As 2010 draws to a close, I have started reflecting over the past year - the strides I've made and the mistakes I've made - and also began to wonder what this new year will bring. Every year for the last three, there has been a major theme that enveloped it:
2008: My brother was married to his fiance (now wife) Janet. If it wasn't for that event, however, this year would have definitely been labeled as my dark age. I was surrounded by death on many occasions as a handful of my friends and family members passed away.
2009: I graduated FIU with my B.A. in History and minor in Education. Alexandra and I also made it to our five year anniversary (which come October 2011 will be obsolete since a new anniversary will be established ;).
As for 2010, it has probably been the most exciting year in my life.
First off, there were many changed made on the job front. I was hired a local, private Catholic school to teach my favorite subjects - Government and History (including one AP United States History course and two AP United States Government courses).
Secondly, my then-girlfriend Alexandra, not only started her second internship program at a news station, but started her career in the profession that she has grown to love the last few years: broadcast journalism.
Perhaps the most important thing that occurred this year happened on November 4th. My then-girlfriend of 6 & 3/4 years accepted my proposal for marriage. This is an exciting step in my life, and while it will take personal sacrifices by both of us, she is worth the sacrifice.
2011 will be another year of change (our wedding is set for October 30th). And with that, there are a few resolutions I hope to keep. Yes, a few of them are typical:
I resolve to lose weight/get healthy/work out more.
I resolve to procrastinate less.
I resolve to be more patient.
But the resolution that I will be trying my hardest to keep is to take steps in developing my relationship with God further. At this point in time in my life, I am closer to God than I have ever been, but there is still much more to do. I am of the opinion that one cannot say he is set with God. There is always something one can improve to further develop his/her relationship with the Lord or to do his/her part in the building of God's kingdom here on earth.
So, last but not least.....
I resolve to find ways to get closer to my Lord and Savior.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Times Are a'Changin
I'm baaaaaaack! I'm sorry for my neglectful ways, my friends. I can't believe it has been 6 months since I last posted. I'm hoping that in the coming year, I can be a bit more active in the blog front.
Bob Dylan once wrote that "The Times They Are a-Changin'." That particular line has been so true over these past six months, but seeing as I am not a big fan of way-too-long blog posts myself, I'll see if I can briefly explain to you what has been going on.
June 2010: I accepted a position at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School as a Social Studies teacher. This was a huge step in my life for many reasons:
1) Education is the profession I have wanted to be in since the middle of my
collegiate career. This is the first opportunity I have to teach an
entire schedule of classes on my own and get paid for it.
2) I am teaching AP United States History along with 12th Grade American
Government. I am also teaching one class of World History. These are the
subjects that I have been passionate about since my late elementary
school years. Now, I get to share that passion with the youth of
Southwest Miami-Dade County.
3) I am teaching at a Catholic school, and unlike other schools that I have
visited, this particular school is very committed to enhancing a faith-
based learning environment. Its motto - "First the Kingdom of God" -
explains what its mission is centered on - Christ.
I will save the details on my experience at the school for a later blog, but so far, my time there has been absolutely wonderful. Busy, hectic, and time-consuming? Yes. But wonderful nonetheless.
In August, I began work at the school and have successfully survived half the year. Not an easy task with seniors who are already coping with premature senioritis.
Now, comes the bigger change in my life. On November 4th, I proposed to my high school sweetheart Alexandra. It was a long-time coming, and I will post details about that day soon (I hope).
Times are certainly changing for me; in my opinion, they are changing for the better. Does this mean I am getting older? Certainly. However, I have never felt more fulfilled in my life.
I am marrying the woman I love and working in a career that I love, all the while serving the One whom I love and trust above all. All of these things remind me of that verse from Scripture (and being that it is Advent, I find it most appropriate):
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
Bob Dylan once wrote that "The Times They Are a-Changin'." That particular line has been so true over these past six months, but seeing as I am not a big fan of way-too-long blog posts myself, I'll see if I can briefly explain to you what has been going on.
June 2010: I accepted a position at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School as a Social Studies teacher. This was a huge step in my life for many reasons:
1) Education is the profession I have wanted to be in since the middle of my
collegiate career. This is the first opportunity I have to teach an
entire schedule of classes on my own and get paid for it.
2) I am teaching AP United States History along with 12th Grade American
Government. I am also teaching one class of World History. These are the
subjects that I have been passionate about since my late elementary
school years. Now, I get to share that passion with the youth of
Southwest Miami-Dade County.
3) I am teaching at a Catholic school, and unlike other schools that I have
visited, this particular school is very committed to enhancing a faith-
based learning environment. Its motto - "First the Kingdom of God" -
explains what its mission is centered on - Christ.
I will save the details on my experience at the school for a later blog, but so far, my time there has been absolutely wonderful. Busy, hectic, and time-consuming? Yes. But wonderful nonetheless.
In August, I began work at the school and have successfully survived half the year. Not an easy task with seniors who are already coping with premature senioritis.
Now, comes the bigger change in my life. On November 4th, I proposed to my high school sweetheart Alexandra. It was a long-time coming, and I will post details about that day soon (I hope).
Times are certainly changing for me; in my opinion, they are changing for the better. Does this mean I am getting older? Certainly. However, I have never felt more fulfilled in my life.
I am marrying the woman I love and working in a career that I love, all the while serving the One whom I love and trust above all. All of these things remind me of that verse from Scripture (and being that it is Advent, I find it most appropriate):
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Wenski Era
Well, June 1st has now arrived, and with that comes the hurricane season. But enough about that routine. Today also marks the beginning of (hopefully) a new era in the Archdiocese of Miami. If you have followed my blog in the past, you would know that I have not been a big fan of outgoing Archbishop John Favalora. Yes, I know it is not a very popular thing to say in public to the Catholic community of South Florida. However, I am not a big fan of how he handled situation regarding the now Episcopalian Reverend Alberto Cutie a year ago. I am also not a big fan of his rigorous adherence to Catholic orthodoxy.
Not that it's bad to staunchly follow the beliefs of your church if you truly believe them. Ever since I converted to Roman Catholicism from the Southern Baptist Conference a few years ago, I too can be considered to be a staunch follower of the Catholic Christian belief system.
The problem is the narrow-mindedness, or the apparent narrow-mindedness that shuts the door off to other Christians. I remember all too well how Archbishop Favalora blasted the local Episcopalian leader for accepting Fr. Cutie into their church. Wouldn't us Catholics do the same? If a popular non-Catholic preacher, be he an evangelical Southern Baptist, or a liturgical Episcopalian, wanted to leave his church, wouldn't our Church welcome him with open arms? Wouldn't we want to tell him, "our house is yours too"?
Anyways, enough about Favalora. While we can learn from history, we need to worry about what happens in the future. Thomas Wenski is the new face for that future, at least locally. I am very excited about what this installment means for our South Florida Christian community. That's right. Not just the Catholic community, but for all Christians.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I have a strong indication of what purpose God has created me for. That purpose is for ecumenism. All the life experiences I've endured, the people who I am surrounded by in an almost weekly basis, and the circumstances that I have found myself in recent years points to that one conclusion. If that changes in the future, I'm sure there will be signs for me to look out for. With Wenski's installment to replace John Favalora, the Catholic Church in Miami has a new leader who has a history of being very open to intra-Christian ecumenism. Check out this column he wrote as Bishop of the Archdiocese of Orlando.
In a nutshell, I am excited about what God has in store for our city. With all of these pieces coming together, it is so evident to me, if not to you, that God is working wonders in South Florida. All these events make it evident that the words of Chris Tomlin's popular worship song is ringing truer than ever in South Florida. Indeed "Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city..."
Let the Wenski Era begin.
Not that it's bad to staunchly follow the beliefs of your church if you truly believe them. Ever since I converted to Roman Catholicism from the Southern Baptist Conference a few years ago, I too can be considered to be a staunch follower of the Catholic Christian belief system.
The problem is the narrow-mindedness, or the apparent narrow-mindedness that shuts the door off to other Christians. I remember all too well how Archbishop Favalora blasted the local Episcopalian leader for accepting Fr. Cutie into their church. Wouldn't us Catholics do the same? If a popular non-Catholic preacher, be he an evangelical Southern Baptist, or a liturgical Episcopalian, wanted to leave his church, wouldn't our Church welcome him with open arms? Wouldn't we want to tell him, "our house is yours too"?
Anyways, enough about Favalora. While we can learn from history, we need to worry about what happens in the future. Thomas Wenski is the new face for that future, at least locally. I am very excited about what this installment means for our South Florida Christian community. That's right. Not just the Catholic community, but for all Christians.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I have a strong indication of what purpose God has created me for. That purpose is for ecumenism. All the life experiences I've endured, the people who I am surrounded by in an almost weekly basis, and the circumstances that I have found myself in recent years points to that one conclusion. If that changes in the future, I'm sure there will be signs for me to look out for. With Wenski's installment to replace John Favalora, the Catholic Church in Miami has a new leader who has a history of being very open to intra-Christian ecumenism. Check out this column he wrote as Bishop of the Archdiocese of Orlando.
In a nutshell, I am excited about what God has in store for our city. With all of these pieces coming together, it is so evident to me, if not to you, that God is working wonders in South Florida. All these events make it evident that the words of Chris Tomlin's popular worship song is ringing truer than ever in South Florida. Indeed "Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city..."
Let the Wenski Era begin.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Pastors, Sin, Confession, and the Catholics
This is an article I stumbled upon while playing around with Google. I thought it was very interesting (and I hope it is a bridge out of many to cross when it comes to interdenominational understanding).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pastors, Sin, Confession, and the Catholics
by Ron Forseth
General Manager, SermonCentral.com
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
(James 5:16, NIV)
One of the defining moments of my spiritual life happened in the midst of great temptation. I had struggled with a sin for quite a while, dabbled in it here and there, toying with my own spiritual life and ministry. My love for Christ was giving way to the allure of sin’s pleasure. I felt myself slipping down a slope that was far more powerful than all the strength within me. I had the keen sense that absolutely everything was at risk at that moment, my job, my marriage, my family. The point of no return seemed immediately in front of me. It was then that God in his blessed grace whispered in my ear, “Make the call.” The face of a friend and brother in the Lord was in my mind’s eye. I respected him greatly—and he respected me. I didn’t want to be vulnerable to him, to confess my struggle. But it was either pick up the phone or fall off the cliff. Thank God I made the call. It was painfully humbling—and tremendously freeing. He was so Christlike, full of grace, strength, and humility. Something happened in me that day, something very deep and powerful. Somehow, I accessed the power of God through another person like I couldn’t have done in the solitude of my own soul. It seems that’s just how God has designed things to be. He’s configured our dependence on him to be intertwined with dependence on others.
Last week, 500 church leaders graciously gave us input about their own struggles with sin. The results are valuable for all in ministry to ponder and respond to. In light of my own experience and the survey results, I felt burdened to dedicate this article to addressing pastors in their struggle with sin. (Click here to view the full results.)
Here are the summary results:
35% of the church leader respondents identified lust as the sin they struggled with most.
36% of church leaders said lust was something they often or constantly struggled with.
68% either did not have anyone they felt they could confess to, or if they did they rarely or never confessed to them.
66% expressed that discussing their struggles with sin from the pulpit would put their ministry at risk or they were unsure if it would put their ministry at risk.
Considering that a mishandling of sin puts our ministries, families, and own spiritual state at risk, how we respond to these issues may be as important as any decision we face in the ministry. There is much we can say about this subject and subsequent articles by church leaders in this newsletter will say more. But here I want to focus on one critical observation: Pastors are at far greater risk because they either do not have an outlet for confession or they rarely utilize the outlets available to them.
In addressing the topic of sin I want to exercise the greatest carefulness. I don’t wish to imply that sin is just another subject to be tossed around in a recreational manner. Sin is as serious as anything we can imagine. It is a powerful, dark force that kills and destroys, threatening our very lives; it calls for the utmost sobriety and prayerful consideration. In all the universe I know of but one power for appropriately handling sin: That power is the blood of Jesus Christ. It is sufficient to break the power of sin—and without it there isn’t a trace of hope for spiritual victory. That having been said, taking hold of Christ’s power over sin hinges on a proper exercise of faith as revealed in Scripture. When we sin, God has provided a way of tapping Christ’s power, and that way is the way of confession.
In light of the 68% of church leaders that indicated they rarely or never confess their sins to another, we get a glimpse of the unique dilemma pastors face. Even as they must confess their sins, pastors don’t feel they can confess their sins because of the risks it brings to their ministries. So, the perceived catch is this: We can’t win.
·If we do confess, we may well lose it all.
· If we don’t confess, Scripture says it’s just a matter of time that our sins will be revealed. (1 Timothy 5:24; Luke 12:2)
The trap that says, “we can’t win either way,” stems from bad thinking. The “don’t confess” option must be eliminated from the list—it’s a path guaranteed to bring greater travesty. (Our dear brother Ted Haggard has paid a great price to demonstrate that to us.)
We are left with but one compelling choice: By all means, we must confess! So the question is no longer “if” we must confess, but “how.” Here are guidelines I’d offer for “effective confessing.”
We must stand in grace. I don’t mean to presume upon grace, to flippantly claim it as our own—but we may cast ourselves upon the mercy of God knowing that he invites us to boldly approach him, confident in his grace (Hebrews 4:16). Take up the sword of the Spirit in the middle of confession’s battle and realize that it is Jesus himself that is our defender to stand before the accusations of the devil. We can enter confession believing God when he says “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Connecting to our defender equips us to overcome the inevitable fears that arise in the process of confession.
We must confess to the appropriate circle. Never does the Bible say that we must confess all sins to all people. True, our struggles and failures may become broadly known. But we’re not commanded to broadcast them. In the pastorate, handling our own sin calls for a balance between authenticity and prudence. To give the impression that we are somehow above sin is to create a false understanding among those we lead. But to specifically reveal to our whole congregation the details of every sin we commit is also impractical and unwise. Who is the appropriate circle? Here is the irreducible minimum: Confess to ourselves, to God, and to another believer you trust. Beyond that, the circle is to be widened under the leadership of the Spirit and might necessarily include those we have sinned against. There is no formula here but only a commitment to obey God as he leads us in the process of confession.
It’s important that we not skirt past the first: Confessing to ourselves. If a besetting sin has a grip on us, the faster we can escape denial and admit we’ve got a problem the better.
As obvious as it may sound, it’s important that we not forget the second: We need to explicitly and consciously name our sins to God as he guides us by his Spirit and brings to mind those things he wishes us to be free of. It’s indeed a sweet thing to have these transactions with the Lord. That said, in confession we can’t stop there.
Finally, we must speak out our sins to another person, a human, preferably a believer who understands God’s requirements and provisions. God is specific about this:
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other...” (James 5:16)— it’s in sharing with another human being that we complete the circle of confession and escape the trap of denial. Frankly, Protestants can take a cue from their Roman Catholic compatriots. Catholics often demonstrate a greater understanding of the value of regularly confessing to another person. And while some might not agree with the institutional confessional form, they can certainly learn from the example of valuing confession. (I think some are jealous of the Catholics because they have such a ready outlet for confession!)
Besides ourselves, God, and another person we trust, confessing to anyone we’ve sinned against might also be a necessity for their need to overcome the wrong. Love may require it. Or love may require we NOT confess to the harmed person in the likelihood of greater harm. (On this point, I’d agree with those in the Recovery Movement: When confessing to someone will cause them greater harm, better to leave well enough alone. The challenge is to escape from our own excuses for not doing what should be done—an exercise in discernment and discipline.)
This brings us full circle to the 68% of those surveyed who rarely or never take the risk of confessing to another. Would you allow me to be so bold as to challenge you with something? Tenaciously determine to find that person or persons who you can regularly lay your heart before and confess your failings to. Pray confidently for this—because you know God wants you to have such a person or persons. Make sure you have regular, open contact with that person. For pastors who believe that person is not someone in their own congregation (at least presently), I advise them to look for another pastor to confess to. Who might you approach about this?
Why not pick up the phone and make the call right now? It could be one of the best decisions you ever made. It certainly was for me.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pastors, Sin, Confession, and the Catholics
by Ron Forseth
General Manager, SermonCentral.com
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
(James 5:16, NIV)
One of the defining moments of my spiritual life happened in the midst of great temptation. I had struggled with a sin for quite a while, dabbled in it here and there, toying with my own spiritual life and ministry. My love for Christ was giving way to the allure of sin’s pleasure. I felt myself slipping down a slope that was far more powerful than all the strength within me. I had the keen sense that absolutely everything was at risk at that moment, my job, my marriage, my family. The point of no return seemed immediately in front of me. It was then that God in his blessed grace whispered in my ear, “Make the call.” The face of a friend and brother in the Lord was in my mind’s eye. I respected him greatly—and he respected me. I didn’t want to be vulnerable to him, to confess my struggle. But it was either pick up the phone or fall off the cliff. Thank God I made the call. It was painfully humbling—and tremendously freeing. He was so Christlike, full of grace, strength, and humility. Something happened in me that day, something very deep and powerful. Somehow, I accessed the power of God through another person like I couldn’t have done in the solitude of my own soul. It seems that’s just how God has designed things to be. He’s configured our dependence on him to be intertwined with dependence on others.
Last week, 500 church leaders graciously gave us input about their own struggles with sin. The results are valuable for all in ministry to ponder and respond to. In light of my own experience and the survey results, I felt burdened to dedicate this article to addressing pastors in their struggle with sin. (Click here to view the full results.)
Here are the summary results:
35% of the church leader respondents identified lust as the sin they struggled with most.
36% of church leaders said lust was something they often or constantly struggled with.
68% either did not have anyone they felt they could confess to, or if they did they rarely or never confessed to them.
66% expressed that discussing their struggles with sin from the pulpit would put their ministry at risk or they were unsure if it would put their ministry at risk.
Considering that a mishandling of sin puts our ministries, families, and own spiritual state at risk, how we respond to these issues may be as important as any decision we face in the ministry. There is much we can say about this subject and subsequent articles by church leaders in this newsletter will say more. But here I want to focus on one critical observation: Pastors are at far greater risk because they either do not have an outlet for confession or they rarely utilize the outlets available to them.
In addressing the topic of sin I want to exercise the greatest carefulness. I don’t wish to imply that sin is just another subject to be tossed around in a recreational manner. Sin is as serious as anything we can imagine. It is a powerful, dark force that kills and destroys, threatening our very lives; it calls for the utmost sobriety and prayerful consideration. In all the universe I know of but one power for appropriately handling sin: That power is the blood of Jesus Christ. It is sufficient to break the power of sin—and without it there isn’t a trace of hope for spiritual victory. That having been said, taking hold of Christ’s power over sin hinges on a proper exercise of faith as revealed in Scripture. When we sin, God has provided a way of tapping Christ’s power, and that way is the way of confession.
In light of the 68% of church leaders that indicated they rarely or never confess their sins to another, we get a glimpse of the unique dilemma pastors face. Even as they must confess their sins, pastors don’t feel they can confess their sins because of the risks it brings to their ministries. So, the perceived catch is this: We can’t win.
·If we do confess, we may well lose it all.
· If we don’t confess, Scripture says it’s just a matter of time that our sins will be revealed. (1 Timothy 5:24; Luke 12:2)
The trap that says, “we can’t win either way,” stems from bad thinking. The “don’t confess” option must be eliminated from the list—it’s a path guaranteed to bring greater travesty. (Our dear brother Ted Haggard has paid a great price to demonstrate that to us.)
We are left with but one compelling choice: By all means, we must confess! So the question is no longer “if” we must confess, but “how.” Here are guidelines I’d offer for “effective confessing.”
We must stand in grace. I don’t mean to presume upon grace, to flippantly claim it as our own—but we may cast ourselves upon the mercy of God knowing that he invites us to boldly approach him, confident in his grace (Hebrews 4:16). Take up the sword of the Spirit in the middle of confession’s battle and realize that it is Jesus himself that is our defender to stand before the accusations of the devil. We can enter confession believing God when he says “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Connecting to our defender equips us to overcome the inevitable fears that arise in the process of confession.
We must confess to the appropriate circle. Never does the Bible say that we must confess all sins to all people. True, our struggles and failures may become broadly known. But we’re not commanded to broadcast them. In the pastorate, handling our own sin calls for a balance between authenticity and prudence. To give the impression that we are somehow above sin is to create a false understanding among those we lead. But to specifically reveal to our whole congregation the details of every sin we commit is also impractical and unwise. Who is the appropriate circle? Here is the irreducible minimum: Confess to ourselves, to God, and to another believer you trust. Beyond that, the circle is to be widened under the leadership of the Spirit and might necessarily include those we have sinned against. There is no formula here but only a commitment to obey God as he leads us in the process of confession.
It’s important that we not skirt past the first: Confessing to ourselves. If a besetting sin has a grip on us, the faster we can escape denial and admit we’ve got a problem the better.
As obvious as it may sound, it’s important that we not forget the second: We need to explicitly and consciously name our sins to God as he guides us by his Spirit and brings to mind those things he wishes us to be free of. It’s indeed a sweet thing to have these transactions with the Lord. That said, in confession we can’t stop there.
Finally, we must speak out our sins to another person, a human, preferably a believer who understands God’s requirements and provisions. God is specific about this:
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other...” (James 5:16)— it’s in sharing with another human being that we complete the circle of confession and escape the trap of denial. Frankly, Protestants can take a cue from their Roman Catholic compatriots. Catholics often demonstrate a greater understanding of the value of regularly confessing to another person. And while some might not agree with the institutional confessional form, they can certainly learn from the example of valuing confession. (I think some are jealous of the Catholics because they have such a ready outlet for confession!)
Besides ourselves, God, and another person we trust, confessing to anyone we’ve sinned against might also be a necessity for their need to overcome the wrong. Love may require it. Or love may require we NOT confess to the harmed person in the likelihood of greater harm. (On this point, I’d agree with those in the Recovery Movement: When confessing to someone will cause them greater harm, better to leave well enough alone. The challenge is to escape from our own excuses for not doing what should be done—an exercise in discernment and discipline.)
This brings us full circle to the 68% of those surveyed who rarely or never take the risk of confessing to another. Would you allow me to be so bold as to challenge you with something? Tenaciously determine to find that person or persons who you can regularly lay your heart before and confess your failings to. Pray confidently for this—because you know God wants you to have such a person or persons. Make sure you have regular, open contact with that person. For pastors who believe that person is not someone in their own congregation (at least presently), I advise them to look for another pastor to confess to. Who might you approach about this?
Why not pick up the phone and make the call right now? It could be one of the best decisions you ever made. It certainly was for me.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Another Attack Against Ecumenism
It's funny how things work out sometimes. I wrote a blog on Saturday about my mission for ecumenism and The Miami Herald releases this disturbing story this week. It is events such as these that will continue to deflect better evangelism. My readers, if you believe that church unity is of utmost importance, I ask that you continue to pray for me as I continue down this mission. Posted below is the article from the Miami Herald that I refered to.
As unity unravels, a battle for Haitian souls is stirring
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES AND TRENTON DANIEL
jcharles@MiamiHerald.com
At first Haitians of all faiths turned inward, transforming their bedsheet camps into all-night religious revivals as they clung to faith and resilience, crying and praising Jezi.
But in the three months after the earthquake, the relationship among faiths has evolved from one of rare unity to a fight for the Haitian soul. All hope to increase followers even as they assign blame for the quake.
In the makeshift camps, along rubble-filled streets, Protestant preachers are battling Catholics as well as followers of Vodou, hoping to lure more congregants.
``When I hear some of the Protestant churches in the neighborhoods, you have the impression that only Catholics lost people in the earthquake,'' said William Smarth, a theology professor and diocese priest who was part of the liberation theology movement that helped oust former dictator Jean-Claude ``Baby Doc'' Duvalier.
``They say, `We [Catholics] don't believe in God, we don't believe in Jesus Christ.' ''
And both Catholics and Protestants clash with the followers of Vodou -- blaming the ancestral religion of Haiti's slaves-turned-freedom fighters -- for the monstrous quake. They lay blame on a centuries-old covenant taken on the eve of the Haitian revolution for the disastrous earthquake.
Fighting back, some Vodouists say it's not the curse of freedom that caused the quake, but the price for failing to properly bury one of Haiti's leading freedom fighters, Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
The tensions have only mounted as Evangelical and other religious groups from the United States fly en masse to a ravaged Haiti to feed and preach the Gospel.
Last month, Mario Joseph, a Haitian human rights lawyer, went before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights seeking an investigation of attacks against Vodouists after several were stoned by Evangelical pastors in the Cité Soleil slum.
``In other zones of the country,'' he told the commission, ``particularly in the commune of Verrettes in the Artibonite, literal witch hunts have been launched against priests and practitioners of this religion.''
ROBERTSON'S STATEMENT
Sitting in the courtyard of his cracked home on Good Friday, Smarth said the Catholic Church, which has lost more than 60 parishes and 100 nuns and priests in the disaster, has turned to science to explain the earthquake, and to counter myths fueled by conservative religious figures in the United States like Pat Robertson. A day after the quake, Robertson told his Christian Broadcasting Network audience that Haiti's pact with Satan is to blame.
``After the earthquake, we tried to give some light to the Haitian people about the meaning of what happened,'' Smarth said. ``We asked people to understand how the world works and to understand the laws of physics.''
But some religious leaders have sought to take advantage of the quake to preach a theology of doom, turning the radio airwaves into pulpits to espouse fear and recruit believers. The quake, they preach, is punishment for Haitians' sin and belief in Vodou.
``There is not an emphasis on the mercy of God; that is where the contradiction between Protestants and Catholics lie,'' said the Rev. Reginald Jean-Mary, a Catholic priest from Miami's Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church, who listened to the debate on the radio during a visit. ``Our God is a God of mercy. He is not a God who punishes his children. And God does not inflict harm on his children.''
On a recent Thursday, as Haitians attempted to go about their lives, Guilbert Valcin stood above a cliff in the suburb of Pétionville, his lips to a megaphone.
A gray wall of concrete homes before him, and multicolored tents in a ravine below, he delivered a message to his audience. ``Everywhere you go, you need Jesus,'' said Valcin, 24, clad in a dress shirt and tie. ``Jesus has all the power.''
The roadside perch was one stop of many for the Protestant street preacher -- a self-described ``Evangelist for the people'' -- who sought to spread the Word.
``Vodou can't take you to heaven -- only God can,'' he said, in between sermons. ``Jesus, when he comes one day, he won't come to save the Vodouisants. He will save only those who serve God.''
CATHOLIC MAJORITY
Officially, more than half of Haitians are Catholic and roughly half practice Vodou. The small but growing Protestant movement here began with the U.S. Occupation, from 1915 to 1934.
In the painful search for understanding of Haiti's wretched luck, many in this deeply Catholic country have long turned to their tormented history for answers.
There is the religious ceremony in 1791 held in Bwa Kayiman, regarded as the catalyst for the Haitian revolution. Schoolchildren are taught that Jamaican-born Vodou priest Dutty Boukman presided over a ceremony where an animal was sacrificed and an oath -- considered by some to be the price Haitians now pay for their freedom -- was taken to ``live free or die.''
While Christians have blamed the covenant, some Vodouists say the father of an independent Haiti, Dessalines, never received a proper burial for his mangled body after he was assassinated.
Vodou doesn't believe in death, but worshipers believe that the dead must receive a proper farewell.
That is what they were attempting to do, they say, on behalf of the more than 200,000 quake victims on Feb. 27 in Cité Soleil when they were attacked by Protestant pastors.
Max Beauvoir, Haiti's Supreme Leader of Vodou, condemns the act and remains appalled at the lack of condemnation by Haitian authorities.
``What is mostly needed in Haiti is what? Unity,'' he said. ``I don't think Haitians are any more devilish than anyone else. We are all the same.''
Beauvoir said Vodouists were already treated as outsiders -- though many secretly practice or recognize certain aspects of the faith even as they profess to be nonbelievers -- before the quake. Since Jan. 12, their position has become even more weakened.
It's as if Haitians have been hit collectively on the back with a crow bar and they are lying on the ground, not able to stand up, Beauvoir said.
``Our justice has been weak. That's why those Evangelists people have been able to take advantage,'' he said, calling the fight for Haitian souls ``nonsense.'' ``They want to establish themselves here as if they were the sole owners of the land.''
Last month, Vodouists finally had their ceremony -- guarded by police. They held it near the bay in downtown Port-au-Prince. Wearing white, several hundred followers pounded drums, sang chants and summoned the spirits to bid farewell to those lost in the earthquake.
The rare, public ceremony -- gatherings are often held in temples -- was a stark reminder that Vodou plays a central role in Haitian culture even as the Catholic church loses ground to the growing Protestant movement.
`ANOTHER INJUSTICE'
Ever since, there has been a constant battle for the Haitian soul.
Jean-Mary calls the current fight another example of exploitation.
``This is another injustice, another lack of respect for people at this crucial moment. When you need to preach a theology of hope or rehabilitation, you are trying to make people feel worse by portraying yourself as perfect and the people who are victims did something wrong,'' he said. ``The reason why you are alive is not because you deserved it, or because you were better than others. The reason why you were not killed in the earthquake is because it's not your time.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/12/v-print/1576546/as-unity-unravels-a-battle-for.html#ixzz0kzXf8wcl
As unity unravels, a battle for Haitian souls is stirring
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES AND TRENTON DANIEL
jcharles@MiamiHerald.com
At first Haitians of all faiths turned inward, transforming their bedsheet camps into all-night religious revivals as they clung to faith and resilience, crying and praising Jezi.
But in the three months after the earthquake, the relationship among faiths has evolved from one of rare unity to a fight for the Haitian soul. All hope to increase followers even as they assign blame for the quake.
In the makeshift camps, along rubble-filled streets, Protestant preachers are battling Catholics as well as followers of Vodou, hoping to lure more congregants.
``When I hear some of the Protestant churches in the neighborhoods, you have the impression that only Catholics lost people in the earthquake,'' said William Smarth, a theology professor and diocese priest who was part of the liberation theology movement that helped oust former dictator Jean-Claude ``Baby Doc'' Duvalier.
``They say, `We [Catholics] don't believe in God, we don't believe in Jesus Christ.' ''
And both Catholics and Protestants clash with the followers of Vodou -- blaming the ancestral religion of Haiti's slaves-turned-freedom fighters -- for the monstrous quake. They lay blame on a centuries-old covenant taken on the eve of the Haitian revolution for the disastrous earthquake.
Fighting back, some Vodouists say it's not the curse of freedom that caused the quake, but the price for failing to properly bury one of Haiti's leading freedom fighters, Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
The tensions have only mounted as Evangelical and other religious groups from the United States fly en masse to a ravaged Haiti to feed and preach the Gospel.
Last month, Mario Joseph, a Haitian human rights lawyer, went before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights seeking an investigation of attacks against Vodouists after several were stoned by Evangelical pastors in the Cité Soleil slum.
``In other zones of the country,'' he told the commission, ``particularly in the commune of Verrettes in the Artibonite, literal witch hunts have been launched against priests and practitioners of this religion.''
ROBERTSON'S STATEMENT
Sitting in the courtyard of his cracked home on Good Friday, Smarth said the Catholic Church, which has lost more than 60 parishes and 100 nuns and priests in the disaster, has turned to science to explain the earthquake, and to counter myths fueled by conservative religious figures in the United States like Pat Robertson. A day after the quake, Robertson told his Christian Broadcasting Network audience that Haiti's pact with Satan is to blame.
``After the earthquake, we tried to give some light to the Haitian people about the meaning of what happened,'' Smarth said. ``We asked people to understand how the world works and to understand the laws of physics.''
But some religious leaders have sought to take advantage of the quake to preach a theology of doom, turning the radio airwaves into pulpits to espouse fear and recruit believers. The quake, they preach, is punishment for Haitians' sin and belief in Vodou.
``There is not an emphasis on the mercy of God; that is where the contradiction between Protestants and Catholics lie,'' said the Rev. Reginald Jean-Mary, a Catholic priest from Miami's Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church, who listened to the debate on the radio during a visit. ``Our God is a God of mercy. He is not a God who punishes his children. And God does not inflict harm on his children.''
On a recent Thursday, as Haitians attempted to go about their lives, Guilbert Valcin stood above a cliff in the suburb of Pétionville, his lips to a megaphone.
A gray wall of concrete homes before him, and multicolored tents in a ravine below, he delivered a message to his audience. ``Everywhere you go, you need Jesus,'' said Valcin, 24, clad in a dress shirt and tie. ``Jesus has all the power.''
The roadside perch was one stop of many for the Protestant street preacher -- a self-described ``Evangelist for the people'' -- who sought to spread the Word.
``Vodou can't take you to heaven -- only God can,'' he said, in between sermons. ``Jesus, when he comes one day, he won't come to save the Vodouisants. He will save only those who serve God.''
CATHOLIC MAJORITY
Officially, more than half of Haitians are Catholic and roughly half practice Vodou. The small but growing Protestant movement here began with the U.S. Occupation, from 1915 to 1934.
In the painful search for understanding of Haiti's wretched luck, many in this deeply Catholic country have long turned to their tormented history for answers.
There is the religious ceremony in 1791 held in Bwa Kayiman, regarded as the catalyst for the Haitian revolution. Schoolchildren are taught that Jamaican-born Vodou priest Dutty Boukman presided over a ceremony where an animal was sacrificed and an oath -- considered by some to be the price Haitians now pay for their freedom -- was taken to ``live free or die.''
While Christians have blamed the covenant, some Vodouists say the father of an independent Haiti, Dessalines, never received a proper burial for his mangled body after he was assassinated.
Vodou doesn't believe in death, but worshipers believe that the dead must receive a proper farewell.
That is what they were attempting to do, they say, on behalf of the more than 200,000 quake victims on Feb. 27 in Cité Soleil when they were attacked by Protestant pastors.
Max Beauvoir, Haiti's Supreme Leader of Vodou, condemns the act and remains appalled at the lack of condemnation by Haitian authorities.
``What is mostly needed in Haiti is what? Unity,'' he said. ``I don't think Haitians are any more devilish than anyone else. We are all the same.''
Beauvoir said Vodouists were already treated as outsiders -- though many secretly practice or recognize certain aspects of the faith even as they profess to be nonbelievers -- before the quake. Since Jan. 12, their position has become even more weakened.
It's as if Haitians have been hit collectively on the back with a crow bar and they are lying on the ground, not able to stand up, Beauvoir said.
``Our justice has been weak. That's why those Evangelists people have been able to take advantage,'' he said, calling the fight for Haitian souls ``nonsense.'' ``They want to establish themselves here as if they were the sole owners of the land.''
Last month, Vodouists finally had their ceremony -- guarded by police. They held it near the bay in downtown Port-au-Prince. Wearing white, several hundred followers pounded drums, sang chants and summoned the spirits to bid farewell to those lost in the earthquake.
The rare, public ceremony -- gatherings are often held in temples -- was a stark reminder that Vodou plays a central role in Haitian culture even as the Catholic church loses ground to the growing Protestant movement.
`ANOTHER INJUSTICE'
Ever since, there has been a constant battle for the Haitian soul.
Jean-Mary calls the current fight another example of exploitation.
``This is another injustice, another lack of respect for people at this crucial moment. When you need to preach a theology of hope or rehabilitation, you are trying to make people feel worse by portraying yourself as perfect and the people who are victims did something wrong,'' he said. ``The reason why you are alive is not because you deserved it, or because you were better than others. The reason why you were not killed in the earthquake is because it's not your time.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/12/v-print/1576546/as-unity-unravels-a-battle-for.html#ixzz0kzXf8wcl
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Introduction: "Katholik-Ism"
I haven't really told anyone about this (except maybe Alexandra) but I feel that my purpose is becoming clearer as time goes on. A fusion of reflection, reading Scripture, prayer, history, and my experience with Christianity over the last five years has drawn me into ecumenism. And my first step in that direction is to do my part in cleaning house first (meaning pointing out flaws that I think need fixing in my own denomination). I am writing a book that I should finish by the end of the summer. The working title is Katholik-Ism: A Truly Universal Church. I thought I would share with you the introduction to that book, as it is one of the most heartfelt pieces of writing I have ever worked on (so far). Hope you enjoy!
------------------------
Introduction
I am no Martin Luther. My purpose in writing about the state of the Roman Catholic Church is not to radically separate myself from the beliefs of the Church. I am in agreement with nearly all of its theology. I find Christian theology that comes from a Roman Catholic perspective to be rooted heavily in Scripture, tradition, and history, which is why its the denomination I have chosen to fall in line with.
In contrast, the purpose for this particular piece of writing is to attempt to bridge the gap that divides the followers of Christ. It is indeed an arduous task to even consider trying to play a role in reversing five centuries or so of historical division. But after much reflection on Scripture, history, and in my own experiences, I truly feel that this is my purpose. This is God's will for my life.
There are many in the world, Christian and non-Christian alike, who have an overtly negative view of the Roman Catholic Church and her adherents. This view prevents Christ's church from being truly catholic (universal), which I consider to be a tremendous obstacle in the Christian mission to make disciples of all the nations. How can people consider committing their lives to Christ if those who follow Christ are so rabidly opposed to each other? Instead of being united as one Christian church, we tend to identify ourselves as "Catholic" or "Protestant", "evangelical" or "Calvinist", "Baptist" or "Methodist", "Presbyterian" or "Episcopalian", and the list goes on.
I am not so naive as to believe that everyone will adhere to one specific interpretation of Scripture. The different sects of Christianity, however, tend to demonize each other and claim the other groups as not being truly Christian because of differing ideas when it comes to doctrine. In reality, what you believe in terms of ordained ministry, the afterlife, and the literal/allegorical view of Scripture is not what makes one a Christian. What qualifies a person to be considered a Christian is his/her belief in one God, that Jesus (His son) was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified and died for the forgiveness of sins, and rose from the dead three days later to conquer death and grant all who believe eternal life.
Instead of preaching the Good News to the world as a united Christian front, we resort to mindless intra-Christian attacks that deflect any non-believers from entering into communion with Christ and his church. By attacking each other, we are in direct opposition of Christ and are not heeding the words of St. Paul.
Before I get strayed into apologetics, the biggest issues with Roman Catholicism are its "clothing." It is not the Church's theology that I think need reform, but its public appearance to the world. That being said, if you are a Catholic who believes there are some aspects of the Church that need exterior reform, this book is for you. If you are non-Catholic Christian who, like me, constantly prays for the unity of Christians throughout the world, this book is for you. If you are an ordained Catholic minister (deacon, priest, pastor, bishop, cardinal...or the Pope himself), I truly hope you read this in its entirety.
------------------------
Introduction
I am no Martin Luther. My purpose in writing about the state of the Roman Catholic Church is not to radically separate myself from the beliefs of the Church. I am in agreement with nearly all of its theology. I find Christian theology that comes from a Roman Catholic perspective to be rooted heavily in Scripture, tradition, and history, which is why its the denomination I have chosen to fall in line with.
In contrast, the purpose for this particular piece of writing is to attempt to bridge the gap that divides the followers of Christ. It is indeed an arduous task to even consider trying to play a role in reversing five centuries or so of historical division. But after much reflection on Scripture, history, and in my own experiences, I truly feel that this is my purpose. This is God's will for my life.
There are many in the world, Christian and non-Christian alike, who have an overtly negative view of the Roman Catholic Church and her adherents. This view prevents Christ's church from being truly catholic (universal), which I consider to be a tremendous obstacle in the Christian mission to make disciples of all the nations. How can people consider committing their lives to Christ if those who follow Christ are so rabidly opposed to each other? Instead of being united as one Christian church, we tend to identify ourselves as "Catholic" or "Protestant", "evangelical" or "Calvinist", "Baptist" or "Methodist", "Presbyterian" or "Episcopalian", and the list goes on.
I am not so naive as to believe that everyone will adhere to one specific interpretation of Scripture. The different sects of Christianity, however, tend to demonize each other and claim the other groups as not being truly Christian because of differing ideas when it comes to doctrine. In reality, what you believe in terms of ordained ministry, the afterlife, and the literal/allegorical view of Scripture is not what makes one a Christian. What qualifies a person to be considered a Christian is his/her belief in one God, that Jesus (His son) was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified and died for the forgiveness of sins, and rose from the dead three days later to conquer death and grant all who believe eternal life.
Instead of preaching the Good News to the world as a united Christian front, we resort to mindless intra-Christian attacks that deflect any non-believers from entering into communion with Christ and his church. By attacking each other, we are in direct opposition of Christ and are not heeding the words of St. Paul.
Before I get strayed into apologetics, the biggest issues with Roman Catholicism are its "clothing." It is not the Church's theology that I think need reform, but its public appearance to the world. That being said, if you are a Catholic who believes there are some aspects of the Church that need exterior reform, this book is for you. If you are non-Catholic Christian who, like me, constantly prays for the unity of Christians throughout the world, this book is for you. If you are an ordained Catholic minister (deacon, priest, pastor, bishop, cardinal...or the Pope himself), I truly hope you read this in its entirety.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Weeding Out Thorns
The news has been rampant recently about yet another sex abuse case within the Roman Catholic Church. What makes this particular case so different is its link with Pope Benedict XVI. Back when Joseph Ratzinger was a Cardinal, this particular priest was brought to his office (since he was in charge of overseeing this particular problem within the Church). Instead of the priest being handed to authorities (since the abuse of minors is a crime, in addition to a sin), he was ordered to undergo psychiatric therapy. When transferred to a different parish, the priest continued to abuse minors.
This problem within the Church has been a thorn in its side. It has been an insidious cancer in the Christian faith amongst those who follow the Catholic tradition. This particular aspect of the Church, among a few others, is the reason why the Church has such a bad reputation in the world. How can the children of God - that is the entire world - be fed with the Gospel if the vineyard of God is not all that welcoming? How can we expect people to allow their old ways to die and renew themselves in faith, hope, and love if the harvest is bearing bad fruit?
I have come to believe that more people will get turned off from attending church than be reasoned away from it. While there are many different things that I feel need reform, I will stick with the lone issue of sex abuse. There is a difference between being a sinner and being a criminal. It's really simple, if a priest, a deacon, a bishop, a cardinal, or the pope himself for that matter, commits such a desolating sin - like child sex abuse - not only should he not be allowed to hold the position anymore, but he should be turned over to police. Instead of trying to cover its tracks, the Church should be have a more open-door policy towards her adherents.
People don't want secrecy, they want openness. Jesus did not hold secrets. Unlike the Jewish high priests who later played a role in his crucifixion, Jesus was open and indeed opened the door to the kingdom of heaven. He opened people's eyes and hearts to the truth instead of holding the truth to himself and only giving out pre-selected information.
I'm not saying that those who commit the sin should be kicked out of the church altogether, but just as a shepherd should not commit inappropriate acts with his sheep, the pastors and associate pastors of these parishes should not be committing inappropriate acts with the parishioners, let alone their children.
So kick them out of the priesthood. That will surely send a message to those who are not pure of heart and yet are thinking of attending seminary. If a priest sins, it will be all right because no fully mortal man is without sin. But just as you wouldn't allow a priest who commits murder continue in his post, neither should one who has done this. You want to give a true apology? Show the people that you are cleaning house and ensuring it will not happen anymore.
This problem within the Church has been a thorn in its side. It has been an insidious cancer in the Christian faith amongst those who follow the Catholic tradition. This particular aspect of the Church, among a few others, is the reason why the Church has such a bad reputation in the world. How can the children of God - that is the entire world - be fed with the Gospel if the vineyard of God is not all that welcoming? How can we expect people to allow their old ways to die and renew themselves in faith, hope, and love if the harvest is bearing bad fruit?
I have come to believe that more people will get turned off from attending church than be reasoned away from it. While there are many different things that I feel need reform, I will stick with the lone issue of sex abuse. There is a difference between being a sinner and being a criminal. It's really simple, if a priest, a deacon, a bishop, a cardinal, or the pope himself for that matter, commits such a desolating sin - like child sex abuse - not only should he not be allowed to hold the position anymore, but he should be turned over to police. Instead of trying to cover its tracks, the Church should be have a more open-door policy towards her adherents.
People don't want secrecy, they want openness. Jesus did not hold secrets. Unlike the Jewish high priests who later played a role in his crucifixion, Jesus was open and indeed opened the door to the kingdom of heaven. He opened people's eyes and hearts to the truth instead of holding the truth to himself and only giving out pre-selected information.
I'm not saying that those who commit the sin should be kicked out of the church altogether, but just as a shepherd should not commit inappropriate acts with his sheep, the pastors and associate pastors of these parishes should not be committing inappropriate acts with the parishioners, let alone their children.
So kick them out of the priesthood. That will surely send a message to those who are not pure of heart and yet are thinking of attending seminary. If a priest sins, it will be all right because no fully mortal man is without sin. But just as you wouldn't allow a priest who commits murder continue in his post, neither should one who has done this. You want to give a true apology? Show the people that you are cleaning house and ensuring it will not happen anymore.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Faith Above Politics...Always
For those of you who know me well, you know that I am a big fan of Glenn Beck's radio program. As far as his Fox News program is concerned, I am a sporatic fan, because after Beck's switch from CNN to Fox News, the radio host gradually turned away from his libertarianism and transformed into the typical Fox News neo-conservative type that I have come to despise in American politics.
Earlier this month, the host had a few things to say about the role of church and American politics. In essence, because of his mounting fear of progressivism, the former libertarian began denouncing churches that promoted social justice.
According to Beck, the words "social justice" are "code words" for Nazism and communism. He later urged Christians to discuss the terms with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.
This got me thinking about the number of Americans who put country before God, when in reality, it should be the direct opposite. They are part of the Church of the United States, a faith that claims to place its trust in God, when in reality it breaks the first commandment in its idolatry of individual and constitutional rights.
Glenn Beck is a Mormon and at times talks about how his conversion to that faith helped him battle his earlier alcoholism. Throwing aside all theological arguments, can the Mormons continue to claim they are a Christian church while totally shunning issues of social and economic justice? Perhaps it isn't a Mormon teaching (that could be the case since I am not a religious scholar). Perhaps it's Mr. Beck's idolization of American constitutionalism. But the question stands, can Mr. Beck be a true Christian if he does not believe that social justice is a major issue in our world?
Despite all of the changes he has gone through since his conversion to the Fox News machine, Mr. Beck continues to profess that he is a libertarian and that he is a Christian.
Well, I'm a libertarian, and I don't think that true libertarianism throws social justice out the window. We may believe that the government is not effective enough in its assitance in regards to social justice, but certainly, libertarians understand that it is through churches and through non-profit organizations that these issues can be addressed.
One of the major issues that the Roman Catholic Church addresses are issues of social justice. The Archdiocese of Miami has an Office of Social Advocacy whose purpose is to promote "social justice and anti-poverty initiatives through legislative advocacy, and seeks to connect the works of faith and justice throughout the Archdiocese of Miami...[and]coordinates the Archdiocesan response to emergency needs both at home and abroad." So I guess the Catholic Church and its billion adherents are a bunch of Commies. I guess I'm a Commie, but then again, I don't agree much with Communism.
So yes. Despite being labeled as a "sick, twisted freak" for listening to Glenn Beck, I still consider myself a libertarian. However, before I am a libertarian, I am an American.
Before I am an American, I am a Catholic.
Before I am a Catholic, I am a Christian.
And in the end, all my decisions and all of my opinions are going to based on that last fact. And if social justice is not on your list of priorities, that's when you should reconsider your church's stance on social justice. Christianity without social justice is not Christianity at all.
Earlier this month, the host had a few things to say about the role of church and American politics. In essence, because of his mounting fear of progressivism, the former libertarian began denouncing churches that promoted social justice.
According to Beck, the words "social justice" are "code words" for Nazism and communism. He later urged Christians to discuss the terms with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.
This got me thinking about the number of Americans who put country before God, when in reality, it should be the direct opposite. They are part of the Church of the United States, a faith that claims to place its trust in God, when in reality it breaks the first commandment in its idolatry of individual and constitutional rights.
Glenn Beck is a Mormon and at times talks about how his conversion to that faith helped him battle his earlier alcoholism. Throwing aside all theological arguments, can the Mormons continue to claim they are a Christian church while totally shunning issues of social and economic justice? Perhaps it isn't a Mormon teaching (that could be the case since I am not a religious scholar). Perhaps it's Mr. Beck's idolization of American constitutionalism. But the question stands, can Mr. Beck be a true Christian if he does not believe that social justice is a major issue in our world?
Despite all of the changes he has gone through since his conversion to the Fox News machine, Mr. Beck continues to profess that he is a libertarian and that he is a Christian.
Well, I'm a libertarian, and I don't think that true libertarianism throws social justice out the window. We may believe that the government is not effective enough in its assitance in regards to social justice, but certainly, libertarians understand that it is through churches and through non-profit organizations that these issues can be addressed.
One of the major issues that the Roman Catholic Church addresses are issues of social justice. The Archdiocese of Miami has an Office of Social Advocacy whose purpose is to promote "social justice and anti-poverty initiatives through legislative advocacy, and seeks to connect the works of faith and justice throughout the Archdiocese of Miami...[and]coordinates the Archdiocesan response to emergency needs both at home and abroad." So I guess the Catholic Church and its billion adherents are a bunch of Commies. I guess I'm a Commie, but then again, I don't agree much with Communism.
So yes. Despite being labeled as a "sick, twisted freak" for listening to Glenn Beck, I still consider myself a libertarian. However, before I am a libertarian, I am an American.
Before I am an American, I am a Catholic.
Before I am a Catholic, I am a Christian.
And in the end, all my decisions and all of my opinions are going to based on that last fact. And if social justice is not on your list of priorities, that's when you should reconsider your church's stance on social justice. Christianity without social justice is not Christianity at all.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
What is Justice?
"Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Each year, on the occasion of Lent, the Church invites us to a sincere review of our life in light of the teachings of the Gospel. This year, I would like to offer you some reflections on the great theme of justice, beginning from the Pauline affirmation: 'The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ' (cf. Rm 3, 21-22).
Justice: 'dare cuique suum'
First of all, I want to consider the meaning of the term 'justice,' which in common usage implies 'to render to every man his due,' according to the famous expression of Ulpian, a Roman jurist of the third century. In reality, however, this classical definition does not specify what 'due' is to be rendered to each person. What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him by law. In order to live life to the full, something more intimate is necessary that can be granted only as a gift: we could say that man lives by that love which only God can communicate since He created the human person in His image and likeness. Material goods are certainly useful and required – indeed Jesus Himself was concerned to heal the sick, feed the crowds that followed Him and surely condemns the indifference that even today forces hundreds of millions into death through lack of food, water and medicine – yet 'distributive' justice does not render to the human being the totality of his 'due.' Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God. Saint Augustine notes: if 'justice is that virtue which gives every one his due ... where, then, is the justice of man, when he deserts the true God?' (De civitate Dei, XIX, 21).
What is the Cause of Injustice?
The Evangelist Mark reports the following words of Jesus, which are inserted within the debate at that time regarding what is pure and impure: 'There is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him … What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts' (Mk 7, 14-15, 20-21). Beyond the immediate question concerning food, we can detect in the reaction of the Pharisees a permanent temptation within man: to situate the origin of evil in an exterior cause. Many modern ideologies deep down have this presupposition: since injustice comes 'from outside,' in order for justice to reign, it is sufficient to remove the exterior causes that prevent it being achieved. This way of thinking – Jesus warns – is ingenuous and shortsighted. Injustice, the fruit of evil, does not have exclusively external roots; its origin lies in the human heart, where the seeds are found of a mysterious cooperation with evil. With bitterness the Psalmist recognises this: 'Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me' (Ps 51,7). Indeed, man is weakened by an intense influence, which wounds his capacity to enter into communion with the other. By nature, he is open to sharing freely, but he finds in his being a strange force of gravity that makes him turn in and affirm himself above and against others: this is egoism, the result of original sin. Adam and Eve, seduced by Satan’s lie, snatching the mysterious fruit against the divine command, replaced the logic of trusting in Love with that of suspicion and competition; the logic of receiving and trustfully expecting from the Other with anxiously seizing and doing on one’s own (cf. Gn 3, 1-6), experiencing, as a consequence, a sense of disquiet and uncertainty. How can man free himself from this selfish influence and open himself to love?
Justice and Sedaqah
At the heart of the wisdom of Israel, we find a profound link between faith in God who 'lifts the needy from the ash heap' (Ps 113,7) and justice towards one’s neighbor. The Hebrew word itself that indicates the virtue of justice, sedaqah, expresses this well. Sedaqah, in fact, signifies on the one hand full acceptance of the will of the God of Israel; on the other hand, equity in relation to one’s neighbour (cf. Ex 20, 12-17), especially the poor, the stranger, the orphan and the widow (cf. Dt 10, 18-19). But the two meanings are linked because giving to the poor for the Israelite is none other than restoring what is owed to God, who had pity on the misery of His people. It was not by chance that the gift to Moses of the tablets of the Law on Mount Sinai took place after the crossing of the Red Sea. Listening to the Law presupposes faith in God who first 'heard the cry' of His people and “came down to deliver them out of hand of the Egyptians” (cf. Ex 3,8). God is attentive to the cry of the poor and in return asks to be listened to: He asks for justice towards the poor (cf. Sir 4,4-5, 8-9), the stranger (cf. Ex 22,20), the slave (cf. Dt 15, 12-18). In order to enter into justice, it is thus necessary to leave that illusion of self-sufficiency, the profound state of closure, which is the very origin of injustice. In other words, what is needed is an even deeper 'exodus' than that accomplished by God with Moses, a liberation of the heart, which the Law on its own is powerless to realize. Does man have any hope of justice then?
Christ, the Justice of God
The Christian Good News responds positively to man’s thirst for justice, as Saint Paul affirms in the Letter to the Romans: 'But now the justice of God has been manifested apart from law … the justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith' (3, 21-25). What then is the justice of Christ? Above all, it is the justice that comes from grace, where it is not man who makes amends, heals himself and others. The fact that 'expiation' flows from the 'blood' of Christ signifies that it is not man’s sacrifices that free him from the weight of his faults, but the loving act of God who opens Himself in the extreme, even to the point of bearing in Himself the 'curse' due to man so as to give in return the 'blessing' due to God (cf. Gal 3, 13-14). But this raises an immediate objection: what kind of justice is this where the just man dies for the guilty and the guilty receives in return the blessing due to the just one? Would this not mean that each one receives the contrary of his 'due'? In reality, here we discover divine justice, which is so profoundly different from its human counterpart. God has paid for us the price of the exchange in His Son, a price that is truly exorbitant. Before the justice of the Cross, man may rebel for this reveals how man is not a self-sufficient being, but in need of Another in order to realize himself fully. Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of self-sufficiency in order to discover and accept one’s own need – the need of others and God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship. So we understand how faith is altogether different from a natural, good-feeling, obvious fact: humility is required to accept that I need Another to free me from 'what is mine,' to give me gratuitously 'what is His.' This happens especially in the sacraments of Reconciliation and communion. Thanks to Christ’s action, we may enter into the 'greatest' justice, which is that of love (cf. Rm 13, 8-10), the justice that recognises itself in every case more a debtor than a creditor, because it has received more than could ever have been expected. Strengthened by this very experience, the Christian is moved to contribute to creating just societies, where all receive what is necessary to live according to the dignity proper to the human person and where justice is enlivened by love.
Dear brothers and sisters, Lent culminates in the Paschal Triduum, in which this year, too, we shall celebrate divine justice – the fullness of charity, gift, salvation. May this penitential season be for every Christian a time of authentic conversion and intense knowledge of the mystery of Christ, who came to fulfill every justice. With these sentiments, I cordially impart to all of you my blessing."
- Pope Benedict XVI's Lenten Message
Each year, on the occasion of Lent, the Church invites us to a sincere review of our life in light of the teachings of the Gospel. This year, I would like to offer you some reflections on the great theme of justice, beginning from the Pauline affirmation: 'The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ' (cf. Rm 3, 21-22).
Justice: 'dare cuique suum'
First of all, I want to consider the meaning of the term 'justice,' which in common usage implies 'to render to every man his due,' according to the famous expression of Ulpian, a Roman jurist of the third century. In reality, however, this classical definition does not specify what 'due' is to be rendered to each person. What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him by law. In order to live life to the full, something more intimate is necessary that can be granted only as a gift: we could say that man lives by that love which only God can communicate since He created the human person in His image and likeness. Material goods are certainly useful and required – indeed Jesus Himself was concerned to heal the sick, feed the crowds that followed Him and surely condemns the indifference that even today forces hundreds of millions into death through lack of food, water and medicine – yet 'distributive' justice does not render to the human being the totality of his 'due.' Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God. Saint Augustine notes: if 'justice is that virtue which gives every one his due ... where, then, is the justice of man, when he deserts the true God?' (De civitate Dei, XIX, 21).
What is the Cause of Injustice?
The Evangelist Mark reports the following words of Jesus, which are inserted within the debate at that time regarding what is pure and impure: 'There is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him … What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts' (Mk 7, 14-15, 20-21). Beyond the immediate question concerning food, we can detect in the reaction of the Pharisees a permanent temptation within man: to situate the origin of evil in an exterior cause. Many modern ideologies deep down have this presupposition: since injustice comes 'from outside,' in order for justice to reign, it is sufficient to remove the exterior causes that prevent it being achieved. This way of thinking – Jesus warns – is ingenuous and shortsighted. Injustice, the fruit of evil, does not have exclusively external roots; its origin lies in the human heart, where the seeds are found of a mysterious cooperation with evil. With bitterness the Psalmist recognises this: 'Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me' (Ps 51,7). Indeed, man is weakened by an intense influence, which wounds his capacity to enter into communion with the other. By nature, he is open to sharing freely, but he finds in his being a strange force of gravity that makes him turn in and affirm himself above and against others: this is egoism, the result of original sin. Adam and Eve, seduced by Satan’s lie, snatching the mysterious fruit against the divine command, replaced the logic of trusting in Love with that of suspicion and competition; the logic of receiving and trustfully expecting from the Other with anxiously seizing and doing on one’s own (cf. Gn 3, 1-6), experiencing, as a consequence, a sense of disquiet and uncertainty. How can man free himself from this selfish influence and open himself to love?
Justice and Sedaqah
At the heart of the wisdom of Israel, we find a profound link between faith in God who 'lifts the needy from the ash heap' (Ps 113,7) and justice towards one’s neighbor. The Hebrew word itself that indicates the virtue of justice, sedaqah, expresses this well. Sedaqah, in fact, signifies on the one hand full acceptance of the will of the God of Israel; on the other hand, equity in relation to one’s neighbour (cf. Ex 20, 12-17), especially the poor, the stranger, the orphan and the widow (cf. Dt 10, 18-19). But the two meanings are linked because giving to the poor for the Israelite is none other than restoring what is owed to God, who had pity on the misery of His people. It was not by chance that the gift to Moses of the tablets of the Law on Mount Sinai took place after the crossing of the Red Sea. Listening to the Law presupposes faith in God who first 'heard the cry' of His people and “came down to deliver them out of hand of the Egyptians” (cf. Ex 3,8). God is attentive to the cry of the poor and in return asks to be listened to: He asks for justice towards the poor (cf. Sir 4,4-5, 8-9), the stranger (cf. Ex 22,20), the slave (cf. Dt 15, 12-18). In order to enter into justice, it is thus necessary to leave that illusion of self-sufficiency, the profound state of closure, which is the very origin of injustice. In other words, what is needed is an even deeper 'exodus' than that accomplished by God with Moses, a liberation of the heart, which the Law on its own is powerless to realize. Does man have any hope of justice then?
Christ, the Justice of God
The Christian Good News responds positively to man’s thirst for justice, as Saint Paul affirms in the Letter to the Romans: 'But now the justice of God has been manifested apart from law … the justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith' (3, 21-25). What then is the justice of Christ? Above all, it is the justice that comes from grace, where it is not man who makes amends, heals himself and others. The fact that 'expiation' flows from the 'blood' of Christ signifies that it is not man’s sacrifices that free him from the weight of his faults, but the loving act of God who opens Himself in the extreme, even to the point of bearing in Himself the 'curse' due to man so as to give in return the 'blessing' due to God (cf. Gal 3, 13-14). But this raises an immediate objection: what kind of justice is this where the just man dies for the guilty and the guilty receives in return the blessing due to the just one? Would this not mean that each one receives the contrary of his 'due'? In reality, here we discover divine justice, which is so profoundly different from its human counterpart. God has paid for us the price of the exchange in His Son, a price that is truly exorbitant. Before the justice of the Cross, man may rebel for this reveals how man is not a self-sufficient being, but in need of Another in order to realize himself fully. Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of self-sufficiency in order to discover and accept one’s own need – the need of others and God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship. So we understand how faith is altogether different from a natural, good-feeling, obvious fact: humility is required to accept that I need Another to free me from 'what is mine,' to give me gratuitously 'what is His.' This happens especially in the sacraments of Reconciliation and communion. Thanks to Christ’s action, we may enter into the 'greatest' justice, which is that of love (cf. Rm 13, 8-10), the justice that recognises itself in every case more a debtor than a creditor, because it has received more than could ever have been expected. Strengthened by this very experience, the Christian is moved to contribute to creating just societies, where all receive what is necessary to live according to the dignity proper to the human person and where justice is enlivened by love.
Dear brothers and sisters, Lent culminates in the Paschal Triduum, in which this year, too, we shall celebrate divine justice – the fullness of charity, gift, salvation. May this penitential season be for every Christian a time of authentic conversion and intense knowledge of the mystery of Christ, who came to fulfill every justice. With these sentiments, I cordially impart to all of you my blessing."
- Pope Benedict XVI's Lenten Message
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Making Sacrifices...
So that time of the year is coming upon us again - the time when Catholic Christians throughout the world make a sacrifice for the Lenten season. The popular notion amongst people of this faith is to make a "sacrifice to please God." Unfortunately, that is the wrong conception one can have the season.
Lent gives us an opportunity to "die" to our old ways and to "rise" with Jesus to a new way of life. Even though we may have already become believers and experienced a conversion of heart - or became born again - our decision to let the old ways die and follow Christ in new ways is one we can make over and over again, especially during Lent. But doing so involves conversion.
What are some of the "old ways" that we need to "die" to? Many of these are personal choices and attitudes that we have gotten used to: being selfish with our time and money, refusing to help others, saying hurtful things to get a laugh, or not putting effort into school, work, and/or into our gifts/talents. Other "old ways" are attitudes and choices that we often share with the society around us: ignoring the needs of poor or homeless people, not caring for those who are sick or hungry, or allowing the most vulnerable among us to go without the help they need. Lent gives us a chance, with God's grace and our best efforts, to change our minds, our hearts, and our lives.
Isaiah speaks to us about the meaning of Lent. His words serve as a great remnder of the Lenten practices that we follow in order to move toward conversion: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What can you "do for Lent" in one or more areas?
Whatever you decide to do, it is also important to remember that Lent is a season of grace. It is not so much about what we do but about Jesus' presence with us, calling us to come closer and closer to him each day. Whatever our failures or trials in responding to his call, we are never overcome. We can always renew our efforts with help of the grace he gives us. And renewal is always possible for us, for we are following our Savior who faced what we faced, yet still manages to lead us through death into new life.
So the following is a list of points/tips I'd like to make about the upcoming season.
1) Remember that what we should sacrifice is whatever keeps us away from God. Meaning, unless it is keeping you away from God, I don't think sacrificing chocolates, soda, fast food, etc. brings the message home.
2) Fasting is not about starving yourself. If you fast, you will likely become hungry at some point during the day. Instead of moaning and groaning, just ask God to fill that hunger for you, and if you believe He will, then He will. Jesus speaks about fasting in the Gospel of Matthew. On that note, too, maybe you should wash your face after attending mass on Ash Wednesday. Who you are and what you are embarking on is between you and God. No need to wear an ash-cross throughout the day. Just remember that from ashes we came, and to ash we shall return.
3) Instead of sacrificing one of the superficial items listed as number one, some examples of good sacrifices can be taking out of the New Testament. St. Paul gives us good examples of positive sacrifices we can make to grow in our relationship with Christ, and to help those who have lost all hope and/or purpose.
4) When making sacrifices, it's supposed to be a life-changing one. For example, if you give up pride or being overly lustful, it's not supposed to last only until Easter. If not, what change have you really made in your life?
5) I invite all of my non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters to partake in the season as well. Lent should not be for Catholics alone, but for Christians of all denominations and traditions. I'm not saying that you have to celebrate Ash Wednesday or Palm Sunday, but I think a Pauline sacrifice would benefit each of us as individuals.
Lent gives us an opportunity to "die" to our old ways and to "rise" with Jesus to a new way of life. Even though we may have already become believers and experienced a conversion of heart - or became born again - our decision to let the old ways die and follow Christ in new ways is one we can make over and over again, especially during Lent. But doing so involves conversion.
What are some of the "old ways" that we need to "die" to? Many of these are personal choices and attitudes that we have gotten used to: being selfish with our time and money, refusing to help others, saying hurtful things to get a laugh, or not putting effort into school, work, and/or into our gifts/talents. Other "old ways" are attitudes and choices that we often share with the society around us: ignoring the needs of poor or homeless people, not caring for those who are sick or hungry, or allowing the most vulnerable among us to go without the help they need. Lent gives us a chance, with God's grace and our best efforts, to change our minds, our hearts, and our lives.
Isaiah speaks to us about the meaning of Lent. His words serve as a great remnder of the Lenten practices that we follow in order to move toward conversion: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What can you "do for Lent" in one or more areas?
Whatever you decide to do, it is also important to remember that Lent is a season of grace. It is not so much about what we do but about Jesus' presence with us, calling us to come closer and closer to him each day. Whatever our failures or trials in responding to his call, we are never overcome. We can always renew our efforts with help of the grace he gives us. And renewal is always possible for us, for we are following our Savior who faced what we faced, yet still manages to lead us through death into new life.
So the following is a list of points/tips I'd like to make about the upcoming season.
1) Remember that what we should sacrifice is whatever keeps us away from God. Meaning, unless it is keeping you away from God, I don't think sacrificing chocolates, soda, fast food, etc. brings the message home.
2) Fasting is not about starving yourself. If you fast, you will likely become hungry at some point during the day. Instead of moaning and groaning, just ask God to fill that hunger for you, and if you believe He will, then He will. Jesus speaks about fasting in the Gospel of Matthew. On that note, too, maybe you should wash your face after attending mass on Ash Wednesday. Who you are and what you are embarking on is between you and God. No need to wear an ash-cross throughout the day. Just remember that from ashes we came, and to ash we shall return.
3) Instead of sacrificing one of the superficial items listed as number one, some examples of good sacrifices can be taking out of the New Testament. St. Paul gives us good examples of positive sacrifices we can make to grow in our relationship with Christ, and to help those who have lost all hope and/or purpose.
4) When making sacrifices, it's supposed to be a life-changing one. For example, if you give up pride or being overly lustful, it's not supposed to last only until Easter. If not, what change have you really made in your life?
5) I invite all of my non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters to partake in the season as well. Lent should not be for Catholics alone, but for Christians of all denominations and traditions. I'm not saying that you have to celebrate Ash Wednesday or Palm Sunday, but I think a Pauline sacrifice would benefit each of us as individuals.
Friday, February 5, 2010
What Pizza Can Teach Politicans
I know a lot of people who exclusively turn to Fox News for their news, and I know those who turn exclusively to MSNBC. I, like other people, prefer CNN over the other two (I'm not a big fan of overtly biased news coverage). Saying that, each of the competing networks provides me with at least one show that I like watching on their respective networks. I'm a fan of Glenn Beck's show on Fox News (though I prefer the radio host Glenn Beck [the more libertarian kind of guy] over the Fox News version of Glenn Beck [the more...Fox News-y kind of guy]). And over on MSNBC, I enjoy watching Morning Joe.
A couple of weeks ago, as I was watching Joe, they aired Domino's Pizza's commercial, "The Pizza Turnaround" which you can view below. I started thinking how much better shape this country would be in if more politicians would air ads like Dominos Pizza. Instead of trying to ram agendas while keeping the truth from reaching the eyes and ears of the public, what if they would actually talk about the complaints that have been made, and then prove that they are trying to reverse their errors?
President Obama has called for a greater sense of bipartisanship in Washington. But this doesn't mean that politicians cannot disagree. This means that dialogue should be kept civil and sometimes, the two sides have to compromise in the middle. While I am not the biggest fan of moderation (as my political beliefs may seem radical to many), I think it's time for politicians to attempt to save whatever dignity and humanity remains in the nation's capital, and in all the state and local governments across the country.
Enjoy the video.
A couple of weeks ago, as I was watching Joe, they aired Domino's Pizza's commercial, "The Pizza Turnaround" which you can view below. I started thinking how much better shape this country would be in if more politicians would air ads like Dominos Pizza. Instead of trying to ram agendas while keeping the truth from reaching the eyes and ears of the public, what if they would actually talk about the complaints that have been made, and then prove that they are trying to reverse their errors?
President Obama has called for a greater sense of bipartisanship in Washington. But this doesn't mean that politicians cannot disagree. This means that dialogue should be kept civil and sometimes, the two sides have to compromise in the middle. While I am not the biggest fan of moderation (as my political beliefs may seem radical to many), I think it's time for politicians to attempt to save whatever dignity and humanity remains in the nation's capital, and in all the state and local governments across the country.
Enjoy the video.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Move On...
"Move on..." That's a phrase that people associate with two different ideas. The first one is the politically leftist website, moveon.org. If you want to see specifics about what their movement is all about, go ahead to their website and see for yourself, because that's not what I meant by "move on."
The second idea is the phrasing people tend to use when they are dealing with difficult moments. People, things, faith, or other sources help you "move on." This scenario, however is not what I'm referring to, either.
The phrasing of this blog post is meant to be describe an action I had to take earlier today and my reaction to the event. It all started when...
I arrived at FIU about two hours before my shift. My laptop is currently sitting at home out of commission since I need to buy a new battery charger; thus, I wanted to sit in a computer lab at FIU and work on some job applications and to get some long-awaited blogging done since I've had a lot on my mind recently. Anyways, for those of you who have experienced life at FIU (main campus), you will know that parking there makes you look forward to going to the DMV (credit Jim Gaffigan for that kind of comparison).
So, I spent literally 60 minutes driving around, searching for a parking spot. Keep in mind, I invested a bit of money to buy a Faculty/Staff decal, so it was more stressful having to look for parking there first and then finding it difficult to find student parking. Anyways, 45 minutes into my adventure, I finally find a parking spot in the fifth floor of the Blue Parking Garage. Even luckier than that, the spot is right next to the stairwell, so after my climb later on tonight, I can take only a couple of steps to sit in my car. After all, exercise and I aren't too compatible yet (getting in shape is still my resolution this year, though).
So, I race towards that spot, and as soon as I get to it, an SUV pulls up next to me. The driver gave me a hard look, but seeing no blinker and no other form of communication, I parked in the spot. He found a spot literally right after me. However, as I was removing some things from my car to take with me, I hear a voice - you know those voices suburban high schoolers in Miami use when they think they are ghetto? - saying "Bro, you're such a. You're lucky I'm at school."
Using the voice I just described, he obviously mumbled the last part of what he told me. So I asked him to repeat what he said and he did. I shrugged my shoulders since I didn't care and then he walked away. Right after that, my vivid imagination kicked in:
What if as soon as he comes back, he finds a way to damage my car? Well, I had an answer for that. I knew exactly what car he drove, so I walked to his car and wrote down the license plate number so that if something happened, I would know which car to report. However, a "WWJD" moment dawned on me. Was this necessary? Can all this be avoided?
Since it was still 75 minutes until my shift started, I decided to move my car. Yes, it took me a long time to find that spot. Yes, I feel that I rightfully earned it since I got there first. However, I think confrontation should be avoided whenever possible. So, about fifteen minutes later, I drove my way to the ZEB parking lot by 8th street and found a Faculty/Staff spot there.
Some of you may think I was being too nice. Others may think I let the guy push me around. Still more of you may think that the word the guy chose to describe me at the moment was accurate. What do I think? I think I'm neither a saint, nor a pushover, nor...that word. I just think that there are times in life when one needs to move on before things get out of hand.
Whether the guy forgot all about it already, or if it actually soured up his day, all I know is that I feel better knowing that I avoided the exacerbation of the issue.
Just in case this particular student goes out of his way to seek confrontation, I do remember the car and at least the first half of the license plate number. I truly doubt I will see him again anytime soon. And just in case he stumbles upon this blog one day, I apologize if you misinterpreted my side of things.
That is all. I promise my next blog will be more cheerful.
The second idea is the phrasing people tend to use when they are dealing with difficult moments. People, things, faith, or other sources help you "move on." This scenario, however is not what I'm referring to, either.
The phrasing of this blog post is meant to be describe an action I had to take earlier today and my reaction to the event. It all started when...
I arrived at FIU about two hours before my shift. My laptop is currently sitting at home out of commission since I need to buy a new battery charger; thus, I wanted to sit in a computer lab at FIU and work on some job applications and to get some long-awaited blogging done since I've had a lot on my mind recently. Anyways, for those of you who have experienced life at FIU (main campus), you will know that parking there makes you look forward to going to the DMV (credit Jim Gaffigan for that kind of comparison).
So, I spent literally 60 minutes driving around, searching for a parking spot. Keep in mind, I invested a bit of money to buy a Faculty/Staff decal, so it was more stressful having to look for parking there first and then finding it difficult to find student parking. Anyways, 45 minutes into my adventure, I finally find a parking spot in the fifth floor of the Blue Parking Garage. Even luckier than that, the spot is right next to the stairwell, so after my climb later on tonight, I can take only a couple of steps to sit in my car. After all, exercise and I aren't too compatible yet (getting in shape is still my resolution this year, though).
So, I race towards that spot, and as soon as I get to it, an SUV pulls up next to me. The driver gave me a hard look, but seeing no blinker and no other form of communication, I parked in the spot. He found a spot literally right after me. However, as I was removing some things from my car to take with me, I hear a voice - you know those voices suburban high schoolers in Miami use when they think they are ghetto? - saying "Bro, you're such a
Using the voice I just described, he obviously mumbled the last part of what he told me. So I asked him to repeat what he said and he did. I shrugged my shoulders since I didn't care and then he walked away. Right after that, my vivid imagination kicked in:
What if as soon as he comes back, he finds a way to damage my car? Well, I had an answer for that. I knew exactly what car he drove, so I walked to his car and wrote down the license plate number so that if something happened, I would know which car to report. However, a "WWJD" moment dawned on me. Was this necessary? Can all this be avoided?
Since it was still 75 minutes until my shift started, I decided to move my car. Yes, it took me a long time to find that spot. Yes, I feel that I rightfully earned it since I got there first. However, I think confrontation should be avoided whenever possible. So, about fifteen minutes later, I drove my way to the ZEB parking lot by 8th street and found a Faculty/Staff spot there.
Some of you may think I was being too nice. Others may think I let the guy push me around. Still more of you may think that the word the guy chose to describe me at the moment was accurate. What do I think? I think I'm neither a saint, nor a pushover, nor...that word. I just think that there are times in life when one needs to move on before things get out of hand.
Whether the guy forgot all about it already, or if it actually soured up his day, all I know is that I feel better knowing that I avoided the exacerbation of the issue.
Just in case this particular student goes out of his way to seek confrontation, I do remember the car and at least the first half of the license plate number. I truly doubt I will see him again anytime soon. And just in case he stumbles upon this blog one day, I apologize if you misinterpreted my side of things.
That is all. I promise my next blog will be more cheerful.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Where are You, God?
Have you ever had to deal with a major disappointment in life… you prayed to God to relieve your suffering… but He just doesn’t seem to move? One such married couple had this same experience.
We’re told that Zachariah is a priest and Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron – which is really just a fancy was of saying that she too came from a family of priests. In other words this couple has the office of priesthood in their blood. But, to be honest, it wasn’t the fact that Zachariah and Elizabeth had this priestly lineage that was so important to St. Luke. Rather it was the fact that they were both righteous people. I mean we’re all familiar with or at least we’ve all heard about priests and pastors that aren’t very righteous people. In fact, at that time, Zachariah was just one of about 18,000 priests that served in the temple. It is likely that there were some that were very righteous and others that were much less righteous. But Luke wants us to know that Zachariah and Elizabeth were righteous.
Now, this isn’t to say that they had no sin. The Bible clearly teaches that everyone, short of Jesus, is sinful. But rather, what’s going on here is Luke is trying to counter act the fact, that most people in his time and culture would have assumed that the reason Zachariah and Elizabeth were unable to have any children was because they had some kind of hidden sin in their life. In other words, they would have automatically assume that Elizabeth’s barrenness was the result of God was punishing them.
But Luke wants us to know, in this case, that’s not what’s going on. You see, it is true that sin sometimes has consequences that are both horrible and humiliating; but it’s also true that sometimes horrible and humiliating things happen to really good/godly people. And that’s what’s going on here. Despite the lineage from priests, Luke lets us know that Zechariah and Elizabeth had lived a lifetime of disappointment and shame. They weren’t able have a child and yet they desperately wanted one; only now, it’s too late because they’re just too old.
This would be one of those disappointments that last a lifetime. And as if that disappointment weren’t enough, let’s not forget that they were also considered a public disgrace, because it was simply assumed that the reason they couldn’t have kids, was because God was punishing them! You can also bet that they had been praying, but God just didn’t answer.
Are you experiencing one of those disappointments? I can’t say for sure, but if that's the case, I would guess that you’ve prayed. In fact, maybe you’ve prayed, and you’ve prayed, and you’ve prayed but God just doesn’t answer. One of the things the story reveals to us is that this life is a life of disappointment and that sometimes bad things happen to good people and yet God remains silent! Let’s continue with the story.
Zachariah was one of about 18,000 priests that served the temple. These priests were divided into 24 different divisions and each of these divisions would serve in the temple for a 1 week stint 2 times a year. Now, inside the temple, there was a room called the Holy Place – and not just anybody could go in there. For this was the place that God would meet his people. And inside the Holy Place was an altar – and on that altar twice a day, a special incense was burned that represented the prayers of the people going up to God – as a fragrant offering. Now, with so many priests, what they would do is they would cast lots to determine who would get to go in and actually burn this incense. You see, before the coming of the Holy Spirit, they believed that God would reveal his choice for this sacred duty through the process of casting of lots. So if you think about it, this is a maybe once-in-a-lifetime experience, and if you’re chosen it means that God has personally chosen you to come into his presence and represent his people to burn this incense that represents your prayers going up to him.
Well, Zechariah had a prayer - an unanswered prayer. Only now he’s been chosen by God to go into the place where God meets his people. What do you think is gonna happen? Zechariah has this startling experience with an angel. And the first thing the angel says is "Your prayer has been heard!" That alone ought to provide some comfort. Because, at least we know that God hears our prayers. Even though he doesn’t always respond at least we know he’s listening.
But more than that think of this: The angel reveals that God is going to use Zechariah and Elizabeth’s life long disappointment to reveal Himself in a new way! You see, every baby born is a miracle of life but it’s not like the world sits up and takes notice. And if a couple in old age has a child, but they’ve already had children... well, that’s just weird! But if a baby is born to a couple that’s too old to have a baby and to woman that has never had a baby before... that’s definitely a miracle! And it’s a miracle along the lines of something God has done before (Isaac & Samuel).
God has done these kinds of things before. It’s kind of like a calling card and it seems to represent the fact that this baby is going to have a special relationship with God and a very specific purpose in life! Well, here’s the interesting sidebar, reader: the last book of the Old Testament, is a book called Malachi. Malachi was also a prophet who, in addition to calling people back to God, spoke of a day when the Lord would come. But read the closing remarks in Malachi - the very last words recorded in the Old Testament.
After these words, God became silent. And for four hundred years, there were no prophets, no messages... nothing but silence... until that day when the angel appeared to Zachariah – there in the Holy Place – the place where God meets people – and he said "You will have a son. You will name him John and he will be a prophet in the spirit of Elijah. He’ll bring people back to God and prepare them for the coming of the Lord." You see, God used Zechariah and Elizabeth’s life long disappointment to not only reveal himself, but to call people back to him!
Maybe there’s a lesson we need to learn here. Maybe we need to recognize that God
often uses our lifelong disappointments to reveal himself to us... to call us back to him and to keep us looking forward! I don’t know about you, but for me it’s those lifelong disappointments that keep me dependant on God. They keep me calling on God. And they keep me looking forward to his coming!
If you keep reading on, God sends Gabriel (a great name for an angel by the way) to meet Zechariah in this Holy Place. The place where God speaks to his people and the whole experience is so extra-worldly that it scares Zechariah. But even with all of that, he doubts that God’s word will come true. Skip nine months ahead, and John the Baptist is born.
What then is this child going to be? After four hundred years of silence, God has once again broken into human history with a miraculous baby!
What then is this child going to be? That’s the question. Sure, we know that he’s to be a prophet in the spirit of Elijah But for now, he’s just a baby and they would have to wait to find out...
So what's the point of all this? The point is, what is it exactly you are praying for?
Are you praying for something against God? Are you praying that God would remove some disappointment that maybe he has there for a reason? I’m sure that Elizabeth and Zechariah prayed for a baby in their 20’s and probably became frustrated. They likely prayed even harder in their 30’s. They might’ve even become angry, but God had a purpose behind their disappointment. And I think realizing that sort of changes things because when we realize that maybe there’s a purpose behind our disappointment it just somehow becomes less disappointing.
I think the big point behind the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is that while it may appear God is silent, he is moving! Reading this passage, you almost get the sense that it sounds like a fairy tail because this kind of stuff doesn’t happen every day. But that’s part of the beauty of it! When God broke into human history on that day with Zechariah, He had been previously silent for 400 years. Oh, He’d made a promise that He’d send a savior/messiah. But He had been silent so long it just didn’t seem like it would ever really happen! But it did.
After Jesus resurrected, as he went up into heaven, he promised that he would return for his faithful. Sometimes I think because it’s been so long we just don’t think it’s ever going to happen. Is this just a fairy tail? Zachariah had to listen to God and trust that He would do what He had promised. We need to trust God will do as He has promised: The day is coming that He is going to break into human history again! When He does, as we see with Zechariah and Elizabeth, the disappointments of the faithful pass away. I can't wait for that day to come...
- Adapted from and inspired by Eric Bain's sermon.
We’re told that Zachariah is a priest and Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron – which is really just a fancy was of saying that she too came from a family of priests. In other words this couple has the office of priesthood in their blood. But, to be honest, it wasn’t the fact that Zachariah and Elizabeth had this priestly lineage that was so important to St. Luke. Rather it was the fact that they were both righteous people. I mean we’re all familiar with or at least we’ve all heard about priests and pastors that aren’t very righteous people. In fact, at that time, Zachariah was just one of about 18,000 priests that served in the temple. It is likely that there were some that were very righteous and others that were much less righteous. But Luke wants us to know that Zachariah and Elizabeth were righteous.
Now, this isn’t to say that they had no sin. The Bible clearly teaches that everyone, short of Jesus, is sinful. But rather, what’s going on here is Luke is trying to counter act the fact, that most people in his time and culture would have assumed that the reason Zachariah and Elizabeth were unable to have any children was because they had some kind of hidden sin in their life. In other words, they would have automatically assume that Elizabeth’s barrenness was the result of God was punishing them.
But Luke wants us to know, in this case, that’s not what’s going on. You see, it is true that sin sometimes has consequences that are both horrible and humiliating; but it’s also true that sometimes horrible and humiliating things happen to really good/godly people. And that’s what’s going on here. Despite the lineage from priests, Luke lets us know that Zechariah and Elizabeth had lived a lifetime of disappointment and shame. They weren’t able have a child and yet they desperately wanted one; only now, it’s too late because they’re just too old.
This would be one of those disappointments that last a lifetime. And as if that disappointment weren’t enough, let’s not forget that they were also considered a public disgrace, because it was simply assumed that the reason they couldn’t have kids, was because God was punishing them! You can also bet that they had been praying, but God just didn’t answer.
Are you experiencing one of those disappointments? I can’t say for sure, but if that's the case, I would guess that you’ve prayed. In fact, maybe you’ve prayed, and you’ve prayed, and you’ve prayed but God just doesn’t answer. One of the things the story reveals to us is that this life is a life of disappointment and that sometimes bad things happen to good people and yet God remains silent! Let’s continue with the story.
Zachariah was one of about 18,000 priests that served the temple. These priests were divided into 24 different divisions and each of these divisions would serve in the temple for a 1 week stint 2 times a year. Now, inside the temple, there was a room called the Holy Place – and not just anybody could go in there. For this was the place that God would meet his people. And inside the Holy Place was an altar – and on that altar twice a day, a special incense was burned that represented the prayers of the people going up to God – as a fragrant offering. Now, with so many priests, what they would do is they would cast lots to determine who would get to go in and actually burn this incense. You see, before the coming of the Holy Spirit, they believed that God would reveal his choice for this sacred duty through the process of casting of lots. So if you think about it, this is a maybe once-in-a-lifetime experience, and if you’re chosen it means that God has personally chosen you to come into his presence and represent his people to burn this incense that represents your prayers going up to him.
Well, Zechariah had a prayer - an unanswered prayer. Only now he’s been chosen by God to go into the place where God meets his people. What do you think is gonna happen? Zechariah has this startling experience with an angel. And the first thing the angel says is "Your prayer has been heard!" That alone ought to provide some comfort. Because, at least we know that God hears our prayers. Even though he doesn’t always respond at least we know he’s listening.
But more than that think of this: The angel reveals that God is going to use Zechariah and Elizabeth’s life long disappointment to reveal Himself in a new way! You see, every baby born is a miracle of life but it’s not like the world sits up and takes notice. And if a couple in old age has a child, but they’ve already had children... well, that’s just weird! But if a baby is born to a couple that’s too old to have a baby and to woman that has never had a baby before... that’s definitely a miracle! And it’s a miracle along the lines of something God has done before (Isaac & Samuel).
God has done these kinds of things before. It’s kind of like a calling card and it seems to represent the fact that this baby is going to have a special relationship with God and a very specific purpose in life! Well, here’s the interesting sidebar, reader: the last book of the Old Testament, is a book called Malachi. Malachi was also a prophet who, in addition to calling people back to God, spoke of a day when the Lord would come. But read the closing remarks in Malachi - the very last words recorded in the Old Testament.
After these words, God became silent. And for four hundred years, there were no prophets, no messages... nothing but silence... until that day when the angel appeared to Zachariah – there in the Holy Place – the place where God meets people – and he said "You will have a son. You will name him John and he will be a prophet in the spirit of Elijah. He’ll bring people back to God and prepare them for the coming of the Lord." You see, God used Zechariah and Elizabeth’s life long disappointment to not only reveal himself, but to call people back to him!
Maybe there’s a lesson we need to learn here. Maybe we need to recognize that God
often uses our lifelong disappointments to reveal himself to us... to call us back to him and to keep us looking forward! I don’t know about you, but for me it’s those lifelong disappointments that keep me dependant on God. They keep me calling on God. And they keep me looking forward to his coming!
If you keep reading on, God sends Gabriel (a great name for an angel by the way) to meet Zechariah in this Holy Place. The place where God speaks to his people and the whole experience is so extra-worldly that it scares Zechariah. But even with all of that, he doubts that God’s word will come true. Skip nine months ahead, and John the Baptist is born.
What then is this child going to be? After four hundred years of silence, God has once again broken into human history with a miraculous baby!
What then is this child going to be? That’s the question. Sure, we know that he’s to be a prophet in the spirit of Elijah But for now, he’s just a baby and they would have to wait to find out...
So what's the point of all this? The point is, what is it exactly you are praying for?
Are you praying for something against God? Are you praying that God would remove some disappointment that maybe he has there for a reason? I’m sure that Elizabeth and Zechariah prayed for a baby in their 20’s and probably became frustrated. They likely prayed even harder in their 30’s. They might’ve even become angry, but God had a purpose behind their disappointment. And I think realizing that sort of changes things because when we realize that maybe there’s a purpose behind our disappointment it just somehow becomes less disappointing.
I think the big point behind the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is that while it may appear God is silent, he is moving! Reading this passage, you almost get the sense that it sounds like a fairy tail because this kind of stuff doesn’t happen every day. But that’s part of the beauty of it! When God broke into human history on that day with Zechariah, He had been previously silent for 400 years. Oh, He’d made a promise that He’d send a savior/messiah. But He had been silent so long it just didn’t seem like it would ever really happen! But it did.
After Jesus resurrected, as he went up into heaven, he promised that he would return for his faithful. Sometimes I think because it’s been so long we just don’t think it’s ever going to happen. Is this just a fairy tail? Zachariah had to listen to God and trust that He would do what He had promised. We need to trust God will do as He has promised: The day is coming that He is going to break into human history again! When He does, as we see with Zechariah and Elizabeth, the disappointments of the faithful pass away. I can't wait for that day to come...
- Adapted from and inspired by Eric Bain's sermon.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Gift Returns for 2010
Hey all! It has been a long time since I have regularly blogged. The last semester - my last one - was crazy! It seemed like I all I was doing was working, eating, sleeping, attending class, reading, and writing. I didn't have time to do anything else! However, all that work paid off, as I finished the semester on the dean's list for the first time in my collegiate career. While my final GPA stood at a less-than-impressive 2.89, I am still very grateful and fortunate. Keep in mind, that after my first year in college, that same grade point average stood at 1.9. Slowly, but surely, I brought it up to its end result.
So, what's in store for me this year? It's hard to follow a year where you finally earn a Bachelor's degree and actually keep your resolution (I lost 30 lbs. last year). However, I have big plans for 2010. Let me reiterate that - BIG PLANS! And those big plans are going to require a lot of changes in my life. For instance, I did lose weight, but now I have to get into shape. So, it's time to stop relying on changed eating habits and include some weight training.
I'm not going to go over my whole "plans" list for 2010. This would be an extremely long blog if I did that. However, I can tell you all one thing, faithful followers: The Gift of Gab has definitely returned. Hopefully this time, it will stick around more often.
So, what's in store for me this year? It's hard to follow a year where you finally earn a Bachelor's degree and actually keep your resolution (I lost 30 lbs. last year). However, I have big plans for 2010. Let me reiterate that - BIG PLANS! And those big plans are going to require a lot of changes in my life. For instance, I did lose weight, but now I have to get into shape. So, it's time to stop relying on changed eating habits and include some weight training.
I'm not going to go over my whole "plans" list for 2010. This would be an extremely long blog if I did that. However, I can tell you all one thing, faithful followers: The Gift of Gab has definitely returned. Hopefully this time, it will stick around more often.
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