Words of Advice from Jim Wallis

Wallis was speaking this at an interfaith prayer service shortly after the 9/11 attacks

Lighting a candle at an interfaith service is something may of us have done more times than we can remember. Speaking the language of darkness and light on religious occasions and in liturgical seasons has also become a matter of habit. But our darkness feels very real and powerful in this moment - almost impenetrable, and threatening to close in on us. And the light we need is feeling almost urgent.  

Old familiar spiritual words must take on a new reality for us now - and a new sense of mission. Words like "Let there be light!" and "The light has come into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."  

So tonight, we don't just light candles, we make a commitment. More than we knew before September 11, there are many dark places in the world where unspeakable violence against large numbers of innocent people is being planned. Let those places be exposed to the light of day and the violence be thwarted.  

There are many other dark places in the world, where grinding, miserable, and life-destroying poverty carries out daily violence to other innocents - out of the view of a fast-moving, affluent world. Let those hidden places and people be exposed to the light of justice. 

There are dark places within us and in our nation that might lash out from our deep woundedness, grief, and anger, carelessly inflicting more pain on innocent people. Let the light of compassion and reason prevent us from spreading our pain.  

There are dark places within and among us that might retaliate from fear and revenge against even our fellow citizens who happen to be Muslim or Arab American - many of whom tonight feel the darkness of their own fear. Let the light of tolerance and solidarity bind us together and not let us be torn apart.  

And tonight, most of us feel the darkness of our own confusion about how this happened, why this happened, and how to protect ourselves, our families, and the world. Let us be illumined by the light of understanding.  

So that we not just cling to old ways of thinking, but go deeper than we ever have before to seek new answers. So that we learn to carefully comprehend the connections between the violence of the world, while never allowing ourselves to tolerate any of it - ever again.  

And let the light of courage equip us to face the darkness that lies so thick and heavy before us. Courage to heal the darkness in ourselves. Courage to reveal the darkness in the very structure of our world. Courage to confront the darkness in the face of evil we saw on September 11. And let us remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but resistance to it.  

So now, let us light our candles as an act of commitment. That the darkness will not overcome the light.

Thoughts from Palestinian leaders, authors and intellectuals on Sept. 17, 2001

No cause, not even a just cause, can make legitimate the killing of innocent civilians, no matter how long the list of accusations and the register of grievances. Terror never paves the way to justice, but leads down a short path to hell.

I will add...neither does drone attacks killing innocent people or a war in Afghanistan that more and more soldiers continue to be sent to "win a war against terrorism." When you fight and ideal, it will never end...

Please pray for the government and the people of the United States to be a promoter of peace, both in our foreign policy and our general attitudes toward others different from us. Pray for this to be a Beloved Community!

Music video you must watch!

I saw this on a friend of mine's blog and thought it was necessary to pass along to others to watch. Do watch it!

Quarterly Post on School - 4th Edition

So, once again (and last time actually) I have started another quarter of classes full-time. This is my last quarter of classes at Fuller. I will have one class left to take over the summer and my practicum to finish. I will be writing about my practicum in a later post. So, here is a little about the three classes I am taking this quarter...

1. Job and Human Suffering

Just to ease any concerns, this is not a class teaching us how much suffering we will have to endure in trying to find a job with a seminary degree, but one about the theology of suffering as a part of the book of Job in the Hebrew Scriptures. I am very excited about this course as it is incredibly practical for my future ministry as well as for me personally. It is taught by Dr. James Butler, who I took Hebrew Prophets from last spring quarter. I really appreciate Dr. Butler and his very "grandfatherly" approach that is very caring and compassionate. I have started looking into what I will research and write about for my final paper and I definitely want to look at suffering traditions in different immigrant contexts, both from a religious perspective as well as a cultural perspective. We'll see once I get into it if this is really possible or if I need to narrow it more substantially.

2. Global Evangelical Movement

This class, taught by Dr. Jehu Hanciles, focuses on the historical movement of the Evangelical church and Evangelical missions. We look back into the 18th century to the start of the movement through Wesley, Edwards, and others and bring it to modern times. There is a large focus given to the global spread through missions and the incredible growth of Pentecostalism in Africa, Latin America and Asia. If you weren't aware, the majority of Christians in the world do not live in the U.S. or Europe, but in the three places previously mentioned. I have had particular interest in the global movement of African Initiated Churches, particularly in Europe. I will be doing some further research on this topic for my research papers.

3. Thinking Missiologically

This is our capstone course for the MA program. It really is all about integration of all our other courses we have taken at Fuller. All of our papers based on case studies or other forms of research must draw from theoretical, theological or historical concepts we have learned from our other classes. I am really appreciative of the class. I recognize the heavy amount of work we have for it, but at the same time, it will really help me to walk away from Fuller with some concrete things I learned and can apply directly into ministry. The class is taught by Dr. Doug McConnell, the Dean of the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller.

By June 12, I will be officially graduated from Fuller! I'm excited about finishing and starting on with the rest of my life and applying what I have learned into practical means in an urban community overseas!

Latest Fad to hit Portland...

Well, hopefully not...

My buddy Ryan and I love food, especially anything involving bacon. Years ago we tried (and soon fell in love with) the Bacon Maple Bar from Voodoo Donuts. This wonderful treat is really just what it says - a maple bar with Bacon on top. More recently, I was introduced to the Reggie from Pine State Biscuits, which is a biscuit sandwich involving fried chicken, gravy, and, of course, Bacon. And yesterday, if you've seen the adds, KFC released the Double Down, which is two pieces of fried chicken surrounding cheese, special sauce, and, of course, Bacon.

What's so special about these three wonderful pieces of succulent food is that if they are so great separately, wouldn't they be even more great together? Hence, our new challenge is called "The Widow Maker." This challenge involves the consuming of all three of these in the same sitting. Hmmm?!! Sounds wonderful, huh? Well, since I don't live in Portland anymore, this challenge will have to wait for a little while...maybe the summer or maybe not til Christmas time.

Incredible video! Enjoy!

Joshua Tree National Park

One day during Spring Break last week, I went with some Fuller friends (unfortunately Amal couldn't come because her school was on a different spring break...lame!) to Joshua Tree National Park. I have been wanting to go there for a very long time. It was a totally amazing place with such cool rocks to climb all up and down. A few days earlier, I went to the doctor and found out my elbow was fractured (long story, but more than a month earlier, I was hit by a car on my bike. I never went to the doctor because it started getting better on its own and I am a wait-and-see kind of person regarding injuries). I really couldn't help myself and was climbing all over the rocks. Needless to say but my elbow was hurting more by the end of the day...not too much though!

Here are a few pics from the trip...enjoy!

The famous Joshua Tree and cool rocks!

Another Joshua Tree and some more rock formations in the background

My glasses are so cool, huh?!

Some cool desert reservoir with lots of fun rocks to climb all over and up

Pics of Amal and I from San Diego

Amal and I went to San Diego a few weekends ago to spend some time out of LA. My family friends, Herb and Marcia, had a house they were staying at down there where we could stay. It was a wonderful time and such a nice break from the routine here in LA/Pasadena.

Need I remind you Northwester's that these were taken in January (yes, January!) and we were hanging out on the beach. Another reason why Southern California is amazing!

Balboa Park is quite amazing! We could have spent many more days exploring the museums and grounds. It's so beautiful!

Sunny beaches again...you wanna move yet?

Quarterly Post on School - 3rd Edition

Well, another quarter at Fuller brings a whole new group of classes, so here's the layout this quarter...

1. Jesus and the Kingdom of God

This class is the historical and theological reflection into the concept of the Kingdom of God particularly by looking at the Old Testament and the Synoptic Gospels. The message provides an important focal point for engaging in the synthetic, critical, and constructive work of biblical theology that is pivotal to day-to-day ministries of all kinds. The class is taught by Joel B. Green, who has my favorite commentary on the Gospel of Luke and is one of the leading New Testament scholars alive. I have heard this class is very challenging academically, but I have really appreciated Green and his work on the New Testament, so I am open to the challenge.

2. Theology in Global Perspective

This course looks at the theological reflections by both Western and non-Western Christian traditions. It looks at how these traditions have developed throughout history and in the modern era. We are to look at how ministry must take place in a changing and globalizing world where majority Christianity is not Western any longer, but more in the southern hemisphere. The global church is changing and those of us in missions need to understand this changing landscape. This course is a core class for my degree.

3. Teamwork and Leadership

This course explores the role of small groups and leadership in churches, parachurches, and missions. Due to the increasing pressure on Christian workers to function within the context of teams, peer leadership and followership will be studied in relation to teamwork. It will also provide a basic introduction to teamwork and leadership frameworks, with an emphasis on biblical leadership and the role of the community and team. Finally, this course will explore the issues and skills required to be an effective team member and team leader. This course is a core class for my degree.

Time to play catch-up and some fun news!

Well, so much has happened since I last really wrote anything here. I have almost made it completely through another quarter here at Fuller. It has been an odd term due mainly to the way it started (look here if unsure what that means). I have a little more than a week left to finish my papers and projects. I have continued to live in downtown LA and help out with the after school program at our church. I am moving up to Pasadena to be closer to Fuller in just a few weeks, so that is exciting! I found a cool spot where the community meets together for meals each night of the week.

Also, on the exciting news... as per the picture just below this, I am dating this beautiful lady, Amal (pronounced *A-mel*). She is an intern at the church this year, so things will be strange once I move away. I guess I will be spending a lot more time in LA than I was planning previously (not a bad thing at all!). I'm gonna work on building a bike for Amal and then be on the lookout for some great places to hangout in the middle. Once the quarter is finished, I will be updating you all on some cool things I have been learning and writing about this quarter.

Until then...

Words of advice from Lesslie Newbigin

"Don't imagine," the missionary will be told, "that you are going to take God into the [country, city, people-group]. He is there already. He has been at work there long before you came on the scene and he will be there after you have gone. Your job is to learn what he is doing in the world which is already his, not to introduce him to a world from which he is absent" (Open Secret, 1995:67).

My Crank Arms Hate Me!

I know this sounds overly dramatic, but if you want more details of why I say this, look here.

I was riding to the library today and started through an intersection on Figueroa St. in Downtown LA and felt my crank bend (crack really). I bought this crankset four months ago, so they should be warrantied, but it is really annoying to have this happen again. It takes my bike out of commission for at least a week until the new crankset comes in.

That crack is not supposed to be there!

More detailed pic

Yours Truly Detained, Jailed, and Deported...

...all from our ally the UK

As crazy as that sounds, it is all true. I left Wednesday from LA to go to London to participate in my practicum with Fuller Theological Seminary for the next two months. As I entered immigration in London, it went downhill quickly from there. I will try to fully capture what took place over the next 40 hours until I returned to LA.

I was told the UK was getting extremely difficult to enter, even for people who are coming for vacation, so I stated that I was coming as a student taking a semester off and was vacationing. I had proof of money in my bank account as well as additional money from my financial aid from Fuller. I provided these documents to the immigration officer. He asked if I had a place to stay and a contact number. I provided the address and name of the man I was staying with who went to the church one of the families attended. I also provided the number and name of the team leader with the organization I was going to join. In the documents I had this information on, there was also information on how difficult the border was becoming to cross for those not from the European Union. It was not to mislead the immigration people or to provide false information, but in reality to clarity the situation to prevent problems. Well... in actuality having these instructions with me really caused the immigration people to freak out.

After glancing over these instructions, the officer told me to take a seat and wait for him as he talks with his supervisor. After waiting about 15 minutes, another immigration person came to me and told me he was going to take me to get my checked luggage. We went to get it and he searched through all of my bag as well as my carry-on luggage. He then took me back to the previous waiting area. I was there until another officer came and told me he needed to take me to another area to wait until this was all sorted out. He then took me to a locked area where anyone suspected of illegally immigrating was held. In this room, there were some chairs, coffee, a tv, and some food we could eat. My belongings were taken from me and I was allowed to have a coat and my Bible. I was taken to another room to be photographed and fingerprinted. After this I was told that another immigration officer was looking over my papers and would come interview me later.

After about three hours, the aforementioned officer came to "interview" me, which was much more like an interrogation. She started off the interview with stating that she was going to ask me a series of questions and if I lied, she would know it and I would be deported. Se then asked me all sorts of questions about what I was coming for, who I was meeting in London, how I know them, how I was paying for it, how was this part of my school, etc, etc, etc... for over two hours. I gave her the information of the people living in London I was going to meet, including the team leader, Darren. I told her to call Darren, because he would back up my information I gave her. She finally left after stating that she was going to call Darren and talk with her supervisor about my case.

I waited another hour or more until she returned. I had previously told her that I had a few documents on my computer verifying that my school knew what I was doing as well as a contract between Darren any myself on my responsibilities while in London. She returned to ask me to show her this. I was taken to get my computer from the area they were holding my luggage. I showed her the documents I had described. She stated that she had spoken to Darren who had stated that he did not really know me (we haven't met, but have spoken and e-mailed each other multiple times), he had not signed a contract, I had not applied to work with the organization, I was only a tourist, and he had no knowledge of my coming to work with the organization. I was floored by this assuming that what she had said was the truth. Only later after I returned to LA did I hear the truth. Darren had spoken with her for about a half hour where he repeatedly backed up what I had said, but she kept asking Darren question after question trying to get him to state something to implicate me. He had not stated the things she told me, but for some reason chose to lie to me. I'm baffled by this and have no answer why this woman was so coercive and, dare I say, evil toward me.

I stated that I was not sure why Darren would say these things, thinking that there must be some reason that Darren was "throwing me under the bus." I begged her to please speak with her supervisor and state that I was here with completely pure intentions and really just wanted to help the people. She left and I waited another two hours or so. In my time waiting, I was able to talk with the other guys being detained there. Most of them were trying to sneak into the UK to work. There was one guy that was from Iran and had flown in from Turkey with a stolen passport that he had ditched on the plane. I perceived that he was trying to seek asylum from something he was fleeing in Iran. It was really kind of interesting to hear their stories, but really really ridiculous that I was treated in the same way as they were.

Finally at about 7 pm, the immigration officer came once again to speak with me. She stated that they were denying me entrance into the UK for not having proper documentation from Fuller, having the e-mail from Darren that was suspicious, and for Darren and my stories not coinciding. She stated that I had a return flight on the same airline the following afternoon and would be moved to another facility for the night. At that point I kind of flipped my lid a little and started yelling at her. I know that was not really cool, but felt necessary at the time.

At about 11 pm I was taken with my belongings outside the airport in an armored, gated-off vehicle for transporting "prisoners." I was not handcuffed, but was treated in a manner similarly to a criminal. We drove about 15 minutes away and arrived at the "jail." I was taken into a small room and was searched (in all I was searched over 10 times in the next 12 hours...weird). My belongings were categorized and put in a holding area. I begged them to allow me to have my Bible in the cell with me and after a careful search for a shiv or something like that, they allowed me to have it. I was then taken to another area where I could get something to drink and spoke with a medical person. He interviewed me on my physical and mental condition and then told me it was ridiculous how I was being treated for doing nothing wrong.

I was finally taken to an actual locked jail cell where there was a bunk-bed with, thankfully, no one waiting for me, a toilet and shower. I was led to this room where they left me and locked the door. I was able to fitfully sleep through the night. Each hour the guards would noisily open the door and check to see if I was still alive or something. In the morning one guard brought in some food including an apple, orange juice, milk and cereal. In the late morning, they let us out of our cells to make a phone call and get some fresh air in the "jail yard," which was in the middle of the building and consisted of a paved area about 25 feet by 25 feet. There were another 15-20 men in the yard. We mostly just stood there and talked or some smoke. We were out there for about a half hour and then were told to return to our room.

Around noon, I was told I was to be taken back to Heathrow. After a really long process and multiple more searchings, I was finally loaded up into the prisoner van with two other men. We were taken out of the jail with multiple security checks (seriously, it was so surreal that this happened. We would go though one gate to come to another where a security person would check if it was really us and then out that gate. This happened three times!). We made it to another detention area in the airport where we waited until it came time for our flights.

About an hour and half before my flight was to leave, I was transported with two security people to the correct terminal. I was then walked by these security people to the metal detectors to the front of the line. Everyone waiting was looking at me and no doubt thinking that I was some sort of a criminal. After getting cleared through airport security, they walked me to the correct gate and took me up to the desk. There I received my boarding pass and my checked bag was left for them. I was then walked up the ramp and onto the plane where the security left me, but handed my passport to the flight attendants. I had a fairly uneventful flight back to LA where I told my story to multiple people. We landed and I was handed my passport as I left the plane.

Looking back, I don't think the intention of the immigration officer who interviewed me was to ever let me into the country. With her actions toward both myself and Darren, it shows that she is extremely coercive and lies through her teeth. She challenged both my beliefs and Darren's beliefs by stating that we had both lied repeatedly and "someone who was truly a Christian wouldn't do that" in her words. It is obvious that the Enemy works through people to fight against the Lord's advance on those places the Enemy has as a stronghold. Now I am left to wonder what it next for me. I was planning on being in London for two months. If you are a praying person, please pray that I would feel direction on what to do. Also pray for my attitude. I feel very taken advantage of, coerced, deceived, and overall treated like a criminal. I have never been called a liar so many times and was most definitely verbally assaulted by the immigration officer in her interrogation.

I guess this will be funny someday and will be a good story to tell, but it's not there yet. The UK was one of the places on the top of my list to visit, but who knows if I'm "backlisted" and won't plan on going there anytime soon. So so so so so so so ridiculous!

Old pics from the recent wildfire in the Los Angeles forest

These are from North Hollywood and makes the wildfire look like an atomic bomb went off. It was incredibly smoky in downtown LA where I live for about a week until the wind started shifting north.

Book Reflection - Prayer Evangelism

This book might seem like a vastly different theme from the rest of the books I have read and reflected upon this summer for my independent study. I recognize this, but also want to note the importance of integration in our lives as followers of Jesus. I believe that our lives should always be about integration - between spiritual and social actions. I have read and written vastly about ethnography, social justice and incarnational living, which are social actions, but there are deep spiritual implications in doing these also. This book is about integration between these lives also.

The author, Ed Silvoso, uses Luke 10:5,8,9 as a description of this concept of prayer evangelism. He notices to four points that Jesus used in his sending off of the disciples to the town to proclaim His message. Silvoso's four points are: (1) Speak peace upon them, (2) Fellowship with them, (3) Take care of their needs, and (4) Proclaim the good news (37). He expands on these on pages 47-48, stating,

1. Blessing opens the door to unbiased fellowship.
2. Fellowship establishes a level of trust, allowing our neighbors to share with us their felt needs.
3. Prayer addresses their felt needs.
4. When we intercede for our neighbors, the kingdom of God comes near them in a tangible way: "Say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:9)

Silvoso is quick to point out that the method Christians often use is a reversal of the order of this method. Most often, the proclamation is the first thing done. He shared a story of going door-to-door as part of a church ministry. He stated that in the (maybe) five minutes they would have at the door, the first four minutes were used to describe how Christians are different from Jehovah's Witnesses. He states that there is a different way that Jesus provided. As I was reading this today, I was struck with praying peace over people in the coffee shop I was in. I prayed over the lesbian couple, the girl swearing at her computer, the barista's, and a few other people coming and going from the shop. God could have used my simple prayers to show Himself to them. Sometimes it just takes a simple prayer like this or a statement of peace to remind people of the loving God they really want to know and belong to.

Silvoso offers 17 paradigm shifts that he recognizes the body of Christ followers need to recognize and promote in our lives and in our churches. The first one stood out to me in this period of my life. The first paradigm shift was "One Church in the City." Simply, this refers to the need for unity and healing in the broken system of Christian churches in the city. Too many churches are in competition with each other and are choosing to focus on the differences with each other instead of the common purpose of serving a loving God in reaching the lost of our cities. This personally stuck with me because of my position as being in seminary at Fuller Theological Seminary and working at a church in LA that has connections to The Masters College/Seminary. In some places in the Christian spectrum, these academic institutions are polar opposites. The have differing views on women in leadership, spiritual gifts, works of the Holy Spirit, and many other things. I would not say these things are insignificant, but they are not on the same level as Jesus and His Father's purpose. I call for us to be willing and purposeful in bridging the gaps between differing views in the church. We must be willing to recognize our differences and set them aside for the greater good of God's kingdom being spread.

Silvoso offers concluding paragraphs to two of his chapters regarding paradigm shifts. I have added them in the following section as important dreams that we, as followers of Jesus, must have. Silvoso describes how these things have been realities is some cities across the world. His prayer, mine as well, is that this would happen in cities I am in and involved in ministry in. I also hope and pray that this would happen in cities you all live in.

Picture one Church in the city, united and fully persuaded that the city can and must be reached for Christ now, mobilizing its members to conduct prayer evangelism without divisions because of identificational repentance. Imagine church services taking place all over town and public prayer being offered everywhere for everybody because pastors no longer restrict themselves to caring for the fold but are leading their parishioners to focus on the flock at large, the city. As a result, the spiritual climate over the city is being transformed into one of godliness (171).

--And--

Everybody in the Church intercedes for the lost, battling against the devil who had blinded them. They do so without fear of death because they have despised their lives unto death. Led by evangelists who equip them to witness wherever they are, by pastors who shepherd the entire city and make no distinction between saints and sinners as far as commitment and care, and by teachers who expound on the Word of the Lord for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ, the Church constitutes a living parable of a community that loves God and its neighbors with utmost intensity, and the Lord adds daily to those who are being saved! (196).

I hope this finds you well. God bless.

Book Reflection - Ethnography: Step by Step

This book as per the title is a study on the specifics of doing ethnographic research written by David Fetterman. In my reflection yesterday, I detailed ethnography as being an anthropological study of specific people groups. In this book, specific steps are detailed by the author on what ethnography is used for, particular methods for gathering research, tools and ethical obligations while doing ethnographic research. This book was somewhat technical, so my reflection will be rather short and detail just some of the new ideas that the author presented.

One particularly popular method of gathering research is participant observation. As is clear in the name, this approach combines involvement in individuals' lives while having some distance to gather research and collect data as an observer. Fetterman writes,

Participant observation is immersion in a culture. Ideally, the ethnographer lives and works in the community for 6 months to 1 year or more learning the language and seeing patterns of behavior over time. Long-term residence helps the researcher internalize the basic beliefs, fears, hopes, and expectations of the people under study. The simple, ritualistic behaviors of going to the market or to the well for water teach how people use their time and space and how they determine what is precious, sacred, and profane (35).

One of the important things that participant observation adds to ethnographic research is the early research that comes with insider observation. This approach lays the ground work for more formal research including interviews, questionnaires, etc. It also helps the ethnographer begin to piece together an understanding of the culture and the worldviews of the people, which is incredibly important in being able to build relationships with those of the other community.

Additionally, the use of participant observation is very useful as a first step in entering a new culture. It is very useful in finding "key informants" or "people of peace" as some people call them. These are individuals who "can provide detailed historical data, knowledge about contemporary interpersonal relationships (including conflicts), and a wealth of information about the nuances of everyday life" (48). This was a very important concept in my Community Organizing class from the Spring Quarter. We were looking for these key informants/actors as we were getting to know the needs of the community and the dreams of the residents. As a follower of Jesus, looking for people of peace is very similar. As we see in the Bible, especially in the Gospels and Acts, the disciples/apostles went out looking for people of peace who were open to the Gospel of Jesus and desired for building community.

Finally, the last concept I want to write about is one of the described types of ethnographers called advocate ethnographers. These ethnographers "allow participants to define their reality, consider their view about the ideal solution to their problems, and then take an active role in making social change happen" (135). Where ethnography can be criticized for being non-committal, this bridges the gap between research and participation. After the ethnographer gathers their research legitimately and ethically, the findings can be presented to influence a decision by the people. Wonderful! I like it!

As always, feel free to add any comments, concerns, questions. Thanks.

Book Reflection - Urban Life: Readings in the Anthropology of the City

This anthropological research book is a collection of case studies collected and edited by George Gmelch and Walter P. Zenner. There are six major sections that the case studies are sub-divided into including The City in History, Urbanism, Urban Fieldwork: Anthropologists in Cities, Migration and the Adaptation of Migrants to City Life, Urban Class and Family, and Globalization and Transnationalism.

This study also brings up the use of ethnographic research in cultural anthropology. Ethnography is referring to the anthropological study of specific people groups - namely along ethnic lines. One author describes ethnography practically by stating, "Ethnography involves long-term, close-up, personal observation and listening to people in the context of their everyday lives" (280). It is important to note that ethnography is often done with a very specific context in mind, as was the case with the studies included in the book. "Ethnography cannot achieve a balanced representation of all perspectives.... [it] creates a specific point of view" (153-4). Another author notes how ethnography helps in his research. He writes,

Since much of people's own experience of daily life, social activities, local institutions and so forth is shared by many if not most of their family members, coworkers, or neighbors, there really aren't a lot of people with whom they talk who don't already understand the ins and outs of their lives. So, I often find that interviewees are almost eager to tell me about their lives, since everyone else they know either already knows the stories or doesn't care about them. Part of this, of course, is the time-tested advantage of being an ethnographer in a culture other than one's own. In Japan at least, as a foreigner, I can ask about the simplest things, things that even a six-year-old child ought to know. Very rarely does anyone think it odd that I ask (157).

The section on migrants was one of particular focus for me, due to my current work in an immigrant neighborhood as well as my continuing interest to work in immigrant communities after I have completed my last year in seminary. In one study, the author mentions the contrast in worldviews between rural and urban peoples (202). Often rural individuals and communities have a very homogeneous worldview that has remained the same or with very little change for a long time. When these individuals enter an urban setting to look for work or other needs, they are confronted with a variety of worldviews. This can be a very difficult time for many of them, but is also an important experience for people to have. Some people might disagree with this statement, but I think that it is a very positive thing that many westerners, particularly those in urban centers, find it very comfortable to encounter differing worldviews and/or beliefs. For those who follow Jesus, this is necessary for being able to contextualize the Gospel in order to reach them.

One very important theme in the discussion of immigration is return migration, and interconnected to this is transnationalism. Many of the immigrants from one country to another have a dream to make enough money to return to their home country and retire with a home and land of their own. In this book, there were many case studies of this being true. There were stories of West Indians from Barbados migrating to Britain in the wake of WWII to rebuild destroyed cities and counter the enormous loss of life Britain, rural Spaniards migrating to Germany and France between 1955-75 as part of the twenty-year "economic miracle," and the millions of Russian Jews and Italians who migrated to New York around the turn of the century until WWI. Often these immigrants had their feet in two societies - the new country and their home country.

One story is of Moises V., who was a Spaniard who took his family to Germany for employment. Two of his three children were born in Germany during the 12 years he lived there and all spoke German better than Spanish. After the 12 years, he and his family returned to rural Spain and were able to purchase a house and land. Immediately, the family was very important in that community. He mentioned, "I owe everything to Germany" (257). The story does not include how his children adapted to life in Spain. For many 2nd generation immigrants, they have many more connections to the new country and do not dream of returning to their parent's home country. There becomes a dilemma often for these families over this exact situation as the parents are deciding to return to their home country later in life.

Finally, I will end with a quote of the nature of our world today and the view of immigrants. Nancy Foner writes that, "Today," journalist Roger Rosenblatt notes, "When every major business enterprise is international, when money is international, when instant international experiences are pictured on TV, more people think of themselves as world citizens. Why should not immigrants do likewise?" (352).

Chew on that and feel free to post any comments here. Thanks for reading!

Lost Bike Ride of the Week

Alright, so I went to a Dodger game last night and rode up there from my house on my bike. It was no problem getting there, but on the way back I took the wrong exit out of the stadium and ended up in the above side-trip through Cypress Park and all the industrial area north of downtown LA at 10:30 PM. What took my 15 minutes to ride to the game ended with an hour ride home and an additional 10 miles to my bike ride.

At least I now know that area of town so much better!

Book Reflection - The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb

Alright, on to another reflection here! The title of this book is a bit ambiguous, so I will include the sub-title, which is "A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community." It's all clear then, right? OK, for those of you in need of more clarity, here is my general paraphrase of the book.

The title comes from the passage in Isaiah 11:6-9, which states,

⁶And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
⁷Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.
⁹They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.

The premise is that this model of these opposing animals living in harmony and peace should be the same in the church. This includes specifically in regards to multicultural churches and Christian communities. In these settings often the western Christians will be the dominant ones leading the discussions and controlling the direction of the meetings. The author, Eric Law, likens them to the wolves because of this tendency and those non-Westerners, who operate in vastly different ways are the sheep. The author challenges us Westerners to consciously give our power and desire for control away and encourage those without power to take the lead. This is obviously more difficult to do than it is to say, but Law offers a few suggestions.

First, though, I must include a clarifier which Law points out. Often those with power in a certain situation believe that to be inclusive of all people means that all people must be present at the table. For instance, when doing social justice work, there is often a push to make sure that the poor and oppressed are present at the table and that their voice is heard. Often their mere presence is enough for those in power to feel comfortable. Law says that this is not enough, he states,

The assumption is that everyone is equal to each other as individuals and everyone is expected to participate "fully" - meaning being able to speak for himself or herself. The truth is that not all believe they are equal to each other.... Another reality is that not everyone is an individual who can speak for himself or herself. Many people of color come from cultures that emphasize the collective over the individual. It is very hard for them to speak as individuals. They feel powerless without their community behind them (34).

We like to assume that all people are equal because we want to view them that way. This is not the case though. White westerners are very different than non-white westerners and the same for non-white non-westerners. Cultural and worldview differences create an imbalance of power. White westerners like myself must be conscious of this and chose to not take the position of power in some situations where these cultural and worldview differences are needing to be recognized.

Now on to the suggestions by Law on how we need to view these differences and address them in our actions. As Christians, we are called by Christ to take up our cross and follow Him. This offer is given to all people, but Law suggest that it is given specifically to the powerful. Those with power are in need to lay down their power to follow Christ, not the powerless who have no power to lay down. "Because the powerless are already on the cross, salvation comes from endurance and faithfulness in the hope of God's deliverance through the resurrection" (42). Additionally, Law points to the cycle of gospel living that they powerful and powerless must recognize. The powerless need to enter the cycle through the empowerment of the resurrection while the powerful must chose to give up power by choosing the cross.

Contextually, Law gives a case study from one multicultural setting he was observing. There was a group of around 50 people together addressing difficulties between ethnic groups. About 2/3 of the group was white. The white people were trying to include those of color in the conversation, but often the people of color felt forced to state their feelings and were not comfortable with the situation. Eventually the organizers separated the white people and the people of color to discuss how they felt the conference was going. The white people felt guilty and were not sure what to do to fix the situation. The people of color felt singled out and preferred to think collectively, not individually. When they returned together, the leader of the colored people spoke for the whole group and proposed a new situation. In order to counteract the more dominant white people, each side was given a change to speak alternately. The people of color were given as much time to collect their thoughts and say what they needed to say and the white people could respond to this and add any other thoughts. This back-and-forth dialogue continued and created a very positive environment of healing that brought everyone in the room to tears. What was done was the powerful (white people) set aside their power (took up their crosses) and the powerless (people of color) were empowered through the power of the resurrection.

Alright, some more food for thought! Feel free to add any thoughts or questions. And now more reading for me...

Book Reflection - With Justice for All

After a month of class each day, numerous papers, a midterm and two final exams, I have completed two of my classes this summer and now have taken some time for vacation in Portland with family and friends. I am back in the swing of things with another reflection here on a wonderful book. After this reflection, I will have another handful of books to read and reflections to write to complete the final class I am working on. I hope you enjoy them!

The latest book I have read is written by John Perkins, an amazing man with an incredible story of growing up in Mississippi in poverty until he left to California for school. After college he found a great job in the LA area, but God called him back to Mississippi to work among the poor black people in the area where he grew up. He has been a champion of community development and definitely someone I look up to greatly. He started the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) that works with Christian community organizers and local churches to improve their communities through his models of the "Three R's."

The "Three R's" are Relocation, Reconciliation, and Redistribution. I will speak about each of these and give some of my personal convictions/ beliefs about each of them. I have spoken at great length about relocation, where Christians are challenged to move into impoverished communities in order to live amongst the poor as they minister to them in sharing the Good News. The goal is to promote the breaking of the cycle of poverty in the community's life. Perkins describes this as choosing to "become a 'have not' in order to take my people the gospel" (60). Perkins sees that this is the model of Jesus which Paul describes in 2 Cor. 8:9, saying, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (NASB). For more information on this model, please read John Hayes' book, Sub-Merge.

The second "R" is reconciliation. I feel that this is a very trendy action right now to speak about, but not necessarily taken into action. The same feeling comes to me when I speak about social justice, specifically systemic social justice. But back to the point I am making here, Perkins is right on with his analysis of the necessity of reconciliation and forgiveness. Personally, Perkins has experienced one of the toughest paths to come out preaching reconciliation and forgiveness. In early 1970, Perkins was almost beaten to death by white police officers in Mississippi yet he came out of that saying that he wants to "preach a gospel that will heal these people, too" (108). He recognized that all people, whether black, white or any other are hurt and in need of reconciliation with each other. He sees that black people come with their blame and feelings of inferiority, while white people come with their guilt and sense of superiority (147).

John senses the antidote is reconciliation through shared community with those of all different colors. He states,

Reconciliation is God's way of bringing people to Himself and to each other. Reconciliation is loving your neighbor as you love yourself. Sharing in life together is us trusting each other. When we trust each other, we see the value in each other. When we see value in each other, we will partnership together. If we as a nation don't value reconciliation, then we as a viable, profitable economic entity are damaged, because we are hobbling along with an inferior system that produces less value than it could if we were all united (155).

Finally, Perkins addresses the third "R," which is redistribution. I think this is most likely the most controversial of the three, because is starts to challenge the basic tenants of the economic system this country is founded upon. Though, in our current global financial state, more and more people might be open to change. The biggest problem Perkins finds with a free-market system (and I completely agree) is personal greed corrupts the system. Originally the hope was for greed to be tempered by honesty. Perkins calls for a system of justice and love to be promoted by those who claim to follow Jesus. Perkins agrees with the vast majority of Christians who say that the free-market system is the most just, but he also qualifies this statement with saying that "[those of us living in this system] lack the moral will to distribute the fruits of our production in a more equitable way" (160).

I will conclude with a rather long quote where Perkins describes this concept in greater length. He states,

Achieving justice in America will require something more than "playing fair from now on." Economic opportunity in capitalism depends on ownership of capital. The free-enterprise system assumes that anyone can have access to capital through [their] labor and that banks and lending institutions will make investment capital available to anyone who has the will and the know-how to produce goods and services for the marketplace. There is only one problem with that assumption - it's not true.

The oppressed among us know all too well that the oppressive forces that created their poverty in the first place keep them trapped in it. The young black electrician, having never had an opportunity to establish a credit rating, finds it almost impossible to raise the capital to buy the tools and equipment to go into business for himself. The general rule is, "To get capital, you must have capital," and so the system perpetuates and widens the gap between rich and poor (181).

Finally, Perkins gives ideas for specifically addressing this need for redistribution. He suggests starting cooperatives, simplifying our personal and church's economic lifestyles, and organizing our communities to address the felt needs of the community. All of these are done in order to present the whole gospel to whole people.