I should be concentrating on one of my many homework assignments. I have a killer week... tomorrow: 5pg. paper, news anaylsis, case study, and weekly responses due. friday-sunday 9am-5pm class. mon-wed working with a back-to-back shift (which means 11pm, spend the night at the hotel, 7am work till 3pm. crazy.) and Daniela and Hannie will be moving out. Everything in life seems to happen at once.
but, I got to see Brian from DTS this week and it was lovely. It honestly made my month, haha. He said something, "I think deep down you do really know what you want to do and what God wants you to." And he was right. But, there's this thing in my life... fear. I hate to not be in control. I hate having to rely on other people, or God. Little fears gather in the back of my head accumilating like snow... the fear of leaving comfort, the fear of being alone, the fear of learning a foreign language, the fears of inadequacies, the fear of forsaking stability. And before I know it there is a blizzard blinding me from the sight of Jesus and the promises I claim to have faith in. Fear is a tricky thing, because it disguises itself as being reasonable, as being prepared... but, sometimes all thats left to do is jump in boldly. But, the more I've been thinking what I'm afraid of, the more I realize that Jesus has already spoken to those fears. Fears demand trust. It's so hard, so not what I want to do-- as much as I idealize the simple, adventureous journey of listening to God's voice parts of me cling to stability and control. But, the road always forks where you have to chose between Love and fear. and... "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."
so, I'm just going to have to trust. And, it excites and terrifies me.
Reading Elias Boudinot's An Address to the Whites, he used a scripture I hadn't read in awhile that is beautiful. He was the editor of the first Cherokee (and native American) newspaper. Unfortunately his eloquent words didn't prevent the genocide of his people. Also reading Chief Seattle's speech has some challenging confrontations to Christianity that still apply today to our actions in the world and the God we represent.
So, Chief Seattle's words, "Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine. He fold shis strong rpotecting arms lovingly about the pale face and leads him by the hand as a father leads his infant son-- but He has forsake His red children... The white man's God cannot love our people or He would protect them. They seem to be orphans who can look nowhere for help. How then can we be brothers?"
Africa's been on my heart a lot lately, and I think that passage made me think if they would not ask the same question of God's existence and our "brotherhood" when we fail to be the representation of Christ to those in need. Last night I had a dream I was getting on the plane to go serve with YWAM there, maybe it was a premonition. :]
And the verse Boudinot quotes (in context) Acts 17:24-27, "He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one blood [one man] he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us." So beautiful.
***
On a continued note, of Chief Seattle's Speech, I love these closing parts:
"Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plan and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along hte silent shore, thrill writh memories of stirring events conneted with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors and our bare feet are concious of the sympathetic touch. ... And when your children's children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathles woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land. ... for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I say? There is no death, only a change of worlds."
Lately I have been itching to write, but there seems to be an overload of just what I want to say. But amongst thoughts on art, consumerism, status quo, and class that are probably more interesting and actually I'd rather write about-- this has been bugging me the most.
McCain has said that he see's the real issue facing American how to deal with the challenge of radical Islamic extremism, and his running platform has been all about his foreign policy experience and knowledge of the Middle East, etc. BUT he's not only once, but repeatedly mixed up information- interchanging Sunni for Shiite and misidentifying who is supporting who. THESE ARE MAJOR DIFFERENCES.
To quote an article, (from the Washington Post)-
"He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda. In fact, officials have said they believe Iran is helping Shiite extremists in Iraq. Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."
Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."
This is a BIG deal. To me its entirely disheartening to see someone who wants to lead and represent America being so... disinterested? that he doesn't have time to get his facts straight, or learn the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Epsecially while he promotes that as a strong point... even little things like not learning how to pronounce people's names... it makes him come across as "the ugly American" stereotype.
Also on a different note, if our biggest challenge is going to be Islamic extremism (which, I won't comment on) I think we really need to focus on communication, peace, cultural understanding-- not creating a new enemy for America or an us vs. them mentality. We need to be working, as individuals, to break out stereotypes and prejudices against people from the Middle East. The best way to do that of course is to befriend immigrants and refugees, Americans of Middle Eastern heritage -- already around ... but if that's too scary and uncomfortable at least pick up a history book, a novel, or watch a movie by a director/author from the Middle East. It worries me to see this 'enemy' mentality beginning and the fear and ugliness it brings out in people.
Jesus said to love our enemies, and pray for those that hate us. I'd like to see that happening, to see Americans (and more speficially Christians) reaching out to understand and relate to Muslims. We're supposed to stand apart by our radical love.
** To clarify, this note is not about politics, my point is the concern I have for our Middle Eastern brothers & sisters and the way our foreign policy and attitudes will effect them, and I want to encourage love and understanding not prejudices. I'm not attempting to be an objective journalist, so if you feel this is one-sided, good, do some studying... but, the point is this is a concerning goverment/national attitude.**
