"Perfection Can Become The Enemy of Good"

Tonight, Holly and I headed into the City for some dinner and a film screening of a new documentary entitled Buyer, Be Fair! It dealt with fair trade (and unfair trade) in the coffee and logging industries. Very informative film.

I have been a fan of FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED coffees for some time and most love Café Mam. But I have had people question the whole FAIR TRADE label...and I've wondered along with them about the 'dues' that small farmers have to pay and also about the systemic issues that sometimes do not get addressed. Still, I have found it to be a hopeful system (FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED, that is), and so I continue to support it. (BTW, here is a list of San Francisco FAIR TRADE stores if you want to support what they're doing.

The filmmaker was there tonight for Q & A afterwards, and so I asked him about this. He responded that certainly there were problems with certifying things and not being legalistic about it. Still, he felt that FAIR TRADE was doing a great job at being an independent certifier. A farmer from Peru was there as well. He said that it has tremendously helped his 2000+ farmer co-op. It has helped them rise above poverty, get clean water, and have a more hopeful future.

The filmmaker went on to say that often our perception of what is perfect becomes the enemy of something good. Well said. Man, as an idealist, I get so caught up in the best and look past things that could be good. Perhaps I even use some self-righteous, elite word like settling when referring to something like this.

I am constantly reminded that the Kingdom of God goes where there is goodness, not perfection. So let's champion the good (but often broken) things in our world. Or am I totally contradicting myself here?

Hill$ong. Ha.

Wow. Too funny. It had me rolling. I actuall spent a few seconds wondering if it was legit.

What Swords? What Plowshares?

I wonder about the ethics of "tools" of the system (whatever system that might be).

I remember watching the film The Corporation and hearing a person say that a corporation is neither moral or immoral, it is simply amoral, for it is simply a tool. I found that a slight bit jarring because a publically-traded company that has a listing on the New York Stock Exchange is required to continually increase profit, which for some reason just screams Greed! to me. But I am naive about this stuff and I know that.

Still, I have heard several things referred to as "tools" in these last several months...the free market, money, government, institutions, etc...and while I can go with that idea for a period of time, I begin to wonder if that word is not some sort of cop-out. You see, if something is merely a tool, then it's all in how you use it. The tool itself has no inherent good or bad or ethical or unethical or moral or immoral value...it's all about who's using the tool. Kinda like how guns don't kill people, people kill people (hence my picture of Charlton Heston).

So I wonder what Jesus or the Prophets have to say about the use of tools...and I find this passage (that many are familiar with) about beating swords into plowshares (Isaiah 2:4, Joel 3:10, Micah 4:3). And I think long and hard about this...so did someone else.

A sword was merely a tool, right?...and it was created with a purpose in mind...and some might say it's a good purpose and some might say it's bad and some might say it's about who wielded this sword. You see, the sword could be used to protect the innocent or it could be used to kill the innocent.

But the Prophets had an idea about taking a current tool and forging it into a tool that is fitting for the Day of the Lord (or the Kingdom of God or the World that God dreams of). The prophets didn't just say, "Well, it's a tool...so just focus on the heart of the person wielding it"...no. They went beyond that.

So I wonder what are our swords? Is it the free market? Global capitalism? Money? Communication? Government? Corporations? Institutions?

And what would the plowshares look like?

Is anyone vibing with me here? I think this is something we really ought consider.

Home, Bay, Home

We made it into Oakland, CA last night around 10.30pm, welcomed by our friends Craig and Lora Burnett. Good to be back. We were met with nice, cool weather (in the 50s!) by time we got to their house. That was a nice relief from the 113+ temperatures we were driving through in the desert.

The trip is kinda over. For the most part anyway. There is relief and grief in each sigh I let out. But it is time for a new season of life.

On this trip (by that, I mean this last month's trip from Oakland-Minneapolis-DC-Tennessee-Dallas-Oakland), we listened to some great books on our iPod. (Thanks Darin.) Some reflections...

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

This was a great book. Wow. Scholosser details the socio-historical story of the rise of fast food in America. He gives context that helps to understand the country's shift in diet over the last 50-60 years. He then goes on to tell about where the food and flavors come from. If you really enjoy fast food, perhaps best not to read this book. But if you have a gut-level hunch that something just doesn't seem right and that there is some work needing to be done around the fast food industry (from regulation to boycotting to advocating other options to holding corporations accountable as consumers), this will be a good read.

I'll tell you...a lot of it deals with Colorado Springs, and that just so happens to be where we began listening to the book. Interesting how migration patterns have such huge impact on our world.

Plan B by Anne Lamott

Anne is always enjoyable for her ramblings, rants, and subtle wisdom. This book was fun and thoughtful. I have heard many a person dismiss the book as a rant on the current Administration. It does have a good deal of that, but she attempts to make sense of it amidst her spiritual journey of forgiveness and loving one's enemy.

Some parts of it were a bit too 'religious-y' for me, but that's just my taste.

I liked the first one of these better, but this one was a nice read (er, listen).

Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton

Not having been very politically awake during the Clinton Administration, I found this book very informative. It's very well-written (big suprise) and articulate. I really appreciated the approach that was taken...it made The First Family seem very normal and real...which was perhaps the books aim.

I grew up in a family that was deeply suspicious of the Clintons, so I couldn't help but listen with guarded ears. Still, Hilary's storytelling was very disarming. And while I don't think she'd necessarily get my vote for President (as she is very pro-war for a Democrat), it definitely caused me to like them more.

I am glad we listened to this book. For all the crap of that Administration, the Bush Administration makes the previous one seem altruistic and nearly perfect...well, maybe not exactly, but wow.

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I have had a growing interest in economics, so I thought I would like this book for that reason. But the authors just explain economics as tools, not a disciple, and then sought to use those tools to measure other sociological phenomena.

The questions they raised were both entertaining and enlightening...and the answers they came up with (by reading the data) were equally enthralling (at times).

We're in Oakland this week, looking for places, finishing projects, meeting with the midwife, looking to the future.

Reading Shane's Book

My buddy Shane came out with a book a few months back that I have been meaning to read for some time. I finally got my hands on a copy (thanks Marcus and Abby!) and have been reading through it. Wonderful stuff. Really.

I have asked in previous posts where are the St. Francises or the Rich Mullins or the Dr. Kings of our day. Shane is one of them...not to raise him to some demigod category, but to acknowledge that some people really are taking the teachings of the Master seriously.

There are a few appendices in the back and one is his letter that he wrote just before he left for Iraq to practice peacemaking. I found it beautiful, so I copied a short portion of it below... For the full letter, click here.

I am going to Iraq because I believe in a God of scandalous grace. If I believed terrorists were beyond redemption, I would need to rip out half of my New Testament Scriptures, for they were written by a converted terrorist. I have pledged allegiance to a King that loved evildoers so much He died for them (and of course the people of Iraq are no more evil or more holy than the people of the US), teaching us that there is something worth dying for...but nothing worth killing for. While the terrorists were nailing Him to the cross, my Jesus pleaded that they be shown mercy for they know what they were doing. We are all wretched, and we are all beautiful. No one is beyond redemption and no one is beyond repute. May we see in the hands of the oppressors our own hands, and in the faces of the oppressed our own faces. We are made of the same dust, and we cry the same salty tears. Keep reading...

Reflections on PAPAfest

So as most of you know, Holly and I spent several days in middle-of-nowhere, TN last week at a gathering of friends on a 10-acre cattle ranch. It was called the PAPAfestival...People Against Poverty and Apathy. It was a very enriching experience, discussing Kingdom economics, Christianity and empire, humanure, and other random, but inter-related topics...in 100+ degree temperatures.

About 500 of us gathered from all across the US, Canada, and a there was one token Swede. While it was mainly 20-30 somethings, there was a fairly diverse crowd...families, anarchists, pastors, old hippies, new hippies, tattoos and dreadlocks.



There were only 6 port-o-potties (and 3 composting toilets for the daring...see below for "Poo Town" photo) for all 500 of us. Several of us hypothosized that they would be full by the next morning, but they worked for us up until the end.







Will and Lisa and Ty and Jake and Gwinny welcomed us into their camping circle, shared food with us, and made us feel at home. Will was constantly at the stove, cooking up wonderful stuff that you wouldn't expect to eat while camping. Other great folks from Communality were there like Geoff and Sherry Maddock (who recommended Binding the Strong Man early on in our pilgrimage) and Billy and Maria Kenny...wonderful folks who remind us that Lexington, KY really is a swell place.

We had great conversations around food about the hopefulness of an event like this...people living out the better way of Jesus. And it's true: there was a really great vibe at this event.



Chris and Cassie were of course there...they and their community (Camden House) played a significant role in putting this whole event together. They are wonderful people whom we love from afar (because we usually live on opposing coasts).



Holly was beginning to feel very pregnant. Like she mentioned that it really felt like her belly was growing significantly. That made sleep difficult. The first night (Thursday), the air had a fever that didn't break until about 3 in the morning. This made it very hard to sleep in a tent. I probably got twice as much sleep that night as her...and I probably got 3-4 hours.

The second night we slept in a wet tent. While volunteering a half-mile away, a fast storm rolled in that dumped huge pellets of rain for a couple hours. Our screen was zipped up, but our waterproof shell wasn't...so rain got in everywhere. That night was another miserable (but cooler) night of sleep.

For the third night, we checked into a hotel. We played the pregnancy card and the wet-tent card. No one challenged us.



It's always fun to see Shane (on the right) and on this trip we got to meet Lucky (on the left) in person. We had met Lucky via a Relational Tithe conference call a few weeks back. Lucky is in the army...and has come to see war and violence as contrary to the gospel of Jesus. He is an amazing icon of a person who realizes that he will suffer for the decisions that he is making. He is forfeiting pay, opportunity and will very possibly be thrown in jail upon his next deployment. He was a great guy to get to know and talk with.

Here's his sleeping set-up...


Holly and Darin and I led a couple workshops dealing with topics like 1) Owning your own business and wanting it to do more than make money (more like...making the world a better place), 2) Global ecomonics and the Kingdom of God, 3) Redistribution systems and the Relational Tithe. It was wonderfully collaborative.

A black military helicopter with large guns flew over every day that we were there. I asked Shane (who grew up on this ranch), There some military base close? You see these things often? He replied that the closest one was far away and that, in 20 years of being there, he'd never seen a chopper. Perhaps someone wanted to see if we were some sort of terrorist cell.

It was an amazing weekend of collaboration, hope, synergy (sorry Craig), and the Kingdom of God. No paid staff, no prior experience really, free to all who came.

We're looking forward to the next one...whenever it is.

The Cobalt Season in Dallas

Hey, so if you live in or near Dallas and are so interested, please join us for a sort of "house show" sans house. The wonderful folks at Journey Dallas are hosting us for an evening of song and story.

Wednesday, June 28th (tomorrow). Directions here. 7pm.

On The Road Again

After a wonderful few days in eastern Tennessee at PAPAfest, we took off this morning to head back west, stopping through Dallas for a few days. We'll post pics soon, but in the meantime, Will has some reflections already posted up.

Our Favorite Newborns

Just left DC to head to Knoxville for the PAPAfest. We had a beautiful, rich time in DC. Pictures for you...

Will and Nana...


Ella and Dad...


Holly and baby (baby not seen yet)...


Ryan with Ella...


The Stavlunds...


Matt and Dawn, our gracious hosts...


The Dude...

Reminders

Thanks to Jason for posting this: "'Of course, let us have peace,' we cry, 'but at the same time let us have normalcy, let us lose nothing, let our lives stand intact, let us know neither prison nor ill repute nor disruption of ties....' There is no peace because there are no peacemakers. There are no makers of peace because the making of peace is at least as costly as the making of war...at least as exigent, at least as disruptive, at least as liable to bring disgrace and prison and death in its wake." - Daniel Berrigan

And Chris Haw reminds us: "In times of war, our leaders always speak of their prayers. They wish us to know that they say prayers because they wish us to believe that they are deeply worried and that they take their responsibilities seriously. Perhaps they believe or hope that prayer will help. But within the circumstances of war, prayer becomes a word as befuddled in meaning as liberate or order or victory or peace. These prayers are usually understood to be Christian prayers. But Christian prayers are made to or in the name of Jesus, who loved, prayed for, and forgave his enemies and who instructed his followers to do likewise. A Christian supplicant, therefore, who has resolved to kill those whom he is enjoined to love, to bless, to do good to, to pray for, and to forgive as he hopes to be forgiven is not conceivably in a situation in which he can be at peace with himself. Anyone who has tried to apply this doctrine to a merely personal enmity will be aware of the enormous anguish that it could cause a national leader in wartime. No wonder that national leaders have ignored it for nearly two thousand years." -Wendell Berry, 1991

The Capitol Yo.

We made it into DC yesterday evening. Traffic wasn't too terribly bad, and the drive was soothing across Pennsylvania.

We showed up to Children's Hospital just in time to catch the last 5 minutes of visiting hours for the day. We got to say hi to Mike, Stacey, Will, Ella, and Stacey's mom. We only got to see Will for a brief few moments (due to the aforementioned visiting hours), but he seems to be doing well, an observation I made from seeing him myself, hearing several doctors/nurses say so, and seeing the proud Dad confirm.

Got to spend then an hour or so in the cafeteria with them and talk...and stare at Ella. What an expressive little face. Mike asked if the toll roads since Illinois had been better. Yes, I responded. They sure had.

Then we left the Parents and headed to pick up some dinner and make our way over to Matt and Dawn's place. They're the kind couple who hosted the house show last November and who bought 2 of Holly's art pieces to hang in their family room. And they're putting us up for a few nights in their newly finished guest room.

And speaking of house shows, we're doing another one Tuesday (as in tomorrow) night. Details here. If you are reading this and you are in the DC area, you are invited.

Okay, now some work and then off to the hospital.

An Open Letter to the Illinois State Toll Authority

My God. I mean seriously. If you're going to charge me $5 to cross a few miles on your highway, could you please help to ensure that it's not undergoing intense construction during peak hours, causing piles and piles of traffic. I thought that the point of a toll road was to help me get there faster. Am I wrong? What am I paying for, I wonder, if not to get there faster?

My wife and I sat for hours in your polluted state, waiting at toll booth after toll booth to drop our 80 cents at a time. Why do you feel that you need a toll booth every couple miles? Again, doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of a toll road?

Take Indiana's or Ohio's turnpike system, for example: I get a nice little toll card when I enter that allows me to know in advance what toll I'll pay if I exit the toll road. And guess what? If I don't exit the toll road, then I don't have to go through but one toll booth at the end! What a spectacular idea!

Good Lord, I would have done better to take farm roads around the Windy City. Perhaps I've only myself (and Google maps) to blame.

A Little Retrospect

We just left Minnesota today. We're now in Wisconsin.

Turns out we were in Minnesota for a solid week and a half. What a wonderfully enchanted time. Really.

The first few days were the Emergent Summer Learning Institute. As is typical for us at these kinds of things, we just pretty much hung out with people...and that was great. Through Doug and Shelley and through our October gatherings, we have met some very cool folks from Minneapolis. And it is always our pleasure to catch up with them.

The weather was nearly perfect all the time. It even got cool to give us some relief from the mild heat. Aside from the mosquitos in the Boundary Waters, it was dang near perfect. Hard to believe this place has such ridiculously awful winters!

After the Institute was over we spent 3 days on an Emergent Coordinating Group meeting. I must say that I went in with slight hesitation. You see, I would align myself with more anarchists than organizationalists (are there truly either such person?), so when it appeared that there was a possible institutionalization of my beloved Emergent, I wondered if I had a place in it any longer. And I wondered if the direction of Emergent was going to be more like "new church resourcing" than "new understandings of being human in the way of Jesus".

But I would say that these days of meetings were some of the more rich, hopeful, and life-giving conversations and encounters I have been a part of with Emergent. It was great to talk very openly...very openly...about all things Emergent. It was great to finally get to spend some times with Tony Jones. He is a genuine soul, and I'm glad to know him.

It felt a bit like a family meeting. A sort of "So are we cool with where we're going? Or ought we go in a different direction? Or what?" kind of conversation. I think that there is much work to be done (I think "Getting Shit Done" should be the new Emergent Village slogan), but this meeting was a wonderful, hopeful starting point.

Boundary Waters, MN

In the Boundary Waters for a couple days with Marcus and Abby. Had a beautiful time canoeing last night after dinner. Caught up on some good sleep this morning.

Tomorrow we leave to begin our trek to DC and then down to TN. We're thinking that we're gonna skip the Toronto excursion because we'd have to zoom through it and we'd rather visit when we have time to really see the city...not this time.

Oh, some photos please...

Been writing alot and lax on getting pics up. So now, a slew of pics...

From the 814 wedding...




In Colorado with Jay and Jen Howver...



In Kansas City with Laci Scott...


With our lovely Minneapolis hosts, the Barnhill family...


Holly with child...


Damien with child...


Naomi and Doug at the BBQ...


Shelley and Doug dancing in their own special ways...



The Pagitts...

Remember Three Things

So, three goals for me for the remainder of 2006 (and perhaps my life)...

• Live consistently
• Stop building straw men
• Embrace and become who I am

Thanks Shelley For Not Killing My Good Bacteria

Holly and I did a 2.5 hour "consultation" with our friend Shelley Pagitt regarding our diet, exercise and overall nutrition. Shelley is a good friend and she has recently been "ordained" as a wholistic nutritionist. She knows her stuff.

So, she's helping us to understand the way the wholistic perspective works versus how the Western medical perspective works. She tells us that there is, you know, good and bad bacteria in you body. When you take antibiotics, it kills the bad bacteria...but it also kills the good bacteria...which is bad.

A naturalistic (is that the right word? perhaps homeopathic?) approach says that the good bacteria, if nurtured, will eventually "overpower" the bad bacteria and will define the environment more fully. Shelley said killing both in order to kill the bad is not such a swell idea. Better to nurture the good.

Now there are certain situations where a bacterial infection is so bad that antibiotics might could end up being a sort of "necessary evil" (it irks me to say), but you run the risk of the creating an environment where the good will never be able to overcome the bad on it's own...a person's immune system will find itself always needing to bring out the big guns in order to heal a body that was created to heal itself.

Jimmy and Carla (our lovely hosts this past week) shared with us that it's not so different in gardening. The roots of the good and the bad are so intertwined that to spray them all with weed killer or to begin to pull up the weeds would be so very dangerous to an already sensitive ecosystem.

Perhaps that's what the Master meant when he said Pull up the weeds and you might take the wheat along with them. Hmm.

An Inconvenient Truth

I'm glad we saw this film. It was very informative (not in a misinformation sort of way that some might suspect) and very compelling to make changes. While some parts of the film were a little too "Al Gore True Hollywood Story" for us, his personableness (is that a word?) kept this heated issue at a warm, personal level.

I recommend this film to anyone. It's a conversation we should have been having for some time, but perhaps this film will act in a fairly non-Michael Moore sort of way that perhaps will allow us to talk with one another about what kind of world we are creating/stewarding.

I do, however, wish that Mr. Gore had said more clearly that to make changes such as these in the world, that is, to help reverse the effects of global warming and the fallout from that, that it will cost us something. Yes, it will cost you and me something...some sacrifice...and it will cost you and me, not just some politician or somebody else.

We are the ones who make up the world we live in. I am constantly reminded of that.

It was kind of ironic that several scenes in the film are shots of him on an airplane, flying from place to place, burning tons of fossil fuel! Ha. Well, I guess I'm a culprit too...driving around the country...even in my green machine.

Stressed.

Jim leaves for Australia today. Pam gets married on Saturday...or will she? Perhaps we'll find out on July 13. Oh God.

The Last Supper

Can you spot Jesus?

More photos on Doug's .mac.

I Heart Minneapolis

What a great town. And what great people. Seriously.

Everytime we get to hang out with our friends from here, we're reminded what a concentration of cool people they have here.

It makes us happy to be here.

"Jesus Is The Answer"

This is a phrase I heard and said several times in my youth. It was sometimes the way to hopefully bring comfort, sometimes a way to trump a conversation, and sometimes a way to remind myself why others were not the answer...others like Gandhi, Buddha, Mohammad, etc. It might have been wrapped up in Jesus being absolute truth and it was most always wrapped up in something about having a personal relationship with God. "Jesus is the answer" meant having a personal relationship with Jesus (ie. talking, walking, hanging with J-E-S-U-S) and that relationship was somehow the final answer.

That was my youthful fundamentalist understanding.

I wrote a post a few days ago about coming back to words like believer and others that I had disposed of a few years back. This is a phrase I'd like to come back to.

You see, in my limited understanding of Jesus' core message and his charge to his followers to go out and live and teach this Kingdom Way, he was not calling people to go out to introduce them to this new religious celebrity. He was calling people to actually live out this Kingdom Way and train others in loving Creator by loving creation. Seems simple enough for me to find this in the Gospels.

But somewhere along the way (and perhaps quite recently) there has been a shift away from the man's teachings and just to him as a person. Interesting.

Okay follow me for an example of how silly this shift seems...

So, if I am a student, nay, a disciple, of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., then how am I going to conduct my life if he charges me to make disciples or to do greater things than he was able to do in his existence? When I meet people, would I ask them if they want to get to know the King? Would I ask folks to trust him or trust in him?

I don't think I would.

I think to be faithful to Dr. King in making disciples in this Way that he spoke of would be to actually live that way and invite others to live in that way...and not only live in it, but live in and beyond it. If he said that we, his mere disciples, would do greater things after his death, wouldn't we attempt that? To go beyond Dr. King's teachings to even greater realizations of this way?

Would I be so hung up on telling people that it was Dr. King who said these things and no one else? Would I require all students to read his books and say that other books that say similar things are a threat to this way? The others are wrong, I'd tell my friends.

Perhaps Jesus is the answer...but not in some hyper-romatic sort of way. Perhaps a relationship to him is a relationship to our common man, or perhaps to "the least of these" as he said in one of his sermons. Perhaps he is the answer because he led a way for humanity to fully realize itself in the greater story. He awoke us to this Kingdom in our midst...the Human One (as Luke calls him) led the way for a new possiblity for humanity... and still leads the way (as do several others who have passed on).

Would I not tell people that I am a disciple of this Jewish prophet, Jesus? Of course I wouldn't hold that back from them. But would I go there first? I don't think so...not here and now. Jesus' message has echoes thoughout humanity and there are so many other places to start. If I am truly looking to make disciples in this Kingdom Way, I think that in our context (American or Western), it might actually get in the way. Perhaps the very name has become a stumbling block to those who actually are seeking his Way. Could this be?

Now before some of you blast me about how he is a stumbling block or how no one comes to the Father but by him, really think about what I am trying to say here. I am not saying that Jesus was not the Ultimate One, but perhaps his initiative was not to introduce himself to others, but instead to show how to truly be as creation ought to be.

Updated Itinerary

Some stuff moving around...and solidifying.

Mon, June 5 - Tues, June 13 - Minneapolis
Wed, June 14 - Thurs, June 15 - Boundary Waters (near Canadian border)
Fri, June 16 - to Toronto
Sat, June 17 - Toronto
Sun, June 18 - Toronto to DC
Mon, June 19 - Wed, June 21 - DC
Thurs, June 22 - Sat, June 24 - PAPAfestival, Eastern TN
Sun, June 25 - to Nashville
Mon, June 26 - to Dallas
Tues, June 27 - Thurs, June 29 - Dallas
Fri, June 30 - to CA

Fun With Craig's Laptop

Universality and Consistency

I've become very aware recently that I tend to universalize that which is personal. This is a huge realization for me...perhaps even a break-through in understanding how I see the world.

I wonder if others universalize that which is personal to them... or perhaps that's me universalizing my condition onto others... Taking my perspective and assuming it's what others think or should think.

But I long to understand and value a healthy pluralism that goes beyond tolerance to cooperation and truly values multiple perspectives. A world that is thoroughly contextualized to individual and group experience that is not fragmented or disconnected. I long for this...really, I do. But the problem is that sometimes I think I'm right...which means that if I believe that, not just personally, but universally, then others sometimes are wrong.

Of course sometimes that makes sense, but sometimes it is very near-sighted and narrow of thought.

You know, I just want a consistent picture/story/life...and somehow it seems necessary to my mind to verify it as universally consistent. Perhaps that's just my fundamentalist roots, holding a sort of "absolute truth" that I alone get to see. What foolishness, but how interwoven it is into my skin and soul.

My friend Emma says she just wants to meet some people that are truly consistent. I get that. I want to live a life that is truly consistent.

I'll share a poem I wrote in April when we were in Europe...

I'm searching for a unified theory
Everything accounted for
No one left out
No one left wondering

But a closed system would begin to feel oppressive
Suffocating
Stagnant

Some tell me, "Keep looking."
Some ask, "Why bother?"
Some say, "Heretic! Leave things well enough alone."

But I want it all to make sense
Be consistent, be connected
No one left out
No one left wondering

Many Thoughts a Brewin'

But I don't have time to type them out. In the mean time, some blogs you might want to check out...

Mike Devries recounting this chapter of life that is now coming to an end. Mike is a dear, dear friend and one who I have found much solidarity with. After 4 years of attempting a church-like venture (and doing and being some beautiful things... some of which I have been able to participate in), they have decided to disband, so to speak. Mike was also a huge part in our whole Anchor Point experiment in Oceanside. Shoot him an email and tell him you love him.

Will makes a good case for his anti-war stance. I love Will's thoughts. He has a certain clarity about so many things. We have known Will for a few years now and they were one of the first families we stayed with on our pilgrimage last fall. Wonderful people there in Lexington, KY.

Mike and Stacy Stavlund are some of our most favorite people. They have had a seemingly crazy last few weeks. If you are not a subscriber to his blog, shame on you! Just kidding...but you ought to be.

I don't remember how I found Darius or how he found me... but I've enjoyed his blog. Some interesting 3rd options, if you know what I mean.

Now back to work and then off to traveling again...

A little diddy...

...head on over to Craig's blog as he and I wonder out loud about what America and Europe could learn from each other. It's intense, yo.

Sunshine = God's Pleasure

This last weekend, Holly and I were invited back to the 814 to perform a wedding ceremony for our friends James and Jen. It was a wonderful day, with incredible weather (that was not anticipated since May has had less than 8% sun), wonderful draft beer (thanks Sean), good friends and a wonderfully simple, and very 814, wedding ceremony. Martin recounts it here.

Yes, it was a great day.

The 814 is a magical place in our memory...kind of like the mythic BIG FISH town of Spectre. But I don't think it's our time to be there right now...but it's wonderful to go back and visit.

These last several days have been wonderful. San Diego is a great town...and my sister lives in a cool neighborhood (University Heights), lined with independent restaurants and little shops and coffee houses. And seeing our good friends in South Park was a wonderful time. The Evans, Gonzales, and Kembles are such great folks.

And a little breakfast with my buddy Mike reminded me of what a similar journey we seem to be on. Wow. He made a statement that I have been considering quite a bit these last couple days... People only deconstruct and re-imagine things that really mean something to them. Wow. I think you're right.

Now we're back in the Bay for a few days. Always good to be back up here. Ahh.

Climate Crisis

There is a new film coming out called, An Inconvenient Truth, based on a slideshow that Al Gore has been showing these last couple years. It deals with escalating concerns with global climate change, something that is both very real and worth our time to consider...particularly for those of us who feel that humans are to be stewards of God's green earth.

My friend Chris always seems to have some interesting links regarding this issue.

The US is really the last nation to actually recognize that global warming does, in fact, exist. Weird...just plain weird.

"Cultural Assumption" is what Damien calls it.

Damien has some great words regarding the sad misplaced attention on The DaVinci Code when there are so many other 'battles to fight' (pardon the military metaphor).

He reminded me about the Dateline show tonight with Bono regarding Africa. Now I'm thinking about us checking into one of the house party/viewings that seem to be going on all across the US. Anyone else?

"Believer"

In the last couple years, my mind and spirit have been stretched in many ways. And you know when this happens, you begin to see the need for new words to help convey new concepts. But you also re-discover words that have a different etymology than you assumed it to have.

I generally dislike the word "believer" when it is used to define a person religiously. It is used by a great many Christians to mean "a person who believes that Jesus is God and died for their sins so you can have a relationship with him." I have disliked this word, not because it is descriptive, but because it creates a certain "right group" which means there must be a "wrong group".

I'm reading McLaren's latest book, The Secret Message of Jesus (what a lame title, I know!), and it's got me thinking about Jesus' primary message, that is, "Change your thinking, your very life! Re-imagine everything. The Kingdom of God is here, now, at hand." This was Jesus' message. And when he commanded folks to believe in it, it didn't have much to do with his divinity or where you'd go after you die or that somehow by doing this you could have a fuzzy "personal relationship with God", no...it was more (and different) from that.

These people he was chatting it up with in 1st century Palestine were awaiting the future date that God would "bring about his Kingdom" that would end all other Kingdoms (or at least rule over them)...but Jesus says, "No, you're missing the point. The Kingdom of God isn't 'coming'; it's here and now. Live that way."

I posted that Sean and I caught this movie (The Celestine Prophecy) the other day. While aspects of it were a bit high on the cheese factor, the underlying philosophy was very powerful...that there is another reality right here in our midst, but we do not see often see it. We are either too busy or to lazy or to self-focussed to see it. It requires a re-thinking of our very lives and the systems of how things "really work". It requires that our eyes and ears be opened to realities that are not in our immediate view.

I'm not talking about some escapist mystical place or some realization that only happens once you've lived ascetically for 20 years. I'm talking about a reality that tunes us to how the world really works...and it's available to those child-like folks who never stop discovering or changing or exploring.

I guess what I'm getting at is that a "believer" is simply someone who believes that there is another reality, that this Kingdom of God is possible and here...and then works for it, lives in it...not beliving church doctrine, but believing Jesus' teachings. After all, "we know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands." Hmm.

Muchas Peliculas

So, after Europe, I was hungry for movies. I hadn't seen a film in so long. Late winter and early spring generally yield very few movies that I'm interested in. Either way, I wanted to see some flicks whence we got back.

First we saw Mission Impossible 3. What was I thinking? Lisa asked. Well, I was thinking that JJ Abrams directed it and Felicity was in it, so what could be bad about that? It was okay. Holly couldn't take the action and left an hour into it. I finished it off. Am I getting too old to appreciate action flicks? Hmm.

Friday, Holly and I stopped in for an afternoon showing of The DaVinci Code. Okay, so I read the book and really enjoyed it...but I was bored by the movie. Holly enjoyed it, but I thought Hanks seemed tired and there were so many holes that it just lacked for me. On the way out of the theatre, we saw some picketters. That makes me sad. Really sad. Signs saying things like I love Jesus Christ. I reject The DaVinci Code. Why do they feel so defensive? I wonder if they read the book. It asks such good questions...and of course, some silly ones perhaps. Anyways...

Today I went with my buddy Sean to see The Celestine Prophecy at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas. Interesting, indie flic. It seemed a little underfunded, but the philosophy behind the movie I vibed with. The idea that when humanity finally comes to a place of realizing its place in the story of creation, it can then evolve.

Tomorrow officially starts my work week here in San Diego. We're in San Diego until Thursday and then we head back up to the Bay for another ultrasound on Friday. Okay, here goes.

It's A Boy

Yes, that is what you think it is...

2006 Reads

Books I've read (or listened to) this year and a short review if you're interested...

Collapse: Why Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond

This is a fascinating read about environmental (and therefore, human) sustainability. Diamond surveys several different societal collapses that all were predicated by environmental damage. It is a timely read...particularly as an American when you consider that the US is a small part of the world's population uses an incredible (and disproportionate amount) of the world's resources.

Deglobalization: Ideas for a New World Economy by Walden Bello

Thank you, thank you, thank you Emma for mailing me this book from Thailand. Wow. It is a book that every person interested in economy and global justice should read. He not only offers critique of the American trade policies and the organizations set up to keep America 'at the top' (IMF, World Bank, WTO), he also offers some constructive possibilities of other, more humane possibilities.

Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism by Douglas Rushkoff

Holly and I got to hear Rushkoff at a lecture in Knoxville last fall. Total fluke thing, but several of his thoughts really resonated with and challenged us. Considering himself a lapsed Jew, he offers constructive critique of the new-found fundamentalist Jewish systems, calling them to reformation...or even more, to revolution. He offers the ideas that the Jewish way/religion was set up as iconoclastic, intended to keep humanity from deifying any icon/person/idol/whatnot. And that the early Israelites always understood that they had a large place in the story of humanity...they were not simply waiting on God to do everything.The analogues to Christianity are overwhelming and compelling to consider. Certainly I didn't vibe with all of his suggestions, but a great many of them are so powerful to consider.

Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus by Ched Myers

I've talked about this before, but it's a great commentary on the story of Mark. Thick and well-researched, Myers is thorough in his explanation of peasant revolution, redistributive systems, and the Kingdom of God as earthly reality.

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (translated by John C.H. Wu)

Picked this up in Washington when we were up there several weeks back. Holly and I have been reading it out loud to each other. So much wisdom found in it's pages. Understanding the historical context has helped me see what Lao Tzu is offering in his pages. This is a great book for leadership, understanding the Kingdom of God in another tradition, or simply pondering.

Daniel

When Brian McLaren told us his hunch that First Century Palestinian Judaism was primarily a Danielic cult, I figured I ought to go back and re-read Daniel. It is where the phrase "Son of Man" finds it's origin...and in certain places in the text is plural. It's a wild ride of revelation and interpretation, foretelling of the future and understanding that the Kingdom of God is being "built" amidst these other kingdoms of the world...offering a different locus of power and purpose...and I'd suggest even different from many religious manifestations/institutions as well.

Isaiah

Upon re-reading Mark's Gospel of Jesus, I realized that much of the prophecy that the author attributes Jesus fulfilling comes from Isaiah. For many who understand Jesus simply as a figure who died so humanity might go to heaven, this book might give some context around what it was that Jesus was supposed to be doing...namely bringing about justice and peace in this world, here and now. It's also an interesting reminder (up against Daniel) about how the Biblical understanding of God was constantly changing, all throughout Scripture. This book refers to God sometimes in an almost Hindu Brahman sort of way... The Holy. But be warned, this is a interesting paradox of violence and compassion...and I found myself at some points writing in the margins, "What the hell?!?".

The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder

Still not entirely done with this one, so I'll hold off. The book club has stirred up some interesting conversation.

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

Thank God for Howard Zinn. His diligence in researching and gathering of stories in order to tell the history of the United States from the perspective of the marginalized, the pacifists during war-time, the economically/racially-oppressed. While he does not entirely dismiss textbook history, he feels that histories written solely from the upper-class, powerful perspective can only do more harm than good if taken too seriously. His chronicle is both inspiring and indicting. Best to read in small portions and explore similarities to our world today.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Thanks to Lora for allowing us to listen to this book on CD. It's autobiographical about her husband's death and the year to follow that. It is a moving story that Holly and I just couldn't pull ourselves away from.

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Towes

Brilliant story of a young girl growing up in a Mennonite community. Written from an adolescent, first-person perspective, it's fun, funny, and sad... sometimes on the same page. Her confusion about her family's strange religious tradition and her place in all of it makes for great story-telling.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

What if we understood social patterns and movements less in linear equations and more in exponential equations, like say, an epidemic? Gladwell explains his simple, but very interesting insight on how social phenomenon begin and either take-off or putter-out.

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century by Thomas Friedman

Very informative book. While I don't necessarily share his faith in a global free-market, his exhortation to think more imaginatively and creatively and cooperatively found home in my psyche. The book gives (for the most part) a fair assessment on globalization if you read it all the way through. There were times where I wish he were more clear on some of the unethical practices of these pro-globalist forces.

And just like that...

...we're back in the States.

Schedule for this week.

Wednesday - Find out sex of our child, work.
Thursday - Midwife appt, dinner in Bay, work.
Friday - Head south to San Diego
Saturday - James and Jen's wedding in Oceanside
Sunday - Chill in San Diego

Not sure what's up beyond that yet... For now, let's get through this week. :)

Dead Tired.

So tired. Must go home. Must sleep in comfy bed. Must sleep. Must sleep.

Made it into Amsterdam

We finally arrived at our hotel just after the clock struck midnight last night. Wandering through a fairly residential area with no 'real' map of how to get to our hotel made it trying, especially after 15 hours of trains and transfers from Prague. One delayed train can change your whole day.

But we were able to download the season finale of The Office once we got to our hotel, so that made us smile. God, we love that show.

We are ready to come home. I am at least a little embarrassed to say that. I want to say, "No, we don't want to come back yet, Europe feels like home." But we're ready for 1 comfortable bed (not 2 twins side by side) and a shower with a curtain and a few other requirements we have for living well. :)

Our beautiful and dear friends Mike and Stacy Stavlund have had quite the week thus far. She gave birth to twins (one boy and one girl) on Tuesday. There have been some (expected) complications, but we are all hopeful. What beautiful people. What beautiful children. It's wonderful seeing all the comments on their blog...being reminded what a beautiful community surrounds them. We look forward to seeing them face to face soon.

But for now, a 20-minute train to Amsterdam (as our hotel is just outside the city) for our last weekend in Europe for this trip. We come home Tuesday. See you soon.

Praha

Just posted a gallery from Prague where we've been the last 4 nights. It's been a wonderful time. We slept a lot since we've been here. A good place to unwind I guess.

Tomorrow we travel 12 hours on 3 trains to Haarlem, just outside of Amsterdam where we'll base ourselves for the last 4 days of the trip. (Klaas, are you reading this?)

Okay. Now off to check in on Mike and Stacy. If you haven't been following their story, you can find your way over to Mike's blog here.

Bourgeois Scum That I Am

Well I never.

You see, we're traveling most of this trip on Eurail passes, which so happen to be 1st class. No, I did not specify 1st class... in fact, I would have bought the cheaper 2nd class option if there were one. There wasn't. So we've been in 1st class for most of this trip (train-wise, mind you...not on the flight).

Well... turns out we've gotten pretty used to this whole 1st class thing. It's been so nice to scoot past the masses of travelers and locals to find our cushy seats at the front (or sometimes back) of the train. We've had entire cars all to ourselves, including panoramic cars through the Rhine valley. Wow.

Well today we left the countries that our Eurail passes cover. We entered the Czech Republic and had to purchase actual train tickets. Looking at us (I guess) they assumed we were 2nd class and sold us those tickets. Not thinking about it, I took them. Well you can imagine how put out I was to find out that we were not going to be traveling 1st class on a 4-hour train ride to Prague.

Well I never.

I have become all that I thought wrong with the world. I have become the privileged 1st-classer. I weap.

So we rode 2nd class here and it was actually quite nice. And we made it safe and sound to our hotel in Prague. Ah...

4 nights here and then to Amsterdam with a possible stop-off in Berlin. Should we? You tell me.

Ciao.

More Contextless Photographs

Sorry for the lack of captions with these photo galleries. Perhaps to explain them, we can stop by some time.

Here are 3 new galleries...

Switzerland 2 (Interlaken and Luzern, along with the JailHotel we stayed in)
Germany (Rothenberg and Fussen/Bavaria)
Dachau

Again, sorry for not directly posting pics, but this categorizes them a bit better.

We're leaving Vienna tomorrow morning to take a 5 hour train into Prague. We'll be there for 4 nights or so.

Thanks for the emails and comments. This has been a great trip to have been on. Wow.

Arrival into Vienna

Switzerland onto Germany and now into Austria. We are staying with Birgitte Clark's parents in Vienna for 2 nights and there is wifi here, so hopefully I'll post some pics and reflections tomorrow if there's time.

It's been a wonderful trip. We're tired. But it's been amazing. Amazing.

Stories to tell over a pint...your treat?

Photos, Photos, Photos

Okay. I just created some galleries with some photos from our trip thus far. Just click on the below links, as they are divided by Country or City. Cool? Ciao.

And don't worry...there are only about a dozen photos for each link, give or take...

Bruges, Belgium
Paris, France
Figueres, Spain
Nice, France
Cinque Terre, Italy
Gimmelwald, Murren, and Alps, Switzerland

Enjoy!