Standing For Freedom

FREEDOMHeading into 2012-2013 I was excited and sure about several things SojournBU would do this  this year. We’d have multiple “cadres” (small groups), throw some good parties, and hopefully get involved in our neighborhood work and other causes.

But I had no idea what those other causes would be.

Turns out human-trafficking has been the theme of the year. In the fall our students raised nearly $1000 for Amirah Boston a local organization specializing in aftercare for trafficked women.

This past weekend SojournBU participated in the International Justice Mission‘s (IJM) campaign: Stand For Freedom. Stand has been taking place on college campuses all spring all over the nation as college students have rallied to raise money and awareness for anti-trafficking to be a priority for the Obama administration. We were excited to participate.

I have to admit that I had fairly low expectations heading into the weekend: we’d had to reschedule due to weather once, and had some trouble securing space with the school. In the end we hoped to get 200 people to sign the petition and to have a few good conversations and stories along the way.

Instead, we will send 1000 signatures into IJM this week. We had many, many conversations and lots of great stories. Amazing!

While the issue itself is important and worth fighting for, I love all the intangibles that come out of an event like this.

Several of our student’s had friends come out and sign the petition or stand with us. New people got to see another aspect of who we are and what we care about.

Most of all, our students experienced success and rejection. While our numbers far exceeded our expectations, there were also several people who wanted nothing to do with us. Some made jokes about the cause. Others questioned if slavery and human-trafficking are really actuall issues in the 21st century.

It’s an important, but hard, lesson. Not everyone will be on board, not everyone will be a fan of what we do, and sometimes you just get flat-out rejected in life and (especially) in ministry. Handling that with grace and compassion is a huge sign of maturity and growth.

One of our leader’s posted this on Facebook after the event:

Some things I learned over the past two days:
1) I can’t expect everyone in the world to support the things I am passionate about. While it seems like a no-brainer to sign a piece of paper that simply states that modern-day slavery is wrong, I need to respect the people who would rather not be involved. I know there are many causes that I believe to be good and true that I don’t participate in.
2) It’s easier to be frustrated with the people who don’t care and harder to be encouraged by the people who do! 930+ people in Boston stand for the fight against human trafficking and that is incredible.
3) I am an activist and I like that.

I love it…that, as much as anything, is why we do stuff like this!

Affirmative

HPIM6762There are volumes of virtual articles and actual books that examine the current generation of 18-35 year olds. Some of that work is highly positive, a lot of it disconcerting, and there’s a bit of it that is downright paranoid.

There are certainly things to be concerned about. If I wasn’t concerned I wouldn’t do what I do.

But, I am also deeply encouraged.

I see signs of hope all the time. During conversations over a cup of coffee, in students who wake up early on Saturday mornings to tutor kids, in our leaders, and on trips like we took to Joplin.

For 8 days I saw students who have grown up in the most self-centered, narcissistic era of all time (according to some), give and serve and sacrifice, and do it all with a happy heart, a cheerful disposition, and absolutely no complaining.

Which was amazing, but here’s my favorite part:

At the end of each spring break trip I’ve been on I’ve led groups through a simple exercise called “the hot seat.” When you are on the hot seat you silently sit and let the rest of the group speak words of affirmation and life into you.

It’s deeply moving.

Students today get all kinds of accolades and positive feedback from the culture at large (especially if they buy the right things, wear the right things, and say the right things on Facebook).

But, in my experience, as these cultural accolades increase, there is less space for
an actual person,
who actually knows you,
who has actually seen you in your element,
to say real and honest words
to your face.

In these moments you see the power of words, the power of real human interactions, and the greatness that resides inside each of these individuals.

We are blessed right now with some amazing students who God is using to do amazing things.

I’m grateful to just be here and to witness it.

Holy Ground

885637_551159211583285_352943300_oI’ve been on a lot of “mission” trips. I’ve been to Mexico, India, Kentucky, inner-city Chicago, etc. Each experience has been formative and important and memorable, no two trips alike.

But I have never had more fun on a trip than I did this last week leading students to Joplin, MO for the second spring break in a row.

What’s weird is that, in many ways, this was also the most stressful trip I’ve been on. The weather didn’t cooperate, most of our original work plans fell through, there were twice as many people as last year, and I was away from my wife and daughter for the longest time since Marina was born.

I have a couple of theories:there was little to no interpersonal drama, we had no complainers, and I love the staff I get to work with.

Those are all true, but here’s a brief version of what I shared with our team at the end of the week…

In Genesis 28, Jacob wakes from his “stairway to heaven” dream and says: “God was in this place, and I, I did not know it.” In Exodus 3, Moses walks up to a burning bush, meets God, and realizes he is on holy ground.

Here’s the thing: the bush is always burning…God is always in this place. Not just in the spectacular moments and the times when all our plans come together, the moments where you pass a set of key to a homeowner who has tears in their eyes.

No, God is in the mess
and the plans that fall apart
and the spontaneous conversations
and in the bad weather
and the late-night sonic run
and laughter
and spike ball
and banana grams
and sharing life on a deep level.

But, sometimes we don’t notice.

I think this is why Jesus talked about ears to hear and eyes to see.

This week was a good gift to me for a bunch of reasons, but it was a reminder that I love college ministry, I love students, and that no matter where we go…

the ground is always holy.

Tight Spots/Spacious Places

Have you ever been in a tight spot?

Where I went to school, as an undergrad, we had a busy street that many students walked across. The school responded by placing three stop signs incredibly close to each other to keep cars from speeding through and running over people.

Anyone who drove this street cursed these proximal stop signs.

One night, around 2 am, I blasted through all three stop signs (since not a soul was around). I was immediately pulled over and slapped with four moving violations (speeding and running three stop signs).

A $400 ticket.

I freaked out. My life was over. I had no way to pay that sum and opportunities I hoped to participate in evaporated before my eyes.

I was in a tight spot.

Psalm 118 provides us with a beautiful image: “When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place” (v. 5).

A spacious place.

Room to breath and run and be free.

My story ends well. The judge, for reasons I will never fully understand, let me off the hook. I went to traffic school and had the whole incident erased from my record. I owed nothing.

Grace. A spacious place.

Thank You Notes

After every birthday and Christmas time my mom would bust out a box of stationary and my sisters and I would get to work.

Thank you note time.

I never liked this exercise…I would always mess up a word or sentence and have to re-write the whole thing. It seemed tedious and involved too much work.

Now I love thank you notes.

I love receiving them and I love writing them. As I get older I feel like “thank yous” have become a precious commodity. Gratitude is rare in a culture of entitlement.

Psalm 100 is a psalm for giving grateful praise. It is a thank you note.

Beyond politeness and pleasantries, thank you brings us very close to the heart of God.

Gratitude and grace are intertwined.

Are we able to see good gifts in our lives? Are we able to say thank you? Do you need to get work on those notes?

Give thanks. Give thanks. Give thanks.

The Most Emo Psalm of All Time

There are bleak Psalms and then there’s the 88th Psalm. It doesn’t get much darker than this:

“You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.” (v. 18)

At times the question is raised: are the Psalms biblical? “Biblical” is a loaded word and sometimes it can get thrown around in unhealthy ways. And yet it is a fair, and intriguing, question, especially in light of the hopelessness of Psalm 88.

How does this belong?

If you try to fit Psalm 88 into a neat and tidy theological framework it doesn’t hold…you have to rationalize it away or not read it.

But it’s there. Right between the musical joy of 87 and 89.

And that might be the point. The psalms are not an instruction manual
or a theological treatise,
they are life.

And sometimes life is happy
and full of singing and rejoicing,
and other times life is painful
and full of darkness.

The point is not to try to distill a lesson from psalm 88. Just let it be there.

Because, sometimes there is no answer.
Sometimes there is no resolution.
Sometimes there is only darkness.