Looking around the landscape of global opinion, one needs not look far to find LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of anti-american sentiment. Even from within our own country.

In my opinion: lots is deserved. America’s history is riddled with horrific moral and ethical atrocities. The American experiment was started off with free labor (slavery) and free land (our displacement of native peoples).

Sure, you can argue that America was founded on Christian principles (whatever those might be), but that statement may sound very very very empty to those who are african-american, native american, or innocent bystanders of our current/previous wars.

Or if you’re currently living in poverty
(with the amount of money Americans spend on Ice Cream every year, we could feed all the world’s hungry).

We’ve got an ugly, ugly history.
(I think our government officially apologized for institutional slavery last year? i could be wrong).

And when speaking of those things, I hang my head in embarrassment.

But I’m proud to be an American.

You see, there is a side of America that you won’t see in on the local news (they’re too busy showing you the local drive by…).
There is a side to America that is creative, beautiful, spontaneous, and determined.

There is an America that is compassionate and caring. There are Americans who – though they are already strapped for time – dropped everything and worked non-stop (and still are) in an effort to provide some sort of relief for Haitian earthquake victims. Sure, there effort is simply human, but they are part of the America I’m proud of…

That is the America I hope for.

An America that doesn’t wait for the government to pass legislation to take action. An America that uses it’s economic power to fuel growth in new places. An America that is inovative, peace-loving, and knows how to throw a good party.

There is an America where neighbors know each other’s names, babysit each other’s kids, and ask each other “how ya doing?”

There is an America where ex-porn stars strive to love and care for those whose sexuality is traded as a commodity.

There is an America where qualified teachers are flocking to NEED instead of INCOME.

Now here’s the kicker….

You CHOOSE which America you’re a citizen of. You CHOOSE which America you live in.

You can decide to live in a country full of war, murder, prostitution, slavery, and greed.

Or

You can decide to reside in a country full of compassion, beauty, honor, fun, and hope.

Your call.

There is a war going on for your mind.

Ever been with a group of people and you were embarrassed by their words and actions?

I work at a church. I’m continually sorry about the things that come of the mouths of my fellow Christians. So here is a quick apology.

I’m sorry that we’ve used God has a validation for our own political, economic, and personal gain. I’m sorry that we’re most known for condemnation. I’m sorry that some us talk like being Republican is the same as being a Christian. I’m sorry that we act like we’re entitled. I’m sorry that – too often – we’re part of the problems in this world and not part of the solution.

I’m sorry that we’re hypocritical.

I’m sorry that running into us is probably nothing like running into Jesus was.

Just being sorry doesn’t remove me from the Christian family, nor does being a part of the family excuse me from making aplogies for the words/deeds of other Christians.

Flobots Interview with Sojourners Magazine.

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Nice article over at the Jesus Manifesto blog. This piece peaked my interest:

the words of Jacques Ellul: “Each time the people of God becomes effective according to the world´s criteria, this only implies that society has absorbed our action and is using it for its own ends and for its own profit. …The efficacy we think we have is simply a power in the world´s service, for the perfecting of its own being, for its better organization….”

And I am also reminded that Jesus sent out his disciples, not only poor, but humanly powerless, “as lambs in the midst of wolves.” I recall how he squandered his popular following and fell prey to the religious authorities of his time, because he did not respect the power of the crowd or the power of rulers. Jesus did not need their power to build his kingdom. God had given the kingdom. It existed in the lives of Jesus and his disciples as a gift to them, and they announced it as a gift wherever they went: “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

Today I’ve been thinking about bullying.

I know when i use the word “bully,” certain images come to mind: images of a mean 4th grader telling another 4th grader that she’s fat, or a group of jr. high girls blatantly “shunning” another girl, or maybe the image of a cocky college football player comes to mind.

But bullying takes so many different forms. I see it everyday in so so many places. Chase Bank recently “bullied” me into following their policies even though i was told differently. Time Warner cable recently bullied a friend of mine by quoting him several different rates for the same cable package. The big 3 auto-makers bullied our governement into handing them tax-payer money, even though their collapse was based on their poor business model. Churches all over the world “bully” people into agreeing with them. Churches use hell, the bible, emotions, traditions, and membership as leverage to get people to follow. Renters use a well-i-own-this-property mentality to bully rentees into submission.

Notice that each of these “bullies” may use a different form:

I’m not saying that these “bullies” have no right to whatever they are getting, they do. I am saying that they could get the exact same thing without bullying. They could simply respect and love people.

Also, people tend to leave and move away from bullies. Bullies end up as things of the past. I’m leaving Chase bank. MY buddy is leaving Time Warner. Millions of people are leaving the big-3 automakers and moving to something else (honda, toyota, etc…). And everyone knows about a dozen people who have been pissed off by churches in one way or another.

So this is my new resolution: if people are bullies, i’m leaving (then they’ve got no one to bully) and also, i’m not going to be the bully.

Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden was light. He scolded religious leaders for lording their authority over people. Jesus didn’t like bullies (even if they were “technically” correct). In fact, no one like bullies.

This video made me laugh. But also made me a little sad. But then i saw the creativity and innovation that the creator of the video put into it, and he/she didn’t make a dime for it….

Blog.Worship hooked me up with a link to this interview with Barrack Obama. It is an interview done about his spiritual life and beliefs. He talks a bit about sin and hell and other things. The whole interview is there so you don’t have to worry about spin or bias or whatever (which is refreshing).

http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/11/obamas-interview-with-cathleen.html

head to Ed Gilbreath’s blog and read about his “post-election peace pledge”

my pledge:

1. i pledge to support and pray for the president and government leaders – regardless of whether i voted for them
2. i pledge to be critical of the president and government leaders – regardless of whether i voted for them
3. i pledge to continue to stay well read in local/national political issues – because my vote on november 4th is actually a very small part of my duty as an american citizen
4. i pledge to continually engage others in a healthy, civil political dialogue – regardless of who’s in power

what is your post election peace pledge?

rethinkngyouthministry brought my attention to this video. great stuff.