A tremendous day
Fifteen of the last sixteen years, I've spent a day or two as a volunteer with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources doing wildlife assessments - specifically, helping wildlife biologist Scott Smith search for the bog turtle.
The bog turtle is the smallest and rarest turtle in North America. It lives in fragile, widely-scattered mini-ecosystems in Eastern North America.
Maryland, where I live, is near the center of its range.
To me, it's a complete pleasure to spend a day enjoying God's glorious creation and helping gather data to protect some easy-to-destroy corners of it - along with the creatures who live in them. Yesterday we surveyed three sites and found eight bog turtles. More than half were re-captured animals that had been marked in past years; a couple were first-time captures. After weighing, measuring, and marking the animals, we released them where we found them, in hopes that our data will help form public policy which will protect them for years to come.
If you'd like to learn more about doing your part to protect and heal the environment, check out everythingmustchange.org and click on planet.
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Envision 08 Conference Controversy
I've remarked to a number of friends lately that there seem to be three main kinds of religious people in the world.
First, there are the fearsome - those who like to make others afraid.
Second, there are the fearless - those who refuse to be intimidated by the fearsome.
Then in the middle are the fearful - those who are afraid to associate with the fearless because they might incur the ire of the fearsome.
I've noticed over the years that a favorite tactic of the fearsome is "guilt by association." A small group of the fearsome is using this tactic this week to attack Kay Warren for her participation in the upcoming Envision 08 gathering at Princeton, June 9-11.
One of their blogs recently began like this ...
Kay Warren Joins Heavy-Weight Emergents at Envision 08
Kay Warren, wife of Purpose Driven pastor Rick Warren, will join several heavy-weight emergent leaders at the upcoming Envision 08 event this June. Kay Warren will share a platform with Brian McLaren, Jim Wallis (Sojourners magazine), Shane Claiborne, Jay Bakker (son of PTL Jim Bakker), Doug Pagitt, and several other speakers who share emerging church proclivities.
In my opinion, Kay Warren is a hero. I doubt she would even be aware of "emergent heavyweights," much less wish to be associated with them. She is busy helping influence thousands of Christians to care in unprecedented ways for people in need around the world - especially for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. The fearsome critics choose to ignore the amazing good Kay and Rick Warren have done and are doing, and instead they attack Kay for attending an event which includes people like (shudder) Shane Claiborne, Jim Wallis, Jay Bakker, Doug Pagitt and (shudder again) me.
Ironically, today's fearsome were probably yesterday's fearful who became co-opted by a mindset of fear. One can hope that more and more of today's fearful will refuse to be intimidated or play into the old politics of fear. After all, recalling Paul's words (2 Tim 1:7), God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
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Whose Side Are You On?
This week many people around the world are recalling - with a wide range of emotion and opinion - the formation of the modern state of Israel 60 years ago.
This piece by Eboo Patel expresses what's most in my heart these days.
Blessed are the peacemakers ...
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upcoming international travel?
Now that the EMC tour is over (I'm still feeling pretty sad about that ... it was such an enjoyable experience) ... people have been asking about when I'll be doing some international travel. Here's what's planned this year and next:
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In the Balto-DC area?
Tomorrow (Tuesday) 13 May I'll be meeting a few friends at Daily Grind in Fulton from 8 to 9:30 or so. You're welcome to drop in and join us. For links, go here ...
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