The Best Tribute for Mandela

The cry of the heart in grief (and respect) is one of the most sacred things of life. This tribute was organized by Woolworth store in South Africa in partnership with the Soweto Gospel choir.

Asimbonanga [we have not seen him]
Asimbonang' uMandela thina [we have not seen Mandela]
Laph'ekhona [in the place where he is]
Laph'ehleli khona [in the place where he is kept]

Asimbonanga
Asimbonang 'umfowethu thina [we have not seen our brother]
Laph'ekhona [in the place where he is]
Laph'wafela khona [in the place where he died]
Sithi: Hey, wena [We say: hey, you]
Hey, wena nawe [Hey, you and you]
Siyofika nini la' siyakhona [when will we arrive at our destination]

The song was written during Mandela's incarceration as a call for his freedom.

A Tragic Persecution

Ronnie Smith, from Austin Stone Church in Texas, was gunned down in Benghazi, Libya a week ago while on a run. Ronnie is a martyr for the Kingdom of God.

       Many of us desire to be generous toward Muslims, and toward the cultures where Islam has grown and developed over many generations. Recently I returned from North Africa, and I want to be respectful and honoring of the peoples and cultures of that land.

       Many of us also want to stand up for justice, and to speak against oppression. We believe the Palestinians should be given equal opportunity to live peacefully as Israelis do. We advocate for the homeless and under-privileged.

       We must also speak to the tragedy of a Christian who was gunned down by militants in Libya. Ronnie Smith went to Libya with his wife and son to teach at an international school. We was seeking the shalom of that war-torn land.

       Any and every religious, political, or social system which forbids certain beliefs must be called out. The voice of Jesus incarnate here and now is for justice and protection for all. It is never acceptable for minorities in a country to be persecuted and killed. If a country is Islamic by orientation we must ask whether or not their ideology allows for minority expressions, and if there will be protection for these minorities.

       I want to ask my friends who are following Jesus to find our voice in advocating for justice for all peoples, as passionately for one as for the other.

       May God give enormous grace to Anita Smith and her young son in the days ahead.

The Pope As Time's Person of the Year

Most of the people who were considered for Time's Person of the Year are less than role models - Bashar Assad of Syria, Edward Snowden, Miley Cyrus.
       Time chose Pope Francis. In my view there was no other real choice. As a leader he stands apart from just about every other leader today, except perhaps Nelson Mandela.

The Challenge Posed by Pope Francis

In his recent "Apostolic Exhortation" to the faithful, Pope Francis challenged the Church both theologically and with our practice of faith. Some of his opening comments:

"The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew."

"The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience."

"I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day."

"Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy."

"The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice."

"Goodness always tends to spread. Every authentic experience of truth and goodness seeks by its very nature to grow within us, and any person who has experienced a profound liberation becomes more sensitive to the needs of others."

"The Gospel offers us the chance to live life on a higher plane, but with no less intensity: “Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others."

Nelson Mandela: Somewhere Between Hope and Peace

Nelson Madiba Mandela passed from this earth on Thursday, 5 December 2013. He was 95 years old.
       He died during the Advent season, celebrated by more than a billion Christians to remember the beginning of Jesus' incarnation on earth.
       Mandela died between the first and second Sundays of Advent, the first traditionally being known as the Sunday of HOPE and the second being known as the Sunday of PEACE.
       In Short, Nelson Mandela left us on the path in between Hope and Peace. Having experienced both of these himself in such poignant and powerful fashion, he led us to this very place with the urging to get to that next place of JOY.
       Mr. Mandela is now at that next stop called Joy, having lived with Hope and having both found peace and brought peace to his people and to our world.

The Example of a Generous Spirit

Word got out this week that Pope Francis makes clandestine excursions from the Vatican into Rome in the evening to minister to the poor. Word on the street is that he does this incognito - not dressed in papal attire but rather as a "regular" priest.
       Many of us have marveled yet again at the Pope's audacity. His actions again are riveting us. Many of us find ourselves smiling and nodding in appreciation and admiration. Why?
       Because Pope Francis consistently demonstrates a genuine Generous Spirit!
       Or to put it in a corny way, he "walks the talk."
       He does so without fanfare...
       with focus on the other, not on himself...
       with passion and COMpassion...
       with authenticity...
       with the Spirit of Christ bursting forth from his life.

     And so when a young boy walked up on stage recently while the pope was speaking to a crowd, we all gasped in one way or another. We were tempted to instruct the boy that it was not appropriate for him to interrupt the pope.
      Instead, the man with that generous spirit simply placed his hand on the boy's head and subtly invited the boy to stand next to him.
       Yet another quiet, humble act of a man who is so full of Jesus that His Spirit spills out in generosity everywhere.
       I, for one, want to be more like this man.

Coming This Friday Eve!

Our annual Holiday Pottery Show and Sale is this coming weekend at our house. Stop by if you are in or around Denver.

• Friday, December 6 from 7:00 to 10:00pm - also featuring wines from South Africa!
• Saturday, December 7 from 9:00 to 11:30am - Pots and Bagels brunch!

We are at 8795 W. Dartmouth Place, Lakewood 80227

Chasing Peace

Salim Munayer's Story from Kensington on Vimeo.

This is certainly worth having a look at. The story of Salim Munayer and the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict.

"Terrorism thrives only in places of chaos"

"Terrorism thrives only in places of chaos." ~ Rami Khouri, Director of Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy, American University of Beirut.

I went to a lecture at the University of Denver yesterday sponsored by the Joszef Korbel School of International Studies. The talk was given by Rami Khouri and was titled, "Has the Arab Spring Failed? The Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East."

       Khouri made an interesting comment about terrorism. He said it can only exist and thrive in the midst of chaos. He cited growing terrorist movements in Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan as current examples. All three countries border on lawlessness. I thought of other countries in the region where terrorism is at a minimum - Algeria and Qatar come to mind. Both of those countries are stable and relatively safe. Algeria is ruled by a strong military, Qatar is one of the most economically prosperous in the world.

       So how do you fight terrorism? You dispel chaos! What's the antidote to chaos? Shalom - wholeness, completeness. People who seek shalom squeeze out any place for a terrorist. It's just like light and darkness. Light always dispels darkness; darkness cannot overtake the light.

       This is one of my motivations for introducing Muslims to Jesus. The Muslim world is the seedbed for much terrorism in the world (although there are other non-Muslim contexts as well). If Jesus is "the Prince of Peace" and the "Light of the World," it makes sense that terrorism cannot co-exist with Jesus.

My Favorite Week

Most years I make a mini-pilgrimage back to Central New York where I attended university a couple of decades ago. I try to go in the middle of October, because the changing colors are usually breath-taking and life-giving to me.
       I take off for New York on Friday and am there for a brief two days. Hopefully the changing leaves will be as spectacular as I remember them from past years.
       I think I like Autumn for a number of reasons - I like cooler weather for one thing. But more important, I appreciate the changing seasons. They provide a certain rhythm to life that I appreciate a lot.
       I also find it fascinating that just before the leaves "die" and fall off the trees they are most beautiful. And then those same trees are bare and must become dormant before new life can spring forth next year.

WIsdom in the Midst of a Government Shutdown

There is so little that is worth talking about in regards to the shutdown of the U.S. government. At the moment, I simply feel embarrassed by the elected representatives of the citizens of the U.S. - both Democrats and Republicans.
       The chaplain of the U.S. Senator offered the only wisdom I have heard in the past week when he prayed this prayer:

Last Words Matter ...

My wife reminded me this morning of Lewis Smedes' spiritual memoir, My God and I, which turned out to be the last words he wrote before his sudden and untimely death more than a decade ago.
       His words so captivated my heart and soul when I read them many years ago, and they did so again this morning. Lew was a spiritual giant.

"This is where I find myself now on the journey that God and I have been on, at the station called hope, the one that comes right after gratitude and somewhere not far from journey's end. It has been 'God and I' the whole way. Not so much because he has always been pleasant company. Not because I could always feel his presence when I got up in the morning or when I was afraid to sleep at night. It was because he did not trust me to travel alone. Personally I like the last miles of the journey better than the first. But, since I could not have the ending without first having the beginning, I thank God for getting me going and bringing me home. And sticking with me all the way."

Keep an Enemy ... or Make Peace?

There is a certain equilibrium created when we know who our enemies are and we can defend ourselves against them.

       For much of his life, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has known instinctively that Iran is Enemy #1 of his people. After all, Iran has had leaders who have said they wanted to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.
       So I understand why Mr. Netanyahu went to the United Nations and said that the new president of Iran is a "wolf in sheep's clothing," even as the previous Iranian president was a "wolf in wolf's clothing." The real crisis for Mr. Netanyahu will come when President Rouhani of Iran actually does want to make peace.
       It will be a crisis because Mr. Netanyahu and Israel know how to wage war, but has little experience in "waging peace." In fact, Israeli leaders who have sought peace have either been assassinated (Izchak Rabin) or somewhat marginalized (Shimon Peres).
       Nonetheless, I find it somewhat astounding that Mr. Netanyahu could be so clear and confident that Mr. Rouhani is a "wolf in sheep's clothing." Does he know Mr. Rouhani personally to make such an assertion? How was Mr. Netanyahu informed so that he could make this bold pronouncement? Does Mr. Netanyahu assume that Mr. Rouhani is deceptive because that is a trait of Iranians in general?
       My people (i.e. Jews) should be the very last people on earth to make generalizations about a culture, ethnic group, or an individual. We Jews have been called "wolves in sheeps' clothing" as well - by people who persecuted us in places such as Russia and Germany.
       We would do well to withhold judgement on people such as Mr. Rouhani and wait to see if his actions match his words. That might even lead to that ever elusive ... Shalom!

Sometimes It's Just that GOOD

Baseball is a kid's sport wherein grown men chase a small white ball and, oddly, are paid absurd amounts of money to do so. But in the end, it's only a game.
       Recently Major League Baseball has been filled with drug scandals as well. It has been a sad chapter.
       But last night was a reminder that America's pastime has a dignity and pride that transcends the payrolls and scandals.
       The reason that Mariano Rivera's curtain call at Yankee Stadium last night was so GOOD is because of TEAM and HUMILITY. When long-time teammates Derek Jeter and Andy Pettite came to the mound to take Mo out in the 9th inning all at once we remembered that these guys have been through thick and thin together for almost two decades! This was not only the end of a great career; this was long-time friends and teammates having a huge MOMENT together to laugh and cry, to be in the emotions of that great scene.
       This was also about Mariano's humility. He has worked hard to use his gifts and talents for many years. But in the end he has sought to be generous and focused on others, namely his teammates and the fans. While this ending HAS TO BE about Mariano, he wants to honor the people around him. THAT is CLASS.
       Today I am proud to be a New York Yankees fan. They are not even making the playoffs this year. They are not one of the best teams in baseball at the moment. But I will take a season like this over a World Series any day!
       In the words of Manager Joe Girardi last night at the press conference, "Mo made my job fun, he made my job easy. But more important than that, he made all our lives better. And we will miss him." Amen.

Billy Graham's Request to Iran

I so appreciate and respect Billy Graham's request to the Iranian government. If the Iranian government is truly changing (which I hope it is), this would be an incredible gesture of sincerity.