Part 1 {Community - "Laying Down Roots"}

Over the past couple of years Diane & I have been in a beautiful place of searching, contemplating, dreaming and believing. Together we have seen such huge change and progress in both of our lives, as well as the lives of those around us, that it's really kind of overwhelming to think about. In our short marriage, we have witnessed jointly the most astounding hope along side the most desperate despair. Both of these realities have opened our eyes to just how much the world needs the living Way of Jesus Christ. Soon enough Diane and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary. It blows me away when I realize it's been nearly a year already. How amazing our journey into missions has been. How amazing is our God who loves us...

Our work with PhotogenX as a community and an organization has been "life-altering." Thats really the only way I can describe it. The joining of physical missions {aid work, evangelism, mercy ministry, community development, etc} with mass communication & awareness {photography, publication, advocacy} has become our burning passion. We start by sharing with and mobilizing the Church to pray for the voiceless around the world, yet then immediately collaborate to physically move in a direction of justice. This is our heart, and our vision for the establishment of the Kingdom of God across the globe. These are the gifts God has given us as artists to give a voice to the voiceless. This is the place God has brought us to share the LOVE of Christ with whomever we meet. It is also the reason PhotogenX exists as a project and the reason we have come along side it...

As I said before, the last year has really been more of a "getting our feet wet" stage. We've tested the waters and seen some change, some hope, and a glimpse of the Kingdom. That being said, we have also come to the stark realization that we can only do so much good when we decide to leave doors open. So we can no longer continue to limit our responsibility out of some fear of commitment or the romanticizing of other organizations. Diane and I have learned that the longer we continue to float from project to project, never laying down roots, the longer real lasting change will be waiting. So after a lot of prayer, council, fellowship and an unbelievable open invitation from Paul & Susi Childers {PhotogenX Founders} to come and join their work...we have officially commited to joining PhotogenX as senior staff for the long-haul. Five, ten, twenty years who knows, but we have decided to marry Paul & Susi's vision for missions. We are making vows in a similar fashion to what Diane & I did a year ago, yet this time we simply make them to a vocation of love and to an organization of hope. We are walking into the full-time missions world full of excitement, confidence, belief and a few shaky nerves to balance us out...please pray for us!

This means a lot of things. First and foremost, we are now changing pace from simply being "involved" with missions to "BEING" full-time missionaries as a profession. It's kind of a strange paradigm shift to go through in your brain. It's no longer about this or that specific project or trip, but about devoting our whole life, marriage, time, energy, and resources to the cause of PhotogenX and the sake of the cross. It also means we will not be returning home after our eight month commitment to PhotogenX but will immediately be moving into our rolls for the long-term goals of PhotogenX (there is a chance that we could in theory stop by the mainland for a few weeks in early September to share and be with you all). We will be spending at least the next two years leading a track of photographers straight around the world, building bridges for making actual - measurable change within many of the injustice issues we deal with as a mission. But thats for another time...I will send another e-mail shortly explaining the rolls Diane & I are stepping into, our vision as a mission and a couple, and how you can get involved with us in a long term nature as missionaries...

We love you all so much! Let me just state once again that any and all of the hope that is sparked through our work is a direct result of your involvement. We would not be here if it were not for you and your continued prayers, partnership, and financial "sowing" into us as a couple and our continuing ministry. Thank you for literally holding us up and walking with us over the past year...we pray we can walk together for a long time...

Drop Food - Not Bombs

{www.foodnotbombs.net}

Washing Osama's Feet

Brad Cole runs a ministry called Heavenly Sanctuary which puts on Conferences around the country on the Character of God -- and they get it right. This year they hired an artist named Lars Justinen from the Justinen Creative Group to paint the above picture to use on posters advertising their conference. Under this picture they had captions like "Follow the Leader," "God IS Great," and most accurately, "Jesus - Still Too Radical?"

Heavenly Sanctuary had contracts with several malls in the Seattle area to hang these posters advertising their conference, but no sooner had the posters gone up than angry calls began flooding the malls. Many people -- but, it seems, mostly Christians -- were offended at the image of Jesus washing Osama Bin Laden’s feet. There was such an outcry that each of the malls decided to go back on their contract and take the posters down. The Christian College that Heavenly Sanctuary was renting space from to host the Conference also canceled their contract. Brad had to scramble to find a secular venue (which, ironically, had no problems with the poster).

What does this say about how many American Christians envision Jesus? Obviously, the protesters believe that Jesus would not wash Osama Bin Laden’s feet. But Jesus died "not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world" (I Jn 2:2) -- and this obviously includes Osama. So if Jesus died for Osama, how are we to imagine him being unwilling to wash his feet?

What the protest reveals is that many Christians have tragically allowed their patriotism to co-opt their faith. They have allowed their American citizenship to take priority over their Kingdom citizenship -- despite the New Testament's instruction for disciples to consider themselves "foreigners" and "exiles" wherever they happen to live (Heb. 11:13; I Pet 1:17, 2:11) and to consider their real citizenship "in heaven" (Phil 3:20). Many American Christians seem to want a Jesus who will defend their country and hate their national enemies as much as they do. Many want the Jesus of the Middle Ages whom Crusaders called on to help them slaughter -- not serve -- their Islamic enemies. Many seem to want to reduce Jesus to just another version of the tribal gods that have been called on for centuries to bless tribal battles. Most wars throughout history have been fought under the banner of some god or another.

Fortunately, the real Jesus isn't anything like this. Knowing all power had been given to him, John says, he wrapped a towel around his waist and washed the dirty, smelly feet of people he knew would deny and betray him in a couple hours (Jn 13:3-5). Knowing he could call legions of angels to vanquish his foes, the real Jesus rather chose to let them crucify him, because this is what they needed him to do (though they of course didn't know it). Then, with his last breath, the real Jesus prays to his Father to forgive his barbaric torturers -- and all of us (Lk 23:34).

This is the kind of power the omnipotent God of the universe uses against his enemies. And this is the kind of power we're to use against our "enemies." It's the power of Calvary-like love.

We're called to imitate the Jesus who washes the feet of enemies, dies for them, and prays for their forgiveness. We are to "live in love, as Christ loved us and gave his life for us..." (Eph. 5:1-2). When we were enemies, Jesus nevertheless ascribed unsurpassable worth to us by paying an unsurpassable price for us. We who claim we are his disciples are called to do the same. We're to sacrificially ascribe unsurpassable worth TO ALL PEOPLE, including our enemies -- even Osama Bin Laden.

In light of God's servant love toward us, we must be willing to wash Osama's feet -- and pray for his forgiveness.

Jesus says to us:

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt..." (Lk 6:27-29)

And in case we missed the point, he comes back five verses later and says:

"...love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. (How important is this? Read this next sentence carefully). Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Lk 6: 27-29; 35-36).

When we act like our kind Father, we reflect the fact that we are his children.

In Christ, God's been kind to Osama. May we who are his children do the same. May we be encouraged by the above picture rather than offended by it. May we pray, "Father, forgive Osama. He doesn't know what he's doing."

{Thank you to Greg Boyd for basically all of this post - check out gregboyd.org to learn more about his books, writing, and life}

P.S. In case some of the faces on the poster are unfamiliar to you, they are (left to right) German Chancellor Angela Merkel; Tony Blair, England; Kofi A. Annan, UN; Osama bin Laden; George Bush; Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; and Jiang Zemin, former president of China.

{Creation Care}

{stop & listen}

The Art of Quiet

I really don't know when it happened, but without knowing it my mouth was shut. Not really by my own will {no conscious effort whatsoever} I was hushed in conversation, silenced in dialog, and left staring blankly at the glowing screen before me. For those of you that don't know me very well you probably haven't noticed much, but the rest of you I'm sure must have. I'm not nearly as outspoken as I once was. That might come as a shock to some of you, but I used to have a lot to say {understatement of the year}. I had an opinion about everything. My two cents jar was rapidly making me a rich man. But something has changed in me & whether or not that is for the better I really don't know yet. 

It's not that I have nothing to say. Oh contrar, I have more subject matter swelling my brain these days than ever before. And for once in my life my words have a little more merit behind them. But some great heart spasm has simply told me "NO, time to be quiet. Silence your tongue & just wait." For what we wait, my tongue and I, I do not know...

Yet amid the stillness I have begun to learn some things. Mostly things about myself and how I wish to live. Yes LIVE, as in flesh and blood and sweat and tears...not in thought and theory, idea and concept. Ever since coming back to the United States form Afghanistan life just seems a little more meaningful. As if the things I do {not so much the things I say} are what really coexists with the rest of creation. For in all honesty, simply talking about the poor, oppressed, displaced and lonely or crossing all my theological T's & I's, while these things are infinitely important and are the first step in many cases, eventually serve to isolate me from their reality all together. Poor PEOPLE become "poverty". Starving PEOPLE become "hunger". HUMAN BEINGS that are displaced from their homes, made into widows, orphans & refugees, then bombed and bombed and then bombed some more become "collateral-damage". War is what happens "over there". What great tragedy it is to have created "issues" out of human suffering so as to "manage" them {or at least manage our conscience so we don't have to see our contribution to them}. But these are the children of God who are blessed! So this is why my tongue has gone numb I suppose...

Many of us love to quote Francis of Assisi's words "there is no use walking anywhere to preach, unless ones walking is ones preaching." Ironically most of us can't realize the ignorance of even repeating those words as opposed to simply responding to them. I personally have shared them probably a thousand times while sitting comfortably in my privileged-white-suburban-middle-class life. Forgive me our beloved saint...

Thus after a lot of thought I have decided that this silence isn't such a bad thing after all. In fact I think practicing the art of quiet now and then could do us all a great deal of good. So it's with this that I walk out into the world once again...tomorrow we go...again...

{LOVE}

{The Journey Continues 2009}

War Tax Resistance.

Well as most of you probably know Tax Season is just around the corner once more, and for those of you who are like me, you've already begun the debate of morality in your brain once again. We all understand that around 54% of our tax dollars go directly to military spending that furthers the escalation of violence and murder all around the world. So as a believer in Christ - the everlasting Prince of Peace - how can I contribute to such atrocities? On and on our questions go...

I don't really have the time or energy to put forth a long theological stance on why Christians need to resist paying war taxes (you could easily find far more knowledgeable & coherent people writing on the subject anyway), nor do I have the stamina at the moment to go over the many many historical statements presented by both the Institutional and Free Churches (both historical Peace Churches & Mainline Churches alike - but I'll post a link bellow), instead I just thought I would share a resource or two I have used in the past that can get any of you other subversivites {made that word up} or curious conspirators on your way this year.

Here is a link to one of the most conclusive "guide to war tax resistance" websites around. It will help you decide how "daring" you want to be this year as well as talk you step by step both through the process as well as make very clear the possible legal repercussions for resisting paying these taxes - {http://wartaxboycott.org/gettingstarted.htm}

Personally all I can say is that there is peace in knowing that the money I worked hard for in 2008 is NOT going to a barrage of missile strikes on Palestinian children. In fact my actions are actually taking away for it. And just think, if enough people decided they weren't going to just sit by, if enough people were willing to go to prison, and if enough Christians took up their cross and followed the path to Golgotha (or perhaps Gaza) and were willing to stand someplace between the end of the gun and heart of the oppressed...perhaps then we might just earn the title of peace makers & perhaps then the lion would lay down with the Lamb...

peace,
Steve

p.s. - Here is a link to Church proposed war tax resistance statements, lets not forget this is no new idea or practice for believers living within the empire - {http://www.jesusradicals.com/library/taxes/wartaxes.html}


p.s.s. - War tax resistance is an act of conscience, of civil disobedience. This campaign is about refusal to pay for war, not promoting tax evasion or challenging the constitutionality of taxation or war taxes.