Two Cities...

San Diego/Tijuana

the most trafficked border in the world (70,000 a day).

Are they two cities, or one large integrated zone?

Shoppers cross the border, in both directions.

Families cross the border, in both directions.

Students cross the border, in both directions.

Church groups cross the border (maybe in just one direction).

It's an interesting question,

what does it mean to you to cross the border?

What are you looking for when you do?

The border as it extends into the ocean.

Families used to touch hands here,

Priests used to serve communion also.

But now there is a no-man's-land

in between and people can't approach the fence.

A Glimpse of the Tangible Kingdom

G
I picked up the book, "Re Jesus" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch this week. Chaz, Rebecca, Peter, Derek and I had started reading it together when we all still lived in LA. It was one of those books that got shuffled around in our move to San Diego and I'm not sure that any of us had a chance to finish it.

This morning I experienced something beautiful of the tangible Kingdom of God. Frost and Hirsch say, "...we are never alone when we do a holy deed because we partner with God in the redemption of the world. In other words, a deed done in His name is a means of Grace, a sacrament........and grace goes two ways: such an action pulls a person away from their own self-involved concerns and directs them missionally toward other human beings in such a way that they, the person acted upon and the person acting find God in a new way." (p.152)

Right after I read this quote and the words surrounding it, I heard someone yell out from the street in front of our house, "Ken, wait! We have something for you! Its a surprise!" I quickly looked out our window to see who it was.

Ken is a homeless man who walks by our house in the morning and evening every day. He wears all black and carries three large canvas bags. I've seen the couple who live across the street from us talking to him once or twice but this morning they stopped right in front of our window so I got to listen in.

The husband stood and talked with Ken while the wife rain into their home to get her "surprise" for Ken. I so enjoyed watching them interact....tears filled my eyes as I felt God was revealing Himself to me through this couple's act of love toward Ken. The wife ran out of the house with a new pair of jeans, nicely folded, and a banana. Ken had a big smile on his face in responded in gratefulness for the jeans and said, ".... and Bananas are my favorite."

I haven't met this neighbor couple yet but I want to. I don't know if they know Jesus yet. And I want to tell them that they encouraged me with their act of love toward Ken.

I have to add to Frost and Hirsch's quote.... not only does the person acted upon and the person acting find God in a new way but maybe the people looking out their windows get to find God in a new way too. :)

Celebrating Rebecca

On Friday we celebrated Rebecca's Birthday with a surprise costume party! Costume parties seem to bring out everyone's true colors..... :)

Gospel Reflection

Jesus desperately wanted the Lost Sheep of Israel to know Him as their savior but so many rejected Him. This broke His heart. They were looking for something else while Jesus was pointing at Himself. He did not do what they thought He should do and they missed Him. I think we do the same thing today by expecting Jesus to act according to our theology and not according to His character. Maybe that is why He told John's disciples to "not fall away on account of Him." We must learn to follow the Jesus of the Bible and not the Jesus of our dreams. That is the only way we will experience true life.
This week we are looking at Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. He wept for the city. Pay attention to the differences between what the people wanted and what Jesus was offering.

Read through the middle of page 92.

Investing in the Tangible Kingdom

Inspired by the book we're currently going through, The Tangible Kingdom, today I set up an Etsy Store for a local street artist (that is, an artist living on the street) in our neighborhood. She signs her art "incinders," but her name is Cynthia.

Instead of pan-handling, Cynthia creates original, one-of-a-kind bookmark-sized original works of art and sells them on the streets of Golden Hill to passers-by. She creates her art on found scraps of cardboard, packaging, gum-wrappers and paper. Using paint, markers and pens, Cynthia's style is whimsical and expressive, belying her harsh reality of spending her days on the street.

Since moving to Golden Hill in Fall '08, I would buy Cynthia's bookmark-sized art whenever I saw her on the street. Her story, only part of which I've heard, is one of heart-break and recovering addiction. But it's also a story of hope. Inspired by her upbeat attitude and use of her talent to try and generate a meager income, I decided to share the love by setting up an Etsy store to sell some of her work online.

The Incinders Etsy store is here. For six or seven bucks (come on, that's like NOTHING for original one-of-a-kind art!), I'll include shipping. Buy more than one, and the shipping on additional items is free. 100% of your purchase goes directly to Cynthia.

— Jon

Articles on Golden Hill History

I found these articles in Espresso (tell me what this means - an independent newspaper for café society). One is on Judy's "Big Kitchen" Café and the other on San Diego History:

Big Kitchen - 29 years in Golden Hill

San Diego's 240th Anniversary Goes Unsung

Gospel Reflection

Jesus is passionate, intentse, focused, couragous, loving, compassionate, kind and always radical to the surrounding culture. We saw something change in Him this last week as soon as Peter said that He was the Christ. Now He has set his face toward Jerusalem and He knows what is comming next.
In this next section we see Jesus telling multiple parables and teachings. Pay attention to themes that you see, new ones and ones that would connect to what we have already read.

(Read through the top of page 80)