if I were being honest

After what transpired in Charlottesville a couple of weeks ago, it would be easy for me get on a soap box and go on and on about how awful white supremacists are and how we should all fight them with every bit of energy we can muster. As much as I agree with that response, I don’t think I am the person to make those types of statements. I watched the events of Charlottesville from a distance and shook my head in disbelief. When I heard about the rally on Friday night, I turned to my wife and said, “Saturday could be interesting.” Little did I know what would happen or the crazy rhetoric that would rear its angry face. Between our president making the “both sides were wrong” statement and the inevitable fighting that occurred on Facebook, things certainly got interesting.

Instead of pointing a finger at everyone else and making sweeping statements to seem like I know what I am talking about, I would rather turn a thumb towards myself and get honest. A couple of months ago, we did an episode on White Privilege and the hidden prejudices we all possess. Most of the time, we don’t like to acknowledge our own prejudice exists because it feels like it infers we are overt racists and hate all people of color. I don’t believe this is the case. By acknowledging where prejudice lies, you can address it and grow. 

Recently, David posted the following graphic on racism that came from http://racismscale.weebly.com/.

View fullsize

What I would love to tell you is that 100% of the time I waver back and forth between Allyship and Awareness. I would love to tell you I am flat on my way to Accomplice; however, the truth is that I tend to have more of a swing than I would like to admit. I have moments of Subconscious Racism that will creep in followed by moments of Denial. Depending on the new cycle, I can find my mind drifting on to black on black crime. I can convince myself that somehow having black friends means that I am out of the racism spectrum, and I can tell myself that love simply conquers all.

I say all this to admit that I have a long way to go. I don’t dwell in the areas of Subconscious Racism or Denial, but I do have moments where I drift back there. The best advice I have ever received on this subject was a simple one: educate yourself. The time is now to learn about the true history of the United States. It is time to learn about the scars that we possess as a nation and as the white community. The time of brushing aside things like white supremacy is over, and the time for honest conversations with everyone is now. It is time to stand up to the subconscious racism that permeates our own hearts, and then turn our focus to the community as a whole.

This is especially true when it comes to the church. We have spent far too long on the sidelines with this issue. We have told ourselves that people groups such as the White Nationalists are just fringe people that don’t truly represent the white community as a whole and thus don’t need to be addressed. I believe if Jesus were on the earth today, he would flip over tables within our church communities and implore us to go out from the comfy confines of the church building and go get some skin in the game. It is far harder to hate someone with whom you have a relationship than it is someone you never speak with. May we not let fear keep us from reaching out and being the hands and feet of Jesus.

Before I end this, I do want to mention one thing. This issue is one that will not be solved overnight. Progress will not be fast moving, but each step is important. Each conversation with a person of color is important and each attempt to educate yourself is important. I really hope that someday I am able to write a blog post about how amazing it is that racism doesn’t exist anymore, but even if that never happens, the act of taking steps towards that goal will be enough. May we all walk towards justice and peace.

-brad

Currently Reading:

Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough by Jefferson Bethke

What day is today, pastor

Sitting in a small auditorium inside the Veterans Center in Claremore, Oklahoma, Bobby bellowed this phrase from the side of the room. Bobby is one of my favorite human beings on the planet. He is 82, wheelchair bound, and is in and out of the hospital with various ailments. At times, he is hardly able to lift his head because he feels so horrible. Nevertheless, every Sunday morning you will hear him bellow out as loud as he can muster.

I have had the distinct privilege of attending this little church service a few times. My father, who plays guitar and writes his own songs, plays for their service the second and third Sunday each month. Each time he goes there, the guys are always so excited to see him. They don’t really know any of the lyrics to his songs, but they are eternally grateful that he chooses to spend time with them. They even yell out requests from time to time; and these guys are not shy about telling you what they think of your performance. They will tell you if they want you to “pick up the pace” or “play a little softer.” Every service my father plays, they demand that he play one song that he wrote a while back. They ask him about it as soon as he arrives and multiple times while he is playing. Ultimately, he plays it at the end of each service to a rousing applause, and every time he gets done playing and the pastor walks up to give his talk, you hear:

“What day is today, Pastor?”

There are a few things that make this place special. First, you are dealing with Veterans. These are men that have served in every branch of the military, in every war since WWII. They do not ask for anything but for you to treat them with respect and dignity, and if you do they almost always return the favor. Second, this is a hospital. Most of them do not get around too well, and some of them do not speak or hear very well; however, there they are each Sunday ready to receive a word from God. It is truly inspiring.

So what is the Pastor’s role in this call and response?

“Today is the best day of our lives because we are one step closer to being with our Lord Jesus!” 

On the surface, this can sound a little morbid. In some ways they are saying that today is great because they are closer to dying, but in other ways the response is absolutely beautiful. Consider where these guys are. The Veterans Center is a hospital, almost a glorified hospice. Most of them are unable to be taken care of by their family, so they are at this place to receive the care they need for the rest of their lives. For the most part, they do not leave. Occasionally, a family member may check them out of the facility for a little while, but most of them are there for the long haul. This call and response symbolizes the hope that Jesus brings to their lives. They understand that they are not of this world and they belong to a loving God who is calling them home. To them, quite literally, every day is a precious gift.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention a man by the name of Henry. He is 92, a WWII veteran, and one of the most amazing singers I have ever heard. Every week, he sings either Amazing Grace or another gem of a song, and each and every time I get the privilege of hearing him sing, tears well up in my eyes. Words do not adequately describe the beauty coming out of this man’s mouth. The passion he puts behind every word is awe inspiring.

I do not get to go to the Veterans Center as much as I would like to. I live about 2 hours away from there, so it is not easy to get there on a given Sunday. But the lessons I receive from there last much longer than the hour I am there. I pray that I am more like Bobby. I pray that I too am able to say each day, “What day is today?” I pray that the response in my head is “Today is the best day of my life.” I pray that each day is filled with the hope and peace that Bobby possesses. I also pray that I am more like Henry. May I continue to use the gifts I have been given, even when I am 92 years old. May I always approach that gift with the passion and soul that Henry does. And last but not least, I pray to be like my father. His passion to serve these guys is unmatched. His joy in bringing his songs to them is evident with each note he sings.

May I have the hope, peace, passion, and servant’s heart of these great men!

-brad

Still Reading:

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans

I think I am addicted

photo by Daniel Meigs.  Austin, TX August, 2012

Yesterday, I had a pretty traumatic thing happen. Now I sure didn’t think it would be traumatic, but when I saw it happen I first had a sense of relief, then the words I’m Free entered my mind. A small jig began to pulse throughout my body, but I quickly held that back. I walked around the house looking to tell my wife only to realize I was home alone. So I waited, and waited, and waited.

So what happened?

MY PHONE BROKE AND DIED FOR GOOD!!!

At this point, you may be saying to yourself “why does he seem so happy about this?” I have had a hate/love relationship with this phone for a while now. My love language is pretty heavily quality time. Smart phones have caused our community to bury our heads into our phones which allows us to build screen walls around ourselves.  We miss so many things because we can’t wait to see what someone else did with their day.  We miss what is happening around us just because we want to see how many likes we got on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Before it sounds too much like I am on a soapbox, let me tell you that the excited feeling I had lasted for about 45 minutes.  As soon as I realized what all I did on this phone a small dose of panic pulsed throughout my body.  You see, being the producer of a podcast requires a lot of communication with the other two guys.  We communicate to figure out who our guest is going to be, what our topics will be, and when we are going to get together to record.  We do most of this over a group text.  In addition, some really fun conversations happens with these two jokers.  We laugh about comments we got on twitter, and we ask each other how life is going.

When my wife arrived to the scene we started talking about what phone I was going to get to replace the old one.  For a while now, I have threatened to go back to a Motorola RAZR phone.  I have said things like “I just want a phone, not a computer.”  But the thing is, as soon as I have that opportunity, I immediately starting thinking about what I would be missing.  I started thinking how much I like to check football scores, or watch the game if I am out.  I like reading the news quickly whenever I please, and responding to a quick email if I need to.

I recently read a book talking about how Jesus interacted with people at a table.  He sat down with them to have a meal.  He was all about bringing people to the table and hanging with them.  This got me thinking.  What if I lived my life as if I didn’t have a smartphone?  What if I took every moment like it is my last?  What if I was invested in every single conversation I engaged in? What if I engaged in more conversations?

As life has gone on, I have seen how similar every one of us are.  We are all in need of bread and wine from Jesus.  We are in no shape to be able to accept the gift of Jesus.  But here is the thing, Jesus doesn’t care what shape we are in.  He desires we come to the table and we hang with him.  My prayer is that I take his example and invite the many to share a meal with my family.  Life happens when we go though it with others.  May I not take life for granted and approach each day like it is my last, because who knows, it just might be.

-brad

Currently Reading:

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans