The Justice Conference

Just over a year ago I discovered a group of young, creative, passionate church leaders and artists from Bend, Oregon, who shared my outrage about the injustice faced by victims of violence and corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The more I got to know these talented young Christian activists, the more I respected them. On February 11-12, 2011, I’ll be joining them in Bend for THE JUSTICE CONFERENCE.

As the conference brochure states:

The Justice Conference is about the nature of justice. Justice as the foundation of human rights. Justice as the expression of equality. Justice as the fabric of freedom. Justice as forgiveness. Justice as reconciliation. Justice as restored relationship between the creator and the created. Justice as the very nature of God.

The Justice Conference is 2 days, 12 speakers, 50 organizations and hundreds of book titles all about the Biblical nature of justice.

I’ll be speaking at a pre-conference luncheon based on my book Nice Girls Don’t Change the World, and at a keynote session where I’ll interview Matthew Soerens and Jenny Hwang about their book, Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate. Matt and Jenny have become heroes of mine and I’m honored to be able to help further their important and timely message.

But more than speaking at this event, I’m excited to attend it. I can’t wait to hear Nicholas Wolterstorff, Shane Claiborne, Marcel Serubungo (an amazing man I met in Congo), Mike and Danae Yankoski, and many others who live out the Biblical call to “do justice.” Dozens of my favorite organizations will also be represented, from World Relief to International Justice Mission to Tom’s Shoes; it is a great opportunity to learn about how we can partner with others to fight the greatest injustices in the world.

If you’re wondering if you should attend this event, check out this brief video by Old Testament scholar, Walter Bruggeman.

If you’re wondering if justice is something Christians should care about, this is a don’t-miss event!

My Lazy Christmas Wish

(originally posted on her.meneutics, Christianity Today's blog for women)

It’s 4am on a Thursday morning. I am wide-awake because my four-year-old grandson, Henry—enjoying a “sleepover” with Nana while his mom and dad are out of town—woke up at 3am with a sore throat. After a trip to the potty and a few sips of juice, he has drifted back to sleep. If he wakes up “cured” in the morning, he can go to preschool, as planned, and then enjoy his afternoon play date with cousin Mikayla. My day, too, will go as planned. But if Henry’s middle-of-the-night sore throat greets the morning, the day’s priority will immediately shift: together we’ll snuggle up under a fuzzy blanket and watch The Velveteen Rabbit—again! My morning meeting will be cancelled and I’ll have to bow out of the fancy schmancy luncheon I’ve been invited to.

But, no big deal.

At age twenty-nine, thirty-nine, or even forty-nine, I might have been undone by a last-minute change of plans. Especially in December. The crazy month. The season of peace and joy during which I have often been frustrated and miserable.

But not this year. Several weeks ago I celebrated my fifty-ninth birthday. I find this shocking, and for the most part I would rather be younger. But I have to admit there is something to be said for the perspective (dare I say wisdom?) that the years have given me.

Here’s the main difference between me at twenty-nine and me at fifty-nine. I used to think that everything mattered. Now I realize that very little matters.

I used to think that festive yet elegant Christmas decorations mattered. I used to think that hosting big parties mattered. I used to think that buying gifts for everyone who might possibly expect a gift mattered. I used to think that sending Christmas cards mattered. And that beautiful wrapping paper mattered. And sophisticated holiday menus.

But no more.

This year, I’ve hit an all-time Christmas decorating low. Last night Henry and I dug through boxes in the basement and found what we were looking for: two small nativity scenes, both handcrafted in African villages, and one olive wood carving of Mary and Jesus, made by Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem. We also selected a Waterford angel given to me years ago by a kind church member and a Saint Nicholas figurine from my sister-in-law. I have an aesthetic bias against Santa Clause decorations, but I love this old-fashioned St. Nick. I may also get a $4 mini evergreen for Henry to decorate. But maybe not.

Part of the decorating pressure of previous years was driven by The Party. For years, on December 23 Bill and I hosted a party for a random (and large!) assortment of friends, many coming in from out-of-state to attend a Christmas service at our church. After the service a parade of cars would inch through the snowy neighborhood to our driveway. The house would be shimmering, the table heavily-laden, and the standing-room-only crowd in a festive mood. It was a lot of work, but it always seemed worth it—until recently. The last few years, as schedules became more frantic, we’ve felt that we might serve our friends better by giving them a December night off rather than another party to attend. Nobody complained when we decided not to host the event this year.

But I have several dates scheduled with close friends, and I can’t wait for those. Next week a group of women I’ve been meeting with for years is coming for dinner (Bill will be hiding out in some corner of the house). I’ll prepare my favorite comfort-food: a simple cassoulet made with white beans and sweet sausage. Christine will bring an appetizer, Aliece green beans, Mindy a salad, Leanne a loaf of warm bread, and Linda dessert. Lisa and Dee, if they can sneak away from previous commitments, don’t have to bring anything at all. We’ll be thrilled to see them.

I gave up sending Christmas cards years ago. I love reading the cards and Christmas letters I receive from friends, but I can’t for the life of me figure out how they manage to get that done. I haven’t given up on gift-giving altogether, but I definitely land on the minimal side of the continuum. And I focus as much as possible on fair-trade buying: Trade As One (www.tradeasone.com) has become my online choice for everything from coffee and chocolate to jewelry and scarves. Tom’s Shoes (www.tomsshoes.com) also gets my vote as an excellent way to give meaningful gifts.

I haven’t bought Christmas wrapping for several years. I managed to make do with odds and ends of ribbon and paper left from previous years. The odds and ends are gone now, so I have to get creative this year. I’m considering a long roll of pale brown postal paper. I have a great “Peace…Joy…Love” rubber stamp and a red ink pad. It won’t be fancy, but I think peace, joy and love on pale paper will work.

Peace, joy, love. For so many years, these qualities eluded me, especially in December. It’s taken me half a century to learn that I was allowing things that didn’t matter to rob me of what matters most: nurturing internal peace so I can be a peacemaker, living with a depth of joy that spills joy onto others, and experiencing the fullness of God’s love so I can love freely. Only if I slow down long enough to let the Spirit of Jesus be born anew in me each day can I manifest the peace, joy and love He offers to me and to frantic, frenzied world.

As it turns out, Henry was fine when he woke up this morning, so I dropped him off at preschool. That means I can attend my meeting and then dress up for my fancy schmancy luncheon. But honestly, I was getting rather excited about the thought of spending the day snuggled up on the couch with Henry and The Velveteen Rabbit.

Let's Keep the DREAM Alive

Like many of my friends, I am profoundly disappointed by Saturday’s defeat of the DREAM Act by just a few votes in the Senate. I have to confess this is the first time I have actually called the offices of politicians to ask for their vote on a particular piece of legislation. I had really hoped that Senator Kirk would change his mind and vote Yes. I’m grateful to Senator Dick Durbin for sponsoring and championing this bill, and to Representative Melissa Bean for voting Yes and helping to pass the bill in the House of Representatives last week.

I want to say to the many God-loving, hard-working young people—some in my church—whose hopes were dashed by the failure of the DREAM Act that you will not be forgotten. Your dreams will not be ignored. Your value and dignity depend not on the affirmation of any government, but on the affirmation of the God who created and loves you. Your friends will continue to work on your behalf.

Reading various comments of opponents of the DREAM Act convinced me that many people understood neither the specifics of the DREAM Act, nor the reality of our immigration system. I am so grateful to Matt Soerens and Jenny Hwang, whose insightful book, Welcoming the Stranger, bring truth to bear on the myths surrounding immigration and helped me and the leadership of my church to understand both the current political reality and the biblical mandate to love the alien. Educational resources are available at www.welcomingthestranger.com. You can also see updates on immigrate policy, especially as it relates to evangelical Christians, by following Matt Soerens on Twitter at @matthewsoerens or by “liking” www.facebook.com/welcomingthestranger.

I also heartily recommend a recent post by my friend, Kellye Fabian, a Chicago lawyer who serves at the Willow Creek Care Center. As a legal aid volunteer, Kellye hears the behind-the-scenes immigration tragedies that most people never hear; these tragic stories have broken her heart. Please read her blog “The Fallout” at www.justhangingontograce.blogspot.com. (In addition to being a smart, successful lawyer at a hotshot Chicago law firm, Kellye has a huge heart and she’s a great writer. I really enjoy her blog.)

Vote Yes! To the Dream Act

I’ve received more criticism about immigration reform than anything else I’ve ever written about. Misunderstanding and misrepresentations of the DREAM Act have been rampant; opposition has been vocal and vitriolic. However, just this week a long list of evangelical Christian leaders signed a letter to new Illinois Senator Mark Kirk, asking him to vote Yes to the DREAM Act when it comes to a vote tomorrow (Saturday, December 18).

The DREAM Act would provide opportunities for young undocumented immigrants to attend college or serve in the military. Like the leaders who signed the letter to Senator Kirk, I believe that our Christian faith compels us to advocate on behalf of these young people. We have students like this in our own congregation at Willow Creek, young men and men who were brought to this country by their parents, not of their own choice, and yet now, despite their hard work, they have few options for the future.

For a current real-life look at one such student, please take five minutes to view this video about 18-year-old honor student and youth pastor, Bernard Pastor.

Then call your Senator, wherever you live, by dialing 866-996-5161; you will be immediately connected based on the area code from which you are calling. To leave a message for Illinois Senator Kirk, call his Washington office at 202-224-2854, and say you would like to leave a message in support of the DREAM Act.

AND ABOVE ALL, PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER FOR THE DREAM ACT as it goes to the Senate for a vote tomorrow, Saturday December 18. We need to be faithful in prayer and to trust not in “human beings, who cannot save,” but in “The Lord [who] watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow…” (Psalm 146).

Food for Thought

Several weeks ago I reread the extraordinary book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. In a Tweet, I challenged everyone who cares about women to read this book. One Facebook friend, a man, commented: Thanks for mentioning this book. I bought 100 copies and gave them away. We need to get this message out.

This week I started rereading another book that claims a premier spot on my bookcase. Written by Roger Thurow and Scott Kilman, it’s titled Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty. Bill and I both read the book immediately after its publication in 2009. It’s a brilliantly written indictment of misguided food aid practices and misuse of resources that engenders a sense of outrage in any thoughtful reader. But the book moves from outrage to inspiration, with stories of the transformation of poor communities through wise investment in agricultural development.

A major theme in the book is that “one family and one community can often do more than a big international agency to spur agricultural development and alleviate hunger.” This message was part of the motivation for Willow Creek Community Church’s support of family gardens in Zambia and Zimbabwe. And like the authors of the book, we’ve had the opportunity to see how a few packets of seeds and garden tools can move a family—and ultimately a community—from ongoing hunger into food security.

I reread the book this week because one of its authors, Roger Thurow, graciously agreed to meet with the Africa Advisory Board at Willow, to help us better understand the importance of fighting hunger through agricultural development. Roger is a compassionate, brilliant man, with a message that needs to get out. Enough is another of those rare books worth buying 100 copies to give away!