Sound of the Week - Rye Whiskey

I really love music. I don't play any instruments, nor do I have any musical knowledge, but I do love music. So once a week I'm going to post a new song that I like to share with you my friends. Here's the thing though. Like I said, I don't have any musical training so I only judge songs based on two things:

1) I enjoy how they sound

2) I like there lyrics

I don't get into technical stuff. So if the guitar lines are too basic, the drumming is no good, or the bassist doesn't know what he's doing...I'm sorry. I just like how music sounds in my ears. Let me know what you think of the songs though.

Today's song is called "Rye Whiskey" by the Punch Borthers. All you Nickel Creek fans should enjoy this because this is Chris Thile's new band.

Enjoy

Taking a Second Look

I had a conversation recently and I must admit: I'm still developing my views on the subject. What should we do when we are confronted by a man or woman, destitute and asking for money. Conventional wisdom says that most of these poor and often-homeless individuals are victims to their own vices; they are addicts to the worst degree. In fact, I have been told that it is wrong to give them money because it only feeds their addiction.

It is true. Many of these poor individuals are slaves to substance abuse. Most of them are irrevocably damaged by their choices. It is true. They may use that money to buy alcohol or drugs. Also, I think we would all agree that an offer of food and shelter would be more beneficial. But what should we do when we don't have food or shelter to give? Indeed, we often don't have the necessary resources or time to give them food or shelter. Should we give them our money?

I say yes. Give them everything you have. Give them not only what you can spare but more! In regard to the poor, the hungry, and the destitute, Jesus tells us that "[a]s you have done to the least of these, you have also done to me." He clearly is not saying merely to serve "those who are unfortunate victims of external circumstance." By "least of these" I think and know that he means "the least": Those who are in prison for just cause; those who are poor because their bad choices; those who are hungry because they are unwise. Jesus did not love people based on pretense, he loved people and through that love earned the right to demand better of them. The prostitute of John 8 deserved capital justice but Jesus forgave her of her crime and demanded she live a redeemed life. We don't know, she may have returned to the streets that night. Ultimately, it does not matter. Every person is responsible for their own actions. We must show love first (after all, isn't that how we know love?) and use that care as a way to persuade others. So next time you see someone on the road with a ridiculous sign that pleads for help, realize that you are responsible for your actions, not theirs. We have been given a gift--Love--and we are responsible to give to others without pretense.

 "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor."

Hearing Love

What if we listened?

What if we really, actually listened to one another? I’m not talking about simply hearing the words that our friends speak. No, I’m talking about something much more intimate and much more difficult. I’m talking about listening to our friends and using our ears to peer into their heart to see their well-being that we might love them better. To really know our friends.

Many of your friends are hurting, some are lonely, and most are anxious. Some are experiencing great joy, others intense sorrow, and some are even wrestling with deep depression.Some are struggling to cope with the busyness of life, while others are so confused about life that they are utterly paralyzed and simply do nothing.

What if we began to listen to these people. What if we started seeking to know them deeply, and to care for them based on how they are doing. What if I stopped living a life focused on myself, and began to focus on the needs of my friends. What if I stopped treating people based on how I “feel” like treating them, and began to take time to understand who they are, and how they are doing, and then using that knowledge to love them excellently.

What if we really listened? Well , to put it simply: if we begin to listen better, we will love better. And if we begin to love better, we will serve God better. Thus, we must become better listeners. Because if we do not know what is going on in their life or their heart, how can we love them well? To love a friend when they are in a time of grief is very different from loving a friend in a time of joy.

Unfortunately, the honest truth is that most of us are very self-centered. Even the most virtuous man struggles to listen well that he might know and love others around him. But that is what we must do. That is our calling. That is what Christ did.

We must gauge out our old perspective and adopt the vision of Christ. We must die to ourselves so that Christ can resurrect our hearts to be enabled to genuinely love the world. We must partner with the Holy Spirit, and pray with fervor, that we might be empowered to take our eyes off ourselves to know and love those around us. This is what happened to the St. Paul. He was literally blinded by Christ, and when he regained vision, he no longer saw the world as a hypocritical, self-righteouss Pharisee. He no longer focused on himself because in comparison to serving God, anything we do to serve ourselves is rubbish.

Here we encounter a paradox of life. In our depraved minds, it seems that focusing on ourselves will ensure a life of success and happiness, while focusing on others will lead to an empty life. However, in Christ, we live in an upside down kingdom where things don’t always make sense because, in reality, the life of pride leaves a man empty, unhappy and unfulfilled, while a life of love and sacrafice brings purpose, satisfaction and intense joy. So let us seek to adopt the vision of Christ, and let us plead with God for a new perspective in life so that we can truly know and love our brothers and sisters around us.

The Bird's View

Have you ever noticed the limitation of perspective? This is what I mean: No matter how great your imagination or how out of the box you may think, your whole life is spent seeing from only one perspective. From the moment you wake to the moment you fall asleep, you can only see with your two eyes and perceive with your own five senses.

We can't truly say that "I know how you feel" and we can't say anything when someone writhes, "You just can't understand what I'm going through!" Even our emotions are limited and prescribed by our past experiences. This is one of life's greatest limitations and it produces most of life's greatest conflicts. Because we see and feel things so differently, we build values around different things. In marriages, families, and friendships, people are divided because they grasp onto their needs too tightly. It's true, a need is a need. I need food. I need to be heard. I need acceptance. I need to feel significant. These are all rational and reasonable needs that are often too evasive for the human soul. Alone they create no conflict but when two people grasp for the same thing, be it attention, acceptance, food, or significance, conflict arises.

Love. This is the prescription for all of life's problems: Love. When we Love, we lay down our own needs for the sake of others. Love doesn't call us to ignore our needs, it calls us to elevate the needs of others. In Love, we can postpone our own fulfillment as we seek to fulfill another. Often times Love goes unnoticed, but in a relationship this sacrificial Love elevates the needy and empowers the needy to fulfill the needs of others. Love. It is our call; a new perspective on Life. This is a bird's-eye view of Christian living.

Stories and Metaphors

Foreword

This is not my story. My story is part of a larger story. God is the author of this story, and I am just one character in that story. What do I want for my life? I want my part of the story to be a good chapter. Simple as that. Donald Miller, one of my favorite authors, talks about the elements of a good story in his book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. They are:

1. A character.

2. Who wants something.

3. And overcomes conflict to get it.

That's it!

So lets review what you have learned about me so far:

-I want to live a good story (speaking of stories, one of my favorite movies is Toy Story which, I believe, is an excellent story).

-I trust that God is writing that story (Which is, as Shai Linne Says, "The Greatest Story Ever Told").

-I love metaphors (running is one of my favorite metaphors, not to mention activities).

-I like to read (memoirs, fiction, Ann Lamott, Chuck Palaniuck, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foers, C.S. Lewis, among others).

What will I write?

I would like to share things I have been learning. That is what is most interesting to me, and I hope it interests the reader also. The theme may not be concrete, and it may take shape as we (the other contributors and I) begin to lay the foundation of this digital conversation. I think that lessons learned are easily understood when they are presented in metaphorical terms. Look at Jesus and his parables, Aesop and his fables, or any good teacher trying to convey an abstract concept. Any metaphor, like any good story, has three elements:

Topic

Image

Point of Similarity

My hope is that I can make explicit the point of similarity, without dissecting the creature into isolated specimen. I hope that the point of similarity connects the dots for the reader also.

Thanks,

Ryan

Blog News

So, what I haven't told you yet is that this blog is actually not my blog, I'm just one of a bunch of contributers. Hopefully, this will keep more people interested as each author will add a different dynamic to the content. So over the next few days, please stay tuned to read the thoughts and musings of Ryan Richert, John Sirjord, Matthew Barrios, and Kyle Lundquist.

High Ground in a Political Tsunami

The midterm congressional elections are tomorrow, 2 November 2010, and the world is watching. What do 'We the People' think about the state of our nation? What do we think about President Obama? Do we really like Republicans, Sarah Palin, or Christine O'Donnell? Did the economic stimuli help or hurt the economy? Is the Tea Party just another political fad (see: Ross Perot)? How do we make sense of the results?

I can't tell you all the answers but as an avid watcher of all-things-political, I can tell you what you should expect to see in the headlines of Wednesday morning. And just for fun, I'll tell you what I think it all means.

Predictions:
1) Republicans retake the U.S. House of Representatives by netting 65+ seats.
2) Republicans take control of 33-34 Governorships.
3) Republicans net 9 Senate seats, the U.S. Senate is deadlocked at 50-50.
4) In California, Proposition 19, Carly Forina (after recount), and Meg Whitman all lose.

What would this all mean? Ultimately, I believe that Nancy Pelosi, much of the Democratic House leadership, and 4-5 members of Obama's team leave their respective posts (mostly to "retire") between now and January. Republicans will reelect the same party leadership. This election should be seen as a dual referendum on both Presidents Bush and Obama and as such, a popular movement toward austere and frugal government. People are uncomfortable with the size of government and deficit spending. Most voters probably trace responsibility for these economic times to poor legislation and mediocre executive leadership over the past decade or two. The majority of people like President Obama and they want him to succeed, but they are getting this feeling that he is more interested in self-achievement then he is in popular leadership. The majority doesn't like Republicans, the Tea Party, Democrats, or any other political movement.

I think the mood of voters is this: They just want it all to go away so that they can live in the sunny nostalgia of yesteryear (whether that be the golden age of Clinton, Reagan, or the world your carefree childhood). None of those 'worlds' ever really existed but it is true that the problems we're facing now seem to be unfixable. As a nation, we've faced greater challenges and none of them had quick fixes. The Cold War took decades to defuse. The Depression cost our families years of blood, sweat, and tears. The sin of slavery was not removed by a simple proclamation. The struggle for independence was not won by the resolve of the minutemen. Please just remember that your vote tomorrow can not save the world, you must look to another Savior.