus and Women
So today during work I was re-reading one of the articles that I will probably publish in the Centennial Edition of Student World. This article was written in 1924 (or 25) by a young Japanese woman. In this short, two page article, she explains why she believe that Jesus is the person after whom she wants to pattern her life. She gives three really great reasons - first, Jesus was a feminist, second, Jesus was grateful for what He had and He never worried, third, that Jesus had a vision for a new world and was not afraid to make it happen - even if this meant His death.
I am amazed that the Christianity being preached by the organization that I work for has not changed much in 90 years. In 1925 we were explaining the same message to people all over the world. I am amazed that this woman in Japan is now witnessing to me - a woman from the United States of the 21st Century. I often think that the Christianity I believe in is something new - or something that people didn't really get 90 years ago. I am proved wrong over and over again, yet I still forget this.
The thing that really, really strikes me about this article is that her very first reason (and she says it would have been enough by itself) for wanting to model her life after Jesus is that He never brushes women aside. He never tells women that they CANNOT do something simply because they are women. He never tells women that they must obey men in all situations. Twenty years before women were given the right to vote in her country this woman saw that Jesus viewed her just as important and just as worthy as any man.
I love that I am being taught about Jesus' values by people so far away from me both geographically and historically.
I am amazed that the Christianity being preached by the organization that I work for has not changed much in 90 years. In 1925 we were explaining the same message to people all over the world. I am amazed that this woman in Japan is now witnessing to me - a woman from the United States of the 21st Century. I often think that the Christianity I believe in is something new - or something that people didn't really get 90 years ago. I am proved wrong over and over again, yet I still forget this.
The thing that really, really strikes me about this article is that her very first reason (and she says it would have been enough by itself) for wanting to model her life after Jesus is that He never brushes women aside. He never tells women that they CANNOT do something simply because they are women. He never tells women that they must obey men in all situations. Twenty years before women were given the right to vote in her country this woman saw that Jesus viewed her just as important and just as worthy as any man.
I love that I am being taught about Jesus' values by people so far away from me both geographically and historically.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Home sweet home.. Geneva!
I made it back to Geneva yesterday. It is hard to come back to "normal" life after having such an intense experience, like we all did in Sibiu.
It is strange how quickly friendships can be created. Sometimes you can know someone for years and never really feel that you are friends. Other times you meet someone and you know that you are friends for life. The friendships that I made in Sibiu are like these friendships. I know that I will see some of these people again, but even if I don't I know that we are friends. We are not the kind of the friends that share our daily lives, but we are the kind of friends that share our spiritual lives. I wish that some of these people could be here with me, but we are all deeply involved in our work that we do and that is not possible. I am so grateful that I met everyone this past week.
In Sibiu, I went to the European Regional Assembly. Basically about 30 students from 18 countries gathered for a week to talk about Gender and Christ. We talked about our faith, we talked about our experiences of our genders, of our sexuality, of our ideas about sexuality, our ideas about God and we worshipped together. One of the most amazing things about this past week was the diversity that was there. Although almost all the students were from Europe (there were three Americans there) we had people of a wide variety of Christian backgrounds. Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and Anglicans. The diversity of viewpoints was just as broad. The topic was gender, yet we did not let our divergent viewpoints allow us to get angry with one another or stereotype one another. There was room for all of us at the table because there is room for everyone at Christ's table. I am so glad that this conference was not a celebration of our "acceptance" or all sexualities at the exclusion of those who believe in a traditional point of view. What kind of "acceptance" is that? Instead we were able to be in tension with each other yet be friends. This is true friendship and a true example of the Kingdom (Queendom) of God.
One of the things about Europe that I find most challenging and amazing is the variety of languages spoken here. (I also find it incredible that people who speak different languages can understand each other - for example Polish and Slovak and Belarusian and Polish but not Slovak and Belarusian). During our worship times we sang songs in many languages. One of my favorites was a song that we sang in Swahili. Basically the song said that in the Kingdom of Heaven there will be only one language. I pray that that is true. Yet, our many languages add to our rich diversity.
I suppose I am just incredibly grateful that I was able to participate in such an amazing week. Thank you to all who organized it and thank You to God for blessing us with such tolerance and openness.
(The photos are of the beautiful scenery at the orthodox monastery and a group photo of everyone at the conference)
It is strange how quickly friendships can be created. Sometimes you can know someone for years and never really feel that you are friends. Other times you meet someone and you know that you are friends for life. The friendships that I made in Sibiu are like these friendships. I know that I will see some of these people again, but even if I don't I know that we are friends. We are not the kind of the friends that share our daily lives, but we are the kind of friends that share our spiritual lives. I wish that some of these people could be here with me, but we are all deeply involved in our work that we do and that is not possible. I am so grateful that I met everyone this past week.
In Sibiu, I went to the European Regional Assembly. Basically about 30 students from 18 countries gathered for a week to talk about Gender and Christ. We talked about our faith, we talked about our experiences of our genders, of our sexuality, of our ideas about sexuality, our ideas about God and we worshipped together. One of the most amazing things about this past week was the diversity that was there. Although almost all the students were from Europe (there were three Americans there) we had people of a wide variety of Christian backgrounds. Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and Anglicans. The diversity of viewpoints was just as broad. The topic was gender, yet we did not let our divergent viewpoints allow us to get angry with one another or stereotype one another. There was room for all of us at the table because there is room for everyone at Christ's table. I am so glad that this conference was not a celebration of our "acceptance" or all sexualities at the exclusion of those who believe in a traditional point of view. What kind of "acceptance" is that? Instead we were able to be in tension with each other yet be friends. This is true friendship and a true example of the Kingdom (Queendom) of God.
One of the things about Europe that I find most challenging and amazing is the variety of languages spoken here. (I also find it incredible that people who speak different languages can understand each other - for example Polish and Slovak and Belarusian and Polish but not Slovak and Belarusian). During our worship times we sang songs in many languages. One of my favorites was a song that we sang in Swahili. Basically the song said that in the Kingdom of Heaven there will be only one language. I pray that that is true. Yet, our many languages add to our rich diversity.
I suppose I am just incredibly grateful that I was able to participate in such an amazing week. Thank you to all who organized it and thank You to God for blessing us with such tolerance and openness.
(The photos are of the beautiful scenery at the orthodox monastery and a group photo of everyone at the conference)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Evangelical Church!
I have spent a very long week in Romania. It was a week that was amazing, but it was tiring. I am now in Budapest and tomorrow I head back "home" to Geneva. I am so glad that I will get to sleep in my own bed tomorrow night and I have will be able to cook in my own kitchen and I will hear people around me speaking a language that I understand (even if it's not English) and I will be with my friends.
I went to church tonight with my host here in Budapest. She goes to a church that is associated with Calvary Chapel. It is a bilingual (english/hungarian) church. I do not know that I have ever been to a Church that is 100% bilingual like this one was. Most of the congregation is Hungarian, but the pastor (at least the one that preached) is American. There are many people there, though, that are foreigners and either speak little to no Hungarian.
Even with the language differences, the church felt very much like most of the other evangelical churches I have been to before. The service began with "worship" - which is the very modern music. I enjoy the music because I think it evokes the emotions that are often glossed over in more traditional churches. Tonight was especially poignant because the music was mostly in Hungarian - but almost all the songs also had English lyrics. We sang a few verses in English too. I found myself singing in Hungarian. It was a very strange feeling to really worship God in a language that I cannot speak. (Although I have to say that I sang in many languages this past week and I felt that I was truly worshipping God - especially when we sang this one, Swahili song). The worship in the service was really good.
Then there was the sermon. The priest preached on loneliness. The text he used was Ecclesiastes 4:1-12. I have never heard this passage preached on before in such a way. His sermon made me realize that I need to be more authentic with my friends. I need to be willing to be vulnerable with them. I have many friends that I am not being as open and honest as I could be. He also made an interesting comment. The last verse of this section says that "a three fold chord is not quickly broken" - basically, if we have a friend (or more) and God to support us that we will be stronger people. I think that having the relationship with God is so important. This string of friendship is strong when it is just based on human relationships, but becomes even stronger when the relationship with God is added.
I am looking forward to going back to my friends especially after this sermon.
I went to church tonight with my host here in Budapest. She goes to a church that is associated with Calvary Chapel. It is a bilingual (english/hungarian) church. I do not know that I have ever been to a Church that is 100% bilingual like this one was. Most of the congregation is Hungarian, but the pastor (at least the one that preached) is American. There are many people there, though, that are foreigners and either speak little to no Hungarian.
Even with the language differences, the church felt very much like most of the other evangelical churches I have been to before. The service began with "worship" - which is the very modern music. I enjoy the music because I think it evokes the emotions that are often glossed over in more traditional churches. Tonight was especially poignant because the music was mostly in Hungarian - but almost all the songs also had English lyrics. We sang a few verses in English too. I found myself singing in Hungarian. It was a very strange feeling to really worship God in a language that I cannot speak. (Although I have to say that I sang in many languages this past week and I felt that I was truly worshipping God - especially when we sang this one, Swahili song). The worship in the service was really good.
Then there was the sermon. The priest preached on loneliness. The text he used was Ecclesiastes 4:1-12. I have never heard this passage preached on before in such a way. His sermon made me realize that I need to be more authentic with my friends. I need to be willing to be vulnerable with them. I have many friends that I am not being as open and honest as I could be. He also made an interesting comment. The last verse of this section says that "a three fold chord is not quickly broken" - basically, if we have a friend (or more) and God to support us that we will be stronger people. I think that having the relationship with God is so important. This string of friendship is strong when it is just based on human relationships, but becomes even stronger when the relationship with God is added.
I am looking forward to going back to my friends especially after this sermon.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Romania
I am the European Regional Conference in Romania. I arrived here on Tuesday, but I have not been posting regularly because this has been the first time I have had more than ten minutes to use the internet. Sadly the conference is almost over.
I am staying at an Orthodox Monastery in a town near Sibiu, Romania. It is insanely beautiful. I have been enjoying meeting the other people here and exploring issues of gender in Europe together with people from 18 different countries. It has been an amazing week. Perhaps later I will write a longer reflection on what exactly what talked about.
Although I now have free time, I am going to take advantage of that to take a nap. Later I will share my inspirational theological, life changing amazing things I have learned about humility.
I am staying at an Orthodox Monastery in a town near Sibiu, Romania. It is insanely beautiful. I have been enjoying meeting the other people here and exploring issues of gender in Europe together with people from 18 different countries. It has been an amazing week. Perhaps later I will write a longer reflection on what exactly what talked about.
Although I now have free time, I am going to take advantage of that to take a nap. Later I will share my inspirational theological, life changing amazing things I have learned about humility.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Lugano
Reflections on Lugano
I did not know what I had gotten myself into when I agreed to go to Lugano. I didn’t even know it was a Focolare event. I came because I like politics and I wanted to go to Lugano. No idea what the day was going to be like.
I know that this will be one of the things that I talk about when people ask “So what really great things did you do in Switzerland?” I will say, “I went to this amazing political rally for unity and then climbed the mountain in Lugano and saw the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen in my life.”
I think that there were a lot of really good ideas that came from the different speakers. I wrote down a few quotes, (although because of my notes I am not sure who said what… oops). I think they give a good idea of what was talked about last weekend.
“Fraternite is based on the belief that first we are all part of the human family.”
“Democracy can only exist where there are differences.”
The Political Movement for Unity (MPPU) is looking for unity, but not ideological unity, rather unity in the belief that we are all doing our best and that we are all part of this human family. Therefore we should respect each other and try to find common ground rather than focusing on the issues that divide us.
I also found it interesting that the speakers brought up how the media is partly responsible to for the polarization that is killing politics today. The polarization leads to simplification which in turn leads to disrespect. If we do not respect our political opponents then we cannot govern effectively. I totally agree. From my own perspective, in the United States our government is more polarized now than they ever have been, and they are doing less work than ever before. My government cannot continue down this path of self-destruction. I pray that if this movement is not already strong in the United States that it can become stronger. (Which is something that I will work on when I head back there in December).
However, as much as I agree with the ideals put forth by the MPPU, I felt that they were just that, ideals. I do not know what this movement looks like practically. At the end of the day, even if we respect each other, we may come to different conclusions. When does MPPU decide to speak out against “injustice”? How do you do respectfully tell someone that you think they are creating a law that in unjust? How do you respectfully tell them that you think they are creating a law that hurts immigrants, especially when they think they are doing the opposite? How do you work with people when you fundamentally disagree? I felt like these questions were not addressed during that day.
However, I am very glad that I went to Lugano and that I stayed the night. I had not planned on staying the night. I was going to head back to Geneva Saturday evening, but I felt compelled to stay. God being good, provided a place for me stay, dinner for me to eat and a ride back to Geneva the next day. Even though I had not planned to stay, God had planned for me to stay.
Dinner that night was on top of the mountain in Lugano. We took a funicular train up to the top of the mountain. We got there just after the sun had sunk down but the clouds were still pink and purple and orange. Gorgeous. (Sadly, I don’t have any photos of my own, but a friend took lots!) Then we had dinner at the restaurant up there. The dinner was delicious, but more important was the conversation. We sat and talk about God. We talked about Focolare. What is it? What do you do? What does it mean? How does it work? We talked about other religions. We talked about the Eucharist. What is it? How does it work? We talked about our own experiences. We talked about our calling. We talked about God. That conversation will stay with me for a very long time.
I am grateful that I was in Lugano for this conference, even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I agreed to go.
I did not know what I had gotten myself into when I agreed to go to Lugano. I didn’t even know it was a Focolare event. I came because I like politics and I wanted to go to Lugano. No idea what the day was going to be like.
I know that this will be one of the things that I talk about when people ask “So what really great things did you do in Switzerland?” I will say, “I went to this amazing political rally for unity and then climbed the mountain in Lugano and saw the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen in my life.”
I think that there were a lot of really good ideas that came from the different speakers. I wrote down a few quotes, (although because of my notes I am not sure who said what… oops). I think they give a good idea of what was talked about last weekend.
“Fraternite is based on the belief that first we are all part of the human family.”
“Democracy can only exist where there are differences.”
The Political Movement for Unity (MPPU) is looking for unity, but not ideological unity, rather unity in the belief that we are all doing our best and that we are all part of this human family. Therefore we should respect each other and try to find common ground rather than focusing on the issues that divide us.
I also found it interesting that the speakers brought up how the media is partly responsible to for the polarization that is killing politics today. The polarization leads to simplification which in turn leads to disrespect. If we do not respect our political opponents then we cannot govern effectively. I totally agree. From my own perspective, in the United States our government is more polarized now than they ever have been, and they are doing less work than ever before. My government cannot continue down this path of self-destruction. I pray that if this movement is not already strong in the United States that it can become stronger. (Which is something that I will work on when I head back there in December).
However, as much as I agree with the ideals put forth by the MPPU, I felt that they were just that, ideals. I do not know what this movement looks like practically. At the end of the day, even if we respect each other, we may come to different conclusions. When does MPPU decide to speak out against “injustice”? How do you do respectfully tell someone that you think they are creating a law that in unjust? How do you respectfully tell them that you think they are creating a law that hurts immigrants, especially when they think they are doing the opposite? How do you work with people when you fundamentally disagree? I felt like these questions were not addressed during that day.
However, I am very glad that I went to Lugano and that I stayed the night. I had not planned on staying the night. I was going to head back to Geneva Saturday evening, but I felt compelled to stay. God being good, provided a place for me stay, dinner for me to eat and a ride back to Geneva the next day. Even though I had not planned to stay, God had planned for me to stay.
Dinner that night was on top of the mountain in Lugano. We took a funicular train up to the top of the mountain. We got there just after the sun had sunk down but the clouds were still pink and purple and orange. Gorgeous. (Sadly, I don’t have any photos of my own, but a friend took lots!) Then we had dinner at the restaurant up there. The dinner was delicious, but more important was the conversation. We sat and talk about God. We talked about Focolare. What is it? What do you do? What does it mean? How does it work? We talked about other religions. We talked about the Eucharist. What is it? How does it work? We talked about our own experiences. We talked about our calling. We talked about God. That conversation will stay with me for a very long time.
I am grateful that I was in Lugano for this conference, even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I agreed to go.
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