christmas presence

Back in July I posted about a documentary I watched called What Would Jesus Buy? I was inspired to try an alternative approach to the Christmas season and promised that I'd post again when I had come up with that approach. Well, I found my answer! The following is the letter I sent to my family and friends on November 1st:

Seasons greetings!

As you may remember from last year I have started to change my approach in the celebration of Christmas! In order to do so, I must compete with all the holiday marketers who will begin to fill our television sets and radio stations with reminders of the coming Advent as soon as we put away our Halloween costumes!

This year I watched a hilarious and moving documentary called What Would Jesus Buy? about an activist group called “The Church of Stop Shopping!” that toured the country during the Christmas season and spread the message about the “Shopacalypse”: the mass commercialization of Christmas. The movie challenged me and other viewers to examine: why we buy so much, where we buy, and how we buy in an effort to identify what we can do to transform our habits and communities…not just during Christmas, but year round.

The movie also asked a fascinating question. What would Jesus buy? A Nintendo DS for the disciples? A spa day for Mary Magdalene? A new GPS system for Joseph and Mary? Economists predict that the average American will spend $801 this season, which ends up at a national total of about $241 billion. Something tells me that our friend Jesus Christ (the birthday boy) wouldn’t choose to spend that $241 billion at Amazon.com. So for as much as I love waking up to a tree bearing beautifully wrapped surprises with my name on them I had to ask myself: Is there a way to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ without also celebrating material excess? Can I still retain the tradition of gift giving without also endorsing sweatshops, wasted packaging, and holiday debt? Yes!

Christmas Presence 2008

I approached the pastor at my church and told her that I was interested in creating a service project on Christmas Day to fill a need in the community and provide an alternative way to honor Jesus Christ’s life on the holiday. We discussed the large number of members of our congregation who end up spending the day alone because they are far away from family or simply do not have loved ones with which to celebrate. For them, Christmas is a dreaded and lonely holiday, not full of the joy and excitement I have been lucky to experience throughout my life.

So I devised my response: Christmas Presence, a community celebration to take place in the church basement that focuses on the gifts of fellowship and sharing and provides a place for people to gather and celebrate the joyous day with their extended church family. The benefit of Christmas Presence is twofold: it provides a celebration on Christmas Day for those who otherwise would be alone and also allows for an alternative to the usual fare of wrapping paper and batteries not included.

But Christmas Presence cannot happen without you! On this Christmas, I respectfully request that you not give me a traditional gift. I am a lucky girl and nothing I need can be bought at a store! (Unless you know of somewhere selling The Perfect Man. Because I’ve been looking for him everywhere and he seems sold out.)

If you planned on giving me a gift this year, the best present you could give me is a donation of $20 to Lake View Presbyterian Church designated for the Christmas Presence program. With your donation, I will be able to fund my Christmas Day service project and help to bring joy to the community and honor the life of Jesus Christ in a unique way. Money raised in excess of the program costs will be donated to Unitus, a non-profit that works to reduce global poverty through microfinance services, empowering millions of people throughout the working world. You are also warmly invited to participate in Christmas Presence.


You are invited to
CHRISTMAS PRESENCE

“No presents, just your presence!”

A holiday celebration for our extended Lake View Presbyterian Church family

Christmas Day 2008
4 pm to 7 pm

The purpose of the “Christmas Presence” event is to provide an alternative celebration for the Lake View Presbyterian Church community that focuses on the gifts of fellowship and sharing.

The idea behind this event is to approach giving presents in new and alternative ways. People attending the event can choose to give of their time or talents or provide the present of their presence; because the greatest gift one can give is companionship and love. The event provides a place for those otherwise alone or away from family on Christmas to engage in celebration with their “extended” family. It also provides people with a different way to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, with friendship and love instead of wrapping paper and shopping lists! Members can choose how they enjoy the event, but not pressured to do anything but show up and celebrate!

The church basement will be set up with different stations, where people can choose how they want to celebrate and spend time together. The stations will provide different opportunities for people to give “presents” in alternative ways. Stations include:

1. “Joy To The World” Music Station
Live holiday music provided by church members giving the gift of their artistic talent

2. “Deck the Halls” Christmas Card Station
People are encouraged to make cards for an unexpected recipient, the mailman, their favorite pizza delivery guy, or the new neighbor, to give some surprise holiday cheer. Paper, stamps, art supplies and markers will be provided

3. “Visions of Sugarplums” Cookie Decorating Station
Kids of all ages can decorate holiday sugar cookies. Cookies, sprinkles, frosting, and fun will be provided

4. “Prince of Peace” Letter Writing Station
In the spirit of peace, people are encouraged to write a letter to a soldier away from home, a political prisoner, or a lawmaker influencing foreign policy. Sample letters, addresses, stamps, and envelopes will be provided

5. “The Little Matchstick Girl” Community Art Project Station
Church members will donate t-shirts before the event and during the evening participants can decorate t-shirt patches that will be sewn together after the event to make a t-shirt quilt. The quilt will be a collective gift that will be donated to a local shelter.

Christmas dinner will be served.

The event will include holiday refreshments, games, carols, fellowship, and more!
If you are reading my blog and would like to get involved with Christmas Presence, then please email me at rachaelkay@gmail.com!

*Graphic design donated by Nate Stoner*

god's politics

I am a Christian that finds it offensive when other people of faith cite abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, etc. as the top issues influencing their vote and compelling their political participation.

I am further offended and disgusted when Christians fight fiercely and unapologetically to keep their money at the expense of the suffering world. They hide behind economics and the convenience of a capitalist society, endorsing a system of global oppression. While discussing politics with a group of conservative Christian men last month I stated that America has 5% of the world's people yet is gobbling up at least 25% of its resources. These churchgoing men essentially said it was America's manifest destiny and that we are not responsible for fixing the world's problems. (Except for Iraq's, apparently...)

Why is it disgusting/wrong/sinful/dangerous for two men or two women who have loving, supportive, committed relationships to be legally married?
-BUT-
Completely acceptable for a single mother with three children to labor twelve to sixteen hours in a factory seven days a week for pennies an hour?

Some Christians I know would picket gay marriage but still shop at the Gap without a thought.

Christian or not, the real issues facing our country and the world today are not your stereotypical right wing fare of guns, gays, and fetuses. How about environmental destruction? Genocide? Civil war? AIDS? Poverty?

I have a love/hate relationship with the Bible. I believe there is truth in its pages but am not a literalist. When I last read it through I remember feeling a lot of frustration with some of the strong statements that can be found in the famous verses of Leviticus or the offputting rants of Paul. But, while the much cited references to "fornication" and "sodomy" certainly exist, they are trumped a thousand times over by the real theme of the Bible: justice, compassion, and generosity for the poor, downtrodden, ailing, and needy. While a verse about something like sodomy (gasp!) rarely pops up- any reader will find herself constantly tripping over references to the widows, the orphans, the outsiders, the oppressed, the forgotten, the desperate. The worst and most reviled villains of the Old Testament were the ones who cheated and stepped on their people in the pursuit of power and money. (Does this become less wrong in a free market economy?)

Interestingly, the sexual indiscretions of many famous biblical characters were largely spared the rebuke of the writers. Rahab, the prostitute, housed and protected Joshua's men when they were spying on Jericho shortly before overthrowing it. (A whole section of the Bible I take great issue with. George W must love the foolhardy Joshua.) But no one took Rahab aside and counseled her about her eternal damnation. She is, in fact, an ancestor of Jesus. Why aren't more right wing fundamentalists down on Rahab? Is it the whole Jamie Lynn Spears/Bristol Palin conundrum? Bristol Palin's on the holy rolling side, so she is spared the nasty and brutal right wing media attacks that her unmarried pregnant teen predecessor Jamie Lynn received only a few months before her? And Jesus didn't scream at Mary Magdalene and tell her she was going to burn in Hell for being a prostitute either.

Many Christians today ignore their own supposed biblical "history." The pages of the Bible are filled with stories of supposed religious zealots selling out their faith for greed and wealth, and ignoring the exploited and oppressed. The psalms are full of the laments of the abused and the disenfranchised, trying to make sense of their cruel fate. If Jesus Christ were a real dude today, would he give a shit about gay marriage? Do you think he would spit on a little girl who got raped and chose to have an abortion?

I think he would hold her hand while she had it.

Thankfully, I know many Christians and non-Christians who believe their faiths and/or ethics compel them to fight for social and environmental justice and strive for real peace and equity for others, bucking today's consumer culture and the purported virtuosity of capitalism.

Please check out Jim Wallis' blog on Sojourners. He writes about his priorities this election from a faith perspective and fully captures the issues that motivate me as a Christian and a global citizen.

Love your neighbor; Vote Obama; Read this!

holy war

"Pray our military men and women who are striving to do what is right also for this country — that our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God...that's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan."
-Sarah Palin

After a law school induced blogging silence, I felt this was definitely post-worthy.

Oh, and utter bullshit.

christmas in july

So, if you know me well you know I'm a budget queen. Yes, I get my kicks from spreadsheets. In the days of yore, when I was working in retail and living the consumer fairy tale (which begins, "Once upon a time, the princess had all the latest accessories...") I would begin to budget for the upcoming Christmas as early as July. As a college student, in order to participate proudly in the mass spectacular that is Jesus' birthday party, one must begin even preparing to shop early. And so I developed a projected holiday budget with half a year to save and scavenge for the
perfect material symbol of both my love for each special someone on my list and my joy at the birth of baby Jesus. And each year I happened to find at least a few of those gifts/symbols at places like The Gap or Best Buy. I was not alone. I know this because of the lines I stood in to buy my modern representations of frankincense and myrrh.

Yet, despite disciplined budgeting, each year I would always come out of the holiday season staggering. I made peace with it quickly, as I knew many of the friends I made standing in line at the Gap were also struggling come January. In fact, at my own job in the jewelry industry, we were warned that people would try to avoid taking out a credit line in January with the excuse that they had maxed out their credit cards during the Christmas season. Mind you, in serious retail this is seen only as an excuse. And if I were to accept that excuse from a customer, as a sales associate, I would be scolded and penalized for it.

On the lowest rung of the retail industry, sales associates experience how bloodthirsty corporations continue to grow, especially during the holiday season. And, like me with my July spreadsheets, the marketplace begins plotting early as well. Crafting all the ways they will win our patronage: whether it be warming our hearts and inspiring us to buy or simply wooing us with the lowest price. And, after frantically placing every last gift-wrapped piece of future garbage under the tree, we gather to worship and sing songs about a baby that arrived in the world to bring peace and love and deliverance...and free gift-wrapping with each purchase.

What?!

The documentary What Would Jesus Buy? follows a group of activists touring the country as the Church of Stop Shopping featuring a gospel choir singing spirited holiday tunes dedicated to the anti-consumer gospel. They were kicked out of shopping malls, Wal-Marts, and Starbucks all over the country as they spread their message of a non-consumptive holiday alternative. As both a choir dork and a member of the Church of Stop Shopping, I was very jealous of their travels.


But, thankfully, I was also inspired to continue to refashion my approach to and perspective on Christmas. I was lucky to grow up in a home with warm Christmas mornings and plenty of presents under the tree. Like many American Christian children, I was taught the story of the miracle of Jesus' birth alongside the story of the magic of Santa Claus. And after attending a candlelight Christmas Eve service and fighting back bored yawns amidst solemn worshippers singing "Silent Night" I would rush home to forget about Jesus and lay awake trying to hear the footsteps of my favorite Christmas character on the roof. Reinvisioning Christmas, without all the tissue paper, shopping bags, and wish lists is not exactly easy. Especially when hiding behind the evils of the consumer Christmas is the truly wonderful splendor of family and religious tradition. It is often difficult to separate them. Bucking the way our society approaches Christmas is like shooting the middle finger at my family.

Last year I approached my mother in August and told her about the recent conversion I had made to the Church of Stop Shopping. I suggested our family do an alternative Christmas. No presents we bought from stores: only homemade gifts. Instead of our traditional morning in our PJ's amongst piles of presents, we could work at a soup kitchen or help with a local charity. With the money we would have been spending at Target and Amazon.com we could instead choose charities that were meaningful to us and give to those truly in need. And for a little Christmas indulgence we could treat ourselves to a family outing, like a nice dinner together, where we could exchange homemade gifts and spend time loving one another instead of cooing at each others' store bought treasures. The idea was balked at and given an automatic veto. I was accused of attempting to ruin Christmas for my nine year old sister and the idea of perhaps working in a soup kitchen was reluctantly accepted as a sort of compromise.

Ouch.

So I took a different approach. In early November, just as the Thanksgiving sales were being advertised, I sent out letters to my family members, talking about my consumer conversion and asking that, instead of gifts, my family give donations to a mission in the Gulf Coast, where I worked for two months. On the back of my letter I included tips for responsible and sustainable shopping during the holidays. (One step above me getting on my knees and pleading, "If you're going to buy...at least do it fair trade! For the love of God! Literally!") Yet, only a small portion of my family honored my Christmas request. And I ended up receiving what seemed like more miscellaneous stuff on Christmas day. I stuck to my resolution of making all my gifts (with a few exceptions) and presented homemade gifts to every one on my list, while also gifting a few meaningful charities in my life. Yet, I still left quite a bit of gift wrap and even sweatshop labor in my Christmas wake. And my radical vision became a small, unsuccessful, one-man protest.

The reaction to my proposal for an alternative Christmas

So, What Would Jesus Buy? inspired me to throw away my Christmas budgets of yore, and use my neurotic spreadsheet-loving energy to plan a holiday approach this year that will be as radical as the little dude whose birthday we are allegedly celebrating. And that calls for some real analysis of what that even means. How can I meaningfully celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, in light of who Jesus grew up to be and the message he proclaimed?

What this means for you is that this blog is...

...TO BE CONTINUED!

Stay tuned for my proposed birthday tribute to JC.

punitive damages

"A penalty should be reasonably predictable in its severity, so that even Holmes’s “bad man” can look ahead with some ability to know what the stakes are in choosing one course of action or another."

Is it just me, or does Justice Souter's opinion on the June Exxon Valdez verdict really mean:

"A penalty should be affordable, so even Holmes's "bad man" can continue to screw the environment and account for it in his budget."

Just a thought.

Read for yourself.

globetrotters anonymous

Manchester, Tennessee / St. Louis, Missouri / Lubbock, Texas / San Francisco, California / San Juan, Puerto Rico / Sydney, Australia / Biloxi, Mississippi / Atlanta, Georgia / Knoxville, Tennessee / London, England / Victoria, Australia / Queensland, Australia / New Orleans, Louisiana / Grand Rapids, Michigan / Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania / Holmes, New York / New York City, New York / Chicago, Illinois

In 365.

It's true; I'm a glut for new landscapes.

stormy weather

I went to seminary this year. Briefly.

It seems so absurd to me now, though only two months later. My faith is in such flux I can't imagine actually training for the clergy at this point in time. Yet, six months ago I was ready to assume my position in the fold, wherever that may have been.

I think I realized pretty quickly that my desperation to know God drove me to theological school. I was all set to learn how to lead people to a God I was still trying to find myself. I resented the church subconsciously for alienating me from God, yet in a rash and desperate move to try to seize faith by the throat I decided to join its ranks.

I looked at the wreck of wrong turns I had recently accumulated and felt certain that it would be a fierce and devout faith in God that would lead me to safety. The dull ache that accompanied the days, I assured myself, was a distance I had created between the Creator and myself.

Like an explorer with the Bible as my map, I set off to find the sunken treasure of Yahweh. Somewhere, in the folds of Greek and canonical formation and Reformation theology and exegesis was the pot of Go(l)d. And when I found it, I reasoned to myself, I would lead others like me, zealous and thirsty adventurers, to the fount of faith.

I left seminary in Sydney early: shortly after discovering that the Bible was not a treasure map to God, after all. And the Aussie man I left America for, whose rib I was sure God had given to me, was not my Adam.

I still am an explorer. I am seeking God desperately. More desperately than before, when I sought after him in the ministry. Yet, the Bible is no longer a map I seek to guide me to God. Instead, it is like a lighthouse in a storm, its distant rhythm of light in the darkness reminds me that there is hope. Despite the terrifying walls of water surrounding me, I have some faith that land is near each time the light flickers up ahead.

Yet, the terrifying question remains, driving me ever forward, increasing my desperation. Will my faith survive the storm?

big brother

I know a guy who was on Big Brother.
My childhood friend's college besty won Rock of Love.
I took classes with a girl who made it to the 3rd round in American Idol.
My college gal pal was on the audition episode of You're The One That I Want.

I'm not trying to impress you.

No, I'm actually just balking at some facts about my friends that make me painfully aware of how addicted we are, as a culture, to reality television. The great minds of yesteryear were reading great literature by candlelight and we sprawl on our sofas for hours of The Bachelor and A Shot Of Love With Tila Tequila. (Yes, I have been transfixed by episodes of both. I plead guilty. They are fascinatingly sad.) The supermarket aisles remind me that these shows are anything but real with their bubble letter headlines on The Hills. And as reality programming takes over the tube we become more discerning critics, finding holes in all our now-familiar favorites. Yet, we keep coming back. And reality programming multiplies before our eyes. Literally. Despite the fact that we know it's not even real. (Well, all except Intervention. That show is just rock solid.)

How far will our obsession with unreal "reality" go?

Well, I turned on the computer tonight (where YouTube has the internet market cornered) and, upon checking election coverage, heaved a sigh of disappointment. The drama, the name calling, and the mudslinging will continue. And as real drama unfolds around us (Myanmar, anyone?) we will instead tune into...

Uh oh!


Real reality TV.

No! Could it be?! Obama and Clinton have done an excellent job campaigning through the new and popular forms of media; they are featured on YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, maintain blogs, and make sassy appearances on comedy shows and in honky tonk bars. In light of this mass reality addiction, is it possible their teams got together and decided to launch the ultimate reality extravaganza?! The numbers over the last few months certainly seem to have been manipulated by producers eager to ride the ratings as long as possible.

You couldn't have found two better reality stars: the sleek, sly, powerful minx Hillary Clinton and the hopeful, grinning, young hero Barack Obama. I can hear it now.

Voice Over: Barack and Hillary battle to make history. Tune into see who will be the last man, or woman, standing to fight John McCain to be the most powerful person in the world.

Only it isn't a voice over. Or, well, sometimes it is. Turn on any vintage reality TV show (otherwise known as "The News") and you're sure to hear similar lines. Every day a new episode airs. And sometimes you half expect someone to get their hair pulled! Reality programming at its finest.

The parallel is easy. In the supermarket aisles, right next to headlines on Heidi and Spencer you'll find the latest gossip on Hillary and Barack. And, at a time when the airwaves are dominated by cat fights, betrayals, and gossip, is it really that far fetched to wonder if the whole thing really is rigged by some smarmy cigar smoking producer?

Things sure have changed since Franklin Delano made the presidential television debut back in 1939. Now, almost seventy years later, viewers wait in anticipation of who America will choose to give the final rose.

(As for the Republicans, their show, featuring John, Mitt, Mike, Rudy, and Ron was cancelled due to low ratings.)

just pretend i'm not a liberal for a sec

Pardon me, while I pause for pop culture.

Over the last few days I have noticed some pretty striking billboards as I've traveled throughout Chicago: Grand Theft Auto IV, which I guess debuted yesterday, as my recent search results tell me. Apparently I missed a bit of the buzz until now. A string of shootings on the South side of Chicago have been linked by some groups to the violent video game series' upcoming debut. And the unveiling of the ads in New York (also known as Liberty City in the game) was met with lots of media fanfare.

Critics of Grand Theft Auto IV cite that the game is too violent, that it encourages armed robbery, prostitution, and senseless murder. Some stop there, but some see a connection with games like GTA IV and violent tendencies in children. I happen to be in that camp, though I don't like to blame the video games solely. The people at Rockstar Games, where the game is made, point out that Grand Theft Auto's unique attribute is its element of satire. They argue that the game is a commentary on American culture and consumerism. And ultimately they point out that the game is rated Mature, and their intent was that it be played by adult gamers, not children.

Yet, children and teens are getting their hands on this video game and in large numbers. Bans on purchasing for people under 17 have been tightened, forcibly, after a backlash of media attention and criticism of the game. But the recent rash of controversial billboards makes me suspicious of Rockstar Games' defense. They chose to place provocative ads in places visible to schoolchildren and frequented by families, where a cigarette ad would normally be banned. Furthermore, isn't it convenient that this "satire" preys upon the very marketplace it apparently derides?

However, my real criticism of Grand Theft Auto is a bit bigger than the game's influence on children and teens. My criticism lies in a market and a culture that, despite mild protest, accepts a game like Grand Theft Auto into the commonplace. While billboards like the one on Canal Street certainly have the ability to shock us momentarily, Grand Theft Auto and all of its contents, no longer dismay and disgust us.

How can we, as a nation, seek peace, when we spend our leisure time faking war?

Watching the "trailer" for Grand Theft Auto IV is like any violent thriller you might catch at the multiplex these days. There are masked men storming at the screen with cocked weapons. There are ominous men at tables with armed cronies nearby. There are gunshot-flecked car chases. Explosions. Prostitutes. Even an intense soundtrack. (Complete with a lead-in commercial from Honda narrated by the friendly Kevin Spacey.)

So I guess the crux of my criticism isn't merely that Grand Theft Auto exposes children to senseless violence but that this kind of senseless violence (not to mention satire, right?) is appealing to so many "Mature" gamers. Why, exactly, do people today want to hold the reins for armed robbery, prostitution, and drunk driving? Is it all, as Rockstar Games would have us believe, a postmodern exercise in exploring our culture and seeking its flaws and inadequacies? An intellectual pursuit on par with a game of chess or an evening with a novel?

War saturates the world.

So why do we need to play at it? People scoff at the notion that little kids are affected by the games they play, that television influences its viewers, that media sways its audience. Yet, who can argue that this society is saturated with violence? That most of us have become numb, immune, and past dismay with most of the senseless violence going on around us? For some of us, the violence seems like folklore from within the tree-lined walls of privilege. Yet, for many the violence is so constant and pervasive that it is no longer shocking.

It is easy to ignore games like Grand Theft Auto gaining momentum and becoming fixtures in popular culture, earning gamers a platform where they can vehemently defend their right to roleplay murder and malice.

To what else can we link school shootings, snipers on highways, and gunmen in shopping malls but a culture so saturated by violence that it no longer has the frame of reference to be shocked by scenes like the ones from Grand Theft Auto played out in real life and with a controller? I'm not going to blame Rockstar Games for the fate of the world. But I blame the market that promotes it and the culture that accepts it.

War is not only in the newspapers. It lives on the streets of Anytown, USA and something tells me that simulating that war in my living room with a joystick isn't halting the gunfire.

the book of henry

I had the awesome opportunity to spend last week in New Orleans on a bunk in the First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans with none other than the good folks at my home church in Chicago. I fired a nail gun, used a skill saw, helped install windows and insulate the walls, put up some dry wall, and painted the back and the front. I mention these only to highlight how thrilled I was that I emerged with no major injuries.

New Orleans makes you speechless. The middle class American mind has a hard time comprehending that the destruction remaining is even possible. That New Orleans, once the jazz jewel of the nation, today continues to drown in the waters of Hurricane Katrina.

The tales (as they truly are) of the storm and its aftermath sound like ghost stories to any outsider. They talk about a lawless place filled with dirty, snake-infested waters and hundreds of crying babies, gun shots, and dead bodies. The stories are almost biblical. In fact, were the canon still accepting submissions, I'm sure there would be many prophets amongst the storytelling survivors. One of them, perhaps, Henry K, a survivor from First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans, who made the Chicago crew red beans and rice for dinner one night (and even remembered the vegans!)

After dinner Henry told us his family's tale. He described the dark days following the storm as the worst of his life. I won't divulge the details (in case he is considering selling the rights) but I will say that Henry's family truly battled for their lives and will spend the rest of them healing from the trauma. Yet, they forged ahead and are now back living in their restored house and picking up where they left off. Had Hurricane Katrina hit Israel, Henry's account surely would have been a staple in our Old Testament diet. Henry heralds the work of God in his hurricane experience. "God," he asserts, "was watching out for the K family."

While the Israelites didn't have a Super Dome, the rest of the story really fits. The sea roared. The winds thrashed. Thousands cried out to God for help. And God led the righteous to safety. Henry, whose frail wife and sister nearly died because of medical complications, is our perfect humble hero. An example of steadfast faith in the face of disaster.

Yet, were I to flip to the book of Henry in the Old Testament and read about how God reached out and delivered Henry, his faithful servant, in the midst of a mighty storm, I can predict I would be pretty skeptical. I have to admit that even hearing the account firsthand I began to doubt. I never doubted the truth of Henry's experience or the sincerity of his faith. It's the deliverance part that I had a hard time with.

Christians often do not read the Bible like they read history books, though they declare its contents to be their history. When reading stories for Bible study or personal devotions, it's easy to ignore the existence of the world outside of the scriptures. History powerhouses like Caesar become mere supporting characters in the world of the Bible. Reality is distilled through the experience of one people. Their story becomes the story and the only truth. A story like Henry's would be perfect fare for a Sunday School class or a Men's Retreat. Henry's heroic faith would distract us from the plight of the non-survivors. They would become mere biblical statistics. "1100 Midianites and 700 Ammonites drowned in the mighty waters."

Yet, Henry isn't an Israelite; he's a New Orleanian. And his story isn't the only one. Some stories are buried with the more than 1800 bodies left by the storm. And many stories that live with the survivors don't have the Henry K happy ending. I can't tune out the stories empty of God's deliverance. Other righteous men like Henry who were not spared the storm.

The question burns. Was it God that delivered Henry and his family? Does God arbitrarily select which problems he will or won't solve? Did the K family win the prayer lottery?

From Crackle: Mr. Deity and the Evil - Season 1, Ep 1

Take a field trip to Mr. Deity for one answer to this question.

Now, as I said before, Henry isn't an Israelite. He's a New Orleanian. And the main reason that his story could never be in the Old Testament is because Henry lives with a faith, not only in God, but in Jesus Christ, a mere apple of Jerusalem's Old Testament eye. The stories of Hurricane Katrina can be reconciled in the context of salvation through Jesus. "Sure, Henry may have caught a lucky break. But everyone gets their happy ending through Jesus Christ!" Problem solved, right?

I don't know.

Truthfully, New Orleans is a faraway land full of ghost stories compared to the warmth and security of my Chicago home. And, given that, I could easily soothe myself with that idea. After a week in the upper ninth ward, I could return to my routine and assuage the shock of my experience with thoughts of Jesus Christ and all the things his life was supposed to mean. "Never mind Henry's physical deliverance," I might say, "because the most important deliverance is through Christ." Suffering, it seems, becomes irrelevant for so many Christians, in light of Jesus' deliverance. And I'm sure the attitude comes easiest for Christians like me, who have never wanted for any of life's necessities or feared for our lives on the roofs our flooding homes.

But for thousands and thousands of New Orleanians, the brutal terror of their experience over two and a half years ago was not so easily assuaged. And were I to find the book of Henry in the Old Testament or the New Testament I know I would struggle to accept either form of deliverance. And I can't help but wonder how the book of Henry might have been different had Henry's family met a different end. Would his story have rivaled Job? Would it have even existed at all?

I posed this issue to Cliff Nunn, the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, when he took our group on a personal tour of the aftermath. I asked him if he believed that God did deliver the K family and what he thought about the thousands of people still waiting to be delivered. Well, he avoided the question as most pastors and politicians tend to do. Instead, he replied, "I think the more interesting theological question is actually What is the role of the survivors who didn't bear any of the ill effects of the storm?" At first I found this to be a strange answer. I wanted to know if Cliff believed in the miracles of the book of Henry! Instead he gives me more questions? But his question resonated with me and ultimately seemed to be the only appropriate conclusion for this blog.

Cliff's questions could be appropriately directed at any of us who are spared earthly woes. It is fairly clear that I tend not to believe in the hand of God swooping down and saving people from harm. The statistics favoring lucky white people in these kinds of situations give weight to my skepticism. And, at the crux of this conviction is injustice, something I realized I don't need to wait for God to swoop in to correct.

The most important part of the book of Henry isn't the content, but the audience. Henry was able to share his story with people whose faith rendered them unwilling to wait for God to deliver. Henry has told this tale time after time to church groups from all over the country, eager to help deliver New Orleans. Henry's deliverance could not have happened had faithful mortals not been involved. As a Christian I don't have to believe that God is my superhero or that Jesus' salvation always blots out tragedy. But I do believe that all people deserve both kinds of deliverance.

The book of Henry, as part of the 21st century canon, would better serve today's people as the book of Katrina. The humble and heroic Henry would be one important voice in a patchwork of experiences, centered less on God's deliverance, than on God's call to deliver. (Nowadays, God's phone provider is the Holy Spirit.)

Deliverance isn't like a pizza from heaven. We don't order it from God. God orders it of us.

Answer the phone.

the darndest things

One of the biggest indicators that life went on without me while I was in Australia is my nine year old sister Abby. She is at the beginning of pre-adolescent girly cattiness and is starting to discover that she can act attractive and nearly get away with it. Soon after my return she came to me and told me very sincerely, "I know what you're going through. I've been through several break ups." I missed her first two boyfriends, "One for 2 days and one for 4 days."

But that's not all.

When I asked her about the latest on Miley Cyrus, this former Hannah Montana addict proclaimed. "Ugh! I HATE her!" Surprised, I asked why. Even more indignantly, she replied, "SHE HAS MEDICAL PROBLEMS!" Apparently Abby is not an equal opportunity Disney fan.

Abby as Hannah Montana, pre-medical problems
Later, Kate and I were talking to her about our recent trip with our church to New Orleans to do hurricane recovery. I explained that she should feel lucky, "Because some kids don't have meals." Without missing a beat she piped in, "Yeah. And some kids don't have iPods."

I think I'm going to go write into Reader's Digest.

the land of plenty

Dear Editor,

It is refreshing to know that there are magazines available that offer readers a window into the world of sustainability, fair trade, organics, etc. I have read Plenty for about a year now and I have certainly been pleased with many of its articles.

However, the main problem I have with the magazine, one that is sometimes alluded to but never fully approached is the problem of consumerism as the key contributor to the climate crisis and the inability of most Americans to fully commit to “being green.” Many self-titled “environmentalists” feel that the cure for climate change is as easy as replacing their favorite products with snazzy new green ones. (“Green gadgets” as you deem them.) Lizz Winstead touched on this slightly in her article “Life in the Green Zone” when she talks about the western addiction to convenience.

The real obstacle in the way of a widespread adoption of green practice is the continuation of a culture centered around consumption. It is certainly a smart and sneaky idea on the part of corporations worldwide to redesign and repackage their products with an ethical spin, allowing them to resecure brand loyalty. The surge in popularity of the climate change issue certainly threatens many companies whose bad practices are sure to be exposed to a now-concerned audience of recent eco converts. Eco-consumerism allows people to keep buying like they have been trained to do, while now feeling empowered and self-satisfied by their new “ethical” consumer choices.

Unfortunately, the environmental crisis is not so easily solved. Switching out “bad” products with “good” ones is not the godsend that so many would have us believe. And that is where my disappointment with Plenty comes in. I was curiously paging through an issue of O magazine today and found that of the 341 pages, nearly two thirds were devoted entirely to advertising. (Not to mention the 42 pages written by O writers covertly advertising through product comparisons and fashion spreads.) Now, Plenty is ahead of the standard newsstand fare because it is much more slender. And the amount of print space designated for advertising is significantly less than a magazine like O, especially because many of the ads are for non-profit organizations focused on the environmental crisis. But I still didn’t escape the feeling that as I paged through I was still being told to buy, buy, buy! (Buy individually-packaged organic snacks and drinks! Buy wind-powered hair gel! Buy bamboo t-shirts and vegan shoes! Buy a windable MP3 player!)

I realize that periodicals need to make money in order to exist and pay their staff. Yet I can’t help but find a green magazine that heralds the advantages of eco-consumerism to be a bit hypocritical. A culture of over-consumption is what has truly pushed the environmental problem over the edge. Children today are told from birth that the answers to their problems lie in shopping malls. (And eco-children seem to be getting the message that the answers are at Whole Foods.) Benjamin Barber’s book Consumed is centered around this notion of a consumer culture of infantilization where marketers prey on the minds of children, instilling in them the values of buying oneself silly. It is a system where companies struggle to create the notion of need in those who have none, while throughout the world those who truly do are ignored and unable to participate in the marketplace. As long as western culture remains dependent on cheap and endless consumption, landfills will continue to overflow, third world children will continue to work for pennies an hour, and fossil fuels will continue to fill the air.

The solution to the environmental crisis is not at the mall (or even the local health food store.) It is in a change of habit and perspective. Conservation isn’t only a term applicable to wetlands and rainforests. Conservation should be at the heart of how people lead their lives. Instead of keeping up with the green Joneses we should be sharing with them! Autonomy benefits corporate America first and the individual last. While we serve ourselves, buying solutions to world problems, we are still hurting ourselves as a global community in the long run.

I would be so much more pleased with Plenty, the “world in green” if it more fully acknowledged that in order for the developed world to claim itself as green it first needs to divorce itself from the capitalist culture of consumption as the solution to the world’s problems.

Being green isn’t about buying biodegradable drinking straws and bamboo laptops. It is about drastically changing how we approach life as a society. Being green is about making the smallest impact possible, which inherently means consuming as little as possible. Anna Sussman’s article “Roots of the Cost” aptly exposes some of the inadequacies of carbon neutrality, a concept whose message is, “Keep buying, traveling, and consuming as usual! Just offset it!” Perhaps this perspective is an enemy to your previous tagline of the ease of being green. But why should it have to be? Lizz Winstead’s article supplements this notion. Convenience can be so addictive that anything difficult looks like the enemy. It would be nice if being green truly was easy! And articles implying that switching to green gadgets, changing some lightbulbs, and buying a hybrid will stop melting the ice caps certainly promote that message! I encourage the writers and editors at “Plenty” to be honest with themselves and their readers and start promoting real lifestyle change instead of the next big thing to hit the store shelf!

three cheers for three years

We're definitely the only dorks i know to celebrate a bestyversary.

easter confessions

Well, it's no secret now that I'll be arriving back at the ol' homestead about a week from now. I can literally feel the cracks dividing my little heart, breaking over leaving Sydney, seminary and, of course, Scott. I think that's just about all I need to say about that. (Except that I better invest in a more environmentally friendly form of tissues. The art of the handkerchief, like letterwriting, is dead. In the Easter spirit, I'm going to give it new life.)

Because I decided to leave a little ahead of schedule I feel like I've been scrambling to drink in as much Oz as possible. Scott and I totally broke the rules and took an Easter four-day weekend to the Gold Coast in Queensland. I realized on Easter at mid-day that it was the first time in my life that I hadn't gone to church on the holiday. (I also realized it was the first Easter where I didn't receive a basket filled with artificial grass) The weekend itself was glorious. We rode a few rollercoasters and toured the rainforest. Of course, back at our hotel at Surfers Paradise (the Waikiki of Australia) I couldn't help but be disturbed by the fact that Easter didn't even seem to exist. Except, of course, for the Easter sales going on everywhere. Because there's no better way to celebrate the most holy Christian holiday than by buying a plasma screen TV.

But, then again, who am I to talk? It doesn't get more indulgent than vacations to places with palm trees. And I did it over the Easter holiday. Yikes.

I guess this is where the real confession comes in. Predictably, I take offense to the mass commercialization of Easter. The Easter bunny may just offend me more than Santa (though it is a close race.) And I will also admit that a holiday on the holiday is a bit in bad taste. But the strange truth is, I do not feel that my faith suffered. In fact, inadvertently boycotting tradition taught me a little about how I really feel about the whole Easter thing (and worship in general.)

Over the last few months I have come to realize that I am not a plug-in Christian. Come Sunday morning service, mid-week bible study, or annual holiday observance I can never expect to walk into church and just get charged up by the Holy Spirit. My moments with God are highly sought after and more like jewels than grains of sand. While mine fill the palm of my hand it seems many of my fellow Christians could store theirs on a private beach.

Don't get me wrong. I love worship and the fellowship of others. It is soothing and affirming in all the right ways. Yet, I find it hard to mean it as my lips form the liturgy. In moments of silence I fumble to find prayer and end up starting mine just as the pastor begins to speak. "Dear Lord...um...please..." I usually try desperately to remember all the people in my life who are sick or in turmoil and then scramble to remember those suffering around the world, always feeling guilty because someone is left out. And just as I begin to apologize (because "repenting" and "confessing" are too graceful words for what I'm doing in my prayers) for all the stuff I've messed up on in recent history I get cut off by responsive reading or a hymn. The sermon is usually my strong suit. Given the preacher is smart and searing. Otherwise I fight to keep my mind off grocery shopping or my cuticles. And if communion is involved the best I can do is try to focus my mind like a laser beam on the idea that my thimble of juice is Christ's blood. But I usually am more self conscious about looking like an idiot it in front of the person serving me and muttering, "Christ's blood shed for you" or something similarly somber.

As I said. I love worship. But I can definitely recognize that I go to church, not to hang out with God, but his kids. Certainly, there are many Sundays where I receive a new gem for my collection. A glistening moment with God that I will pull out and admire many times in the future. Yet, I am soothed and affirmed, not through connections to unison confessions or prayer by rote but the warm handshakes, hugs, and smiles that I am offered during the passing of the peace or the post-service coffee. (All this is quite in keeping with JC's insight in John 13:34-35, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.")

So despite loving worship I certainly struggle with it. And I struggle with Easter and Christmas, too. Because, though fellowship is vital to faith and certainly worth the trip to church, I fail to "plug in" to the Holy Spirit as I mentioned before. The most sincere prayer I tend to offer is one where I admit my constant failure to make my worship sincere.

Christmas is a bit easier than Easter. It is a joyful and relatively uncomplicated celebration. The star of the Bible is born and we get to throw a big party. Add in the perks of Western living like Bing Crosby albums and big family feasts and it is easy to bring a general sense of exalting to the singing of "Joy to the World" on Christmas Eve. When trumpets are involved, the hard part is done for you. But Easter is emotionally complex. A week before we wave palms and imagine a Fabio-like Jesus Christ trotting into Jerusalem on a donkey. Then the tone gets dark very quickly and we are led through a series of intense scriptural passages. The loaves and fishes of a few chapters back fade in our minds and the blood and flesh of Jesus appears on the table. The disciples disappoint us. The Jews dismay us. And then Jesus dies for us. Two days later, on Easter Sunday we trade grief for gladness because the tomb is empty. But because we've all heard this story before, the whole experience is shadowed by the enormity of the event. This is it, folks. The crux of our faith!

And I can no more at Easter than any other Sunday of the year, summon those coveted moments with God. In fact, Easter might be a contender for my worst Sunday at all. The week leading up to the resurrection is so exhausting and confusing. (Even Jesus' disciples were confused. Jesus tried to explain that the hour was upon them, and they seemed to get more and more lost. And clearly Judas just gave up.) The truth is, I feel far more connected to Jesus' death (and life) the other 364 days of year than the day where it is expected of me. And, as I admire my collection of jewels, my rare and special moments of revelation, I realize I usually found them outside of the holy hours of Sunday morning. God usually surprises me at work or on the train or in my kitchen.

Taking a break from Easter showed me just how far I am from being a plug-in Christian. And perhaps this is less of a confession than an Easter prayer. I do not feel the need to repent but the urge to ask for intercession. Because I like meeting God in my bedroom or at the movies, but I think I'd like to be able to meet up with Him at church more often.

Dear Lord,
Where can I buy a really good power adapter? It seems my plug doesn't work in your house.



Amen.

you're invited

What: Presbyterian Conservation Corps Summer 2008 Eco-Stewardship Program

Where/When: Take your pick between Eco-Stewards West in Colorado and Missouri (May 31-June 12) or Eco-Stewards East in Pennsylvania and New York (June 4-15)

Who: College students and recent grads ages 18-24

How: Go to the website and apply by May 1, 2008


The Eco-Stewards program seeks to train and inspire young adults ages 18-24 in the ways of eco-stewardship within the wider context of our Christian faith. This includes training in Biblical and theological foundations for environmental stewardship and practical training in how to implement environmental and ecological stewardship projects. Such projects may include building composting toilets, solar hot water systems, micro hydro or micro wind systems, eco-designed structures, soil erosion controls, stream restoration projects, and composting systems. Following these trainings, Eco-Stewards will be sent with mentors to other PCCCA camps to share what they have learned with camps and churches.

blessed are the peacemakers

Reading the Bible (especially the Old Testament) it is easy to see why many Christians get confused about the issue of warfare. I read a blog by a pastor about the connection between using war vocab in worship and reading Scripture that makes biblical heroes out of the Israelites, while justifying warfare they invoke, and even warfare invoked against them.

Hmm...

Many Christians throw their hands in the air. Jesus says "Blessed are the peacemakers." And the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Yet, God watches Joshua's back as he leads the Israelites to overthrow Canaan and commit mass murder. Later, when Israel doesn't behave itself, God empowers its enemies to teach it a lesson through oppression and violence. As mini-Christians in Sunday School, we give three cheers for the victories of the "chosen people" and sweep the implications of their success under the rug. We learn about Christian virtues of peacemaking and tolerance while being subtly indoctrinated with the notion that war wasn't completely off limits. There were special cases. Remember the Israelites?

In middle school youth group, the most popular night of the year was the annual game of Romans and Christians. I grew up in a Midwest mega-church. The youth had the run of the entire church basement, which was the size of a small high school, with classrooms, music and rehearsal rooms, a library, offices, and a huge youth wing complete with its own kitchen. On the night of Romans and Christians, the middle school youth group had free reign over the entire space. It was the one night I could get my non-Christian school friends to come with me to youth group!

None of us eleven and twelve year old kids were thinking about the historical aspects of the game. We just knew that the "Bad Guys" were the Romans and the "Good Guys" were the Christians. The Romans (usually youth leaders and older kids) would hunt for hidden Christians (the kids) all over the bottom level of the church. If found the Christians would be captured and put into jail, whereupon the remaining freed Christians would try to find sneaky ways to break them out.

It sounds innocent enough, but it was merely an extension of our elementary cheers of victory for the heroes of the Bible. We didn't know any better so we rallied our victors. On the brink of adolescence our sense of patriotic-like Christian pride was further engrained with our "Good Guy" vs "Bad Guy" games and lessons.

This is right around the time I went from a twelve year old religious zealot to thirteen year old cynic. Adolescence was encroaching and I was just learning how good it felt to buck the system. Yet, there was truth in my cynicism. I bought a Teen Study Bible at the height of my youth group fervor and vowed to read it cover to cover. My first trouble was at the book of Leviticus. I ran into Sunday School waving my Bible and accosted the twenty-something youth leader with questions about why people with skin diseases were banished and if God hated me when I had my period. At home I was listening to the soundtrack to RENT (which had just debuted on Broadway) and learning about the issue of gay rights and AIDS in New York's East Village. At church I was told that gays were going to Hell and so were my friends that didn't believe in Jesus. I accepted these things as the standard Christian perspective and saw it as reason enough to buck the system.

So I can't tell you what happens in Phase 3 of the Christian confusion on warfare in the Bible. I should have gone to learn all the dirty tricks, but I was going through my obligatory teen religious rebellion. Of course, God waited for me while I was gone.

It wasn't until I actually got to seminary over ten years later that I discovered my cynicism was widely echoed by theologians throughout history. Perhaps instead of cynicism I should say skepticism. I am twenty-three now and as I read the Bible cover to cover again I remember my girlhood self flipping through Leviticus in tears over what all this meant my God was about. This time around it was the passages of Joshua and Judges that stirred me up. Instead of a youth pastor I waved my Bible at all the people I knew in ministry, asking "Did God really advocate genocide?" I remember elementary school and the lessons about Joshua and the Israelites marching around the walls of Jericho with their trumpets. There is a widely used Christian children's video, "Josh And The Big Wall" with cartoon vegetables re-enacting the scene to make kids laugh while they learn Scripture. But I am not a kid now and as I read Joshua I can't believe I spent so many years shouting, "Hip hip hooray!" for what was actually a bloody massacre and political overthrow.

Didn't I tell you at the beginning of this that it is easy for Christians to be confused about the issue of warfare? Well, I know because I am one! We are learning in Theology about how Christian faith is built upon revelation throughout history, specifically during the plight of the Israelites. God giving humankind insights about Godself. Yet, if many of the revelations we cite as foundational to the structure of our faith occurred in the context of warfare, what does that say about Christianity? This is further complicated by the fact that, though Jesus often advocated for peace, he also used violent, war-related terminology in some accounts.

All this goes to prove the notion that it is easy to justify any position with Scripture. A peace activist and a zealous soldier can both point to the Bible to defend their work.

I am thankful that this time, unlike my middle school Leviticus debacle, I was able to connect to resources that explored my questions. It seems that many a theologian has pondered the book of Joshua, among others. History and canonical formation open up the understanding of this part of the Bible to so many possibilities. But the thing that unlocked my personal understanding of the issue of warfare, was what I found to be a predominating Scriptural message.

Love your neighbor.

Your brother. Your sister. Your friend. Your enemy. Your whatever. Love them as yourself.

While war seeps through the pages of the Old Testament so does the notion that as Christians we are called to look after each other. (Especially the ones going through hard times. And the poor ones. And the widowed ones. And the orphaned ones. And the oppressed ones.) My neighbor, as pointed out in the story of the Good Samaritan, is not always my social ally. My neighbor is everyman. In other words, no man on earth is not my neighbor. I don't have all the solutions to my confusion and anger over the book of Joshua. Sometimes I still get a headache over Leviticus. But I try to focus on the things that are not confusing in the Bible. Like the parts about love, neighbors, and justice. Where does warfare fit into any of that?

Nowhere.

this one really smarts

Sometimes when I am in physical pain, I feel the need to keep constantly moving. If I have stubbed my toe I will walk in circles until the throbbing eases. If I have a muscle cramp I can twitch and bob for hours. I guess movement distracts me from a pain that can otherwise dominate the senses.

But once in a while, the pain is bigger than the sum of my twitches and bobs. There is nothing to do but to just lay as still as possible and feel the ache course through my body. I count the rhythm of the headache or the short stabs of a spasm and allow myself to just feel the pain.

It is always more painful than I want it to be. But it does seem more manageable, I guess. And there is comfort in simply handling the pain. I often prefer to do this while squeezing my eyes closed, though. (We all have our night lights.)

As for how this applies to my life right now? (It isn't a total non sequitir.)

Well, right now, twitching and bobbing is doing very little for me. And I'm feeling I might need to squeeze my eyes shut soon. Most likely on the flight home.





Ouuuuuuuuuuch.

mommy's little anarchist

Admittedly consumeristic.
(But sweatshop free!)

raw-chael rachael: the sequel

It's been a long week.

Seven days ago I made a commitment to do one week of raw food as a response to the excerpt from What The World Eats by Hungry Planet. Raw food, I reasoned, was less impactful on the environment in terms of processing, packaging, and transport. Furthermore, it saved all the carbon it would take to use my stove, oven, or microwave. Granted, I did employ my refrigerator. But that would have been on and in use any way! Finally, eating raw, I felt, helped me to practice solidarity with those not able to buy much more than fruits, veggies, and other raw items. (And as a bonus it served as an automatic diet, which I needed, and would save the resources I would have to expend to work off extra pounds.)

I promised a Hungry Planet style report, so here you go.


The Albers-Farlow Household of Sydney, Australia

Grains & Other Starchy Foods:
None, by choice.

Dairy:
None, by choice.

Meat, Fish & Eggs:
None, by choice.

Fruits, Vegetables & Nuts:
1 cabbage, 1 head of cauliflower, 2 heads of living lettuce, 4 red bell peppers, 2 onions, 1 head of celery, 1 bunch of basil, 1 bunch of coriander, 8 carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 zucchini, 6 chilis, 8 scallions, 6 radishes, 2 potatoes, 12 tomatoes, 6 avocadoes, 2 cups alfalfa sprouts, 4 apples, 6 kiwi, 12 nectarines, 8 apricots, 6 lemons, 8 bananas, 8 oranges, 1 pineapple, 1 cup walnuts, 1 cup sunflower seeds, 1 cup sesame seeds, 1 cup assorted nuts

Condiments:
1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup flax oil, 5 garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp sea salt, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp dried onion, 1 tsp dried chili, 1 tsp dried garlic, 1 tsp cumin

Beverages:
Filtered water

Food Expenditure for One Week: $110 Australian Dollars (Roughly $102 American Dollars)

This $110 probably represents $70 for me and $40 for Scott, my handsome Aussie roomie/love interest. He did not go 100% raw for the week. However, I did not eat away out at all (I can make your garden variety take out salad myself any day.)

My menu included:


Veggie "Casserole"

Romaine Burritos with Guacamole and Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

Salsa Salad

Banana Ice Cream

It certainly was an experience. I felt very healthy, energetic and light. Sometimes, however, that lightness ended up being the problem. It was hard to feel full and I found myself nearly prying myself away from the crackers I have in the cupboard. Don't worry, I didn't relent. (Unless you count cutting my 7 days about 8 hours short to have lunch at a fabulous little veggie restaurant in the Blue Mountains. In that case, guilty as charged.)

I know now that I won't be going all raw anytime soon, though I have realized I've been on carb overkill. So I resolve to fill up on less bread and more greens, keep my processed foods to a minimum, and resolve my salad prejudice problem. (Salads bore me.) Doing this will be better for my body and the environment, especially when I splurge on organic, which unfortunately is hard to afford on a budget despite it's importance. Slowly but surely I hope to wean myself off of any food coming out of a box or a bag. That's a little creepy anyway.

Yes, my raw week was definitely worth it. If only for three little words. Banana Ice Cream. Banana, vanilla, cinnamon. (Toss on a little maple syrup and you'll swear it's caramel.) Guiltless perfection. Email me for the recipe!

raw-chael rachael

This week the head of the eco-justice committee at my church in Chicago sent out an email forward with the headline "What the World Eats" and fifteen photos of families with their week's food.


Check it out.

I did a little digging and found out that it was from the new Hungry Planet book What the World Eats. The book features 30 different families from all over the world and photographs them with their weekly groceries, including for the reader a list of the ingredients and the total cost. I'm sure if you're cool enough to click and see you will be as fascinated as I was.

The thing that immediately struck me was the amount of processed foods and familiar American brands throughout the developed world. Of course the American family predictably takes the cake (and eats it!) of processed, microwavable, anti-food. Yet many other countries are represented by families eating two or three families' worth of packaged, starchy calories.

Of course, that realization collided with the amount of produce present in Egyptian, Peruvian and South Asian households. Most American (and Australian) families would balk at concocting entire meals out of purely produce, beans, and grain. But many, many, many people around the world do it: most out of necessity.

During my tireless internet search to find the origin of the article I ran across several blogs and editorials on the Hungry Planet piece and many of them focused on the theme of, "Count your blessings!" I understand that sentiment and certainly try to count my myriad of blessings every day but what I felt after reading this wasn't so much my own fortune, but the urge to change my habits. The most striking of all the families is the Sudanese; the photo bears a mother and her five smiling children behind their weekly ration of sorghum and soy-corn blend, several handfuls of fruits and vegetables, a few spices, and water. Meanwhile, a family of four in Germany consumes $400 of food per week, including (but certainly not limited to) 5 loaves of bread, 15 pounds of meat and $66 worth of frozen and prepared food. Does the family in Sudan really need me to "count my blessings" or is there, perhaps, a better response?

Gluttony (an ugly but appropriate word) does not only refer to obvious cases. The German family of four is not overweight and, at first glance, wouldn't raise an eyebrow in terms of its consumption. Yet, their 5 loaves of bread, 15 pounds of meat, and $66 worth of frozen and prepared food (not to mention the rough 7.5 gallons of fruit juice, soda, beer and wine) is clearly more than they need.

And while the German family shown looked fairly healthy, but not overweight, the sad fact is that, with diets like theirs (and worse), millions of families now exist who are overweight, even obsese. When I thought about the issue from the angle this article gave me, I began to see how wasteful a gluttinous diet really is. Much of the food, money, and resources going into their weekly diet would be going straight down the toilet. Literally. The problem is that western societies are eating themselves silly and then spending more time, money, and resources to work off the calories they are overeating. There are millions of dollars to be made off of weight-obsessed women, who will gossip about the new diet craze and read every magazine article about the perfect jean for their body type.

Meanwhile, that Sudanese family is still living off of less than $1.50 worth of food per day. That Sudanese mom could care less about the perfect jeans for her A-frame. What she needs is a recipe book for all the diverse ways one can mix sorghum, soy-corn blend, and some limes.

How can we justify this excessiveness?

Not to mention the resources that are poured into our indulgences and then the resources poured into weaning ourselves off of our indulgences. How can any country be a good global citizen until it considers how it is affecting the rest of the world and it's people? Green is trendy right now, but truly, how can any country claim to "green" itself if it fails to consider how much over-consumption, even in its diets, affects the world in too many ways? While there are always going to be political and economic hurdles to jump before solving the problems of families like the Sudanese, the problem will not get solved amidst the continuous gluttony of the transgressing societies.

And so I looked down at my own little belly that I have grown here in Australia over the last few months. I realized I had gobbled down a good amount of garbage myself. I am a vegan because of my response to the environmental issue, but I had failed to see I was still leaving a trail behind me, despite my little green upgrade in lifestyle. I'm still a glut for carbs. (Aren't we all?) Bread, cookies, chips, crackers. The lifeblood of vegan junk food. Even though I had switched to organic and whole grains, I know I still eat more than I need. Gelato. Baked goods. Strongbow. The processed foods, though oftentimes so delicious, are also often a waste because they are the extra unnecessary part of our diet. Grains, of course, are important. But do I need bread, cookies, chips, and crackers in my cabinet at all times? Furthermore, though I was eating tons of produce as well, I certainly wasn't eating double my share of grains, which is really the goal. I considered the Peruvian family and their array of fruits and veggies and a lightbulb appeared above my head.

As my response to this article, I am challenging myself to limit my consumption and not overeat or rely on processed foods. What a perfect time, I decided, to toast to veggies, and try the raw diet.

So for the next week (starting today) I am going completely raw every day. That means nothing can be cooked over 120 degrees F. It focuses on raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, and can include raw meat, fish, and dairy, though I certainly won't be setting foot anywhere near there. It is a challenge but it will be the best response I can give to that article. Eating raw will limit the energy used in heating and preparing food on a stove, in an oven, or a microwave. Eating raw will limit the packaging and resources expended in processed foods that come in bags, boxes, and plastic. Eating raw will be the best for my body, keeping me healthy so less energy and resources are expended on diets and weight loss. I will take pictures of my interesting meals and report back to you Hungry Planet-style at the end of the week.

Anyone want to join me?

Bon appetit!

move that bus!

After a few hours of reading Benjamin Barber's Consumed, a book about the infantilist ethos in the current marketplace I decided to give my brain a rest and turned on the TV. 10,000 miles away from home I was able to turn on "Extreme Home Makeover" on Aussie TV and get a quick Yankee Fix via the fairly obnoxious Ty Pennington.

I've always been a bit suspicious of "Extreme Home Makeover." Watching it, viewers get a sense of satisfaction, distantly experiencing the gratification of philanthropy, living vicariously through the ABC design team.

Consumed considers the idea of two third worlds: the actual third world and the third world within the first world. The third world within the first world is able to experience the temptation of the marketplace without ever being able to participate in it. The third world has even less power because there is no real incentive for the consumer marketplace to consider it: it has very little disposable income. Third world children are some of the most marginalized and exploited citizens of the world because, unlike first world children who hugely influence the marketplace because of their ability to influence adult spending, third world children have absolutely no buying power.

Later, this thought was a light bulb above my head during "Extreme Home Makeover." Not only does the show allow people to satisfy their philanthropic urges through the personalities on television, but it is a terrific example of infantilization penetrating popular culture. A home makeover show that chooses American families that have experienced some sort of hardship and remodels their home into a veritable dreamland. It is essentially indulgent charity. (Sponsored by your friendly, hometown Sears!) Though the people chosen by ABC are certainly in a state of need, it is relative. Need for a working class family in America is drastically different than need in many parts of the rest of the world. It is charity for those in a lesser state of need: upgrading them from American struggle to American luxury. The lottery of charities.

The problem with this lottery mentality is that it further cements the childish notion of fantastic, almost magical luck and fortune. Furthermore, it implies that the goal in life is to attain riches. Instead of simply providing the crucial needs to as many people as possible and minimizing the actual weight of poverty, this show practices true indulgence. The families are given mansions, new cars, big checks, and all the little plasma and flat screen extras to boot. It engrains a cultural acceptance of self-indulgence by using it as a rewards to families as the ultimate act of charity, without really attacking major problems.

It subtly projects the message that poverty is easy to cure and as simple as a shot at a middle class living for one family.

It also successfully alienates the average American consumer (coincidentally the same person being appealed to by "Extreme Home Makeover") from the real problems and needs that exist in the world. This further promotes the consumer to stay young: cementing infantilization. By keeping the consumer focused on indulgence as a goal and to keep the consumer from ignoring and even disbelieving the reality of poverty in the world, the consumer will continue to do its job: consume. They will consume without conscience or fear of the consequences, as Barber further points out. The consumer climate today is of spending without consequence, what Barber describes as the ultimate "disempowerment" of the consumer. The consumer is insulated from the true depth of the problems and needs of the world and free from feeling the need to solve this problem or amend their buying habits to contribute less to an oppressive system. "Extreme Home Makeover" and its cultural colleague successfully insulate the American consumer from the reality of the links between consumption and world poverty.

It is easier for middle class America to live with their comforts and indulgences when it thinks donating canned goods to a homeless shelter and writing a few checks is the end of their responsibility to a suffering world. If ever there were a true lottery it was what I won when I was born a middle class American citizen. Being insulated cements infantilization because it helps us to neglect responsibility; the real treasure of childhood, after all is the lack of real responsibilities. We are rewriting history as it happens, choosing to believe enough to help us rationalize our indulgent, selfish lifestyles. After all, indulgence is the prize they're handing out to needy families on "Extreme Home Makeover."

Don't get me wrong, I don't have an easy solution. Perhaps you should read this book. Consider your own buying habits. Evaluate what your lifestyle says about how you view the world. How does it reflect your faith or your faith perspective? I did. And it is refreshing. And sometimes surprising. When I considered all the ways consumerism affected my life and then I thought about all the ways I could take it out of my life, I was surprised by how attached to it I was. I'm proud to say I've given up many forms of shopping and consuming, but there are parts I'm still working out of my system. The point is, evaluating your own lifestyle and the way you give of your time and your resources can be really eye-opening and challenging, and ultimately so rewarding. When you think about how your lifestyle can speak to your views about justice and responsibility in the world, it can be pretty compelling. And I bet you're up for the challenge.

Stay tuned. The consumpti-rants will soon continue.

This blog sponsored by Sears.
Because Sears gives poor people free stainless steel refrigerators.

god was green before it was trendy

In my quest to read the Bible in 90 days I fell off the wagon. So, after a long winter holiday I have resumed my 25 pages/day schedule. I highly advocate my method, suggested to me by celebripastor Joy Douglas Strome.
Actually, she's not a celebrity, just my beloved pastor from Lake View Presbyterian Church back in Chicago. But having a blog these days makes one want to celebri-everything. Perez Hilton is the new black.

Anyway, Joy suggested that I read the Bible several sections at a time- drawing from the major collections in the Old and New Testament. So each day I read a bit from the Torah, the History, the Poetry and Writings, the Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles. It reminds you that the Bible is a mosaic, the individual tiles connect to create one unified picture. Thanks, Joy. (Check her out Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 at Lake View Presby in Wrigleyville!)

As I get back into the swing of things I'm doing a quick review of my pre-holiday reading and I came across something in Job that surprised me. I've read Job several times and I always react to it differently. Last time around I remember feeling irritated with the whole situation. Job's family was dead, his friends were jerks, and then God comes and lectures him. I mean, Job's consolation prize at the end of the chapter is the least God could do for using righteous Job to teach millions of Jews and Christians a lesson.

But this time around I noticed something. My former heretical reaction aside, I began understand the reasoning behind a popular opinion on God's speeches to Job. God is communicating something very important to Job (and us) here; He is bigger than all our concepts of Him. He comes to assert, "I am the Lord" and that's it. But that really does say it all, doesn't it? I am the Lord. The alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end. What more do you need to know?

Which is where God pauses to get on His green soap box. In explaining to Job the role of creating and caring for the world, God doesn't merely talk about His relationship with humans, but with the natural world that He created and cares for, as well. He proceeds to lovingly admire His many natural works, a reminder of His pleasure during creation, "It was good."

God loves on the sky:
"Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect, you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of south wind? Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a molten mirror?"
Job 37: 16-18

God loves on the ocean:
"Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb? When I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped.'"
Job 38: 8-11

God loves on animals:
"Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer? Can you number the months that they fulfill; and do you know the time when they give birth, when they crouch to give birth to their offspring, and are delivered of their young?"
Job 39: 1-3

I must say, I was surprised I had missed this part. Last time around I was so distracted by my annoyance at God that I completely missed His little public service announcement. God loves all His stuff. The sky, the land, the sea, the animals, the rain, the snow, the morning, the afternoon, the evening. After all, he made it! And when He says to Job, "Where were you when I wallpapered the sky, when I fenced in the ocean, when I watched each animal give birth? Oh yeah, I forgot. You weren't even born." God establishes His supreme love and care in creating this place and also that even the righteous Job can be humbled. And when it comes to the green dilemma we have on our hands now, I think it's time we be humbled, too.

I'm actually repeating myself when I say God is green because inherent in God is His love for creation. God did not create the "bars and doors" of the sea for us to pollute it. He did not "spread out the skies, hard as a molten mirror" for us to cloud it up. He did not "command that the eagle mounts up and makes it nest on high" for us to cut it down.

Job is a book that centers around the question of whether misfortune really is divine punishment. In light of this book, and the environmental issue, I would say that it is pretty obvious that we are not on a punishment/reward system. In the real world, nice guys still "finish last" and righteous people like Job befall misfortune constantly. The bad guy doesn't always caught. And illness and hardship are not saved only for the guilty. It is easy to sit back and wait for God to fix the world's problems, with the notion that justice will be served in God's own time. But I think God made us capable and intelligent for the same reason He gave us free will. We have the tools to make God's "will be done."

Something tells me that God isn't going to reverse global warming. But He has given us the ability to do it ourselves, He gives us the strength and the courage to do it, and even a bit of scripture to back it up.

God isn't green.

Green is God.

back with a vengeance

So I've been anxiously trying to ease my way back into the blogging world with some smooth and witty catch up entry but I've realized those are uncomfortable for everyone. Instead I think I'll just dive right in and share some thoughts I've been cranking out while studying for my Christian Theology class.

Our text is "Faith Seeking Understanding" by Daniel Migliore (amongst many others) and I came across some very stirring passages.

Indulge me. If you dare.

"Questions arise at the edges of what we can know and what we can do as human beings. They thrust themselves on us with special force in times and situations of crisis such as sickness, suffering, guilt, injustice, personal or social upheaval, and death. Believers are not immune to the questions that arise in these situations. Indeed, they may be more perlexed than others because they have to relate their faith to what is happening in their lives and in the world. Precisely as believers, they experience the frequent and disturbing incongruity between faith and lived reality. They believe in a sovereign and good God, but they live in a world where evil often seems triumphant. They believe in a living Lord, but more often than not they experience the absence rather than the presence of God. They believe in the transforming power of the Spirit of God, but they know all too well of the impotence of the church and of themselves. They know that they should obey God's will, but they find that it is often difficult to know what God's will is in regard to particular issues. And even whey they know God's will, they frequently resist doing it. Christian faith asks questions, seeks understanding, both because God is always greater than our ideas of God, and because the public world that faith inhabits confronts it with challenges and contradictions that can't be ignored."
-Faith Seeking Understanding -Daniel Migliore

If this were a dish I had just finished I would kiss my fingers and say, "Delicious."

"If we believe in God, we will have to become seekers, pilgrims, pioneers with no permanent residence. We will no longer be satisfied with the unexamined beliefs and practices of our everyday personal and social world. If we believe in God, we will necessarily question the gods of power, wealth, nationality, and race that clamor for our allegiance. Christian faith is thinking faith."

I have a hard time with the intensity of the Old Testament but I will say that this idea helps me to relate to the Israelites. Christianity is very much a pilgrimage. Just as the Israelites spent hundreds of years in constant chaos and flux, modern Christians face increasingly irreconcilable mystery. The Israelites were challenged with believing in and following God at a time when things kept going from bad to worse (with a few small vacations.) They were charged with interpreting God correctly amidst all the noise of sin going on around them. Christians today face innumerable distractions. And while the Israelites struggled to overcome their fixation on false gods, we struggle to ignore the temptations of consumerism and self-indulgence.

The Israelites put their hand in the fire over and over again (oftentimes admittedly) and so do we. Put this on a larger scale and it's easy to correlate our sins (gluttony, pride, greed) with the current state of the world. Just as the Israelites kept reaping their misfortune, we too are asking for trouble (and getting it!) with the way we treat each other and the place we live.

Of course, this isn't merely Christians. Every human being is in some way responsible for the way the world looks when they leave it. But, the Israelites were not alone either. They were a small portion of a larger world population, too.

Ah, I digress. (It's always fun to find an appropriate place to use that phrase!) The point is, oftentimes I feel alienated by the Old Testament: unable to relate or identify. I think many Christians do. As a Christian I sometimes feel like the Old Testament is off limits, perhaps I may offend someone who sees my identifying with the Old Testament as intrusive or even silly. Yet, I see that my Christian faith relies on it so I struggle to find a connection.

Well, thanks to my first week in Christian Theology...thar she blows.