X-Ray Eyes

There's a curious statement in the book of John.  I shared it with a group of people this week, I don't know if it made sense to them but it shocked me enough to feel real squemish...down to my Jesus-believing toenails.  It was after this Man, Jesus, had overturned the money changing tables, whip in hand and drove out the hundreds of animals, sellers and "loan sharks".  He cried out in a crazy voice, "Stop turning my Father's house into a shopping mall!!" (paraphrased of course!)  These entreprenuers had set up shop in the part of the temple that was supposed to be the place where the non-Jews got to pray, meditate and seek the One Living God.  Instead of a orderly,clean, quiet place, a Gentile coming into the square would step on cow poop, get jostled by money changers screaming in their ear and probably see a few dirty looks from the religious crowd.  If it were me, I'd turn right around and find the nearest gate out of there!  But what Christ yelled out wasn't the thing that gets me, it is the last lines of the story....it says that many entrusted their lives to him after that but he didn't trust them..."he knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were.  He didn't need any help in seeing right through them."   Remember when the disciples left him in a panic when  they arrested him in the garden?  They hid in shame, as he was nailed on the cross.  He knew them, does he know me?  Yep, sees right through me, sees the shopping mall I've made of His Temple...we're talking, get ready for the shake down.   Hey!  I think, I don't do drugs, I make my kids good meals, I pray for the poor,....I'm told I'm a trusted servant of Christ.  Trusted?  Ha!  Jesus wouldn't trust me, he doesn't!!  What this is saying is the only one he can trust is his Father and He tried to knock this into our heads that we need to do this too.

I am becoming increasing frustrated with a society, a Christianity that is totally me-centered and that creates a shopping mall out of every free space (internally and externally).  A new Tim Hortons there, a new restaurant here, a craving for chocolate, get another Bible...it's a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" Bible, I must have that!!  Over half the world is living in war, or poverty, or oppression, or sickness and we seriously think we can spend that extra dollar on a doughnut and it doesn't matter.  I continually forget that the Father made this world, there is enough for everyone but our greed, like those in the Temple that day, has made a shopping mall out of something that was supposed to point people to God.  Would you put your trust in such fickle, wayward humanity?  I wouldn't.  Neither does He, and paradoxically, that is our salvation.  Looking to , embracing, clinging to the One Who Doesn't Trust Us.

Rainbow Glasses

The girls ran up to me as I hustled my boys into our fellowship for Sunday School.  Long hair frizzed and curly, Eden pointed to her face.  She just stood there pointing and I marvelled.  She's 5, is beautiful and as open and transparent as a kid can be, and she had new glasses!  Her eyes looked 2 sizes too big as they gazed at me through the lenses.  But man, was she happy.  I oohhheed and aaahhhed in appropriate tones and then turned to Lily, her little sister, who also sported a pair.  These were "wainbow glasses", as Eden told me, pretend ones to be sure, but oh so grown-up.  Lily has always been the shyer of the two, but I found that these glasses must have had some kind of magic in them, to give her the confidence to give me a run down on her whole weekend and her memories of baby-hood.  "I used to pull my daddy's hair when I was a baby.  And I would make such a mess with my spoon when I was a baby.  My mommy said it was all over my face.  I didn't know how to use a spoon when I was a baby...."  On and on her memoires rambled till she decided that was it and went quiet.  She just gently blinked and looked at me through those fakey glasses, rainbow glasses.  She skipped away to join her friends.  I sauntered away to mine, musing how amazing it is that a special pair of glasses could help a little girl find the confidence to share her inner workings.  Maybe, I should ask her mom where she got them......

FKJ 152

It sounds like a rap song,  "I'm F-K-J, 1-5-2, talk'n at 'cha in the 'hood" .  It's a license plate, I tried to memorize it on my way home from my walk with Cyclone Friday.  Wondering if I should call Crime Stoppers, or some police info. line.  Walking past the back of our church, New Life Ministries, I saw a white Catillac parked that had some serious violence done to it.  Walking closer, I was amazed at the battering this car took.  Windows smashed, dents and scrapes, tires blown out...I picked up Cyclone to get a better look inside.  I hope there wasn't any blood, or bodies....ugh, the thought turned my stomach, but it was empty. Looked like a crow bar had done its dasterly deed, the person holding it a gang member getting someone back for whatever.

So this was in the back of our church, so I knocked on the door to see if our friend and staff lady was there.  She opened up and when I pointed over to the car, she instantly said "I'm sorry, I don't want to get involved...I'm a single lady working here most of the time.  If Harry was here, he'd find out right away, but don't expect me to do anything!"   'If Harry was here....", hmmmmm.  So I asked her if I should call the police, she said no.  "Well, I'm a normal concerned citizen walking by, don't you think I should call in anything concerning to me???"  She said, that if I felt that way, go ahead, but don't include her.  

I did call somebody after that (my hubby!) and it was taken care of.   The day before was a book launch for a book just published about Harry's life.  Instead of making me super sad, like I thought it would, it confirmed everything we are doing here and actually gives me the courage to "get involved" and not fear the ones who create the fear and posturing (and car-smashing).  Harry was different because he did not sweep these upsetting circumstances or images under the carpet hoping someone else would deal with it.  He dealt with it, his Christian community learned to deal with it and now it's us that have to deal with it.  Paul Boge, the author was asked that night, what was the secret to Harry's success?  The answer, 'never give up'.  I would also add, 'do not give in to fear', and 'call if there is a  gang induced smashed car behind your church'.  Living here in the West End that is a huge message, one that I hope I can live out radically more and more.

 

Flying Leg

I first saw him literally "flying" down the aisle at City Mart, the only "foriegn-like" grocery store chain in Yangon, Burma.  He had a hop to him, a swing of one leg, a determined look, looking straight ahead, aiming for that particular product he was focusing on.  "Wow!" I thought, "wonder which family he's from?"  If a person saw another whitey that looked like a new comer, they were targets...like a magnet they would draw us other whitey's to them, curious with why they are in Burma and for how long.  I looked down the aisle to where he had come from and there was a lady, with long blonde hair surrounded by four kids, African?  Man, my curiosity was now reaching its peak....did he belong to her?  Later, they were all checking out at the cashier, yes they were together and come to think of it, I think I had seen her before at the end of our lane where we lived.

Later that week, Steve, myself and my kids were introduced to the most wackiest, wonderful family we have ever, I mean ever come across.  Alex (aka "flying leg") was one of 12 in their family...10 kids and their parents, all adopted from different countries.  Their dad is a ex-Vietnam vet who had lost his legs in an explosion and was now in a wheel-chair.  Each child had a special need, physically or mentally, and it made for some wild adventures.  Alex has lost his lower leg, below his knee, so he has a metal leg and hard plastic foot that our guys found so much fun stomping on and laughing as he howled in false pain.  Josiah, the oldest has hands and feets that are like pincers but that has not stopped him from getting honors in highschool and a scholarship in a university in Texas.  Nicolai, Valentina, Faith, Edwin, Yannah, the twins and now 1 1/2 yr old Jedidiah (Thai baby...an adoption-in-progress)   from 20 years old down to 1 years, this family lives and breathes kids, homeschooling, orphanages all in Chaing Mai, Thailand.  They needed to leave Myanmar because of the tremendous expense for visas for all those passports but we'd keep visiting them in Thailand when we'd need to go get our own visas. 

I just talked to Alex on the phone last night.  Nicolai and him are going to start their jobs soon (in Virginia), living on their own and enjoying "State-side" time, after so many years in Africa and Asia.  He's still flying, excited about this next stage in life and having so many friends around the world.  I'm glad we are still part of their wild and wacky family, he said as he was about to hang up, "we love you'all so much, you are so much part of our family" (with his U.S. southern drawl).  We love you too, Flying Leg and embrace you'all as a huge wild and wacky family that likes to dream big while serving the least of these. 

Another Typical Walk

The other day, Cyclone and I "decided" to walk the opposite way of how we usually go.  This time towards Young Street.  We passed Langside (gang-side langside some people call it) and I thought about the friends we have living there.  One mom just told me her kids had trick or treated down their street and had a great time talking to neighbors and bringing some loot.  I inwardly cheered, not for the extra candy they got, but for a all-round good time they had on a street with a bad reputation.  As we turned onto Young Street we passed by a lady, obviously waiting for "tricks" (not treats).  As we had come up, she looked like a teen but closer, I saw the extra make-up that covered a thin, middle aged lady's face.  Worn and hard, such a contrast with the way she was literally skipping a few steps and doing little twirls to gain attention.  It was like those antelope in Africa that jump up high when lions are around to show off a little that they are strong and quick, and would be hard to take down.  One "lion", a guy in a back pack slowed down and asked when they could meet, she told them she would be waiting there till he got back.  All this as the 3-4 min it took to walk up and pass by!

So down we went on Young Street, passing by the house of a local Chin (Myanmar) pastor and on towards the house we had rented just 7 months ago.  The Bed Bug house.  Lots of memories there, both good and bad.  I wondered if there were people living there now, and if the bed bugs were gone.  Housing here is at a premium and I wouldn't be surprised if people just put up with the little beasts just to have a place to stay.  Anyways, I thank God for the safe and homey place we live now.   Our walk concluded with walking past the overflowing garbage bins in the back alley and back  home.  As I opened our wooden gate, I noticed the leaves need raking and the yard prepared for winter, letting Cyclone off her leash I sighed....just another day in the neighborhood.