I know It has been a very long time since I have posted to this blog. And, I've started and stopped writing this post over and over. As a matter of fact, it is almost a year since it's first draft. I don't really feel comfortable coming across as confrontational - so I've just put it away. The truth is I really struggle with this stuff. I think (and sometimes hope) we all do. But based on current events in the world and in the life of my own church body and my own family I think it is time that I just "put it out there." -

"As we consider what it means to be "born again," as evangelical jargon goes, we must ask what it means to be born into a family in which our sisters and brothers are starving to death."
- Shane Claiborne
The Irresistible Revolution

I was really struck by this quote. I came across it at a time when I was considering the differences from our "church" today and the early church we read about in Acts. But since Claiborne is such a polarizing figure, let me offer I John 3:16-18:

“This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

The world is really shrinking and there are becoming fewer and fewer excuses for Christians to go on about our lives without seeing the struggles our brothers and sisters are living through. There are even fewer excuses not to rush to aid our brothers and sisters in need.

We should look at sharing with our brothers and sisters as part of our faith, as we are commanded to "love one another", and not as acts of charity. As Lilla Watson was quoted,
"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time; but if you are here because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together" (courtesy:doug varnado).

Our liberation/fate/faith is bound up with those hurting in this world, especially those that share our faith in Christ. I'll paraphrase a man much wiser than myself "we have to take the risk to get deeply involved with the people we serve. We should really hurt when they hurt. We don't work for our brothers to feel good. We work for our brothers because we can't truly be happy if they are not, we can't be successful without there success, and they can't hurt with out it hurting us."

We can say all we want to justify rallying around ourselves, our families, and what we call our own, but the truth of the matter is IT IS NOT BIBLICAL! Jesus Christ called us not to just help but to wade into water that we may not be able to wade out of. I wish this was not true, but I just can't find a way around it. I keep hearing a constant call of "are you in or out." It is not about a dollar here or there or about buying "red" products. It is a simple question of being willing to tie our fate to our brothers and and sisters in Christ who are living in situations we can't even imagine. Situations that include living in cultures where rape and exploitation of CHILDREN is the norm, where a generation of grandmothers are raising grandchildren because their moms and dads are dead (due to HIV/AIDs), and people who literally have NO ACCESS to regular meals, clean water, or health care.

Finally, I hope you know that I struggle with this. I hope that you do too. Most of all I hope that we can all latch on to opportunities to TIE OUR FATE to people living the lives in the paragraph above. It is not charity, it is the Faith that we profess when we claim our selves as Christians.

Walking in the Light of God - Mpaka Carepoint, Swaziland



Jesus Loves the Little Children - Nsoko Center, Swaziland



Sleeping - Mpholi Carepoint, Swaziland



Kingsley - Manzini, Swaziland

Here is a long overdue posting of a video taken during my trip to Swaziland in October.



Kingsley works at the Tums George Hotel in Manzini. As you can see, Kingsley is an outgoing guy. He was great company for the night owls in our group.

Special thanks to Todd for staying on me to get video posted.