My dream

Everyone keeps asking me what I want to do with my life after I graduate and it's quite frustrating because what I know I want to do is not what they are actually inquiring about. Most people want to know what career I want to begin or if I want to go to grad school. I do not know what my career will look like but I do know certain things that I want to do.

I want to be a hippie. My dream is to have my own vegetable garden and grow a large variety of veggies. But not only  grow and eat them but to freeze, can and store them so that ultimately I'll be able to feed an entire meal with food from my garden in the winter. All the while being able to give a portion of my vegetables and harvest to people who need or desire fresh vegetables. Forget whatever career I have, this is what I want to do. I want to live in a house (while I am still single) with people my age but also maybe an elderly widow who has years of experience, stories and wisdom but also wants to stay young and spry with me. I want to be able to either bike to my workplace or my church (or both).

Besides that, my dream is to live in a community that actually helps each other out. Earlier in January, Islamic fundamentalists from Pakistan and other radical regions were coming into Egypt and terrorizing Coptic Christians during their mass. (These were not local Egyptian Muslims but from other regions, mind you.) So Egyptian Muslims got together and surrounded the Christian's church during mass to protect this minority group. Later, during the riots in Egypt, the Christians got together and surrounded the Muslims as they stopped for their daily prayers. What a beautiful act of community!! Both groups did not believe in the same faith but in the same justice and bonded to protect each other. Even here in the US we would never see that happen. Here in the US where we have "diversity" and "freedom" we are too apathetic to even try to unify different groups for a specific cause.

My dream is to live in a town that does that. I've been attending two churches this past year and both of them are in the same rural region, maybe 10 minutes away from each other. Both have been saying in the past season how they want to reach more out to the community and how their community is growing in faith and in need. What would happen if the leaders and congregations of these two very different churches united together?? What would that look like and how could we outreach as a united body of Christ even if we come from different backgrounds?

What would happen if these two churches united together with the local Lions club or American Legion or Social Services and asked them what was needed and how they could help in different ways in the community? What would happen if local businesses approached the public school system in this area and asked how they could be a good influence to students in the middle and high schools? Or what would happen if farmers allowed the local rural poor to glean their fields after they finished harvesting their crops? What would happen if these two churches came together with these businesses, the local government and the American Legion and discussed local racism and the unspoken KKK in the area? What would happen if we spoke about immigration and instead of hating the illegal immigrants, we learned to love them and we learned the issues as to why they are here illegally and acted to help them but also the issues of being undocumented? What would happen if we opened up our hearts and homes to juvenile delinquents and abused foster kids who are ignored in the area?

This is my dream. There is a lot of Scripture to help me articulate my thoughts and a lot of controversy about these issues but I'm just pondering and dreaming at this point. This is what I want to do when I graduate. Not have a job. But to find and live in a community. That is more important to me than any career that I will begin.

MLK, Jr's Day

Today is probably the one day a year when America reflects on the injustices that has occurred within our own borders, on our own citizens by our own citizens. And today is the day that everyone quotes Martin Luther King, Jr's famous "I had a dream" speech. (Sometimes I wish that we would learn some of his other speeches too because I know they are very good as well.)

The famous question that is always being asked on this day is did we accomplish his dream? I've been perusing the news and other people's opinions on various blogs about what they think and there seems to be a general consensus that the USA has come a very long way in helping to achieve MLK, Jr's dream but we aren't there yet.

Seeing firsthand, I can tell we aren't finished accomplishing this dream. It hurts a lot when I go home and I can see what racism does. My friend can't date a certain person because of his background. A friend's father won't hire someone because his skin-color automatically makes him "lazy." A coworker gets a promotion and everyone claims it's because of minority status.

Fortunately, we have come a long way. And I want to celebrate this fact. My parents will tell me stories about when they were growing up and how life was like. My town has come a long way; even throughout history, this is a fast pace that we're trying to change.

There's a mural in Philadelphia that represents victims of crimes. Right next to it is a mural representing the the oppressors and criminals. (Supposedly the victims and oppressors worked together to help create the murals.) On the oppressors' mural there is a poem on it and some lines from it say,

"I am... all human... all hues of man."

 I think that these murals represent both sides of our lives. All too often, Americans like being the victim. We think, "This is what happened to me, this is why I am the way I am and it wasn't my fault" but we do not acknowledge all the times that we oppress others. These two murals combined I think represent my life: victimized and yet oppressing others in a terrible cycle that I can't get out of.

But some day, the cycle will end. We all are born sinners, battling with these injustices and problems. And because of this, we will have problems. No matter how hard we try, there will be problems. However, through God's glory and love and power, these problems will one day be resolved.

"The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; [the Lord] upholds the orphan and the widow."

- Psalm 146:7-9

 I believe that I have been set free from injustices and because of this faith one day the earth will be restored and then all will be made right. I don't believe that because I have faith in a Saviour that I won't ever see or experience injustices (on either side) on this broken earth but it will change some day. I do believe that Christ is the person that changes hearts, not laws, not policies, and not force. The Holy Spirit is what will cause souls to stir and continue to seek justice and repentance.

Our nation has come a long way. We still need to seek out humility and an attitude that is willing to change. I personally think that more change would be witnessed if we understood and focused on the heart change and not a policy change. What's in our hearts as individuals, as a town, as a state and as a nation is ultimately is what will bring about the fulfillment of MLK's dream.

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."

 Amen.