Packing to leave Haiti today. The last couple of days have been really busy with lots of travel over the streets of Port Au Prince. I was able to experience some different things this time around. We got out in the countryside a little up the coast to a beach. We traveled up to Kenscoff beyond the Baptist mission to an orphanage. I thought the road did not go very far beyond the mission but we traveled 30 minutes beyond the orphanage then traveled another 30 minutes on a side road. Beautiful country cooler weather green valleys with lots of terraced farming.
Saw parts of the city I have never seen before ad also was able to walk down the lane outside the compound and buy pop from a vendor.
I realize if i am going to do more I need to learn more of the language. It is my goal to learn French or creole so I can converse better with the people on the street and with Tullis our driver it would be easier.
Not looking forward to leaving but looking to being home

Yesterday was so busy and we were so tired at the end of the day I did not take time to post a blog. We went to Carrefour to see the clinic where Eastgate Christian Church is supporting the Doctor. We got there very quickly because traffic was very light by Haitian standards. Every other time we traveled in that direction traffic around the market was bumper to bumper and the dust was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The dust was bad but we traveled through without much trouble. Then on the west side of Port Au Prince there always seems to be a traffic jam. But on Monday traffic moved at a fair pace. We arrived at the clinic after about a half hour to 45 minute drive very fast. The doctor was there and so was Pastor Ramon. We dropped off the drugs we brought for the clinic and they wrote down what they were and gave then the doctors salary and more money for the clinic to help with the nurse's salary.
Then back to Conaspeh for some lunch and the rest of the crew headed out to visit and orphanage and I stayed and finished up my class on the introduction to the Gospels. I had a great time teaching the students asked some very good questions very practical concerning their ministries. Good experience all around.
The ladies did not have such a good experience down very rough roads long walks and extra stops. We came back exhausted and ate and jumped in the pool. Slept well and ended up getting rested up for another day of shopping and evaluation with the committee.
Starting home tomorrow. Tomorrow night Miami, the Dallas and home.

Sunday a day of worship and rest. We began with a quick breakfast at Walls and then we were off to church. We took off for church at 9 and hunted for the church. We went to one church and we were supposed to meet Patrick at the church. But Patrick was not there then we discovered we were at the wrong church. The church we were supposed to be at was down the road so we found the right church and Patrick and family arrived shortly after we did. We were ushered to the platform and sat behind the pulpit.
I am particularly impressed with the energy of worship in Haiti. The songs we sang in the first service were traditional hymns and even though they were not sung in a fast pace they were sung with energy and enthusiasm.
I was invited to preach this morning and since it was Pentecost Sunday I preached on the Acts 2 text.
I tried to stress to the people this morning how we need to be open to the Spirit of God and how God looks at all of us the same. We have a need to move as a people to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just like there was confusion at Pentecost when people spoke in tongues. There is often confusion when the spirit moves in our lives. We need to be willing to explain to people that it is the power of God moving in our life.
After the first service we went to another service at the edge of City Soliel. We were at this church a year ago and their building last year was surrounded by tents. The walls had fallen down and the roof was being held up by poles. Today the walls were back up and the building was great.
At both churches there was a special prayer for Karen for her upcoming surgery.
We then went to Deli Mart and bought some supplies and changed some money.
Then back to Walls for R&R.

We began today on a journey up the mountain to Kenscoff. I had been to Kenscoff before to the Baptist Mission Station there and while it is a journey up a long winding road it is worth the trip. On the way up the mountain we passed the home of the former President Preval and the former home of the notorious Papa Doc Duvalier.
We went to the lookout over the city and while it was overcast at first the sun came out and it got very hot. The pressure by the craft salesmen there is very high. I only bought two stone frogs but some other bought lots of things.
So far I have not spent much money and have not got a lot in my suitcase returning to KC.
When we reached Kenscoff we drove right by the Baptist Mission and went on for about another 45 minutesfurther up the mountain and we reached an orphanage down probrbly the roughest road I have been on in my life. There were thirty five children in the orphanage and they seemed to be one of best cared for group of children we have seen. They had ample beds, clean facilities and the children looked well fed and healthy. Then it was time to return back to the guest house. Long day riding on rough road.

Today in Haiti we took a break and went to the beach. We drove about two hours outside the city along the coast and went to a resort where we swam in the ocean and had lunch.
Francois the school principal and Tullis our driver went with us.
The beach was rocky but the water was warm.
Tullis told us the deposed president for life Baby Doc Duvallier who returned to Haiti just after the last election and was promptly arrested was living just around the bay from where we were swimming.
We had lunch at the beach, several had grilled lobster, I had conch with garlic and butter. The food was excellent.
As we traveled to the beach we stopped at St. Christophe. As we drove a few hundred yard down the road we came to a group of it looked like hundreds of black crosses in the gravel by the side of the road. It was explained to us this was one of the mass graves of those killed in the earthquake. It was a very somber moment as you might expect.
Saw lots of simple houses scattered in the hills along the highway. Lots of banana trees and a few small villages. It was relaxing day away from the city. The resort we swam at could have been in any tropical area.
I have no idea what the distance was out of the city but I saw a part of Haiti I had never seen before. I am beginning to see how beautiful this country really is and what a marvelous diverse world we live in.

Haiti Day three:
Today I must have sweated off 10 pounds it was hot and i spent all day at Conaspeh. It was a good day. I met with Frenaud and he interpreted for me today in my class. It was fun to teach again and to answer questions about the Bible.
I was able to get done and overview of the gospels and next time I will be expanding a little.
The only problem was it was very hot.
The rest of the group went to two orphanages today. Both were needing food desperately. One was going through a river that was the street. The other was through a really rough area.
I learned something today that I am able to do some things here and follow my passion for missions.
More tomorrow.

Thoughts from Haiti

Every time I arrive in Haiti I feel like I am going through sensory overload. The sights and sounds and rush at the airport just hit me that this is a different place. In fact it is like no other place on earth. After a short night in Miami and a flight in to Port Au Prince. There is the chaos at the airport, immigration, getting our luggage (three carts loaded with 10 bags plus our carry ons. Then through immigration and fighting the people all working for tips to support their families. This time we seemed to get through smoother than before. Checking into the guest house and now a time of rest for the afternoon. Not sure what else is happening today if anything but it is nice to be back in Haiti.
Wall's is not very crowded and I have a room to myself. Everything I am back I see a few more improvements.
A house down the steet from the guest house destroyed in the quake 17 months ago is finally being cleared. There are still thousands of people living in tent cities. It seems all they do is just add one more layer to their tent once it begins leaking.
This is my first time here in the rainy season and it is cloudy rather than the bright sunshine. But the heat and the humidity is the same.
I am always fascinated by the people I meet at Walls. Most of them are here on some sort of mission project. (There are very few vacationers in Haiti.) There are three here from New England as a part of a project with college students to give them an immersion experience to see what most people in the world live like. Another group of about 12 high school girls are working at catholic charity doing most of the time what amounts to VBS. Then they just spend time at the orphanage holding children. As I listen to their stories I see firsthand how their lives are being transformed.
At dinner tonight we spent a great deal of time talking about the differences we saw between the last time we were here and that day coming in from the airport. For me a lot of the rubble is gone from the streets. Sidewalks have been cleared off and like I mentioned earlier a house down the street from the guest house has started to be cleared.
One thing I have noticed this time is the electricity keeps going on and off: on a few seconds and off a few seconds. I never noticed that before when I was here the reason I mention it is because I may not be able to get e-mails out because the server is constantly rebooting.

Some thoughts on the past few days

I did not hear about the death of Osama Bin Laden until Monday morning. I was in bed when the news broke and when I saw it on the computer the next morning at first I thought it was a hoax because to be quite honest I never thought he would be tracked down. When I saw the news reports and all the celebrating going on as a result I was taken back a bit.
Let come right out and say a couple of things: Osama Bin Laden was one of the most evil people of our time. His hatred toward the West and his misrepresentation of the Islamic faith as a motivating factor for that hatred has caused many people a great deal of pain. It has caused hatred to grow toward many without just cause. By that I mean the many peace loving Muslims who live in this world who have been victimized by those who do not understand their faith.
As a follower of Jesus I have found several things to be very disturbing. First the celebration of death. As one of my colleagues put it this morning: I wonder how many people who are celebrating today go back to 9-11 and remember how angry they were when they saw followers of the attackers celebrating the fall of the twin towers and all those who perished as a result.
I feel this time should be one serious reflection for me as a person of faith. While I may have some degree of relief the man is out of the picture, I am sure there are many others waiting in the wings to continue terrorist activity. The result is terrorism is still a part of our world and nothing has changed that fact since Sunday.
The other thing I found very troubling was all the rhetoric concerning who is getting the credit for this. Several posts I saw were about how the Obama did not kill him, others gave him credit, others gave the previous administration credit while still others gave credit to the military and CIA. I can't help but think how petty we have gotten. It reminds me of an incident I was engaged in several years ago. Another pastor was sitting across from me at a table when I was asked a question what I thought about a certain organization which happened to be highly controversial at the time. I said there are some thing about that organization I disagree with but on the other hand they do happen to do some good work in other areas and I went on to name a few in which their work was some of the best being done in those areas. The other pastor then said nothing good comes from that organization. I took that to mean if I say one part of that group is good then there might be a possibility that other parts may also be good. So I must to say it is all bad in order for me to save face and maintain my reputation of being tough. So I see all the negative spin going on as being just another form of closed mindedness because if we say our enemy has a good quality we might just see them as human then they would be much harder to hate.
As a follower of the Christ I believe we need to look for other solutions rather than violent ones because violence only brings forth more violence. my question for me is how can I show forth the love of Christ in this world filled with violence and hate? That is the big question.

Back to Facebook

It took about two weeks and I decided to head back to Facebook. The main reason is to maintain connection with people. I have dropped some "friends" and made the choice to not use the site to talk about politics, religion or any other controversial subject.

Two days ago I deleted my facebook account. Before that time I had been a facebook addict. Several times a day I would go there to read posts, post my own thoughts and play games. (I will miss the games the most because imo they had the best games). Why did I leave the answer is simple for a couple of reasons. It was taking a great deal of time, time I could never get back. But more importantly it was creating the kind of life for me I did not want. I did not like the person I was becomming as a result of my time on the site. I saw rants and raves along with inappropriate personal material that left me wondering about my own character not to mention the character of others. I guess it was seeing very private things discussed in a very public forum.
But the thing that disturbed me the most was I found myself falling into the same trap. For example in reading another's blog he told the story about a man who pulled over by the police who suspected him of driving under the influence. All the time he was being tested (which he was too drunk to complete) he kept shouting I am an american I have freedom, you can't tell me what to do. For many that is what freedom means I can do what ever I want when I want and you can not tell me what to do.
As long as we take such an approach to life anything I do is permissible. I can say what I want when I want to whom I want. When we take that approach life turns into one big shouting match where the loudest voice is what is heard.
We are living in a society that is made up of many different opinions, cultures, races and religions. Somehow we have gotten to the point that my opinion is the only one that matters. I believe we have learned this lesson from our current political mindset.
What I have concluded from my facebook experience is the world is filled with a lot of hurting people who have no voice except for cyberspace. They lash out with the hope that someone will listen, but most of the time they receive shout outs back either pro or con which causes an escalation in the rhetoric.
I hope from my action to treat all people with more civility. To enter into more face to face dialogue where ideas can be discussed pro and con to my own opinion and can work together toward solution which will benefit society as a whole and not just me.

Every week I receive an e-mail from the Alban Institute and most of the time they are very good but the one yesterday hit me right between the eyes. Like most of the articles there is something of value in them but yesterday’s article was a real reality check.
The article began with the author making a confession back in the 90’s he stated he had been thinking a thought for several years and a board meeting he just blurted it out: (these are my words and not his) the church today can no longer function like the church yesterday and still remain effective. In other words the things which helped the church grow in the past in most cases will not help the church reach new people today.
He went on to say the reason why he believed it was true was for the primary reason the church for the last several centuries was closely connected with society and government and today that is no longer true. The church at one time was the central focus of society. I remember (now I am sounding like my parents) a time when nothing in town was ever scheduled on Sunday or Wednesday night because those nights were respected as church time. But today instead of being a part of the culture the church is more on the fringe of the culture and to some extent counter-culture.
For a long time I have thought his thinking to be correct but longed for it to be incorrect. I wish the church I grew up in still existed but unfortunately the only place it does is in the minds of church people. So I have the tendency to long for the good old days because that is how I was trained to do church. It is what my mentors told me would be effective. For the longest time I would try to work harder, to develop better programs, or complain people were not as dedicated but the reality is the church is just as dedicated and pastors are just as hard working and church people are just as caring and committed as they have been. The reality is the world has changed and the church is no longer seen as being a vital part of the culture.
What can we do? For starters we need to focus on faith and mission not on maintaining an organization. God has called the church into being to do mission. Mission is directed by faith believing the Spirit of God is leading in helping people live better lives by making a God connection. When people are making a connection with God it makes one’s life better. We as the church need to rekindle the passion and purpose God has for us.
I believe this is an exciting time for the church. Because God is going in some new directions and when we go deeper in our faith we will make a more meaningful connection as well as engage in a fruitful ministry.

Reflections on Tuscon

With the events of the past weekend in Tuscon AZ and several people killed and wounded, I wonder if we will learn anything from this incident or will things continue to go on like they have before the events that occurred.

I think back to 9-11 and how the country came together for a while but eventually went back to old habits of put downs, hate and division. I wonder what will it take for things to change. I heard a former congressman interviewed on morning television this morning making the comment instead of restricting firearms in a public setting he would welcome more firearms because he would feel safer. I imagine he thinks only his supporters would be the ones with the guns. I would find it difficult to feel safe if I was caught in a shoot out between people on opposite sides of the issue because when one would start shooting then it would give others permission to draw their weapons and return fire.

While I do not believe a ban of weapons is the answer, I do believe there is a proper place for them and a place not for them. We need to use common sense which seems to be in shot supply these days.

But more frightening than the weapons issue is the use of words in our society. People use words as weapons on a regular basis. Since the event this past weekend people on both sides of this issue have used words to blast the other side. In doing so the allegations have been made they (people on the opposite side of me) are to blame for the events that occurred last weekend.

Let's look at it from a different perspective, what if we saw it from the perspective that we are all to blame for this. Now I know several people may see this and say how silly is that since I was no where near the event. Several things help me to see this as a reality.

When I did not oppose cutting care for people with mental disabilities back in the 1980's and the doors were opened and put people that were institutionalized back on the streets of our communities, then I have to share in the blame.

When I use words which tear down people who look at an issue and come down on the opposite side where I do inciting division rather than dialogue then I am to blame. Or when I use language as weapon to injure or to divide rather than heal then I am to blame.

When I do not take time to listen then I am to blame.

The only way I can move beyond this problem is by taking responsibility for my part in our society by listening and speaking only when I have chosen my words carefully.

When is a disorder not a disorder?

I heard this week that in the DSM V which will replace the DSM IV that they are removing or revising Narcissistic Personality Disorder from their list of Psychological disorders. NPD is described as having five or more of the following symptoms:

(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
(3) believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
(4) requires excessive admiration
(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

The person who told me this went on to explain the reason it is being revised is such behavior is now considered to be the norm in our society. In other words it is normal to exhibit narcissistic behavior.

I have for a while now have been seeing and saying this is a problem. When we care only about how something affects up. Or if we look at my issues as being more important than everyone else's then there is a problem or I want what is mine and i do not care about you.

The place where this is most evident is in the government. I heard a congressman make the statement he was talking at a rally where in one sentence a person said we want to make sure you are not going to raise my taxes and then the very next words out of his mouth were: "now I am going to get my Social Security increase this year aren't I?"

How can one have an increase in what they recieve without a raise in taxes the only was it to take it away from someone else. Who is saying the same thing.

There has been a long debate over what to do about the tax cuts which were put into place by a previous administration. No one wants them eliminated (that would be a surefire death for re-election) Some want them for everyone while others want to exclude the wealthiest people saying they are the ones that reinvest the money for more jobs etc.

No one it seems wants to do the difficult work and make the unpopular decision by saying we can not spend money we do not have and in order to get rid of the deficit we need to let them expire for everyone and start living within our means.

I have noticed a couple of things, the division between rich and poor in our country is getting wider with the middle class shrinking. This tells me the tax cuts for wealthiest people over the last 30 years when the tax code changed has not worked. Trickle down system of the wealthy having more money trickling down to the less wealthy in our society has not worked except for the very rich.

The other thing I have noticed is the huge amount of national debt which is held by other countries. One thing I learned in my world economic systems class was a national debt becomes a problem only when it is outside the borders of that country. As long as it is maintained within the country it is fine. Somewhere we lost sight of that basic truth and practice.

Getting back to my original point. When we accept narcissisim as the norm we lose sight of how important the other people in our lives are. If I allow you to fail then we all fail. I feel the call of Christ in my life is simply put we are all in this together and we need to help each other and not just care about ourselves.

What Does the Future Hold?

It is hard to believe I have been home from Haiti for a little over a month and since I have been back they have had to deal with a hurricane and an election.

On the news I saw that there was a great deal of turmoil in the streets surrounding the election with allegations of massive fraud typical problems of people wanting to vote but unable to because their names were not on the list. How people were staying home because they were afraid of violence.

On the other hand I heard via Facebook from a friend I had met when I was there how there were some problems but for the most part things went smoothly and while some people had problems at the polls and there were some accusations of corruption, that is Haiti.

Coming from a country where the voting process operates very smoothly and there is little or no violence and sort of protest or upheaval will come to the forefront of the news.

On the other hand do I believe the possibility of corruption does exist in a country such as Haiti for the simple reason when I look at the recent history.

What does the future hold for a country like Haiti? With thousands living in tents, a crumbling infrastructure and very few jobs for the people I wonder about their future.

With all the money given for recovery for the earthquake the has been a lot of hope generated for the future of Haiti. But having been there twice since the quake I must admit I am beginning to have my doubts. While some of the rubble has been removed a great deal remains to be cleaned up. Dangerous building still half standing can still be seen all over the city.

Haiti needs more than recovery.

I recently read where many people now living in tents are reluctant to go back to living in apartments or homes they did not own. They were in debt to their landlord because of high rent and at least they have something they can call their own in a tent.

Second with an extremely high unemployment rate (I have heard it is over 50%) and with many government building in shambles and a shaky infrastructure before the quake crumbling at a faster rate since the quake the creation of jobs for the people needs to be a priority. I believe education and training are the key to the future.

Haiti needs more than recovery it needs rebuilding. If Haiti is to be rebuilt several things must take place. Government leaders need to care as much about the average Haitian as they do about themself.

Companies investing in the country need to care as much about their workers as they care about making the most profit. Profits can still be made but not to the extent of making the most one can and then bailing out when more can be made somewhere else. Stability is key for the future.

Third I believe people need to see they are working for something. There is an enormous sense of pride when people people work toward a goal and it is achieved. It helps build a sense of personal value and self worth. It also builds a sense of confidence which one goes on to reach higher and further than they thought they could reach.

I believe there is hope for Haiti if we will look beyond recovery to rebuilding not only the building but also the people.

Haiti Day 3

Day three was a day on the road, very bumpy roads. When we first left the guest house we went to the home of Daniel Gourdet, a retired missionary who has a house in Haiti. It is a very nice house with four bedrooms and a very lovely yard. While we were there we were served some coconut from his tree which we drank right from the shell. He had also picked some limes off his tree for us to enjoy later. Daniel explained they were going to sell the house because he has two houses one in Haiti and one in Indianapolis and he is getting to the age where he can not maintain two houses. Plus all their children live in the states. When we went to Conaspeh we headed right out to deliver some of the clothes we brought. We went down some of the worst streets I have even been on first we turned and climbed a steep hill up to a church and school. We brought school supplies and met the pastor and the director of the school. One young lady in the office was also introduced to us and we learned she was the only nursing student to make it out of the Conaspeh building alive. Patrick explained to us she had several serious problems and now she is doing much better and is back to normal. All I could think was what a couragous young lady who went through all she went through and now is going back to finish her last year of nurses training.

From there we went to one of the tent cities and we stopped by a church and school that was in a tent. the tent was made out of blue and gray tarp material stamped with US Aid on the side. Nailed to a wooden frame we noticed it was like a sauna in there. The sun was shining outside and it was close to 90 degrees if not hotter but it was about 20 degrees hotter in the tent. But the children were all in uniforms and neatly pressed and clean. We then went to the shool directors tent who wasjust a couple of tents away. Dirt floorvery small and also very hot. He then showed us the pastor's tent who had died just three days ago at the age of 72. We took school supplies and left some clothes at the tent school. Back up the hill Patrick pointed out to us the church site which was now nothing but a pile of rubble.

We then headed for Petionville for a little shopping and we were looking for a specific painting which another pastor had requested. We found our painting and got some other trinkets and they were still bugging me but I pulled out a necklace I had made from glass and asked him if he wanted to buy that from me. He wanted to trade me a flag for it. But I told him it was worth a lot more.

After lunch at Domino's Pizza we headed back, I was scheduled to teach my class at two and we got there a little late. Frenaud was there and on time and we started. I enjoyed asnwering the questions from the students and hearing the things they had to say about the parables we were discussing. After the class I met Frenaud's brother George. I explained to Frenaud we would not be able to go to his house and meet the rest of his family. I paid Frenaud for translating for me, he did a great job with alot of expression.

Back to walls in a pouring rain took about an hour traffic was a mess. But we had great conversation and a good nights sleep

Haiti Day Two

Forget what I said in yesterdays blog about the traffice being better. It is not we just hit the city at a time when it was moving in a different direction. We got caught in several traffic jams today while trying to make our way through the city.

The building at CONASPEH is progressing well. They are starting to put the roof on the building which will be a bright red metal roof. It is a two story structure with lots of windows and tile covering the concrete walls. There is a lot more rebar in the construction and Patrick being trained as an engineer he is going to make sure it is well build. The building stands on the site of the old one and when completed will serve as their office space and headquarters for the organization.

They now have over 700 student in the school with enrollment increasing. The seminary has also begun.

I had the privelege to teach a class on Parables of Jesus. There were 21 in the class and I will teach again today. One thing that caught me off guard was the when i mentioned the Book of Revelation that is where they wanted the and it whnt there for a while I would try to bring them back on task only to have Revelation pop up again in a question. I have learned one thing do not even mention the Book of Revelation in today's lesson.

Karen and I had the opportunity to visit two other schools and two orphanages the were part of the CONASPEH connection. One was an orphanage we visited back in May. At that time there were beds but no matresses. Children were sleeping on the ground outside due to fear of another quake coming. This time when we visited I am happy to report there mattresses and coverings on all the beds there was more food than before. One of the churches represented in out last visit raised a some funds when we gave to the pastor, who thanked us and told us it would be used for food, school uniforms and shoes. Now they had 40 children and all looked well and happy.

At the second school and orphanage again there were 40 children. As we toured the orphanage we saw the rooms which had beds but no pads, but at least they were off the floor. After the children sang three songs for us (one of which I recorded) we presented thm with some money and the pastor replied how this was an answer to prayer because they only had enough food for the day.

Today day three we are going to head to Leogane and visit some more orphanages then back to teach day two at the seminary.

Haiti Day One

It was about 95 degrees when we got off the plane in Port Au Prince yesterday. A couple of changes were very evident as we flew in. I did not see as many tents from the air as I saw the first time and I saw several but not many new tin roofs and brightly painted houses.

To increase our chaos at the airport the plane did not have any immigration forms so that sent everypne scrambling for the forms when we landed fortunately we had help with Karen in a wheelchair who got us the forms, put us at the front of the immigration line and went and got our bags. We were zipped through customs and then the fun began with everyone trying to help us for tips. All the way along we kept looking for Patrick who was supposed to meet us at the airport. Finally he came out got packed up and headed out to Wall's our Guest House.

I do not know if it was because it was late in the afternoon or what but traffic did not seem that bad as we made the way to Wall's. I noticed a lot of the rubble which was everywhere in May was gone. One person had even build a fence of the rubble which I thought was quite ingenious as a cost saving measure. But there still were a lot of tents around which I did not see from the air. Which says the need is still great.

Once we got unloaded and check into our room it was time for dinner, which was very good (once again the hospitality and the food can not be beat for the price) which was spaghetti with vienna sausages, salad with some banana rum cake for dessert.

One of the most enjoyable things I love about Walls is the mix of people you meet when you stay there. There was a young lady who was trying to get her papers sorted out for an adoption of a child. She went to the embassy who were supposed to have her papers and they no record of her child. Today she is going another agency and she fears she is in for a long day. She is afraid she will have to go to the US Embassy because her child came through the US but being Canadian. She has no pull.

Then there were some guys from the states one who was from Wichita who spotted my Royals Shirt.

Today we meet with the board at CONASPEH and visit an orphanage and I teach a class which should be an experience, but I am looking forward to it.

Look At Me

I was out trying to solve a computer problem of some of the members of my church when one of them started talking about the latest controversy concerning the anniversary of 9-11 and the desire of a pastor to burn several copies of the Koran to commemorate the event. The person pointed out that the Topeka church noted for protesting at the funerals of service men had come out saying they had burned a copy of the Koran on a street corner in Washington D.C. a few years ago and no one took notice of that event.

Then a little later on in the day I was reading a statement that the same church said if the pastor in Florida changed his mind they would burn not only the Koran but also an American flag. When I saw that piece all I could do was think the lengths some people go to have a place in the news. When they are upstaged they will go to obscene acts in order to put their views back in the minds of the public again.

I have lived all my life in a country that has taken pride in the freedom it promotes and provides and one of those freedoms is the freedom of religion along with a separation of church and state. Now I have heard some content that being founded on Christian principles the freedom of religion statement was only guaranteed to Christianity. I believe such statements are misguided.

George Washington made a statement in favor of Judaism in the early days of our country.

When one religion is limited or banned the next one will not be far behind.

The other argument I have heard is others have done this to us so any type of behavior is a legitimate response. They burned our book so we can burn theirs. All this type of behavior does is ratchet up the fear and the hatred. It does nothing to solve the problem and only serves to increase the tension.

I believe such antics on the part of people who claim to be the church are just attempts to call attention to themselves. When I read of action of this type tied to the Church of Jesus Christ I can easily see why Anne Dillard announced her leaving the church. When I hear other Christians support such actions I wonder where are we going as the church in this country.

When Jesus told us to love our enemies and bless those who persecute you I take those teachings seriously. Times like these call for forgiveness not retaliation. Times like these call for learning and understanding not indoctrination.

One of my first encounters with a Muslim was while making a call on a parishioner before surgery. While in the prep area the surgeon (a devout Muslim) came in the room and struck up a conversation with me and I was impressed with his care and gentleness along with the devotion he had toward and the respect he had toward my faith. I left that encounter with a great deal of admiration for his faith and devotion. I also left wondering why I was not as devoted as he.

It has always been a challenge for me to read a book in which I find an opinion different from my own. On the other hand I believe it is important that I read such books because they help me to see a different perspective. But for the first time I am leading a study on a book that some might call controversial. Now this is really a stretch for me as well as for the people in the study.
I have discovered that many times we only read the writings of those who reflect our opinion and there by reinforce what we already are sure about.
Some people have told me it is very dangerous to read books that propose an ideology that is different from one's own because they are proposing an incorrect view of things. I would agree such an approach is dangerous but to the extent one see the other side as having a point and one might actually end entering into dialogue with that person.
We are living in a world in which looks at ideas with the view my opinion is the only one that matters. The result is an increasing division between people of differing opinions. The result is we no longer listen to one another and we only time we speak to the other side is by shouting louder to be heard.
When I look at the opinions of others and really try to understand I see a person with rights and responsibilities, another human being, rather than see an obstacle to be overcome.
Although it may be difficult it is really worth the effort because in the end i grow closer to those around me.

Disturbing Trend

Some articles crossed my path recently which I feel need to be commented. Both of the articles concern the church and the trends that are finding their way into more and more congregations. The first one is congregations gone wild an op-ed article in the New York Times published on their opinion page August 7th. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08macdonald.html?scp=1&sq=congregations%20gone%20wild&st=cse
You can read the entire article by clicking on the link.

I have found a great deal of truth in the article and find it to be a very disturbing trend. As one who is trying to lead a church through a transformation process and facing the issue that church is not always about being entertained or making me feel good I sense it is an uphill battle in particular when a number of people in the small congregation I serve focus on that type of message preached on television from a mega-church pastor. Is it any wonder local church pastors are dealing with burnout in greater and greater numbers because of the pressure to sell out to the popular message.

I have always found the message of the Gospel as one that has challenged and continued to challenge me toward transformation. The result is I see myself not as one who has arrived with a list of all the answers but as one who is in a constant process of becoming a more committed follower of Jesus.

The second article was one someone posted from Harper's. http://www.harpers.org/archive/2005/08/0080695 This article by Bill Mckibben talks about our country in while claiming to be a Christian Nation we really do not understand or follow the teachings of Jesus. The tendency is to live by a Benjamin Franklin quote: "God helps those who help themselves" and take it as gospel when in fact the statement is in direct opposition to the teaching of Jesus who commanded us to care for the poor, the widow and the orphan.

A third article is not about the church per se but is about the attitude of our country in general. Again it an op-ed piece from the NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/opinion/09krugman.html

Our rich history as a nation we have been the leader in many innovative areas. But today with the downturn in the economy and large unemployment numbers and and the troubles most local and state governments are having making end meet. The result is our infrastructure is crumbling. Examples in the article talk about roads being turned back to gravel, cities turning off every third street light in order to cut costs. All this while those in office are promising not to raise taxes to pay for such items like education, road repairs and the like.

Recently, I heard from a person who travels a great deal in my home state of Illinois. Drive in front of any school building and you will most likely see a sign that the state owes this district x number of dollars that have not been paid.

In the Kansas City area recently (where I currently reside) we made the national news by announcing we would be closing several schools in the district and laying off teachers. One such teacher a member of my congregation recently recieved a letter saying she was fired and the next day received a letter saying she was assigned to a school. Now this district has had major problems for years and has gone through several superintendents in the 20 years I have lived in the area. But school is starting next week and a lot of teachers still don't know if they have a job.

Now I done a lot of ranting and raving over these three articles but I believe there has to be a major position shift by the people leading this country. First we need to realize the first law of economics (as quoted by my economics prof. Dr. James V. Koch) "There is not such thing as a free lunch." The cost of everything has to be paid for by someone. If we want good schools we have to pay for them if we want good roads they again have to be paid for by us. It is time for us to step up and look at the level of greed in our country and do something about it. Rather than spending money on things we do not need we need to invest in others. I believe that is the only thing that will turn around our situation.