Today was an interesting day. I spent the afternoon going on a hike and the evening mourning the death of victims of some recent homicides.
Cut to this evening. I meet with a group on Tuesday nights called Access which is dedicated to spiritual formation and engaging in poverty. There have recently been some people on the periphery of our group who have been the victims of homicide. Tonight we gathered to mourn these deaths and to reclaim the places of tragedy as places of peace. It was a very powerful evening for me.
We gathered outside the Denver Rescue Mission and stated that we recognized that somebody was killed here and that this was a moment of injustice and a failure of peace. We stated as a group that we were reclaiming this spot as a place for peace and justice and would do our best to bring Jesus to this city, and to this place, so that these things do not happen as much.
As I stood in this location in the middle of the city of Denver so much made sense to me. I felt like if Jesus were here today (and please don't say "Jesus is everywhere") I mean if He was walking around in Denver today, I feel like He would have been there. Right by all of the drug addicts, where people were being killed, where women are prostituting themselves, etc...
It was interesting to contrast this with how I spent my morning hiking. I love seeing God in nature and wondering what He was thinking when He created that mountain, how he came up with the color blue for the sky, are there other spots in nature that God created that no person will ever touch?
But when I was in the city is where I felt Jesus. That's where Jesus is. At the end of the day I came up with the thought that God shows us beauty and we can worship Him in all of His creation, but Jesus came here to show us how to live. It's great to go see God in nature, but Jesus would probably be hanging out in the city most of the time.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Bin Laden
Lots of emotions right now. I don't expect to win over everybody with what I am going to write. As soon as the death of Osama Bin Laden was announced I felt very strange. As I watched people celebrate in the streets of DC (on the news) something didn't feel right.
Celebrating the fact that somebody was killed just doesn't seem like something Jesus would have us do.
I think what I found most interesting was the fact that we were so thankful that no Americans were harmed in this operation. I don't think that God looks at Americans and is happy that they survived any more than He is happy when somebody from Saudi Arabia or anywhere else lives to see another day. We are all people of God. There is no American or Pakistani. There is only those that God loves.
I stole this piece of scripture from Megan Duhon's facebook.
Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn't it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right - really living? -Ezekiel 18:23
And this piece from Richard Doe's
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.” Proverbs 24:17
It sucks when somebody is killed. My heart hurts right now.
One thing I do want to add is that I am very happy to see that more people are reacting negatively to the celebration of this death than positively.
Celebrating the fact that somebody was killed just doesn't seem like something Jesus would have us do.
I think what I found most interesting was the fact that we were so thankful that no Americans were harmed in this operation. I don't think that God looks at Americans and is happy that they survived any more than He is happy when somebody from Saudi Arabia or anywhere else lives to see another day. We are all people of God. There is no American or Pakistani. There is only those that God loves.
I stole this piece of scripture from Megan Duhon's facebook.
Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn't it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right - really living? -Ezekiel 18:23
And this piece from Richard Doe's
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.” Proverbs 24:17
It sucks when somebody is killed. My heart hurts right now.
One thing I do want to add is that I am very happy to see that more people are reacting negatively to the celebration of this death than positively.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
So I wrote a song
A few days ago I wrote a song. But first, some back story...
About a year ago my cousin was involved in a very serious DUI accident. The past year has been rough on him and my family and he has been facing time in prison.
On April 20, I was thinking a lot about the situation. I was thinking how hard this has been on my aunt to watch her son go through this process and I decided to write a song about it. Later that day my mom called me with some bad news and told me that my cousin had been sentenced to 3-6 years on that day. I hadn't really kept up much with the process to be honest and had no idea that he would even be going to court that day.
It is truly amazing to see that God put that in my heart during one of the hardest days of my aunt's life. I'm usually the first person to write something off as a coincident but if this isn't proof that God is looking over us in times of need, I'm not sure what is.
I decided that I would make a quick video of the song to send to my aunt to try and comfort her. You can see it here.
About a year ago my cousin was involved in a very serious DUI accident. The past year has been rough on him and my family and he has been facing time in prison.
On April 20, I was thinking a lot about the situation. I was thinking how hard this has been on my aunt to watch her son go through this process and I decided to write a song about it. Later that day my mom called me with some bad news and told me that my cousin had been sentenced to 3-6 years on that day. I hadn't really kept up much with the process to be honest and had no idea that he would even be going to court that day.
It is truly amazing to see that God put that in my heart during one of the hardest days of my aunt's life. I'm usually the first person to write something off as a coincident but if this isn't proof that God is looking over us in times of need, I'm not sure what is.
I decided that I would make a quick video of the song to send to my aunt to try and comfort her. You can see it here.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Heaven might hurt a bit...
Yes, I am still reading Love Wins which is making me write all this stuff. None the less, here we go again.
We talk about Heaven as if we will be so much different when we get there. We say, "When you get to Heaven, you won't care about that." I pray that being in the presence of all that is good, true, and love will make me no longer long for what is rich, lust, and full of worldly pleasure. But what if that's not the case? What if you don't have a change of heart right when you die? What if you die and still feel exactly the same except you are not faced 100 percent with the your evil and selfish self?
If that were the case, Heaven would probably be more painful than joyful. But isn't being real always better than being fake? Think about when you have repressed pain. Once you finally embrace the pain and have that real hard cry, you know the one that Dane Cook talks about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVrW3zat2To (not for the faint hearted), it feels good. Yes, your heart hurts, but it's like being able to see for the first time. There is a birth to your healing which comes at the death of your denial.
Jesus allows us to die now. We can birth our healing at the moment we let the pain die. If we still love choosing ourselves right now, why would we suddenly no longer want to constantly satisfy ourselves after we die? Might as well start preparing now, because Heaven could be a very rude awakening.
We talk about Heaven as if we will be so much different when we get there. We say, "When you get to Heaven, you won't care about that." I pray that being in the presence of all that is good, true, and love will make me no longer long for what is rich, lust, and full of worldly pleasure. But what if that's not the case? What if you don't have a change of heart right when you die? What if you die and still feel exactly the same except you are not faced 100 percent with the your evil and selfish self?
If that were the case, Heaven would probably be more painful than joyful. But isn't being real always better than being fake? Think about when you have repressed pain. Once you finally embrace the pain and have that real hard cry, you know the one that Dane Cook talks about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVrW3zat2To (not for the faint hearted), it feels good. Yes, your heart hurts, but it's like being able to see for the first time. There is a birth to your healing which comes at the death of your denial.
Jesus allows us to die now. We can birth our healing at the moment we let the pain die. If we still love choosing ourselves right now, why would we suddenly no longer want to constantly satisfy ourselves after we die? Might as well start preparing now, because Heaven could be a very rude awakening.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Eternity Can Begin Now
The Perry Bible Fellowship is a hilarious online comic. The fact that they have the word Bible in their name and this comic is about Heaven is purely coincidental as religion is rarely a theme in their comics.
I am currently reading "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. The recent chapter on Heaven has had me asking serious questions already. I think that I will have to read this book twice in order to really grasp all of the concepts. But as I was reading the book last night, I remembered this comic. It still makes me laugh but I think there is a ton of truth to this comic.
We have this idea that Heaven is a far away floaty place where things don't exist there as they do on Earth. Is there really no billiards table in Heaven? Do people play the piano in Heaven or do we only play harps? Can I play basketball in Heaven? I like basketball, I want to keep playing it even after I die. If God responded to me, "Do you really need to play basketball?" I would probably mutter, "this sucks."
Does Heaven begin here and now? Does Hell begin here and now? Do we still have to work in Heaven? Where did we come up with the concept that we suddenly know everything once we get to Heaven? Where did we come up with the concept that we don't care about certain things once we get to Heaven (such as why people we love might not be there, how the Earth came into existence)? Do we still eat in Heaven? Do we sleep in Heaven? God created those things to be pleasing, I feel like we would still do those things. If we do eat in Heaven can you eat food that is terrible for you?
I don't necessarily have answers to these questions. But I do like to ask them.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Maricela
*Break from the story to tell this one*
Yesterday my roommate came home declaring that he had seen a “Bum Shift Change” earlier that day. The story he proceeded to tell me only confirmed what I thought this meant. He had seen a dude standing on a street corner holding a sign that says “Anything Helps.” A white truck then pulled up, another dude got out of the car and they exchanged the sign for the keys. The previous guy on the corner then drove off in the car and the dude who had pulled up was now holding a sign saying “Anything Helps.”
We hear a lot of stories about the needy just looking for free hand outs or not really wanting to help themselves. And to be honest, I haven’t yet decided where I stand on the issue of handing out money to people. Brian Fikkert says that when we give money to those on the streets we are just enabling bad habits, which I agree with. However, Shane Claibourne says that when it comes to people asking for money, we should error on the side of grace rather than the side of judgement and that we don’t ask car salesmen what they are going to be spending their money on, which I also agree with. At this time, I have no resolve for the discussed problem, but I do have a short story!
This is Maricela (yes I did creepily take this picture this morning on my phone while pretending to text). She stands at the corner of 15th and Court and sells breakfast burritos every morning. They cost $2.50 and come with with egg, cheese, potato, and your choice of meat. She is always smiling and happy to take your order (even though from the time you order to the time you are eating the burrito is about 30 seconds).
It is obvious that Maricela does not have much money, but she is doing something about it. Perhaps it might be difficult for her to get a job in an office making a lot of money but she understands that making some money every morning is better than nothing. Honestly, she’s probably making more an hour then I am at the rate she sells these things. I think she is in the middle of a transaction every time I walk by. But she’s not asking for any handouts. People need breakfast every morning and the biggest reason I buy burritos from her is because it’s fast and easy. And she treats her customers with love. She knows that I always get egg, cheese, and potato with a strip of green chili sauce inside. She remembers me every day and says hi to me whether I buy a burrito or not. She doesn’t remember my name but some people at work still call me Colton, so I don’t fault her for that.
Take note of the people you encounter throughout the day who are trying to make it for themselves. And if you work downtown, you should try to make it by 15th and Court for a breakfast burrito. I’ve grown quite fond of them!
We hear a lot of stories about the needy just looking for free hand outs or not really wanting to help themselves. And to be honest, I haven’t yet decided where I stand on the issue of handing out money to people. Brian Fikkert says that when we give money to those on the streets we are just enabling bad habits, which I agree with. However, Shane Claibourne says that when it comes to people asking for money, we should error on the side of grace rather than the side of judgement and that we don’t ask car salesmen what they are going to be spending their money on, which I also agree with. At this time, I have no resolve for the discussed problem, but I do have a short story!
This is Maricela (yes I did creepily take this picture this morning on my phone while pretending to text). She stands at the corner of 15th and Court and sells breakfast burritos every morning. They cost $2.50 and come with with egg, cheese, potato, and your choice of meat. She is always smiling and happy to take your order (even though from the time you order to the time you are eating the burrito is about 30 seconds).
It is obvious that Maricela does not have much money, but she is doing something about it. Perhaps it might be difficult for her to get a job in an office making a lot of money but she understands that making some money every morning is better than nothing. Honestly, she’s probably making more an hour then I am at the rate she sells these things. I think she is in the middle of a transaction every time I walk by. But she’s not asking for any handouts. People need breakfast every morning and the biggest reason I buy burritos from her is because it’s fast and easy. And she treats her customers with love. She knows that I always get egg, cheese, and potato with a strip of green chili sauce inside. She remembers me every day and says hi to me whether I buy a burrito or not. She doesn’t remember my name but some people at work still call me Colton, so I don’t fault her for that.
Take note of the people you encounter throughout the day who are trying to make it for themselves. And if you work downtown, you should try to make it by 15th and Court for a breakfast burrito. I’ve grown quite fond of them!
Monday, February 14, 2011
But I want to be on THAT mountain
A good friend once gave me an analogy when it comes to learning and growing. So, imagine that you are standing on a mountain and it has a really great view. You look out around and see the beautiful sunset and realize how great it is to be on the mountain and how you can see so much more then you could before, when you were at the base of the mountain. But then you notice behind you is a mountain that is pretty close by and it’s even bigger! So you think, “Wow, if the view is so great from up here, I bet the view will be even better up there.”
So you decide that you want to go stand on the bigger mountain. However, the only way to get to this mountain is to climb down the mountain that you are already standing on. So you begin to make your way down the mountain, which often times climbing down a mountain can be harder than climbing up (I am always much more likely to slip). With each step you take down the mountain you sacrifice some of the view that you once had. The more you descend the more beauty you sacrifice until you get to the bottom where you can hardly see anything.
And then you have to climb all the way up the other mountain. You know that it’s going to be better than the previous mountain, which is probably your only motivation to keep climbing. Although you also probably wonder why you ever got off the initial mountain in the first place. The previous view was fine and you would much rather be enjoying your time there than having to trek up this other mountain. But once you get to the top of this mountain you can see even better then before. It’s even more beautiful and you wonder why you wasted so much time on that other mountain. But you couldn’t have gotten to the tip of this mountain without climbing down the other one and then climbing up this one.
Sometimes in order to learn or grow, we must first unlearn what we already knew or break down what was previously there, in order to start something new. Is it possible that the way you have looked at everything before was wrong? You’ll never know unless you begin to take the things that you know, uproot them, and call them into question.
I tell this story because this is relevant in my life…I’ll explain the next time I write.
So you decide that you want to go stand on the bigger mountain. However, the only way to get to this mountain is to climb down the mountain that you are already standing on. So you begin to make your way down the mountain, which often times climbing down a mountain can be harder than climbing up (I am always much more likely to slip). With each step you take down the mountain you sacrifice some of the view that you once had. The more you descend the more beauty you sacrifice until you get to the bottom where you can hardly see anything.
And then you have to climb all the way up the other mountain. You know that it’s going to be better than the previous mountain, which is probably your only motivation to keep climbing. Although you also probably wonder why you ever got off the initial mountain in the first place. The previous view was fine and you would much rather be enjoying your time there than having to trek up this other mountain. But once you get to the top of this mountain you can see even better then before. It’s even more beautiful and you wonder why you wasted so much time on that other mountain. But you couldn’t have gotten to the tip of this mountain without climbing down the other one and then climbing up this one.
Sometimes in order to learn or grow, we must first unlearn what we already knew or break down what was previously there, in order to start something new. Is it possible that the way you have looked at everything before was wrong? You’ll never know unless you begin to take the things that you know, uproot them, and call them into question.
I tell this story because this is relevant in my life…I’ll explain the next time I write.
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