Comments (1) Jeff Boyd who blogs at Adventist Activism has a great Lenten series going over at the Spectrum blog. Today’s post is “Time for Lent: Love Your Enemies” and is worth your time to read. I’ll be following Jeff’s series closely in the days ahead.
“The issue is figuring out how to live in the suburbs and still have a heart for the city. This was the place of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. It broke his heart to know the city of Jerusalem was in ruins, and he took some of the responsibility for why this was the case. We must acknowledge the systemic issues behind urban violence and take responsibility as well. Those living outside the city must take responsibility and work with those in the city to be salt and light.”
- Rev. Efrem Smith, Sojourner’s “Preaching the Word”
Within a few miles from my office I can leave the idyllic community of Loma Linda, California, where people live to be a hundred, and enter San Bernardino, once ranked the 16th most violent city in America. Truthfully, I can go about my life, rarely venturing into this urban jungle in my backyard.
When you live in the city its on top of you, you can’t run from the needs, it’s in your face. But suburbia can anesthetize you to suffering and injustice. You can build a safe life (or so you think), a secluded life, where the world can be shut out. Not so in the city.
There’s lots of challenges to living missionally in the suburbs, but one of the most problematic for me? Complacency. I find myself too comfortable with nice sub-divisions, tidy neighborhoods, and picturesque streets. The Rev. Smith challenges me. I am responsible too. And here in my town I can’t escape the fact there’s enormous needs across the street. So what am I doing about? Sadly, the usual, not much. What challenges do you face trying to live faithfully in Suburbia?
Jesus, have mercy on me. Remove my complacency. Compel me to action. Let me not forget the city in my backyard. Amen.
Some more good stuff from Jan Paulsen, President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists:
I stumbled on David’s Berman’s book Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change the World. I haven’t read it yet, but I like the premise of the book—no matter your profession, no matter your work, you can use your skills to help make a more just society. Berman’s book is primarily for professional designers, but his key question is relevant for any profession: Does your work make the world a better place?
His challenge is very simple. Take the Do Good Pledge, stating you will, 1) Be true to your profession (Ethics); 2) Be true to yourself (Principles); and my favorite, 3) Spend 10% of your professional time helping repair the world (Effort). Check out Berman’s blog and consider making the pledge (even if you’re not a designer). So far 88,000+ hours have been pledged. It’s a simple idea, but I wonder how much better our world would be if we really took the pledge seriously—from food servers to CEO’s. So what do you think?
A 21st Century Prophet?
The prophetic voice of Shane Claiborne always challenges the gravitational forces of complacency in my life (by the way, I doubt he’d refer to himself as a prophet). I love what he has to say and I hate what he has to say, the latter a result of me knowing how often I tend to be a hearer of Jesus’ words rather than a doer of his words. I was reminded of this today when I came across Shane’s op-ed piece from the November 18 issue of Esquire magazine titled “What if Jesus Meant All that stuff.” Here’s my favorite paragraph:
In fact, the entire story of Jesus is about a God who did not just want to stay “out there” but who moves into the neighborhood, a neighborhood where folks said, “Nothing good could come.” It is this Jesus who was accused of being a glutton and drunkard and rabble-rouser for hanging out with all of society’s rejects, and who died on the imperial cross of Rome reserved for bandits and failed messiahs. This is why the triumph over the cross was a triumph over everything ugly we do to ourselves and to others. It is the final promise that love wins.
I was in Chicago over the weekend for the North American launch of U2’s 360 Tour. It was everything I anticipated. I can’t wait to see U2 again at the Rose Bowl in October. Chicago Tribune’s rock critic, Greg Kot calls it “One of the best stadium shows of the last decade.” If you want to read more about the opening concert check out Tom Martin’s review in the the L.A. Times music blog, Pop & Hiss. Don’t worry I’m not going to attempt a review. I want to share a few thoughts about U2 and the ONE Campaign.Panorama Theme by 
Themocracy
