Heroic Community Organizers …
In our US elections, there's been a lot of mockery of community organizers. But in my travels, I've seen the tremendous courage and sacrifice of community organizers. This morning, I read about community organizers in Honduras who have been killed for their work on behalf of justice for the poor. I also was able to advocate for their colleagues so they will not become victims of community oppressors ... I hope that you'll take a few minutes to learn the truth about the important work of these dedicated Christian community organizers, and that you'll add your voice in their support here ...
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This week …
I leave in a few minutes for a busy week on the road speaking to college students, Christian community organizers (!), pastors, and seminarians. First, to Indiana, then to Ohio, then to Florida (I know, this sounds like a political tour to contested states in the election, but it's not!), then to Chicago. (Details are available on my schedule page here on the site.)
I've been hoping to put up at least one more post on my reasons for being an enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama for president, but that may have to wait until next week. In the meantime, I think it's interesting to note that General Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama, based largely on the idea of needing a transformational leader who represents generational change, resonates very much with what I wrote in my first post, available here. If you haven't checked out the Matthew 25 site on the election, take a look now.
Grace and I took a long walk around our neighborhood on Sunday, just enjoying the amazing fall colors ... part of God's annual display of tree-art. If you're stuck indoors, here's a link to some beautiful photos of God's animal-art show ... thanks to Jason Clark for the link. These beautiful October days in God's beautiful world have me humming the old hymn "How Great Thou Art."
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another email …
Several moving emails have come in recent days that I think are worth sharing because they give a window into the heart of Evangelical Christianity.
Hi Brian, Just wanted to let you know that I'm so excited to have started reading your books - they are proving to be a lifesaver to me. I have been a Christian for 14 years and have belonged to a small, loving, non denominational, fundamental, evangelical (what a mouthful!) Christian church. I am very active in various ministries in the church but have always had many, many questions, differences in traditional views that I have kept to myself, thinking "there must be something wrong with me, etc.". I have reached a crisis point in the past 6 months and your books have been a lifeline to me. It is so amazing to find out there are many others who think/feel the way I do. I don't want to say too much at church as I don't want to cause division or upset or be disrespectful of what has worked for many people for most of their lives.
This is what I'm hearing more and more, not just from young people, but from 40 and 50 and 60 and 70-somethings too.
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The Exodus Narrative(s) and the Election
A truly thoughtful essay from James Skillen here ...
This caught my eye because I'm at Lipscomb University speaking with Walter Brueggemann and others on Exodus as a paradigmatic text.
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