To Infinity and Beyond (no correlation to the context of my blog)

I hate when churches do series. But I don't think it be such a bad thing if a blogger did a series. Well we will see. I am going to embark on series that my seem depressing, anti-productive, and cynical but I believe it to be a worthy exercise for myself and all of the millions of my readers that influence the world. I wont to address what is wrong with the world.

The world is tangled web of injustice and corrupted interconnectedness. Yet, it is impossible for one person to end all injustice. We need to know what is wrong so we can find out what we are passionate about what it is that we want to fight. Because the world is so interconnected fighting an injustice may in fact be fighting many.

Even more important to address is ignorance. The tangled web on interconnected injustices that we live amongst is so thick that many injustices go unseen. We may be wearing an injustice or supporting an injustice with our last meal but never even know it.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus was not preaching Christianity, hell! not even Paul used the word Christianity. Jesus was preaching the kingdom and if Christians, if I were, preaching the kingdom life wouldn't be so comfortable and we would face the same destiny that Jesus faced. Being kingdom builders means caring about this world, this society, and your community becoming more kingdom like just as much we care where my "soul" (whatever that means) and other people's "souls" are going.

This world matters and followers of Christ need to be about ending injustice. Period.

So i embark on a journey to untangle the web as much I can in order to help myself and my millions of readers learn what it is that they need about. What they have an ordained passion to end.

I would love help on this, so any suggestions, or guest blogs on how you see the world being un-kingdom like are totally welcome!

Health Care

health care is an inalienable right. just as much as free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to own land, the right to a job. there should be no argument about whether or not everyone has health care. hows it done sure. but clearly something needs to change if the current system leaves so many uninsured and so many to be taken advantage of.

what do others think ?

A Promise from MLK

“When our days become dreary with low hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

In the blue corner Jacob, in the red God.

Once upon a time there was an ordinary man who was commissioned by God to be a great leader. As he was leading God's children to a future hope Jacob was left alone. A man came upon him and they began to wrestle, "So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak."


Random to say the least.

Even more interesting is the man that comes upon Jacob, is actually God.

Take a moment, and try to wrap your minds around the idea of the creator of the farthest reaches of the universe coming into human from to go a couple of rounds with ordinary Jacob. Craziness, I'd rather wrestle 10 Andre the Giants (see picture) than one God.

This is what I take from the story...

God is alive and real and tangible and wants you to engage with him in conflict. (conflict not in the negative violent connotation that we have of it, but conflict simply being to opposing forces colliding.) In this case God and Jacob literally and physically collide in a wrestling match.

This debunks a few perceptions of faith and God:

- That we are suppose to be robots, being dictated by God in everything we do. On the contrary, if you don't understand where God is taking you then wrestle him over it.

- It's a "sin", or wrong to be angry at God. On the contrary, every wrestling match I have ever been in has been a result of anger or has resulted in anger. God wants your whole heart, the good and the bad, the confused and the certain, and especially the joyous and the angry.

Heres the rub...

God wants to engage with you and wrestle with you over every aspect of your life. The more we do this we become closer to God physically and our ability to hear his voice is much more clear. I tend to leave God out of a lot of my life, and push him far way from me, definitely far enough away that we couldn't wrestle.

My life in the Psalter

Psalm 73

Surely God is good to Israel, 
       to those who are pure in heart.

  But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; 
       I had nearly lost my foothold.

  For I envied the arrogant 
       when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

 They have no struggles; 
       their bodies are healthy and strong. ^{a]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]}

  They are free from the burdens common to man; 
       they are not plagued by human ills.

  Therefore pride is their necklace; 
       they clothe themselves with violence.

  From their callous hearts comes iniquity ^{b]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]} ; 
       the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

  They scoff, and speak with malice; 
       in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

  Their mouths lay claim to heaven, 
       and their tongues take possession of the earth.

 Therefore their people turn to them 
       and drink up waters in abundance. ^{c]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[c]}

  They say, "How can God know? 
      Does the Most High have knowledge?"

  This is what the wicked are like— 
       always carefree, they increase in wealth.

  Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; 
      in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

  All day long I have been plagued; 
       I have been punished every morning.

  If I had said, "I will speak thus," 
       I would have betrayed your children.

  When I tried to understand all this, 
       it was oppressive to me

 till I entered the sanctuary of God; 
       then I understood their final destiny.

 Surely you place them on slippery ground; 
       you cast them down to ruin.

 How suddenly are they destroyed, 
       completely swept away by terrors!

  As a dream when one awakes, 
       so when you arise, O Lord, 
       you will despise them as fantasies.

 When my heart was grieved 
       and my spirit embittered, 

  I was senseless and ignorant; 

     was a brute beast before you.

  Yet I am always with you; 
       you hold me by my right hand.

  You guide me with your counsel, 
       and afterward you will take me into glory.

  Whom have I in heaven but you? 
       And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

  My flesh and my heart may fail, 
       but God is the strength of my heart 
       and my portion forever.

  Those who are far from you will perish; 
       you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

  But as for me, it is good to be near God. 
       I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; 
       I will tell of all your deeds.