This evening could likely be one in which I look back many, many years from now and point to as a pivotal moment in my life. I'm not sure where to start, and I am nervous that my words won't do this experience justice.
I guess you could say it was sublime.
This week is the Christ at the Checkpoint conference in Bethlehem, orchestrated by Bethlehem Bible College. I had signed up to attend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, so today, after school I headed over to the Intercontinental Hotel where the conference was taking place. I was there for the whole afternoon session and the speakers were interesting; it was neat to have some academic religious perspectives on the issue of the Occupation and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. Of course, I've heard many stories about these issues over the past few months (six to be exact, where does time fly), and these stories are *so important* in helping others to understand what life in Palestine is like (the good and the bad), but there is definitely part of my mind that really soaks up the more theoretical, big picture theological, and abstract. It's nice to touch the sides of the box that is holding all of these stories and experiences.
After a couple speakers, with whom I agreed and disagreed on some points, I had a delicious dinner with my friend Meredith, who works at the Bible College. I was hoping for seasoned rice (I'll need a whole other post to tell you about how I have discovered the joy of rice) and labneh (like Greek yogurt), and I was not disappointed. Then we returned (Meredith was actually working during most of the event) and I got a seat in the second row for worship and the final speaker. Those of you know have met me in person would understand how a second row seat is more than nice...it's a matter of seeing over everyone who is not 5'2"! So, I sat down in my seat, quite proud that I had scored a seat in which I could see! There was a really great time of worship; four contemporary songs with two guitars and a Palestinian drum accompaniment. It was just what my soul needed for worship. I'm a huge fan of contemporary worship music (a concept which doesn't always come naturally at times because of the church style I have grown up in, which I also appreciate and love). While I was worshipping I kept thinking how I'd love to combine this with the Lutheran service. How can we do that? That, too, is a thought for another post.
Then Shane Claiborne got up to speak.
I've heard Shane Claiborne speak before- when he was at Messiah College, and spoke during one of our biweekly chapel services- but I couldn't tell you what he spoke about. In fact, I only really remembered that he was part of a movement of Christians that lived together in intentional community in Philadelphia. I knew that he was a big deal in a lot of Christian circles, particularly more evangelical ones that some of my college friends and classmates ascribe to (note: If you're getting a bad image when I say the word "evangelical"--I admit I do when the word is used at times--, you're thinking of it a little differently than how I'm intending it. Yet another topic for another post!), but I am not familiar with his writings or much of his theology. But I thought, what the hey! I'm in the Middle East and someone from around where I live in the States is speaking- how can I not go?!
Let me tell you, I was blow away by what my brother in Christ had to say. For the sake of length and so that I can get to bed at a reasonable hour, I'm going to list the points I took away from his speech, which was entitled "Barriers that Divide". I came into the talk thinking he may touch on the physical barriers, seeing as this event was taking place only a few yards from the Separation Barrier between the State of Israel and the West Bank. I learned so much, and the stuff I had heard before or agreed with I heard with new ears. The Spirit was running circles around this room, it was amazing! (Disclaimer: don't be surprised if I use some of these ideas/stories/images in sermons in the future!) Again, the following are all ideas and stories presented by Shane Claiborne, if I put in any of my own thoughts I'll note it as such:
-How good are we at excluding and building walls? Shane gave the following story as an example: One Sunday a homeless man went to a church carrying a giant pack with him- filled with his few belongings- and covered in his dirty, ragged, and slightly smelly clothes.. He sat down in the first row of the church as people in their Sunday finest began to fill in for the morning service. Upon seeing the homeless man, the pastor approached him and spoke to the man: "During the next few days I have some homework for you: I want you to go and pray to God. Ask God what you should wear to our church." The next Sunday the homeless man appeared again. He sat down in the front pew, wearing his same dirty, ragged, and slightly smelly clothes, with his giant pack beside him. Again, the pastor walked back up to the man, asking, "Did you do what I asked you to do?" "I did," the homeless man replied. "I asked God what I should wear and he said he didn't know- he's never been to your church!"
-Jesus didn't just come to say how bad this kingdom is, but that a new kingdom could come.
-The Christian church has had a tendency to talk about how promise is life after death, but there are so many people around the world who are wondering if life will come before death.
-The parable told by Jesus in Luke 16 where there is a rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus lies outside the rich man's gates and the dogs lick his sores. When they die, Lazarus goes to heaven at the side of Abraham and the rich man is suffering for eternity. The rich man, who we realize is a religious man (he knows the names of the prophets, he knows to call to Abraham), asks Lazarus for help, but Abraham says "It ain't gonna happen, bro." During his earthly life it wasn't just Lazarus who suffered from the Law (without grace, I may add), but the rich man as well. Lazarus was pushed out and blocked by a wall, and the rich man was sealed in, blocked by this wall he helped to build.
-Another cool point made was that in the parable mentioned above, Lazarus is the only person in the parables of Jesus to be named. This poor, suffering man has a name, and is distinguished. Shane Claiborne said, "If we really know the poor, we know their name. If we know their name, then we have a responsibility to those names."
-The Gospel should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comforted. We should have the kind of love that keeps us up at night knowing another person is in pain. My note: This made me come to the idea that part of our vow as Christians should be to accept this discomfort. Personally, I think I try to get rid of some of this pain; it can be too much, overwhelming. But if we keep it, it will help us to work towards justice, to not become apathetic. I've always justified it saying that you can't worry about everything at once, which is true. However, we need to be worried about something all the time; we cannot simply justify apathy for the sake of not wanting to feel guilty.
-Shane talked a lot about his time in Iraq visiting with one village in particular. After being treated beyond hospitably, the group Shane was travelling with asked what they could give the village. The villagers didn't want anything, just that they would accept their hospitality and share their story. Instead, a pastor in this village said that they would be praying for the Americans, "praying for them to remember who they are." WOW. Who are we? In my last blog post I talked about the temptation for us to seek success in the eyes of the world at the cost of our integrity causing us to lose sight of who we are called to be.
-"All of our doctrines and ideas have to get really fleshed out in love and compassion."
-Shane again mentioned the village in Iraq he visited around 2001, and then again, seven years later. When he returned (and managed to get through a strong line of military personelle on the border) the village was very excited to see them, both because they had returned, but also because they were the first visitors in seven years to visit without a gun. Imagine that: you're a child and you grow up with the only visitors being those who carry weapons. Through this meeting many ideas came to blossom: this specific town became a sister town with a location in the States. When people come together, ideas can flourish.
-A doctor in Iraq, holding a girl who had shrapnel in her small body, said, "This violence is from a world that has lost its imagination." Shane added, "These walls are from a world that has lost its imagination."
-Sometimes we have a tendency to avoid dialogue (or maybe visiting certain places) because "nothing good can come from there". Yet, they said this about Jesus: "Nothing good can come from Galilee." So then, let us think twice before saying that no good can come from something, or a people from somewhere. "No good can come from Gaza." Our God is bigger than that.
-"If we believe a terrorist is beyond redemption then we should rip out half of the New Testament." Saul from Tarsus (aka: Apostle Paul) was a huge persecutor of Christians- killing, torturing...and yet, look at all he did for Christ. [Personal note: I think this is a tough quote to take in, especially for Americans during this time in our history. However, I think Shane has a point, not only on a specific example, but with the larger implication that we can't make the assumption of whether or not someone is valuable. Again, God is bigger than that and continually shows us how the unredeemable are redeemed.]
-We act like we have it together, but people think Christianity is a scam and that we're all hypocrites. But if we own up to this from the get go and are honest we can share that we don't have it all together.
-"Good things happen to those who wait, and sometimes good things happen to those who get up and go out." We will sit and ask, "God, where are you?" and God is asking, "Where are you!?"
Those are some of what was talking about during Shane's talk tonight. It was beyond amazing and really left me realizing my own apathy as well as setting my heart on fire to work towards justice and the restoration of the Kingdom (and not simply out of guilt). I hope that you may have found a nugget or two of truth and light in some of the points I outlined. I bought a copy of the talk on DVD and will definitely be having times when I get back to Gettysburg when people can visit me to watch the DVD and discuss some of the points. If anyone wants to borrow it at that point, I'll certainly lend it out. This evening has had such an impact on me and my view of justice and the work needed for that justice, that I want to share it with as many people as possible!
Hamdulillah (Praise to God) for the Holy Spirit working through Shane Claiborne tonight!
I guess you could say it was sublime.
This week is the Christ at the Checkpoint conference in Bethlehem, orchestrated by Bethlehem Bible College. I had signed up to attend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, so today, after school I headed over to the Intercontinental Hotel where the conference was taking place. I was there for the whole afternoon session and the speakers were interesting; it was neat to have some academic religious perspectives on the issue of the Occupation and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. Of course, I've heard many stories about these issues over the past few months (six to be exact, where does time fly), and these stories are *so important* in helping others to understand what life in Palestine is like (the good and the bad), but there is definitely part of my mind that really soaks up the more theoretical, big picture theological, and abstract. It's nice to touch the sides of the box that is holding all of these stories and experiences.
After a couple speakers, with whom I agreed and disagreed on some points, I had a delicious dinner with my friend Meredith, who works at the Bible College. I was hoping for seasoned rice (I'll need a whole other post to tell you about how I have discovered the joy of rice) and labneh (like Greek yogurt), and I was not disappointed. Then we returned (Meredith was actually working during most of the event) and I got a seat in the second row for worship and the final speaker. Those of you know have met me in person would understand how a second row seat is more than nice...it's a matter of seeing over everyone who is not 5'2"! So, I sat down in my seat, quite proud that I had scored a seat in which I could see! There was a really great time of worship; four contemporary songs with two guitars and a Palestinian drum accompaniment. It was just what my soul needed for worship. I'm a huge fan of contemporary worship music (a concept which doesn't always come naturally at times because of the church style I have grown up in, which I also appreciate and love). While I was worshipping I kept thinking how I'd love to combine this with the Lutheran service. How can we do that? That, too, is a thought for another post.
Then Shane Claiborne got up to speak.
I've heard Shane Claiborne speak before- when he was at Messiah College, and spoke during one of our biweekly chapel services- but I couldn't tell you what he spoke about. In fact, I only really remembered that he was part of a movement of Christians that lived together in intentional community in Philadelphia. I knew that he was a big deal in a lot of Christian circles, particularly more evangelical ones that some of my college friends and classmates ascribe to (note: If you're getting a bad image when I say the word "evangelical"--I admit I do when the word is used at times--, you're thinking of it a little differently than how I'm intending it. Yet another topic for another post!), but I am not familiar with his writings or much of his theology. But I thought, what the hey! I'm in the Middle East and someone from around where I live in the States is speaking- how can I not go?!
Let me tell you, I was blow away by what my brother in Christ had to say. For the sake of length and so that I can get to bed at a reasonable hour, I'm going to list the points I took away from his speech, which was entitled "Barriers that Divide". I came into the talk thinking he may touch on the physical barriers, seeing as this event was taking place only a few yards from the Separation Barrier between the State of Israel and the West Bank. I learned so much, and the stuff I had heard before or agreed with I heard with new ears. The Spirit was running circles around this room, it was amazing! (Disclaimer: don't be surprised if I use some of these ideas/stories/images in sermons in the future!) Again, the following are all ideas and stories presented by Shane Claiborne, if I put in any of my own thoughts I'll note it as such:
-How good are we at excluding and building walls? Shane gave the following story as an example: One Sunday a homeless man went to a church carrying a giant pack with him- filled with his few belongings- and covered in his dirty, ragged, and slightly smelly clothes.. He sat down in the first row of the church as people in their Sunday finest began to fill in for the morning service. Upon seeing the homeless man, the pastor approached him and spoke to the man: "During the next few days I have some homework for you: I want you to go and pray to God. Ask God what you should wear to our church." The next Sunday the homeless man appeared again. He sat down in the front pew, wearing his same dirty, ragged, and slightly smelly clothes, with his giant pack beside him. Again, the pastor walked back up to the man, asking, "Did you do what I asked you to do?" "I did," the homeless man replied. "I asked God what I should wear and he said he didn't know- he's never been to your church!"
-Jesus didn't just come to say how bad this kingdom is, but that a new kingdom could come.
-The Christian church has had a tendency to talk about how promise is life after death, but there are so many people around the world who are wondering if life will come before death.
-The parable told by Jesus in Luke 16 where there is a rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus lies outside the rich man's gates and the dogs lick his sores. When they die, Lazarus goes to heaven at the side of Abraham and the rich man is suffering for eternity. The rich man, who we realize is a religious man (he knows the names of the prophets, he knows to call to Abraham), asks Lazarus for help, but Abraham says "It ain't gonna happen, bro." During his earthly life it wasn't just Lazarus who suffered from the Law (without grace, I may add), but the rich man as well. Lazarus was pushed out and blocked by a wall, and the rich man was sealed in, blocked by this wall he helped to build.
-Another cool point made was that in the parable mentioned above, Lazarus is the only person in the parables of Jesus to be named. This poor, suffering man has a name, and is distinguished. Shane Claiborne said, "If we really know the poor, we know their name. If we know their name, then we have a responsibility to those names."
-The Gospel should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comforted. We should have the kind of love that keeps us up at night knowing another person is in pain. My note: This made me come to the idea that part of our vow as Christians should be to accept this discomfort. Personally, I think I try to get rid of some of this pain; it can be too much, overwhelming. But if we keep it, it will help us to work towards justice, to not become apathetic. I've always justified it saying that you can't worry about everything at once, which is true. However, we need to be worried about something all the time; we cannot simply justify apathy for the sake of not wanting to feel guilty.
-Shane talked a lot about his time in Iraq visiting with one village in particular. After being treated beyond hospitably, the group Shane was travelling with asked what they could give the village. The villagers didn't want anything, just that they would accept their hospitality and share their story. Instead, a pastor in this village said that they would be praying for the Americans, "praying for them to remember who they are." WOW. Who are we? In my last blog post I talked about the temptation for us to seek success in the eyes of the world at the cost of our integrity causing us to lose sight of who we are called to be.
-"All of our doctrines and ideas have to get really fleshed out in love and compassion."
-Shane again mentioned the village in Iraq he visited around 2001, and then again, seven years later. When he returned (and managed to get through a strong line of military personelle on the border) the village was very excited to see them, both because they had returned, but also because they were the first visitors in seven years to visit without a gun. Imagine that: you're a child and you grow up with the only visitors being those who carry weapons. Through this meeting many ideas came to blossom: this specific town became a sister town with a location in the States. When people come together, ideas can flourish.
-A doctor in Iraq, holding a girl who had shrapnel in her small body, said, "This violence is from a world that has lost its imagination." Shane added, "These walls are from a world that has lost its imagination."
-Sometimes we have a tendency to avoid dialogue (or maybe visiting certain places) because "nothing good can come from there". Yet, they said this about Jesus: "Nothing good can come from Galilee." So then, let us think twice before saying that no good can come from something, or a people from somewhere. "No good can come from Gaza." Our God is bigger than that.
-"If we believe a terrorist is beyond redemption then we should rip out half of the New Testament." Saul from Tarsus (aka: Apostle Paul) was a huge persecutor of Christians- killing, torturing...and yet, look at all he did for Christ. [Personal note: I think this is a tough quote to take in, especially for Americans during this time in our history. However, I think Shane has a point, not only on a specific example, but with the larger implication that we can't make the assumption of whether or not someone is valuable. Again, God is bigger than that and continually shows us how the unredeemable are redeemed.]
-We act like we have it together, but people think Christianity is a scam and that we're all hypocrites. But if we own up to this from the get go and are honest we can share that we don't have it all together.
-"Good things happen to those who wait, and sometimes good things happen to those who get up and go out." We will sit and ask, "God, where are you?" and God is asking, "Where are you!?"
Those are some of what was talking about during Shane's talk tonight. It was beyond amazing and really left me realizing my own apathy as well as setting my heart on fire to work towards justice and the restoration of the Kingdom (and not simply out of guilt). I hope that you may have found a nugget or two of truth and light in some of the points I outlined. I bought a copy of the talk on DVD and will definitely be having times when I get back to Gettysburg when people can visit me to watch the DVD and discuss some of the points. If anyone wants to borrow it at that point, I'll certainly lend it out. This evening has had such an impact on me and my view of justice and the work needed for that justice, that I want to share it with as many people as possible!
Hamdulillah (Praise to God) for the Holy Spirit working through Shane Claiborne tonight!
Let us pray that we can remember who we are. Followers of Christ. Not perfect, but striving toward restoring the Kingdom. These are all verbs. We are not defined by what we believe, but rather what we do because of what we believe. Because what we believe is all about the call to action.
A take up your cross and follow moment!!!
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