Crossroads

I feel as though I am at a crossroads in my spiritual journey - - - one in which I must now decide whether to stay where I am - a nominal, "feel-good" Americanized Christian - or go beyond that mold to become something different . . . something more.

I am generally a selfish, materialistic person - which I think is a description that fits most people in America - both believers and non-believers. However, God has been continually drawing my attention to these sins - and that is exactly what they are. To turn away from these sins involves an entire movement against mainstream culture -- even the mainstream culture of the Western church. It is a risky business, and so I stand here at the crossroads where I must decide whether to ignore either the culture in which I live or the culture of the Kingdom.

It seems like such an easy decision, and it may be easy, but it is also complicated. For in choosing to begin living by the culture of the Kingdom of God, I may begin to make decisions that don't make sense to my family and friends. . . . even those who are Christians. Also, it is scary to me as I am comfortable - with my faith and with my life. I do not know what it will mean to turn my back on that and walk firmly entrenched in "Kingdom living."

So I tentatively take that step toward the Kingdom, praying that God will guide me as I seek to unlearn everything I know and begin to see with "Kingdom eyes."

The Power of the Purse

So I'm perusing the Better World Shopper website looking at the categories. I realize to really become a caretaker of our planet, I will have to put my money where my mouth is. This would constitute our making MANY changes to our shopping habits -- not only where we shop, buy gas, and bank, but also what we buy - from dog food, shampoo, and soap to even cars! In fact, it appears the only GOOD choice we already make as far as the environment goes is the airlines we generally use.

Are we willing to make these changes? I'm not sure . . . will convenience win out over responsibility? Hopefully we can make small changes a little at a time to allow our money to speak louder than our voices can.

Unplugged

So I am on day 2 of a week-long facebook fast. Why? My small group, which is studying Becoming a Good Samaritan was challenged to do without a technology or appliance for a week. I figured the easiest (and the hardest) thing to do without would be facebook. Already I have discovered a few things. First of all, I have A LOT more time. Also, I drive much more safely, as I was checking fb on my phone on the way home from work. But most interestingly is how disconnected I feel from the world. Even those friends who I could call or email are so much more easily accessible through a quick fb wall post. Others I only have communication access with through fb, and even though I never contact them, suddenly I am thinking of all kinds of reasons that I need to. :)

I wonder how fb has affected friendships. . . does it make us closer or more distant to be dependent on technology to communicate?

Information Overload

We live in the information age. That could be a very good thing - as we have access to all kinds of information that we can use to help others. However, most of us spend time absorbing trivial information, filling our minds and time with things that have no purpose. I am trying to break that habit, but it is a difficult habit to break.

Find out how rich you REALLY are at Global Rich List.

This website also gives the following information regarding money:

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

Now THAT is information worth having, even if it does make me uncomfortable to discover that I am in the top 1% of global wealth.

End Poverty

Slavery hasn't been abolished

Unfortunately, slavery is alive and well. Unfortunately, people around the world (many here in the United States) live lives of bondage.

How can this happen? It happens because good people do not do anything about it. And I am one of those good people. These problems seem "too big" or "too foreign" for me to do anything about them. I am ashamed.

I have found something I can do. . . I can email my representatives and urge them to support the Child Protection Compact Act. It is simple. You can do it too. You SHOULD do it too.

We elect our representatives (if we even vote) and then allow them to make decisions for us, our nation, and our world with no input from us. They need to HEAR from us. They need to KNOW what is important to us.

We need to be the voice for those who cannot speak out for themselves.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Low-class

Today during lunch, a bunch of students were being loud outside of the teacher lounge where we were eating. Nothing new, as 9th graders have no volume control whatsoever. However, a fellow teacher made the off-hand comment that they were acting "low-class." I found this comment interesting, as they ARE low class, economically speaking. Our school is a Title 1 school, so over half of our school population live in poverty.

I'm not sure if I am offended by her statement or the attitude that is behind it. I can be more than a bit classist at times, but most of these students really have no role model at home to teach them how to act "appropriately" - and they consider "acting appropriately" to be "acting white." It isn't really a black or white thing, but much more a class thing.

How can we get minority students to understand how to interact with a middle class world, when they equate that with "acting white"? I have students who refer to others who they see as acting white as "oreos." There is such a stigma with speaking correct English and they seem to hold "acting ghetto" (their words, not mine) in high regard.

I would love to think that having an African-American President would help these students to see the world from a broader perspective than their own neighborhood, but that is a lot to ask from one person. Additionally, his example is overshadowed by the examples of rappers who glorify the "ghetto lifestyle," such as T.I., Plies, and Gucci Mane - all of whom they listen to and idolize.

I wish there were an easy answer, as I see many of my students trapped in their own prejudices and narrow worldview.