Of all the illuminating, convicting, and disturbing things we heard and saw watching Food, Inc. on our movie night, I think the words of that small farmer from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia named Joel Salatin will stick with me the most: "A culture that just views a pig as a pile of protoplasmic inanimate structure to be manipulated by whatever creative design a human a can foist on that critter, will probably view individuals within its community and other cultures in the community of nations with the same kind of distain and disrespect and controlling type mentality."
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
food, inc.
Of all the illuminating, convicting, and disturbing things we heard and saw watching Food, Inc. on our movie night, I think the words of that small farmer from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia named Joel Salatin will stick with me the most: "A culture that just views a pig as a pile of protoplasmic inanimate structure to be manipulated by whatever creative design a human a can foist on that critter, will probably view individuals within its community and other cultures in the community of nations with the same kind of distain and disrespect and controlling type mentality."
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Nueva Generacion
We spent the afternoon today at Nueva Generacion, a boys home in Tijuana led by Luis Salinas, his wife an family. It was an amazing day, playing futbol with the boys, eating pizza, and learning more about life and ministry in Tijuana. Thanks Shaun and Maria for opening up your world to us!
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Garden ...
I read a great article in the LA Times this morning about the New Root's Community Farm that Michael Kolbas supports and cheers on through his work at the IRC.
The girls and I have been driving by the farm on Chollas Pkwy on the way to Emily's school for the past couple of months, I discovered the farm accidentally while trying to find a shortcut one day. I've been praying for the people working in the field as we pass it on Monday and Wednesday. I often wonder about their stories, how they came to be here in this little corner of San Diego and what their everyday lives are like. Thankfully this story gave me a little peek into that.
And since nature it was one of the topics at last night's discussion, I found it very encouraging to see how God's creativity with nature can bring people from such diverse cultures together.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Its always better when we're together....
Peter moved to the apartment next door. Though the destination was only a few feet away, the load was much lighter because we were all together. Some of us carried boxes and furniture, others cleaned, others just hung out and we all took breaks to play around and enjoy the sunny San Diego afternoon. One of the simple beauties of community is that we get to surround each other, even in the smaller transitions of life.
shared leadership
Here's another great reason for us to be an all-play community:
"Jesus exercises the only kind of leadership that can evoke authentic community--a leadership that risks failure (the crucifixion) by making space for others to act. When a leader takes up all the space and preempts all the action, he or she may make something happen, but that something is not community."
"When a leader is willing to trust the abundance that people can generate together, willing to take risk of inviting people to share from that abundance, then and only then may true community emerge."
- Parker Palmer
"Jesus exercises the only kind of leadership that can evoke authentic community--a leadership that risks failure (the crucifixion) by making space for others to act. When a leader takes up all the space and preempts all the action, he or she may make something happen, but that something is not community."
"When a leader is willing to trust the abundance that people can generate together, willing to take risk of inviting people to share from that abundance, then and only then may true community emerge."
- Parker Palmer
Monday, December 21, 2009
Christmas in Golden Hill
A liturgical expression of 4th Sunday of Advent.
Christmas carols.
Tamales and Cuban black beans.
And a rousing white elephant gift exchange.
It was a good Christmas dinner with friends in Golden Hill.
> more photos
Christmas carols.
Tamales and Cuban black beans.
And a rousing white elephant gift exchange.
It was a good Christmas dinner with friends in Golden Hill.
> more photos
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Nick, David and little Carlos
The weekend before last, a group of us traveled 90 miles south of the border into Mexico to an area about 10 miles below Ensenada. There, we landed at Casa Esperanza (Hope House), a shelter for women who are victims of domestic abuse, and their children.
It was a dirty, wonderful, magical weekend, spent with new and old friends, serving, working, laughing, praying, and sharing lives with some of the least among those living in this border region of Mexico.
Shelters for women in Mexico are rare. The problem of domestic abuse goes largely ignored in this culture, but a deep culture wound it is. Women who manage to escape abusive relationships typically have no where to go. This makes Casa Esperanza more than a special place.
I've been to Casa Esperanza a number of times, and among the many things that stand out to me, are the children. Specifically, how the children react to men being at Esperanza.
Most of these kids have never had a positive male role model in their lives. Most don't know what's it's like to have a dad playing with them, having a catch, kicking the futbol around, or just hanging out. Many have been abused in unimaginable ways.
So when I see one of the guys in our group taking time out from a serving project or task to play with a kid, play tag with them, kick a ball, or hoist them up onto shoulders, I am warmed in ways beyond words.
Some kids embrace this attention immediately. Others seem to take time to warm up to the idea of a man who may be fun, playful or affectionate in honest, loving ways. Yet embrace they do. Their eyes light up. Hearts melt. And it is in these moments I feel I see the very expression of Jesus himself.
/jon
It was a dirty, wonderful, magical weekend, spent with new and old friends, serving, working, laughing, praying, and sharing lives with some of the least among those living in this border region of Mexico.
Shelters for women in Mexico are rare. The problem of domestic abuse goes largely ignored in this culture, but a deep culture wound it is. Women who manage to escape abusive relationships typically have no where to go. This makes Casa Esperanza more than a special place.
I've been to Casa Esperanza a number of times, and among the many things that stand out to me, are the children. Specifically, how the children react to men being at Esperanza.
Most of these kids have never had a positive male role model in their lives. Most don't know what's it's like to have a dad playing with them, having a catch, kicking the futbol around, or just hanging out. Many have been abused in unimaginable ways.
So when I see one of the guys in our group taking time out from a serving project or task to play with a kid, play tag with them, kick a ball, or hoist them up onto shoulders, I am warmed in ways beyond words.
Some kids embrace this attention immediately. Others seem to take time to warm up to the idea of a man who may be fun, playful or affectionate in honest, loving ways. Yet embrace they do. Their eyes light up. Hearts melt. And it is in these moments I feel I see the very expression of Jesus himself.
/jon
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