Merry Consumeristmas

Last year I wrote a blog about my viewing of "Made in L.A." a documentary highlighting the experiences of a group of women, mostly undocumented immigrants who work in the garment industry. After viewing the film and talking with the producer/directors afterward (my favorite part of living in L.A.) I realized that Mr Do Won Chang, owner of Forever 21, a company that took advantage of workers and their rights, also funded the student housing complex I live in, as a student at Fuller Theological Seminary. (My that's a lot of prepositions.) Anyway, this shocking revelation still weighs heavily on me , especially as I continue to struggle with my own spending patterns, materialism, and personal conviction that I am part of a really big, yet largely ignored problem.

As Christmas rounds the corner and I brave those dangerous places called malls, shopping centers, and box stores, I have made it a point to consider the person I might be stomping to death to get the latest flat screen T.V. deals at Walmart. I also hope to consider the hands that made what ever it is I purchase. I have spent some time (not alot, I admit) this year putting the pressure on merchants by demanding fair wages for workers through letter writing. I write letters to my favorite stores and tell them I love their products, but I don't want to buy them at the expense of someone who is getting dollars a day to produce them. The response letters, in their public relations oriented insincerity, are my favorite, (note sarcasm) but I press on.

And I press on why???

Because I can't think of a better way to celebrate the day that Jesus wasn't really born. Just think of it as my "Happy sort of Birthday Jesus" to the world.

I have also tried really hard to purchase goods that are either locally produced or are fairly traded. Trader Joes, Ten Thousand Villages, and Dolce Bambino Designs have greatly aided in this effort. Luckily I also have friends who have all agreed to shop at thrift stores for Christmas gifts too.

I have, and continue to try to make little steps toward change that affect not only who I am as a consumer, but who I am as person who cares about the humanity of others. I am far from a hippy go lucky chic in a potato sack and I don't intend to ever be that. But I do think it is possible to strike a balance somehow.

Here is a portion of the blog from last year;

"When I saw this story unfold, I was really angry and confused. I wondered if donating to Fuller settled Mr. Chang's conscience, or if he actually was a sincere and generous man who just didn't think much about the people who produced the clothing sold in his stores. I also wondered how Fuller handled this whole situation behind closed doors a few years ago when the Forever 21 boycott was taking place.

In the film, it was revealed that a settlement was in fact reached between Mr. Chang and the workers, after three years of fighting. Despite the settlement, my self righteous condemnation of Mr. Chang grew relentlessly as did my anger toward Fuller. How could they take his money knowing how it was made? Then I had a revelation. I realized...I SHOP at Forever 21! I also shop at Target, H&M, and most any other trendy discount store. The worst part of it is that I KNOW that those trendy clothes and home furnishings come at a cost. If it's cheap, it's because someone produced it under cheap conditions. This is no secret!!!! It is the way of the global retail world. I know this, but I choose to push that knowledge far away from the forefront of my awareness.

Perhaps my hidden hope is that denial will somehow make me less responsible for the injustice it heaps upon vulnerable people, or maybe I just don't know what else to do. If I am really honest though, I have to admit that this issue has never hit close enough to home for me...not enough to cause me to give up my insatiable, all-American addiction to STUFF at least. Let's be honest, none of my family members work in a sweatshop, and I doubt I will ever have to. But after seeing the movie, and knowing that the issue has in fact hit a little closer to home, I can no longer shuck my responsibility. In my initial condemnation of everyone ELSE who is responsible for the many levels of injustice faced by the garment workers in this film, I eventually could not deny my own participation in this aspect of our world. It made me realize that I, much like Mr. Chang, exist within the tension of who I am, and who I want to be. I pick and choose and rationalize my own behavior, and usually, the more I deny, the more someone else suffers.

On the way home from the movie I walked up to Chang Commons, the place I call home, and I realized that there is no greater reminder of our need for a transforming paradigm shift in regards to how we live our lives than the name of my building, coupled with the business philosophies of Do Won Chang.

The documentary will be shown on my campus soon. I really hope everyone I know gets a chance to see it. And I hope that whoever views it, does so with the realization that we all play a role in the consumerist culture that breeds sweatshops and exploitative labor practices. We all play a role in the demands we place on our administrators (for those of us in higher ed) to provide affordable housing for us. We are all responsible for the entitlement to low cost goods and services that often characterizes our culture, and we are all responsible for changing the way we live, shop, act, and do business. If you and I don't start taking that responsibility to heart who else will?"

If you are ready to accept the fact that you don't need as much crap as you think you need, check out:

www.revbilly.com

If you are like me, and just need some tips on how to shop more responsibly (one step at a time, right?) check out these sites:

www.madeinla.com

www.sweatfree.org

Proposition 8 Revisited: Lesson Learned

A couple of weeks ago I posted a link on Facebook to a blog concerning Proposition 8, a measure being voted upon in the state of California. In the simplest of terms, a “yes” vote to Prop 8 is a “no” vote to same-sex marriage, and a “no” vote to Prop 8 is a “yes” vote to same-sex marriage-in our state.

When I first heard of Proposition 8 I knew I was voting against it, but I didn’t think much about making that decision public. I don’t think much about publicizing my views on any of the Propositions, partly because I think people should be educating themselves on these issues, and I also think people are exhausted and burnt out by the back and forth arguing over politics. I also think that when it comes to gay rights, no matter where you stand on the spectrum, people tend to be pretty set in their ways (wisdom has taught me to choose my battles).

That all changed when I read one woman’s story on Alphwoman.com. This woman eloquently shared from the heart her desires to build a family with her children and the love of her life in a way that would be validated not by the church, but by the state. Hearing her story and her struggle hit a nerve for me and prompted me to share her post on my Facebook page. Her perspective (for me) put a face on the issue. She humanized it, and made it more than just a matter of opinion. Since I was already planning to vote “no” on Prop 8 (in support of same sex marriage) I sent her a note telling her I would be thinking of her family when I voted on Nov. 4. She replied with gratitude and it was a lovely exchange.

I posted the article as a newsfeed onto my Facebook profile and to my surprise, no one responded. Usually a touchy subject like same-sex marriage is sure to ruffle some feathers, but this time around it didn’t so it kind of faded out of my mind. I continued to stand by my decision to vote “no” on Prop 8 though. I should also note, I had no interaction or feedback from that post that would prepare me for what I experienced today.

While I was at work today, sitting behind the front desk of an on campus office at my school (Fuller Theological Seminary), a woman approached me for direction to another office. I gave her the guidance and off she went. About ten minutes later (or so) she came back to my desk and pointed out that she recognized my name and asked if I was the same woman who posted my views about Proposition 8 online. Stunned by her memory I confirmed my identity. She then proceeded to ask me (in a seemingly patronizing tone) if I was fully aware of what I was voting for, to which my answer was, “Yes.” She then continued to tell me in an almost urgent tone a litany reasons why I should “yes” to Prop 8.

Her position led me to suspect that she has been greatly influenced by the commercials sponsored by various groups including Focus on the Family, which are scaring people into thinking that their children are going to learn how to be gay in school. I also gathered that she held very strong convictions that were very different than mine. From that point I simply decided to disengage from debate and told her that I have made an informed decision to vote “No” on Prop 8. I also acknowledged that this is often an emotional issue and one that she and I will not agree on.

She appeared to be frustrated, and a little angry. She had that nervous tremble in her voice that I often get when my adrenaline is pumping and her face was getting red. She then ended the conversation by sharing that she wanted to make sure I ‘understood’ what Prop 8 was about because she couldn’t believe that “someone from ‘Fuller’” would take such a stance.

This interaction offended and saddened me to the core of my being in a variety of ways.

1. This woman, whom I don’t even know went out of her way to tell me to my face that I am wrong.
2. She assumed that my position was ill-informed
3. She arrogantly positioned herself as a person who “knows clearly” what God says.
4. She is a complete stranger who took it upon herself to engage in an antagonistic conversation at my place of employment.
5. Her closing remarks in our conversation were nothing short of insulting.

What is additionally disturbing is that I am pretty sure this woman is not on Facebook, and if she is, she is not on my friend list. I’d like to think that maybe someone passed my post along for the sake of informing others or for the sake of engaging in dialogue regardless of where they stand on the issue, but the jaded cynic in me thinks that one of my Fuller “brothers” or “sisters” didn’t have the gumption to challenge my opinion or choices directly, and instead used my post to form and inform some kind of an opposing allegiance. I really truly hope I am wrong.

Whatever the case, I would like to take this opportunity to make a couple of things clear:

1. Fuller Theological Seminary is not a static entity and just because I go here and work here doesn't mean I adhere to all of the positions that Fuller adheres to as an institution. Fuller is a place where many people are in the process of looking at a variety of issues with critical reflection and diverse perspectives. We do not agree on all things. In fact, I am pretty sure many people are attracted to Fuller for that very reason.
2. Not everyone agrees that the Bible is “clear” about the things we have grown to believe are clear. This does not mean that those of us who are critical questioners are less “Christian” or less in tune with God. It means we think and interpret things differently. Throughout our history Christians have disagreed over valid hermeneutical and cultural concerns. Views on homosexuality are based on valid hermeneutical concerns, and should not simply or flippantly be dismissed as a disobedience or sin issue.

I was going to continue this post by defending my position on Prop 8, but I truly believe that where I stand on the matter is irrelevant to the core issue of my interaction today. The core issue is that for some, politics and religion seem to have become more important than person and relationship. The woman who came to my desk today did not respectfully show an interest in me as a person, nor did she care to learn about what has shaped my views. She was hell bent on “informing” my vote in a way that sure felt like she wanted me to change it.

I sense that many Christians are concerned that gay people are going to destroy the “decency and morality of marriage” (a positively stunning viewpoint- in light of the fact that heteros are doing just fine destroying marriage all by themselves) and because of aggressive fear based marketing, believe that gay people are setting forth on an agenda to pervert our school systems and make little girls want to “marry princesses.” These assertions are problematic for me because they do not reflect the real relationships in my life with people who do love someone of the same gender. Those relationships and experiences matter.

I do believe that the woman who visited me today is motivated by a sincere desire to do right by God. In a perfect world she would understand that she is not the only one that is trying to do right by God in this life. She is not the only one asking questions, and she is not the only one doing her research. In a perfect world she would understand that similar motivations to 'do right by God' by humans, have in the past, and will continue to yield different conclusions among people who do in fact claim to hear from the same God. Just ask the Catholics and the Protestants in Ireland about that.

In that same perfect world she would also understand that if she ever wanted to express the love of God to me, she would have at least invited me for a cup of coffee before beating me over the head, at my place of employment with her politics. I guess the lesson learned today is that we don’t live in a perfect world.

Religulous

I am a huge Bill Maher fan. If you don't know who Bill Maher is, you may want to crawl out from under that rock you've been living under and check out his website. I don't agree with everything he says or stands for, but I do admire the guy, and appreciate his commitment to critical thinking. And who doesn't like an intelligent guy who says pretty much whatever is on his mind? Even though he is somewhat arrogant and downright mocking at times, he's not just some irrational spout of one-sided opinions that seems to overload our current political milieu in the media these days. Don't get me wrong, you know from the get go where Maher stands on issues, but he is not easily boxed into one category, and he doesn't seem to turn away from well informed differences of opinion. -That is why I like him. Needless to say, when I heard he was coming out with a comedic documentary about religion I literally counted down the days until its release.

I finally got to see it this Saturday, and let me tell you, it met and exceeded my expectations. Not only did I find a kindred spirit in Bill Maher (a doubting cynic) I was able to see on a grand scale that much of my spiritual wrestlings are not only valid, but thanks to Maher, they are well articulated, and now shared on the silver screen!

Throughout the movie Maher sets out on a pilgrimage of sorts to find out why people believe what they believe, and more importantly he seeks questions their alleged "certainty" regarding those beliefs. Including various small towns, Christian churches, and bookstores in America, he visits the Mormon's Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, Utah, The Vatican in Rome, The (actual) Holy Land, and the commercialized version, "The Holy Land Experience" in Orlando Florida. He visits Muslim temples, speaks to Catholic priests, Rabbis, Ex-gay ministers, tourists at the "the Holy Land Experience" and of course has a conversation with Jesus...well two Jesuses actually.

From the very beginning of the movie, despite Maher's contempt for "organized" religion, I got the impression that his aim in making this movie was not just to mock people of faith (although he is a comedian, so do expect that) his aim was to ask questions of people who "believe" without being informed and to basically ask the age old epistemological question, "how do you know?"

Maher asks various people of various faiths how they reconcile exceeding ambiguities and contradictions in their particular traditions only to be faced with denial, ignorance, or defensiveness across the board. It is alarming how many people's religious beliefs are based on assumptions which are somehow substituted or misconstrued as faith.

Woven throughout the movie are quotes that remind viewers of atrocities committed in the name of religion, as well as factoids regarding the un-uniqueness of the Genesis account in the Bible. It made me wonder, if Christians stopped denying, and really started understanding how many prototypical "Creation stories" came before the one that appears in Genesis, how would they respond? Why don't people have a general awareness that the Christian story of Creation is pretty likely a "shared" (and by shared I mean plagiarized) story found in other ancient texts that pre-date the Bible? It seems as though we are completely okay with just ignoring those facts. I, like Bill Maher, am not okay with that kind of denial, especially considering that Christians base their entire theologies around the Genesis account of creation, humanity, sin, and the need for redemption, as if it is an historical document. The fact that about 4 or 5 strikingly similar stories came before the Creation Story in Genesis tells me that it (brace yourself) MAY BE a myth. Not a myth without meaning, but still a myth.

It's funny how people who have raised such questions throughout history have been called heretics, cynics, or lunatics. I mean, let's be real, Maher may be one of the more accessible, humorous and popular cynics at the moment, but he certainly isn't the first, and he certainly is not asking any new questions or raising any new criticism that hasn't been raised for centuries. What he is successfully doing in this film though is expressing the same old questions of a cynic within our current context. To me, the irony is that in the midst of criticizing blind faith and ignorant spirituality, he becomes a prophetic voice, albeit crass and lewd, but prophetic nonetheless.

It's funny, but not funny haha, more like funny sad to see that in the midst of hearing painful truths, we are so afraid to confront what might not add up, that we instead choose to accept a cheap and constructed fantasy rather than the purpose, value and meaning of the story.

One of the things I loathe about Bill Maher is that he is very into the whole Playboy Bunny Ranch scene, which to me is the antithesis of intelligentsia. But after I saw the movie and realized that much of what religious folk believe can be seen as fantasy, I realized that going to church on Sunday for some, serves the same purpose as going to the bunny ranch for Maher. We are more content with creating and participating in a fantasy in order to feel better, look better etc, have our egos (among other things) stroked that we don't care to ask the deep penetrating questions that may shatter our created worlds our erroneous perceptions of our faith texts, and reveal our own participation in hypocrisy, fallacy, misogyny, injustice, etc.

None of this means that I discredit faith, hope, or belief in God. On the contrary, I do believe that there is something more fascinating and mysterious about this existence than I can comprehend. I am okay with calling that something a God. But like Maher, I am not okay with making certain assertions that we know why we are here, or what happens to us when we die, what God looks like, what his name is, or who he wants us to vote for. I am not comfortable laying out a "plan" that defines an imperfect condition of humanity that requires me to jump through a bunch of dogmatic hoops for the rest of my life just so I can be "saved."

The fact of the matter is that we don't know. The fact of the matter is that a people of faith (if they are informed-and by informed I mean educated in their tradition in a way that includes a broader historical context) can gain the respect of critical thinkers if they acknowledge the truth about their beliefs, how they are informed, how their faith texts have been formed, and the reality of how those beliefs have played out in history.

I have come to define myself as an agnostic theist with Christian tendencies. That means I believe there is an undeniable mystery and power called God, that there is a profound significance to the biblical narrative, and I do believe there is a timelessness and continuity to the Christian message of hope, restoration, journey, rebirth, and community that parallels life narratives of all people. I can't say I "know" these things, but I can say that based on reasonable observation and study of Scripture in the original languages (yes I'm bragging dammit), intuitive responses to the ebb and flow of life, and a wealth of historical information that my beliefs are in fact informed. I mean can you prove love? Can you quantify beauty? Can you measure the pain that inflicts the broken hearted? These are things that we rely on art, music, and literature to communicate and reveal or express. To me, faith in the supernatural is similar. It's when we look at our sources of information (say the Bible) and read it in a way it is not meant to be read, apply it to a constructed theology, and then hold people to it, by any means necessary that create the problems seen in Maher's movie.

Further, if we take Maher's word for it, faithful=irrational, ignorant, and violent, and non-religiously affiliated are more likely the educated elite. That distinction is so yesterday Bill!

I will say that Maher fairly reveals that it ain't the smart, thoughtful, selfless, wise, and humble Christians that hold the oppressive power in this country!

In Hebrew culture, story was significant. It carried the power to preserve tradition, it transformed, it brought hope, it healed. One man in the film who is really stuck on prescriptives is building a creationist museum that depicts a world that was created 5-6000 years ago where humans and dinosaurs coexisted together. Why? because the Genesis "story" has to be historical and literal to him for any of the rest of it to have any meaning. He is unable to see the power of story as a valid entity in and of itself.

Does such a view point nullify the importance or significance of the Bible or some of the specifics that some Christians think should be "non-negotiables"? I don't think so. I am an artist, and I have a profound respect for the power of "story." There is something significant about human being's need for story to explain life, and I think we desperately, emphatically need it. The story of the Bible brings hope and strength to continue in this oft cruel world. Does it matter if the stories are historical? I don't know. I think a better question to ask is "Do I understand the genre and cultural context of the particular text I am reading and how or does it apply to my context today?" I do wonder if the stories are simply meant to inspire, bring hope, and belief that the old can become new. Many folks in Maher's film (and even Maher himself) are stuck in the prescriptive world. They want the scientific methods of modernism to apply to the power of narrative, and they simply don't, never did, never will.

What is touching about this film (besides the conversation with Maher's adorable mother) is that Maher admits candidly that he is not an atheist. He admits that he just doesn't know. I think it takes profound strength and honesty to admit such a thing.

There are many people, I am sure who will judge this movie before giving it a chance, which I think is very unfortunate, because it is invaluable on many levels. One, it challenges believers of the major faiths to consider the full historical and political contexts of their own traditions, and it two, it enables them to understand what their beliefs look like to an outsider.

It's good stuff. Go see it.

Brave Face

About a month ago, my best friend and I decided we were going to start training to run a marathon. Neither have us have ever attempted anything close, but decided it would be a great accomplishment and since the group we are training with is supporting a great cause we figured it was a no-brainer.

In the past, the only time I've ever ran has been when someone was chasing me, and I have to admit, I don't recall being chased all that much. But my friend's support, and the knowledge that we were part of something bigger than ourselves really helped get me motivated. My friend and I completed a five mile run last Saturday and were due for the 6 mile run this weekend. Neither of us could make the scheduled 7am run so I went around noon by myself and she had to wait until much later when she got off work which was about 9pm.

Around 10pm I get a call from my friend who was out of breath and sounding a bit upset. She told me she tripped over an uneven sidewalk and as she put her hand forward to break the fall, fearing that she also broke her wrist. This was bad news on so many levels.

1. My friend does not have insurance.
2. My friend is a hair stylist and depends on her right hand for her bread and butter.
3. As most Californians, is already scarily trying to make ends meet.

I immediately picked her up and drove her to the E.R. closest to where we live which was a clean, hospitable environment. She was seen in a reasonable amount of time, got X-rays, and waited for the results. We were hoping for a bad sprain.

A little while later an abrupt nurse with a strange sense of humor and a bad cold comes in and tells my friend that not only is her wrist broken but that she'll likely have to have surgery to fix it. The nurse, not having a clue how devastating this news was to my friend, could not grasp why my friend was in tears. She probably thought, "It's only a broken wrist...what's the big deal??" But to my friend, it was so much more. It was the reminder that no matter what, she cannot seem to catch a break. It was another worry to worry about, and another reality check that her already paycheck to paycheck situation is headed for even more trouble.

Once the doctor realized she didn't have insurance he informed her that she could not get the surgery at that hospital. We'd have to go to "County" which was 13 miles away.

I tried to console her as best I could, but what can you do or say when a situation legitimately sucks??? As I sat there with her she cried and looked at me with the saddest tear filled eyes and frowning, quivering mouth and said pleadingly, "I can't put on a brave face anymore. I just can't do it." My friend has endured so much in the past year, and throughout her entire life even. Knowing all that she has faced over the years, I can tell you, she has worn that brave face well. In my best attempts at consoling her, I kept thinking to myself, it really just isn't fair.

After the doctor put the splint on and sent us on our not so merry way we got in my car and proceeded to drive out of the E.R. parking lot. At the light, an older woman who I had seen in the E.R. earlier walked up to my passenger side door and asked if we could drive her to the train station up the street. It was a strange request, and despite the woman's frail, weak state, I was very hesitant to oblige at first. She then began to explain in very broken English that she was having chest pains so she called the ambulance. When they came she explicitly told them to take her to a General hospital because she does not have insurance. The ambulance drivers said they could only take her to Huntington, which is private. When she got there she decided not to be seen because she knew the hospital bills would exceed her tight budget, so she walked around aimlessly trying to figure out what to do next.

I told her to get in and that I'd drive her home. As we drove, she began sobbing from the depths of her soul. She started telling us that her 35 year old daughter died a few months ago and that she attributed her chest pains to the grief of her loss. She seemed to have very little. She obviously had no one to take her to or from the hospital, and from the wellspring of tears that came forth from her tired wrinkly little face, something told me she didn't have many people to share her pain with either. The nearer we got to her house the more frequently she'd say, "But I feel better now, I do. I feel better now," as if she was trying hardest to convince herself. She too, was struggling to keep up the "brave face."

Today, I had to take my friend to the other hospital which was an experience that deserves its own blog. For nine hours of my life I felt like I was in a third world country. I very literally never saw or smelled anything like what I experienced today.

I will tell you this, when I came home tonight, I got in the tub to soak away the stench of rotting flesh that lingered in the emergency room for most of the day, and I just started to sob. The reality of my own "Brave Face" set in and I just hit a point where I realized that I wish I could just yield to it. I wish there existed a time and space where I didn't have to hustle all the time, or run from one idea the next, or fear, question, debate, or work towards this or that.

The fact of the matter is that so many of us, me included, have that brave face on everyday out of pure necessity, because if we take it off, we might surely die, or at least, that's how it feels sometimes. As I sat in my tub, surrounded by silence I wept at the possibility that maybe God is the one being who allows us the luxury of being who we are, minus the brave face. Minus all the crap we hide behind that just helps us make it through the day. Maybe God is the one thing, being, force, entity, whatever...who speaks quietly to our souls and says, it's okay, you don't have to be brave right now. You can let down your guard, it is safe, I am with you. But what is even more important than just hearing the words, the words are actually true.

I think of my friend, and I want so much for her to have a sense that she is safe, protected, taken care of, and not by her own strength, or her own goddam health insurance. And I want to tell the little old lady whose daughter died, that it is okay that her heart hurts so bad from grief, and that she doesn't have to be okay, because it safe for her to be hurt and sad, and in need of help. But the reality is, they do have to have brave faces. Plain and simple. And I hate that.

I hope that somehow, some way, we find the quietest of moments to yield to the "brave face" facades, whatever form they may come in, in safe places where we are cared for and nurtured back to health.

Subversive Jealousy

When I was a senior in high school I took my first art class. It was a level 1 class so I was the only senior among a class room of freshman. (I had an idiot for a guidance counselor who encouraged me to take more "academic" courses early in high school despite my artistic predispositions.) While in that class I met a guy who I became really good friends with. His name is Justin.

Justin was an amazing artist. His work was very mature for his age, and his talent probably surpassed our teacher's, which was probably the reason our teacher harbored a bitter, jealous rage of his own. Justin didn't lose any sleep over that, though. He just kept painting, kept creating, and even in high school made significant bank selling his work. Even though I was an okay artist, I never had the drive or skill that Justin had, and as we grew older, I certainly didn't have the connections that served to open amazing doors for him professionally either.

It has been fifteen years since I first met Justin. Since that time Justin went to some of the best art schools in the country, studied art all over the world, hob nobbed with artists from all over the world, and eventually transferred his skill in painting and design into jewelry making. Justin is now the principle designer and founder of Subversive Jewelry. http://www.subversivejewelry.com/

His designs are poetic, lovely, mysterious, tragic and like nothing I've seen. Though his style of jewelry probably won't appeal to everyone, each work (in my opinion) seems to tell its own story, fusing beauty, history, glamor and the sublime-which is all so "Justin."

Justin's jewelry is worn by supermodels, is featured in fashion magazines, and is sold in L.A., N.Y., London, and Japan. The scrawny little freshman kid who used to draw obsessive pen drawings has certainly come along way.

He has come such along way in fact that recently, I have wantingly gazed at his website, longing to invest in one of his designs knowing that some of his necklaces cost as much as a full months salary for me. "What exactly am I doing wrong?" is a question that often pops into my head when I think about where my life, and my art is in comparison to Justin's. Then it hits me like a brick in the face... I am JEALOUS!

Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic for the success that Justin has worked so hard for, and I hope that he finds more, but it doesn't stop me from wondering why I can't be like him. Why can't I be focused enough, talented enough, motivated enough, or lucky enough to find a niche for myself and run with it? Right now I am supposed to be re-writing an 'Immigration and the American Church' paper that I bombed, when all I really want to do (at the moment) is go to a coffee shop, go salsa dancing or make purses, but I don't. Nor do I re-write my shit paper. Instead, I blog about how jealous I am of a friend who is (seemingly) living the glamorous life.

I want to be the one with the sweet ass apartment in Manhattan and the pressure and deadlines of "fashion week." But instead, I am still a goddam student living in student housing, stressing over research papers and school debt all so that I can end up with a degree that prepares/qualifies me to do shit I no longer want to do. Don't get me wrong, I chose where I am right now, and at one point this is what I truly wanted. But things have changed, I have changed, and I am realizing that things are not turning out the way I expected, and that has me a little disheveled, spiritually, creatively, and vocationally, which is probably why it is so easy for me to look at someone else and say, "I want what he's having!"

Even as I write this I wonder why I chose to include the theme of jealousy as a "Dissecting the Divine" topic. On some level I guess that my jealousy speaks to a larger issue: discontentment, and to me, discontentment is a spiritual issue. I also have a hard time separating what I should be "doing" with my life, from who I am. Some just do what they do, and that works for them. For some reason, when it comes to vocation, I have this cursed perspective that it should mean something, or it should "feel" right. I just can't do something that I don't love. I know such a perspective is proof of a privileged existence because most people in the world work to survive, period, and they don't have the options I have. There is little to no thought regarding how one's work provides existential fulfillment. I don't know, maybe I'm getting sidetracked from the initial topic, which was jealousy...so, back to the point...

I just think there is something fundamentally amiss when you painfully want something that someone else has, that is likely not in your reach. Maybe my jealousy is really an indication of the fear, excuses, laziness, and lack of self determination that lies at the root of why I don't have the life my friend Justin has. Who knows, maybe my friend thinks that the grass is greener on my side of the fence in my less than 200 sq. ft. on campus, seminary apartment. HA-yeah right.

Sometimes I think I am plagued with the desire to be or do something spectacular which is often crushed with a self perception of my own mediocrity.

If there is a God, this is when I would usually ask her, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MY LIFE???? If she would only give me a clear answer, then I would know. I wouldn't pursue the wrong degree, or work toward meaningless ends, and most of all, I wouldn't get jealous of other people because I'd have the confidence of knowing my own path.

God Made Me Do It

On August 6th, I watched a program on T.V. highlighting the complexities regarding China's rise to power, it's current economic boom, and the ways in which it's government perpetuates, denies, and commits egregious acts of human rights violations. To most people who pay attention to world events, none of this is new information. However, with the Olympics being held in Beijing, an opportunity has arisen for those who are compelled to advocate on behalf of the voiceless to take advantage of the moment to raise awareness in hopes of putting pressure and shame on a country known for shucking the responsibility of its ills.

The Olympics have been a venue for political agendas and social justice movements for decades, and rightfully so. People have relied on the intersection of nation and sport to speak out against war, genocide, civil rights violations, religious persecution, and more. Athletes have taken their places on podiums to accept medals and to take a stand against all kinds of injustices. This time around is no different.

Well, it's a little different. With China under sharp criticism from much of the world, one can't help but wonder why it was chosen to host a world event in the first place. Who didn't see these ensuing controversies coming? One can't help but wonder what the hell CHINA was thinking?!? I mean did you (China) really think the world was just gonna sit back and forget all the ways your own people are being policed, silenced, and controlled just because you put on a good show? Did you think we'd be so awed by your torch display that we'd overlook the fact that you do business with governments who are currently committing acts of genocide, because you depend on their natural resources?

As important as it is to understand the intricacies behind China's woeful ways, it is not the focus of this blog. The focus is on the actions of a guy who affectionately goes by the name "Pastor Eddie." Pastor Eddie is on a one man crusade to "raise awareness" worldwide by reserving hotel rooms in China, vandalizing them by painting the walls with the atrocities committed by China over the years, and then documents his handiwork and journey on a blog called http://exodus8one.org/blog

It is all over the news. I saw his wife crying on t.v. tonight as she shared her support of his "sacrificial" actions. In case you are wondering, this act is considered "sacrificial" because it is quite possible that Pastor Eddie could be executed for his actions according to Chinese law. In China, it is against the law to criticize the government. And I am sure it is against the law to vandalize a hotel room and jump ship before paying your bill, too, all of which the pastor is guilty of.

Pastor Eddie, his wife, their church, and many supporters in the U.S. (and probably abroad) applaud this man's actions and insist that he (Pastor Eddie) is acting in accordance with God's will on behalf of people in China and those in other countries negatively affected by China's policies. The blog is riddled with Excessive God Talk (EGT-a term defined and the subject of my last Dissecting the Divine blog).

Pastor Eddie, writes updates in his blog highlighting his near miss with Chinese authorities in a way that makes me wonder if he is getting a sort of "high" from all of this, and ends by asserting that "GIG." I had to rack my brain to figure out that it meant, "God is Good." -I am gagging.

God is Good to a man who left his wife, family, and church to go to China, break Chinese laws, to make a point that many others are making just as successfully, risking a LOT of prison time and possible death? I think God is looking at this guy and saying, "Dude, leave me out of this!"

Here is the thing about Pastor Eddie...he is right. He is right about the atrocities committed by the Chinese government, he is right that people of all faiths are being persecuted immensely, and he is right in his demand for global awareness and action. But to what degree is God responsible for the way in which he has chosen to raise awareness?

Let me clarify, I am not opposed to civil disobedience. (Breaking the law in order to show that the law is in in need of revision.) Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my greatest inspirations and everything he did was "against the law." He had to break the law, or no one was going to listen.

People who harbored Jews during the Holocaust "broke the law" but they did so in order to save lives. It was necessary.

But Pastor Eddie...

I wonder if his "sacrifice" and methods to raise awareness will do anything more than get a couple thousand hits on youtube as well as get him or someone else killed. I read an article online that talked about how journalists were asking hotel employees what they knew of the whole situation. The two that were referenced said they knew nothing, that they didn't even hear of the event. Which reveals one of two things: Either the Chinese control over media kept employees of the actual hotel unaware of what happened INSIDE the hotel, or these employees are scared shitless that they will be arrested for mentioning a word of this to the foreign press. Yikes! Does this guy realize what harm he might be doing?

The other thing that baffles me is the fact that his wife is left behind as are his adult children and their six grandchildren, to wait and wonder what the fate of this lone soldier renegade holds. And they ALL confirm that God is behind this 100%.

This is precisely what I was talking about in my last blog. What is it that convinces this man that God is directing his actions in this way, and why is it that I strongly believe that such is not the case? Somebody is wrong. Somebody is not getting the correct message.

In a recent staff meeting one of the older sages I work with responded to my increasing concern over students who say things like "God told me I am supposed to go to Fuller" while their application deficiencies led to another fate. He said, (I am paraphrasing) "Students who believe God is speaking to them specifically about this program or that, would best be served if they conceded to the reality that they feel compelled by a very valid need to do SOMETHING about that perceived need, and are in the process of figuring out how to make that happen." Such wise words.

I believe that Pastor Eddie perceives a valid need. A need for global awareness, a need for social justice, a need for liberation from a very powerful government, a need for the dark atrocities of a nation to be brought to the light. What I don't believe is that God is behind his seemingly unwise and unnecessary sacrifice. I think God does require sacrifice but I just can't see God requiring sacrifice in vain. If other measures, media outlets, etc are in place that are making people question unjust Chinese foreign policy, what is the point of putting your own head on the chopping block? I can't think of anything more self righteous, UN-godly, and just plain non-sensical.

Now you might be saying, well look at the attention this guy is getting, doesn't that account for something? I would say yes, if CHINA WASN'T ALREADY MAKING HEADLINE NEWS WITH ALL ITS BAD STUFF! American media LOVES hating China. There is no shortage of their atrocities on mainstream news media outlets here. No shortage whatsoever. If such was not the case, I'd be the first to sign up for Pastor Eddie's blog.

For now, I am not sure what to make of it. What do you think? Do you think God told Pastor Eddie to do it? What did you know of China before this blog, or before hearing of Pastor Eddie on the news (if you have)? Has his efforts enlightened you about China more than other sources?

(Please resist the "he believes what he believes, I believe what I believe" kind of rhetoric as a means of avoiding critique of this situation. It is a myth that what one believes is between that one person and God. We don't exist in a vacuum. Everything we think, do, and believe affects everything outside of ourselves. Don't be afraid to say "yes" or "no" to the above questions, just be prepared to back it up.)

Dissect away my pretties.

God Talk

Lately, I have become increasingly amused by what I call "Excessive God Talk" aka, EGT. Some people prefer the term "Christianese." Either is fine I suppose. Both phrases denote a use of words that are usually only acceptable or legitimate when used around other "Godly" people. Phrases that are clear signs of EGT include, but are not limited to:

God told me...
I am waiting to hear God's voice...
When I hear from him (God) I'll let you know...
Greetings in the name of our gracious savior, the Lord Jesus Christ...
"Under the care of his wing" (instead of "Sincerely" at the end of a letter)
I saw the face of God in my face...
and my personal favorite: The Devil is a liar...

The list goes on.

(By the way, all of the above phrases are things I have actually read or heard at work or over the phone. It never ceases to amaze me how specifically and clearly God speaks to some people!)

People who talk and think this way provoke one of two reactions.

1. What am I doing wrong that causes God to be so indirect and nondescript when it comes to my life journey and spiritual revelation?

OR

2. What the hell are these people smoking?

The crazy part is that I actually used to talk and think like that. I used to say that God "led" me here, or there. And I used to believe that all my decisions were based on the "fact" that he was speaking to me. I never defined it as a literal, audible voice, but rather a belief in my heart that God was nudging me in one way over another.

When I think about it now though, I am not as convinced as I once was about those "God spoke to me" moments. I now wonder if they weren't just natural development of my interests, passions, and personal desires. I know, I know, who's to say that those things aren't motivated or shaped by God's will? I don't know how to answer that, which is half the reason I am writing this post.

All I know is that when I hear people say that they undoubtedly, irrefutably hear God talking to them, I can't help but question their sanity. Maybe my feelings are based in a deep seeded jealousy that God isn't talking so clearly and directly to me. Or maybe it's the fact that so many people I know at one time or another were convinced that they were hearing God, when in fact they were hearing the wishes of their own subconscious.

Ex: I knew a woman in college who was convinced that God spoke to her in a dream and said that she was to marry another friend of ours. I did not think she was hearing right, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt and "waited" with her as she patiently prayed for the day he would propose, even though they never dated. She was convinced that God placed a supernatural ring on her finger in her dream and that since she woke up from that dream she could still sense the feeling of an actual ring on her finger even though she wasn't actually wearing one. A year later, the guy did propose...to another woman. Nine years later, they are still married.

Another woman I know applied to a PhD program, convinced that this was the direction in which God was leading her, because that's what he told her. Hmm. Convenient. Apparently God forgot to tell her that she needed to know how to properly construct a thesis statement and supporting citations in her essay. She was denied on the basis that her writing skills were insufficient for Doctoral level work. "WHAT??? BUT GOD TOLD ME!!!! The Devil is a liar!!!"

I find that when things don't go the way people suffering from EGT syndrome expect, they blame the devil. This is a convenient strategy for people who can't stand the thought of taking personal responsibility for one's actions, irrationality, poor decisions and lack skills or common sense.

Being confronted with EGT (as entertaining as it sometimes is) really does frustrate me. Not only is it frustrating, but it is one of the main reasons I can't step foot into a church right now. Too much EGT!!!! Last week I was at a church and a woman was sharing how she has just started making crocheted purses and she kept saying, "I KNOW God keeps telling me to sell my stuff in Santa Monica." Really? So God is taking up marketing now? Why can't this woman realize that the urge to go to Santa Monica to sell her wares is more about a logical understanding that people who visit or live in Santa Monica typically have an indiscriminate amount of money to spend on trendy crocheted handbags???? Revelation from God, and logical assessment of supply and demand are not the same thing. UGH!

I don't know, maybe my cynicism is at work again, poisoning my ability to see the intimate handiwork of God in the everyday things of our lives.

I mean, Jesus did tell the disciples to throw their nets over the other side of the boat after an unyielding, exhausting day of labor, and the result was an abundances of fish that nearly snapped their nets! But Jesus was actually right there with them, giving direct guidance in the form of legible words coming directly out of his mouth. More than that, there was an end result that was directly in line with the direction. Such an event cannot compare to what we have to go by when we think God is speaking to us. So how can we be so sure when or if God is speaking?

Does all of this mean that I don't think God (if he or she does exist) doesn't speak to people? Of course not. What kind of God would God be if he/she didn't reveal himself/herself to us in some way. And what would be our purpose if we couldn't discern that revelation?

To me it all comes down to basic, philosophical, epistemological (theory of knowledge)questions:

What is knowledge? (in this case in regards to God's revelation)
How is that knowledge acquired?
What do people know?
How do we know what we know?

All questions I have no answers to.