James 5

“The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”

My community (church) is studying the book of James right now. And it’s wonderful.

I just read this line in a book I’m reading for the second time and this time it popped out at me even more since my eyes are peeled for James. The book quotes that verse above.

Then the author goes on with his interpretation. . .

“This isn’t simply about fairly paying the immigrants who mow our lawns (or the many other things immigrants and the working-poor do for too cheap): it’s about the way our world’s economy drains wealth from the poor up to the rich. And we are all part of it.

But the god of money (whom, let’s face it, we all serve because we all want money) calls out,

‘How could we buy cheap shirts (and other cute clothes from Target, etc.) without the sweatshops of Honduras?

How could we get cheap fast food without the migrant tomato farmers in Florida?’

God hears the workers’ groaning.

God’s gift of the earth itself is at stake too.

‘You cannot know that life is holy if you are content to live from economic practices that daily destroy life and diminish its possibility.

But if we are to maintain any sense or coherence or meaning in our lives, we cannot tolerate the present utter disconnection between religion and economy.’”

What does all this mean for me?

Well this tiny segment is part of a whole picture that God is teaching me about NOT being a consumer. Not just being a “wise shopper,” but literally figuring out how I can consume less and less, so that I can stop supporting an economy I don’t agree with. And stop supporting corporations that are living out unfair practices with their workers.

I do find it very hard to not consume. But, I can stop buying clothes, unless they are completely worn out and falling off me. Let’s be honest, I have plenty of clothes to last me a while. (Keep in mind, I am not holding my clothes selection up to the normal standards)

I can choose my food wisely and try to eat at home as much as possible.

I can let go of my desire for a nice SLR camera so that I can REALLY take quality pictures.

I can let go of my desire for a better computer, cell phone, ipod, and other electronics.

I can borrow books. (this one is REALLY tough for me. . .and I’m not totally convinced that not buying books will effect the economy greatly, but I know it will somehow)

I haven’t officially decided if this is crazy or not but my friend (who is similar to me in socio demographics) goes “dumpster diving” sometimes. And I know that sounds just straight up stupid, but tell me what sounds more crazy: throwing out loaves of bread that were baked that day or the day before and plenty of other fruits, veggies, and other foods that are completely edible, safe, and good--throwing that food out when others are starving……… OR going to the back of a restaurant or store and getting that food and eating it and sharing it with others! And saving money so that you may share that with others!

Which one sounds crazy??

Continuing on….I can consolidate my wardrobe to much less (even if it looks like I’m wearing the same clothes way too often) and give the abundance to others and do the same with all the other gidgets and gadgets and this and that around my room.

I mean I could keep going, but I think you get the picture for me life.

Oh and also, it means a few more things for me:

Advocating (in lots of informal and formal ways) for the worker who is getting unfair wages; using my blessings of status, power, and prestige to bring others more of that.

Starting a garden as soon as I possibly can…..uhg I want to do this so bad.

Learning how to sew as soon as I possibly can (this is more of a dream, than anything close to reality right now)

And if I am ever in a position of employing workers or just leading over people, doing it fairly in every way possible.

The book doesn’t quote James 5:5, but I’m going to…

“You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.”

Man…..that’s intense. We don’t know if James is talking to Christians are non-Christians in that passage, but we do know that he starts the passage with, “Now listen you rich people…”

If you are reading this blog right now, I can almost guarantee you that you are rich, just in case you were wondering.

Anyways….that verse just really gets me. If that does not feel like daggers coming right at you, I don’t know what does. I live in luxury every single day. I live in self-indulgence pretty often. I have everything I need and almost everything I could even want. I am being fattened physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually daily….while others are dying in war….while others are dying of starvation…..while others are being slaughtered by their own people....and on and on…..

No, I may not be the exact people that James was speaking to, but either way, I can not read those words, knowing my place in the world’s society, and not feel conviction and a desire to change something in my life that may bring even a slight bit of equality to the world. If I can simply not live in luxury; if I can simply stop fattening myself in all areas, I can still live well, so that others can live better.

'Locavorism'= Kingdom building

Read this PLEASE:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24994028/

I never read much news, but this article popped up at me at work and who is going to pass up the oppurtunity to read a good article instead of doing a mindless job???

The topics discussed in this article represent just another part of this journey our King is taking me on. This stuff has really been on my heart and I'm trying to take baby-steps to living it out....but I can get frustrated sometimes cause I wish I had more encouragement from people around me in ways to change my lifestyle and live this out.

And this article just touches on some things--its not the whole picture at all of food, creation, globalization, local growing, processed food, consumerism, being more in tune with another part of who we are--the earth.

We are so much apart of the "empire"/ "kingdom" of America that is in stark contrast to the ways of His Kingdom on earth and one of those ways is the way we consume in general, and particularly, food. This article does not paint it in a easy or idealistic way either. They admit that it is very hard because of the lifestyle we are used to. And I admit that it is very hard and sometimes it seems impossible to get to the place I would like to be in this context.

But I still believe that we are missing a part of the abundant life/Kingdom that God intends for us by consuming the way our empire tells us to (which we are mainly unaware of altogether) and being so extrememly seperated physically and spiritually from the food we put into our bodies which are "temples," so says Jesus.

And I want more of that abundant life that He offers. And I want less of what American society tells me easy and helpful and civilized and full. Because I don't believe that anymore.

Truth and Trash

One of the elders at my church said something about how he searches for Truth in the dumpster. . . or he’s not afraid to search for truth in the dumpster. . . either way. . . I liked it, it stuck with me, and I’ll explain why. . .

It’s really easy to become completely in love with a certain person (author, musician, pastor, actor, politician, etc) or a certain movement. Ya know, everyone wants to be ALL ABOUT something. We long to find a cause or an idea or a movement that we can say, “yes, that’s what I’m all about! That’s all truth! I want to represent that!”

Because that feels good! It makes us feel purposeful! It gives us meaning!

We are wired for that as humans.

And it’s great. Cause there is one thing (person/movement) we should be ALL ABOUT.

But when it comes to people we follow though we must be careful. This is something I’ve noticed in myself that God has really been working on in this season of life. . .

I read a book or listen to sermons or hear stories about a person, and I agree with everything I hear, and so it’s easy to think that I agree with everything that person is about and everything they’ve ever said and I get all excited about that person and proclaim his/her greatness to the world. (and it is a wonderful and edifying thing to do—to talk about how great people are, so ill keep that part) And I hear other people doing this as well. And its okay but I just want to start making sure that I realize that this person has faults and if I dig into everything this person thinks, writes, speaks about, and does I probably won’t agree with all of it. So I probably shouldn’t act like I’m ALL ABOUT that person as if I truly know him/her.

I want to take the truth and leave the trash.

I want to be able to dig into people (a few examples: Rob bell, shane Claiborne, mark driscoll, matt chandler, mother teresa) and find the things that they are saying that are true (meaning: they line up with Jesus) and leave the stuff that’s trash. I want to be able to read books that many people think is very controversial and dig through the trash to find the truth. I want to be able to read the books that everyone thinks is wonderful and say, ‘hmm I think this is actually trash, cause it actually doesn’t line up with Jesus, no matter what others say.’

If I start listening to someone who is “right on” with everything, I want to remind myself that there is probably something that is not “right on” with them and maybe I’m just getting caught up in how great the words sound or something of that nature. Maybe I need to keep my eyes open for something that could be trash. Now, this doesn’t mean I become cynical and doubtful of everything and everyone. It just means I take people for what they are—human. And I test everything to see if it falls under the one thing I am ALL ABOUT.

And I want to also be careful about not making a particular person sound like they are ‘perfect’ when I talk about them, and making them out to be something they can’t live up to. I think we do that a lot when we become ALL ABOUT someone or something.

The same stuff happens with ‘movements’ or ‘ideas’ or ‘causes.’ Some examples: the emergent church, women’s rights or feminism, fair trade, certain styles of doing church, political issues, and such.

Hear me say that there is nothing wrong with being pro or anti any of those things and anything else you can add to that list. If you know me, you can probably name lots of “issues,” “causes,” and even “movements” that I support. I just think that we need to be careful about how much we put into those things for fear that it could start defining you and your faith. Or that you may become blinded to seeing the flaws in it. Just like with people, all movements and causes probably have some truth and trash in it. There are many things within the Emergent movement that is awesome and I recognize it as truth because its part of Jesus’ movement (the one thing we should be ALL ABOUT), but there are some things that I’m gonna leave behind as trash, so therefore I can’t completely identify with it. I support women being treated fairly and beautifully and equally worthy as the rest of the world because that is part of Jesus’ movement, but I am not pro-More-power-for-women-over-men, or pro-focusing on one gender over another. I could keep going with other things, but I think you get what I’m saying.

Most of this is probably more directed towards people in my age range—and mainly to myself. I just want us to be constantly aware that we are young, naïve, and have much more to learn. Therefore we should be weary about jumping 100% on board with any person, cause, or movement. I think we should be weary of labels too. Like, labeling ourselves as something. I mean, that’s a thin line because a lot of times our faith can be lived out through labels—but I argue that there are very few of those labels.

I’m also NOT pro- banning certain books, movies, or people and labeling them as 100% trash. I think its okay to look into all things WITH MUCH CAUTION (and always with wise counsel,) whether they are labeled truth or trash and find the truth in there. Claim that truth as part of Jesus’ movement (since that’s where all truth comes from) and discard the rest.

Find things that line up with your faith and passions and be for that, IF it’s part of the Jesus’ movement, but make sure you separate the truth from the trash within that thing. Because anything that is formed by people is not going to be perfect. It might have just .00001% trash, but it’s got some in there somewhere.

Do we need a savior?

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:6-7

Who needs a Creator when we can sculpt the mountains?

Who needs a Great Physician when we can heal ourselves?

Who needs Providence for food when we can clone animals for food?

Who needs a Savior when we have a four hundred billion dollar defense shield?

Who needs a Deliverer when the empire has become a democracy?

Who needs a God when we are worthy of worship ourselves?

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man.” Romans 1:21-23

This is an exert from the book Jesus for President. Do with it what you will.

For me, it makes me question if I am truly depending on my God. (answer: no, not completely at all)

It makes me understand why it is so hard for true Christianity to take root here in America.

It makes me think that we really don’t know what is means to follow the God of creation and the Jesus who told us to claim a different empire/president/economy/culture and to not do what the world does.

(usual disclaimer: I’m not saying mt rushmore, medicine, science, or democracy are bad things. There is beauty within them all. I’m just proving a point…actually, I’m sharing a point that someone else made.)

How do we sit?

(Before I start, please know that this is not meant as a “what the heck is wrong with you?! Everybody needs to sell everything they have and move to Africa!” blog. I trust that if you’re following Jesus, you have the Spirit that’s guiding your life. I really do trust that. This is meant to simply be a blog of Juliette’s questions and thoughts of life that deeply perplex her and it feels better to share them….)

How?

“There is a garbage dump about 15 minutes from the orphanage facility. The orphanage started a program to go and pick up children who live in the garbage dump to come and receive food and go to school. At the end of the day the kids are dropped by off at the dump to be with their families because they have to help their families earn a living as well. As of right now about 115 kids are picked up every day.”

How can we just sit at home and keep doing our daily life when we hear about things like this?

Or the devastation in Myanmar, where so many children are left as orphans who have watched their house and family be destroyed….

Or how do we hear about women and children who are being tortured and raped and stripped of dignity, love, and identity this very minute that you are reading this blog throughout the world in the sex trafficking industry…..

You know I could keep going ALL day long on this list about children that are forced to enjoy killing as soldiers, people that are stripped of all humanness through physical things that go deeper into the mind and soul, and about people that truly don’t eat for days at a time so no wonder they can’t ALWAYS think or reason very well and we see so much fighting and mayhem in those areas. (and part of me wants to keep going cause its just so heavy on my heart, but I think this will already be a full blown “Debbie-downer” post).

And I could go much deeper on what these external cracks in humanity are doing to the internal thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and souls of each and every one of those people.

Deep, deep, deep wounds. How can they ever recover?

Again we ask, how can we just sit at home and keep doing our daily life when we hear about things like this?

I feel like we, as middle-class American followers of Jesus’ Way, truly do ask this question a lot. And it breaks our hearts. Literally.

And then the craziness of life distracts us and we move on until we are forced to face it again by a story from a friend or the news or something we read. And the cycle continues.

Sometimes my whole body hurts because I hate, literally hate, that I am sitting here right now living this extremely comfortable life, that I didn’t ask for, and some girl in Turkey has already lost all womanhood and worth that she ever had and is presently being forced to act like she enjoys having sex with a stranger. . . and now she may have even convinced herself that its not so bad; that this is what life is about; that sex is nothing and she is nothing….. and she will continue in this life because there is no way out and all she can do is think about her children at home……and she didn’t ask for that life either.

And it is simply and completely unfair. And it enrages me.

Why can’t I take some of her pain? Why can’t the suffering be spread out? And why why why am I still sitting here?

(“answer”: because this is the place God has me right now and I need to be grateful about the blessings he’s poured out on me and I need to get an education so I can go and help people in those kinds of situations because without an education I can’t do as much good—blablabla, you know the drill) (p.s. I get tired of the drill sometimes)

I don’t care how much God is working on me right now and getting through my own darkness and wounds. I know I’m supposed to be focusing on making me whole right now, so that I can fully and wholly pour out to others, but seriously. . . .i mean seriously, when you compare my crap to others around the world, I’m sorry but it is TOO hard to have to sit here and say “let’s fix me” when I could be helping to “fix” those who’s wounds seem MUCH deeper in quality and quantity.

And I know its all equal in the big picture and I know there are different seasons of life and all those other valid points that we use to get us through these moments, but I guess all I’m trying to get at is

I want my life to be about those people.

Now and forever.

I can’t start in the full capacity that I want to right now.

All I can do is hope for a year or two from now when I can make it my 24/7 life.

And I can do what I can here and now.

Don’t get me wrong, I really am trying to live in the here and now. And I’m not just waiting to “do something” or “be about something” in the future. That is a ridiculous college student thought that I got rid of a long time ago.

I’m trying to truly BE with those that are the most broken that I find in Bryan. But honestly, I know I’m not living it out how I want to be.

And let’s not get all idealistic and silly and say, ok now I’m just gonna go live in the ghetto in Bryan and become BFF with some homeless peeps and take care of some orphans and whoooooooooooooo I’ll feel sooooooooo good about myself. And they’ll know Jesus and everything will work out great!

Its. Really. Stinkin. Hard. To. Do. That.

I mean really do that--not just go and hang out with people once a week and give them some material things.

It’s. Hard. Hard. Hard. Hard. To truly be that culturall- appropriate love and transformation that they need.

(But that’s not gonna keep me from trying, in whatever ways possible.)

Back to my original question: how can we sit here and go about our daily, extremely comfortable lives after actually taking notice of, not just groups, but an actual real person, just like you, who is living in complete darkness that we just can’t even try to conceive???

Like even if we try to put ourselves in their position, we’re still missing so much.

I ask myself this. . . and the only answer I have for now is. . .

“One year, Juliette, and you get a job with a non-profit or mission agency and you go to the hardest places and do whatever culturally wise people tell you to do. And you live like the people there. And talk to them. And you learn things that can assist them. And you love, love, love them. And you cry with them. And then you think to yourself, ‘am I helping them at all? It’s just too messed up to actually make a difference. There’s still so much brokenness.’ But then you think, ‘at least I’m doing something. At least I’m being with them. At least I can share a glimmer of hope and love with them….and then one day, hopefully, Juliette, you can adopt children out of these completely broken places and save them from a dark, dark future. And you can be with them, train them, love them, intensely and intimately day after day after day.”

(clarification: when I say “dark places” I mean dark places in America, not just “third world countries.” And I mean dark places that don’t obviously appear as dark places.)

And for now, I take baby-steps (wish they were bigger) to finding and being with the most broken in our city, while I juggle the rest of life that God has told me to do and be.

It’s hard. SO hard to figure out whats the best thing to be doing. How to really get real with these people. But I’ll keep trying. (if you’re reading this, please don’t ever let me stop trying. You are now accountable to me and my life by simply reading this, whether you like it or not.)

And I prepare and learn about the brokenness (all kinds of brokenness) and the cultures that produced the brokenness and ways to counsel brokenness.

I learn how to do this by digging through my own brokenness and wounds; by being around homeless in Bryan who are stinkin crazy and so different from me, but at least I’m around them and learning about him/her; by being around people of different races, different journeys through life, different economic statuses—just straight up different. I learn. I go down the slow process.

And times like tonight, I say to God: “Daddy, I don’t know what to do. I really don’t know how to teach these kids about the abundant life you have for them right now, not when they die. I am ill-equipped. I don’t know how to relate to homeless people who are SO different than me. I don’t know how to change the way they think and treat people. I feel useless. I literally don’t know how. But You do. And I will wait for you to tell me and move in me. I will keep going even thought I feel useless and confused. And I will trust that you will do something or show me something. Because it doesn’t matter what I think I know, it only matters that I have you who knows ALL.”

I have my answer, and that is the only answer I am responsible for and need to think about. But I can’t help but wonder how my other brothers and sisters that follow Jesus answer that question. I don’t doubt that this kind of stuff really breaks them. . . but what do they do with that brokenness? I know every one is made different for different things. I really do know that. But if we follow Jesus aren’t we supposed to go where he went and be with who he was with? (dark places with really broken people)

How how how how can we be so complacent? Why why why do we believe so many excuses?
(pardon me: that was my outrage at the world that just broke out, no one in particular)

(you may notice that I have not even touched on the people who really are not broken when they hear about the tragedies of their fellow humans that, whether they like it or not, they are deeply connected to in ways they are not even aware of; the people that hear about these things and think ‘oh my goodness, that’s terrible! Man, this world is sad.’ End thought. Continue on with their life. I am not touching on them, because I can not even fathom that. It is beyond me; it does not fit into the way God created my personality and my passions. But I know there are things that are messed up about me that other people can not understand. So I don’t know what to do about that.)

What started this train of thoughts is the simple fact that I just can’t handle being so “blessed” in the ways that I am blessed. I HAVE to share my blessings. I have to use them. I have to move with them. I have to, have to, have to share them!

And, I could be wrong, but I feel like that’s the purpose of blessings. You get blessed financially, intellectually, with lots of love, with lots of things for a house, with lots of clothes, with an education, with forgiveness—and you share it with others?

Disclaimer: It is my true prayer that this does not come off as judgmental. These are my honest questions about the world and the human population and how we deal with things. I do not think I am better than others because of the fact that this stuff really breaks me and shuts me down to the point that I want my entire life to be about this. Because the fact is, I didn’t come up with those thoughts or feelings. I didn’t choose to think or feel this way anymore than I chose to have this middle-class American girl life I have. He gave my life, feelings, and thoughts to me, and I am grateful...I guess maybe I choose what I do with all of it??

Quote for the last post

SIDE NOTE: MY LINKS ARE WORKING NOW =)

I just read this and I HAD to add it to the last post....(it will make sense if you've read the last one)

The vision that Jesus gives us is this: That I am unconditionally loved, that I belong to God, and that I am a person who can really trust that. When I meet another person who also is rooted in the heart of God, then the spirit of God in me can recognize the spirit of God in the other person, and then wew can start building a new space, a new home, a house, a community. Whether we speak about friendship, community, family, marriage, in the spiritual world we are talking about spirit recognizing Spirit, solitude embracing Solitude, heart speaking to Heart. And where this happens, there is an immense space.

- Henri Nouwen
Lecture at Scarritt-Bennett Center

you are Named

-“You memorized the names of the all the stars—how many are there?”
-“What difference does that make? I know their names. I don’t know how many there are. It’s their names that matter.”

“A Namer has to know who people are, and who they are meant to be.”


One of the truths that has been taught to me through Madeleine L'engle is that we, as image bearers of God, have the capacity to Name people; to convey to them who they are, who they are meant to be; to call out the true creation inside of them. To tell them for the first time or to remind them that they have been named; that they are known (truly- deeply and intimately); that they are worthy of love and that they are loved.

And that is precisely how we name them: we love them.

And we all know that we love in many ways. Sometimes naming them (showing them who they really are) means we sue audible words, sometimes we even have to scream it at them; many times it means forgetting the wrong that they've done and pouring out grace to them, no matter how much it hurts and goes against what we feel is just; sometimes it means searching inside them to find the good, the lovable (and this can be very hard sometimes) and only thinking about when you think about that person and only talking about that when we Name that person to others, a.k.a. talk about that person. Sometimes (most times) it means fighting for their identity in intense warfare called prayer. Most times you can do it in subtle ways-- with the tone of voice you use to talk to that person, by consistently encouraging their uniqueness (even when its not you're favorite) indirectly. There are many more ways that will come to mind if you simply stop and think about it.

Our society is in the middle of a tragic identity crises (you could argue that it always has been) and there are "forces" out there that are telling people that they are nothing; that it doesn't matter what they do or think or feel--just do whatever feels good. We see some of this is disorders like schizophrenia and depression and bi-poler disorder and many others. You also see it in the way people talk about being honest, being fair, loving, etc, yet they dont practice it themselves in the corporate world, the political world, the day to day world in their relationships. We have different realities of work Bob, bar Bob, internet Bob, family Bob.
And the one everyone can relate to--> We have the person that everyone knows and then the real self with all her hidden sins, sad thoughts, confusion, and all the other darkness that we hold inside. So we have to pretend. Pretend that everything is ok. Pretend that you are great; that you're not sad, that you didn't do anything wrong, that everything makes sense to you, that you have everything together, that you're not broken.

Pretending implies two realities.

And we get tired of pretending.

So we choose which one is real to us.

Pretend world vs. Real world.
Knowing who you are with all the crap that comes along with you (because you're broken, lets face it, everyone is. Everyone has something dark and ugly. EVERYONE. promise.) or think that everything is okay; think that working through the hard stuff inside you is pointless and stupid and painful, so lets just seek ease and pleasure; thinking that you are not connected to anyone else; that you are not connected to the whole world, the whole universe; thinking that you're thoughts and actions do not affect anyone else.

Thinking that it just doesn't matter.

(this is where we, as Namers come in. We tell each other and show each other how we really do matter. We remind each other that we were KNOWN before we were conceived. We are KNOWN right now. That we are CONNECTED. That every little thing we do matters. We, as Namers, tell each other what is a lie/what is not real. And we tell each other the real things about our life, about who we are. We tell each other the Truth.)

We can believe "nothing really matters so therefore, I am the only one that matters." Or we can accept what is real. Take the crap , forfeit the pleasure, but know that the crap is REAL and it can be worked through, because IT IS REAL. Nothing in pretend world can be worked through. And we know that. . .

No growth = no beauty.

No brokenness= no beauty.

Expose the dark = the light shines through = we see the beauty.

"Reality in its essence is unified; is one.

God is one.

God's work is to unite things that were created to be ONE, but have fallen apart." (rob bell)

Do you live in two realities? The internal truth and the external person who's trying to be what you think everyone expects of you. We sometimes live in that external "reality" to protect us from what is really true.

"The work of the cross is to unite those realities,

so that you don't have to say 'I'm tired of pretending.'"

Because you don't have to pretend.

You can be united, whole, complete.

And that is His beautiful work. He invites people to become one.

To unite you're two realities.

You are known.
"You are created matter. You are part of the great plan, an indispensable part. You are needed; you have your own unique share in the freedom of creation.”
You are fully and completely known by your creator.

And you're creator wants to make you known to everyone you know. Truly known. With all the crap.

If he knows every name of every single batrillionjillon star in our galaxy, plus many others, don't you think he knows you're name and what that name represents--who you are, truly? When I let that sink in, it is pretty intense.

Let's let him unite our realities.
Let's let him make us one. Inside and out. Brokenness to beauty.
Let's let ourselves be known to the universe (other people).
Let's Name each other for who we really are.