the tragedy and not so tragedy of the Boston Marathon explosions

what happened yesterday with the bomb explosions after the Boston Marathon that up til now have claimed three lives and injured well over 100 people [with ten or more amputations that occurred with some of the survivors] was a tragedy.

any time someone is killed it is a tragic thing and more so because this was something that was ruthlessly planned and carried out.

and Facebook knew about it – scrolling down my news feed page there was mention after mention of it with people sending prayers and good wishes to the families of people involved or just stunned that it had happened.

a little bit later i saw online that there had been a huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Iran with 40 people killed [so far] and when i went back to Facebook i saw mention after mention of supper and the latest show and movie news and work stuff and i have yet to see any mention of the earthquake.

in fact when i went to find a link to an article on the earthquake i found this list of news items under the heading ‘World News’:

1. Boston explosions: three dead, no arrests, no claims of responsibility

2. Boston marathon blasts: hunt begins for perpetrators – live updates

3. Carlos Arredondo hailed as hero for Boston Marathon rescue efforts

4. Alaska military policeman jailed for selling secrets to ‘Russian spy’

5. Huge 7.8-magnitude earthquake hits near Iran-Pakistan border

So Boston, Boston, Boston, a guy who was jailed for selling secrets, oh and by the way there was this little earthquake that killed 40 plus people.

please hear me on this. i am not saying that what happened in Boston was not a tragedy, but what i am saying is that what happened in Iran is equally a tragedy. what is important when an event like this happens is to be shocked and to grieve and mourn with those who have lost friends and family and to stand alongside them and to also try and bring justice and stop something like that from ever happening again… but at the same time it is so important to keep some perspective – this is not the most tragic thing happening today…

for just a glimpse of the kind of context i am talking about, here are some facts and figures from The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, which i don’t see happening in peoples Facebook statuses [stati?] or Twitter feeds day after day… and this is stuff that Americaland with all its resources [even just a fraction of their military budget] could prevent:

Overview of World Hunger
For millions of people, the fight against hunger is a matter of life and death. 841 million people in the world do not have enough food to eat, including 153 million children under the age of 5 years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ estimates that 6 million children die each year as a result of hunger and malnutrition. There is no other natural or manmade disaster that compares to the magnitude of devastation caused by world hunger.

Who is Hungry?
841 million people suffer from hunger, malnutrition and famine across the world; 550 million hungry people live in Asia and 170 million in sub-saharan Africa. In total, 95% of people experiencing hunger live in developing countries. However, hunger has recently grown in severity in countries like the United States and former Soviet Union countries, mainly as a result of poverty.

The World Bank estimates that by the end of 2010, 89 million more people will be living in extreme poverty– surviving off less than $1.25 per day.

The Extent of the Problem

40,000 children under age five die every day from hunger and preventable diseases. That’s 24 children a minute; equal to three 747’s crashing every hour, every day, all year.
The loss of human life from hunger is greater than if an atomic bomb were to be dropped on a densely populated area every three days.
One in every five people in the world is hungry.
More people have died from hunger in the past two years that were killed in World War I and World War II combined.
70% of childhood deaths are associated with malnutrition and preventable diseases.
70% of people in Asia live in extreme poverty.

Boston marathon bombing – tragedy – 3 killed, a hundred injured
Iran earthquake – 40 plus killed, hundreds injured
40 thousand children under 5 die every day from hunger and preventable diseases – we do nothing. we don’t even take time to grieve, mourn.

surely that would be a good place to start focusing our energy, concern?

a stream of conscience-ness

crawling through the desert on my hands and knees, torn jeans clinging desperately to my legs, shirt mostly in tatters, hanging loosely off my shoulders… eyes darting to and fro, hoping to catch sight of, a quick glimpse, the hint of, a water source, river, stream, oasis of sorts… some type of cactus with juicy flesh waiting for me to discover in its hidden caverns the satiation for my current devastation, even temporary relief for my present disbelief of the localised unbelief that seems to surround me on all sides, pressing in, trying to suffocate, attempting to deprecate, to abbreviate, or proliferate its… their, own sense of being marginalised, disenfranchised, tied up, held up, brought up, bought into sense of hopelessness, of clung to plausible deniability, of watered down potentiality… minimalistic expression of a far deeper, richer, more vibrant, on offer life experience that suddenly, once more, slaps me into wakefulness, renewing the drive onwards, pushing me further away from those who will contain me in their quicksand filled, undisclosed and scattered leftover buried mine encased mime constructed boxes of delapidated individuality brought about by the refined redefined personal definition of a wholly holy majestical greater power defined way of existing…

me, my, mine is the call of those who will fashion the path that has already been marked out for me by the One who Lovingly, and Loving me, took it upon Himself to walk it before me, leaving tell-tale signs along the way of His greater intention, His life-interrupting intervention that comes to me [did i mention?] as a whisper, as a quiet voice i can sometimes barely make out hidden in the backgrounds of a gentle breeze, a rapid flash of cover, a hint, a suggestion, a spirit-filled gut feel that points out, draws me out, calls me out, points me to, takes me to, makes me to… change my course, alter the discourse, discover the resource that already lies deep within me…

for history is not my story, it’s His story, but one in which He has invited me to participate, and regenerate, [dare i alliterate?] revelling in the revealing revolutionary revelation of His rambunctious glory, grace and gracious generosity. are you starting to see? will you align with me? but not dispassionately. i desperately and hungrily require some brutal introspective honesty. i am not looking for empathy. i need you walking alongside me. i’m not asking for another one of me. like some kind of test tube created science experimental experience of trying to mess with destiny. i am feeling a little alone here. so why would i be wanting a clone here? bump my head against another loner? i am asking for, appealing for, calling for, crying out for you. are you with me? i am wanting someone who has a hunger for more than games, who nurses a need for more than speed, who has a panoramic vision and life focus that is both from here and to eternity…

are you in? can i count on you? lean on you? walk this road with you? crawl through the desert on my hands and knees, torn jeans clinging desperately to my legs, shirt mostly in tatters, hanging loosely off my shoulders, with you? eyes darting to and fro, hoping to catch sight of, a quick glimpse, the hint of, a water source, river, stream, oasis of sorts… what’s that you see?

psalmthing to chew on: psalm 16

this psalm is filled with a number of deep thoughts worth reflecting on, but i will just pick a few:

‘I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.’ [vs.8]

this is the first verse that really caught my attention and really just spoke to me about living a life close to God – john 15 shares the picture of the vine and the branches and encourages us to remain in Him – the idea of being filled with the Spirit [ephesians 5.18] where the original greek apparently is better translated as ‘be being filled with the Spirit’ as if it is telling us that it is a consistently happening activity – so every day inviting God, by His Spirit, to fill you and lead, guide, direct, empower… – and also a reminder to be deeply saturated in the word of God [the bible] which brings life [a truly underrated concept in today’s church]

and another great reminder of this is hebrews 12 where we are encouraged to ‘fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…’

verse 5 is an interesting one [which was not one of the initial things that jumped out at me, but only on this third reading] – ‘LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.’

if only the church could live that way. the questions that accompany this verse are:

# what else am i making my portion? what are the things i allow to fill me instead of God in my day to day?
# what else is my cup? what are the things i invite to quench my thirst instead of the words and works of Jesus?
is God REALLY alone my portion and my cup? and if not, where might it be better for a 40 day lenting to be a day to day sacrifice or living differently?

mature people truths part 2

so i literally stumbled upon this list of mature people truths via my friend megan from theatresports and as much as this is a typical email-this-to-the-whole-world type email list, there are a lot more here that are funny than are not – you can check out the whole list here – http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3vKVVP/www.funlol.com/15926/Mature_people_truths.html or you can keep an eye on this blog as i pick three or four at a time to share [strum a rhythm with your fingers on your desk if you agree]

#22 I WOULD RATHER TRY TO CARRY 10 OVERLOADED PLASTIC BAGS IN EACH HAND THAN TAKE TWO TRIPS TO BRING MY GROCERIES IN.

#24 I HAVE A HARD TIME DECIPHERING THE FINE LINE BETWEEN BOREDOM AND HUNGER.

#27 SHIRTS GET DIRTY. UNDERWEAR GETS DIRTY. PANTS? PANTS NEVER GET DIRTY AND YOU CAN WEAR THEM FOREVER.

#29 THERE’S NO WORSE FEELING THAN THAT MILLISECOND WHEN YOU’RE SURE YOU ARE GOING TO DIE AFTER LEANING YOUR CHAIR BACK A LITTLE TOO FAR.

to be checking out the part of three clicking here be

getting back in the fire

used this analogy at youth group i spoke at on Friday – amazing bunch of young people in the lesser known place of Factreton – and then completely convicted during worship singing time in church yesterday morning about how not there i am – making amends this week…

log in the middle of a fire – burns solidly, adds to warmth and function of fire

log on edge of fire – still burning but maybe not so intensely, easier for it to roll away or be taken out

burning log removed from fire – will be on fire for a while, then hot for a long while, but the longer it stays out of the fire the colder it gets until eventually it is completely cold and ineffective

that’s us if we take our focus off being still and knowing that He is God and the remaining in Him that Jesus speaks about in John 15 (vine and branches) – it is so important that we stay in the midst of the fire (devouring the truth of the Bible, worshipping in community, spending time in prayer, speaking and listening, meditating on God and His Truth and so on) so that we can be affective and contribute to people standing near the fire or the meal cooking on the fire

if we lose that we will grow colder and eventually lose our flame completely

it is the starting point, it is our foundation, everything else should come from there

the coolest part is that it is quite easy to throw a log back on the fire and it does not take long for the wood to catch again – and so that is what i am going to be looking at doing this week – climbing back on that fire

burn me Jesus, set me on fire with Your passion, with Your Love, with Your mission.

exits strategy

i don’t understand existers.

you know, people who exist. who go thru the motions. have a job, maybe have a family, have some kind of church life (or not) but that’s it. no huge hunger for more – meaning of life – changing the world – world domination (in my case, for Jesus) – adding to someone, or some community’s life or meaning.

it’s like they don’t even care. How do you not even care? is it even possible.

Live. Thrive. Dominate. Excel. Dream. Hunger. Dare. Vibe.

but exist? i really don’t get it.

and there are a LOT of them.

and once more it comes back to my faith and my belief and lifestyle cos Jesus said “I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.” – how can that not be attractive?

i understand christians have gotten it wrong (a lot) and churches have messed up (a lot) and there have been some shocking role models or anti-models and a LOT of bad has happened in the name of religion. but the heart and essence of it – the life i have chosen to follow – is life to the full – abundant life – love God, love people – reach out to those in need.

Please don’t exist. PLEASE! Flee from existing. Run from mediocre. From settling. From the rut. From survival.

Choose life. And live it to the full.

Full, or fool?