Half Price Hillary

I’m stopping through DC tonight on my way home from Germany. The DC airport is always interesting because you see signs all around of what’s going on in politics. Here’s what I saw tonight at one of the stores. Not a good sign for the Hillary camp.

-Russ

Light and Salt in Burma

My apologies for not writing this blog entry sooner. We have all heard about the terrible devastations occurring around the world in the past few weeks: food shortages, cyclones, earthquakes. There is potential for us to feel overwhelmed by the suffering and to do nothing, paralyzed by the sheer numbers and depth of loss. But Jesus tells us a different story, that he has “overcome the world” along with its suffering and loss. Even though we can only see that victory through a blurry window at the moment we choose to believe Jesus’ perspective, his story.

So please join us in taking action on behalf of those suffering. Rebecca and I know the good people at Partners Relief and Development and recommend them to you as a group of Christ-followers who know the situation on the ground in Burma. These guys are connected and ready to put your donation to work in Burma. This is our time to BE the church we claim to be. Visit their site here. Here’s their latest update:

As the world waits for the junta to allow more workers and supplies into the country, the toll on the people of Burma continues to mount. One woman in the town of Bogalay expressed the sense of despair, saying she has nothing left, and that she is totally dependent on the monastery where she is seeking refuge. Sadly her story is repeated all over the region.

One survivor in Labutta said that around 80 per cent of the people in his village were killed, including his family (his wife and two children). Again another woman shared that everyone in her family, including her brothers and sisters and their families, were taken by the devastating storm surge. These stories are just a drop in the ocean of despair across Burma’s delta region.

In spite of the regime’s blockades, we have partnered with our coworkers in the delta region. Already a truck loaded with supplies including 7 tons of rice and grain along with 100 rolls of plastic to serve as temporary shelter has made the overland trip to Rangoon for distribution. Further supplies are being purchased from within Burma for direct distribution to the people who need it, while we are also arranging the delivery of water purification systems, medical aid, and people to be on the ground as ministers of love and healing.

-Russ

Random Wednesday

It is time for the Democratic race to be over with.  Let’s get on with it people!

I have spent the past two days researching the global food crisis.  Thus, I have decided to stop complaining about my Breyer’s ice cream that went from $2.88 to $4.27.

Russ wrote his last post while we were in California last week.  Our good friend, Sean, sat a few feet from him while he wrote it.  Then Sean got a notification that Russ had posted a new blog and proceeded to comment on said blog.  What happened to good old-fashioned conversation??  (j/k guys - I know you had plenty of that too.)

Was anyone else as surprised as I was that the contestants on American Idol sang Shout to the Lord a few weeks back?

Rebecca

Praying for Enemies

I learned a lot about life in 1991, though I didn’t know it at the time. Lance was my roommate that year, my freshman year at university on the windy side of Texas. Our country was in the middle of the transition from Operation Desert Shield to Operation Desert Storm. Suddenly the little country of Kuwait was our national focal point, our protectorate. SCUD missile reports, Patriot missile defense systems and images of burning oil rigs were our daily diet. “Smart bomb” video images were our nightly entertainment as we fooled ourselves into believing that no Iraqi civilians were being harmed (sources say somewhere between 2,000 – 3,500 civilians were killed). And in the midst of all of this, looking back, I did not care. I did not care at all.

But Lance… Lance cared. I clearly remember the concern on his face as he discussed the conflict. Lance was a college boy like me but he seemed to understand that this war had far-reaching consequences (we didn’t know just how far-reaching at the time) and it disturbed him deeply… like in his soul. At the time I really thought he was blowing it all out of proportion. Why was he so worked up about a war so far away? His response was pretty simple: he was a Christ-follower.

My views on peace and war have changed dramatically since 1991. So much has happened to us, to our friends, to our enemies and to those in the margins. A few years down the road I understand better how “shields” often turn into “storms” which turn into “shock and awe.” And that’s the way it goes: aggression, defense, escalation, retribution, aggression. Every nation is susceptible to this cycle, the hungry animal of war and violence.

Jesus knew the cycle well and he drew that animal out in the open where we could all see it clearly for what it really is, suicide. The powers and authorities of his day played their role well. But Jesus, instead of reacting on queue with retribution (the whole 10,000 angels thing) he answered simply with this, “Father, forgive them because they’re ignorant.” (my paraphrase). And in that moment Jesus was the first of a new sort of person who followed a new code, a code he prophesied a few years earlier when he said to love your enemies and pray for them. Soon after that a guy named Stephen did the same thing. Pioneers of a new way that Jesus called his Kingdom.

I do not aspire to be a martyr, not at all. But I do know I should pray for and love my enemies no matter where they happen to have been born (Jesus’ term was “neighbor”). And I think most of us can get our arms around this idea no matter what our political leanings. Next month our country may name a new group of “bad guys” and we can pray for them too I guess. But we should pray and love. And in time we may even care about wars far away as much as we care about our own families. And as Christ-followers we can begin to care less about flags and more about real people who have been made in the image of the same God. Thanks, Lance.

-Russ

A Weepies Earth Day

Happy Earth Day everyone! I have always found it fascinating that scientists could pinpoint the exact birthday of Earth. Amazing.

I’ve got just the right music for celebrating Earth Day. The Weepies new album is released today and you can listen to it for free this week at iLike.com. Check it out and enjoy the tunes. And do something good for the planet today (and tomorrow)… it’s the only one we’ve been given.

PS: I’m working on my “Summer Tunes” blog post. Let me know if you have any recommendations that should be included.

-Russ

New X-Files Movie

Finally, something good at the theater. The new X-Files movie title was revealed today (arriving in cinemas July 25). It is aptly named…

Economies of Rice

Last Thursday we ran out of rice at our house. So on Saturday I went to the Asian grocery store and got my regular 25-pound bag of jasmine rice. I went to the shelf, looked for the right kind, put it in my cart, briefly noticed that it cost about $12 and brought it home. That night we enjoyed a wonderful Thai dinner and plenty of rice. Meanwhile, all hell is breaking loose in Haiti (the poorest country in the hemisphere) because the people cannot afford rice. After extensive violence and rioting due to the people’s desire not to starve, the president did announce plans to reduce the price of a 50-pound bag of rice from $51 to $43 . . . this reduction might (might for some, might not for others) mean the difference between eating and going hungry for the majority of that country’s population who live on less than $2 a day. But even with that reduction the poorest of the poor (at least in my area of the world) who live on the equivalent of what I pay at Sonic for a drink have to pay almost double what I pay for the same product and they’re going hungry at night because they don’t have enough money. What is wrong with this picture?

- Rebecca

The Best in Texas

Congratulation to Southlake Carroll’s girls soccer team on winning the 5A Texas state championships. Why would I mention this? Because Rebecca’s brother, Paul, is one of their coaches. Paul, great job! Southlake won their final game of the tournament over Plano East, 2-1. In the closing minutes of the game Plano took a final desperation shot but were denied by Southlake’s goalie. Paul is the goalie coach. Ergo, Paul basically won the game in a leadership sorta way.

The only downside is that Paul made a bet with the team that if they won state, they could shave his head. I’ll try to get my hands on some pictures.

-Russ

Under the Mosquito Nets

Something really weird happens when you become a “professional” Christian. I was one of those for two years. I don’t mean to trivialize what it means to be a full-time minister, it is not an easy road and should be respected. But when someone follows a calling to serve God full-time and becomes paid by the flock (or whatever church or churches are involved) it can change your perspective on things. For me, it made me a bit more careful. The downside was that I couldn’t always express some of the feelings that were going on deep inside. What would my mission supporters think if I discussed how much I dreaded some of my duties? If you gave money to a guy on the other side of the world, would you want to read about his doubts, lack of faith and struggles? Not every minister deals with transparency issues, but for me it was a problem. In some ways it still is.

That’s why I absolutely respect the way Kyle approaches his ministry and blog. Kyle and I met in Bangkok a couple of years back while attending a missions conference. I’ve referred you to his site before but let me recommend it again. His latest post chronicles their recent return to Thailand and the stark contrast between the affluence of the US and the realities of sleeping on a wood slat floor under the mosquito nets in northern Thailand. Enjoy.

-Russ

Newworldson in Concert

A fringe benefit of being involved with Compassion International is access to bands and various musicians. The Christian music industry has long been one of Compassion’s key methods of raising awareness regarding global poverty and injustice. Last week in Canada I had the privilege of sitting down with Geoff Moore, an accomplish Nashville artist, and learning more about his experience adopting from China. One of the newest bands to carry the message of Compassion is Newworldson (I mentioned these guys in a post last year). These guys are on fire. Wednesday night Newworldson treated us to a private concert at this cool little venue in London, Ontario. Fantastic. I checked their web site and found out they played my alma mater (ACU) in March so maybe some of you were able to see them at that performance (Derran, I hope you caught that show!). If not, be sure to check them out here and get into their sound. -Russ