tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66941060354675141092024-02-20T17:14:25.143-08:00Dreaming of a New WorldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-18663269897893603422020-02-10T13:58:00.000-08:002020-02-10T13:58:53.571-08:00It's been a few years!<br />
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Just in case anyone still comes by here, I thought I'd post a link to an article of mine that's featured this month at the Nurturing Communities Network site:<br />
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<a href="https://www.nurturingcommunities.org/news/rhythmofwholeness">https://www.nurturingcommunities.org/news/rhythmofwholeness</a><br />
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Peace & Grace ♥Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-34268335237563360982016-12-23T14:27:00.000-08:002016-12-23T14:27:06.166-08:00Guest posts......By my housemate, Cristy Fossum:<br />
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<a href="http://cristyfossum.com/refugees-as-emmanuel/">http://cristyfossum.com/refugees-as-emmanuel/</a><br />
<br />
...I would also love to share Jubilee's latest newsletter, written this time around by talented writer <a href="https://www.redletterchristians.org/author/josinaguess/" target="_blank">Josina Guess</a>, which highlights the journey of my friend Ingrid:<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1453157015"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.jubileepartners.org/sites/default/files/Winter2016Color.pdf">http://www.jubileepartners.org/sites/default/files/Winter2016Color.pdf</a><br />
<br />
...And finally, our Jubilee Journal, compiled and designed by my lovely creative friend, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/WithLoveFromSara?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">Sara Boggs</a>, which features work by Jubilee English students:<br />
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<a href="http://www.jubileepartners.org/sites/default/files/JubileeJournal2-Winter2016.pdf">http://www.jubileepartners.org/sites/default/files/JubileeJournal2-Winter2016.pdf</a> <br />
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Peace, friendsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-78170429032454466982016-08-12T10:06:00.001-07:002016-08-23T10:23:36.656-07:00Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit<i>“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” Masanobu Fukuoka</i><br />
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I spent four weeks of the summer at Stony Point Center (<a href="http://stonypointcenter.org/">stonypointcenter.org</a>), an interfaith community in Stony Point, NY. I lived in a house with 13 other young adults from around the world (Egypt, Pakistan, Syria, Palestine, Nigeria, Bahrain) coming from one of the three Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). We did gardening work together and participated in a variety of sessions addressing peace and social justice issues. In short, you might say I went to a hippie summer camp :)<br />
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It was an interesting time, to say the least, specifically in light of what's gone on in our world this summer alone (the Orlando Massacre, the far too many other shootings, the siege in Syria, etc), to dwell for several weeks among folks who identify with Muslim, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Black, and LGTBQ communities. I've valued the chance to both witness and participate with the community in wrestling with how to respond to what's happening in our country and abroad. It's a powerful place for remembering that we are all interconnected, for better or worse. It was beautiful to have the garden as a literal and figurative common ground. Some wonderful conversations can happen amidst the tasks of pulling weeds and harvesting gorgeous tomatoes.<br />
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In some ways being at Stony Point brought me outside of my comfort zone. For most of my life I've been accustomed to being surrounded mostly by folks who would call themselves Christians. But there was also a very familiar sense of community there because we all came for common reasons – to build relationships, to learn from each other, to work for justice, and to live and work together both in spite of and because of our differences.<br />
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I've heard several folks at Stony Point say that the experience of living alongside people of other faiths helps to deepen their own faith and appreciation for that faith. I would say that has been true for me as well. I would also add that it has given me a deeper appreciation for the faiths of those I have encountered. Ignorance can be a great stumbling block in relationships. At times I felt embarrassed by how little I know, even about my own faith tradition. But it proved to be a safe space for practicing the art of asking questions without the fear of sounding ignorant or misinformed.<br />
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Earlier this summer, as I visited several churches in my hometown, a message I heard on more than one occasion was, “We need to go to our neighbors and <i>not be afraid to tell them about Jesus</i>.” It's well-meaning, certainly. But how different might that conversation with our neighbors be if the attitude instead was, “We need to go to our neighbors <i>and listen to their stories</i>”? <br />
No one wants to be a project.<br />
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I would venture to say that folks generally don’t come to interfaith communities in order to try to convert one another (however well-intention-ed those motives may be). Our theologies may not match up exactly, but there are a lot of powerful values that can bring us together to live out our respective faiths (...peace, love, justice, anyone?). I found it natural to connect with folks who take their faith seriously, under whichever label their faith might fall. Religion, after all, is a human construct. <b>Faith is less about what I think in my head and more about what I do with what's in my heart.</b><br />
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I suspect that change in our world is going to take a lot of slow, small, in-it-for-the-long-haul moves. Fermentation is a word that has often come to mind these past several weeks as we've discussed various issues. Maybe the transformation the world is thirsting after will look inefficient and immeasurable at times. Instant growth is a myth. Change that happens quickly is not necessarily healthy. I can speak for myself that some of the greatest transformations in my own heart have come about through deliberate encounters with folks who are different from me (and who I come to discover, are not so different as I thought). I believe that the world will change through this slow work of changing hearts.<br />
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Some of the simplest and most meaningful moments for me at Stony Point were our walks down to a nearby waterfall. There is something ineffably beautiful about a group of people coming from such a variety of places and backgrounds, sitting together by a stream as we laugh and blow bubbles. This poem was inspired by those moments:<br />
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<i> Quivering iridescence<br />Holds my breath, holds yours<br /> Suspended, encapsulated in fragile film<br /> Tentative, tumbling, tantalizing<br /> We set one another free<br /> In a swift moment of gentle collision.</i><br />
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One of the Jewish Rabbis we met with, Arthur Waskow, liked to talk about how the Hebrew for God (“YHWH”) holds no vowels, and thus if pronounced accurately evokes the subtle sound of breathing. It was fun to imagine these bubbles, which held our breaths, to be holding the very name of God, and then being released as they silently popped against each other. I'm thankful for the chance to experience God in a new way this summer by brushing up against my fellow <i>terra animata</i> (“animated earth”) in such a community.<br />
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<b>Other thoughts and resources:</b><br />
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<b>Syria</b><br />
Perhaps the piece of my experience that has left the greatest impression on me is my friendship with my roommate, Ahed, a remarkable young activist from Syria.<br />
Below is a brief glimpse into Ahed's story and how she came to the U.S., in her own words:<br />
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<i>I came to the US in November 2015. In 2011, Syrian revolution began. My moral and national duty pushed me to participate in the revolution and stand by my people. Syrian government was trying to suppress the uprising ruthlessly by killing protesters and detaining them, many of my friends were killed and others were detained. Besides demonstrating, I used to deliver aids to families who arrived to Aleppo city from other areas. We saw the need to have training course in medical issues. In May 2012, political security department came to my workplace to arrest me. Fortunately I wasn’t there that day and didn’t go to work anymore or sleep at home until it was liberated. In middle of 2012, the Free Syrian Army liberated a good part of Aleppo city, our joy in liberation did not last because Assad’s regime began to bomb the liberated areas. Most of Aleppo families became displaced including my family. I went to Dar al-Shifa hospital and I volunteered as a nurse until December 21th, 2012 when an air strike targeted the hospital. In 2013, I was one of the activists who called demonstrations against ISIS. I left Aleppo because I was harassed from unknown people and my car was burnt. Recently, Activists’ abduction has become easier in Aleppo and it is not safe anymore for me. In addition, most of my friends were killed, immigrants or arrested in Assad’s or ISIS’ prisons. </i><br />
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Ahed has witnessed and experienced more than I can imagine, not the least of which is the death of her closest friends. I could not have guessed from her unmistakably joyful spirit that she carries so much pain. I am honored to call this strong, courageous woman my friend, and excited to see where her passion and love continue to lead her.<br />
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<b>Interfaith Dialogue</b>: Presbyterians Today<br />
For thought-provoking writings on interfaith dialogue: <a href="https://www.presbyterianmission.org/resources/topics/interfaith/">https://www.presbyterianmission.org/resources/topics/interfaith/</a><br />
<i>“Interfaith discussions often focus on the question of whether Christians and Muslims worship the same God. This may not be the best place to begin our conversations...”</i><br />
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<b>The Doctrine of Discovery</b><br />
As we explored the topics of Indigenous Rights, Racism, Police brutality, Mass Incarceration, etc., we took a close look at how several documents upon which the U.S. has been founded use racist language. (“Racist” is a harsh word. So are phrases like “merciless Indian savages.”) I don't pretend to be a political scientist or historian, but I believe this to be important if we are to take the #BlackLivesMatter movement seriously, and especially if we are going to adopt the loaded label of “Christian.” Even if we are not personally responsible for injustices of the past, many of us are still benefiting from systems that were deliberately and unjustly designed in our favor (which means they were designed at someone else's expense). Mark Charles, one of our workshop leaders, makes a compelling argument for the historical trauma of White America and the need for conciliation. While my point of view does not fully line up with his, I would recommend his writings as a helpful tool and informed resource on this subject.<br />
<a href="http://wirelesshogan.blogspot.com/2014/12/doctrine-of-discovery.html">http://wirelesshogan.blogspot.com/2014/12/doctrine-of-discovery.html</a><br />
Presentations by Mark can be found on YouTube. This one in particular begins about 12 minutes in:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQ68W-nCzc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQ68W-nCzc</a><br />
(I consider Michelle Alexander’s book, <u>The New Jim Crow</u>, an indispensable resource on the topic of present-day racism.)<br />
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<b> Newburgh Sting</b><br />
Full film viewable here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3WeAPUHVtc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3WeAPUHVtc</a><br />
If you're interested in conspiracy theories, or even if you're not, this documentary will likely spark some interesting discussions. As one who laments but is not surprised by such films, I think it's important to be careful to receive this information (whether we accept it or not) as a recommitment to love and justice, and to resist sinking into cynicism. I believe such info can also help us to approach what the media feeds us with an attitude of critical thinking, rather than passive acceptance.<br />
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<b>Fair Food Progam</b><br />
<i> “We used to own our slaves, now we just rent them.”</i><br />
I'll close with a few specific and tangible ways we can support farm workers who are treated unjustly:<br />
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“For over three years, farmworkers and consumers have been demanding that <b>Wendy’s</b> join its major competitors – Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Subway and Burger King – in participating in the Fair Food Program. Yet, Wendy's has instead consciously and shamefully opted to profit from farmworker poverty and abuse, continuing to cling to the low-bar standards of the past when presented with an acclaimed and proven alternative.” <br />
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In addition, “<b>Publix</b> — one of the largest supermarket corporations in the country, whose purchasing power could strengthen the historic changes in Florida’s fields — has unconscionably refused to join the Fair Food Program for over six years.”<br />
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Learn about the Fair Food Program, treatment of farm workers in the tomato fields of Florida, and ways to take action here:<br />
<a href="http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/take-action/">http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/take-action/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ciw-online.org/">http://www.ciw-online.org/</a><br />
I would also recommend the Food Chains film:<br />
<a href="http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/food-chains">http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/food-chains</a><br />
Conversations with your local farmworkers are likely to be insightful as well...<br />
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Peace, Shalom, Salaam :)<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Trabaja la tierra, cultiva el Espíritu</b><br /> <br /><i> “La meta última de la agricultura no es el cultivar las cosechas, sino cultivar y perfeccionar los seres humanos.” Masanobu Fukuoka </i><br /><br />Pasé cuatro semanas del verano en Stony Point Center (<a href="http://www.stonypointcenter.org/">www.stonypointcenter.org</a>), una comunidad interreligiosa en Stony Point, NY. Vivía en una casa con 13 otros jóvenes de alrededor del mundo (Egipto, Paquistán, Siria, Palestina, Nigeria, Baréin) viniendo de una de las tres tradiciones de Abraham (el judaísmo, el cristianismo, el islam). Trabajábamos en el jardín y participábamos en una variedad de sesiones tratando de asuntos de la justicia social. En breve, quizás dirías que fuí a un campamento de verano para jipis :)<br /><br />Fue un tiempo interesante, por decir lo menos, específicamente teniendo en cuenta lo que ha pasado en nuestro mundo este verano solito (la masacre en Orlando, los otros demasiados tiroteos, el asedio en Siria, etc), a morar por muchas semanas con personas quienes se pueden identificar con las comunidades musulmanes, judías, de Medio Oriente, negras, y LGTBQ. He apreciado la oportunidad para presenciar y participar con la comunidad en pelear con cómo podemos responder a lo que está pasando en nuestro país y más allá. Es un lugar poderoso para recordar que somos interconectados, para bien y para mal. Era bonito tener la oportunidad de tener el jardín como un punto común, literal y figurativo. Unas conversaciones buenas pueden acontecer durante el trabajo de jalar maleza y cosechar tomates lindos. <br /><br />En algunas maneras estar en Stony Point me llevó fuera de mi zona de comodidad. Por la mayoría de mi vida he estado acostumbrada a estar rodeada de personas que se llamarían cristianos. Pero había también un sentido familiar de comunidad porque todos estábamos allí por razones comunes – para construír relaciones, para aprender uno de otro, para trabajar por la justicia, y para vivir y trabajar juntos a pesar de ser diferentes y porque somos diferentes. <br /><br />He oído muchas personas en Stony Point decir que la experiencia de vivir junto a gente de otras fes les ayuda a ahondar su propia fe y el aprecio de esa fe. Yo diría que eso ha sido la verdad para mí también. Además yo añadiría que me ha dado un aprecio más profunda para las fes de los con que yo he encontrado. La ignorancia puede ser un gran obstáculo en las relaciones. A veces me sentía avergonzada por lo poco que yo sé, aún de mi propia tradición. Pero se demostraba a ser un espacio seguro para practicar el arte de preguntar preguntas sin el miedo de aparecer ignorante o mal informada. <br /><br />Más temprano este verano, cuando yo visitaba iglesias en mi ciudad natal, un mensaje que yo oía en más de una ocasión era, “Tenemos que ir a nuestros vecinos y <i>no tener miedo de contarles de Jesús</i>.” Tiene buenas intenciones, por cierto. Pero, me pregunto, qué diferente podría ser esa conversación con nuestros vecinos si la actitud en vez de esa fuera, “Tenemos que ir a nuestros vecinos <i>para escuchar sus historias</i>?”<br /> Nadie quiere ser un proyecto. <br /><br /> Yo me atrevería a decir que las personas en general no vienen a las comunidades interreligiosas para intentar de convertirse uno a otro (no obstante de los buenos motivos). Aunque no sean las mismas nuestas teologías, pueden existir muchos valores que nos pueden unificar para vivir nuestras fes respectivas (...la paz, el amor, la justicia, por ejemplo). Encontré que era natural a conectarme con personas que toman en serio su fe, no importa la etiqueta de su fe. La religión, después de todo, es un constructo humano. La fe se trata menos de lo que pienso en mi mente y más de lo que hago con lo que está en mi corazón. <br /><br />Sospecho que el cambio se va a requerir muchos pasos despacios, pequenos, y invertidos. La fermentación es una palabra en que a menudo he pensado en estas semanas mientras que discutimos varios asuntos. Tal vez la transformación por la que el mundo está anhelando aparecerá ineficiente y inmensurable a veces. El crecimiento instantáneo es un mito. El cambio que ocurre rápidamente no es saludable, necesariamente. Puedo hablar por mi mismo que unas de las transformaciones más significantes en mi propio corazón han pasado por los encuentros deliberados con personas que son diferentes de mi (personas que descubro, no son tan diferentes). Creo que el mundo se va a cambiar por este trabajo lento de cambiar los corazones. <br /><br />Unos de los momentos más simples y significativos para mí en Stony Point eran nuestras vueltas a un cascada cercana. Hay algo inefablemente hermoso en un grupo de personas viniendo de una variedad de lugares y fondos, sentiéndonos al lado de un arroyo mientras que nos reímos y soplar burbujas. Este poema fue inspirado por estos momentos (no traduce bien al español, pero voy a intentar):<br /><br /><i> Iridiscencia temblorosa<br /> Contiene el aliento mío, el tuyo<br /> Suspendidas, encapsuladas en una película frágil<br /> Volteando, vacilando<br /> Nos libramos <br /> En un momento veloz de colisión ligera.<br /> </i><br /> Uno de los rabinos con quien nos reunimos, Arthur Waskow, a él le gustaba hablar del hecho que el hebreo para Dios (“YHWH”) no contiene vocales, y por eso si lo pronuniciamos bien evoca el sonido sútil de alentar. Era divertido imaginar esas burbujas, que contenían nuestros alientos, estar conteniendo el nombre de Dios, y entonces estar liberadas cuando se explotaron en silencio una contra otra. Doy gracias para la oportunidad de experimentar Dios en una nueva manera este verano en la práctica de rozar con mis socias terra animata (tierra animada) en esa comunidad. <br /><br /><b>Otros pensamientos y recursos:</b><br /> <br /><b>Siria</b><br /> Tal vez la pieza de mi experiencia que me impresionó más es la amistad con mi compañera de cuarto, Ahed, un activista excepcional de Siria. <br />Lo que sucede es un vistazo de la historia de Ahed y cómo llegó a los EEUU, en sus proprias palabras: <br /><br /><i>Vine a los EEUU en noviembre de 2015. En 2011, la revolución siria empezó. Mi deber moral y nacional me motivaban a participar en la revolución y apoyar mi gente. El gobierno sirio estaba tratando de suprimir el levantamiento despiadadamente por matar a los manifestantes y detenerlos, muchos de mis amigos fueron matado y otros fueron detenidos. Aparte de demonstrar, yo solía distribuir auxilio a las familias que llegaban a la ciudad de Aleppo de otras areas. Veímos la necesidad de entrenarnos en cursos de asuntos medicales. En mayo de 2012, el departamento de seguridad political vino a mi lugar de trabajo para arestarme. Afortunadamente yo no estaba allí aquel día y no iba a trabajar ni dormir en casa hasta que la ciudad fue liberada. En medio de 2012, la Libre Tropa Siria liberó mucho de la ciudad de Aleppo, pero nuestra alegría en la liberación no persistía porque el régimen de Assad empezó a bombardear las areas liberadas. La mayoría de las familias de Aleppo fueron desplazadas, incluyendo mi familia. Yo fuí al hospital Dar al-Shifa y era enfermera voluntaria hasta el 21 de diciembre, 2012, cuando un ataque aéreo se dirigió al hospital. En 2013, yo era una de los activistas que llamaban demonstraciones contra de ISIS. Me fui de Aleppo porque fui acosada de personas desconocidas y mi carros fue quemado. Recientemente, la secuestración de los activistas ha llegado a ser más fácil en Aleppo y ya no está seguro para mí. Además, la mayoría de mis amigos fueron matado, ya son inmigrantes, o fueron arestados en las prisiones de Assad o ISIS.<br /> </i><br />Ahed ha sido testigo y ha experimentado más que yo puedo imaginar, ni lo menos seando la muerte de sus buenos amigos. Yo no hubiera podido conjecturar, observando su espiritú lleno de alegría, que ella lleva tanto dolor. Soy honrada llamarla mi amiga, esta mujer fuete y valiosa, y estoy emocionada para ver adonde se llevan su pasión y su amor.<br /> <br /><b>El diálogo interreligioso: Presbyterians Today<br /> </b>Para ver escritos del diálogo interreligioso que haga pensar: <a href="https://www.presbyterianmission.org/resources/topics/interfaith/">https://www.presbyterianmission.org/resources/topics/interfaith/</a> <br /><i>“Muchas conversaciones sobre la fe enfocan en la pregunta de si los cristianos y musulmanes sigan el mismo Dios. Esto, sin embargo, tal vez no es el lugar mejor de empezar la conversación...”</i> <br /><br /><b>La doctrina del descubrimiento<br /> </b>Mientras que explorábamos los temas de los derechos indígenos, el racismo, la brutalidad de la policía, la incarceración masa, etc., examinábamos cómo usan lenguaje racista muchos documentos en los que fue fundado los EEUU. (“Racista” es una palabra severa. También son las frases como “los despiadados indios salvajes”). No finjo ser científica political ni historiana, pero creo que esto es importante si vamos a tomar en serio los movimientos como #BlackLivesMatter, y especialmente si vamos a adoptar la etiqueta cargada de “cristiano.” Aún si no somos responsables personalmente para las injusticias del pasado, muchos de nosotros estamos beneficiándonos de los sistemas que fueron diseñados deliberadamente y injustamente en nuestro favor (que quiere decir que fueron diseñados a expensas de otros). Mark Charles, uno de los líderes de nuestros sesiones, hace un argumento persuasivo para la trauma historical de America blanca y la necesidad por la conciliación. Mientras que mi punto de vista no alinea enteramente con lo suyo, yo recomendaría sus escritos como una herramienta ayudosa y un recurso informado en este asunto: <a href="http://wirelesshogan.blogspot.com/2014/12/doctrine-of-discovery.html">http://wirelesshogan.blogspot.com/2014/12/doctrine-of-discovery.html</a> <br />Presentaciones por Mark se puede encountrar en YouTube. Éste en particular empieza a eso de los 12 minutos: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQ68W-nCzc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQ68W-nCzc</a> <br />(Considero el libro de Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow, un recurso indispensable en el asunto del racismo hoy.) <br /><br /> <b>Newburgh Sting</b><br /> La película entera se puede mirar aquí: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3WeAPUHVtc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3WeAPUHVtc</a> <br />Si te interesan las teorias de la conspiración, o aún si no, este documentario probablemente provocará conversaciones interesantes. Como alguién que lamenta pero no está sorprendida de tales películas, pienso que es importante tener cuidado a recibir esta información (si lo aceptamos o no) como un comprometo nuevo al amor y a la justicia, y a resistir cayéndose en el cinismo. Creo que tal información también nos puede ayudar a acercarnos a lo que nos alimenta las personas en los medios de comunicación con una actitud de pensar críticamente, en vez de aceptar todo pasivamente.<br /> <br /><b>El programa de comida justa<br /> </b><i>“Solíamos poseer nuestros esclavos, ahora sólo los alquilamos.”<br /> </i>Voy a terminar con algunas maneras específicas y concretas en que podemos apoyar los campesinos que están tratados sin justicia:<br /> <br />“Por más de tres años, los campesinos y consumidores han estado demandando que <b>Wendy’s</b> se une con sus competidores principales – Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Subway y Burger King – en participar en el programa de comida justa. Sin embargo, Wendy's ha decidido aventajarse de la pobreza y el abuso de los campesinos, continuando a aferrarse a los valores bajos del pasado cuando ya una alternativa aclamada y probada se le ha presentado.<br /> <br />Además, “<b>Publix</b> — una de las corporaciones de supermercados más grandes en el país, el poder de ella podría fortalecer los cambios históricos en los campos de Florida — ha negado desmesuradamente a unirse al programa de comida justa por más de seís años.”<br /> <br /> Aprende más del programa de comida justa, el tratamiento de campesinos en los campos de tomates en Florida, y unas ideas para acción aquí:<br /> <a href="http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/take-action/">http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/take-action/</a> <br /><a href="http://www.ciw-online.org/">http://www.ciw-online.org/</a> <br />Recomendaría también la película Food Chains:<br /> <a href="http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/food-chains">http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/food-chains</a> <br /><br />Paz, Shalom, Salaam :)</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-40232371389648543302016-03-27T08:28:00.000-07:002016-04-01T15:22:07.846-07:00God's work is you.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><i>“God's work is you. Come to Him, and be not a laborer but a son, and you will become a partner of the infinite God and of His world.” Leo Tolstoy, Walk in the Light</i><br />
<br />
This month I had the great privilege of seeing all but one of my dear Mission Year teammates, reunited to celebrate a new marriage. Besides the inexpressible joys of catching up with each other and remembering that transforming experience together, here we were again as a small community of unlikely friends sharing with strangers what Mission Year was about for us.<br />
<br />
The question inevitably comes up when people find out what sort of neighborhood we lived in: “Oh, but is it safe?” I shake my head and think, “What does that even mean?” <br />
<br />
If “safety” had been the first question for any of us, we would not have been there, we would never have gone. Let's get down to some deeper questions and realities: Why are we afraid of such neighborhoods? <i>Because we don't know the people.</i> We are afraid of what we don't know or understand. Does that mean my teammates and I were never afraid? That we would wander the streets alone at night and people were always nice to us? Of course not. We are all human, after all. But please go meet my dear Houston neighbors and you will realize how absurd the question of safety is. Or ask any of my teammates: worthwhile relationships are hardly ever “safe.”<br />
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There's more I might say about safety or security (“Security, mortals' chiefest enemy” to quote Shakespeare), like how Jesus never promises safety to his followers, but in fact quite the opposite, and warns us against it. However, what I want to say now is this:<br />
<br />
Without real relationships we can do our neighbors (and ourselves) a great disservice. We can avoid cities like Houston because the media tell us they're too dangerous (folks in the media are experts at cultivating fear). Or, maybe worse, we can walk into cities like Houston thinking they need our help and heroic service in order to live better lives. I am ready to admit that I still get caught in subtle thought patterns that reflect this superiority complex. In both cases we simply miss out.<br />
<br />
About the latter I want to say this: Almost four years ago my teammates and I committed to “loving each other without trying to fix each other.” What this really meant was that we were seeking to learn how to see each other as complex human beings created in the image of God, to acknowledge that maybe we aren't right about everything and can (and would do well) to actually learn from each other. That's not to say we don't speak up when a friend is making a potentially harmful decision. The point is that there has to be an attitude of <i>listening</i> or we'll just treat each other as objects, projects, problems to be fixed. <br />
<br />
Let us entrust ourselves and each other to God's hands, for we are his work. And may we be moved by love instead of fear, lest we miss out on the beauty of those who are different from us.<br />
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As always, hold me accountable to my own words. :) <br />
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<b>Eres tú la obra de Dios.</b><br />
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<i>“Eres tú la obra de Dios. Vente a El, y sé, no un labrador, sino un hijo, y serás un pareja del Dios infinito y de Su mundo.” Leo Tolstoy, Camina en la Luz </i><br />
<br />
Este mes yo tenía el privilegio de ver a todos, sino una, de mis compañeros queridos de Mission Year, reunidos para celebrar un matrimonio nuevo. Aparte de los gozos inexpresables de volver a reunirnos y recordar esa experiencia transformativa juntos, aquí estábamos de nuevo, una pequeña comunidad de amigos improbables compartiendo con personas desconocidas lo que se trataba Mission Year para nosotros.<br />
<br />
La pregunta surge inevitablemente cuando personas descubren en qué tipo de barrio vivíamos: “Oh, ¿pero está seguro?” Cabeceo y pienso, “¿Qué quiere decir esto?” <br />
<br />
Si “la seguridad” había sido la primera pregunta para alguién de nosotros, no habríamos estado allí, no habríamos ido. Vamos a explorar algunas preguntas y realidades más profundas: ¿Por qué tenemos miedo de tales barrios? <i>Porque no conocemos a la gente.</i> Tenemos miedo de lo que no conocemos ni entendemos. ¿Quiero decir que mis compañeros y yo nunca teníamos miedo? ¿O que caminábamos las calles por la noche solos y la gente siempre nos trataban bien? Claro que no. Somos todos humanos, después de todo. Pero, por favor, véte para conocer a mis vecinos queridos de Houston y te dará cuenta de qué absurda es la pregunta de la seguridad. O pregunta a cualquier de mis compañeros: relaciones que merecen la pena apenas son “seguras.”<br />
<br />
Hay más que podría decir sobre la seguridad (“La seguridad, el enemigo principal de los mortales” para citar a Shakespeare), por ejemplo, como Jesús nunca promete la seguridad a sus seguidores, sino lo opuesto, y nos advierte de ella. No obstante, lo que quiero decir ahora es esto:<br />
<br />
Sin las relaciones reales podemos perjudicarse a nuestros vecinos (y a nosotros mismos). Podemos evitar las ciudades como Houston porque la gente que trabajan en los medios de comunicación nos dice que son demasiadas peligrosas (esa gente es experta en cultivar el miedo). O, lo que tal vez es peor, podemos entrar ciudades como Houston pensando que la gente allí necesita nuestra ayuda heróica para vivir una vida mejor. Estoy dispuesta a confesar que yo todavía me encuentro en mentalidades sútiles que reflejan este complejo de superioridad. En ambos casos, nos perdemos.<br />
<br />
Sobre el último quiero decir esto: Hace casi cuatro años que mis compañeros y yo nos comprometimos a “amar a cada uno sin tratar de arreglar a uno.” Lo que quería decir esto era que buscábamos cómo ver uno a otro como seres humanos complejos, creados en la imagen de Dios, para reconocer que tal vez no somos correctos acerca de cada cosa y que podemos, para hacer lo bueno, aprender de cada persona. Eso no quiere decir que no decimos algo cuando un amigo está haciendo una decisión tal vez dañosa. El fondo es que hay que haber una actitud de <i>escuchar</i> o sólo nos trataremos como objetos, proyectos, problemas para arreglar.<br />
<br />
Ojalá que nos encomendemos a las manos de Dios, porque somos sus obras. Y que seamos motivados por el amor en vez del miedo, para que no perdemos la belleza de ellos que son differentes de nosotros.<br />
<br />
Como siempre, házme responsable a mis propias palabras. :) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-33176929784217674252016-02-21T06:44:00.000-08:002016-02-21T06:44:14.896-08:00A journal reflection from our silent retreat at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">It feels so good to be here, in this moment, in the middle of the quiet, to feel at home and at ease in the silence, uninterrupted, a refuge from the chaos of sound. Despite even the cozy ruralness of Jubilee, we are surrounded by sound. But now I hear only the sound of my own heartbeat, which centers me. For many people silence is awkward, but for me it is safe; a deep, calming breath. There is a time for sound and silence, but our culture is deficient of silence. In the quiet I come home to myself, and home to the Maker of quiet. We dwell in the silence together.<br /><br />I do not need any astonishing epiphanies in these 24 hours. I just need the refreshing detox from cluttersome noise, a refreshing drink of stillness, to remember how good it is so that I may be compelled to seek more of it in daily life. I do not need to check anything off my to-do list, but to simply relish this present space, which reminds me that every moment is precious, every moment holds the sacred, which is not to put on pressure of “making every moment count” in the sense of efficiency, but to count every moment as ripe with potential for good, whether that be in the stilling of my hands or in the celebrating of my hands through positive action.<br /><br />“Behold a tree. It says to us: God is not working himself into a frenzy in me. I am calmly, quietly pouring forth my life and bringing forth fruit. Do likewise.” (Clarence Jordan, paraphrase)<br /><br />Feel the passage of time and do not let it threaten you. Approach Time as a friend rather than an enemy. Linear time, as we experience it, with its assurance of limitations, invites us to live each moment as a gift. Give yourself the grace to embrace the simple goodness of today. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Una reflexión de nuestro retiro en el Monasterio del Espíritu Santo<br /><br />Me siento bien estar aquí, en este momento, en medio de la quietud, sentirme cómoda en el silencio, ininterrumpida, un refugio del caos del sonido. Aún a pesar del paisaje rural y acogedor de Jubilee, somos rodeados por el sonido. Pero ahora oigo solamente el sonido del latido de mi propio corazón, que me centra. Para mucha gente, el silencio es algo descómodo, pero para mí es algo seguro; un aliento profundo y calmante. Hay un tiempo para el sonido y el silencio, pero nuestra cultura está deficiente del silencio. En la quietud me vengo a casa, y a casa del Creador del silencio. Moramos en el silencio juntos.<br /><br />No necesito ninguna epifanía en estas 24 horas. Sólo necesito la desintoxicación refrescante del sonido embrollante, una bebida de tranquilidad, para recordarme qué bueno es, para que yo pueda ser motivada buscarla más en la vida diaria. No necesito marcar nada de mi lista de cosas que hacer, sino simplemente disfrutar este espacio presente, lo que me recuerda que cada momento es precioso, cada momento contiene lo sagrado. Y eso no se pone la presión de “hacer contar cada momento” en el sentido de la eficacia, sino contar cada momento como maduro con la potencial de lo bueno, si esto sea en el calmar de mis manos o en el celebrar de mis manos por la acción positiva.<br /><br />“Mira a un árbol. Nos dice: Dios no se está trabajando hasta la extenuación en mí. Estoy calmamente, tranquilamente manando mi vida y llevando adelante la fruta. Haz tú lo mismo.” (Clarence Jordan, paráfrasis)<br /><br />Siéntete el paso de tiempo y no lo permite a amenazarte. Encuéntrate con el Tiempo como un amigo más que un enemigo. El tiempo linear, como lo experimentamos, con su garantía de límites, nos invita vivir cada momento como un regalo. Dáte la gracia de abrazar la sencilla bondad de hoy. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-43975271532322459892016-01-24T10:43:00.000-08:002016-01-24T11:22:39.777-08:00A Morning Blessing<span style="font-size: small;"><i>In the spirit of John O'Donohue's To Bless the Space Between Us </i><br /><br />May my eyes be open to the ordinary miracles and simple beauty that surround me today. <br />May I find joy in being and becoming my fullest and truest self.<br /><br />May I delight in today's possibilities.<br />May I fear not the challenges, but meet them boldly.<br /><br />May I be mindful of the gift of my presence to the people and place right in front of me.<br />May the offering of my gifts bring delight and light.<br /><br />May I find peace and consolation in my own company, and cultivate belonging in fellowship.<br />May I be embraced for who I am more than for what I can do.<br /><br />May I continue to learn the value of the slow process of reflection, contemplation, and becoming versus efficiency and productivity.<br />May I remember that I am your work, Yahweh, and that the world does not rest on my shoulders but in your capable, loving hands.<br /><br />Life is lived in seasons; may I embrace this one for what it is. There will always be more good work to do and more needs to respond to. May I have the wisdom and self-awareness to know my limits for this day; how much to give, and when to rein it in. May I embrace my boundaries as gifts, not burdens. May I live with the awareness that I am not a savior but a servant. May I rely on you, Yahweh, for strength, and lean not upon mere human energy.<br /><br />May I live the adventure of this day with gratitude as my companion, the living soil which nourishes a heart of untamed joy and stubborn hope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Una Bendición de la mañana</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #741b47;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<i>En el espíritu de To Bless the
Space Between Us por John O’Donohue </i><br />
<br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Ojalá que mis ojos sean abiertos a los milagros ordinarios y la bellezas
sencillas que me rodeen hoy.</span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Que yo encuentre alegría en el ser y el llegar a ser yo mismo con totalidad y
verdad.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Ojalá que yo deleite en las posibilidades de hoy.</span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Que no teme los desafíos, sino que los encuentre con audacia.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Ojalá que yo sea consciente del don de mi presencia a las personas y al lugar
justo en frente de mí.</span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Que el ofrecimiento de mis dones traigan deleite y luz.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Ojalá que yo encuentre paz y consuelo en mi propia companía y que cultive pertenencia
en la hermandad.</span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Que yo sea abrazada por quien yo soy más por lo que yo pueda hacer.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Ojalá que yo continúe a aprender el valor del lento proceso de la reflexión, la
contemplación, y el llegar a ser yo versus la eficacia y la productividad.</span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Que yo recuerda que yo soy la obra tuya, Jehová, y que el mundo no descansa en
mis hombros, sino en tus manos capaces y cariñosos.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Se vive la vida en temporadas; ojalá que yo abrace ésta temporada por lo que
sea. Siempre habrá más trabajo bueno para hacer y más necesidades a las que
puedo responder. Que tenga la sabiduría y conciencia de mi mismo para saber mis
límites por este día; lo cuanto que debo dar, y cuando debo refrenar. Que
abrace mis límites como dones, no como cargas. Que yo vive con la consciencia
que no soy salvadora sino servidora. Que yo depende de ti, Jehová, por la
fuerza, y no confíe en mera energía humana.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #741b47;">
Ojalá que yo vive la aventura de este día con gratitud como mi compañera, la
tierra viva que nutre a un corazón de alegría indómita y esperanza</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #741b47;">tenaz. </span></div>
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-82816805832105802162015-11-01T08:41:00.001-08:002015-11-01T10:26:36.336-08:00A Single Garment of Destiny<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Letter to a Young Activist by Thomas Merton:<i><br /> <span style="color: purple;"><br /> <span style="color: #741b47;">Do not depend on the hope of results. When you are doing the sort of work you have taken on, essentially an apostolic work, you may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself. And there too a great deal has to be gone through as gradually you struggle less and less for an idea and more and more for specific people. The range tends to narrow down, but it gets much more real. In the end, it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything.<br /><br />The big results are not in your hands or mine, but they suddenly happen, and we can share in them; but there is no point in building our lives on this personal satisfaction, which may be denied us and which after all is not that important.<br /><br />The next step in the process is for you to see that your own thinking about what you are doing is crucially important. You are probably striving to build yourself an identity in your work, out of your work and your witness. You are using it, so to speak, to protect yourself against nothingness, annihilation. That is not the right use of your work. All the good that you will do will come not from you but from the fact that you have allowed yourself, in the obedience of faith, to be used by God’s love. Think of this more and gradually you will be free from the need to prove yourself, and you can be more open to the power that will work through you without your knowing it.<br /><br />The great thing after all is to live, not to pour out your life in the service of a myth: and we turn the best things into myths. If you can get free from the domination of causes and just serve Christ’s truth, you will be able to do more and will be less crushed by the inevitable disappointments. Because I see nothing whatever in sight but much disappointment, frustration and confusion.<br /><br />The real hope, then, is not in something we think we can do but in God who is making something good out of it in some way we cannot see. If we can do God’s will, we will be helping in this process. But we will not necessarily know all about it before hand.<br /><br />Enough of this…it is at least a gesture…I will keep you in my prayers. <br />All the best, in Christ, <br />Tom</span></span></i><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /> </span><br />
<br />
These words would have been good for me to hear during my college years while I was bombarded with crippling stories of immeasurable pain around the world and scrambled to come up with an appropriate response. And it's still good for me to hear now, when the needs are yet so deep and staggering to sometimes leave me wondering what good my “small things with great love” can really do. I need healthy doses of hope and a steady perspective on life to balance me when I encounter people who know what it is to suffer.<br />
<br />
I will deviate somewhat from the core message of this letter which speaks for itself to reflect on something which haunts me: privilege. <br />
<br />
My privilege puts me at risk of heaping irrational guilt on myself for what is beyond my control. I did not choose my land of birth, the color of my skin, my financial background, my loving family.<br />
<br />
But privilege, I'm trying to believe, is just that: beyond my control. How I respond to it is the part within my control, and I continue to wrestle with how to do that well.<br />
<br />
And yet privilege often means that I have been allotted control, or choice. I have the free choice to live below the poverty line, to join communities of folks who have renounced financial wealth (though we usually have the option of leaving and taking it up again if the way ever gets too hard), the choice of living on good land that yields abundant, wholesome food (while our neighbors still have to work long hours to make a living at the nearby chicken plant), accessibility to resources which enable me to live a healthy lifestyle, in addition to natural good health…<br />
<br />
I can shift uncomfortably in my seat as I listen to stories of friends who crossed deserts fleeing from soldiers who murdered their brothers and sisters. (Indeed, if that doesn't shake me inside, I would question the state of my heart.) But that discomfort needs balance, or it has the power to pull me down into a useless depression.<br />
<br />
And the fact is that these same people who have lived so much pain are often the greatest illustrations of hope. Their songs and their laughter stem from a depth of gratitude that I may never comprehend. It seems twisted to say that maybe these folks are the “privileged” ones, because life’s hard circumstances have played a role in cultivating such richness in their lives. I call them my “students” and they call me “teacher,” but it is plain to me that we are co-teachers and co-students. When I lose my hope, I need only look for it in the same place I lost it.<br />
<br />
As I seek to respond to the pain, I will take heart and not condemn myself for what can seem like an unfair incapacity to relate to that pain. “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny,” (MLK) and that mutuality releases the burden of false responsibility; either the idea that I am somehow put to shame in the face of this person's pain or that my response is immaterial. After all, <span style="color: #741b47;"><i>the real hope…is not in something we think we can do but in God who is making something good out of it in some way we cannot see. </i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="color: #990000;">Carta a un activista joven por Thomas Merton:<br /> <br /> <i>No dependas en la esperanza de los resultados. Cuando hagas el tipo de trabajo que hayas asumido, en esencia un trabajo apostólico, tal vez tendrás que enfrentar el hecho que tu trabajo será, al parecer, inútil y quizás logrará nada, si no logra lo opuesto de lo que anticipabas. Mientras que te acostumbres a esta idea, empieces más y más a concentrarte, no en los resultados, sino en el valor, la virtud, la verdad del trabajo sí mismo. Y allí también hay que soportar mucho mientras que te esfuerces menos y menos por una idea y más y más por el bien de personas específicas. La gama suele reducirse, pero llega a ser mucho más real. En el final, es la realidad de las relaciones personales que salva todo.<br /> <br /> Los resultados grandes no están en tus manos ni en las mías, pero pasan de repente, y podemos participar en ellos; pero no hay ningún sentido en construír nuestas vidas alrededor de esta satisfacción personal, lo que tal vez está denegado a nosotros y después de todo no es muy importante.<br /> <br /> El próximo paso en el proceso es que veas que tus pensamientos sí mismas sobre lo que haces son cruciales. Es probable que te estás esforzando para construírte una identidad en tu trabajo, por tu trabajo y el testigo de tu vida. Estás utilizándolo así que te puedas proteger contra la aniquilacíon. Esto no es un buen uso de tu trabajo. Todo lo bueno que harás vendrá, no de ti, sino del hecho de que te hayas entregado, en la obediencia de la fe, para ser usado por el amor de Dios. Piensa de esto más, y, poco a poco, te liberarás de la necesidad de validarte, y puedas estar más dispuesto al poder lo que trabajará por medio de ti sin saberlo.<br /> <br /> La cosa grande, después de todo, es vivir, no echarse la vida en servicio de un mito; y cambiamos las mejores cosas en mitos. Si te puedes liberar de la dominación de las causas y simplemente servir a la verdad de Cristo, podrás hacer más y estarás menos aplastado por las desilusiones inevitables. Así que no veo nada sino mucha desilusión, frustración, y turbación.<br /> <br /> La esperanza real, entonces, no está en algo que pensamos que podemos hacer, sino en Dios, quien está hacienda algo bueno en una manera que no podemos ver. Si podemos hacer la voluntad de Dios, estaremos ayudando en este proceso. Pero no sabremos todo, necesariamente, de antemano.<br /> <br /> Ya basta…es por lo menos un gesto…te cuidaré en mis oraciones.<br /> <br /> Todo lo mejor, en Cristo,<br /> <br /> Tomás <br /></i><br /><br /> Estas palabras hubieran sido buenas para mí a oír durante de mis años en la universidad, cuando yo estaba aplastada con cuentos incapacitantes de dolor inmensurable alrededor del mundo y me esforzaba para responder en una manera apropriada. Y ya es bueno oírlas ahora, cuando las necesidades todavía son tan profundas y impactantes que me dejan a dudar lo bueno que pueden hacer “las cosas pequeñas con gran amor.” Necesito una dosis de esperanza y una perspectiva firma en la vida para equilibrarme cuando me encuentro con personas que saben lo que es el sufrimiento.<br /> <br /> Me desviaré un poco del mensaje núcleo de esta carta, que habla por sí misma, para reflexionar en algo que me persiga: el privilegio. <br /> <br /> Mi privilegio me pone al riesgo de apilar culpa irracional en mí misma por lo que está más allá de mi control. No escogí mi patria, ni el color de mi piel, ni mi fondo financial, ni mi familia cariñosa.<br /> <br /> Pero el privilegio, estoy tratando de creer, es esto mismo: más allá de mi control. Cómo respondo es la parte que está bajo mi control, y continúo a luchar con cómo puedo hacerlo bien.<br /> <br /> No obstante, el privilegio en muchos sentidos, significa que tengo control, o el control de la elección. Tengo la libre elección de vivir bajo de la línea de la pobreza, a unirme con comunidades de gente que han renunciado la afluencia (aunque sí podemos salirnos y vivir afluentes de nuevo si queremos), la elección de vivir en tierra buena que produce buena comida (mientras que nuestros vecinos todavía tienen que trabajar horas largas para ganarse la vida en la planta de pollo), la accesibilidad a recursos que me permiten vivir una vida sana, además a buena salud natural…<br /> <br /> Puedo sentarme descómoda en mi silla mientras que escucho cuentos de amigos que han cruzado desiertos huyéndose de soldados que asesinaron a sus hermanos. (De verdad, si esto no me perturba, yo dudaría el estado de mi corazón.) Pero esa incomodidad necesita equilibrio, or tiene el poder de llevarme a una depresión inútil.<br /> <br /> Y el hecho es que estas mismas personas que han experimentado tanto dolor son, a menudo, las ilustraciones mejores de la esperanza. Sus canciones y su risa
viene de una profundidad de gratitud que tal vez yo nunca comprenderé. Parece
retorcido decir que tal vez estas personas son las que tienen el “privilegio”
porque las circunstancias duras de la vida han cultivado tanta riqueza en sus
vidas. Les llamo mis “estudiantes” y me llaman “maestro,” pero es claro para mí
que somos co-maestros y co-estudiantes.Cuando pierdo mi esperanza, sólo necesito buscarla en el mismo lugar donde la perdí.<br /> <br /> Mientras que trato de responder bien al dolor, me animaré y no me condenaré por lo que puede parecer una incapacidad injusta de relacionarme a ese dolor. “Estamos atrapados en una red inexorable de la mutualidad, atados en una prenda soltera del destino,” (MLK) y esa mutualidad nos suelta de la carga de la responsabilidad falsa; de la idea que de alguna manera estoy culpable del dolor de esta persona o que mi respuesta no vale nada. Después de todo, <i>la esperanza real…no está en algo que pensamos que podemos hacer, sino en Dios, quien está hacienda algo bueno en una manera que no podemos ver.</i><br /><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"></span>
<span style="color: #990000;">
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<i>Con la intención de compartir mis pensamientos con mis amigos hispánicos y
para practicar mi español, estoy proveyendo una traducción bajo de cada post
inglés. Para los hispanohablantes, si encuentren algún error, favor avísame :)<br />
<br />
In an effort to share my thoughts with my Hispanic friends and exercise my
Spanish muscle, I'm providing a translation of each of my posts below the
English. For Spanish-speakers, if you catch any errors, please let me know :)</i><br />
<br />
Enjoying and embracing the small things is not a new concept. But it takes on
new wonder in a culture that has strayed from the beauty of that simplicity in
so many ways.<br />
<br />
A big part of my learning experience at Koinonia is related to food –
growing/preparing/preserving wholesome foods, foraging wild edibles and
medicinal herbs.<br />
I composed a document outlining much of what I learned in those areas, and I can't yet figure out how to attach here it for your perusal, so until then let me know if you'd like a copy :)<br />
<br />
It has been really <i>empowering</i> to discover natural ways of coping with
common ailments, to make my own healthy meals and snacks from scratch, to wash
my laundry using soap nuts from a tree, to recycle old scrap paper into new
paper, to learn how to milk a cow by hand, to make use of natural energy
sources...in a lot of ways learning how to be a conscientious consumer who is
not dependent upon stores, industries, and conventional methods of doing
things. <br />
<br />
I learned at Koinonia to get my hands literally dirty. Fredo used to tease me
for wearing gardening gloves because I didn't like the feeling of dirt under my
nails. Now that dirt under my nails gives me a similar satisfaction to getting
paint smeared on my fingers and arms. That “dirt” is actually living soil. We
ourselves were formed from humus, inspired by the breath of our Creator.<br />
<br />
I've grown in self-confidence both through the independence and interdependence
of my experiences the past few years. Being transplanted into new contexts to
share life in intentional ways with a variety of people is helping me to
recognize and break down walls of judgment in my heart and habits of thinking,
to expand my mental and emotional boundaries, to build communication skills and
to own my convictions. Vulnerability encourages the development of trust.
Practicing conflict resolution builds courage. Genuine encounters with people
who are different from me cultivates depth and richness in my life and helps me
to become a more authentic person.<br />
<br />
In case you missed it, <a href="http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=abce379ebb&id=84233e170f" target="_blank">here's the link to my last newsletter from Koinonia</a>.<br />
<br />
The journey continues... I've just completed my first beautiful week at <a href="http://www.jubileepartners.org/" target="_blank">JubileePartners</a>. <br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: AR-SA;">Koinonia mirando
atrás: Caminando hacia la <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">simplicidad</span><br />
<br />
Disfrutando y recibiendo bien las cositas en la vida no es un concepto nuevo.
Pero le da a uno nuevo asombro<b> </b>en una cultura que en muchas maneras se ha
alejado de la belleza de esa simplicidad.<br />
<br />
Una gran parte de mi experiencia en Koinonia está relacionada a la comida -
cultivar/preparar/preserver comida sana, buscando hierbas silvestres y
medicinales.<br />
He compuesto un documento que describe mucho de lo que he aprendido en esas
areas, lo cual espero que puedo adjuntar en el futuro.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b> </b>Hasta entonces, si lo quieres, avísame.</span><br />
<br />
Me ha dado mucha fuerza descubrir maneras naturales de tratar enfermedades
comunes, hacer mis propias comidas y meriendas saludables de materias primas,
lavar mi ropa usando la fruta de un árbol, reciclar papeles usados en papel
nuevo, aprender cómo ordeñar una vaca por mano, utilizar recursos naturales de
energia...en muchas maneras aprendiendo cómo ser una consumidora consciente que
no depende en las tiendas, industrias, ni métodos convencionales de hacer cosas.
<br />
<br />
Aprendí en Koinonia cómo ensuciar mis manos literalmente. Fredo solía burlar de
mí por llevar guantes en el jardín porque no me gustaba el sentimiento de
tierra bajo de mis uñas. Ahora esa tierra bajo mis uñas me da una satisfacción
que es similar a ensuciar mis dedos y brazos con pinta. Esa <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“tierra”</span> en realidad está viva.
Nosotros mismos fuimos formados de<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">humus</span></i>, inspirados por el <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">aliento</span> de nuestro Creador.<br />
<br />
He crecido en confianza igualmente por la independencia y por la
interdependencia de mis experiencias durante los tres años pasados. Seando <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">transplantada</span> a contextos nuevos para
compartir la vida en maneras intencionales con una variedad de personas me está
ayudando a reconocer y derribar <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">murallas</span>
del juicio en mi corazón y en los hábitos de pensar, a ampliar mis fronteras
mentales y emocionales, a construir las habilidades de comunicación y llegar a ser dueña de
mis convicciones. La vulnerabilidad estimula el desarrollo de la confianza.
Practicar la resolución de conflictos construye el coraje. Los encuentros
auténticos con personas que son diferentes de mí cultiva la profundidad y la
riqueza en mi vida, y me ayuda a llegar a ser una persona más auténtica.<br />
<br />
Por si acaso no lo han visto, aquí está <a href="http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=abce379ebb&id=84233e170f" target="_blank">el vínculo de my ultimo boletín de Koinonia</a>.<br />
<br />
El paso continua... Acabo de completar mi primera semana linda con <a href="http://www.jubileepartners.org/" target="_blank">JubileePartners</a>. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-74840180284454325942015-05-29T13:07:00.000-07:002015-05-29T13:07:49.282-07:00I translated a post into Spanish for some new friends traveling to different communities around the country. See what they're up to:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://plentyofroom.org/2015/our-friends-in-lagrange/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" target="_blank">http://plentyofroom.org/<wbr></wbr>2015/our-friends-in-lagrange/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-45858382931390394632015-04-13T06:43:00.000-07:002015-04-13T06:43:10.222-07:00Simply Art<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I recently decided to
change the format and name of the Facebook page on which I sell my art. What
follows is my shot at an explanation as to why.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My art page (formerly,
“ACTS of ART” now, "Art by Tracy Lou") was previously categorized as a “cause,” and I advertised that I
would send 25% of proceeds to World Vision to help tackle the root causes of poverty
around the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don't think there is
anything inherently wrong about sending a portion of my earnings to a justice
organization that I respect, or with telling customers up front where their
money will go. What I begin to wonder about are my deepest motives for
attaching that idea to my art sales, and the relationship between social media
and my art.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ultimately, I decided
that I wish to avoid using the cause of justice as an incentive for
consumerism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, I do not like to
refer to my paintings as “products” (Which is why I don't sell them on pillows
or shower curtains on Society6). But ultimately, through these websites, I am
exchanging my paintings for money. So for the sake of this outline I may use
that term, or others like it, lightly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I first categorized my
art sale as a cause in part because I feared that selling it under my name
alone would be self-centered. The fact still stands that I avoid making my signature appear too visible on my work; it is about the art, not about me.
But, perhaps the title is only as selfish as the person to whom it's attributed;
perhaps it's only selfish if I am selfish. And if I am advertising that I'll
send 25% of proceeds to World Vision (regardless of my level of respect for
World Vision), maybe that is still selfish, because I am looking for a way to
hide behind another name and add worth to paintings that can stand on their own
as works of value.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If people have any
doubts about how I may use their money, they need only to look at my life, how
I am striving to live, to see how their money will go to use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If my art has value in
itself, and I believe it does, then I do not need to bolster it in any way or
mix it in with other things I care about. Let it stand alone; it is valid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I must acknowledge
that entering into social media at all is to wrestle with selfish motives. We
are invited to present ourselves in the most favorable way possible. When I
post photos of my artwork, I want people to like, comment, and share them. What
I'm looking for on my most ego-concerning level, more than money (if I'm
honestly looking for that at all) is positive attention and recognition. On a
fundamental level, my hope is to share the joy of art with others. My fear is
that this hope is riddled by self-interest once marketing comes into play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm not crazy about
social media. I wrestle with how technology can be used as a beneficial tool in
our culture; to what extent it helps me to relate to others or gradually
superficializes my relationships. How can I ensure that I am not using social
media as a means to my own end, that I am not using people as a means to an
end?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I want to make my art
available. I'd like to sell it without “selling” it. I don't want to pull on
any heartstrings, consciously or subconsciously, to make a profit. I want my
art to speak for itself, and to make its way safely into the hands of a human
being who connects with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus said to love
your neighbor. Our culture tells us to go out and shop. When we mix these two
together (Love your neighbor by shopping), I think the line quickly blurs as to
what it means to really love my neighbor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So friends, please
purchase art from me. (Even better: meet me in person and barter it from me.)
And please find your own creative ways of loving your neighbor. I'm sorry for
mixing motives and messages. Still trying to figure out how to live life as an artist in today's culture. This is one of my steps toward simplicity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-40043014354801502542015-03-07T07:30:00.000-08:002015-03-07T07:30:58.528-08:00<br />
I've been thinking about these words...<br />
<div>
<br />
<b>Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front<br />by Wendell Berry</b><br />
<br />
Love the quick profit, the annual raise,<br />
vacation with pay. Want more <br />
of everything ready-made. Be afraid <br />
to know your neighbors and to die.<br />
<br />
And you will have a window in your head. <br />
Not even your future will be a mystery <br />
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card <br />
and shut away in a little drawer.<br />
<br />
When they want you to buy something <br />
they will call you. When they want you <br />
to die for profit they will let you know. <br />
So, friends, every day do something <br />
that won't compute. Love the Lord. <br />
Love the world. Work for nothing. <br />
Take all that you have and be poor. <br />
Love someone who does not deserve it.<br />
<br />
Denounce the government and embrace <br />
the flag. Hope to live in that free <br />
republic for which it stands. <br />
Give your approval to all you cannot<br />
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man <br />
has not encountered he has not destroyed.<br />
<br />
Ask the questions that have no answers. <br />
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias. <br />
Say that your main crop is the forest <br />
that you did not plant, <br />
that you will not live to harvest.<br />
<br />
Say that the leaves are harvested <br />
when they have rotted into the mold.<br />
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns. <br />
Put your faith in the two inches of humus <br />
that will build under the trees <br />
every thousand years.<br />
<br />
Listen to carrion -- put your ear <br />
close, and hear the faint chattering <br />
of the songs that are to come. <br />
Expect the end of the world. Laugh. <br />
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful <br />
though you have considered all the facts. <br />
So long as women do not go cheap <br />
for power, please women more than men.<br />
<br />
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy <br />
a woman satisfied to bear a child? <br />
Will this disturb the sleep <br />
of a woman near to giving birth?<br />
<br />
Go with your love to the fields. <br />
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head <br />
in her lap. Swear allegiance <br />
to what is nighest your thoughts.<br />
<br />
As soon as the generals and the politicos <br />
can predict the motions of your mind, <br />
lose it. Leave it as a sign <br />
to mark the false trail, the way <br />
you didn't go.<br />
<br />
Be like the fox <br />
who makes more tracks than necessary, <br />
some in the wrong direction. <br />
Practice resurrection.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-44878665931272578712014-10-06T05:40:00.000-07:002014-10-06T05:40:29.022-07:00"Now there is time and Time is young..."<div class="MsoNormal">
(quote by May Sarton, <i>Now I Become Myself</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At Koinonia I have experienced an awakening of sorts, the
growth of a seed which was planted in my heart in Houston when we planted the
literal seeds of our community garden, when we ate sunburst tomatoes warm off
the branch, and handed out bags of yellow zucchini to our friends and
neighbors. Similarly at Koinonia I have discovered that there is nothing quite
like picking ripe figs off our trees, eating potatoes grown in our rich red
soil, blending up such an earthy green concoction of pesto, that first juicy
bite into muscadine, the look on my English students' faces when I hand them a
bag of fresh pears...Beautiful, organic produce yielding abundantly out my
window. I left home to seek out solidarity with the poor, but this is luxury
beyond compare. Day after day I walk out to find even more yellow pear
tomatoes, more basil, more figs, more peppers...I stopped purchasing personal
grocery items because homemade yogurt and pecans, fresh eggs, herbal tea, and
toast spread with blueberry jam is a breakfast to be grateful for.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The financially poor are often at the mercy of what is
available and cheap in local stores, which means Walmart gets a lot of
business. It was Clarence Jordan's vision to see the poor of Americus have
access to good food from their own backyards. But I suppose people have to want
it first. When Farmer Fred asked my Houston neighbor, 9-year-old Angel, “What
will you eat if the vegetables don't grow?” He answered matter-of-factly, “My
Lunchable.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prophets of our time, Wendell Berry and Joel Salitan, recognize
the layers of problems and struggles facing this generation. But they also
recognize, in the words of Berry: “The roots of the
problem are private or personal, and the roots of the solutions will be private
or personal too” (<i>The Gift of Good Land</i>).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cannot make others adopt this wonderful way of life, but I
can live it out faithfully on a personal level, and hope in the manner of Van
Gogh:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Do our inner thoughts ever show outwardly? There may be a
great fire in our soul, yet no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the
passers-by see only a wisp of smoke coming from the chimney, and go along their
way. Look here, now, what must be done? Must one tend that inner fire, have
salt in oneself, wait patiently yet with how much impatience for the hour when
somebody will come and sit down near it – maybe to stay? Let him who believes
in God wait for the hour that will come sooner or later.” (Letter 133)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don't mean to come across presumptuous. My life is not
perfect. But I have found several immeasurable gifts in this little pocket of
the country. And I would welcome you to hold me accountable to continuing to
practice those gifts in my life post-Koinonia. Gifts of growing my own food in
good, healthy soil. Finding joy in the simple tasks of fermentation and creative
preservation. Sustainable consumption. Sharing the abundance...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is much I have learned in one year, and I look forward
to what richness one more year on this good land holds. My self-confidence has
grown in bounds. I've cultivated a spirit that finds joy in the harvest,
creative cooking and use of natural resources. I've met a plethora of
remarkable people who have touched my life. I've been introduced to authors and
speakers and thinkers who shake the way I view the world and interact with Jesus.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soaking up the sunshine of southern Georgia</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have learned new ways of measuring time</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Candles and kittens</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paintings and potlucks</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pecans and prayer bells</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paper cranes and pressed flowers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mosquito bites and worn-out jeans</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jars of pickles and homemade ginger ale</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Exchanging letters with friends new and old</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dark chocolate and cups of coffee beneath the mulberry tree</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Visitors and stories shared</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hymns and laughter echoing into the night</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Postage stamps and boxes shipped</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peaches, blackberries, blueberries, figs, pears, tomatoes
and grapes...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I measure seasons according to where the sun rises and sets,
and where I find Orion in the night sky.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Rilke says, there is no measuring with time itself, but
being an artist (or perhaps a human being) means patiently ripening like a
tree. I think I'm getting a better idea of what that means.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peace and hope be yours in abundance</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-21196446967349686202014-07-19T10:41:00.000-07:002014-07-19T10:41:21.774-07:00Behold a Tree<i><br /></i>
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<i>“Behold a tree. Does it not speak to us thusly: 'Don't you see that God is not working himself into a frenzy in me? I am calmly, quietly, silently pouring forth my life and bringing forth fruit. Do thou likewise.'” Clarence Jordan</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I love trees. I love painting trees. God speaks to me through trees.<br />
<br />
It is difficult to explain how the idea for this project came about. Madeleine L'Engle describes a work of art as something that “comes to the artist and says, 'Here I am. Enflesh me. Give birth to me.' And the artist either says, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord,' and willingly becomes the bearer of the work, or refuses; but the obedient response is not necessarily a conscious one...'” (Walking on Water) The seed was planted in my mind one day early in my internship, watered by talking about it, and before I knew it all the pieces were falling into place. I did not even purchase one tube of paint or paintbrush. This typical occurrence in my life is to me God's way of saying, “You go paint, I'll take care of the rest.”<br />
<br />
Thus I began work on the biggest canvas I have yet tackled. The limitations of the process, though frustrating at times, allowed me to listen to the work better. Had I been able to go at it more quickly, I may have missed out on the “dialogue,” so to speak. The texture of the ceiling (our coffee house is one of Habitat's early experiments with chicken wire and cement), the domed curve of the canvas, and the tricks of moving ladders, drop cloths, and scaffolding around slowed me down quite a bit. More than once the thought came to mind, “If only I could fly!”<br />
<br />
It did not occur to me until part-way through that one of my prayers coming in to Koinonia was, “Lord, slow me down.” I moved hastily at the start, thrilled to begin and anxious to finish. As it became clear to me that I would not make the mark I had originally hoped for at one month, I was able to relax more and give in to the process. One of my college professors used to talk about “letting the process inform the work,” and that is a phrase that has stuck with me in art and in life.<br />
<br />
And so I meditated upon patience during the process. If I could have reasonably fit a different quote around the border, it would be one by Rilke that speaks to me very much lately:<br />
<br />
<i>“There is here no measuring with time, no year matters, and ten years are nothing. Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like a tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it only comes to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide. I learn it daily, learn it with pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything!” (Letters to a Young Poet)</i><br />
<br />
I don't doubt that my creative itch will soon enough have me back up on the ladder to continue playing with this piece. But in the mean time I am learning that God calms the frenzy in my heart and invites me to patiently anticipate the harvest.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-71774162494977584092014-06-10T17:33:00.001-07:002014-06-10T17:33:19.850-07:00Follow-Up: A Look at Modern Israel and Palestine<div class="MsoNormal">
It would be impossible to cover this entire topic in one
post. I hesitate to write about it at all because it is such a convoluted issue
and I don’t intend for this space to be a soapbox. And yet I believe the heart
of the matter is simple and relevant. I write in the hope that the perspective
I share will at least spark a conversation or challenge someone. Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Israeli priest, explains it better
than anyone I know, with a rich understanding of the history and first-hand
accounts. I must first direct you to his books if this topic captures your
attention: <i>Blood Brothers</i> and <i>We Belong to the Land</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm writing about this because before our study I was intimidated
by the history and complexity of what has been happening in the Middle East.
There are many layers to the present conflict. I don't claim to know how the
land ought to be allocated today, but there are some obvious injustices taking
place in which our own country has a hand, particularly against Palestinians. I
believe the media uses propaganda to turn us against our own brothers and
sisters with labels such as “terrorist” when in fact those so-called
“terrorists” are themselves being terrorized.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm also writing because someone I've met this year, a
Palestinian Christian, has <a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2014/05/26/refusal-hate-tent-nations-family-responds-destruction-farmland" target="_blank">suffered the loss of 1,500 fruit trees last month</a>,
bulldozed by the Israeli military. I'm not convinced that the members of the
Israeli military truly want to hurt people like this, but, as has happened too
often in history, they are “just following orders.” And the world looks the
other way because they feel embarrassed about looking the other way when the
Jews were oppressed. The cycle continues... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just like the wall that went up at Berlin, like the wall at
the Mexican border, we witness a concrete <b>wall</b> (“separation barrier”)
going up to separate families, separate people from clean water, and separate
farmers from their olive groves, which for generations has been their families'
sole livelihood. In October 2003, a UN resolution declared the wall illegal
where it cuts into the Palestinian territory and should be torn down in these
places. The U.S. vetoed this resolution.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Between 1967 and mid-2010, Israel established 121 <b>settlements</b>,
over 100 “outposts” (settlements built without official authorization but with
support and assistance of Israeli government), and 12 neighborhoods – all in
areas internationally recognized as Palestinian territory. Many settlers
believe they have rights to all of the surrounding territory – well beyond Palestine
– through God's covenant with their ancestor Abraham. They are known to be
violent, sabotaging wells, killing livestock, and uprooting trees.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Israel controls more than 83% of the <b>water</b> within
Palestine. Access to water is severely restricted for Palestinians, and where
they do have access, they pay almost double what an Israeli does. They are
forced to decide between watering their gardens or having water to drink, while
Israeli settlers enjoy swimming pools less than a mile away.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today there are an estimated 8-10 million Palestinian <b>refugees</b>
around the world. An estimated 5 million live in the West Bank alone, half a
million living in Gaza's eight refugee camps. Over 82,000 live in less than one
square kilometer. These and other refugees in surrounding Arab countries cannot
get good jobs or travel freely because they have no passports or citizenship
papers.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since 2000, more than 1,084 Israelis and 6,430 Palestinians
have been killed. The U.S. is Israel's #1 supporter, giving $3 billion in
military aid each year. What I see happening is an ethnic cleansing based on
religious and cultural principles eerily similar to the oppression of the Jews
themselves under Hitler, and Americans blindly allow their tax dollars to
support the military efforts because they are misinformed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are of course not just two sides to this issue. I am
not “for” the Palestinians and “against” the Israelis. I am for them both, and
there are people from all “sides” coming together to work for peace.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what am I doing for peace? Similar things to what I do to
seek justice for those who are trafficked and enslaved: Spread the word,
contact my Congressmen, and get to know the people behind the labels.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'll leave it at that and close with a few selected words
from Elias Chacour:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #351c75;">“If you become a true man of God – you will know how to
reconcile enemies – how to turn hatred into peace. Only a true servant of God
can do that.” (Blood Brothers)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #351c75;">“Come, let us be brothers and sisters together in this
beautiful land in which all of us have history and roots. There is room enough
for all of us. Aren't we the co-persecuted brothers and sisters?” (We Belong to
the Land)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #351c75;">“I turn to you, my brothers and sisters in the West – in
particular, those of you who might judge us – and I ask: How can you take on
yourself the right to decide who is the terrorist? Was it a bad thing that
Europe organized to liberate itself from savage occupation before and during
WWII? Were the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution 'acts of
terrorism'? Who is the terrorist? Who is the fighter for liberty? How to you
find it your right to judge?” (Blood Brothers)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #351c75;">“Jesus Christ teaches us today...that we are not to love
people out of charity or for Jesus' sake, as if others were an instrument, a
tool, or a tunnel to pass through to reach the goal. Rather, the other...is to
be loved because that person is lovable as he or she is. We are to love as God
loves. God's love is unconditional and sacrificed. God is love. All this I have
understood from my father, who taught me to love myself and the other. Loving
others, breaking the cycle of hatred and violence, does not mean passivity or
inaction. On the contrary, <b>this love is creative, resourceful, energetic,
dynamic. This love looks for ways to restore and preserve people's worth, dignity,
and joy</b>.” (We Belong to the Land)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.endtheoccupation.org/">www.endtheoccupation.org</a>;
<a href="http://www.tolef.org/">www.tolef.org</a>; <a href="http://www.bdsmovement.net/">www.bdsmovement.net</a>; <a href="http://www.arij.org/">www.arij.org</a>; <a href="http://www.codepink.org/">www.codepink.org</a>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-10011612274711764462014-06-09T08:58:00.000-07:002014-06-09T08:58:39.218-07:00Three Things I Care AboutLOVING THE ENSLAVED<br /><br /><b>June 10</b> is Lobby Day, where advocates from across the nation head to Capitol Hill as part of the annual IJM Advocacy Summit and meet with their Senators and Representatives in person in an effort to end modern-day slavery. Commit to call your Senator (especially my friends in NY) tomorrow: <a href="http://www.ijm.org/advocacy-summit/call-in-registration" target="_blank">http://www.ijm.org/advocacy-summit/call-in-registration </a><br />Congress just set aside $5 million to fight slavery through the Child Protection Compact Act. On June 10, we’ll ask them to invest in two countries that are willing to stand up against slavery, but need additional support: The Philippines and Ghana. Read more here: <a href="https://www.ijm.org/be-force-freedom">https://www.ijm.org/be-force-freedom</a><div>
Download a sample chapter of Gary Haugen's The Locust Effect here: <a href="http://www.thelocusteffect.com/">http://www.thelocusteffect.com/</a> and sign the petition to urge the UN to protect the poor from violence.<br /><br />LOVING THE OPPRESSED</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Daoud Nasser and his family (friends of Koinonia whom we helped host a <a href="http://www.tolef.org/" target="_blank">Tree of Life</a> conference this past October in Americus) was recently featured at the <a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2014/05/26/refusal-hate-tent-nations-family-responds-destruction-farmland" target="_blank">Sojourners blog</a> because early on May 19, military bulldozers destroyed 1,500 of the family's fruit trees nearly ready for harvest in the valley below the Nasser dwellings. In an upcoming post I'll write more about what my fellow interns and I have been researching about the conflict in Palestine/Israel, and ongoing peace efforts. In the meantime, if you would like to join me in supporting the Nasser family, there are resources available here: <a href="http://maryknollogc.org/alerts/tent-nations-trees-terraces-destroyed-israeli-military">http://maryknollogc.org/alerts/tent-nations-trees-terraces-destroyed-israeli-military</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
LOVING THE DETAINED</div>
<br />Learn more about America's $2 billion immigrant detention industry. A little-known federal law enacted in 2006 ensures that a minimum of 34,000 undocumented immigrants must be held on every single day. Private companies run most of the centers, among them Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA.<div>
Learn more here: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26843600" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26843600</a></div>
<div>
and what people are doing here: <a href="http://elrefugiostewart.com/">http://elrefugiostewart.com/</a></div>
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<br /></div>
"Injustice anywhere a threat to justice everywhere." -MLKUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-47882577536827098972014-05-21T06:29:00.000-07:002014-05-21T06:29:24.116-07:00A Step Along the WayA prayer by Oscar Romero that's been on my mind lately...<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #351c75;">It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.<br /><br />The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,<br />it is even beyond our vision.<br /><br />We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction<br />of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.<br />Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying<br />that the kingdom always lies beyond us.<br />No statement says all that could be said.No prayer fully expresses our faith.<br />No confession brings perfection.<br />No pastoral visit brings wholeness.<br />No program accomplishes the church's mission.<br />No set of goals and objectives includes everything.<br /><br />This is what we are about.<br />We plant the seeds that one day will grow.<br />We water seeds already planted,<br />knowing that they hold future promise.<br /><br />We lay foundations that will need further development.<br />We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.<br /><br />We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation<br />in realizing that. This enables us to do something,<br />and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,<br />but it is a beginning, a step along the way,<br />an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.<br /><br />We may never see the end results, but that is the difference<br />between the master builder and the worker.<br /><br />We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.<br />We are prophets of a future not our own.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-86651899814555457002014-03-27T07:33:00.001-07:002014-03-27T07:33:30.058-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
An excerpt from Henri Nouwen's <i>Show Me The Way: Readings
for each day of Lent</i>. This passage is from last Thursday, but I still
want to share it:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I, Yahweh, search the heart,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>test the motives,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>to give each person what his conduct<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>and his actions deserve.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>- Jer. 17:10<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is not so difficult to see that, in our particular world,
we all have a strong desire to accomplish something. Some of us think in terms
of great dramatic changes in the structure of our society. Others want at least
to build a house, write a book, invent a machine, or win a trophy. And some of
us seem to be content when we just do something worthwhile for someone. But
practically all of us think about ourselves in terms of our contribution to
life. And when we have become old, much of our feelings of happiness or sadness
depends on our evaluation of this part we played in giving shape ot our world
and its history...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we start being too impressed by the results of our work,
we slowly come to the erroneous conviction that life is one large scoreboard
where someone is listing the points to measure our worth. And before we are
fully aware of it, we have sold our soul to the many grade-givers. That means
we are not only in the world, but also of the world. Then we become what the
world makes us. We are intelligent because someone gives us a high grade. We
are helpful because someone says thanks. We are likable because someone likes
us. And we are important because someone considers us indispensable. In short,
we are worthwhile because we have successes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To live a Christian life means to live <i>in</i> the world
without being <i>of</i> it. It is in solitude that this inner freedom can
grow...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A life without a lonely place, that is, a life without a
quiet center, easily becomes destructive. When we cling to the results of our
actions as our only way of self-identification, then we become possessive and
defensive and tend to look at our fellow human beings more as enemies to be
kept at a distance than as friends with whom we share the gifts of life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In solitude we can slowly unmask the illusion of our
possessiveness and discover in the center of our own self that we are not what
we can conquer, but what is given to us. In solitude we can listen to the voice
of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we
could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could give love
to anyone. It is in this solitude that we discover that being is more important
than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts. In
solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended, but a
gift to be shared. It's there we recognize that the healing words we speak are
not just our own, but are given to us; that the love we can express is part of
a greater love; and that the new life we bring forth is not a property to cling
to, but a gift to be received.<br /><br />In solitude we become aware that our worth is not the same
as our usefulness.<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-60325468380967485842014-03-17T07:48:00.000-07:002014-03-17T07:49:54.002-07:00Clinging to Faithfulness<div class="MsoNormal">
The phone felt large and awkward in my hand. I could see his
lips moving as he talked to match the words coming through the line, and yet
the glass created such a tangible barrier. Even though he sat right before me I
would forget that we could make eye contact...or maybe it was just too awkward
for us. We only met ten minutes ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“...¿Tu familia nació en los Estados?” (Your family was born
in the U.S.?) <br />
“Sí.” (Yes)<br />
“Ah, puedes vivir tranquila, entonces. Qué bueno.” (Ah, you can live at ease,
then. How good.)<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Qué bueno. How good. The more he said that, the more
uncomfortable I felt. Everything I shared seemed to reflect my privileged life.
A life of freedom and security (or at least the illusion thereof). Gifts this
young man was longing for. Only 22, snatched at the border and whisked far away
to southern Georgia, where even fewer people spoke his native tongue, and he
has no idea if or when he will be released. Welcome to America, my friend.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a mixture of sorrow and gratitude in his
expression as we talked, a sense of quiet shame and defeat and the fatigue from
wondering how much longer. But there was also a spark of pleasant surprise at
my presence, this young visitor who showed up out of the blue, even if my life
looks quite different from his. Though conversation was slow, he seemed eager
to make the most of this unexpected visit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don't know the details of how he ended up here. We're not
permitted to ask, and he wasn't very forth-coming with info about his life in
general. He seemed more interested in hearing about life in Georgia outside the
walls of this prison – I mean, detention center.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Stewart Detention Center was not intended to be a place
of punishment. But looking at the place, how would one know the difference? The
building is surrounded by barbed wire, and it's as hard to get in as it is to
get out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The moments I feel dirty with privilege are the moments when I'm most
likely to doubt what I have to offer the world, as a person and as an artist.
The same day we visited SDC we viewed a documentary at Cafe Campesino on the
artist Winfred Rembert. Here's an artist who has something to say to the world,
a man who has faced unspeakable treatment because of the color of his skin and
now uses art as a way of telling his story. Me? I paint trees and flowers. The
thought strikes me that mine may not be the art the world needs to see, like
Rembert's, but that mine is for those in my immediate community, to bring life
to them. It's the personal connection that perhaps matters most in my role as
an artist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I continue to run back to my word for this season:
faithfulness. Faithfulness means showing up day after day, whether or not I
feel like it. Praying, painting, and striving for reconciliation whether or not
I see immediate results or growth, or any at all. Practicing presence. Putting
one foot in front of the other.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I
have the potential “luxury” as it were, to choose to be a full-time artist. But
my art must be “fed” by something. If I am fed by being in touch with the
earth, should my art not grow out of that? If I am fed by life in community,
should my art not grow out of that? I must find what feeds and sustains my
spirit, and my art will grow accordingly. Art cannot survive on its own any
more than raw talent can. It must be driven by something, and sustained by
effort and persistent work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
As an artist, Madeleine L'Engle's words encourage me: “It's all been said
better before. If I thought I had to say it better than anybody else, I'd never
start. Better or worse is immaterial. The thing is that it has to be said; by
me, ontologically. We each have to say it, to say it our own way. Not of our
own will, but as it comes out through us. Good or bad, great or little: that
isn't what human creation is about. It is that we have to try; to put it down
in pigment, or words, or musical notations, or we die.” (A Circle of Quiet)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As someone striving to follow Christ, Clarence Jordan's words
encourage me: “Faithfulness is of greater worth than success...Let us cling to
faithfulness as the one and only responsibility of Jesus – not to save the
world, not to save the church, not to usher in the Kingdom, but to be faithful,
as Jesus himself had been in the face of what seemed to be absolute failure.”
(Cotton Patch Evidence)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shortly after my visit to SDC, I stumbled upon an <a href="http://www.good.is/posts/how-i-tried-to-turn-prison-into-a-colorful-experience?utm_source=tdg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=title" target="_blank">article by a German artist</a> that brought me hope. He was given the
opportunity to paint the walls of a prison, which has served to uplift those
who come to visit incarcerated friends and relatives. If I could I would paint
murals all over SDC, to cover the walls of my lonely friend's cell, in hope
that my physical mark might somehow remind him of his humanity. At the very
least I can continue visiting, faithfully making contact with those our society
has rejected. And I can continue advocating, through prayer and contact with my
Congressmen, whether I see results or not, because I believe that this in
itself is an act of love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I pray that my detained friend finds hope and the support he
needs, that this time will at least give him space for valuable contemplation.
And I pray that privilege will not stand in the way of me doing something, even
though I cannot do everything.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-9404397651088901102014-01-07T11:12:00.000-08:002014-01-07T11:12:50.428-08:00Overwhelmed by HopeVisiting Houston five months out of Mission Year has been so hard and so beautiful. I am overcome with gratitude for the chance to spend a week here and be reunited with all seven of my teammates, not to mention so many other brothers and sisters I can't even count. I am most grateful for those who have spoken words of truth and encouragement into my life, who know me, see me, and recognize beauty in the life I am pursuing. Affirmation is so powerful! I am thankful for those who have had the courage to share and receive it. <br /><br />The hardest part about being back has been recognizing that I am no longer a participant in the daily rhythm of life here. I'm home, but also on the outside looking in again. On one hand, this has brought closure that I've been praying for. To see that life is going on just fine without me, as absurdly selfish as that sounds, causes my heart to rejoice and to ache. Our home campus is continuing to develop. I still feel a sense of ownership over “our house,” as our team was the first to live there, so it's bittersweet to see things changing, even if it is for the better, because I'm no longer part of the daily rhythm. <br /><br />I believe that community looks different for everyone. I also believe that daily presence is the key to community, to knowing and being known. I think community for me will continue to mean living with people. I value living with people because it facilitates intentionality. That's what's weird about being home (Rochester and Houston); it gets harder to pick up where we left off because our daily experiences are different and tricky to communicate. I'm still learning how to talk about Mission Year and Koinonia, but the best way to share it is for people to come and see, and I am so grateful for those who have made that effort. <br /><br />I see hope in the eyes of children I love. I see hope in homeless men dancing on the sidewalk to keep warm. I see hope in roofs installed over bus stops once exposed to blistering sun and rain. I hear hope in the exchanging of vows and songs we used to sing. I hear hope in the words, "Yes, Miss Tracy, I'm still making art." I feel hope in hugs and the warmth of the sunshine. Hope is abounding! <br /><br />Here's another beautiful post by Lindsay:<br /><a href="http://thegrandfarmventure.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/auld-lang-syne/">http://thegrandfarmventure.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/auld-lang-syne/</a><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-24652638251222006732013-12-29T09:54:00.001-08:002013-12-29T09:54:46.882-08:00Hospitality: A few reflections
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Welcome
is one of the signs that a community is alive. To invite others to
live with us is a sign that we aren't afraid, that we have a treasure
of truth and of peace to share.” (Jean Vanier)</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Hospitality
is a central component to the way of life at Koinonia., and, in
retrospect, was a greater aspect of Mission Year than I had realized.
As we've studied and lived out hospitality, I've been reflecting on
hospitality in the context of both Mission Year and Koinonia.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
believe that </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>recognizing
common humanity</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in one another is the essence of hospitality: </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Besides
sharing food and drink with someone, which is central to almost every
act of hospitality, the most important part of welcome is giving a
person our full attention...It means we view individuals as human
beings rather than as embodied needs or interruptions.” (Christine
Pohl, “Hospitality, a practice and a way of life”)</span></span></i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
Mission Year, it didn't occur to us until the end of the year to
encourage people to bring food to our community dinners, although
they often did. Offering a place for people to contribute creates a
space for relationships to develop. My favorite evenings were when
our neighbors taught us how to make something. It wasn't about us
serving them; it was about all of us coming together to share
fellowship and food as equals. I've seen how seeking to serve others
can ironically cultivate pride. If my service stems from privilege –
cultural, financial, social, etc. - it is crippled. The greatest
service we can do for others places us both on equal ground, which I
think begins to get to the heart of humility; recognizing and
responding to the image of God we see in others. Sometimes it takes
humility to offer service, and sometimes it takes humility to receive
service from others.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Koinonia
takes hospitality seriously. The Dining Hall is appropriately located
at the center of campus, and care is taken to prepare delicious,
hearty meals, good for the body and soul, for anyone and everyone on
campus that day. And Sunday night potlucks offer a chance for people
to literally bring their own contribution to the table. These are my
favorite moments because there is something deeply spiritual about
coming together to have our physical needs met. Plus, at each meal we read Scripture and pray together. At Koinonia, hospitality also means
giving people a place to stay, which we could not do during Mission
Year. And visitors are encouraged to step into our daily rhythm of
life and prayer, and to work alongside us, which is also beautiful.
More often than not, visitors jump at opportunities to contribute and
participate, which allows us to get to know each other on a deeper
level.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Hospitality
as a way of life: Faithfulness</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">“Because
hospitality is a way of life, it must be cultivated over a lifetime.
We do not become good at hospitality in an instant; we learn it in
small increments of daily faithfulness.” (Christine Pohl)</span></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />In
retrospect, I see how much hospitality during Mission Year challenged
and grew me. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The size of our campus and the number of
communities we were invested in meant BIG community dinners for our
Mission Year team. </span></span>There were times when I reached my social capacity
and had to bow out for the night. It was often my favorite night of
the week, but I could only handle it for so long. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span>Hospitality doesn't have to take the form of huge
community dinners and gatherings, but t</span></span>he image of the
Kingdom was so evident during those times: people of all backgrounds, ages, and faiths coming together to share food, music, and soccer at our very
own home! I treasure those memories. I deeply value that hospitality was something established
in our schedule; a habit we practiced every week; not just on Saturday nights but in our daily interactions with people as well, especially kids. And now I value
that hospitality is at the heart of daily life at Koinonia. I believe
cultivating hospitality over a lifetime means developing an attitude
of welcome toward people, whether that's in the context of a literal
home or simply in everyday interactions; “creating space for
someone to feel seen and heard and loved,” as Shauna Niequist puts
it.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To be continued :) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Latest newsletter:<br /><a class="inline-block" href="http://eepurl.com/LmfET" target="_blank">http://eepurl.com/LmfET</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-40792145569727424442013-12-03T17:27:00.002-08:002013-12-03T17:27:20.717-08:00Ora et Labora: A glimpse of the morning<br />6:42am. Alarm goes off. It's still dark out. Hit snooze. 6:46am. Alarm goes off again. Turn on the light and wake myself up with a shower. Put on some water for tea and make a breakfast of oatmeal with fresh milk and pecans that fell at our door. Reach for my Bible to read today's devotion passages. The tea kettle whistles and soon I am walking through the dew-drenched grass into the rising sun, steaming mug in hand. Red clay clings to my boots. Fresh light cuts through the majestic pecan orchards. My heart swells and I slow my pace to take it in. I enter into the sacred silence of the chapel. Two candles burn at the front and the community gradually fills the pews. We sit facing one another, as in a Quaker meeting I once attended. To me it's a reminder that we're all in this together. Readings aloud from the Old Testament prophets and Elizabeth starts us on a hymn or spiritual. Voices join in as we recognize or learn the song, most in unison, some in harmony. I love the harmonies. We stand for a reading from the Gospel and someone shares some thoughts and words of encouragement from the readings. We sing again and file out into a circle on the grass. The sun is now even brighter, illuminating the beautiful faces around the circle, and I stand where I can face it even though I must shield my eyes. Who can help but smile in the presence of such beauty? <br />I step into the day with a heart full of gratitude.<br /><br />“The unity of prayer and work, the unity of the day, is found because finding [God] behind the day’s work is what Paul means by his admonition to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). The prayer of the Christian reaches, therefore, beyond the time allocated to it and extends into the midst of the work. It surrounds the whole day, and in so doing, it does not hinder the work; it promotes work, affirms work, gives work great significance and joyfulness. Thus every word, every deed, every piece of work of the Christian becomes a prayer... “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:17).” Bonhoeffer, <i>Life Together</i><br /><br />(<i>Ora et labora</i> = Latin, "pray and work") <br /> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-61546088093808676922013-12-01T12:37:00.002-08:002013-12-01T12:37:45.763-08:00Guest Post: VanessaHad to share this poem by my fellow intern, Lindsay, about the day we went to the Prisoner Family Lunch:<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_720030057"><br /></a>
<a href="http://thegrandfarmventure.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/vanessa/">http://thegrandfarmventure.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/vanessa/</a><br />
<br />
Enjoy your weekend, friendsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-75154554414319928042013-11-24T13:02:00.000-08:002013-11-24T13:49:20.339-08:00“A tree brings glory to God by being a tree.” - Thomas MertonThe Glory of the Garden - Rudyard Kipling <br />
<br />
Then seek your job with thankfulness and work til further orders,<br />
If it's only netting strawberries or killing slugs on borders;<br />
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden,<br />
You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.<br />
Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees <br />
That half a proper garden's work is done upon his knees,<br />
So when your wok is finished, you can wash your hands and pray<br />
For the Glory of the Garden, that it may not pass away!<br />
And the Glory of the Garden, it shall not pass away! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2xCAU-7M1OBMOBlp62r0vN_HS1gRn_jHSPjDakn2qMUPx7Ofx9F237tJAYBxQDWal6d9zG_E4Wl_JuDtqlUk42DYoTCZxwX38YGDQz2q_X9wE93THvLU3fala1u0Ojeod41nXJikExg/s1600/koin4.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2xCAU-7M1OBMOBlp62r0vN_HS1gRn_jHSPjDakn2qMUPx7Ofx9F237tJAYBxQDWal6d9zG_E4Wl_JuDtqlUk42DYoTCZxwX38YGDQz2q_X9wE93THvLU3fala1u0Ojeod41nXJikExg/s320/koin4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
“In the West we have a tendency to be profit-oriented, where everything is measured according to the results and we get caught up in being more and more active to generate results. In the East – especially in India – I find that people are more content to just be, to just sit around under a banyan tree for half a day chatting to each other. We Westerners would probably call that wasting time. But there is value to it. Being with someone, listening without a clock and without anticipation of results, teaches us about love. The success of love is in the loving – it is not in the result of loving.” - Mother Teresa<br />
<br /> “Behold a tree. Does it not speak to us thusly: 'Don't you see that God is not working Himself into a frenzy in me? I am calmly, quietly, silently pouring forth my life and bringing forth fruit. Do thou likewise.'” - Clarence Jordan Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-68992047583480444242013-11-17T09:50:00.002-08:002013-11-17T09:50:50.157-08:00 23<br />A prime number; indivisible, red-orange and blue, <br />No longer palandrome, no longer even.<br />Impatient, eager to make it to 24, purple-ish-blue, <br />divisible by 8 and 4 and 3 and 6 and 12 and 2... <br />a satisfying measurement for the rhythm of our days.<br />Until then I'm 23, an awkward leap,<br />caught between 22 and 24.<br />22, the most transformative year of my life.<br />...23 has a lot to live up to.<br />People jokingly ask, do you feel older? <br />Well, actually, this time I do.<br /><br /><br />Transition from Mission Year is hard. Honestly, I'm not used to missing things so much. And I've been hard on myself for missing it as much as I do sometimes, because I fear it will keep me from being present where I am. And I've hesitated to write about it or talk about it at times because I don't want to sound whiny and wistful. But missing Mission Year doesn't mean I can't be (or am not) content where I am. And when I pause and think through what it is I miss about Mission Year, it helps.<br /><br />Abi wrote in the post I posted last post:<br /><br /><i>"It’s hard to explain why such a beautiful, wonderful experience can still feel so much like a war we survived. I guess it’s just the classic story of growth–there’s the painful pruning that precedes new growth. But we experienced spiritual grooming and growth at an unnatural rate. Under such strange and unique circumstances, we went through more of a blender than a gentle pruning. The result was huge transformation with a great deal of pain alongside it. My time in Houston was an emotional workout and my muscles are still very sore from it."</i><br /><br />My fellow intern Carmen and I recently compared our Mission Year and Americorps experiences. We noticed how, in both of our experiences, what made such an impact on us was the type of bonds we formed with our teammates in going through something so intense together. We formed strong bonds very quickly, not just because we were living in community, but because of what we were learning and experiencing and seeking together daily.<br /><br />That's why Abi compares our experience to a war - not to sound dramatic, but because what we went through together was hard and is also difficult to communicate to those who didn't experience it with us. In the midst of Mission Year, when everyone else seemed to be saying "Yes, this is hard!" I heard myself saying, "Well, I don't think of it as hard most of the time. In fact, I really love it." And I did love it. So much. But I think it was also harder sometimes than I even realized at the time. What we did was hard! I look back now and wonder how we made it. All the demands on our time, physical energy, emotional energy, social energy...the irony of Mission Year is that we learn about sustainability in the context of a lifestyle that, in itself, is ultimately unsustainable. It is unrealistic to think I could live a program like that my whole life, as much as I deeply regret its ending. It was right and beautiful for a season. <br /><br />When people ask me what is was about Mission Year that touched me so much, I think of my teammates first because they were alongside me through it all. So many tears, laughter, and sweat. What my heart aches for most now is those daily relationships - we saw the best and worst of each other and were committed to loving each other through it. Here at Koinonia, community has a different flavor. Relationships develop more gradually. There's more space to choose which people I want to get to know more. There's not the same push for intentional relationships. Granted, we seem to do a great job at intentionally hanging out together, and I love that. But it's still different. I wonder what that means for my life. I wonder if relationships like that are truly possible again, and what the cost might be for such beauty.<br /><br />A couple days ago I received a letter...from myself. In the final week of Mission Year we wrote to ourselves 3 months into the future. I've decided to share what I wrote:<br /><br />7/24/13<br />Hey there, Tracy Lou<br />You've done a lot this year. Don't forget that the Father is proud of you. He has so carefully carried you this far and He is surely guiding your steps now. I wonder where you are...Koinonia, Rochester, Houston, somewhere totally unexpected...Remember you never saw Houston coming, but it has been so good. You have a clearer picture now of what you desire in life – intentional community, art – are you living out those things? Do you have too much on your plate? Are you saying yes only to what the Lord has in mind for you? Remember that it's okay to say no. This year you've learned a lot about your limits. I pray that you'll be sensitive to what those are and practice confidence in communicating those limits to those around you when necessary. Remember that you are beloved. Your worth is not measured by how much you can accomplish. You are so beautiful just as you are! He delights in you, His child, Daughter of the Most High King, who has done nothing to earn His love. Remember to keep in touch with your teammates and encourage them. You are always family now, and they are there to support you and want to hear from you. Remember to stay in touch with the kids at Fletcher. They miss you. You'll never know in this life the impact you had on their lives. Someone will think of you every day when they see that mural. Remember the symbolism that inspired that mural. Re-read your blog post on Sergio. Send him another box of crayons. Are you practicing the Sabbath? I hope you are. You need to find space for rest in your weekly rhythm, at any rate. Space for the Examen. Don't let life rush by. Take it steady. Is life too fast-paced? Be honest with yourself and redirect your course if needed. Remember that God is faithful to answer prayer. Dare to be specific in how you desire Him to answer you. Be in the Word. How are you practicing justice in your daily life? I fear that maybe some weeds of cynicism have sprung up in your heart, so check with the Lord to see how that's going. Wow, you'll be an aunt by the time you get this. Well, we're getting ready to head out. Don't forget to take iron and calcium, and I'll see you in a bit :P<br />Grace and peace, <br />Tracy<br /><br />And here's a link to my latest newsletter: <br /><a href="http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=abce379ebb&id=7313e17907">http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=abce379ebb&id=7313e17907</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694106035467514109.post-6969484344724622802013-11-08T14:51:00.001-08:002013-11-08T14:51:17.284-08:00Guest Post: It happened.My dear Mission Year teammate Abi wrote a post that "sums up" our Mission Year experience and transition in a way that resonates with me deeply. I am so thankful for her gift of articulating things! Had to share this:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://abigailyork.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/it-happened/">http://abigailyork.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/it-happened/</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0