been reading jesus for president. needles to say (see what i did there, timee?), its been completely influential and important. i got teary-eyed over this passage last night.....its a poem shane wrote after an experience with a major American media outlet whilst in Iraq....
Traitor?
If this bloody, counterfeit liberation is American...
I am proud to be un-American.
If depleted uranium is American...
I am proud to be un-American.
If US sanctions are American...
I am proud to be un-American.
If the imposed 'peace' of Pax Americana is American...
I am proud to be un-American.
But if grace, humility, and nonviolence are American...
I am proud to be American.
If sharing to create a safe, sustainable world is American...
I am proud to be American.
If loving our enemies is American...
I am proud to be American.
Regardless, I would die for the people of New York, but I will not kill for them...
my kingdom is not of this world.
I would die for the people of Baghdad, but I will not kill for them...
my kingdom is not of this world.
I will not stand in the way of terror and war...
my kingdom is not of this world.
I will pledge an allegiance deeper than nationalism, to my God and to my family...
my kingdom is not of this world.
I will use my life to shout, 'Another world is possible'...
for my kingdom is from another place.
'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight...but now my kingdom is from another place.'
(Jesus; John 18:36)
21 July 2008
16 July 2008
10 July 2008
hope, peace and justice
this gives me hope for the future.
its an alternative vision of the world.
one that operates from the perspective of....
-valuing every single person in the world greatly
-valuing the holy spirits transformative work
-valuing the importance and depth of authentic community
-caring for the marginalized, oppressed, poor and broken (and not just the proverbial kinds)
-being good stewards of what god has given us in the west
-the belief that this world can be bettered through gods kingdom
-ultimately hope
in no circumstance or situation is there no hope. always. consistently. beautifully. hope.
.....makes me get all jittery inside.....
-
---
j.wiebe
07 July 2008
of no consequence
this is really of no consequence.
its more of an exploration into what i've been doing, what i'm looking forward to, what i've been partaking in, etc. where to begin? how about a week ago today?
i went to wimbledon. yes, the wimbledon.
i trekked up on the 131 and found myself in the midst of pimms, strawberries and cream, loads of tan people and grunting. side note: sometimes, i find myself not being very.....smart. i brought my camera along to documentate the festivities, then realized while i was riding on the bus that i had forgot my memory card. doh!...regardless, i spent about 5 hours wandering around the famed all england tennis club, watching the world's top junior players, mixed doubles, senior men's (if you want a laugh, head there) and watching the bryan brothers win their quarterfinal match in the men's doubles along henman hill. it was an experience. loved it.
i spent some time with my south african friend dave dally this weekend. he's a great guy. we ended up finding an abandoned bike, convinced the bus driver to let us on with it and he managed to take it home. the sprocket wasn't aligned and so there was no way to move it by pedaling. we had a good time taking aim at the drunk people all over kingston town centre. what a saturday night.
about 2 weeks ago, i got a bus pass. that means free travel on buses anywhere in london. not a bad gig. i've spent most of my time reading this. i am a good 125 pages in. i am not sure what i think just yet.
lastly, two bands have been keeping me solid. first, the cool kids are killing it with their offering the bake sale. sparse '80s beats with solid flow. it doesn't get much better. second, bon iver is one of those finds you don't get often. if you listen to the track skinny love
-, you'll know what i mean. his music is important. i am reasonably sure of this.
i have also been thinking about the authority of love we have within the kingdom of God. its definitely been one of the major themes i have learned about while here. when thinking of authority, the words power, control, domination float around in my head. if maybe we started thinking of what we have in the holy spirit as the authority of love, we have something infinitely greater to speak to a world that needs healing. it might even resonate with the masses. its more an abstract concept at the moment and i am not satisfied with my thoughts on it. i need to articulate and clarify more. anyway, its late so i'm off to bed.
love.
---
j.wiebe
its more of an exploration into what i've been doing, what i'm looking forward to, what i've been partaking in, etc. where to begin? how about a week ago today?
i went to wimbledon. yes, the wimbledon.
i trekked up on the 131 and found myself in the midst of pimms, strawberries and cream, loads of tan people and grunting. side note: sometimes, i find myself not being very.....smart. i brought my camera along to documentate the festivities, then realized while i was riding on the bus that i had forgot my memory card. doh!...regardless, i spent about 5 hours wandering around the famed all england tennis club, watching the world's top junior players, mixed doubles, senior men's (if you want a laugh, head there) and watching the bryan brothers win their quarterfinal match in the men's doubles along henman hill. it was an experience. loved it.
i spent some time with my south african friend dave dally this weekend. he's a great guy. we ended up finding an abandoned bike, convinced the bus driver to let us on with it and he managed to take it home. the sprocket wasn't aligned and so there was no way to move it by pedaling. we had a good time taking aim at the drunk people all over kingston town centre. what a saturday night.
about 2 weeks ago, i got a bus pass. that means free travel on buses anywhere in london. not a bad gig. i've spent most of my time reading this. i am a good 125 pages in. i am not sure what i think just yet.
lastly, two bands have been keeping me solid. first, the cool kids are killing it with their offering the bake sale. sparse '80s beats with solid flow. it doesn't get much better. second, bon iver is one of those finds you don't get often. if you listen to the track skinny love
-, you'll know what i mean. his music is important. i am reasonably sure of this.
i have also been thinking about the authority of love we have within the kingdom of God. its definitely been one of the major themes i have learned about while here. when thinking of authority, the words power, control, domination float around in my head. if maybe we started thinking of what we have in the holy spirit as the authority of love, we have something infinitely greater to speak to a world that needs healing. it might even resonate with the masses. its more an abstract concept at the moment and i am not satisfied with my thoughts on it. i need to articulate and clarify more. anyway, its late so i'm off to bed.
love.
---
j.wiebe
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