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A New Liturgy Give-Away

2012-01-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…

The Prayer of St. Francis rolls along the beats of a solitary drum. I turn up the volume on my laptop. I invite the words to have their way in my soul, to capture my thoughts and intentions. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. A song rises out of the prayer.

I want to get out of myself, get over myself, get lost in the story of somebody else…

Ah yes, God, help me give this self you’ve given me back to you, and through you to others. I continue in prayer as a clear voice leads:

Eternal God, the Scriptures say that you have blessed us so that we can be a blessing to the world…

God, may that be true of me.

Give us the ability to love without agenda…embody your kingdom…be a voice for the voiceless…

Could I do that? Truly love without agenda?

I have been blessed…now I want to be a blessing…

In that spirit I am led in prayer: for my neighbors, my family, my enemies, our broken and beautiful world.

Bless them, bless them wildly, Lord, and show me how I can be a part of that blessing…

I recite the Lord’s prayer. Then singers return to remind me that our God is love, and love can change the world, and furthermore…

Bridges are more beautiful than bombs are, an open hand is stronger than a fist is…

I love those lines! Bridges and open hands vs. bombs and fists. God, help me pursue the true beauty and strength of peace.

May we never stop this dreaming of a better world…may we never stop believing the impossible…

Those words I play over and over again. God, may I never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never, never.

For it is in giving that we receive…it is in pardoning that we are pardoned…it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Twenty-five minutes have passed since the drum started beating, and I have been led full circle, back to St. Francis. I step away from my computer, better prepared to meet the day.

During the recent Advent season, I was challenged by a paraphrased line from Meister Eckhart, the 13th century Christian mystic: “What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the son of God fourteen hundred years ago and I do not also give birth to the son of God in my time and in my culture?”

I entered the New Year haunted by that quote, longing to have Christ be born anew in me each day, so that through me his Kingdom might come—in my time and in my culture. That’s a tall order, and I know I am not up to the challenge. So I seek help.

This month I’ve found help in A New Liturgy #2: Blessed to be a Blessing. I’m grateful for the chance to promote this extraordinary CD written, performed and produced by my son-in-law, Aaron Niequist. It’s beautiful, it has repeatedly calmed and grounded me, and I believe it can help many people to quiet themselves in the Presence of God—in their car, their office, anywhere.

I’m so excited about getting this worship experience “out there” that I’ll send a free Blessed to be a Blessing CD to the first 10 people who request it. Just send your name and address to my assistant, Brannon, at banderson@willowcreek.org. The rest of you can download Blessing here. You won’t be sorry.

The give away for the first ten respondents has ended. Thanks so much!

An Evening With New Palestinian Christian Friends

2012-01-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

Last Friday evening over 80 people from my church gathered to learn from the experiences of Palestinian Christians, Yohanna and Dina Katanacho, who live and minister in Nazareth, Israel. Yohanna is an Old Testament professor and the Academic Dean of Bethlehem Bible College (in Bethlehem, West Bank) and Galilee Bible College (in Nazareth, Israel). Dina is the Director of the Arab Israeli Bible Society in Nazareth, whose goal is to make the Scriptures accessible and affordable to Arab Israelis (Palestinians who live in Israel), both Christians and Muslims. Yohanna is a theologian respected throughout the world and Dina is a wise and strong leader with an extraordinary ministry to women and children in a male-dominated culture. It was an honor to sit on the same stage with them and to interview them.

Many attendees on Friday evening asked for further information related to the themes that we discussed as well as the Arab cultural products that decorated the room. I promised to provide that information on my website…so here it is!

For general information about Yohanna and Dina’s respective ministries:

Katanacho Family—www.katanacho.com
Bethlehem Bible College—www.bethbc.org
Galilee Bible College—www.gbcollege.org
Arab Israeli Bible Society—www.aibible.org

The first concern raised during the Q & A on Friday evening was related to the relationship between Palestinian Christians and Israeli Messianic Jews. The next day I received this note from a ministry in Israel/Palestine that brings together Arab and Jewish followers of Jesus. This is a beautiful update from www.musalaha.org.

Worship Evening Report: “On December 29th of this past year, during the month that Palestinian Christians from the West Bank receive permits to enter Israel in honor of the holidays, Musalaha joined together with the Palestinian Christian Alliance church and the Messianic Jewish Israeli congregation Shemen Sasson to host a second annual night of worship to ring in the New Year. While last year two worship bands separately represented the two congregations and therefore the two communities, this year we combined them to create one unified group with musicians from around the country, performing in both Arabic and Hebrew together. The result could not have been better: around 300 people lifting hands, singing, and dancing in worship with a distinctive spirit of celebration of our unity as brothers in Messiah. The crowd was mainly Palestinian and Israeli believers, with some international Christians and even some non-believing Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims. The entirely positive feedback we received blessed our hearts and reminded us of why this organization exists; many people expressed to us that they wished we could conduct the event many times a year. While we do not currently have the resources to handle such a feat, we are already looking forward to next December’s event, when we hope to be able to expand to an even bigger venue, and as always appreciate your prayers and support.”

Many of you admired the beautiful needlework, weavings, jewelry, olive wood carvings, and olive oil products that had been “borrowed” from my home and Beth and Hythem Shadid’s home. If you’d like to join us in supporting the local economy in the West Bank, as well as the Bedouin culture in Israel, you’ll find the following websites interesting—and beautiful! And even if you’re not in a position to purchase items, you’ll be educated and moved by the stories you read.

Lakita Weavings—www.lakiya.org, www.bedouinweaving.com
Melia Needlework—www.palcraftaid.org, click on “Browse Needlework”
Canaan Fair Trade—www.canaanfairtrade.com
Anastas Shop Bethlehem—www.anastas-bethlehem.com
Bethlehem Bible College Gift Shop—www.bethbc.org/giftshop

While we didn’t have much time to discuss this on Friday evening, I have been personally transformed by the peacemakers and advocates for human rights that I have met in the West Bank and in Israel. The following websites provide information and stories about the heroes who are fighting for justice and security for all the people of the Holy Land. I’ve met people associated with each of these groups; they have my deepest respect. Again, you’ll learn so much just by perusing these websites.
• Just Vision—www.justvision.org (publishes stories and films about Israelis and Palestinians committed to freedom, security and human rights for all people in the Holy Land)
• The Bereaved Parents Circle—www.theparentscircle.org (600 Israeli and Palestinians families who have lost children to the conflict; they join together to share grief and work for peace)
• Encounter Point Film—www.justvision.org/encounterpoint (a wonderful film that documents work of The Bereaved Parents Circle)
• B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories—www.btselem.org (heroic Israeli Jews who document violation of Palestinian human rights)
• Holy Land Trust—www.holylandtrust.org (Palestinian organization committed to nonviolence and leadership development in Palestinian society)
• Little Town of Bethlehem—www.littletownofbethlehem.org (a beautiful film that documents the work of three young peace activists—an Israeli Jew, a Palestinian Christian and a Palestinian Muslim—all committed to nonviolence and reconciliation)

Yohanna mentioned the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference in March ’12. He and Dina will both be speaking there. A number of us from Willow will be attending the conference, as well as a large group of Wheaton College Students. Check it out at www.christatthecheckpoint.com.

For those of you who’d like to start on a reading plan, I’d recommend:
• Blood Brothers, by Elias Chacour. This book seems to work for everyone as an introduction to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Father Chacour’s story is easy to understand, but his challenge to every reader to be a reconciler is one of the strongest challenges I’ve ever read.
• The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolan. This is the gripping true story of two families—one Jewish, one Arab—and their intricately connected histories of tragedy and displacement. This is an important book because it honors the Holy Land narratives of both Jews and Arabs—and it is beautifully written.
• Whose Land? Whose Promise? by Wheaton College professor and frequent Willow teacher, Gary Burge. This book offers a useful blend of history, theology and current daily reality. It’s neither too simplistic to be helpful nor too complex to be overwhelming.

I know that all who attended the event on Friday caught Yohanna’s and Dina’s belief that the Palestinian evangelical church has been placed in a unique position in order to be the light of Christ to both Jews and Muslims. If you registered for last Friday evening’s event, I have your email address and will keep you informed of our progress in determining how best to encourage Palestinian Christians. If any readers of this blog would like to receive email updates related to peace and human rights in the Holy Land, or to the work of Palestinian Christians, please send your email address to my assistant, Brannon, at banderson@willowcreek.org.

Gratitude for Better Men

2012-01-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

A version of this article appears in the January ’12 issue of Sojourners Magazine

Recently I watched I Came To Testify, the first program in a PBS series called Women, War and Peace. The documentary focused on sixteen Bosnian women who were brutally raped by Serbian soldiers during the war in the Balkans in the early 1990s. When the International Court of Justice held a Tribunal to try three of the perpetrators of these “crimes against humanity,” these sixteen women told their stories.

The three men listened to the women without showing one hint of emotion or regret. All were found guilty of hundreds of counts of rape, but their sentences seem light: 26 years for one, 20 years and 12 years for the others. I traveled twice to Bosnia during that war; I met women like the sixteen who testified about the “rape camps.” I am surprised by the light sentences and disheartened to know that most of the perpetrators will never even be brought to trial.

I cannot hear stories like this without being shocked anew by how often women suffer at the hands of men. But something else struck me as I watched this program. The narrator was a man, actor Matt Damon. “As a man raising four daughters, things like this matter to me,” Matt said. “But it would have mattered anyway…It’s important to understand the experience of women.” (from a short video of Matt on the Women, War and Peace PBS website)

As I listened to Matt I thought of Nicholas Kristof, co-author of Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a book that compellingly highlights the suffering of women. One chapter focused on rape as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where women are victimized at a rate of nearly one every minute.* Two years ago in the Congo I talked and wept and prayed with some of these women. I also talked with local pastors, mentored by a Congolese man named Marcel, who raise money and create care groups to help bring these violated women “back to life”—that’s how the women describe what the pastors and the care groups do for them.

I recently wrote a forward for a book called The Resignation of Eve that examines the role of women in the church and suggests ways to give women the same respect and honor Jesus gave them. Author Jim Henderson believes that women are too often victims of the abuse and misuse of power. “In the spirit of our master who flipped the tables in the Temple on their tops,” Jim wants women to have the freedom, power and influence they’re meant to have.

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Tomas Perez, who I remember as a football-playing teenager in the youth ministry at Willow. Later Tomas became a youth pastor and church planter, but now—as the father of three young adult daughters—he’s found a new passion and a new mission. After learning that 100,000 minors are forced into prostitution or sexual slavery in the US each year, Tomas knew he had to do something. A year ago he launched EPIK (epikproject.org), hoping to engage 100,000 men in raising awareness and funds to support organizations that rescue exploited kids. “Men created this problem,” says Tomas. “Better men have to solve it.”

Generally in my writing I challenge privileged American women to work on behalf of oppressed women, and I won’t stop doing that. But today I’m feeling gratitude to the men—the better men—who use their power, money and influence on behalf of women. So thank you Matt, Nicholas, Marcel, Jim, Tomas. May an army of better men rise up to join you!

*The American Journal of Public Health, May 2011

My Lazy Christmas Wish, take 2

2011-12-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

A year ago I wrote a blog called My Lazy Christmas Wish, about how my experience of the month of “joy and peace” has changed over the years, particularly as my perspective on “what matters and what doesn’t matter” has changed. As I reread that blog this morning I realized that everything I believed last year I believe even more deeply this year. Why?

Because Grandson #1 has been joined by Grandson #2; this means I have to spend twice as much time snuggling (thus leaving less time for lesser things). And because my parents are 81 and I know that leisurely phone conversations with my mom are a greater treasure (for both of us) than any gift I could put under a Christmas tree (not that I’ve actually managed to put up a tree). And because I just returned from a region of the world that has suffered decades of conflict, and I’m convinced that a quiet morning spent in prayer for my Middle Eastern friends who are peacemakers trumps just about anything else I could do.

So…one of the ministries at my church asked if Bill and I would open our home to 65 international church leaders for a pizza party—tonight. I agreed as long as all I had to do was get the house presentable (clean and orderly with folding chairs squeezed here and there) and arrange flowers for the tables. I like arranging flowers, so that’s an easy contribution for me to make to the evening. However, real life happens when you’re planning parties, and as it turns out my daughter needs someone to snuggle Baby Mac today while she prepares for a weekend speaking engagement. Hmmm. Choice. Spend the afternoon making the house “presentable and arranging flowers” or “snuggling Baby Mac?” Duh.

I offer apologies ahead of time to all the people who won’t find a place to sit tonight because the folding chairs will still be stacked in a closet and to those who can’t find a dry hand towel in the bathroom because I forgot to put out a fresh stack. And about the flowers…well, I hope I can squeeze in a trip to the florist today, but there’s no guarantee. Merry Christmas anyway.
May you—whoever you are reading this—make a choice today that allows you to experience what matters. And may we all remember that what matters most is to say with our thoughts, our words, and our actions: Come, Lord Jesus. Come into my life today and use me for your purposes.

PS Read last year’s Lazy Christmas Wish here.

A Common Friend to Arabs and Jews

2011-11-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

Recent news articles have noted my ministry engagement in Israel and Palestine; some have questioned my support for the State of Israel because I don’t espouse the theological position called Christian Zionism. It is true: I am not a Christian Zionist. Nor am I a Christian Palestinianist (though that term has recently been used by journalists to describe me). I am, simply, a Christian, a follower of Jesus. I believe that in Jesus there is neither “male nor female, Greek nor Jew, slave nor free.” I believe that God has granted all human beings the same degree of dignity and that at the foot of the cross we are all equals. I believe we are called to worship God in spirit and in truth, and that when we do, wherever we are becomes sacred space.

I do not hold to a theology asserting that the modern State of Israel represents a divinely mandated return of ancient Israel to the Promised Land, but I do wholeheartedly support its existence as a place where Jews can live in freedom and security. I cannot listen to the deep and legitimate fears of Israeli Jews—as I did just last week in Israel—without joining them in celebrating the existence of the State of Israel. I cannot walk quietly through the halls of Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Memorial) in Jerusalem—as I also did last week—without being horrified by what the Jews experienced in Europe in the 1930s and 40s. I earnestly long for the day when Jews can live in Israel—and anywhere—in security. I believe followers of Jesus ought be outspoken in their support of peace and safety for all Jews, and the right of Israeli civilians to live without being subjected to rocket fire and suicide attacks.

At the same time, I wholeheartedly support justice for the Palestinians. In 2008, at a conference in Amman, Jordan, Arab Christians challenged me to broaden my understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict, to listen to the stories of Palestinian Arabs forced from their homes and villages during the founding of the State of Israel, and to see for myself the current plight of Palestinian Christians and Muslims living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. Since then, I have made repeated trips to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

I was shocked to see the reality of daily life under military occupation. A shattered economy, land seizures and house demolitions, settlement expansion, Israeli-only roads networking through Palestinian land, and hundreds of military checkpoints on Palestinian roads—all these make daily life difficult and frustrating for Palestinians. Because of delays at checkpoints, produce rots in the back of pickup trucks before farmers can get it to market. Other farmers are permanently separated from their land by the path of the Israeli-built security wall; while the wall was created to protect Israelis from terrorists, in many places it is built not on the internationally recognized border between Israel and Palestine, but deep inside Palestinian territory.

I’ve heard stories of Palestinian women giving birth in their cars because of lengthy checkpoint delays, and of critically sick children being denied health care because they can’t get Israeli-issued permits to travel to the hospital in Jerusalem. I’ve learned that the best and brightest of Palestinian Christians are leaving the Holy Land, not because of tension with Muslims, but because energetic, educated young people see no future for themselves under ongoing military occupation.

I know there are religious Jews and Christians who do not consider Israeli presence in the West Bank as “occupation.” They believe God gave the land to the Jews centuries ago, so the Palestinians are actually the “occupiers.” They feel completely justified in building Jewish “settlements”—or cities—on Palestinian land because, they believe, the land is not really Palestinian land anyway. Though the international community considers the settlements illegal—as do many Israelis I spoke with—the settlers and some Israeli leaders believe they are legal. Some extremist settlers even believe they are justified in using violence to move the Palestinians off the land. Sadly, there has been an upsurge of such violence in recent months.

I respect the perspective of these religious Jews and Christians, but I do not agree with the actions that flow from their theology. I denounce the violence of the extremist settlers, just as I denounce the violence used by Palestinian extremists. I believe the Holy Land can and should be a place where Jews and Arabs can live as neighbors. I’ve talked with Israelis and Palestinians who are committed to mutual understanding and reconciliation. These Christians, Muslims and Jews have begged me “not to take sides.” They have said, “Please, be a common friend to all of us. Either we will learn to live together or we will die together.” I have become convinced that the best way to be a friend to Israel is to also be a friend to the Palestinians, and the best way to be a friend to the Palestinians is to also be a friend to Israel.

Some people have recently accused me of moving from an accurate “Zionist theology” which supports the State of Israel, to a dangerous “Palestinian theology” that delegitimizes Israel. That is not true. I hold the same theology regarding Israel, the land, the church and Jesus that I have held for thirty years. What has changed is my personal engagement with the living people of the Holy Land—both Israelis and Palestinians—who have suffered from the ongoing conflict.

Many people ask why I continue to travel to the Holy Land. I always explain that I go to listen and to learn. I’m a beginner on a journey of understanding what it means to be “a common friend” to Jews and Arabs. What better way to learn than to listen to a wide range of experiences? As I listen to these diverse voices, I pray for discernment. I pray to be able to hear the fear or the longing behind the words. I pray that my heart will break like I believe the heart of God breaks over the pain of all his children.

Most peacemakers on both sides are discouraged as they watch the inability of Israeli, Palestinian and American politicians to move toward peace. I share their sadness about the present and their fears for the future. But I find a call to action in Psalm 34:14 that challenges us to “seek peace and pursue it.” I’ve discovered people on both sides of this conflict who are committed to that calling, and I am committed to partnering with them and lifting up their voices.

I invite all people of faith to join me in praying that the acts of violent people will be thwarted, that people committed to nonviolence will be protected, that reconcilers will be sustained as they seek mutual understanding and friendship, and that politicians will have the maturity and grace to become true moral leaders.

I think of the children I saw last week in Tel Aviv, in Haifa, in Jerusalem, in Ramallah, in Hebron, in Bethlehem—and I am reminded of Jesus’ tenderness toward them. May the good tidings of his love surround them today.

A Different Spin on Black Friday

2011-11-24T11:23:00.000-08:00

I just traveled for 10 days in Israel-Palestine with six women who wanted to learn from Israeli and Palestinian human rights activists and peacemakers. I can’t even begin to express what a profound experience that was. In December I’ll be blogging at length about it, but I want to mention just one aspect of the trip today. In two places—a Bedouin village in the Negev desert in Israel, and in Bethlehem in the West Bank—I purchased beautiful traditional weavings and needlework from women who desperately need the income. The women are highly skilled artists and their work is lovely, but since I’m not much of a shopper and I hate dragging excess “stuff” around when I travel, I probably wouldn’t have bought anything—except it truly didn’t feel like “shopping.” It felt more like “investing” in women’s lives, and indeed it was.

In that spirit, I offer the following list of “investment opportunities” for anyone who would like to use Christmas giving to empower hardworking women and men throughout the world. Even if you’re not in a buying mood, simply perusing these websites will educate your mind and open your heart more widely to the world.

One of my favorite organizations is the fair trade company, Trade As One, started by my good friend, Nathan George. I haven’t personally used the apron and napkins below, but all the other items are personal favorites that I use (and give away) regularly.

Small pouch for wallet, phone. People always comment on this little purse, which gives me an opportunity to explain the story behind it.
http://tradeasone.com/shop/purses-bags/wallets-coin-purses/rice-bag-weave-clutch.html

Large Bag. I have this bag in two sizes and use them for everything from shopping to overnight packing. http://tradeasone.com/shop/purses-bags/handbags-purses/large-tote-dark-blue.html

Greeting Cards. These cost no more than ones you’d buy at the grocery store and they’re really cute. I always keep a few on hand.
http://tradeasone.com/shop/stationery/cards/pram-card-blue.html

Bracelet. This simple cuff goes with everything
http://tradeasone.com/shop/jewelry/bracelets/floral-metal-cuff.html

Necklace. This adds color to my mostly-black wardrobe; I wear it often and have given many as gifts.
http://tradeasone.com/shop/jewelry/necklaces/tribal-art-necklace.html

Apron. Super cute for Christmas; would be great with some homemade cookies and a personal recipe.
http://tradeasone.com/shop/house-home/kitchen-dining/apron-vibrant-red.html

Napkins. I always use cloth napkins (no, I don’t iron them). These are on my personal wish list. http://tradeasone.com/shop/house-home/kitchen-dining/napkins-red-turquoise-4-pack.html

Stuffed Animal
http://tradeasone.com/shop/sports-toys/kids/funky-knitted-rabbit.html

To Tie on a Gift.
http://tradeasone.com/shop/sports-toys/kids/ollie-string-doll.html

Clothing

Tom’s Shoes. Tom’s Eyewear
http://www.toms.com/

Forgotten Shirts
Desiring to help create a new global economy bent toward justice and equality, this company creates opportunities for others by producing relevant and notable t-shirts.
http://www.forgottenshirts.com

Jedidiah Clothing
Jedidiah is a humanitarian-based apparel brand aspiring to cultivate change, one garment at a time. Each season, Jedidiah partners with a distinctive and effective non-profit organization to raise money and awareness for life-changing causes. http://www.jedidiahusa.com

Ideas for Business Giving

Flowers. When you order these flowers, 10% goes towards Women for Women International, which serves women in war-torn parts of the world.
http://www.organicbouquet.com/Info.aspx?pid=177

Hungry for Change Gift Subscription, $33 a month. Great for special customers, employees, etc.
http://tradeasone.com/get_involved/hungry_for_change/

International Justice Mission. Provide rescue and justice for victims of human trafficking.
https://secure3.convio.net/ijm/site/SPageNavigator/HGC_Home.html

World Relief: Food Crisis. This would be great partnered with a food product from Trade As One.
https://worldrelief.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=3066

World Vision Micro-Finance
http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2MicroLoan.jsp?lpos=top_drp_WaysToGive_Micro&go=micro&

Organizations Suggested by Friends

Bright Endeavors. Handmade, eco-friendly candles and bath salts and Moda Esperanza products
http://www.brightendeavors.org/Site/Home.html

Evergreen Cards. Beautiful hand-cut cards and bookmarks skillfully made by women and individuals with disabilities in Shanxi Province, China.
http://www.evergreencard.com/cardsite/

Global Bag Project. Reusable shopping bags for sustainable incomes produced by Kenyan widows. (My friend Valerie Bell and her sister Karen Mains started this organization.)
http://www.globalbagproject.com/

Heifer International. Choose a meaningful gift to give a loved one and help children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. After your donation, you'll have the opportunity to create a printable gift card or e-card to tell your friends and family that you've honored them with a Heifer gift.
https://secure1.heifer.org/gift-catalog

Re:New Project/Re:Store. A viable way for refugee women to supplement their income by sewing and/or knitting creative and beautiful products.
http://renewproject.org/shop/

Sari Bari. Provides a safe place of employment where women who have been exploited in the sex trade or who are vulnerable to trafficking can experience a new life in the making in Kolkata, India
http://www.saribari.com/

Imani Workshops. Imani Workshops provides income generating opportunities for artisans in Kenya who have suffered hunger, poverty, and other stigma associated with HIV/AIDS
http://imaniworkshops.org/

International Princess Project. Advocating for women enslaved in prostitution.
http://www.intlprincess.org/

Noonday Collections. An organization raising money to provided orphan care and prevention
http://www.noondaycollection.com

Good Shop. Shop online at your favorite store’s website and a percentage of your proceeds will be donated to charity.
http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx

PS: Recently I’ve been reading about the benefits of green tea, so I did a little research on organic, fair trade green tea. This is great for gift-giving—or for taking a relaxing break on a busy day.

Choice Organics, Green Tea with Peach, 20 bags, $5.99
http://tradeasone.com/shop/food-drink/coffee-tea/green-tea-with-peach.html

Choice, Moroccan Mint Green Tea as part of sampler pack:
http://tradeasone.com/shop/food-drink/coffee-tea/gourmet-tea-sampler.html

Tea with sweetener, a nice card, and a mug would make a great gift.

Mug:
http://tradeasone.com/shop/house-home/kitchen-dining/crackle-glaze-mug.html

Honey:
http://tradeasone.com/shop/food-drink/pantry/honey-bear.html

Sugar:
http://tradeasone.com/shop/food-drink/pantry/organic-sugar.html

Choice Organics, Classic Green Tea, 16 bags, $4.99
http://shop.choiceorganicteas.com/Classic-Green/p/CHO-919139&c=ChoiceOrganicTeas@GreenTeas?gclid=CMuPvZK97asCFdAEQAodeAIFKQ

Traditional Medicinals Golden Green, 6 boxes of 16 bags, $21.90
http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Organic-Certified-16-Count/dp/B0009F3PI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318777599&sr=8-1

Choice Organics, Whole Lead Jasmine Green Pyramids, 3 boxes of 15 bags, $15.05
http://www.amazon.com/Choice-Organic-Organics-Pyramids-1-05-Ounce/dp/B0028SWA7S/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1318777599&sr=8-10

Numi, Ginger Sun, Lemon-Decaf Green Tea, 3 boxes of 16 bags, $17.83
http://www.amazon.com/Numi-Organic-Ginger-Lemon-16-Count/dp/B003ULJKAW/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1318777599&sr=8-16

ENJOY!!!

Intimations of an Astounding Destiny

2011-10-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

Meister Eckhart wrote, “As thou art in church or cell, that same frame of mind carry out into the world, into its turmoil and its fitfulness.” Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continually return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Itself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely, to the Light Within, is the beginning of true life. It is a dynamic center, a creative Life that presses to birth within us. It is a Light Within that illumines the face of God and casts new shadows and new glories upon the human face. It is a seed stirring to life if we do not choke it. It is the Shekinah of the soul, the Presence in the midst. Here is the Slumbering Christ, stirring to be awakened, to become the soul we clothe in earthly form and action. And He is within us all.”

With this paragraph Quaker scholar Thomas Kelly opens his profound little book, A Testament of Devotion. I first read this book during a time of deep spiritual emptiness—a crisis of faith, really, during which I had reached the limits of my tolerance for a soulless Christianity. Kelly spoke to my soul and drew me toward the soulful Christ. I return to Kelly during periodic episodes of spiritual weariness, such as I am experiencing now. Life has been good and ministry has been fruitful, but for too long my days have pushed me a bit too much “out there,” leaving little time and internal space for pondering and prayer. I feel disconnected from unseen realities.

So I pick up Kelly again. And other trusted soul-friends. Brother Lawrence and The Practice of the Presence of God. Dallas Willard and The Divine Conspiracy. Scot McKnight and Praying with the Church. Brian McLaren and Naked Spirituality. N.T. Wright and his latest release, Simply Jesus.

After I read, I close my eyes and listen to A New Liturgy: God is Love—described by its producer, Aaron Niequist, as “a moveable, sonic sanctuary.” For the next twenty-five minutes my office, my kitchen or my car becomes a place where my soul is nourished and my mind refreshed. (Check out A New Liturgy at www.anewliturgy.com )

Busy days are on the horizon. An international trip. Writing deadlines. Logistics. Details. Holidays. Out-of-town guests. I will welcome all of that when it comes. But today, and perhaps tomorrow—and hopefully in scattered hours throughout the coming weeks—I welcome those windows of time when I can live slowly, read and reflect, nourish my soul and renew my mind. Ponder and pray.

Let’s Join the Global Voices of Nonviolence

2011-09-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 21 is the United Nations International Day of Peace. It’s also the kickoff day for an initiative called Global Voices of Nonviolence that will continue through October 3. The catalyst for Global Voices of Nonviolence is the extraordinary film, Little Town of Bethlehem, which powerfully documents the true stories of three Middle Eastern peacemakers committed to nonviolence: an Israeli Jew, a Palestinian Muslim, and a Palestinian Christian.

To launch Global Voices of Nonviolence, the film will be screened on September 21 at 7pm ET at The Catholic University of American in Washington, DC. Immediately after the film, a distinguished panel will discuss how nonviolence can become a path to peace and a greater humanity in the Middle East and around the world.

What will make this event truly extraordinary is that it is available to a global audience. By live online streaming of the film and the panel discussion on Beliefnet.com on September 21, audience members anywhere in the world can join in the conversation and become part of an innovative “screening without borders.”

This live launch of Global Voices of Peace in Washington DC will be followed by 12 days of Little Town of Bethlehem screenings throughout the world on college campuses, houses of worship and online. Never before has the message of nonviolence been given such a powerful and expansive platform.

A year ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to screen Little Town of Bethlehem in our home. We moved the furniture out of our living room, brought in folding chairs to create a private theater and showed the DVD on our television screen. Afterwards we facilitated a lively discussion in support of peacemaking and nonviolence. It was a simple, but powerful event that helped galvanize an active group of Christians committed to the ongoing work of nonviolence.

Why don’t you register to be part of the live online launch of Global Voices of Nonviolence? http://littletownofbethlehem.org/globalvoices/#watch

Or find out where Little Town of Bethlehem is scheduled for a live screening in your area? http://littletownofbethlehem.org/screenings/north-america-screenings/

Or better yet, why don’t you plan your own screening event? http://littletownofbethlehem.org/screenings/host-a-screening/

For an excellent article on nonviolence written by Palestinian Christian, Sami Awad, one of the peacemakers featured in Little Town of Bethlehem, go to
http://www.christatthecheckpoint.com/index.php/blog/52-sami-awad-wwjd

Don’t miss this opportunity to add your voice to the Global Voices of Nonviolence!

Two Ways to Join the Good Fight for Global Peace and Justice

2011-09-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Forgotten People Conference

This coming Saturday, September 17, I’ll be joining three extraordinary speakers at the Forgotten People Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to talk about ways to positively engage with the suffering people of our world. David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World, will talk about global hunger. Princess Kusane Zulu, from Zambia, will talk about HIV/AIDS. Rev. Mitri Raheb, from Bethlehem, will talk about living the Christian life in the midst of ongoing conflict. I’ll be talking about the church’s mandate to engage with the brokenness of our world and about specific lessons I’ve learned recently in the Middle East. I know each of the speakers personally; I’ve seen their ministries, I’ve learned from their expertise, and I’ve caught their passion.

If you’re in the Fort Wayne area, please join us from 8am-4pm on Saturday. Register at http://www.forgottenpeopleconference.com/

Illinois Town Hall Meeting to Combat Human Trafficking

If you’re in the Chicago area and you’re grieved by the horror of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression—which is big business globally and in the US—please join me on Monday evening, September 19 at 7pm, at Park Community Church in downtown Chicago. I’ll be hosting the event that will feature a panel of state and national leaders including US Congressman Peter Roskam, Holly Burkhalter, Vice President for Government Relations at International Justice Mission, a local law enforcement official who has been responsible for dramatic rescues of trafficked girls in the Chicago area, and a young woman rescued from the Chicago sex trade. Join us to educate yourself about human trafficking and to discover simple ways you can join the movement to combat modern day slavery.

For more information: http://www.ijm.org/calendar/illinois-town-hall-meeting-combat-human-trafficking

A Thoughtful 9/11 Sermon

2011-09-12T12:42:00.001-07:00

For anyone who has mental and/or emotional space for one more reflection on 9/11, I want to recommend the sermon my husband, Bill Hybels, preached this weekend. The video clip begins with a brief interview of political analyst David Gergen by Willow Creek Association president, Jim Mellado. Then Bill's sermon focuses on what we should all learn from 9/11. The video ends with a recent email from Lisa Beamer, whose husband Todd Beamer led the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 in downing the hijacked plane so it couldn't crash into its intended Washington DC target. Lisa's challenge for all of us is to be "Christ-like servants."

http://media.willowcreek.org/#content

Words Fail

2011-09-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Turkana. There is nothing like death by starvation. Would love it if you could spread the word…

I received the brief email above from my friend, Don Golden, who was in Kenya. The subject line read simply: “words fail.”

Like you, I’d already heard much about the famine in East Africa. I’d wondered what to do, how to engage. But Don’s words gripped me like none of the other reports I’d seen or read. Perhaps that’s because I know Don has already seen the worst of the worst; I’d traveled with him to Eastern Congo and sat with women who had been brutally raped. And I know how articulate Don is in describing what he sees in his global role with the Christian humanitarian organization, World Relief. So when words fail Don, I know I need to pay attention.

Watch this brief video called “Crisis in Turkana” to learn more.

CRISIS in Turkana, Kenya from World Relief on Vimeo.

To follow World Relief's efforts in Turkana, visit their blog: https://worldrelief.org/blog

To give directly to the life-saving intervention in Turkana, go to
https://worldrelief.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=3066

There is still time to save the children of Turkana, but not much time. Even a small contribution can make a huge difference.

Resources for Peacemakers

2011-08-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

This blog post is actually the resource list I promised to those who attended a luncheon workshop called “Leading Toward Peace in Israel and Palestine,” presented by Wheaton College professor, Gary Burge. However, these resources would be helpful to anyone who wants to learn more about the current situation in Israel and Palestine, as well as a theology of the land that respects the dignity and rights of all the people of the Holy Land.

Leading Toward Peace in Israel and Palestine
Gary Burge and Lynne Hybels

Our goal as followers of Jesus is to affirm the dignity of all the people of Israel and Palestine, both Jews and Arabs, and to work toward a peaceful resolution of the current conflict that will assure security and equal rights for all—Christians, Muslims and Jews. Our desire is to create a conversation that is truly Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestine, Pro-Peace, Pro-Justice, and ultimately Pro-Jesus. We are convinced that what the Middle East needs most is to see Jesus incarnated in his followers as we engage compassionately and wisely with the people of Israel and Palestine.

Here’s how you can become part of this movement of peacemakers.

1. Expand Your Understanding

These resources represent a small sampling of resources produced by Americans, Israelis and Palestinians who are committed to justice, reconciliation and peace.

Articles—From theologians, lawyers, politicians, pastors, NGOs, Americans, Israelis, Palestinians

We Refuse to be Enemies By Rich Stearns http://blog.worldvision.org/stories/we-refuse-to-be-enemies/

The Place of Israel By John Stott (click on the link to the sermon to download PDF) www.stephensizer.com/2011/07/john-stott-the-place-of-israel/

A Republican’s Case for Peace By Marshall Breger www.momentmag.com/moment/issues/2010/06/Opinion-Breger.html

Where Politics Are Complex, Simple Joys at the Beach By Ethan Bronner www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/world/middleeast/27swim.html

Culture as the Art to Breathe By Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb www.mitriraheb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=359:culture-as-the-art-to-breathe&catid=33:english&Itemid=20

Why I'm Leaving Journalism for Politics By Daniel Ben-Simon http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/daniel-ben-simon-why-i-m-leaving-journalism-for-politics-1.247790

Flirting With the Apocalypse By Daniel Seidemann and Lara Friedman www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/flirting-with-the-apocalypse-1.6397

Following Jesus in the West Bank By Lynne Hybels www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj1007&article=following-jesus-in-the-west-bank&cookies_enabled=false

Israel’s Palestinian Partner is Ready and Waiting By Libby Lenkinski Friedlander www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-s-palestinian-partner-is-ready-and-waiting-1.315403

For Israel's Sake, Moderate American Jews Must Find Their Voice By Jeremy Ben-Ami www.forward.com/articles/13154/

How Faith is Realpolitik in the Holy Land By Gregory Khalil www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15570274.2010.504035#preview

Israel's Worrisome Path By Jafar Farah and Dr. Alla Shainskaya, 04/08/11 http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/154865-israels-worrisome-path

Epilogue: The Holy Land Today By N.T. Wright www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Holy_Land_Today.htm

The Missing Mahatma: Searching for a Gandhi or a Martin Luther King in the West Bank By Gershom Gorenberg www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/329fvswo.asp

The Rat Race and the March of Folly By Shlomo Swirski www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/the_rat_race_and_the_march_of_folly_20110729/

Books: American and Middle Eastern Christian Voices

Blood Brothers, Elias Chacour
Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians, Gary Burge
I Am A Palestinian Christian, Mitri Raheb
Apocalypse Later: Why the Gospel of Peace Must Trump the Politics of Prophecy in the Middle East, Abdu H. Murray
A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation, Naim Atifan Ateek
Palestinian Memories: The Story of a Palestinian Mother and Her People, Alex Awad
Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to “Holy Land” Theology, Gary Burge

Additional Evangelical Writing on Middle East

Video and downloadable PDF available at www.emeu.net/burge_bibliography_video.html

Books: Historical and Political

The Lemon Tree, Sandy Tolan
Lords of the Land: The War Over Israel’s Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007, Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar
A New Voice for Israel: Fighting for the Survival of the Jewish Nation, Jeremy Ben-Ami
The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace, Aaron David Miller
In the Land of Israel, Amos Os, (Israeli)
Once Upon A Country, Sari Nusseibeh (Palestinian)
One Palestine Complete, Tom Segev (Israeli)
The Yellow Wind, David Grossman (Israeli)
The Arab Israeli Conflict, Kristen Schulze
Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, Karen Armstrong

Websites

http://peacenow.org American arm of Shalom Achshav, the Israeli Peace Now movement that was established in 1978.
http://jstreet.org Political home of the American Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace Movement.
www.emeu.net Evangelicals for Middle East Peace is an organization committed to pray for and promote God’s justice, peace, reconciliation, and religious freedom by building friendships between the people and churches of the Middle East and the West.
www.justvision.org Just Vision is an organization that promotes and highlights the efforts of Israeli and Palestinian non-violent peace builders.
www.bethlehembiblecollege.edu Bethlehem Bible College prepares Christian servant-leaders for churches and society within an Arab context.
www.holylandtrust.org Through a commitment to the principles of nonviolence, the Holy Land Trust seeks to strengthen and empower the Palestinian community.
www.btselem.org The Israeli information center for human rights in the occupied territories.

DVDs

Little Town of Bethlehem www.littletownofbethlehem.org
With God On Our Side www.withgodonourside.com
Bethlehem, Caught in the Crossfire Produced by WCA church—Kensington Church in Detroit. Available for free viewing. www.vimeo.com/10721576
Encounter Point www.justvision.org/encounterpoint
Budrus www.justvision.org/budrus

2. Encounter—See For Yourself!

Christ at the Checkpoint: Hope in the Midst of Conflict, March 5-9, 2012 www.christatthecheckpoint.com
Alternative Tour: Let us help you create a trip that will allow you to experience not just the ancient sights of the Holy Land, but the people and the current reality of Israel and Palestine. Email Brannon@lynnehybels.com if you are interested.
Invest in the next generation: scholarship a trip.

3. Pray for peace and justice

Grassroots peacemakers in Israel and Palestine
Political leaders in America, Israel and Palestine
Non-violence movement: www.holylandtrust.org
Palestinian Christian, Sami Awad: “Nonviolence is the choice of the strong and confident. If I choose to resolve conflict or injustice through violence, it is out of my weakness.”

Watch This Video And Weep For Our Sisters

2011-08-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

What do Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Pakistan, India and Somalia have in common?

They’re the five countries where women are at greatest risk for violent oppression. They’re the five countries where women face the highest rates of domestic servitude and sexual slavery, female infanticide and feticide, female genital mutilation, honor killings, acid attacks, stoning, child marriage and maternal mortality. That’s in addition to the normal horrors like starvation and disease, which disproportionately impact women throughout the world.

Did you know that in the DRC a woman is raped almost every minute? And that many of the prostitutes in India are housewives driven by poverty to sell their bodies so they can feed their kids?

This video is less than five minutes long. But it will help you understand why a wide range of leaders—from former US presidents to heads of Christian NGOS—consider the exploitation of women the most devastating injustice in the world. And why they insist that if our efforts to fight injustice don’t prioritize women we’re never going to see the changes we long for.

View Video

Now that you’ve seen the truth, please do more than weep.

Read Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Everyone should read this book.

Google any of the above-mentioned violations of women—sex trafficking, for example, or honor killings—and begin your own research. One of the most important things we can do is learn and then speak up about what we learn.

Check out the work of the leading Christian NGOS—World Relief, World Vision, Compassion International, International Justice Mission, the Salvation Army—or your favorite organization, to see how they are empowering women. Use their websites to learn more and to financially support their interventions.

Buy fair trade products that provide jobs for women who have been rescued from sex trafficking or domestic slavery. Trade As One is my favorite fair trade company.

Or, do something else; get creative; be unique.

But please, to quote my old friend, Jerry Butler . . .

DO SOMETHING . . . SOMEWHERE . . . NOW!

Willow's Leadership Summit -- A Place for Peacemakers

2011-07-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

“Leaders have a blindingly clear picture of what the future could be and an insatiable drive to see it become reality.” Bill Hybels (www.billhybels.com)

I’ve taken lots of spiritual gift assessments and personality tests. None of them have ever indicated that I am a leader, and I don’t claim to be one. But maybe hanging around with Bill (my leadership-maniac husband) since I was 17 has influenced me a bit. I mean, sometimes I actually find myself thinking like a leader. I look at something that is clearly wrong, I see the beautiful reality that could exist if that wrong were righted, and I feel ferociously compelled to try to right it—and I want other people to do it too!

(Yes, Bill is aware that he has created a monster. And yes, he does try to tame me at times. But he is generally supportive. And, for the record, he has read and endorsed every word of this blog.)

So . . . it was October 2008. I had been invited by Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian—Bill’s mentor and mine—to attend a conference in Amman, Jordan, taught entirely by Arab Christians from Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and the West Bank. To a person, these ministry leaders said they felt abandoned by Western Christians. And, of course, they are; to most Western Christians the phrase “Arab Christian” is an oxymoron. We experience a severe case of cognitive dissonance when hear about indigenous Iraqi Christians or the ancient Egyptian Coptic Church or—even more surprising—Palestinian Christians whose ancestors have been “on the land” from the time of Christ. What? Why didn’t we realize this? What should we do about it?

That conference in Jordan turned my world upside-down. (See CT article November ’08). It was so clear that the isolation these Christian brothers and sisters experienced was wrong! Since then I’ve traveled to the Middle East seven times to learn from Arab Christians. “What do you wish American Christians knew,” I’ve asked repeatedly. Everywhere, I have heard this: We wish American Christians understood more about the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We wish American Christians would listen to their Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. We wish American Christians would stand in solidarity with the peacemakers in the land where Jesus walked.

At the South Barrington site of the upcoming Global Leadership Summit (hosted by the Willow Creek Association), we have the opportunity to do just that. On Thursday, August 11, I will host a Summit Lunch called “Leading Toward Peace in Israel and Palestine.” (Please call our Church Relations Center at 800-570-9812 to register.)

Many of you reading this blog probably have no clue what the Willow Creek Association or the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) are. Thank you for reading anyway. This blog is specifically directed to those who are already registered to attend the GLS in South Barrington. The event is filled to capacity so this definitely isn’t a pitch to get more Summit-attendees. However, for those of you already registered for the Summit in South Barrington, there are several optional lunches you can sign up for. This is my personal invitation for you join me at “Leading Toward Peace in Israel and Palestine” on Thursday, August 11.

The main presenter will be Gary Burge, New Testament professor at Wheaton College and author of Whose Land? Whose Promise?: What Christians Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians. An expert in both the culture of Jesus’ day and the current conflict in Israel/Palestine, Gary has led numerous trips to the Holy Land. His trips focus not just on the “dead stones” of ancient ruins, but more importantly, on the “living stones” of the Middle Eastern Christian community.

Gary’s book and his teaching have become valuable resources for Bill and the Willow Creek elders as they work together to discern God’s leading regarding future involvement in the Middle East. This Summit lunch provides an opportunity for you to join us in this extremely important learning process.

Tackling difficult issues is nothing new for the WCA. Summit speakers have often issued prophetic calls to action. None of us will forget Bono’s Summit interview that mobilized hundreds of WCA churches in the ongoing battle against extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS. The Courageous Leadership Award, offered through a WCA/World Vision partnership, awarded grants to help expand the efforts of many of the churches that courageously joined this fight.

We were all inspired when Jessica Jackley described how KIVA supports micro-enterprise globally, and we were gripped by Blake Mycoskie’s vision for Tom’s Shoes. Harvard professor Michael Porter challenged us to “do good better,” and Detroit activist Eleanor Josaitis proved that our passion for justice doesn’t have to diminish as we age.

Harvey Carey, who lives out his vision for urban renewal at Citadel of Faith Covenant Church in Detroit, dynamically challenged us to “get out of the huddle and into the community,” while Efrem Smith, author of “The Hip Hop Church,” taught us to break down cultural and racial barriers through acts of compassion and mercy.

Wes Stafford, President of Compassion International, moved us to tears as he shared how his own childhood trauma motivates him every day to work on behalf of the world’s vulnerable children. Gary Haugen and Christine Caine challenged us to join their efforts to free modern-day slaves; through their respective organizations, IJM and the A21 Campaign, they provided practical ways for us to do that.

I’m grateful that the GLS has addressed so many issues like these. As a result, church leaders throughout the world have challenged their congregations to actively join God’s redemptive work to “fix whatever needs fixing in this broken world.”

Now, through this Summit lunch, we have the opportunity to open our hearts and minds to a new challenge. Tragically, much of the worldwide hostility that erupts in violence and bloodshed ripples outward from the little plot of land where Jesus walked. It’s time for us to humbly learn from the Middle Eastern men and women who are faithfully following the Prince of Peace in the Holy Land. Together, we can partner with them in leading toward peace. Please view this as my personal invitation to join Gary Burge and me for lunch and for a very important learning opportunity. To register—call our Church Relations Center at 800-570-9812.

Songs for the Oppressed

2011-07-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

A decade ago a friend challenged me to read Isaiah 58 thirty days in a row. She said that after thirty days I’d know why I was put on this planet. She was right.

I confess that before her 30-day challenge I didn’t even know what Isaiah 58 said. I didn’t realize it was one of the most profound Biblical calls for God’s people to fight for justice. What’s most amazing about Isaiah 58 is that it places the fight for justice squarely in the middle of what it means to worship God. Do we want to be God-worshipers? Then we need to fight for justice.

I love that during the last decade or so it’s become “cool to care.” I am so inspired by the growing array of NGOs, faith-based initiatives and social-media campaigns designed to speak up for the voiceless, protect the marginalized, empower the poor, and just generally right the wrongs of this wayward world. But if our pursuit of God’s Kingdom of justice isn’t grounded in something more profound than “cool,” we won’t sustain the energy and passion necessary to live out the beautiful Kingdom call.

Yesterday I would have said that the best way to keep the call alive is to turn repeatedly to Isaiah 58 and similar biblical passages. Today, I want to add another suggestion: download or order “Songs for the Oppressed” and listen to it everyday for the remainder of the summer.

Dreamed up by Scott Olson, CEO of International Teams, the album was produced by singer/songwriter/worship leader, Aaron Niequist (yes, my son-in-law extraordinaire). Original music is performed by indie artists and/or worship leaders including The Brilliance, Adam Kenyon, Paul Stevens, Tim Sayers, Ethan Nickerson, Aaron Niequist and additional Willow Creek artists, Shawn Christopher, Brandon Grissom and Becky Johnson.

Here’s a smattering of lyrics:
• Father of the beaten down/Lover of the strong and proud/God of every class, from the greenest grass to the underpass/Loving Weeper of us all…Oh—You love your children, All your children/ Every daughter, every son…
• Help us to worship more than singing, giving redemption hands and feet…
• Turning our face away from this hurting race/We turned our face away from you…Here we are/Words can only go so far/Draw us closer to your heart/Bring us back to you
• We are the hands and feet of Jesus/We wanna be the change we’re looking for…
• Help us help you make a place where the greatest are the least…Help us help you make a home where the fearful can be safe…We can see it. We can see that that place./Help us bring it to occupy this space.
• All who have been broken/All who have been poor/All who been strangers…I will be your shelter/I will be your guide…
• And the broken all have gathered and the tears have passed away…

Each artist donated their time and talent, so all proceeds from the album will support the work of International Teams, a Christian organization dedicated to global work among the physically, financially and spiritually oppressed. Beyond this, I guarantee that a daily dose of this music will move us all beyond the coolness of caring to the passion of God for all his suffering children. It will make us all long—and work—for that day when “the broken all have gathered and the tears have passed away.”

Help change the world—and your own soul—by downloading or ordering “Songs for the Oppressed.” You won’t be sorry.

You Gotta Meet My Dad!

2011-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago my Dad celebrated his 81st birthday. Right about that time he cut his hand with a power tool, slicing through a tendon, a ligament and a nerve, and leaving bits of metal buried in the cartilage surrounding his thumb joint. After delicate hand surgery, he’s on the mend, but hands take a long time to heal. Sadly, he won’t be able to ride his motorcycle at all this summer. That’s right, his motorcycle. Two years ago while surfing the web he came across a motorcycle that was an exact replica of the one he and my mom rode on their first date, sixty years previously. Romantic that he is, he had to have it. My mom told him she absolutely would not ride it, but he modified the seat and made it so comfortable that she couldn’t resist. For their sixtieth wedding anniversary my brother and I got them matching motorcycle helmets and new biker boots.

Speaking of surfing, I think my dad went surfing the
day I was born—surfing the swells off Waikiki Beach, as he did each day after fulfilling his duties at the naval base in Honolulu. My parents lived there for three years, but I arrived toward the end of their military tour. Yes, I too have a Hawaiian birth certificate, just like our President. Although when I was born Hawaii wasn’t yet a state, so maybe my birth certificate is a fake. Oh well, nobody seems to care.

When I was growing up my dad was into anything with wheels—cars, bikes, motorcycles, even a unicycle, which he taught both me and my brother to ride. These days, in addition to the motorcycle, he and my mom ride a tandem recumbent bike; Dad is really pleased with the trailer he made to transport the bike.

Dad was seriously into watersports, skiing barefoot back in the 50s when that was definitely not something the average person did. My brother and I thought he was very cool.

He was also into horses, so for one year—the year I turned 10—we lived on a farm. We had a Shetland pony named Tiny Bit who didn’t like to be ridden and managed to send every rider flying through the air. I also had a cocoa-colored quarter horse named, interestingly, Cocoa; I have rarely enjoyed anything as much as riding Cocoa across an open pasture after school each day. We also had a goat named Esmeralda Ferdinand; my dad was enamored with the perported health benefits of goat’s milk. One time Dad brought home 300 chicken eggs and incubated them in our basement. Amazingly they all hatched. I’m not sure why he did that; I mostly remember chicken feathers rising through the ductwork and settling throughout the house.

In his twenties Dad was a used-car salesman. He was successful because he loved the “game” of helping people determine what they really wanted and needed in a car. His goal was to find a win-win solution that pleased the buyer and made a healthy profit for himself. Unfortunately, while he enjoyed the game, he didn’t like what working evenings and weekends did to family life, so he gave up selling cars. For nearly a decade he hopped from job to job in search of a satisfying second career. He finally settled into sheet-metal fabrication, a skill he had employed during his navy years. For his paying job he created custom ductwork for commercial heating and air-conditioning systems. But for fun he got a bit more artsy. This is one of his “sculptures” that I love most.

My dad first heard the Gospel of Jesus when he was 29 and from then on he followed Jesus as best he could. For years he served in a prison ministry. On two occasions offenders were released from prison on the condition they would live with our family until they could re-establish themselves in society. One of those men came back years later and stole my dad’s extensive (and expensive) collection of tools. That made Dad sad, but didn’t discourage him from continuing prison ministry. In recent years Dad has found his ministry niche in refurbishing wheelchairs for an organization that provides medical supplies to low-income people. His injured hand forced him to quit volunteering, but he was so disturbed when he learned about the massive pile-up of broken wheelchairs that he enlisted help from his friend, Ken. Dad will examine the chairs and determine what needs to be fixed; under Dad’s direction Ken will provide the hands to execute the repairs. You go, Dad and Ken!

Politically, my dad is pretty much on the opposite end of the continuum from me, though he carefully listens to my perspective on things like immigration and the Middle East, and he takes the stories of what I’ve seen on my travels very seriously. Theologically, he’s a tad more conservative than I, but during the last year he’s become obsessed with the writings of George MacDonald, the Scottish preacher who had such an impact on C.S. Lewis. You can’t read George MacDonald without being overwhelmed by the love of God; Dad has been overwhelmed and we have had a great time talking about it. I feel so blessed to have a dad who, at 81, is allowing God to lead him on a journey of fresh understanding. I love you Dad. Happy Father’s Day!

(My mom will turn 81 on Father’s Day, so you can guess what my next blog will be about.)

Listening to the Peacemakers

2011-06-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

In 2008, as I heard the increasing public rhetoric of hostility emanating from the Middle East, I found myself wondering what Jesus would say and do if he were here in the flesh today. It was with that question that I began traveling to the Middle East—7 times in the last two and a half years. My goal on those trips was simply to listen and learn. I began by asking Arab Christians from Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Israel and Palestine what they wished American Christians knew about them and about the Middle East.

Thus began my education about US foreign policy, Christian/Muslim relationships, and the conflict between Arabs and Jews in the Holy land. Along the way I talked with Middle Eastern Jews and Muslims who echoed many of the same themes expressed by Middle Eastern Christians. Their united voice has challenged my perspective on what it means to follow Jesus into the complex world of the Middle East. Their lives and their stories call me to try to be a peacemaker.

Given the increased media emphasis on Israel and Palestine following President Obama’s recent Middle East speech and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response, I feel compelled to tell the stories that rarely get told in the US media, the stories of the Middle Eastern Christians, Muslims and Jews who are committed to peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land. These are the people “on the ground” fighting nonviolently for security, freedom, equality and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians. In the coming weeks I’ll be posting here some articles I’ve published in other places during the last couple of years, as well as new stories I’ve not yet told publicly. I’ll begin with this article first published in Sojourners Magazine, July 2010.

Following Jesus in the West Bank

As a Christian committed to justice, I am glad the Jewish people have a homeland. I long for the day when they can live in Israel—or anywhere—in security. I don’t hold to a theology asserting that the modern State of Israel represents a divinely mandated return of ancient Israel to the Promised Land, but I do wholeheartedly support its existence as a national homeland for the Jews.

At the same time, I wholeheartedly support justice for the Palestinians. Two years ago at a conference in Amman, Jordan, Arab Christians challenged me to broaden my understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict and to see for myself the current plight of Palestinian Christians and Muslims living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank.

I’ve traveled to the West Bank three times in the last year. Life under military occupation is grim. A shattered economy, land seizures and house demolitions, Israeli-only roads networking through Palestinian land, and hundreds of military checkpoints on Palestinian roads—all these make daily life difficult and frustrating.

I’ve met with both Palestinian and Israeli faith leaders committed to using nonviolent resistance to end the occupation. Most recently I spoke at a conference hosted by Christians in Bethlehem. The conference, called “Christ at the Checkpoint: Theology in Service to Peace and Justice,” challenged evangelicals from North America and Europe to stand with the Christians of Palestine. The conference was inspiring, but for me the highlight was the three post-conference days I actually spent with Palestinian Christians.

I loved hearing about the evangelical church that Salwa’s husband pastors, and about Salwa’s ministry to marginalized women in Bethlehem. Salwa is an old Arabic word meaning consolation. “I love caring for the broken-hearted,” she said, “and leading them to Jesus, the source of all comfort.” She described the Palestinian Christian community as a secret garden: “Nobody sees us unless they come and look.”

I spent several hours with Shireen. Born in the West Bank, she studied English literature and translation at Bethlehem University, then received her M.A. in educational administration at Texas A&M (where she also was homecoming queen). Today she’s a wife and mother, a teacher in a Christian college, and a volunteer for a reconciliation ministry. She took me and two other Americans to a women’s meeting in the Muslim village of Al-Khader. We were the only Christians in a roomful of Muslims, and we were warmly welcomed.

My friend Christine and I went to dinner with a group of young women we had met on a previous trip. Educated in the social sciences, media, cross-cultural relations, leadership, and reconciliation, they remind me so much of my daughter and her friends: godly, articulate, fun, energetic, and committed to building a better world.

We had breakfast with Munther and Rudaina. Munther received his M.A. in religion and biblical studies from Westminster in Philadelphia. An instructor and assistant academic dean at a college in Bethlehem, he is working on a doctorate in applied theology from the Oxford Center for Mission Studies in England. He is married to Rudaina, an architect. Her name means “the woman who carries armor for soldiers.” We laughed when she explained that. Like all the Palestinian women I met, she is on the front lines of the battle for peace.

I met George, a school administrator. Some years ago one of George’s daughters—12 years old—was killed by Israeli gunfire that hit the car in which the family was riding. George is now an active member of Parents Circle/Families Forum, Israelis and Palestinians who have lost children to the conflict and meet to share their grief and work for peace.

Sadly, the Christian community in Palestine is dwindling as well-educated young people emigrate because they can’t find jobs. But young evangelicals like the ones I met choose to remain in the West Bank because they take Jesus’ call to be peacemakers seriously. They understand they have a unique opportunity and calling to bridge the gap between Muslims and Jews as they incarnate the truth of the Prince of Peace.

I am still pro-Israel, but I’ve also become pro-Palestine. Pro-peace. Pro-justice. Pro-equality for Jews and Arabs living as neighbors in the Holy Land. And bottom line, pro-Jesus.

Justice Hangs By A Thread

2011-05-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

“Justice is a garment, a billion threads, interwoven, interlocked, knit together with strength and integrity. Pull one thread from the fabric and the garment begins to fray. Pull ten million threads and justice unravels into injustice. The work of justice is to mend the holes injustice inflicts upon the garment…” from The Justice Conference website.

I’ve attended a lot of conferences and I’ve walked out of a lot of conference sessions because I found them boring or I was just tired of sitting in one place. But at the Justice Conference 2011 I attended every pre-conference workshop and every main session, and made good use of breaks and mealtimes to connect with other attendees and speakers. It wasn’t hard to fill each free moment with great conversation, given that over 1000 people showed up for this 2-day conference in the middle of nowhere. (My apologies to lovely Bend, Oregon, but you are pretty hard to get to!)

The next Justice Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon on February 24-25, 2012. I wouldn’t think of missing it! I’d show up just to hear Walter Brueggemann and Miroslav Volf. But they’re just the beginning; the speakers’ lineup includes Francis Chan, Ken Wytsma, Stephen Bauman, and Rick McKinely, just to name a few (and oh yeah, me). In pre-conference workshops and main sessions we’ll have the opportunity to explore subjects like Christian ethics, gender equality, genocide, the environment, immigration reform, human trafficking and the sex trade, conflict and hope in the Middle East, social entrepreneurship, and how to raise compassionate kids.

The conference is co-sponsored by World Relief, which is why I attended the event last year. I had previously been involved with World Relief’s ministry to immigrants in Chicago as well as their work against gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. World Relief’s passion and expertise, and the passion and creativity of young activists from Kilns College and Antioch Church, combined to create an extraordinary conference in 2011. I’m confident that the 2012 conference will be even better, offering a great opportunity for individuals or church groups to be educated about the gravest issues facing our world—and to be challenged to take next steps. One of the pre-conference workshops I attended at last year’s Justice Conference inspired me to write an article on human trafficking, so I know the power of this conference to move people to action!

Check out The Justice Conference and register today. See you next February.

Love Wins

2011-05-19T09:26:00.001-07:00

No, I am not submitting a belated entry into the heated conversation about Rob Bell’s latest book. I haven’t read Love Wins, so it would be inappropriate for me to enter the conversation. I do know, however, that long before Rob wrote the book he preached a series of sermons by the same title. I didn’t hear the sermons, but my daughter and son-in-law happened to be on the staff of Rob’s church at that time, so I did end up with a LOVE WINS sticker, which has long been stuck on a wall in my office.

The photo above shows the sticker flanked by a collection of precious (to me) mementoes: a cross carved decades ago by my friend and mentor, Gilbert Bilezikian, while he served as a military medic in the deserts of Algeria; a paper-covered vase made over thirty years ago by my daughter when she was in preschool; a rock I picked up on a wind-swept beach in Ireland (yeah, I have a thing for rocks and a thing for Ireland); a mug I received in December from a Christian in Cairo who later raised her voice in protest in Tahrir Square; and an olivewood cup from which I drank communion wine in the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.

The communion cup is the most recent addition to my collection of artifacts. I was at the Garden Tomb just weeks ago. It is always a moving experience to reflect on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the land that was the geographical setting for his incarnation. But on this last trip there was an unexpected poignancy to the experience. While our group of thirty Christian leaders huddled in the rain, preparing to honor the Prince of Peace, someone else was detonating a bomb in Jerusalem. We passed the broken bread and poured the dark wine to a haunting accompaniment of screaming sirens and hovering helicopters. We eventually made it safely back to our hotel in Bethlehem, but snarled traffic and closed checkpoints made the journey slow and frightening.

For nearly two weeks after that we visited holy sites that called us to a deeper appreciation of Jesus, and we visited decidedly unholy sites—places of violence and injustice that must break the heart of God. We listened to the brave and peaceful call of Christians, Muslims and Jews—both Palestinians and Israelis—committed to security and justice for all the people of the Holy Land. And we listened to the disheartening rhetoric of those whose violent words seemed incomprehensible—not to my mind, but to my heart, my spirit, my faith.

I’m still shell-shocked by my recent trip to Israel/Palestine; I’m not ready to reflect on all that I saw and experienced. But four kids from my church, equipped with two cans of paint and four paintbrushes, captured the essence of my thoughts about the future of the place of Jesus’ most dramatic visitation. LOVE WINS they painted on the giant wall that divides the people of the Holy Land. A day later a group of Westmont College students repeated the message in Arabic. I didn’t take many photos on my recent trip. I’m so glad one of my friends photographed this message on the wall in Bethlehem, because I really do believe that in the end, love wins.

I’m not making a big, cosmic, eternity-touching statement when I suggest that love wins. I’ll leave the big, cosmic, eternity-touching statements to theologians and biblical scholars and preachers and controversial authors. I’m just saying that the longer I live and the further I travel and the more I see and experience of the brokenness of life, the more I realize that every encounter and every relationship goes better when we approach it from a position of love. I don’t think love means that we have to agree about everything. But I think it means that we listen hard, and that we do our best to understand the fears, the frustrations, the dreams, the worldview, the experience of “the other.” And while we listen, we pray that God will open the eyes of our hearts and expand the capacity of our minds. And we pray that the Spirit, the Passion, and the Redemptive work of Jesus will have its way in us and in the world.

So…I’m sitting in my at-home office, looking at the collection of personal artifacts I’ve gathered during (almost) 60 years of life and thousands of miles of travel and countless conversations with people in pain. As I scan the walls and shelves that hold my holy clutter, I set my gaze on the source of my hope and on my steadfast belief. LOVE WINS.

I’m So Excited about Wild Goose!

2011-05-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

For years I wished I could attend the Greenbelt Festival in the UK—an edgy focus on art, music, spirituality and justice—but it’s always held in August which conflicts with annual family commitments. But this year, for the first time, the US has its own version of Greenbelt—the Wild Goose Festival—held in the Shakori Hills of North Carolina on June 23-26, 2011. Even if I weren’t speaking at Wild Goose, I’d be attending anyway. I can’t wait!

The Wild Goose is a Celtic metaphor for the Holy Spirit. A diverse group of followers of Jesus came together to create this festival rooted in the Christian tradition and open to all regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination or religious affiliation.

I love this blurb from the Wild Goose website: “In adopting the image of the Wild Goose we recognize that in the current climate of religious, social and political cynicism, embracing the creative and open nature of our faith is perhaps our greatest asset for re-building and strengthening our relationships with each other, with our enemies, with our stories, our texts, and the earth. In that spirit, in a festive setting, and in the context of meaningful, respectful, and sustained relationships, we invite you to create with us!”

I suspect I’ll be one of the older attendees at the Wild Goose Festival, and it’s possible I will not resonate completely with every perspective and opinion presented—but that’s why I’m so excited to go. I want to be challenged to learn and stretch and grow. After three years of traveling extensively in troubled regions of the world, I am fiercely gripped by the importance of personal relationships and friendship, I am increasingly committed to peace-building, and I am more impressed than ever with the way of Jesus. Wild Goose seems like the next right step on my journey of learning and of loving God’s beautiful but broken world.

What about you? Why not join the creatively redemptive community of Wild Goose!

An Apology to My Muslim Friends

2011-03-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

On the weekend of October 6/7, 2001—less than a month after 9/11—my husband preached a sermon called “Religion Gone Awry.” That was not the message he had originally scheduled for that weekend. But the rising level of hostility—and hate crimes—directed at Muslims compelled him to speak out.

“I’ve been aghast at what some pastors and Christian leaders have been saying,” Bill stated in the introduction to his sermon. “I’ve been embarrassed. Christians are saying words that are widening the gap.”

He talked about “hot reactors,” people who “opinionate before they reflect, before they bow down and pray; who ventilate before they ask God for sober-mindedness and self-control; who indict whole races of people before they know the facts. Let’s call this what it is: not good. Not good behavior. Not good Christianity. This is Christianity gone awry.”

He then challenged Christians to focus on James 1:19, “My brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” In Bill’s well-known “soft” style he continued, “Some of us have to just shut up, because saying anything would likely mean saying an inappropriate thing. If we’re hot reactors, we better be quiet or we’re going to sin with our mouths.”

In response to the many emails he’d received from fired-up Christians claiming that Islam encourages violence and that the Qur’an advocates terrorism, he suggested that we engage in fair play. “There are passages in the Old Testament where God tells the children of Israel to wipe out an entire nation—men, women and children. We would be offended if people interpreted Christianity based on those passages. So we shouldn’t do that to Muslims, either.”

Bill then invited a friend, local Muslim Imam Faisal Hammouda to join him on stage to be interviewed. Bill explained that while there are many differences between Christianity and Islam—and he and Faisal had discussed those at length—the interview would focus strictly on Faisal’s response to 9/11.

During the next 30 minutes, Faisal stated unequivocally that while Osama bin Laden may claim to be a Muslim, he is clearly not a true Muslim. “In Islam it says, whoever kills one life is as if he has killed all humanity, and whoever gives life to one soul is as if he has given life to all humanity. “Faisal said that terrorism—the killing of innocents—has no place in the just war theories of Islam. To the extent that 9/11 was connected with Islam it was clearly “Islam gone awry.”

It is a moving interview. Faisal ’s wife had hoped to join him for the interview but she had been visiting her daughter in Florida during the attacks on the Trade Center; being an Arab woman wearing a headscarf, it was not safe for her to try to fly home. After the Saturday evening sermon, one of our church members who worked for Southwest Airlines offered to arrange to fly Faisal to Florida so he could bring his wife home. Another man said, “I don’t have access to planes, but I have a car. I would love to drive you to Florida to pick up your wife.” Faisal mentioned these offers on Sunday morning and said, with a slight quiver in his voice, “God bless them both.”

I’m describing this church service from nearly a decade ago because of a video I watched this week in which protesters in Orange County, California, shout insults and accusations against a group of Muslim men, women and children who are attending a fund-raiser for a women’s shelter. It is a shocking, horrifying video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutFkykjmbM

I don’t know if the protesters claim to be Christians, but they do claim to be Americans. I need to state unequivocally that they do not represent me or my understanding of what it means to be an American. I am saddened and embarrassed by their words and their actions.

I offer this public apology to my friends and acquaintances who are sincere, peace-loving, American Muslims. I am so sorry. You do not deserve this.

Women are women are women…

2011-02-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

The recent events in Egypt have given rise to many questions about the Middle East and the Arab world. My friend, Chris Medearis, has travelled extensively in the Middle East and lived in Lebanon for 12 years. I love this brief glimpse of her experiences with women in the Middle East.

Tahrir Square: The Many Little Revolutions

2011-02-12T21:13:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I received this photo of Maggie, an Egyptian Christian friend who is a documentary filmmaker. When I asked her if I could post the photo on my blog, she sent me this email in return.

Maggie wrote:

The Arabic sign says “Ahmed (a Muslim name) and Mina (a Christian name) hand in hand.” The Arabic literally says “one hand.” The name of the young woman with whom I am standing is Nariman. Much to my shame, I had never talked to a woman with a niqab (total head cover) before.

Although I have been going to Tahrir regularly, last Sunday was different. And even though Tahrir is where the Egyptian revolution is taking place, I am convinced that there are personal revolutions happening there daily. A man with a beard [signifying a Muslim] stood next to me and told me, "This is the first time I have heard Christians pray." He offered me dates and sang “Bless our country” with us.

One of the Muslim Brotherhood members in Tahrir said, "I can honestly say that today is the first time that I've ever met a Christian brother. We hugged and kissed and I cried because I've never felt so close to another Egyptian who wants the same things that I do.” People may disagree on how representative these [relational transformations] are, but surely we agree on how wonderful and irreversible these personal revolutions are.

My friend has spoken with one member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Tahrir and the man was so apologetic of what he has always called Westernized [Christian] girls in jeans. He said that they were the first to rush to his aid when he was injured and to provide him with first aid and water. He too has had a personal revolution and promised never to misjudge these young people again. It was truly heartwarming to hear.

I am grateful for the many personal revolutions that we all experience there every day we go.

In Arabic the word “Tahrir” means liberation, but it is a present continuous verb. Tahrir—liberation— is the work of every day and it may never be over.

Sorry for the long email...but I just wanted to give context to the photo.
Much love, pray for Egypt.
Maggie

How to Prayer for Egypt - Part 3

2011-02-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

The third update sent out by my friend Wafik on the situation in Egypt. For more information, please visit Part 1 and Part 2.

Egpyt is Free
by Wafik Wahba
Associate Professor of Global Christianity
Tyndale University & Seminary
Written on February 11, 2011

At 6:00PM Egypt time (11:00 AM EST), February 11, 2011 Egypt was freed from one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in modern history. As the vice president made the announcement that Mubarak stepped down, the streets of Egypt erupted in euphoria shouting “Egypt is Free! Egypt is Free!”

The Pharaoh’s government has been turned down by the youthful Revolution

The Youth Revolution that was made possible by social media was able to finally end the 30 year rule of Mubarak
Once again Egyptians have shown the world that peaceful revolution can happen
This revolution represented all spectrums of Egyptian society: rich and poor, women and men, Christians and Muslims
Unity between Christians and Muslims was clearly expressed through the last week.
This revolution will have significant impact on the whole region and the world.
The grip of fear because of police brutality and the regime oppression has been defeated
This afternoon, Egyptian media anchors apologized for being forced to broadcast lies for the last two weeks.

A Christian Perspective on the Situation in Egypt

God is a just God who demands his people to do justice and to love mercy.
The gap between the very poor and the very rich in Egypt increased drastically during the last 15 years. Extreme poverty where 20 million citizens (out of 80 million) lived on a less than $2 a day while others lived in mansions with several cottages and private jets. The significant disappearance of the middle class represented a formula for unrest
The economical gains (Egypt GDP during the last five to ten years was 5-7% annual gain) benefited mainly the upper class. There were no serious programs to help the poor to move out the cycle of poverty or to improve their living conditions.
Very high number of unemployment: 24% among newly graduates
For decades Egyptians lived under oppression, corruption and police brutality. Elections were usually fabricated and freedom of speech suppressed. Voices of oppositions were completely silenced; currently there are more than 10,000 political prisoners

The Power of Prayer

One of the largest churches in Egypt is located in Tahrir Square (behind the large governmental building in the picture at the top of this message). In fact that building was built to cover the church from being at the center of the square in the 1950s. For the last six years, prayer meetings focused on God’s intervention to change the current situation in Egypt. God answered the prayer from the same square!
Video of Christian Worship and Prayer in Tahrir Square
For the last two weeks the church has been very active in providing services for the wounded, they have supported the poor and those who have been inflicted by the unrest. It also mobilized teams of people to clean the streets from debris.
Last Sunday, February 6, 2011, something very unusual took place in Tahrir Square; a group of Christians conducted an open worship service in the square (such activity is absolutely prohibited in Egypt). Christian songs about God blessing the country were sung by Christians and Muslims. Christian pastors and Muslim clerks were shown standing hand in hand in Tahrir Square.

Please Pray

For God’s leading during this critical transitional period in the life of Egypt
For the next steps as the country moves to choose the next government
For a democratic process that truly represents the many voices and the diversity of the Egyptian people.
For the moderate voices to be heard in that process
For true social, political and economical changes
For the Christians and church leaders in this time of change who have extended love and care to all Egyptians during the time of crisis, to the extent that the Imam of the main mosque in Tahrir Square called the Muslim prayers to follow the peaceful example of Isa (Jesus)!

Multi-Faith Friendship

2011-02-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

I just read this statement from a highly respected Christian leader in Cairo:

"Christians and Muslims have been united as never before defending their homes on overnight shifts (due to the lack of police security). This is resulting for many to make friends with neighbors they never knew and there is a real sense of camaraderie which we never had before."

Seems like we Christians and Muslims in the US could learn some lessons from our Egyptian brothers and sisters. For another story of multi-faith friendship, see my recent article, Cooking up Peace.

Egypt: Celebration Update!

2011-02-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

I just received this email from my friend, Fady Eldeiry. Fady grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, but now lives in Chicago and attends my church. I've taken two ministry trips to Egypt with Fady, most recently in December, 2010. Fady's love for his country is contagious. Read his email and join him (and me) in celebration. And keep praying!

From Fady:
I almost think I’m not actually typing this. It is so unbelievable, only God could make any of this happen!

So, January 25 some youth took the streets, and for 12 days so far, they’ve been making history faster than anything I’ve ever seen. It’s like a movie.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, when the pro-Mubarak people came out, most of them were thought to be agents from the police. But thankfully that died down, which in turn brought the protests back to peaceful.

On Friday, miracles started happening! While the Muslims were praying in the main Tahrir square, the Christians made a human chain shield around them to protect them! It was an amazing scene of protection and love between people who all of a sudden discovered love, discovered patriotism, discovered each other! (see picture above)

Then on Sunday, it was the other way around! Christians held an event with a couple worship songs that talk about blessing our nation and God hearing our prayers. It was an amazing miraculous event that I never ever thought I’d see in a Middle Eastern country! People were singing, chanting together as one, in the public square! Here’s a video of the event on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Af5E6fTdlw

Sunday afternoon, we watched the live Kasr El Dobarah Church’s service online, which was held at a different location, due to their close location to the square. It was an amazing picture of a church in a country that broke the chains of fear! Pastor Sameh Maurice, who is my all-time hero!, talked about:

Spirit of Courage: The people discovered that they don’t have fear to speak up anymore! The people are not afraid of the authorities abusing them.
Spirit of Patriotism: Flags everywhere, people rich and poor, Christian and Muslim, old and young. Neighbors met each other for the first time, made friends. People broke the barriers and started hugging each other, and making community.
Spirit of cleanliness: People went out on the streets and cleaned their own neighborhoods. That led them to be respectful of their city and its cleanliness. He was talking about Tahrir Square being clean in spite of all the people in it. Then he talked about the cleanliness from corruption. That is something that started with this revolution and needs to continue and get rooted in society.

He talked about the poor in Egypt (over 40% of Egyptians live under $2 per day). He talked about taking care of them.

Then he talked about the role of the church. He said the church is not a political institution, rather they teach people Biblical values, and the people make up their own minds. He said that during the day of protests held by both, opposition and pro, there were church members on both camps. And he’s proud of that. He said the church is about God’s Agenda, not man’s agenda.

Then he started a time of prayer, saying that a birth of a nation is happening. There’s always pain in birth, and continued prayer is essential. He mentioned the prayers the church has been having for the nation, and he said that they’ll keep praying until God fulfills His promises.

They prayed for God to visit the homes of the poor and from the flooded Nile, fill the thirsty people. To bless His people, Egypt.
They prayed a blessing on the birth of the new nation. The hands of God are in it, and no human can do that! They asked God to complete the birth process, to bring people out in each city to continue prayers, until we see His name honored throughout the land.
They prayed about God opening the strength of heaven, and when He does, nobody can shut it! His Kingdom come on earth…
They prayed for unity in the Church in the land.
They prayed for blessing on the families with loved ones who died in the protests.

Thank you for your continued prayers for these historic events. This is truly history, that’s brand new (not repeated history) for Egypt. One of the young protesters had a sign for Mubarak to “step down already, because the history book is getting larger by the minute, and he’s worried about how much he’ll have to memorize in school!”

God is in control, please keep praying for safety and security for the people of Egypt. Pray it ends in peace. Pray for a new government that will be righteous and just. Pray the country rebuilds fast, and so that the economic situation doesn’t hurt the poor even more or increase poverty. God bless you all!

Fady Eldeiry
fady@wepartner.org
www.wepartner.org

How to Pray for Egypt, Part 2

2011-02-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

A new update from my friend, Wafik Wahba, Associate Professor of Global Christianity Tyndale University and Seminary. Again, for security reasons I have left out some specific names of churches and individuals.

Update on the Situation in Egypt
February 3rd, 2011

(Please note that the situation is changing by the hour.
This update is posted on February 3rd, 2011 at 1:00 PM EST)

On Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 an estimate of over 2 million people gathered in different places across Egypt waiting for a real change to take place. Egyptians from all walks of life: young and old, women, men, even children, rich and poor, Christians and Muslims were anticipating Mubarak to step down. However, their hopes were dashed when Mubarak declared that he will be staying till September. A few hours later the situation turned extremely dangerous.
On Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011, the world watched in dismay what Mubarak regime is doing to its own people who have been protesting peacefully for the last week. We moved from amazing scenes of Egyptians from all walks of life demonstrating peacefully in demand for a better future to scenes from the Middle Ages where Mubarak’s thugs ridding over horses and camels carrying swards and clubs beating and injuring hundreds of people.
Furthermore, Mubarak’s mob threw Molotov cocktails from rooftops for more than 12 hours all through the night over peaceful demonstrators being trapped in the Liberation square. Very frighting scenes that we haven’t seen in the modern history, as if we were watching a movie or reliving scenes from barbaric wars.
US and most EU government’s called on the Egyptian government to stop using violence to intimidate the Egyptian people.
Journalists were attacked and their cameras were confiscated. Some journalists were even beaten by the regimes thugs. As Ben Wedeman, the CNN reporter put it, “The Egyptian government has a history of hiring criminals and thugs to terrorize people and disperse any peaceful gathering demanding democracy and calling for better living conditions.”
Snipers are shooting on peaceful demonstrators causing significant numbers of injuries. So far several deaths are reported and over 2000 people have been injured some of them with life threatening injuries as of the last few hours.
US and other countries issued urgent and immediate evacuation to their citizens
The situation is extremely dangerous and further demonstrations expected in the next few hours will result in an accelerated number of casualties.
This morning, Thursday, February 03rd, 2011 Egyptian Prime Minister apologizes for the violence that took place yesterday realizing that “such violence attacks created a deep wound in the Egyptian fabric of society”
These violence confirmed anew the Egyptians mistrust of their current government
There are voices calling for holding Mubarak accountable for these crimes against his own people. Ironically, a day earlier Mubarak declared that his main reason to stay is to protect the Egyptian people!
The army is being launched to control this escalating situation.
Tomorrow, Friday, February 4th there will be more demonstration demanding the immediate removal of Mubarak
On a positive note, my friend (...), is gaining strength after being treated for heart problems three days ago.
The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo was not harmed but those who live on campus are very concerned about their safety.
(...) Church, one of the largest Evangelical Church in Egypt, which is located one block from Liberation Square was not harmed in spite of serious damages to other buildings around the church

Please pray:

For immediate end to this madness that is escalating by the hour, Egypt is at the verge of a major civil war
For peaceful outcome of demonstrations planned to take place tomorrow
For the safety of Christian leaders and churches across the country
For the millions of Egyptians who are enduring one of the most difficult times in their history.
For wisdom to Christian leaders on how to navigate the terrain of this very difficult time
For wisdom to world leaders on how to handle this dramatic situation

How to Pray for Egypt

2011-02-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Below is some very helpful information from an Egyptian friend, Wafik Wahba, Associate Professor of Global Christianity Tyndale University and Seminary on how we can all be in prayer for Egypt. For security reasons I have left out some specific names of churches and individuals.

February 1, 2011

The crisis in Egypt is widening with potential impact on world peace and economical stability. Two months ago, after I gave two TV interviews that were broadcasted across the Middle East and North Africa, my observation was “the situation in the Middle East is deteriorating by the hour.” I did not expect, however, that the situation will take such an unprecedented and dangerous turn as we have been watching during the last week.

I would like to share my thoughts on the current crisis in order for us to pray for this volatile situation.

The current situation:

Egypt, the most populace country in the Middle East, with 80 million people, has been in a state of turmoil due to significant demonstrations asking President Mubarak to step down. Mubarak has been in power for 30 years. His regime is characterized with significant human rights abuses, corruption and police brutality.
Last Tuesday, January 25, thousands of people took to the streets of Cairo and Alexandria demanding an end to the dictatorship regime. They were faced with police brutality that resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. By Friday, January 28 the protesters took over police stations and government buildings in retaliation.
The police forces were then replaced with the army who took control over the country.
However, the absence of security forces resulted in a state of chaos and by Saturday it was clear that the social and security order was collapsing. Now there are reports that the police forces that were dismantled were responsible for or organized the looting of shops and businesses as well as terrorizing ordinary citizens.
By Saturday night, ordinary citizens organized themselves to protect their families and properties against such violent acts.
Demonstrations continue despite a countrywide curfew, with the largest demonstration taking place today, Tuesday, February 1st, with over two million participants.
Food staples and medical supplies start to run low in Egypt.
All financial sectors including banks and Egypt stock exchange are closed to prevent a total financial collapse.
Social media: the internet and cell phones were completely shut down (first ever in the history of social media) to prevent communication among demonstrators, however, such a move resulted in shutting down most communication systems in the country which added to the current chaos.
All domestic transportation systems are shut down.
Evacuation of American, Canadian and other nationalities started yesterday.

The Direct Economical Impact

Impact on the financial stability: The Dow Jones lost 166 points last Friday. Most Middle Eastern stock exchanges lost between 5 and 7%
The more serious impact which was immediately felt as of yesterday is the increase in oil prices worldwide. Today the price of oil is at $90 a barrel due to the fact that 4.5% of the world oil goes through Egypt, (1.8 million barrels go through Suez Canal a day &1.1 million barrels go through Summed pipelines from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean a day)
Suez Canal is a vital artery in world trade with hundreds of commercial ships passing through the Canal on a daily basis connecting Asia to Europe.

The Political Impact

The situation in Egypt is creating a diplomatic dilemma for US foreign policy. This political dilemma is due to the fact that Egypt is the strongest ally of the US in the Arab World with the largest military power (Egypt is the 10th largest military power in the world).
Egyptian military is funded by US aids, second only to Israel, with 1.3 billion a year since 1975.
Mubarak’s regime has been supported by US and western powers for its significant role in the peace process, creating stability in the region and friendly relations with Israel.
The current political dilemma for the US is summarized in keeping a balance between supporting a dictatorship regime that is faithful to US interests in the region or standing by the Egyptian masses in their demand for democracy, one of the greatest principles of American diplomacy. US, Israel and Europe are watching the situation with great nervousness and anticipation: what will happen to peace treaty with Israel and the stability of the region if this democratic process resulted in an Islamic state in Egypt that is now posses one of the most sophisticate military power in the world?
Yesterday, the US Military Central Command announced plans to interfere if necessary.
US Marines were dispatched in Cairo a few hours ago to protect the US embassy

The Church in Egypt

Egypt has the largest Christian presence in the Middle East, with over 12 million Christians. The history of the Egyptian church goes back to the first century of Christianity. Egyptian Christianity gave to the world its first organized theological school (in Alexandria), spirituality (the birthplace of the monastic movement) and was key in defending the Christian faith through the formation of Creeds and Ecumenical Councils. Egyptian Christians kept the lamp of faith burning for 20 centuries in spite of turmoil and persecution. Last Sunday, majority of Christians could not go to Churches to worship probably for the first time in history due to the current crisis in the county.

Please pray:

Please join Egyptian Christians across the world in a three days of fasting and prayer for Egypt, Monday, January 31 to Wednesday, February 2nd
For wisdom for the political leaders in Egypt, US, and the EU who are directly involved in the current crisis.
For a peaceful transition of power and for the future of the country
For The Middle East as its countries are going through a significant period of unrest (no functioning governments in Iraq or Lebanon, transition of power in Tunisia, potential unrest in Algeria, Jordan, Sudan and Syria)
For the safety of the people in Egypt as they are going through a very difficult time that is unprecedented in the history of the country
For Christians and Church leaders on how to navigate such difficult terrain
Special prayer for my dear friend (....) who had a heart attack last Friday when the largest demonstrations broke in Cairo. He is doing better today but still in the Intensive Care Unite. He is one of my closest friends, whom I knew for over 35 years and one of the finest visionary Christian leaders I have ever known.

A Country at a Crossroads

2011-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a recent update from two of our pastor friends in Cairo:

There are many many people walking towards the Tahrir Square for solidarity, including people we know personally.

The military is on the streets keeping safety and security, and not harassing the people. THIS IS HUGE in a Middle Eastern country!

The police came out yesterday and started keeping order again from looters, etc…

The people are still taking care of their own neighborhoods, keeping security, cleaning the streets, hanging out together!

People are meeting each other, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian, all for the security and benefit of their country. I’m getting goose bumps thinking about this!

The government shut down the trains, to stop people from going to Cairo, but there’s already 18 million in Cairo!

Several of the top leaders of the protest movement are Christians. Christians, in general, are very much involved in the peaceful side of the protests.

Although some of the buildings around the church were damaged or burned, nothing happened to the church property. And now the military is securing that whole neighborhood. Also, it helps that the US and UK Embassies are a block away.

The members of the church are meeting in small groups for bible study and prayer.

Pastor (...) goes to the church every day to pray with the staff and with people showing up there.

The church has organized the membership in groups for cleaning up the city, treat the sick and hurt, and care for the needs of people. Yesterday, two of the pastors were on duty in the streets, cleaning the mess with many members of the congregation.

Pastor (...) is very optimistic about what is coming. The major persecutor of the church in Egypt, who was serving as interior minister, was deposed from his position today, and this is wonderful news for Christians.

The army told the population they were there to defend Egypt, not a particular regime. That’s unprecedented.

Pastor (...) thinks if Mubarak resigns, the situation will return to normality in very short notice.

The Egyptian TV just announced that a previous US ambassador just arrived in Cairo to talk to Mubarak. We’re hoping he takes him with him! And give him guarantees for his safety.

Pastor (...) asks all of us to pray for Egypt, and for what is coming up in the near future. The country is at a crossroads. The next events will determine if all of this unrest will result in what Christians have been praying for for a long time: a more just, free and democratic country.

Prayer & Fasting for Egypt

2011-01-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

An Egyptian friend living in Chicago just spoke with a pastor in Cairo. For security purposes, I have not used the name of the pastor in Cairo, but I do know him and deeply respect him. I am supporting him and all of Egypt in a day of fasting and prayer.

Here’s the update on our friends in Cairo:

They are all safe in their homes, but security on the street is dangerous. The people took over security on the streets, because the Police vanished. They’re not sure why the police are nowhere to be found. They are doing their own “arrests” of people trying to loot or get into their homes, but they don’t know where to take them! I have friends and family staying all night on the streets outside their homes to protect their families.
Pastor [ ] went to the church to check on the workers securing the church there, as it is in the middle of town right where all the protests are happening.
The people are not stopping from being on the streets, even though there’s a curfew. Pastor [ ] is asking for prayers for:

1. Safety and security of the people
2. That this change would be for the Good, and not spiral to worse than it was.
3. For freedom as the Bible explains freedom.

May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Why Don’t They Just Come The Legal Way?

2011-01-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

That’s the question I hear so often regarding America’s current illegal immigrants.

Here are other common questions:
• Aren’t undocumented immigrants a drain on the economy?
• What part of “illegal” don’t you understand?
• Why don’t they just learn English?
• I’m not an immigrant. Why should I care?

A new media-driven social-action movement—officially launched today—answers these questions and many more. Called UnDocumented.tv and started by Matt Soerens and Jesse Oxford, this movement seeks to inspire and mobilize young evangelicals towards championing the needs of immigrants. While I’m not a young evangelical, I highly respect Matt and Jesse and believe wholeheartedly in this project.

Please check out Undocumented.tv to watch a film that tells the true story of many of America’s current immigrants and to learn about practical steps you can take to engage personally with immigrants and become a voice for the vulnerable.

Christmas Memories

2011-01-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

My 80-year-old parents stayed with Bill and me for the week before Christmas. We sat for hours at the dinner table retelling old family stories, drank chocolate-glazed-donut coffee while we nibbled Middle Eastern pistachio “sweets,” and worked on a horrible 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with 999 pieces in slightly nuanced shades of soft green. (No, Bill and Dad didn’t work on it and no, Mom and I didn’t finish it). Shauna and Henry came to visit several times, and Todd took Mom and Dad on a tour of the company where he works in downtown Chicago. We went to two of Willow’s Christmas services—one in English and one in Spanish. None of us speak Spanish but we wanted to experience the feeling of the evening; we did and we loved it.

My dad, a former sheet-metal worker who fixed cars as a hobby, visited Willow’s CARS ministry, where volunteers repair cars for single moms. (Handyman Dad also fixed our fireplace flue that hasn’t worked properly for 29 years—thanks Dad!) The three of us also visited the Willow Creek Care Center. I’d told Mom and Dad about the food pantry for years, but they’d never seen it in action. Three days before Christmas it was a festive madhouse, a chaos of volunteers and guests preparing for holiday meals with family and friends. Mom and Dad were moved and awed and filled with questions for Armando and Patsy and Jorie, three of the leaders who make the pantry “happen.”

I didn’t realize until this week that my parents caused a bit of a stir at the pantry. “You should have heard the volunteers,” Patsy told me this week. “’Who was that with Lynne Hybels?’ they asked. ‘Did you see how that man had his arm around his wife the whole time? Weren’t they cute? Wasn’t that sweet?’”

Yes, it was sweet. In fact, the whole week was sweet. I wrote in a December blog that I was doing Christmas 2010 differently, more slowly than in the past. One result of that choice was the freedom to hang out in an unrushed way with my parents, something I haven’t done at Christmas for years. I suspect it didn’t feel unrushed to Mom and Dad—I think I dragged them to too many places—but it was relatively unrushed and it was fun! I hope we can do the same thing next year.

I also hope that next year I can have as much fun with Henry as I had this year. One of my favorite 2010 photos is Henry in his Hanna Andersson Christmas pjs nestled in the fort we made and perusing my pink travel Bible. I don’t know why he is fascinated with that particular Bible, but he often “reads” Bible stories to me or flips through its pages and makes up “Bible songs” that he sings at A VERY HIGH VOLUME.

Often when I’m playing with Henry I inadvertently call him Todd. Henry’s middle name is Todd, but I don’t think that’s why I slip up. I think it’S because often Henry and I are playing with Todd’s old toys—the very same Legos, Lincoln Logs and Micro Machines that Todd and I played with thirty years ago. The two of them play very differently. Todd was an usually quiet little kid while Henry rarely stops talking. But those little boy toys—how they take me back in time!

Speaking of Todd, he bought me an extremely practical, yet thoughtful Christmas gift. Early on Christmas morning, he suggested I open his gift before I made the scrambled eggs for our family breakfast. The incredible Scanpan nonstick frying pan simplified our Christmas morning—no messy frying pan to soak in sudsy water—and it continues to make my morning routine easier.

The Scanpan logo says “for the love of good food.” A gift from my assistant, Brannon, continue that theme. The Improvisational Cook promises to help me “embellish, adapt, change, alter, modify, and experiment” with recipes and ingredients, and guarantees “a fun, more spontaneous way to cook with whatever is on hand.” I do tend to go with “whatever is on hand,” but the results are not always pretty or tasty. I’m counting on my new cookbook to turn me into a kitchen improviser extraordinaire.

Shauna gave me two gifts that I absolutely adore. “Punjammies” by International Princess Project are drawstring pajama pants made in India by women once trapped in the sex trade. I love the motto of the organization: Advocating for women enslaved in prostitution. Restoring their broken lives. Empowering them to live free. I also love the Punjammies; I wore them nearly everyday during our unseasonably cold Christmas trip south. I wore them with a black turtle-neck sweater and felt warm and comfy night and day.

Shauna also gave me a custom-made canvas art piece by livingston & porter that I hung on the wall above my desk. I’m looking at it now as I do each morning. Every day in 2011 I want God to write peace on my wings—on my heart—in my mind.

A friend gave me a bracelet that echoes this calling. It has found a nearly permanent home on my right wrist. Especially during this past week, when hatred, violence and death have been so much in the news and in the collective consciousness of Americans, I have been profoundly drawn to this simple word etched in silver on a leather band.

Peace. May it begin with me. With you. May God write peace on all our wings.

The Justice Conference

2010-12-27T20:34:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

(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

2010-12-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

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!

DREAM Act

2010-11-29T12:44:00.000-08:00

Below is a letter from my friend, Matthew Soerens. Please take a few moments to learn about an important act that will go up for vote this week in both the House and Senate. If you could take a moment to call your Representative and Senators today and urge them to vote Yes on the DREAM Act, you would truly be making a stand for the vulnerable among us.

Dear friends,

Leaders in both the Senate and the House of Representatives have announced that the DREAM Act will likely go up for a vote in both the House and Senate during the week of November 29. World Relief has long advocated for the passage of this bipartisan bill, which would allow undocumented students to earn legal status if they graduate from high school and go on to college or military service. (There’s more info on the details of the legislation at http://worldrelief.org/Document.Doc?id=695 and a few theological reflections that I’ve written at http://faithandimmigration.org/blog/let-little-children-come-scripture-and-dream-act-matt-soerens). As you might expect, there are also myths and half-truths about the bill being spread via email; many of them are addressed in this fact sheet: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dispelling-dream-act-myths. The DREAM Act has been publicly supported in recent weeks by many Christian leaders and institutions, including conservative Christian leaders like Regent University president Carlos Campo, Liberty University Law School dean Mat Staver, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Recognizing the important impact on higher education, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities has also voiced its support.

Just last night I got together to pray and sing some worship songs with a family in my neighborhood. Three of their five kids were born here in Chicagoland and are citizens, but their oldest son was deported to Mexico earlier this year, and their next oldest, a 20-year-old recent high school graduate, is unable to go on to college because she lacks legal status. She was brought here as a 1-year-old, speaks English perfectly, and is very bright—but she works (unlawfully) at a dry cleaner for very low wages, resigned to the fact that, without the chance to continue her education, she’ll never be able to work in a vocation that better uses her God-given gifts and talents. I know there are similar stories in many of your churches. As we pray for these individuals, I’d ask that you please consider four actions this week on their behalf:

1) Please pray that the Lord would direct the hearts of our Representatives and Senators as they consider how they will vote.

2) Please contact your Representative and Senators and ask them to vote “yes” on the DREAM Act. If you’re in Illinois and can make just one call, I’d ask you to call Senator-Elect Mark Kirk, who will be sworn in as Illinois’ new senator next Monday (just in time for this vote) and who has thus far been wary to take a firm stand either way on this bill. His D.C. office number is 202-225-4835. It’s as easy as dialing and telling whomever answers (or the answering machine), “Hi, My name is [your name]. I’m from [church name] in [city name], and I am calling to ask the Senator-Elect to please vote in favor of the DREAM Act.” You can also send a free fax to his office by going to http://icirr.e-actionmax.com/takeaction.asp?aaid=701.

It would also be important to contact your Representative in the House of Representatives. If you’re not sure of who your representative is, you can see our maps—and the appropriate telephone number—at http://worldrelief.org/Page.aspx?pid=2068. While some of the representatives in suburban Chicago lost their elections earlier this month, they are still in office until January and will be voting next week.

3) Please consider asking others in your church to make a call or send a fax as well. The quantity of calls and faxes that a congressional office receives around any piece of legislation really does make a difference! This upcoming Sunday will very likely be the last Sunday before this legislation comes to a vote in both houses of Congress. You might also spread the word via email, twitter, or facebook.

Thank you for standing with the vulnerable!

Matthew Soerens
US Church Training Specialist

1825 College Ave. Suite 230
Wheaton, IL 60187
T 920-428-9534
E msoerens@wr.org
http://www.welcomingthestranger.com
http://www.worldrelief.org/
STAND/for the Vulnerable

Shafic

2010-10-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

We’ve all heard the horrible news of the threatening packages sent from Yemen and reportedly addressed to Jewish synagogues in Chicago. Any act of terrorism is unconscionable, and any attack on houses of worship is to be denounced in clearest terms. But in the midst of news coverage that tends to emphasize hostility and fuel fear, I hope we all realize that there are people of good will from every faith tradition committed to building bridges and waging peace.

An American Muslim man I’ve recently become acquainted with sent this email to a group of our mutual friends:

To my dear Jewish brothers and friends,

On behalf of our community, colleagues, family and myself, we condemn in the strongest terms the act (of those who sent) suspected packages, with explosives, reportedly addressed to Jewish places of worship. We are greatly relieved that the plot has been uncovered and interrupted.

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-to-hand—unified in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and all partners in justice and peace—to defend with our lives, our homeland as well as the sanctity, safety and security of synagogues and all places of worship. We need to remain vigilant and unified in defending our freedom to worship and our incessant quest for justice and peace for all.

Your brother under God,
Shafic Budron

One of the recipients of Shafic’s email is a Chicago Rabbi who is an articulate Jewish promoter of peace. I’ll be meeting with this Rabbi in the coming weeks, grateful for the privilege of learning from a wise man committed to justice and security for all people.

We live in a culture where threats of terrorism make for captivating news stories and where fear of the “other” too often trumps relationship. But thankfully that’s not the whole story—as I’m learning from my new Muslim and Jewish friends. Shafic wrote to me this morning that those committed to waging peace “are a part of the silent majority that needs to emerge and lead." I couldn’t agree more.

The 35th and the Marathon

2010-10-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday is the 35th anniversary of Willow Creek Community Church. On a warm October day in 1975, Bill and I and 125 other young (and very immature!) Christians held our first Sunday service in a movie theater—the Willow Creek Theater in Palatine, Illinois. I’d love to recapture the youth I enjoyed on that October day, but I wouldn’t want to give up the growth and maturity that 35 years have brought—both to me as an individual and to the Willow congregation. I’m especially grateful to see our congregation becoming more and more committed to looking beyond our own doors and showing God’s love to people around the world—sometimes in some very creative ways!

On Sunday, while many of us will be celebrating at Willow, 186 people from Willow will be running in the Chicago Marathon for Team World Vision. The group, which includes 11 Willow staff members and one elder, has already raised over $118,000 to provide clean water for children and families in Africa. Last year my son Todd ran the marathon for Team World Vision and this year my daughter Shauna is running. In addition to being Henry’s mom and Aaron’s wife, Shauna is an extraordinary author in the midst of an intense book tour, where she’s been training for the marathon on unfamiliar streets in unfamiliar cities. Below is part of a letter she sent out this week to family and friends—as the reality of marathon weekend hit her. By the way, if you haven’t made a donation to World Vision on behalf of your favorite runner, feel free to donate on behalf of mine!

From Shauna:
Good morning!  
I'm writing from a hotel in Atlanta, and I just officially had my first marathon dream: I couldn't get my bib on, so I couldn't run. I was frustrated and embarrassed, but I decided that I'd just run my own marathon the next day--in my parents' driveway. Hmm.

  So clearly the nerves are kicking in, the training is done, and it's almost race day. You all know that as of March, I was a long-time, confirmed non-runner....and also that I've really really enjoyed the training process. It's been hard...but not as hard as I expected, and some of that is because I really believe in the cause we're running for.  

World Vision is a fantastic organization that my family has been supporting and connected to for a long time. There are all sorts of details about our team and about very specifically where the money that's raised is going here.

The money we're raising goes to provide clean water in Africa, a literal issue of life and death. Many mornings out on our training runs, our coaches encouraged us to drink lots and lots of water from the water stations our TWV volunteers provide for us...and also to think, as we drank, about what it would be like to not have clean water for your family and children.  

For me, on those mornings, water was the difference between a migraine and a great run...but for many moms on the other side of the world, clean water is the difference between health and disease for her children. I absolutely cannot imagine.  

If you'd like to support me and Team World Vision, the easiest way to do it is to mail me a check made out to World Vision. You can send it to Willow Creek Community Church/Shauna Niequist, 67 East Algonquin Road, S. Barrington, IL 60010 

And if you're thinking of us on Sunday, we'd love your prayers. I'm planning to run with a few other women for whom this is their first race, too, and we'd love your prayers for physical strength, mental focus, and courage.  

With love and thanks-- Shauna

Hope for the Holy Land

2010-09-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, as I listened to the escalating rhetoric of hate in the international media, I became haunted by the thought that Christians, Muslims and Jews are going to blow up the world. I was passionately engaged in AIDS-related ministry in sub-Saharan Africa, yet I couldn’t shake a growing concern about the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that ripples in waves of hostility throughout the world.

After six trips in eighteen months to the Middle East my concern has become personal, connected to individual names and faces, to specific places and heartbreaking stories. My heart has been broken by the pain suffered by both Jews and Arabs. I’ve been overwhelmed by the complex politics of the region, and disheartened to see theology used to fuel the conflict. I’ve read and studied and pondered. I’ve spent sleepless nights praying for peace.

And I have wondered: After decades marked by cycles of brutal violence, is peace between Israelis and Palestinians possible? Is there any hope that Christians, Muslims and Jews can work together for peace?

A new film called Little Town of Bethlehem tells the true stories of three young men—a Palestinian Christian, a Palestinian Muslim, and an Israeli Jew—who have committed their lives to pursuing a nonviolent solution to this conflict. The film isn’t about taking sides or assessing blame; at premier screenings, Israeli and Palestinian audiences expressed appreciation for its lack of bias. Filmed on location in the West Bank, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem, the film is about equality, courage and hope.

During my recent travels I’ve been blessed to become friends with one of the men featured in the film, Palestinian Christian Sami Awad. A committed follower of Jesus, Sami has been a leader in the growing nonviolent movement in the Middle East. Though the movement rarely, if ever, makes international headlines, I am convinced that it pleases the heart of God. I think every American—certainly every Christian—should watch this film!

Little Town of Bethlehem will be screened on major college campuses this fall. The three men featured in the film—Sami, Ahmad, and Yonatan—along with the film producer and director, will tour with the film, interacting with audiences after each showing. In the Chicago area, the film will be shown on Monday, September 27, 6-9pm, at DePaul University, Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N. Fremont St., Chicago Lincoln Park Campus. The evening is open to the public at no charge. Check http://littletownofbethlehem.org for additional information, the film trailer, and a complete list of screenings in the US and UK.

For anyone who seeks a greater understanding of the Middle East conflict, for anyone who appreciates true stories of living heroes, or for anyone who cares about peace, this is a “don’t miss” event!

Jesus and the Mosque

2010-08-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

For weeks I’ve been listening—sadly—to the heated public debate about the proposed community center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York. I’ve wished I could add something constructive to the conversation, but what? I didn’t know, so I continued simply to listen, ponder and pray. Then two days ago I stumbled upon a brief article by Leighton Ford that captures my thoughts.

Like many who grew up in the church, I’d heard of Leighton Ford for decades. The brother-in-law of Billy Graham, Leighton is himself a gifted evangelist who has spoken to millions of people in 37 countries. He served as the Vice President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and for many years was the featured alternate speaker to Billy Graham on the Hour of Decision radio broadcast, and hosted his own daily TV and radio spots in the US, Canada and Australia.

Clearly, Leighton Ford is well grounded in the historic Christian faith and has long been respected in the mainstream of evangelical Christianity. That’s all I knew about him until I recently served with him on the US Board of World Vision. That’s when I discovered that Leighton is also an incredibly warm and soulful man, an accomplished artist and author, and a deep and careful thinker. I am most grateful that Leighton Ford Ministries is committed to raising up younger leaders to spread the message of Jesus worldwide. And I hope many American Christians will read and espouse the perspective Leighton shares in the following words. I’m convinced he’s right: Jesus’ voice is the one we need to pay attention to.

Jesus and the Mosque, Leighton Ford  

On a shelf at home I have a copy of Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road, the story of the Syrian-born writer Mazhar Mallouhi. As a young man who grew up in a Muslim family he had a profound spiritual hunger, read widely, learned of Jesus in the Bible, and became a follower of Christ while remaining loyal to his Muslim culture.  

His novels are read by millions in the Middle East. Through them he has sought to bridge misunderstandings between Muslims and Christians.   

In the book is a photo of him in the famous Al Azhar Mosque in Cairo, sitting with a group of Muslims as they read the Gospels together. It is his custom to say, “I am a follower of Christ. Here is what Jesus said. Tell me honestly, do you think I am living as Jesus said I should?”  

I thought of Mallouhi’s question during the heated dispute over the location of a Muslim mosque and community center near Ground Zero in New York. Among the voices being raised – some harsh with anger, some deep with indignation about rights – I wonder if the missing voice is that of Jesus?  

If I were a Muslim I might want to claim rights, but also want my leaders to consider whether another location would work and help to heal some deep hurts. But I am not a Muslim. Those issues are for the Muslim community to decide.  

What I need to ask is: what does Jesus say to us who say we follow him?

Suppose we, like Mallouhi, sat down with some Muslims in the new community center, and read with them some of the words of Jesus, words like “Do good to those who hate you.” That could apply to radical terrorists who want to blow us up. So how can it not apply to Muslim neighbors who are living among us?  

Many years ago my late friend J. Christy Wilson was pastor of the first ever Christian church in Kabul, Afghanistan. Through the good offices of President Eisenhower permission was granted to build the church, attended by Christian expatriates.  

The time came when the Afghan authorities revoked permission and announced they would knock the church down. When the bulldozers arrived what did the church people there do? Served tea to the workers who were pulling down their church building!  

They were living out a central tenet of our Christian faith – that we are “saved by grace” – God’s grace freely given in Jesus Christ – and they showed grace.  

How can we do that? I hope the churches and the Christ followers in New York can figure it out. Perhaps delivering a cool drink to the workers who will build the center? After all Paul went so far as to write (and this was about enemies, not neighbors) “If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.”  

Does this mean we naively accept real evil? Not at all. I understand the rage that 9/11 stirred. Force is often needed to protect the innocent. But ultimately I have to follow Jesus as Paul did when the apostle admonished us to “overcome evil with good.”

  What does the love of Christ compel me to do? Perhaps, whether in New York or Charlotte, to extend a little more grace – actually a whole lot more. Wouldn’t that be the best witness we could make right now? 

Mothers and Kids and Letting Go

2010-08-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

I just received a note from a friend from Seattle who is driving his eldest son to Wheaton College in Illinois to begin his freshman year. Any parent who has driven that particular route will understand why my friend asked if we could schedule a necessary business call during his return trip home. He claims it will be a welcome break from the ubiquitous signs for the infamous Wall Drugs, but I suspect he might also appreciate the sympathies of a mother who well remembers what it was like to send my kids cross-country for school. Another friend recently wrote an essay about sending her son off to the same college that his older sister was attending when she died suddenly of unexpected illness. My friend wants to lift her son up into the winds of life and let him soar, but oh how hard it is. Last week, a friend I hadn’t seen for years, an old man now, asked me how I felt when Todd left on his two-year round-the-world sailing trip. As he asked detail after detail I realized that in his mind he was detailing the events surrounding a similar trip his son took. How many decades had it been? Two? Three? Yet, how quickly the details of that memory wrap around a moment, or twist through a conversation. Any experience of letting go of a child, whether for a year or for a lifetime, deeply marks a parent.

I have no children leaving for school or taking off on adventures this fall. But in honor of so many of my friends who do, I’m posting an article I wrote when Todd was leaving for his sailing trip. Click on the Articles page and under the Bits and Pieces header, read “Mothers and Sons and Letting Go.” Every time I read this article I feel like I’m right back there, talking myself into being braver and more mature than I want to be!

The Talk I Didn’t Give at Triennial XIII

2010-07-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

I have two recurring “speaking nightmares.” The first is that I am walking up to a podium to make a keynote presentation and I suddenly realize that I completely forgot to prepare a talk. Though this has never actually happened to me, I have this dream regularly. The other nightmare is that I am in the middle of giving a talk and discover that the remaining pages of notes are missing and I don’t have a clue what I’m supposed to say next. This had never happened to me either—until last Friday morning!

After being deeply moved by Brenda Salter McNeil’s opening address at “Reflecting God’s Glory,” a conference sponsored by the Women’s Ministries of the Evangelical Covenant Church, I realized that the stakes were high at this conference. God’s spirit was clearly at work in the women who had come from all over the world to be challenged and inspired. I got up early Friday morning to think and pray before my speaking session, and sensed that the talk I had prepared was not the one the women needed. I felt peaceful with my last-minute decision to piece together a different talk. All was well until I got midway through my talk, realized I was a bit behind schedule, tried to skip a few pages and move to last section of the talk—and discovered that the concluding pages weren’t there! Because it was a last-minute hodge-podge of a talk, I really NEEDED those notes. I survived, but it definitely wasn’t my finest speaking moment. I offer my apologies to the women who filled that auditorium. (Okay, I had to get that off my chest.)

Despite the fact that one of my speaking nightmares became reality this week, I’m thankful to have played a small role in this conference. I loved the time I spent with Brenda Salter McNeil, worshiping with an all-girl band (including bass and percussion!) was exhilarating, the international parade of flags was extremely moving, and the Hall of Justice, which highlighted seven injustices faced by women, should be included in every women’s event. Thanks for challenging all of us to join the global sisterhood!

I promised the women who graciously sat through my less-than-steller talk that I would post the script of “the talk I didn’t give” on my web site. Just click on this link to my Articles page, look under "Rediscovering Self" and click on From Here to There. A PDF of the talk will download to your computer. I hope it’s helpful. We need to keep cheering each other on!

Dear Covenant Conference Women

2010-07-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

I told you that today I would blog about the conference and post my “script” for the talk I didn’t give. However, with all the storms in the Midwest, my flight home got delayed and delayed and delayed and finally cancelled. Ultimately, I rented a car with three lovely strangers and arrived home 24 hours later than I had intended. What an adventure! All this to say that I didn’t get my blog posted today, but I will definitely have it here for you tomorrow! So please check back on Monday evening to find the blog and the talk I didn’t give. Grandson Henry is spending today with me and we’re going to “play, play, play” (at Henry’s request).

I had a great time with you on Friday. I’m sure it continued to be a fabulous conference. More tomorrow…

Like Mother, Like Son

2010-07-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

“Come on, Nana, let’s go out deeper!”

Okay, Henry, wait for me.

“Hey, Nana, am I swimming?”

Yes, Henry, you’re swimming. You’re doing great!

“Nana, here comes a really, really big wave. You better get ready! Oh,
muthhhh-eeeer!”

Phew, we made it!

“Yeah we did, Nana, but we really got clobbered!”

It took me awhile to realize that when Henry said “sobbered” he meant “clobbered.” And I still don’t know why he screamed “mother” in the face of every monster wave. I’m wondering if he once heard somebody (Papa? Dada?) describe a massive roller as “the mother of all waves.” Wherever he heard it, it appears to have become embedded permanently in his lexicon of favorite words.

The first chapter in my daughter Shauna’s just-released book, Bittersweet, is called “Learning to Swim.” (you can find a pdf of this chapter under Articles in the "Rediscovering God" section of my web site if you would like a little taste of Bittersweet!) Thirty years ago she learned to swim on the same stretch of Lake Michigan shore where her son Henry and I have been playing this week: building sand castles, making sand angels, and inadvertently filling our swimsuits with sand each time we tumbled along the waterline in the wake of a towering wave. I have also been sweeping buckets of sand out of the beachside cottage we’re staying in, but strangely, Henry has let me do that alone.

Shauna’s chapter is a profound treatise on the bittersweet process of dealing with change and understanding “the story of who God is what he is doing in this world.” Facing waves is the metaphor that rolls through the chapter. Shauna writes that “if you try to stand and face the wave, it will smash you to bits, but if you trust the water and let it carry you, there’s nothing sweeter.”

Henry loves Shauna’s book. One day this week he sat at the grass-topped table in the cottage, intently drawing lines and circles on the title page of Bittersweet. “This is my mama’s book,” he announced, when I asked what he was doing. I’m quite sure he was autographing it, as he’s seen his mama do many times.

So, anyway, while were descending (very slowly) the 75 stairs (count them, 75!) to the beach to play in the waves, I quoted Shauna’s line about “letting the water carry you.” Henry nodded in agreement, but as soon as we were neck deep in the water (his neck) he would have none of that “let it carry you” business. Clearly, he wanted to be smashed to bits. He wanted to be tumbled end over end, left on the shore “exhausted and battered, out of breath and shaken up,” as his mother so cleverly wrote.

Each time I sputtered and struggled to regain my footing, I tried to remember Shauna’s profound and beautiful message in “Learning to Swim.” But I need to be honest. Here’s what I was really thinking:

How blessed I am. Thirty years ago I got to tumble playfully through the waves with my daughter Shauna, and now I get to do it with my grandson Henry. I don’t think life gets better than this!

Someday, Henry will learn what his mother has learned: that there are times when the waves really are more than you can face, and you need to turn around, bow your head, and let the water carry you. I’m confident that when it comes his turn to learn that, he’ll be surrounded by family, friends and a church community that affirm the bittersweet journey of faith.

But in the meantime, I’m grateful for these summer days when the waves we’re facing are nothing more than miniature mountains of shimmering blue, and the sand we carry up the stairs on our feet and in our hair and spilling out of our swimsuits is fine and white…and pretty easy to sweep up.

Hey Henry, look at that one! Oh my gosh! Here is comes! Muthhhh-eeeer!

I am a Proud Mama

2010-07-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

This morning I sat on a white bench in the early morning coolness and read the first chapter and the epilogue of an advance copy of my daughter’s latest book. I’d read the manuscript before, all except the epilogue, so I didn’t need the full meal, just the appetizer and dessert. But honestly, an appetizer so surprisingly filling and a dessert so remarkably rich are nearly as satisfying as a seven-course meal. If you know Shauna’s writing at all, you understand why I slide into a mealtime metaphor in talking about this book, her second gift to the reading world.

The book is vintage Shauna—tender, profound, laugh-out-loud funny, stunningly creative. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t love this book. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what Publisher’s Weekly wrote about it:

Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by  Shauna Niequist
Zondervan, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-310-32816-2   

Niequist (Cold Tangerines) returns with an often humorous and always contemplative series of personal essays on bittersweet experiences, illustrating through her own life that “rejoicing is no less rich even when it contains a splinter of sadness.” Spiritually, the book bravely sets out to decipher the paradoxically co-dependent nature of happiness and grief. But Niequist’s title should not be seen as simply a convenient theological metaphor; it is also a literary device. Impressively, many of Niequist’s perfectly concocted chapters weave in culinary themes, evoking the sensory, physical experience of the bittersweet along with the spiritual sense of it. When writing of deep friendship and the loss that sometimes accompanies it, her narrative often revolves around a dinner table, a cooking club, or a farmer’s market. Niequist’s ability to describe the sensation of eating a peppery arugula salad punctuated with sweet blueberries is just as evocative as her ability to express the intricacies of love, loss, hope, and doubt. Readers of all faiths will find this book courageous, sincere, poetic, and profound. There’s nothing bitter in this sweet treat of a spiritual memoir. (July)

Okay? Now do you believe me?

What Publisher’s Weekly can’t possibly know, of course, is the thirty-three year back-story that I know about the little girl who Bill and I described with the seemingly opposing images of “a party waiting to happen” and “the ultimate bookworm.” From the time she was three Shauna was clearly both: a wild and funny extrovert on the search for a good time (preferably with something good to eat and drink thrown in) and an earnest devotee of the printed word in search of a good book (she had read the entire Little House on the Prairie series numerous time before she hit kindergarten).

Later, we accused her of “never having an unexpressed thought.” When Shauna now describes her son Henry’s nonstop verbal barrage, we try to hold back the “oh, you deserve this!” response that high-energy, strong-willed Henry so often prompts from us. Once when Shauna was home from college and she and I were driving from Chicago to our family cottage in Michigan, she went off on a riff about “the nonstop stories that shoot through my head.” I was speechless, awed by the sheer volume of words and ideas that gushed out of her brain and her mouth. When she finally had to stop to catch her breath, I managed to whisper, “I think you should be a writer. You need to do something constructive with all this verbal stuff.”

Something constructive she has definitely done—with two delicious books, hundreds of savory blogs and a steady stream of tasty tweets. Really, I’m not just speaking as a proud mama when I say that Shauna is a uniquely gifted writer who spins her life experiences into stories that can help each of us, her readers, more deeply experience and fully appreciate our own lives. Now that I’ve finished this blog, I’m going to treat myself to another few chapters of Bittersweet.

Bittersweet will ship on July 23 if you pre-order now.
 

Mother of Exiles

2010-07-03T13:48:00.001-07:00

Bill and I were vacationing in Michigan when we received the call from the White House asking if Bill would introduce President Obama’s Immigration Reform speech on Thursday morning at American University. “Do you think I should do this?” Bill asked me. “Of course, this may be the speech we’ve been praying for!”

Early on Thursday morning we enjoyed an impromptu meeting with a gathering of evangelical leaders who had been working and meeting behind-the-scenes to encourage the President to move forward with immigration reform. Some were Republicans, some Democrats, but all united by faith and by what they believe to be the biblical mandate to “welcome the stranger” in our midst. None of them advocate amnesty for people who have broken the laws of this land by being here illegally; but all are committed to providing hard-working, responsible undocumented immigrants a tough but fair path toward legal residency.

For years many Spanish-speaking people attended Willow’s church services, some fluent enough in English to follow the service adequately, others listening through translation headsets. But it became increasingly clear that many of these brothers and sisters, especially recent immigrants, would benefit from being able to worship in their first language—their heart language. So about 6 years ago we started a Spanish-speaking service called Casa de Luz.

I don’t speak Spanish but I know that means House of Light. For us, it has been a moving experience to watch Casa de Luz become a place where more and more Spanish-speaking people in our community are finding the Light of Christ and finding a House where they feel at home. I have often sat through Casa de Luz services, wearing the headsets so I can listen to English translation, and I have been gripped and inspired by the faith of these brothers and sisters that God has brought into our church community.

At Willow we also have a Care Center that offers a food pantry, ESL classes and legal services to Spanish-speaking people in our community. As a result of Casa de Luz and the Care Center, we’ve enjoyed an increasing connection with the Spanish-speaking community in the Chicago area.

Last December we offered one our annual Christmas programs entirely in Spanish, and on Tuesday evening, December 22, five thousand Spanish-speaking people sat in our auditorium singing and worshipping and celebrating the birth of Christ. Many of us who had been at Willow since its beginning thirty-four years ago, stood in the back and wept, awed by the realization that God had entrusted us to embrace this precious community of people that is too often relegated to the sidelines of American life. We were overwhelmed by God’s grace in allowing their beautiful language, their rich culture, their strong family ties, and their warmth and expressiveness to change us, to soften us, to enrich us as a church.

But here’s what else made us weep that evening: we realized that this community that has become part of our community is a vulnerable community. We have discovered that many of these dear people God has brought our way are undocumented. Most of them came here out of desperation, escaping poverty or hoping to be reunited with family members, but with no legal way to enter the country they made the desperate choice to enter illegally. Others came legally, but were unable to extend their visas so they eventually lost their legal status.

Now these people live in the shadows of American society. They work hard at low-paying jobs, they pay taxes, they send money home to poor relatives in their country of origin, and they long to become contributing members of their new American community. But they find it nearly impossible to make ends meet and they live in fear that they will be discovered as undocumented immigrants and deported.

God used these precious people to draw our congregation into the immigration debate. A year ago Bill and I read Matthew Soerens and Jenny Hwang’s excellent book, Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate. Since then Matt and Jenny have helped lead our church elders and staff through an educational process about immigration reform from a biblical perspective, and later this month Matt will speak to our congregation about what it means for us to “welcome the stranger” that God has brought our way.

This is a difficult debate—we all know this—but for us it is no longer just about laws or policies or ideologies. It’s about the very real struggles of people we know and love, people desperately wanting to honor God and provide as best they can for their families. Knowing their stories doesn’t erase the complexity of this issue, but it certainly does reframe it.

Sometimes when I attend Casa de Luz, I don’t wear the headsets with the English translation. I sit in the back row and I listen to words I don’t understand, but I sense the presence of God’s spirit and the faith of God’s people. And I become convinced again, beyond a shadow of doubt, that my family and my church come closer to living out God’s kingdom on earth—closer to bringing heaven to earth—when we wrap our hearts and our minds and our lives around a rich diversity of language and culture and race and experience.

You see, our Casa de Luz congregation needs us—the established English-speaking majority at Willow—but we also need them, because they remind us week after week after week that the family into which God invites us all is truly a global family. And we’re missing something beautiful if we miss out on that.

Our country has faced many divisive issues in recent years; we don’t need another one. My prayer is that the Christian community will lead the way in calling for a serious bi-partisan effort to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. Since the President’s speech on Thursday I have been reflecting on that profound phrase: e pluribus unum—“out of the many, one”—and on the beautiful words of the sonnet inscribed on the bronze plaque on the Statue of Liberty. Described in the sonnet as the “Mother of Exiles” who offers “worldwide welcome,” the magnificent woman lifts her lamp to “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” In the months to come may we live up to that vision of America.

Bill's Introductory Comments for President Obama’s Speech on Immigration Reform

2010-07-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

A recurring triad in the Christian scriptures is the mandate from God to show appropriate concern for widows, orphans and aliens. In recent years the challenge of caring for the "stranger within our gates" has escalated to new levels of confusion and frustration because our current immigration laws leave millions of people with no practical way to come out of the darkness.   Our current immigration laws also leave our border states and cities in a condition of chaos and uncertainty.   Many families in our country live with the overwhelming weight of fear every single day. They wonder if they will be deported and separated from their families, perhaps forever. I believe they must be shown a way to enter the mainstream of American life so that they can become fully contributing members of our society.

 Our church started a Spanish-speaking ministry several years ago. It has flourished and became one of the defining ministries at Willow Creek. The joy that our Latin American congregants have infused into our congregation is palpable. However, when we learned that many were undocumented, we began to ask why. Again and again we heard stories about the economic hopelessness that first drew them to this great country and we heard about their current daily dilemma living in an almost surreal state of limbo.  But today is a day of hope. Today an earnest bi-partisan conversation begins that those of us in the Faith Community have been praying about for many years. We urge the members of Congress to consider all parties who are affected by this escalating issue. We ask you to act with a spirit of urgency and unity to chart a tough but fair path for the millions of people who entered our great nation with the same kind of dream my grandparents did a century ago.

Mr. President we thank you for your courageous leadership in this challenging initiative. We want you to know we hold you in our prayers.    And now it is my privilege to introduce to you the 44th President of the United States…Barack Obama.  

--Bill Hybels

A Different Kind of Fishing Derby

2010-06-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

“Don’t give up! It only takes one worm to catch the big one!” the volunteer with the megaphone bellows. “If the bobber starts shaking like you wouldn’t believe, that means you have a big one.”
When Trista, with the help of her Fishing Buddy, catches a striped bass, the megaphone man scans the crowd for a volunteer photographer. “Hey, camera person, get over here! We’ve got a fish!”

Meanwhile, Mickey Mouse collects hugs and Winnie the Pooh slowly follows the lakeshore hand-in-hand with a little boy who can’t believe his good fortune. Men with spatulas flip 2,000 burgers, brats and hot dogs on massive grills while a clown named Caasi cheers on an elephant jumping through a flaming circle. (Or maybe that was a little girl riding a broomstick elephant navigating a hula hoop.)

Speaking of hula hoops, there’s a hoop contest with laughing girls spinning their hips to very happy music provided by enthusiastic disc jockeys. On an adjacent patio aspiring artists paint butterflies, flowers and Chicago Cubs insignias on upturned faces and ink “tattoos” on outstretched arms. Younger kids send bubbles skyward with help from the “bubble man.”

Six hundred volunteers have transformed the pastoral setting of a church pond into the most amazing fishing derby anyone has ever seen. The two men who sorted 5,000 worms into 1,000 small containers with five worms each claim they volunteered for the job, but I am convinced they lost some kind of volunteer lottery.

The volunteers wearing Disney costumes are grateful for the cloud cover and cool temperature, but I’m sure those meeting with guests in the Prayer Tent are praying that the rain holds off. Of course, the Fishing Buddies in their red baseball caps—who actually bait the hooks and hold the squirming fish—are the heroes of the day, in my opinion.

Special Friends is the name of the Willow Creek Church ministry for people with disabilities. Throughout the year, Special Friends offers a variety of one-on-one and small group experiences for families with special needs children from our church or from the local community, as well as for developmentally challenged adults living in local group homes. But the highlight of the year happens on a June Saturday morning when Special Friends hosts the fishing derby.

For years I was out of town or otherwise engaged on the morning of the fishing derby, so I missed it. But last year I attended and I’m committed to never missing another one. At the fishing derby, there are many people whose disabilities are readily apparent. But last year as I walked around, I realized that in many cases you can’t tell for sure who is physically or mentally challenged and who isn’t. Entire families attend together and it’s not always obvious which children have special needs. Sometimes it’s not clear which person in a fishing duo is the helper and which one is being helped; by the end of the event, the red Fishing Buddy caps seem to end up on everybody’s heads. To make matters more confusing, some of the volunteers are adults with delayed development who have grown up participating in Special Friends and gradually acquired the skills to serve others in the way they were once served. So the lines dividing people get beautifully blurred.

My point is this: The fishing derby reminds me that we are all disabled in some way—whether visible or not—and we are all gifted in some way.

Melissa is twenty-one years old, non-verbal, in a wheel chair equipped with a computer she activates by gripping a tool in her twisted hand. Somehow she got my husband’s e-mail address and sent him a note asking if he would square dance with her at the fishing derby. She knows, of course, that there is no square dancing at the fishing derby, and even if there were, her staid Dutch pastor would not know how to do it. But Melissa has the gift of humor, so she sent her silly request to Bill. I laugh even now, just thinking about it. And I look forward to what new expression of humor Melissa will come up with for next year’s derby.

I think this was the first time in a decade that the fishing derby got rained out. At 10:30 am the dark clouds burst and a mad dash for Room 100 began. In the chapel directly above Room 100, an elegant wedding was under way and in the chapel parking lot a line of antique cars awaited the bridal party. But in Room 100 a parade of wheelchairs, clowns, artists, hula hoopers, fishermen and their families, and of course the red-capped buddies stood in line for the brats and burgers hastily rescued from the torrential downpour. While lightning flashed in the background, and a newly married couple walked the aisle upstairs, in Room 100 we partied!

Fathers Helping Fathers on Father’s Day

2010-06-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

I hope my dad doesn’t read my blog today. If he does, he’ll know he’s getting an auto mechanic in Mexico for Father’s Day. Well, not the whole auto mechanic. But he and I together are making a good-sized investment in the auto shop of a young entrepreneur in the community of Cuajinicuilapa in southern Mexico. This young man has the skills to earn a living wage; he just needs a little capital to purchase the automotive repair products that will allow his business to take off. Through World Vision Micro (www.worldvisionmicro.org), the new microfinance investment program started by World Vision, the loan I’ve made in honor of my father will help another father build a better life for his wife and three kids. Once the entrepreneur pays back the loan, my dad will be notified by email that he can re-invest the money in another loan for someone else. If all goes as planned, Dad will be able to re-invest the money again and again.

I know my dad will be thrilled that a young father is receiving help in his honor, and as a lifelong “tinkerer” on cars he’ll be glad I selected an auto mechanic for his first loan recipient. He’ll be doubly thrilled that I’m going to visit him in Michigan on Father’s Day. (Dads never tire of visits from their “little girl.”) He’ll be triply thrilled when I show up with a gift basket of goodies in honor of his sweet tooth. And Dad, in case you’re reading this, there’s still one surprise you don’t know about yet. Happy Father’s Day!

In Gratitude for Birds and Blooms

2010-06-11T14:42:00.001-07:00

In recent years much of my time has been devoted to the ugly side of life—extreme poverty, war, gender-based violence. In the midst of the ugliness caused by human sin and selfishness I’ve discovered lovely, heroic people succeeding against great odds to bring healing and hope. I am always stunned and encouraged by the goodness of these heroes, but still, the ugliness of life batters my soul.

And so I sit this morning on the stone patio behind my house, watching a mama bird flit in and out of the wooden birdhouse that apparently hosts her little brood of babies. I don’t want to make her nervous, so I choose not to invade her space and peek inside the birdhouse, but oh how I’d like to see what’s in there! My husband and I are not serious bird-watchers, but we’ve become very serious bird-listeners. We both work at home during the early hours of the day, with books and laptops open on our respective desks. Our favorite mornings are those when it’s warm enough to open the windows and sliding doors so we can listen to birdsong while we read or write or pray. How can such tiny creatures achieve such volume? And how is it that the mingled songs manage to sound more like a symphony than a chaos of discordant tunes?

Our patio is shaded for most of the day, so in our plantings and pots I’ve had to settle for hostas, coleus, caladium and impatiens—a limited selection, but thankfully, rich in texture and color. Pink, purple, white, coral, pale green, forest, magenta. What amazing bursts of color—right here in front of me!

I love sitting outside on this stone deck, with my computer on a blue tiled bistro table. I am grateful for the gift of beauty offered by the little slice of nature in my backyard. I need it. I am soothed and filled by it. I am re-energized for work. And I am reminded that in the end, beauty will win, along with love and peace and justice.

My mom just sent me a subscription to a magazine called “Birds and Blooms.” The current issue focuses on how to attract hummingbirds. There’s even an article on how to hand-feed these teeny “hummers.” Imagine that!

Ten for Congo

2010-05-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

Can you spare $10 to help women who are victims of gender-based violence?

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) thousands of women and girls have been brutally raped as a tactic of war.

The DRC has been called the gaping wound of the world. It is a beautiful, lush country with fertile soil and rich minerals. But it has suffered from an ongoing civil war that is fueled by greed and corruption, and enflamed by outside forces that exploit the Congo’s natural resources at the expense of the Congolese people. In the last decade over 5,000,000 people have been killed in this civil war, making it the deadliest conflict since W.W. II. Millions more people live in refugee camps, forced to flee from their homes to escape violence.

To make this all exponentially worse, thousands of women and girls have been brutally raped as soldiers and civilians alike use women’s bodies as a battlefield where the goal is to destroy the heart and soul of village after village after village. Violent men have discovered that rape is a most effective weapon of war—and doubly effective if women can be impregnated—so they wield this weapon freely. Today, Congo is arguably the worse place on earth to be a woman.

Two years ago I heard about this on National Public Radio. I couldn’t believe that something so horrific was going on in the world and I had never heard of it. I turned to the Internet to find organizations engaged in the Congo. Last October my friends, Christine Anderson, and I traveled to the Congo with World Relief, an organization that works through churches in troubled communities to help bring sustainable wholistic transformation.

The Congo is a failed state—a country where there is no rule of law, where men can rape with impunity, where neither government nor police provide protection for the vulnerable. In this situation, there is truly no institution for people to turn to but the church. Through World Relief we met pastors and church volunteers who form compassion committees and women’s support groups to serve the women who have been raped.

My heroes: the pastors and volunteers who give hope to victimized women

A woman named Regina told me how the women’s group had visited her in the hospital where she had been taken after soldiers murdered her son and raped her. Regina was so distraught that she wanted to die, but the women encouraged her to come to their village. Week after week they helped her regain her strength physically, and provided a place where she could grieve, talk about what had happened to her, and do sewing projects to earn money. “They gave me back my life,” she said. “I wanted to die, but they helped me want to live again.”

Hearing Regina's Story

In another village Christine and I met the director of one of the women’s groups who said that rape has become so prevalent that they don’t talk about “if” a woman will be raped, but “when.” Just that week a 10-year-old girl and an elderly woman had been raped in that village. Many women are so violently raped that they require extensive surgery to repair the damage done to their bodies.

World Relief has worked directly with the compassion committees and the woman’s group, providing training for dealing with trauma and money for the surgeries. But the UN funding that made this intervention possible has ended.

That’s where “Give Ten for Congo” comes in. We Americans have the opportunity to join hands with our Congolese sisters by raising $50,000 to allow this important program to continue. Please visit World Relief and look for the “Give Ten for Congo” logo to make a credit card donation.

Or you can Text Congo to 50555 to make your $10 donation. When prompted please reply with YES to confirm your gift.* (Msg&Data rates may apply. Full terms at mGive.com/a)

Then—please—forward this blog to others. Put it on Facebook. Tweet and retweet about it. Let’s be a voice for the voiceless! Let’s show our global sisters that they’ve not been forgotten! (For more Congo stories, check out these previous blogs: Charlene’s Story and Loans for Life)

*If you choose the text option: A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 4 messages per month from World Relief Alerts. Msg&Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of World Relief by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to50555, for help text HELP to50555.)

Fair Trade Items at Seeds Resource Center

2010-05-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Last night a friend who read my blog about fair trade asked me if the products I mentioned yesterday were only available online. The answer is NO! All the products I described, and many other fair trade items, are available at the Seeds Resource Center at Willow. In fact, the jewelry photo on my blog was taken at Seeds. I just stopped by Seeds this morning, so I know that the fair trade shelves have just been freshly stocked. I bought some olive oil, coffee, tea and stationary, and was seriously tempted by a spring-green scarf. Today I’m wearing a beautiful necklace I bought at Seeds several weeks ago—a glass bead choker like those pictured on my blog yesterday. I actually bought it as a birthday gift for friend, but I decided to “try it out” before I “give it away.” If you live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, consider a visit to Seeds and help provide a living wage for a woman rescued from the sex trade, a hardworking farmer in the Philippines, or a victim of HIV determined to provide a better life for her kids. Go to www.willowcreek.org/Seeds for directions and hours.

Offering Hope Through Fair Trade

2010-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Olive oil produced in a rural Palestinian village that has been rocked by conflict guarantees marginalized men and women the stable income they deserve. Chocolate bars produced in West Africa by the first farmer-owned chocolate company in the world lifts independent farmers out of poverty. Coffee grown and processed in Uganda by a cooperative made up of Christian, Muslim and Jewish farmers promotes peace while it enhances the local economy. Sugar and rice grown and processed in the Philippines uses methods that guarantee small producers a fair wage. Jewelry and purses made by women rescued from the sex trade protects the freedom and the future of these vulnerable women. Body care products made of organic shea butter empower and enrich a community in Togo, West Africa.

These are just a few of the high quality products offered by Trade As One, a fair trade company that connects American consumers with hardworking men and women throughout the world who had previously been denied a fair, living wage. Several years ago I met Trade As One founder, Nathan George, and became convinced that fair trade could become a vital part of the missional activity of American Christians. Since then, Trade As One has partnered with Willow Creek Community Church, allowing members of our congregation to use their buying power to impact the economic development of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. We’ve discovered that supporting a market that promotes dignified job creation is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of poverty and bring about systemic change.

On Thursday, May 13, Nathan and I, along with author, pastor and teacher, Nancy Ortberg, will offer a webinar about how fair trade can be incorporated into the global ministries of American churches. For additional information about the webinar or to sign up, go to http://tradeasone.com/churches/webinar. You can check out the full range of Trade As One products at http://www.tradeasone.com.

Committed to Peace and Justice in the Holy Land

2010-03-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Bethlehem last Sunday evening to speak at a conference called “Christ at the Checkpoint: Theology in the Service of Peace and Justice.” I’m not a theologian or an expert in anything. In fact, it’s likely that I was invited to speak here mainly to fill the “token woman” slot on the list of speakers. So be it. I’m grateful for whatever underlying story allowed me to be here this week. I wish I had a video of every tender, heartfelt, Jesus-focused conversation I’ve had this week so I could post it on this website and say, “Here. Watch this. This is a Christian Palestinian woman. This is a Christian Palestinian man. This is a Christian Israeli woman. This is a Christian Israeli man. These are people committed to peace and justice for all people in the Holy Land.” I don’t know what Americans are hearing on the news about current events in Jerusalem. Whatever you’re hearing, I hope you’re praying for protection for innocent people on all sides of this conflict, for the silencing of people on both sides who are encouraging violence, for wisdom for elected officials everywhere who have the power to impact events in Israel-Palestine, for our Christian brothers and sisters throughout this region—as well as Muslims and Jews, and for the women and children who always fare the worst when violence invades a community. I hope you’re praying for peace in the Holy Land.

An Update on Dee

2010-02-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to you who have responded to my request for prayer for my friend Dee. Dee lives in the Dominican Republic, but she has connected with doctors from Rush Presbyterian Medical Center who have recommended a new medicine; she'll be receiving it shortly. The National Institute of Health in Maryland has also accepted her into a national study. Good friends in Maryland have already invited her to live with them during the study (as of yet unscheduled). These are hopeful developments. But more importantly,Dee wrote this: "I am feeling the love from prayer very much and I know that is more real than the effects of any of the other stuff. So thank everybody for me."

A Very Present God

2010-02-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

During the past two years, I’ve traveled internationally quite extensively, focused on issues related to extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence and war. I met many heroes, men and women serving sacrificially on behalf of people who are suffering. I was inspired by these heroes, but undone and drained by the amount of suffering I saw. As 2009 came to a close, I knew I had to take a break from the pain. I had to give my mind time to process what I’d seen. I had to allow my heart to be healed by the balm of peace and beauty. I had to withdraw temporarily from global relationships in order to sink more deeply into the grounding of intimate relationships with close friends and family.

But here’s what happened during the last two months in my inner circle of beloved people: A major surgery proved more serious and demanding than anticipated, heralding a long, slow recovery. Mistreatment of a relatively minor health issue led to a life-threatening complication for a previously strong and healthy man. A young couple desperately wanting a baby miscarried twins. My mother-in-law slid rapidly into a grave illness; sadly, she died just two weeks ago. How sad and intense this recent era has been.

And then just last night I received an email from one of my dearest friends, requesting prayer because her rare and serious disease that had been in remission has returned with a vengeance. My friend is also my mentor, the person God used more than anyone else to open my mind and heart to the needs of God’s global Kingdom. She lives thousands of miles away from me, but the last time she became gravely ill, she came to live with me for two months while she received treatment. Will she be coming back again? Will she again get so sick that she has to leave her husband and young children in order to access necessary medical care?

I’ve always been an undisciplined and inconsistent writer. I’m trying to become a more productive writer by meeting daily with a friend who shares that goal. My new writing partner is chronicling the recent death of her nineteen-year-old daughter. It has been a profound experience to sit across the table from her and listen as she reads aloud passages that invite me into both her horrific grief and her undeniable experience of a loving God in the midst of that grief. Processing life in the presence of a friend who knows intimately the most painful places in life, as I am doing now, gives me valuable perspective—no simple answers, to be sure, but always the reminder that God is present in these difficult times.

And so as I ponder the reality of my dear friend’s disease I turn to that God who is present and beg for divine intervention. For protection. For healing. For brilliant doctors. For medical insight. For new medications. For whatever kind of support my friend needs from her local community of faith. For emotional and spiritual strength as she faces physical pain.

And to those of you who feel so lead, I invite you to join me in holding my friend Dee in the healing presence of our very present God. I’ll keep you posted as I receive regular updates from her.

Christ at the Checkpoint

2010-01-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, I’m speaking at a theological conference in Bethlehem in March. Yes, I’m the token non-expert speaker. Yes, I’m in over my head. But I would do anything to support the vision and passion of this conference—“Christ at the Checkpoint: Theology in the Service of Peace and Justice.”

In the last eighteen months I’ve traveled to the Middle East four times and I have three more Middle East trips scheduled in the next ten months. This is an unexpected direction in my life. Since 2003 my global focus had been sub-Saharan Africa. Then wham. I received an invitation to attend a conference in Jordan taught by Arab Christians and I knew I was supposed to go. God used those brothers and sisters from Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Israel/Palestine to break my heart, to renew my mind, and to call me to a more determined and—yes!—radical pursuit of Jesus, justice and peace.

Nearly every time I’ve mentioned the new Arab Christian friends I’ve made in the Middle East, people in the US have said things like: What? You mean there are Arab Christians? Iraqi Christians? Palestinian Christians? Oh, we Americans know so little about the people of the Middle East, let alone the problems and the politics. But “Christ at the Checkpoint” offers a unique opportunity to learn. If you sense the slightest little internal nudge to learn more about peace and justice in the Holy Land, please check out this conference ASAP!
http://www.bethbc.com/christatthecheckpoint.html

Dios Con Nosotros: God With Us

2009-12-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Just say it: Felice…Felice. Navidad…Navidad.

My husband Bill was receiving his first Spanish lesson—in front of five thousand Spanish-speaking Chicagoans filling the Willow Creek auditorium. This is the first year our church offered one of our repeated Christmas services—called God With Us—entirely in Spanish. Musicians and actors from Casa de Luz, our Spanish-speaking congregation, created their own version of the English program presented to the rest of the Willow congregation. Hector Hermosillo, our Spanish-speaking pastor from Mexico, presented his adaptation of my husband’s Christmas sermon. Hector’s wife, Gabby, gave announcements and explained that a major portion of Willow’s annual “End-of-Year” offering would be devoted to Casa de Luz and to the Willow Care Center and Food Pantry. Many of those attending the service heard about it when they visited the Food Pantry.

I have been attending Willow Christmas services for thirty-four years, but rarely have I felt the sense of Dios Con Nosotros that I felt last night. In 1975, Bill and I were 23-year-old, small-town Michiganders starting “a church for people who don’t go to church.” We certainly did not imagine a future that included celebrating Christmas in Spanish in a Chicago suburb. But never have I felt our youthful “dream of what the church could be” more fully lived-out than it was last night.

We have made plenty of mistakes over the years, failing to be as wise and discerning as we ought to have been. But I know to the core of my being that God was smiling on our Christmas service last night. I am convinced that our growing Spanish-speaking congregation is a gift of God’s grace to us. He has entrusted us with the privilege of touching this precious group of people who are too often relegated to the sidelines of American life. He is allowing their beautiful language, their rich culture, their strong family ties, their warmth and expressiveness to change us, to soften us, to help us see God—Emmanuel—in new ways.

I first wrote about Hector and Gabby and Casa de Luz in regard to the need for immigration reform. It is estimated that 80% of the people who visit Casa de Luz and our Care Center are undocumented immigrants. Some originally came to this country legally; some didn’t; most came to escape extreme poverty; many suffer because of the separation of families; most work hard and long to become contributing members of their new American community. No, this doesn’t erase the complexity of the immigration debate, but it does reframe the issue. For us at Willow, the “strangers at our gates” have become our brothers and sisters, gifts of God’s grace to our faith community, and a most welcome part of our future. Thank you, God, for trusting us with this new community of Your beloved children.

A Simple Month

2009-12-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

I refuse to write a blog about how overwhelmed I am by the holiday season. I’m not going to wax eloquent about how the season I loved most as a child has become the source of excruciating stress. I’ll not waste a word on why it’s impossible for me to reclaim Christmas.

Because I’ve done it. I’ve reclaimed Christmas. I’ve tiptoed into December with a calm mind and a quiet spirit. I don’t feel overwhelmed at all.

Lest you think I’m bragging, hear me out. I’m calm only in the aftermath of crisis. For months I lived so far beyond my emotional, relational and physical capacity that in November I hit the proverbial bottom. Lacking the mental energy to prepare adequately for a scheduled seminar, I ended up giving the worst talk of my life, embarrassing myself and letting down some lovely people who had trusted me to help them further their very worthy cause. There’s something about public humiliation and letting down people you respect that gets one’s attention. Immediately I cancelled every commitment I possibly could, went away for a long weekend to reflect on the state of my life, made an appointment with the wise counselor who has guided me through difficult eras in the past, and enlisted close friends to help me chart a new path.

And voila! Here I am, with a candle lit on my desk while the first snow of the season falls outside, anticipating a simple month. After my long weekend of reflection, I concluded that the most important gift I can offer to those I love is attentive, loving, joyful Presence. Nothing I do for them or give to them is worth a thing if I’m crabby, rushed, stressed out or preoccupied.

Shopping always puts me out of sorts, so I probably won’t be doing much of it this year. During my recent global travels I did purchase some lovely gifts from local entrepreneurs earning a fair living wage; I love giving gifts that I know empower people in poor communities. I am aware of a few items that my kids would really appreciate, so I’ll order those online.

Beyond that, I’m creating iPhoto albums for extended family, celebrating with a few close friends by cooking a turkey dinner together, and planning an overnight trip to Michigan with Henry, my 3-year-old grandson. I’m absolutely certain that the best gift I can give my parents and mother-in-law is a few hours with their hysterically funny, amazingly brilliant, wildly adorable great-grandson. I’ve already installed Henry’s car seat in my car, I have his portable potty chair and his brand new “big boy underwear” ready to go, we’ll pack some snacks in his new Superman lunchbox, and I’ll make sure the battery in my camera is full. No, I’m not looking forward to eight hours alone in a car with a high-energy toddler. But I am very excited about creating two days of precious memories.

Christmas decorations? They’ll be minimal this year. Hauling boxes out of the basement always becomes a bigger project than I anticipate, so I’m going to avoid that whole process this year. I love live poinsettias and the tiny little potted Christmas trees you can get for $4. I’m going to scatter a few throughout the house, light some candles, and consider the house amply decorated.

Then, at some point everyday I’ll play some quiet Christmas music while I sip Trader Joe’s decaf Candy Cane Green Tea and re-read the book that feeds my soul every year, Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas. With essays by C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, Madeleine L’Engle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and many others, this book grounds me in pure meaning of Christmas.

In the book’s introduction the editors ask: “How many of us share the longing of the ancient prophets, who awaited the Messiah with such aching intensity that they foresaw his arrival thousands of years before he was born?”

What I ache for this Christmas season is that the Messiah will arrive in me, day after day, filling me with the love, the joy, and the peace of his Presence. Then, perhaps, I can offer that as a gift to others.

A note from my faithful travel partner, Christine

2009-10-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

From Christine...

After traveling for about 25 hours, Lynne and I landed at OHare right on time yesterday afternoon.

Among the many small-but-huge things for which we are thankful . . . All of our flights (across two continents) were on time, our baggage always showed up, nothing was lost or stolen, we never needed to use our "traveler's diarrhea" medication or any of our insurance policies and we made it through multiple border crossings and checkpoints without incident. And all the people said, "Amen!"

We are also incredibly grateful for the huge-really-huge things . . . Safety in the Congo, where there are still active hostilities among militias and travel in the interior is challenging; the privilege of getting to know so many people whose work and faith requires significant and ongoing sacrifice—for them and their families; the impact of and receptivity to Lynne’s speaking, especially through translators and across cultures. For all these things and more, we say another heartfelt "Thank you!"

And I am also very grateful for your thoughts, emails and prayers while we were traveling. When far from home for a long time, reading news and notes from friends and family feels like opening presents; and I am certain it was your prayers that graced and smoothed our travels, relationships and experiences throughout.

This journey included so many things—adventure, privilege, grief, discernment, challenge, hilarity, inspiration—but if I could choose just one word to describe it, that word would be "gift." A mind-bogglingly huge and humbling gift.

It was so good to see the smiling face of my friend, Kris, who came to pick me up at the airport. Lynne was greeted at the airport by Henry (with a couple of adults in tow). It may say something about the intensity of our trip that Lynne’s first priority upon arriving home was a two-hour play date with Henry—and then twelve hours of sleep! We look forward to ongoing debriefing with each other this week, and Lynne will post additional stories and photos on her blog in the days to come.

Peace and blessings,
Christine

Bethlehem

2009-10-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

When it comes to Israel/Palestine, the human story often gets lost in the confusion of ideology and politics. Let me just highlight the story of one woman, a wife and mother named Isme. Prior to October 12, 2009, Isme lived in a small but tidy one-story house in the outskirts of Jerusalem. But on that morning, while she drove her three young children to school, policemen broke into her home and demanded that her husband get out of bed and come outside. Isme returned home just in time to watch bulldozers destroy the house she had lived in for five years and everything in it. Israeli demolition of their home had been a constant possibility, because they did not have a permit to build the home--a common plight, since it is nearly impossible for Palestinians to acquire building permits. But the threat had not materialized until an unseasonably hot October morning two weeks ago.

This morning we met with Isme and her family in their new home, a white tent given to them by the Red Cross. Isme's 29-year-old husband is recovering from serious heart surgery, which is why he was home sleeping on the morning of the demolition. Her two little daughters have adjusted fairly well to living in the tent; they talk freely about the demolition, describing it in detail to their friends at school. But their 8-year-old brother holds his fear and frustration inside. Because of the stress he is unable to control his bowels, which humiliates him. He is becoming increasingly hostile and angry. And like many children in similar situations, he is feeling more and more vulnerable as he sees the inability of his parents to provide a safe and stable life for him.

Isme remained stoic until Christine embraced her, expressed her sorrow and promised to pray for her. Then she began to wipe the tears away from her eyes. We heard last night from a Palestinian friend that the family has now been threatened with eviction from their Red Cross tent; I don't think they knew that when we visited them in the morning. As with many things here, no one seems to know quite why they would be forced from the tent; the family owns the property on which it sits. The attached photos are prints the family showed us of before and after the demolition.

2009-10-24T08:31:00.001-07:00

On a previous trip to Israel/Palestine I met Nora Kort, a feisty Palestinian Christian woman who has been serving poor Palestinians for decades. Nora recognized that many of her countrywomen were experts in traditional Palestinian needlework, but they had no outlet for their products. So Nora started a shop called Melia in the Old City of Jerusalem where she sells the needlework of over 500 women from poor villages throughout the West Bank—women who for the first time receive a fair, living wage for their hard work. The attached photos cannot fully capture the brilliant colors and excellent quality of the pillow covers, table runners, bags, and scarves that now have Christine’s and my suitcases bulging at the seams. I am now fully prepared to set up a little Palestinian gift shop in my home to further the empowerment of the beautiful, strong, hardworking women we’ve met.

2009-10-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

Christine and I are heading downstairs for breakfast, our last meal in Jordan before heading across the Allenby Bridge into the West Bank. On Tuesday we met with Jordanian Christian friends who minister to Iraqi refugees, hundreds of thousands of undocumented men, women and children who cannot integrate fully into Jordanian life, yet cannot return home because of threats against their lives. It is a tragic microcosm of the plight of so many refugees throughout the world.

Yesterday we met with women, in a large gathering in a church and a small gathering in a home. In both places, I discovered again what I have discovered wherever I have traveled: that beneath the surface of their lives women everywhere are so similar. When I speak about my deepest struggles and dreams, heads nod in affirmation and conversations quickly dip to the level of soulful connections. I love it!

OK, time for a QUICK breakfast. Seems that I have been rushing for two weeks--but it's been well worth it!

The Stratgey of Jesus

2009-10-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Sunset overlooking the Dead Sea.

A Palestinian Refugee camp in Beirut.

Visiting Haigazian University in Beirut where Dr. B taught from 1967-1971.
He was their second president.

Last Thursday evening we left Kigali, Rwanda and headed for Beirut, Lebanon (via Addis Ababa). We landed in Beirut at 2am, expecting an empty airport, but discovered that many flights depart and arrive in the Middle East in the middle of the night. The airport was bustling! Our flight and journey through customs were uneventful, but when we arrived at our hotel at 3am we discovered that it was the wrong hotel. The hotel where we were booked had over-booked itself, so hotel staff made an "executive decision" just to take us somewhere else. Later in the day we moved to the right hotel, so all ended up as planned, but it was rather disconcerting to be "surprised" at 3am in a foreign country.

Our time has been more packed than I had anticipated--with people, conversations, and growing relationships. It has been amazing and wonderful, but has left little time for reflecting and writing. We're now in Amman, Jordan. This morning I'll be speaking to a women's group, and I have just an hour to prepare my talk; once again, I have little time to write. So I'm just going to attach a passage written many years ago by Elton Trueblood, called "The Strategy of Jesus." It is the guiding vision behind a ministry to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. It is a beautiful expression of our calling as followers of Jesus.

The Strategy of Jesus
"There is no person in history who has impacted all of mankind more than Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was deeply concerned for the continuation of his redemptive, reconciling work after the close of his earthly existence, and his chosen method was the formation of a small band of committed friends. He did not form an army, establish a headquarters, or even write a book. What he did was to collect a few very common men and women, inspire them with the sense of his spirit and vision, and build their lives into an intensive fellowship of affection, worship, and work. One of the truly shocking passages of the gospel is that in which Jesus indicates that there is absolutely no substitute for the tiny, loving, caring, reconciling society. If this fails, he suggests, all is failure; there is no other way. He told the little bedraggled fellowship that they were actually the salt of the earth and that if this salt should fail there would be no adequate preservative at all. He was staking all on one throw. What we need is not intellectual theorizing or even preaching, but a demonstration. One of the most powerful ways of turning people’s loyalty to Christ is by loving others with the great love of God. We cannot revive faith by argument, but we might catch the imagination of puzzled men and women by an exhibition of a fellowship so intensely alive that every thoughtful person would be forced to respect it. If there should emerge in our day such a fellowship, wholly without artificiality and free from the dead hand of the past, it would be an exciting event of momentous importance. A society of genuine loving souls, set free from the self-seeking struggle for personal prestige and from all unreality, would be something unutterably priceless and powerful. A wise person would travel any distance to join it."

Loans for Life

2009-10-20T08:15:00.001-07:00

Christine's photos tell the Congolese micro-enterprise story so beautifully that I just want to add a few words of introduction. Hekima, the World Relief micro-enterprise project empowers 11,000 Congolese people (mostly women) to earn a living through small businesses: selling items like rice, potatoes, cornmeal, fabric, shoes, even spare auto parts! Forming community groups of approximately 40 members, the women guarantee each other's loans and hold each other accountable for saving a portion of their weekly earnings. The women receive loans from $50 to $1000, based on their past business success and level of savings. Loans are made in 16-week cycles; if a woman repays her loan within 16 weeks and saves consistently, she receives a larger loan for the next cycle.

We visited one micro-enterprise group—the women named the group "Miracle"—on the day the new loan cycle began. The forty women (and one man!) met together in a local church building. As each woman's name was called she came forward, signed her loan contract with two group members as witnesses, and received her designated cash loan. It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies of empowerment I have ever witnessed.

That same day we visited another community group named "Courage." While I interviewed one of the women in the group—a widow whose family was completely transformed through the Hekima program—Christine took photos of each of the remaining women in the group. The next morning on Christine’s computer we enjoyed an extraordinary slide show of beautiful, laughing, light-hearted Congolese women. You can see a few of those photos here, but we'll post more in the future.

I wrote in earlier blogs about the prevalence of rape in the Congo. When we asked the women in these community groups how many women in the groups had been raped, they replied, "None. We have our trading businesses so we don't have to go out in the woods to collect wood where the rapists hide. Our business income allows us to stay safe."

Beirut

2009-10-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in Beirut Christine and I visited the university where our friend, Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian, was president in 1967-1971. We spent the day with some of "Dr. Bs" friends from those years. They all spoke very highly of him which, of course, didn't surprise me in the least!

Today we will visit some humanitarian ministries as well as a Palestinian refugee camp. We got home too late last night for me to write about the Congolese micro-enterprise project as I had promised, but I'll do that tonight, along with an update about what we see and learn today.

Charlene's Story

2009-10-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

On our second day in the DRC we visited a camp for Internally Displaced People — men, women and children who had to flee for their lives because of encroaching militias and violent warfare. Through a translator we talked with a woman named Charlene. Two years ago her husband, a civilian, was killed in the crossfire of the warring militias. After his death, Charlene and her eight children had to flee for their lives, traveling on foot toward the city of Goma.

Like hundreds of thousands of displaced Congolese, she ended up in a makeshift camp in a temporary tarp-covered shelter on a lava rock hillside. In these tiny, one-room "dwellings" entire families sleep side by side on the rocky ground. Each family is given a month's supply of food that actually lasts for little more than a day. Her three oldest sons—teenagers—left the hopelessness of the camp and joined the crowds of angry, desperate, violent street children who roam the city. Now Charlene grieves the disappearance of her older sons and cares for her younger children and her disabled mother.

In order to supplement their inadequate food supply, many women of the camp walk each day to the forest where they gather wood to sell. For many of these women the search for wood has become a sort of death march. Soldiers haunt the forest, waiting for the vulnerable women. "If the women refuse to sleep with them, they rape them," Charlene told us. "They want to make them pregnant." Charlene did not speak quietly. She spoke on behalf of her sisters who have been violated with the strength and volume of righteous anger. She told us that victims of rape are often stigmatized with shame in the Congo, so many married women refuse to tell their husbands they've been raped, fearing rejection and abandonment. But unmarried women confide in one another and take each other to the hospital to get treatment and form a community of support.

We were all reeling from Charlene's story, but with darkness approaching we knew we had to take our leave so we could get back to our hotel under the safety of daylight. After praying with Charlene, we left her, but just as we reached our cars, she hurried to catch up with us. This time she had a tiny, two-week-old baby snuggled in her arms—a beautiful baby boy—her baby boy. She had been speaking not only of other women's pain, but her pain as well. She, too, had been raped and impregnated. In showing me her baby, she told me the part of her story she had not put in words. I was stunned with the overwhelming tragedy of her life, compounded now with the emotional and physical trauma of rape, and with a newborn to care for—in a setting where day follows day, and the only thing that changes is that each day gets harder.

I was also stunned, however, with the beauty and holiness of the moment when our eyes met above the head of her tiny baby boy, and our embrace wrapped him in a full circle of mother love. It is always a powerful moment when women meet soul to soul.

I cried myself to sleep that night, grieved by the realization that I could do nothing to change life for Charlene. I could cry, I could tell her story, I could advocate for her cause. But tomorrow her life would be just the same. Then I woke up in the middle of the night, remembering why I had come to the DRC: to see the role churches are playing in the DRC. I can’t personally help Charlene—and that continues to break my heart—but the heroic Congolese church leaders and volunteers we met are helping many women like her find healing and hope for a new future, and in the days and weeks and months to come they will help Charlene. Charlene isn’t the only woman we talked with who was raped. In some rural communities, leaders advise women what to do when they are raped—not "if" they are raped, but "when." Truly, in many ways the DRC is the worst place on earth to be a woman.

But thankfully, that is not the whole story. Tomorrow I'll write about some women who are living out transformation and hope in a beautiful, uplifting, delightful way. You will love hearing their story. In the meantime, please pray for Charlene.

Our time in the DRC and Rwanda

2009-10-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Obviously I did not fulfill my good intentions of sending home detailed and lengthy blogs about my experiences in the DRC and Rwanda. But honestly, the combination of pace and emotional intensity left little energy or opportunity to write. I did take copious notes along the way, however, and will write more when I get home.

Let me just say that every bit of tragic news I read about the DRC ahead of time is true. Women don't talk about "if" they get raped, but about "when" they will get raped; it truly is the worse place on earth to be a woman. Thousands of people are still living in tent-camps for "internally displaced people." They had to flee their homes because of military and rebel violence and they don't know when they will be able to go home--or what will be left for them to return to. The exploitation of the Congo's vast resources of minerals continues, and fuels the ongoing violence. Time and again we heard the same refrain: We just need peace. If we had peace we could take care ourselves. Please pray for peace.

But there is hope in the DRC, and it's coming from one source: the church. We met extraordinary pastors and church volunteers who are truly "being the church" in their communities. With their very meager means they are caring for widows, for women who have been raped, for displaced people, for orphans....for anyone in need. In order to do this, they are crossing denominations and ethnic divides. And they are initiating grassroots peace-building initiatives. I wish I could write more, but our ride to the airport will be here shortly. Let me sum it up this way: I have fallen in love with the Congo.
(Photo by Christine Anderson)

Rwanda

2009-10-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Kigali, Rwanda night before last in the pouring rain - no problem, since all we wanted to do was find our hotel rooms and get to sleep. Yesterday morning we met with World Relief Rwanda staff members to learn about the healing that has taken place in Rwanda since the devastation of the 1994 genocide, when 800,000 people were slaughtered in 100 days. They explained that the current situation in the DR Congo is similar to what Rwanda was like fifteen years ago. The transformation in Rwanda offers hope, they suggest, for the future of the Congo.

This afternoon we drove for several hours through the mountainous and breathtakingly beautiful terrain of Rwanda. The soil and rocky cliffs are red and the lush foliage is brilliant spring green. On the hillsides, terraced fields are patchworks of tidy crops. I hadn’t realized that Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa, but that becomes obvious even in the "rural" areas, where stands of brick or stucco homes are scattered everywhere, and people walk in clusters along every road. I am captivated by the boldly colored skirts, blouses, and head dresses worn by women and the royal blue school uniforms on girls. I knew if I tried to write while riding along the twisting roads I’d trigger motion sickness, so I just jotted down single words: turquoise, purple, yellow, magenta, palm trees, evergreens, terraced fields, winding roads, lush, vibrant, soul-filling.

It was exhilarating to drive through the beauty of this land. It was magical, the way the mist hung over the mountains and the gray sky provided a subtle backdrop for the brilliance of the earth and the people. It seemed like an idyllic paradise, except that I knew this land had flowed with the blood of innocents not that long ago. I am always stunned by the way nature's beauty can hide the ugliness of man's inhumanity to man. But in beauty of any kind there is the seed of hope for beauty of every kind. Here in Rwanda the ugliness of violence is being transformed into the beauty of healing and reconciliation.

I got up early this morning so I could walk along the shore of Lake Kivu before heading across the border into Congo. We'll meet with World Relief Congo staff to get an overview of the Congo situation. Then we'll visit Heal Africa, a hospital that heals the bodies and souls of women who have been brutalized (http://www.healafrica.org). In the afternoon we'll visit a camp for internally displaced people. God help me to see with your eyes and feel with your heart and understand with your mind.

We Are All Immigrants

2009-10-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

Though I am in Africa right now, my thoughts have recently been filled with our country's need for immigration reform. Before I left, Bill and I worked on a joint statement for the Senate Hearing on Immigration Reform. Below is a link to a blog post I did for the Sojourners web site where you can read more.
http://blog.sojo.net/2009/10/08/scripture-and-history-remind-us-that-we-are-all-immigrants/

On my way to Africa

2009-10-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

In eight hours, my friend, Christine Anderson and I will be joining a team from World Relief in Kigali, Rwanda, then driving across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Since 1998, five million Congolese have died in the most deadly conflict since World War II. But there’s more bad news. One major weapon of mass destruction used in this civil war has been rape: brutal, mutilating rape, of everyone from children to grandmothers. The DRC is truly the open wound of the world, and the worst place on earth to be a woman. And yet most of
us never even hear about it.

The purpose of our trip is to help raise awareness about the Congo by producing short video clips highlighting the plight of women, the role of the church in rebuilding a broken country, and current peacemaking effects. Christine and I and the World Relief team will be meeting with pastors and other leaders who are bringing the Light of Jesus into an extremely dark and evil situation. We’ll be meeting with women who have suffered unimaginably. Please pray that we will be fully present to each person, so that the Holy Spirit can work through us to comfort and encourage.

For years I said I was the ultimate "home body," but in recent years I have fallen in love with the process of entering new cultures as a learner and sister. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to take this trip.