new experiences

i have been in seattle for like two months now and that is just crazy. time is going by so fast. i feel that i am on a learning overload. it's almost as though everyday has a new lesson...a new set of ideas.

tonight was a really really good night. i got to be a part of some really intense conversation at one of the groups on campus. my brain is still spinning, and i just can't stop thinking about the things that were discussed tonight. part of me got really excited. i have such a wonderful opportunity to be here and to be having these conversations. the topic of discussion tonight was racism, in light of the unfortunate "jena 6" incident. the passion in the room was so contagious. everyone in the room just wanted the suffering to end. there were so many shocking statistics about incidents of racism in our country, it is hard to turn away from them. so as i am sitting in this room, just kind of taking everything in, i am just struck by a thought. here i am in this room where our religious beliefs are very different. God is probably misunderstood and only associated with the right wing among the people in this room. (which is not a good thing) and we can come together and agree that people are equal and should be treated so. i want to just stand up on the desk and shout...jesus wants the same thing. his whole message is that people are free and equal...that He doesn't love just some people a little bit and other people a whole lot. i follow a Jesus that loved the poor, loved the rich, loves the black, loves the white, loves the ones who mess everything up, and the ones who think they do everything right. when did Jesus become political? what a shame that in this meeting where everything they are looking for could be answered with a little dose of Jesus, just the mention of religion makes their skin crawl. how did we get here? what are the infamous five steps for cleaning up the mess Christians have made? i was in a room surrounded by people who were outraged that people die of hunger when we have more than enough food to make everyone fat and happy, they were dissapointed that we live in a world that makes it easier for a person to go to prison rather than college because of the color of their skin. i think that Jesus cares about those same things, i think that He would be right along side of them.

why aren't we doing anything about the social injustices all around the world, all around the neighborhood we live in? since when are the only people taking action the people who don't love Jesus? if anybody should be doing anything, or caring, it should be the people who claim the name of Christ. shame on us for being more concerned with talking about predestination and whether or not we should drink ( or be honest about if we drink) than with loving others. really loving others, not just talking about it. love God love people, that gets thrown around a lot...but what does that mean? what does that look like? what are we doing to love others? there are tons and tons of people are who are looking for love, looking for peace, looking for answers...they are taking action into their own hands because nothing else is being done. we have the answer living inside of us. we are the messengers...why aren't we sending the message. tonight a question was asked about why Christians weren't involved in the conversations and issues that the group was discussing. why? is there a good reason? maybe if the discussion had been about divorce, women pastors, abortion, or homosexuality...Christians would have taken an interest.