38 Congressmen with Cojones

A bipartisan budget bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week. It offered something no Democrat or Republican is willing to do - dramatically cut spending and also raise taxes. It projected $4.2 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years.
       The bill was defeated 382 to 38. Yes, you read that correctly. Only 38 Congressmen had the cojones to seek a bipartisan solution to the absolute mess of this country's finances and debt.
       A total of 16 Republicans and 22 Democrats voted for the bill. Sources said that another 100 or so Congressmen wanted to vote for it but then they were met by fierce opposition from lobbyists from the political left and the political right.
       I would like to publicly acknowledge the 38 congressmen with the sense to do what is right, even if not popular. Here is a list of the 38 representatives voting in favor:

16 Republicans:

Charles Bass, N.H.

Ann Marie Buerkle, N.Y.

Charlie Dent, Pa.

Robert Dold, Ill.

Chris Gibson, N.Y.

Timothy Johnson, Ill.

Steve LaTourette, Ohio

Cynthia Lummis, Wyo.

Patrick Meehan, Pa.

Tom Petri, Wis.

Todd Platts, Pa.

Tom Reed, N.Y.

John Shimkus, Ill.

Mike Simpson, Idaho

Frank Wolf, Va.

Don Young, Alaska

22 Democrats:

Robert Andrews, N.J.

Dan Boren, Okla.

Leonard Boswell, Iowa

John Carney, Del.

James Clyburn, S.C.

Jim Cooper, Tenn.

Jim Costa, Calif.

Henry Cuellar, Texas

Chaka Fattah, Pa.

Jim Himes, Conn.

Ron Kind, Wis.

Rick Larsen, Wash.

Dan Lipinski, Ill.

Ed Perlmutter, Colo.

Collin Peterson, Minn.

Jared Polis, Colo.

Mike Quigley, Ill.

Kurt Schrader, Ore.

Allyson Schwartz, Pa.

Heath Shuler, N.C.

Pete Visclosky, Ind.

Mel Watt, N.C.

A Bailey Blog

I have another, temporary blog for the puppies we are raising. I'm doing a "Photo of the Day" each day that we have them. Go to www.baileypups.blogspot.com to check it out.
     Here is today's photo, called, "Puppies Lounging."

Bailey had Pups ...

I was awakened last night by Susy's voice downstairs: "Brian!" she called out. It was about 2:45am and I was in a sound sleep.
       I staggered down the stairs and there was Susy leaning over the whelping box as our three-year-old Lab Bailey was giving birth to the first of NINE puppies. In all it took 5 hours for bailey to give birth. Susy and I stayed up with her the whole time.
       At 8:30 am I went into the office because I had work to do. I kept thinking to myself, "I feel like I did 20 years ago when Carly was a baby and I did not have a full night's sleep." Then I realized that that's EXACTLY how I feel because it is reality! And then I thought to myself, "I'm too old for this stuff!"
       Welcome to the nuttiness of our lives for the next 8 weeks as we have 9 puppies and two adult Labs in the house! How fun!

"What do you DO?"

I have heard the question regularly in the past weeks and months. A friend who lives in Europe and serves an immigrant community is asked the question by people quite a bit. My friend and I joke with each other and ask the question to one another:
       So, what do I DO?
Here is my somewhat unconventional answer:

I help people confront their prejudices about people unlike themselves.

Huh? Ok, ok. So what do I really do?

       I really try to help people confront their prejudices about people unlike themselves.

       Most especially I desire to help Christians - those who follow Jesus - deal with their own "stuff" toward people they would otherwise dislike, or even despise.

       Some Christians have a "naive realism" towards certain cultures - for example, perhaps they believe that because the Jews are God's "chosen people" they are above correction. Or perhaps they believe that because someone is a Muslim he is "beyond hope."

       This is all about the walls we build between those who are very different than us. We can think that the walls protect us (high fences make good neighbors), but in the end they only isolate us.

       The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus is our peace, and that he is all about breaking down walls of hostility between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2). But this can only happen because of Jesus - the prince of Peace - and not because of some well-meaning humanitarian efforts.  The walls are simply too strong for that.

       So as my friend in Europe and I ask each other, What do you do??? 

Oh, the Church, the CHURCH!

This photo captures something of what I believe the Church is to be - joyful, vibrant, fully alive, attractive. This past weekend I visited a church like this - and I came home jazzed about The Church.
       Flying back to Denver on Monday I reflected on what makes that church so alive. A few things struck me:
1. They are fully bought into God's mission in the world. This church was "missional" long before the word existed!
2. The only person this church is about is Jesus. It's not about a pastor and how good his sermon is or anything like that;
3. The church is extravagantly generous. They understand well that it's all God's anyway, and they have the privilege of investing His money;
4. They are innovative and risk-taking, not satisfied with success or the status quo;
5. The are corporately self-less. it's just not about them - not about a program or a building or survival or reputation. It is all about God and serving others for the Kingdom sake!

Oh, what a living-giving church!

The Launch of Brain-Pain

I am thrilled that my friend Brad Klingenberg has launched Brain-Pain here in Denver - a new initiative to help those who are battling mental health issues in one way or another.
       I love the tagline of Brain-Pain ... Where Grey Matters! Is that great or what? I just love it!
       I love that Brad is not a professional counselor; he is just a pretty ordinary guy who has struggling with Bipolar and has done so with honesty, integrity, and a realness that is contagious.
       I love the down-to-earth nature of this movement. It's not flashy or "cool" in a sense.
       I love that it's raw ... and practical ... and birthed out of the very real-life experiences of Brad and his family.
       It is a privilege to walk alongside Brad as a friend and colleague. Brain-Pain is part of a network of groups which I am part of that seeks to reach out to and come alongside people who are often overlooked and marginalized.
       So here's to Brain-Pain and my friend Brad - Grey really DOES matter!

Passover is in TWO Weeks!

The first night of Passover is in two weeks - on Friday, April 6th (it just so happens to be Good Friday). If you are interested in doing a messianic seder with your family and/or friends, I have written a Passover Haggadah (order) for the evening which you could use.
     Contact me at bnewman5280@gmail.com if you would like to order copies. They are $4 each which includes postage.
     Don't miss this great opportunity to enrich your faith and introduce others to the greatest redemptive story ever!


Blessings,


~ Brian Newman

Going on the Record: Peyton Manning is a No Go

I am disappointed that the Denver Broncos will sign Peyton Manning as their quarterback and will thus release Tim Tebow.
While it is predictable that John Elway (VP of football operations for Denver) would make this move, I think it is wrong for a number of reasons.
       First, it gives no value to Tim Tebow's character as a person and player. In the end I don't think Elway had a clue how to deal with a player such as Tebow who refused to complain or attack critics. Tebow's class as a person freaked out Elway, and Tebow's popularity with fans caused Elway to feel stuck with him,
       Second, Peyton Manning has had a very serious injury related to his neck. I doubt that he should ever play again. If he gets hit hard by a defender he could be paralyzed. Does John Elway want to carry that risk? I suppose he does.
       Third, Peyton Manning will get a 5-year contract which will take him to 41 years of age as a quarterback. Really? 41 years old with a guy who has had three neck surgeries.
       I realize that professional sports is all about competing and winning a championship. I think the Denver Broncos chose a guy who used to be able to throw a football and may still be able to, and gave up on a guy who has not been able to throw a football well but may be able to learn. Both of these men are winners - I just think Tebow is a "winner" in so much more than football.

Today I have 2 Adult Kids!

Carly and Steven at the White House, summer 2011.
An utterly classic photo of the two of them!!!

Today Steven turns 18 years old. Carly is 20 and soon-to-be 21. Susy and I have two adult children today! WooHoo!

       I could not be more proud of these two offspring of ours! They are so unique (and way different from each other) and have so much to contribute to the world! I am excited for the opportunities they have before them, and I am so proud to be their dad.
       So here is to Steven - aka Ishti Pisti in another life - Happy Birthday, my son. May you soar like an eagle!
As Aaron said to the Israelites, may this be true for you:

The Lord bless you and keep you,

The Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord turn His face toward you and give you Shalom.

I Live Between Worlds

I live between worlds – between faiths, and cultures, and worldviews. And now I find myself ‘fitting in” less and less.

     I am a Jew who follows a rabbi – Jesus. I don’t “just” follow him; I have given my total allegiance, reputation, life, eternity to him.

     In the Western World people who follow Jesus are called “Christians” and are often Gentiles. I am not a Gentile, but I am a Christian.

     I spend time with people from Muslim backgrounds and people who reach out to Muslims; in every encounter I must weigh whether it is wise to tell the person I am Jewish. For some it is a great offense to be in the presence of a Jew, for a handful they are moved deeply by meeting a Jew for the first time and sensing some kind of kinship relationship.

     I spend time with people from Jewish backgrounds; to them I am an insider, one of their own … until they find out who I follow. Then they want to know when I stopped being Jewish and started being Christian.

     Symbols often mark a person’s identity. A yarmulke says you are a Jew, a Bedouin head dress that you are a Muslim. Neither of them indentifies whether you follow Jesus Christ or not. I enjoy wearing a variety of head coverings. They help me live between worlds I suppose.

Modernity Meets the Middle Ages

Grasse, France (March 2012)

My friend and colleague Rogier took this photo of me two weeks ago when we were in France.
       I purposefully set up the photo with a subtle, but profound contrast. I am wearing a Nike shirt (thus the swoosh on my chest if you look closely) and have an ancient Palestinian-inspired headdress draped over my shoulders.
       Welcome to the clash of world views and time periods, which also reflects the tension and divide between European (modern) cultures and Islam (a Pre-modern world view).
       We do well to study and understand how the secular, Enlightenment-inspired European state collides with people from countries dominated by Islam - and a distinctly Middle Ages type of worldview. Granted, Islam is changing and morphing in Europe as people move from North African nations to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. Nonetheless, it will continue to be a source of great tension and conflict for the coming generation in Europe.

End of a Fruitful Trip

My friend Vincent lent me a head
covering during meetings in Grasse.
Never mind that it is PLO colors!

I am sitting at Heathrow Airport waiting for a flight from here to Washington Dulles and onto Denver. It has been a fruitful, exhilarating, and tiring trip and I am ready to go home and to see Susy and Steven.
       I spent 5 days in France with a community in Grasse which is led by our friends Vincent and Nicole. 12 of us gathered to consider ministry to and with "the others." It was a rich and intimate time in many ways, as we had the privilege of walking alongside a community of "others" there.
       After our time in Grasse a group of us headed to England and the Christian Associates leadership summit. Susy and I have journeyed with CA for many years now, these folk are "the tribe of our youth" as it were.
       CA is a group in transition and is changing in many ways from what it once was. That has its plusses and minuses, its ups and downs. Overall I think CA is on a good path, and I am grateful that its leaders have allowed us space to form and incubate the Isaac-Ishmael Initiative.
       Here is my major takeaway from the past couple of weeks in Europe: I have a greater sensitivity to the need for PRESCENCE and PROXIMITY for ministry amongst the "other."
       This was so evident to me when I decided to go from London to Amsterdam on Wednesday to visit a long-time friend who is battling cancer. She is not well and I felt that it was right to be present in her home with she and her husband and kids. We sat around the table for several hours eating American pancakes and sipping good Dutch coffee. It was a precious time, but it took me getting on a plane and spending the day traveling to do it. It required INTENTION.

APEST Backlash

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. ~ Ephesians 4:11-13
       When I became a Christian in the early 1980s the role of shepherd-teacher was the "be all and end all" in the Evangelical Church. It was embodied by role models such as Chuck Swindoll, Charles Stanley, and John MacArthur. Churches grew based on the teaching ability of a central figure who "preached the Word."
       Many of us eventually reacted strongly to that, jettisoning this over-emphasis on head knowledge and the internal focus of shepherding and teaching.
In graphic form, we rejected this version of APEST:
A P E S TEACHER
       Alan Hirsch and others have sought to take a new look at Ephesians 4 and the five-fold ministry of the church, an attempt to recalibrate these inter-related callings.
       Interestingly enough, it seems to me that history is repeating itself. In reaction to the church's poverty in regards to the apostle and prophet we have apostolically minded people who... do the very opposite of 30 years ago. Now APEST looks something like this:
APOSTLE P E S T
       I am wondering if it is possible to have a more integrated approach to this five-fold ministry, wherein the APOSTLE and the SHEPHERD are not only valued in words but live in dynamic tension as they both lead.

This Ministry Demands that We BE the Ministry

My time in Grasse, France ends today as we head to England for a leadership gathering. Those of us who have gathered here will be writing a declaration ... manifesto ... about our commitments to live and serve among "the other."

       I am struck by two thoughts as this ad hoc multi-ethnic, multi-cultural group leaves from this place:
       First, this type of ministry demands that we BE the ministry. What I mean is that it's all well and good to theorize and talk about massively divergent people being in community together. It is quite another thing to live it personally.
       Second, living and serving amongst the "other" complicates our lives, enriches our lives, and challenges us to "lose our lives" for the sake of others. I feel drained and empty after only 4 or 5 days with this diverse community here in Grasse. What would it be like if I lived in this context all the time?
       Increasingly I spend time, work with, and build community with people very different from myself - Arabs, a Persian, Europeans, people much wealthier, people poorer. They enrich my life, give me strength, and wipe me out!
       I also retreat to Denver, to my family, and to a fire pit in my backyard where "da boys" catch up with each other. We're not that diverse really, and that's OK too.

Distinctly Kingdom of God

I am getting a glimpse of why Jesus spoke in so many parables about "the Kingdom of God is like...." I think he did so because the Kingdom of God is so wildly beyond our finite imaginations that he used very ordinary images (e.g. a mustard seed) to depict an entirely extra-ordinary reality.
       Theologian George Ladd argued that with Jesus' first coming the "Kingdom of God is now, and not yet." Jesus inaugurated the coming Kingdom but has not yet completed it. We live in the in-between time.

With my new Iranian friend Mohsen.

       Last night during our time in Grasse (France), I sat around the fire with Mohsen, an Iranian who came to faith in Christ in Glasgow some time ago. What a Jew and an Iranian are doing sitting around a fire in the south of France is something only Jesus can orchestrate!
       Mohsen is a soft-spoken, humble man who has lived an unlikely life, having been secretly transported by truck across Europe to the UK where he has sought and been given assylum. In the meantime we  discovered a community called Mosaic in Glasgow and has become a follower of Jesus there.
       I used to quietly think that the Kingdom of God (and what I thought of heaven) would be comprised of people like myself, or at least people with whom I am naturally comfortable and at ease (ethnically, skin color, even socio-economic status). I am being challenged by this as I sit next to Mohsen my new Iranian friend. All that we have in common is Jesus, and following him. And that's all we need together.

Big Day Today

It is 8am here in Grasse (France). Church bells are ringing, it's crisp sunny morning. This morning begins a three-day gathering of 12 people to focus on "mission to the other," to the outsider.
       We are a diverse bunch - Tunisian, Iranian, French, Scottish, English, Dutch, Kenyan (sort of), American. Each of us has a unique history and perspective, different joys and sorrows of being an insider or an outsider.
       This is a rich and fulfilling time for me. It is a snapshot of the Kingdom of God in action, an otherwise scattered group who are following Christ and desiring to be a part of Jesus changing the world.
       I will try to blog on our time together in the next few days.

The Jewish man Next to me

The guy across the row on my flight.

The man next to me on the sleepy flight from Newark to London was a study in contradictions. He was clearly devout, religious. Stern and serious. And uninterested in having any conversation with me. I asked him what he was reading and he said to me, "None of your business."

       Ah yes, that's my people!!

       He read from a homemade Bible of sorts – a variety of pages in English and Hebrew which appeared to be his favorite passages of the Torah and the Talmud. I found myself envious.

       He was served his food first, because he had ordered the kosher variety. It looked bland.

       I sensed a certain disdain for the rest of us on the plane, as if we are the unclean or pagan. I wanted to tell him, “Hey, I’m Jewish too. I’m one of you.” But I just did not sense that would impress him much!

Headline at The Times of London

I arrived at London Heathrow this morning and went to an airline lounge while waiting for my flight to Nice. I picked up a copy of the Times of London and the front page headline asserted:

Syria slays its children

The sub-title quoted a Syrian saying, "We've been abandoned. Only God can save us."
       Last night on the flight from Newark I sat across from an ultra-orthodox Israeli who read Scripture and Talmud all night, and refused to have a conversation with me (more about that in a post tomorrow). In a relatively short overnight flight I am struck anew by the names "Isaac" and "Ishmael." Lord have mercy.

I Cringe at Endorsements

When we launched the Isaac Ishmael website at the beginning of the year someone asked if there would be an "endorsements" page. I cringed and mumbled something like, "over my dead body."
       I have been in turmoil internally about getting endorsements for a project or a cause or whatever. It feels self-serving, like I have a sign on my back that says, "Look how great this is!"
       Then I traveled to North Africa and the Middle East recently and people wanted to know about this odd thing called The Isaac Ishmael Initiative. And they wanted to know who is endorsing this. NO, don't ask that question!!!
       So I got thinking about it and people want to figure out the legitimacy of organizations and movements and people. In the ever-volatile discussion around Christians, Muslims, and Jews there is added cause for concern and skepticism. So I have come around to be OK with having endorsements for this initiative.
       Initially I thought I needed some "big name" people to endorse Isaac Ishmael. Maybe I could call Billy Graham and see if he could throw a sentence my way! But then I got thinking about that and realized we want no name people in a sense, people who are regular folks from diverse backgrounds and who have a Kingdom vision!
       Diversity is the key - a Muslim cleric, a Protestant mission leader, a Catholic, a person who ministers to a Jewish community, a business person. French and Lebanese and North Africa and America and Dutch! Wow, it's beginning to feel like the Kingdom of God invading our lives! YES!
P.S. - There will be an endorsements page on the Isaac Ishmael website soon. Check back regularly.

The Severity in Iran-Israel

The prospect of Israel and Iran going to war is a dramatic escalation of unrest in the Middle East. Before we may rush to the conclusion that Iran deserves to be attacked, it is important to understand the gravity of this:


     1. The Persian-Arab divide is far more volatile than most westerners understand. The Iranians are Persian and there is very deep hostility between them and Arab peoples (especially the Saudis);
     2. American foreign policy has largely been "hands off" when Persians and Arabs go to war against each other, e.g. the 8-year war between Iraq and Iran. In my opinion, this is incredibly short-sighted on the part of the U.S. and adds to the hatred of Persians and Arabs toward the west;
     3. The Shi'ite Muslim world of Iran, Hezbullah, and its alliance with Syria (although the rulers of Syria are Alowites) is certainly anti-Israel but they have different beliefs and worldview than the Sunni world (Saudi Arabia, Qatar). So, engaging in an escalation with the Shi'ite world is a whole lot more volatile than engaging with the Sunni world. More on this at another time.
     What is needed more than ever is a non-political peace plan - a Kingdom plan. The plan that Jesus brought to the Middle East when we road into Jerusalem (the city of PEACE) on a donkey. It will be nothing short of a miracle for there to be an outbreak of the Kingdom of God in Iran and Israel! Now THAT would be apocalyptic!

A Reflection on Glen Campbell

Last night's performance by Glen Campbell at the Grammy's was such a poignant description of the horror of Alzheimer's Disease.
      Campbell beautifully sang his trademark song Rhinestone Cowboy, engaging the band and audience as he has done so many times over the years.
       As the song was over he graciously acknowledged the applause of the crowd and turned to leave the stage. Still holding the microphone to his mouth he says to the people around him, "Where do I go, or do I just shut up now?"
       And therein lies the tragedy, sadness, and horror of Alzheimer's. The world witnessed a person slipping away into the "long goodbye," as Nancy Reagan once said about Ronald Reagan.
       Linda Hogan in her short story states it this way, "I wake up in another country, there is no more north or south. Asleep we pass through one another like blowing snow, all of us, all." (Our Houses)
       In the world of Alzheimer's I have also found what Hogan has found: North is not north, south is not south.
   * Moments of brilliance interspersed with times of utter confusion;
   * The "eyes of engagement" transformed into the "eyes of vacancy;"
   * Times of calm switching to irritation, almost instantly.
     My friend Nate has Alzheimer's. He is in a home in California. We have visited him a couple of times since he moved there in October. I enjoy being with Nate in those moments, but "being" is so very different with him than with others. As Mary Sarton has said about old age in general and dementia in particular: "It's a foreign country with an unknown language to the young and even to the middle-aged."

A Video Update

Oppressed, Oppressor, and a Wandering Jew

I was on a Skype call with my friend and colleague Nicky who lives with her family in southern France. We were discussing Miroslav Volf's book, Exclusion and Embrace and how profound it has been in both of our lives.
       Once again I was caught up and stunned by the reality that Jesus game for both the oppressed and the oppressor. I am not making a statement about a person's relationship in eternity with God, but only that God's grace extends to the oppressor as well as the oppressed.
This is what Volf says:

“Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans even as I exclude myself from the community of sinners. But no one can be in the presence of the God of the crucified Messiah for long without overcoming this double exclusion — without transposing the enemy from the sphere of the monstrous… into the sphere of shared humanity and herself from the sphere of proud innocence into the sphere of common sinfulness. When one knows [as the cross demonstrates] that the torturer will not eternally 

triumph over the victim, one is free to rediscover that person’s humanity and imitate God’s love for him. And when one knows [as the cross demonstrates] that God’s love is greater than all sin, one is free to see oneself in the light of God’s justice and so rediscover one’s own sinfulness.” 

       This is at the heart of the Isaac-Ishmael Initiative. Until I give up my "right" for vengeance I cannot participate in the "other's" humanity. I give dignity to relationship and reflect the values of Kingdom of God when I see both the oppressor and the oppressed through the lens of Jesus the crucified and risen Messiah.

Super Bowl, the Giants, and my Armenian Friend

Today is Super Bowl Sunday and my beloved NY Giants are playing the dreaded New England Patriots. It's going to be a great day!
      It will be especially great because my friend Aram (an Armenian from Boston) is a die-hard Patriots fan and I (a Jew from New York) am a Giants fan! Now there's some history here that you should know about.
     Aram and I pastored together for 3 or 4 years, basically ministering together during a really crappy time in the church's history. I don't know that I would have kept even HALF sane without Aram those years. (that's another story)
       In the midst of pastoring together the Boston Red Sox WON THE WORLD SERIES (thus the picture to the left in which I am wearing - hold on now - a RED SOX hat and Aram is gloating). Well the score was evened when the NY Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl 4 years ago. Aram and I were at a party at our friends Steve and Diane's place last time. I had major bragging rights and was inappropriately obnoxious as the Giants won.
       Well Aram and I are returning to Steve and Diane's again for the game tonight. It's deja vu all over again hopefully! I have told Aram that if the Giants win I'm giving him a big fat kiss! He has said he will be hiding under a Bill Belicheck-type hoody to stay away from me!
       Game On!

A Beautiful and Lonely Path to Silence

Dieter Zander was one of the earliest visionaries in the Church for reaching out to Generation X (more than 30 years ago). He was a very gifted speaker and worship leader, later serving on the staff of Willowcreek Community Church.
       Some years later he moved to the San Francisco bay area and continued his public ministry, launching a new non-profit and serving on the staff of a church. Then in the middle of the night Dieter Zander had a massive stroke which almost killed him and left him unable to speak.
       His life was shattered.
       Today Dieter Zander continues to learn anew how to live and even thrive through his suffering.
       Here is a short video he produced about his journey. It is called "Stroke of Silence." It is simply breath-taking.

A Jew Amongst Palestinians

In a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Jan 2012.

The red, green, and black Palestinian flags told us that we were leaving Beirut city and entering another world, even though that other world is smack in the midst of the city.
       I felt the tension rise inside me as our driver wound her way to a dilapidated parking garage where we left the car. We walked a brief way and entered the wildly narrow alleys of a miniature city - 20,000 people living in 1 square kilometer. Welcome to Palestine!
       The refugee camp has been there since 1948, when Israel became a nation. It is a series of rundown buildings divided by alleyways with power lines draped everywhere about 6 feet off the ground.
       As we wandered through the camp escorted by two Lebanese women who work there, I wondered how many Jews have actually been inside such a camp. And how many of us Jews would change our perspectives about the "Palestinian problem" if we spent much time there.

Power lines in the refugee camps - not very safe.

       The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is far too complex to discuss here. However, what is definitely needed and what the Isaac-Ishmael Initiative is about in part is a deeper understanding of "the other." That is to say, each of us must cross the "dividing walls of hostility" (Ephesians 2) to begin to know those who are very different than us.
       And so I count it a privilege that I was able to visit a refugee camp while in Beirut. It was not easy or comfortable. On the contrary, it was confronting - as it should have been.

Gabrielle Giffords and Courageous Leadership

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords says good-bye to an officer worker.

I love this picture (at right) of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords saying good-bye to one of her office workers this week. Of all the images the past days of Rep. Giffords bidding farewell to the House of Representatives this one captured me the most.

       Giffords has fought a courageous battle for her life after being the victim of a bullet wound to the head a year ago.

       It is one thing to fight this battle yourself, along with your husband. It is another thing to lead people in such a way that embodies HOPE and FAITH, in a greater good bend partisan politics.

       Few of us Americans tune into C-Span to watch Congress deliberate, even in the best of times. I don't know a soul who has the stomach for anything about Congress these days.

       Except for a few shining moments this week when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords entered the chamber to announce her resignation from Congress. For those few moments CIVILITY REIGNED.

       Well done, Gabby. You have brought light to a dark place.

The New Gilded Age

This past week I spent time in what is one of the poorest places on earth - a Palestinian refugee camp - and in one of the wealthiest places on earth - the newly rebuilt downtown Beirut with its stellar skyscrapers.
       I also read an article in The New York Times about a new "gilded age" in the world, where a tiny portion of people hold the vast majority of the world's wealth. Estimates say that  the divide between the richest 1% of the world and the 20% of the poorest is growing faster today than ever in history.
       So when Barack Obama spoke in his State of the Union address this week about "class warfare" and proposed that people earning more than $1 million pay 30% income tax I reckoned it would strike a chord (for good or bad) with many people. And it has.
       And so we have the phenomena of both The Tea Party in the U.S. (fiercely capitalist, no new taxes, let the poor fend for themselves) and the Occupy Wall Street people (curb capitalism, raise taxes on the wealthy, get rid of corruption on Wall Street). The divide is reflected in a U.S. Congress which is paralyzed by this new Gilded Age (of which congressmen are among the richest 1%!); it is reflected in religious institutions which align themselves on one side or the other; and it is seen in local governments which have needed to adjustment to new economic realities (e.g. a growing lower class needing social services).
       I am not a proponent of a new Gilded Age, with its robber barons and extremely wealthy industrialists as was the case in the 19th century. What is needed is for people of faith (most especially followers of Jesus) to LEAD BY EXAMPLE, to voluntarily redistribute our wealth to those less fortunate. I am not advocating for a welfare state run by the government; I am strongly pleading with the Church to more and more be the "safety net" for those who are less able to care for themselves.

The Cross Overlooks a Muslim Land

Susy and I had the privilege of driving into the mountains of Lebanon with our friends Nabil and Sarah this week. It had just snowed and it was a stunning, spectacular experience. We drove from the sea into the mountains above 5,000 feet and looked over a landscape which has been fought for for many centuries.

       One of the ironic or providential things is that there were many churches (Maronite) in the villages through which we drove. They are hundreds of years old, perched on hillsides staring down the gorge at Beirut.
       In a land which is predominantly Muslim now there is a sense of gravitas with the presence of these churches and crosses, almost as if they remind us of a past and a future for this great land.
       Some people might say that Christianity is on the retreat in Lebanon. I am not so sure of that - there is a rich Christian heritage and vision as Christians and Muslims live together (although admittedly with a lot of tension). I am grateful for the beautiful images of churches we encountered high in the mountains of Lebanon.

Tomorrow I Preach in Beirut

Susy and I have been in Beirut, Lebanon for the past 4 days. Tomorrow morning I preach at All Saints International Church here, pastored by our close friend Nabil who we have been with these days.

       The title of my message is, "The Heart's Deepest Desire" from Mark 2 and Jesus healing a paralytic. Every message I preach is done so through the lens of what I am dealing with at the moment. This week I have dealt with so much complexity, suffering in a Palestinian refugee camp, listening to people speak passionately and painfully with the conflict in the Middle East.

       Somehow I believe Jesus intersects this drama, these human tragedies. Indeed, if he does not intersect them I have nothing to preach.

       So, I feel quite small and weak as I approach speaking God's Word to a group of people here in Beirut.  And yet I feel more confident in God, hopefully experience more of Christ and who he is in the midst of this situation.

Here's to the Crazy Givers

Here's to the crazy, generous givers of the world:

• To the billionaires a la Warren Buffett who will give away his billions before he dies;
• To those who give to "crazy ideas" when they know that humanly speaking it is impossible;
• To the $20 per month single mom living in the projects of Chicago who gives for someone more poor than herself;
• To the rich who give based on the net worth rather than their net income in a year;
• To those who know the answer to the question, "how much did he leave behind?" which is, "he left EVERYTHING behind;"
• To the pastors who reduce their salaries voluntarily so that more people can be blessed;
• To the cultural misfit religious institutions that only keep 10% of donations and give away 90%;
• To the coupon cutters who dropped the savings from the coupons in the Salvation Army container outside the store;
• To those who give anonymously and without fanfare - you know who you are!

Musalaha - Reconciliation

Dr. Salim Munayer is the Director of Musalaha in Israel/Palestine. This short video captures much of the essence of the Isaac-Ishmael Initiative.

If You or I were lowered through the roof

This image is an African depiction of Mark 2:1-12 where a paralytic is lowered through a roof by his four friends. I just love this image, in large part because it forces me out of my "Jesus is a white man" worldview.
       What is more fascinating to me is the scene of the man being lowered through the roof. We sometimes make light of this scene, as if it is a fantasy that we wish could happen but won't happen.
       Mark tells us it DID happen, and that Jesus in challenging the religious leaders of the day illustrated his coming Kingdom with this great act of mercy.
       Here is a few reflections I had this morning while re-reading the Mark 2 passage:
*  First, the paralytic and his four friends had faith (verse 5). I have wondered if the paralytic could have enlisted my help to lower through the roof. Would I have that much faith?
*  Second, when the paralytic stood up and took his bed it says, "all were amazed and praised God." (verse 12) Does "all" mean the scholars and religious people also? They had just been questioning who Jesus is and what he was doing. Now they praised God for this miracle?
*  Third, I wonder what it would be like to be lowered through a roof so that I could be in Jesus' presence and he could heal my deformities - physical, spiritual, emotional.
       My Jesus (the one I think of most of the time) is far too "safe" and secure and tame. He does not challenge the status quo, does not call me to dreams and vision far beyond my imagination.
       But that is not the Jesus of Mark chapter 2 - the Jesus who is accessible to the cripple, the Jesus who challenges the religious establishment, the Jesus who is gathering his talmidim (disciples) to change the world, the Jesus who is compassionate and direct, who has mercy and confronts. This is the Jesus I met in Mark chapter 2 this week.

Frequent Flyers Should Learn: The First Shall Be Last!

Message to all of us Frequent Flyers who have Gold, Platinum, and other exotic status on an airline: Remember that THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST, as Jesus said a long time before airplanes!
       I travel a lot these days, and it is rare that I am on a flight where the people in First Class are actually nice to the airline crew! I mean, common on people! You have great seats, free booze, a meal that's more than a sampling of peanuts!
       One of the most stressful moments of a flight is after the plane lands and has pulled up to the gate. Everyone jumps to their feet and has this painful WAIT to get off the plane. Talk about jittery people!
       I have a suggestion for all of us exotic frequent flyers: Let everyone else get off the plane before we do! Let's just sit in our Business Class seat and invite the people sitting in "cattle class" to deplane before us. Now THAT would be a miracle!

Solitude: As Difficult as it is

Months ago when I was in the western Sahara Desert I experienced what I thought was "solitude." I suppose it was a form of solitude, but it had more to do with my physical surroundings and less to do with my inner life.
       As I enter this new year and begin to study Jesus anew I realize a startling fact once again: I stink at being still. I am allergic to solitude.
       I have been a driven activist for the better part of 30 years. Many times I get a pat on the back or an "atta boy" for my drivenness. That is Western Culture speaking to me. And yet I know that this pace of life and work actually pushes me away from God rather than toward Him.
       So this morning I am taking a couple of hours quietly with God. I'm staying in a beautiful home with wonderful people in Indianapolis. I have a 12-hour work day ahead of me, but it does not start until 9am so I am taking time to be apart.
       I am reminded again of Henri Nouwen's comment on solitude, which is profound:
“We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with Him and Him alone. Only in the context of grace can we face our sin; only in the place of healing do we dare to show our wounds; only with a single-minded attention to Christ can we give up our clinging fears and face our own true nature. Solitude is a place where Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from the victimizing compulsions of the world.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry

New Year 2012: Jesus

Having launched the Isaac Ishmael Initiative last year, I have found the profound need for a broader, deeper, and richer understanding of Jesus - the Christ. For me 2012 will be devoted to much more reflection, prayer, and reading on Jesus.
       I am starting with N.T. Wright's new book, Simply Jesus, which I realize is anything but "simple." I am reading Wright first for what is hopefully a straightforward reason - he studies both Jesus in the Gospel accounts as well as the Christ of the Pauline epistles. And he seeks to be integrative.
       In this first week of the year I am developing a plan for this study. Three books of the Bible will be my primary in my study - Isaiah, the gospel of Mark, and Paul's letter to the Ephesians. I have selected these books for specific reasons which I will explain in other blog posts.
       There are thousands of books written about Jesus, from many perspectives and angles. I hope to read 12 of them only - one per month. I have not selected the 12 yet; I am waiting until I finish Wright's book to decide on the rest (although I have a pretty good idea of most of the ones I will read).
       This study is enormously important to me because of my interest in relating to Jews and Muslims; for both groups Jesus is THE stumbling block and so the temptation is to avoid him. But we cannot and must not relegate Jesus to anything less than he is - Lord, Messiah, King of kings, having inaugurated His Kingdom.
       And so my quest begins!