Category: take action

politics, social justice and ways you can make a difference in the world around you.

Responding to e-mails

Every couple weeks or so I get e-mails from folks that often go against many things I believe.

I’m not sure why they send them to me. Perhaps they think I agree with them, or perhaps they’re hoping to sway me to their side.

And while I hate seeing those messages in my inbox, for some reason, I always feel like I have to respond, I need to respond — at least once. I know it won’t sway their opinion but for some reason I can’t bring myself to simply deleting them and ignoring them.

This morning I received another one of those e-mails.

Gun control

The e-mail was entitled “Why I carry a gun.” With a list of reasons for owning one mixed in with the following images attached:

Here’s my response to the e-mail. For regular readers of my blog, it may not be anything new. But what do you think? Do you respond to e-mail propaganda (from either side)? Do you simply hit delete?

I hope my responses never come across as accusatory or judgmental (I’m sure they may to those who view things differently). But what do you think?

It’s obvious we see this differently. But since you sent your thoughts, here are mine.

“I’m a pacifist because I’m a violent son of a bitch.” – Stanley Hauerwas

As a follower of Christ, I must embrace non-violence because I am, by nature, violent.

I am sinful so I must embrace virtue.

To be more specific…

I lust after women who are not my wife, so I must embrace monogamy.

I covet your cell phone and your neighborhood and your jeans, so I must embrace simplicity.

I lie to get a laugh or make my life easier, so I must embrace honesty.

I think I’m smarter than you, so I must embrace humility.

I need to be in control, so I must embrace submission.

I’m a loner, so I must embrace community.

I want to ruin your name, so I must embrace forgiveness.

I want to be served, so I must embrace service.

And I want to harm when I’m harmed, so I must embrace non-violence.

– Shaun Groves

And here’s a semi-related story told by Dr. Tony Campolo:

During World War II, a group of Bulgarian Jews are rounded up at a train station to be taken off to Auschwitz. Yet,despite Bulgaria’s alliance with Germany in World War II, the leader of the Orthodox church in Bulgaria comes walking up to a train station in the middle of the night. The leader of the church is followed by 300 members of his church.

He walks to the fenced in area where the Jews are being kept and the guards tell him, “Father you’re not allowed in there.” He laughs and brushes their machine guns aside as he walks into the gated area. The Jews gathered around him, waiting to see what the Christian leader in Bulgaria would say in their moment of despair.

As they cried and begged for help the leader of the Bulgarian church quoted a simple verse from Ruth.

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16)

The Jews cheered. The Christians outside the fenced in area cheered. The noise became so loud that it woke up everyone in the community and they came to the train station and heard the news. Quickly the hundreds grew to thousands.

The Nazi soldiers suddenly realized there was no way they could overcome everyone there. There was no way they’d be able to get away with carting off the Jews to the concentration camps. The train left a short time later with none of the Jews on board and never returned again. And after that point, no Jews from Bulgaria were taken to a concentration camp of any sort.

“Because the Church of Jesus Christ boldly stood up and said we’re not going to kill the enemy, we’re going to identify with the suffering and suffer with them. This is Jesus’ way.”

And finally,
With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” – Matthew 26:51-54

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
 – Psalm 20:7

There’s a war going on for your mind

Love Flobots and love this style of video…

d9studios, who’s majoring in motion design, did this for an ethics class.

There’s a war going on for your mind – if you’re thinking – you’re winning.

HT to Colleen for the video.

Rest in Peace ScrapIron

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A couple years ago, we met ScrapIron on the street near the Austin Street Shelter. He was a joy to be around and always carried an harmonica or two with him and was always more than willing to share the music that rang through his soul.

I was lucky enough to get him playing his rendition of Amazing Grace on the harmonica on video (see below). Since our first meeting I’ve run into ScrapIron a couple different times either near Austin Street or where he was hanging out under the bridges around downtown Dallas – he was always high spirited and rarely complained about the hand he’d been dealt.

It was through a comment on that that original video (on YouTube) that I got word today that ScrapIron passed away yesterday.

Hal Samples, who’s had a lot more contact with ScrapIron recently, and even helped him see several dreams come true passed along the heads-up.

Hal wrote in December ::

He was really sick a couple of weeks ago and Keith took him to Baylor. They said that he had an infection in his lungs and gave him meds and released him within three hours. Three days later… he wasn’t able to breathe and was taken to Parkland. They did routine surgery to allow his lungs to drain and under the knife he lost his heart rate. Today he has brain damage and the hospital is looking to release him to a nursing home hospice situation.

Today Hall writes ::

Keith sent me the message this morning that Scrapiron passed yesterday. This is a sorry deal too. Ford was a great man… and a good friend…. a real artist and amazing soul. He has no family other than his brother… and there is no money for funeral set aside… it’s really shitty this whole deal has me angry…sad… fearful… and pissed… and grateful… all of it.
We want to have a memorial of some sort… I just need to get sorted.
Stay tuned…
We are making arrangements for a memorial to be had in SPACE (TBA) in hopes to raise the resources needed for a proper burial.

I agree with his sentiment. And it bothers me that there are thousands of people just like him who don’t get a chance to make an impact on someone else’s lives – only because we refuse to take the time to let them.

How many others are out there just like ScrapIron? Or just like John, or Marco and Cherese, or Mark?

How many stories are out there just waiting to be shared and listened to?

Watch more videos from Hal.

Helping a neighbor

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I’m amazed at the growing number of stories I continue hearing about people hurting financially. Recession or not, people are struggling. I’m not always able to help, like I want but I want to do more to share their stories and to find ways to help those who are able to help – to help.

Sometimes their needs might be financial, sometimes it might be warm clothes or a hot meal but I want to do what I can to share their stories when I can. Other times, it may be folks doing God’s amazing work around the world that can use a helping hand.

You’ll notice on the top of the sidebar a new “feature” that will highlight the latest way you can help others.

As Clive Parnell will mention on this week’s podcast, “We become so very isolated. As Christians we need to be about others. We need to be finding ways to reach out to others” (loosely quoted).

Today I got a text message and voice mail about a family living in Waxahachie in a mobile home. A family of seven (parents and five children) are living in a single-wide home with no electricity, no water and about to get behind on their rent. My friend took them three boxes of groceries today and found out they’re $930 behind on their bills.

So far my friend has been able to get $600 for them! God’s working quickly! I’m hoping folks will be able to help out and raise the remaining $330 in the next day or so and then we can go to work helping the family even further.

Let me know if you’re interested in helping.

Matthew 25:31-40
“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'”

The Hero within

Sunday we talked about becoming Jesus to our neighborhoods and what that might look like and how it might change our neighbors and neighborhood. And we talked about how even the smallest things can have the greatest impact.

I received an email afterwards from someone who explained how it was all the “little things” people had done recently for them that made a world of difference in their life.

I also heard from someone who said he wants to put a “prayer box” at the end of his driveway for his neighbors to share their needs with one another.

I’m excited to think of all the small things we can do for one another that can change the world for each person. “You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the world for one person.”

I love that no matter what your skills are, or talents, or passions are, God can help you find that “hero within” and use you to impact countless people around you.

Kinda like Carlos…

(HT Mosaic and Eric Bryant)

note: I’ve had some problems with the CD from Sunday. it may not have been finalized or recorded completely. hopefully I can get that fixed next Sunday and share audio from Sunday morning for those who’ve asked for it.