Sorry James Tipu Talukdar, I Don't know You

Seems weekly (sometimes daily), I get random friend requests on facebook from people I have no clue who they are.  

I almost befriended this guy though.  Not so much because I know him but for the profile pic.

Maybe we should have a vote.  Is it...

A. Their child who is very tall for an infant and has an abnormally sized noggin.

B.  An actual floating baby head that just drifted into the frame as the picture was being taken.  Seems Bangladesh is being overrun by floating baby heads at a pandemic rate.

C.  A very bad photoshop job.  (I am not even sure the baby is of the same race/nationality.)

D. A balloon.

The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

What does God expect of me?

Richard Stearns, the President of World Vision, points out that this question is a profound one for those who say they follow Christ.  Stearns' answer to this question is laid out in his excellent book, The Hole in our Gospel.  

Stearns writes passionately that God calls us to be partners in changing the world, that God desires us to live our lives in such a way for the world to catch a glimpse of His love, justice and mercy.  This is the gospel.  This is what Jesus came to do.  This is what he invites us to join Him in.

The Hole in our Gospel is a treatise for the premise that being a follower of Jesus requires much more than having a personal and transforming relationship with God.  It also involves a public and transforming relationship with the world.   Stearns, who left a high-paying executive job to take his current role with World Vision,  shares his own journey toward the understanding of this hole. He lays out how the deep the hole is in the world with real stories and more than just numbing statistics of poverty, injustice and disease.   But most importantly, Stearns share how we can move out of this hole toward being true followers of Jeus who live life the way Christ did.

I highly recommend this book.  The implications for the body of Christ today are huge, as are the implications for the world that needs Christ. We can either continue down a path of a diminished gospel that is amounts to a simple individual transaction with God or we can embrace a revolutionary gospel that can change the world.  

Buy it. Read it. Join the revolution.

Twitter

If you click this pic, you can get a full poster of the uses of twitter.  I am still trying to figure it out myself.  

If you have twitter, you can follow me - GlobalAndy.

Not Bad for a Mutant

Hugh Jackman gave  $100,000 to two charities via Twitter.   He held a little contest and split the amount between Charity:Water and Operation of Hope.   How could you say no to these kids with the signs?

(BTW, I have never before been to Ryan Seacrest’s website.  Seems very People magazany to me. I got this message from a facebook cause application I am a member of. )

Sunday Conversation at the Lufthansa Ticket Corner

Sunday while helping some friends check-in at DIA, I had an interesting conversation with the lady at the Lufthansa counter...

Me  (reading her name tag): "Svetlana Hernandez.  I bet there is a story behind your name."

Svetlana (with a thick Russian accent):  I left my home for a Latin lover.

Me: Like Trotsky.

Svetalata:  Yes, like Trotsky.  Ochen bueno.  (No lie, she combined  Russian and Spanish.) 

You May be the Best Culutural Learner, but You Still Will Always Look a Little Stupid

I am in the midst of briefing a group of African-American staff and students who are going to serve in South Africa for a 1 1/2 years.  Sort of a little strange in itself.  Especially since two others helping me are white too.

But its been really good and I have enjoyed just serving and learning from them rather than being the one with all the answers.  In fact, these past few days have been awesome.

 I decided to have us all go to a West African Ensemble on CU campus for a fun outing last night.   I had seen the ad for it on facebook.  All I knew is a professor from Ghana leads the group and they were having a special guest artist from South Africa.

What I didn't get is that the ensemble was made of up CU students and therefore all white.  All White.  So as the lights came up on the first song, I was sinking in my seat thinking my friends probably think I am stupid that I brought them to this.  (They were gracious.)  Actually it wasn't bad just not near as good as it could have been.  And it was great these students got to learn about other culutures.  But... it was still white folks wearing African clothing trying to dance and sing like Africans.  Many danced more like me than my friends. 

 

All I could think was: "This is what we look like when we go overseas.   No matter how much we might learn language or culture, we are always still an outsider and look a little stupid."  

Andy, Why are you Sleeping?

Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. There he told them, 'Pray that you will not give in to temptation.'

He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.'  Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. 

At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 'Why are you sleeping?' he asked them. 'Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.'   ~  Luke 22:39-46

I am working in Starbucks this morning and ran into a friend from church.  I say friend, we know each other by name and have had a few conversations, but this morning was the first real-to-real talk we have ever had.  It was a huge blessing.

John and his wife Stephanie lost their son Johnny this past fall.  When I asked how they were doing he spoke of how this week brings hope knowing that his son had faith in the One who conquered death.  We talked some more about the new normal for he and Stephanie as they face life with something no parent plans for.

John asked me how I was doing and I shared some things that Robin and I talked about even this morning.  How we need clear direction from God as we wade through the sea of differing advice.  

John and I had a great conversation about life, ministry and hearing from the Lord.  John said something that struck me: "My prayer is that I don't fall asleep like the disciples."   So here I am reading this passage again and on Good Friday.

It has always baffled me.  It's like whenever something huge happens for the Lord, the disciples take a siesta.  (See Transfiguration.)  And when they think its a big deal, Jesus is taking a nap.   Here they are snoozing at a critical time.   They were exhausted from grief.  (And he hadn't even been arrested or crucified yet.)  

Do I?  Am I?  Am I asleep at the wheel/the watch?   Am I just so busy doing my "Jesus thing", living my "Jesus life", running on my "Jesus work" hamster wheel, spouting my happy "Jesus talk"... when in reality I am asleep?  Am I more concerned with own agenda than His? (Foolishly thinking its the same when I am too afraid to really ask if it is?)   

Am I walking circumspectly?  Am I watching? Am I listening?  Am I praying or just talking to myself?

 Am I like the rich man living in luxury who passed poor, sick Lazarus at his gate every day with so much as noticing him or bending a knee to address his needs?   Do I notice?  Do I care?  Do I stop?  Do I act?  

Am I really in fact missing the heart of God?   Does my heart anguish of what His heart does - sin, injustice, hunger, loneliness, disease, death, idolatry, hypocrisy, rebellion, strive, indifference, abuse, slavery, selfishness, pride...  Oh I can on forever and I am just thinking of the darkness within my own soul.

Lord, may my heart be broken, truly broken, over the things that break your heart. May I not be exhausted by grief but aways praying, always depending, always trusting, always sensitive to your heart, O Lord, that I will not enter into temptation.

 

I am Rich... You are Rich.

Last week, I was mulling over the story of the Rich Young Ruler. Usually when I read this I think, 'not me.  I am not rich, not young and not a ruler.'   This passage is for someone else.   But am I?   (Not the young part because I am now 45 and therefore only young to people like my dad.)  Are you?

Check out this test to see!   I am in the top 4.62% and the 277,391,305th richest person on the planet!  Ouch!   That dude is me!   (Maybe I am the Luke version of this story since Luke doesn't say he is 'young'.)

Is there one thing I lack like this guy?  Would I sell all of my possessions and give to the poor and follow Him?  ( And no this isn't the only time Jesus said to do this.)  Do I walk away sad because I have a lot of stuff - idols, things my grip is tight on, things that stand between me and God? (And why does - not once but twice - when people asked how to have eternal life Jesus it turns it into a call to serve the poor?  I never learned that evangelism technique in CCC.)

The other morning, I sat in the green chair in our living room and in tears said, "I give it all away to the poor.  Once again I sign the deed of my life to you.  I don't know if Lord you want me to sell this stuff but if it stands between me and you, between me having treasure in heaven, its gone."   Now I didn't list everything on Craig's list or load up a truck and take it down to Sister Carmen's.  Maybe I should.   But I resolved that I will leave all - position, power, possessions, some other 'p' I can't think of... to experience life, real life, a life of purpose (hey there's another 'p')... forever.

And then I picked up the book Robin gave me... and read about someone else wrestling with this passage.   

Quote from the Book Robin Gave Me for my Birthday

“Proclaiming the whole gospel, then, means much more than evangelism in the hopes that people will hear and respond to the good news of salvation by faith in Christ. It also encompasses tangible compassion for the sick and the poor as well as biblical justice, efforts to right the wrongs that are so prevalent in our world…The whole gospel is truly good news for the poor, and it is the foundation for a social revolution that has the power to change the world.” 

- Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, The Hole in Our Gospel (Thomas Nelson, 2009)