Song of the Year, 2010- Why We Build The Wall

I am not sure I will start blogging again. However, a few (very few) people want to know my music selections for 2010. Since I am not employed by a newspaper with a deadline, I know I can take my time (plus I wanted to wait to hear everything I could in 2010).

Over the next few days I will offer my Top Albums (yes, I still listen to fully developed albums, not just mp3s of a single song), my playlist of the best songs/ my favorites of the year (I will put a mix tape on drop box for anyone interested) and today's entry:

Song of the Year

By declaring song of the year, I am not saying this is the best song in 2010. In fact, it was not. However, this song fully captures the spirit of 2010. It is a haunting track off Anais Mitchell's powerful Folk Opera based upon the myth of Orpheus, Hadestown (an easy top 10 album). This albums has guests like Ani DiFranco and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), but the highlight of the album is this song which captures that 2010 spirit, espeically in light of Tea Parties, Immigration reform, mosque battles, recession and people in need and the response many of us have to those we consider "other", "different," or "outsider."

There is no real video, but here it is on youtube coupled with another song. Listen to Why We Build the Wall by Anais Mitchell and Greg Brown:

Here are the lyrics:

HADES
Why do we build the wall?
My children, my children
Why do we build the wall?

CERBERUS
Why do we build the wall?
We build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

HADES
How does the wall keep us free?
My children, my children
How does the wall keep us free?

CERBERUS
How does the wall keep us free?
The wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

HADES
Who do we call the enemy?
My children, my children
Who do we call the enemy?

CERBERUS
Who do we call the enemy?
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

HADES
Because we have and they have not!
My children, my children
Because they want what we have got!

CERBERUS
Because we have and they have not!
Because they want what we have got!
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

HADES
What do we have that they should want?
My children, my children
What do we have that they should want?

CERBERUS
What do we have that they should want?
We have a wall to work upon!
We have work and they have none
And our work is never done
My children, my children
And the war is never won
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
We build the wall to keep us free

feel free to share your thoughts

links on Resurrection and Recession

Here are a couple of good articles I ran across today.

First of all, we have Bishop Tom Wright (N.T.) writing in the Times of London. His essay, entitled The Church Must Stop Trivializing Easter is a nice companion to the ongoing conversation Tony Jones is having at his blog on why Jesus died and why Jesus rose from the dead. Bishop Wright and Tony have different approaches, but end up saying similar things about the implications of the resurrection (which is what matters more than arguments on which theory of the atonement is blessed by any of us). Wright points out that church has missed the point of the resurrection much of the time, seeing it as the Good Ending (Jesus raising from dead and going to heaven) to a Sad story (crucifixion) instead of seeing it as the event that changes everything.

Secondly, Tom Sine gives us the best practices of some churches which are proactively dealing with the recession, financial crisis and job loss of those in their surrounding community. Last month, in a profile of Drive By Truckers, I said that the blind spot of the emerging church could be the lower middle class, or working poor (the emerging church is responding to extreme poverty and rich intellectuals well enough). Tom is asking similar questions and giving us the ways some are answering them. If you are part of a church, consider some of these suggestions or practices as you help those caught in the middle of the recession.

Link to article

Defending Food

I was able to digest the wonderful tome In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto in the spring, returning to it the last few weeks, hoping to remember some of Michael Pollan's advice and see if I had been putting it into practice.

As has been stated regarding this work, it is the practical conclusion to his Prize Winning Omnivore's Dilemna (a much larger and all encompassing work). Where OD showed the history and repercussions of our food choices upon the planet, IDOF documents the effects of food choices on the human body. To be truly holistic as an eater, one must think about both. While I became a more conscience eater due to environmental considerations, my body has been served. However, it is good to consider the impact upon both environs (as a father, I am now just as concerned with the internal significance of food choices). Sadly, I have met too many selfish organic eaters, lacking any concern for the impact of food upon animal, planet or the other.

In light of that, I am going to share some of the principles of In Defense of Food during the next few days. I decided to do it now, since the book has been out for a while. Since many of you have read the book, it will come as a reminder. However, if you have not read it; hopefully this will spur you to read it to see how Pollan works out his guidelines for healthy eating... summed up in the manifesto:

Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.

By the way, did you see Nicolas Kristoff's op ed on eating ethically? Read it. Here is the money quote:

So, yes, I eat meat (even, hesitantly, goose). But I draw the line at animals being raised in cruel conditions. The law punishes teenage boys who tie up and abuse a stray cat. So why allow industrialists to run factory farms that keep pigs almost all their lives in tiny pens that are barely bigger than they are?

Defining what is cruel is, of course, extraordinarily difficult. But penning pigs or veal calves so tightly that they cannot turn around seems to cross that line.

Clinica Verde- sustainable healthcare for the poor

This organization is building health clinics in Nicaragua. So? Lots of people are building clinics throughout the world for poorer people. What is the big deal?

These are green certified. Enough to get someone that loves the poor and the earth very excited.

Real Hardcore Rap from Africa, part 1 (K'Naan)

I have mentioned him before on the blog, but one of the most exciting artists I have come across during the past few years is the Somalian (by way of Toronto) hip-hop artist K'naan. His album came out in Canada and England almost 2 years ago and it has been in my heavy rotation the entire time (I stumbled upon it looking for innovative rap at the end of 2006, finding it on emusic).

Listening to this young man with a nasal voice (ala Eminem) and rapid fire, almost spoken word (ala Quasimodo) with the frontal assault of Public Enemy coupled with traditional African instrumentation and rhythm, it was among the freshest things I had heard in years.

I questioned his boast, "I come from the most dangerous place on earth" until I found out his hometown was Mogadishu. I laughed at his line, "If I rapped about home and got descriptive, I'd make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit" but a lump was in my throat knowing his childhood. The lump has been joined by tears as I have heard lyrics describing burning car tires, rape, rpgs, voices in his head, warlords, poverty, prison, Satan and destruction of his home by the ravages of war. This is not the content of your typical American gangsta trying to prove his street cred. This is the pain of a real life in the War Zone surviving any way you can until you can be rescued.

Good for all of us, the album The Dusty Foot Philosopher is now available in the US, via Amazon or iTunes. Highlights include "In the Beginning (used in a few movies)," "If Rap Gets Jealous," "Soobax," and "What's Hardcore?" with lyrics like these;

it's HARD, harder than Harlem and Compton intertwined,
harder than harboring Bin Laden and rewind,
"to that earlier part when I was kinda like"
we begin our day by the way of the gun,
rocket propelled grenades blow you away if you front,
we got no police ambulances or fire fighters,
we start riots by burning car tires,
they looting, and everybody starting shooting...

So what's hardcore? Really, are you hardcore?Hmm.

Not for the faint at heart that do not want their truth painfully real. You can sample some music and video here or on his myspace page. Read a little about him on his wiki page.

here is the video for Soobax


this is a homemade video by somebody for What's Hardcore (not much to it- but you can hear its powerful lyrics)



here are links to youtube to hear Dusty Foot Philosopher, the beautiful In the Beginning with its message of hope in the face of war and powerlessness, Rap Gets Jealous (explicit content) I could go on. After listening to this album a few hundred times, it has not gotten old. If you care about good music, Africa, victims of war or reality, follow the advice of George Michael and listen without prejudice to this album.

A Sustainable Faith Recap

As the only member of the Sustainable Faith leadership team that is also an active blogger I have been assigned the task of reporting on the conference. Luckily Josh Brown has done a good job of providing pictures, reporting and controversy. See here for his recap. See here for his controversial statements on one of the speakers.

As one involved deeply in the planning and execution of the event, I am unable to provide an unbiased look at what happened. There are things I feel went very well, but I am too close. Similarly, there are things that I have negative impressions of, but that could be due to proximity.

So here is a rundown of the highlights. It is up to you to decide if you missed something special.

• pre-event involving shuffleboard in the cold evening with the team, some Atlantans (including Mr. Brown) and my kids. By the way, my 6 year old daughter out shuffled many of the adults (on a regulation ?board?).
  
• A typically thorough and brilliant (yet simple and basic) talk by Tim Keel on the church as an ecosystem (it is so funny that many new church planters think that the "holistic missional community" is some new thing. As if they are the first to go this route)
  
• Chris Haw causing trouble and making anyone with an open mind think (Chris wrote a great new book with Shane Claiborne). Some found Chris abrasive during the panel, but I asked him to push the limits.
• While a bit hot, the weather was still very nice.
• Shane Claiborne is among the nicest, most humble people you will ever meet. We have kinda known each other since 2000 and he has changed very little (and for the better). Some want to find clinks in his armor so they can feel less convicted by his lifestyle (this bored me). But face it. He is more right than most of us. Plus, what he does is out of conviction to Scripture and following Jesus. It is not done out of anger or with a sense of superiority. Other advocates and prophets could learn from that.
  
• The panel was too short and not as spirited enough, but some good things were said (too many of the panelists were quiet, so it was accidentally dominated by a few).
• A great Dinner with speakers, leaders and my best friend (roommate for 3 years of grad school) at Chadaway's, the best burger joint in the Southeast.
• I reminisced with old friends Danielle, Troy, Chris and Spencer. I gained new friends like Josh Brown.
• People responded to the ministries and social agencies represented, including Small Steps, which passed out 150 bags for donations, Created (a ministry to those in the sex industry) and many others.
• a lively discussion around he subject of the Sabbath led by Danielle.
  
• The emcee did not suck as bad as he could have, only making 4-5 remarks that only those above 30 could understand.

I may come back later for a more extensive evaluation, but probably not (I will note it if this happens). Stay tuned to this site and www.asustainablefaith.com for mp3s and podcasts of many of the talks (we may try to get a few on the EV podcast).

take a small step (away from plastic)

My favorite 2 Christmas presents were not really Christmas presents, just things I wanted or needed and the holiday coincided with the purchase of something.

First of all, I got a couple of new water bottles (the metal canteen kind that do not leach). Kristi bought them at the local Organic Food store.

Secondly, due to simple attrition and use elsewhere we were down to 3 canvas bags for use at the grocery store (instead of using those forbidden plastic bags). Since they are too expensive at farmer's markets and stores, we were going to buy them online. However, we had not gotten around to it.

Imagine my surprise when our friend Jen had as her facebook status that she was checking out www.smallsteps.in. I headed over to the site and found a great nonprofit that is making and selling bags to use instead of paper or plastic (and providing much needed jobs in India). The bags are free (you pay shipping), but they need donations to survive.

So, make a resolution to give up plastic and paper (which you should have done eons ago). Then take the simple action of going to this site and making a small donation. Then ask for some bags. Then use those bags and spread the word.

Doing the right thing has never been so easy. Plus, the bags come in cool colors, fold into a tiny carrying case with lanyard and come in different designs.

Bead for Life Party

Last night Kristi hosted a Bead for Life Party at our home. Over 20 women attended and bought around $800 worth of beads. Unlike your conventional Pampered Chef Party (or whatever is popular among women), there is no money to be made by a host or staff member.

Bead for Life is a non profit organization supporting women in Uganda. The proceeds from the beads (which are quite beautiful and made from discarded magazines) are split between the home office, craftswomen and development (including micro-enterprise).

You can buy directly from the online store or host an event or party for neighbors, friends or your church. It is a great way to help others and get to know your neighbors (acting missionally). Plus, they will think you are very cool for doing this and getting nothing in return.

It is very easy (you get the beads in the mail, along with African recipes, music and a DVD to show).

report from D.C.

I am sure you are dying to hear about my trip to Washington, D.C. last weekend. As you sat on pins and needles wondering what in the world I was up to, I ventured to D.C. for the 3rd time in 9 months, each trip surrounding Bread for the World.

I wanted to liveblog, but was unable to. Apparently, American University (where the event was held) has something against P.C. users.

Anyway, a few highlights include...

• spending most waking minutes with Will Samson and Lilly Lewin, 2 EV friends. Lilly does cool prayer rooms and leads prayer and worship experiences, while Will writes books I want to read and lives in community while getting his PhD at UK.
• seeing a former student from my youth group in Virginia (and Intern and fellow laborer in Boston) speak to the entire Gathering event about justice issues (he has led something called Boston Faith and Justice Network and just accepted a position at Sojourners).
• having drinks with Brian McLaren and Will Samson before a gathering of people interested in Emergent Village.
• the Brickskeller in DuPont Circle (2X).
• reconnecting with Chris Haw, who leads an amazing community living experiment in Camden, NJ. Meeting new friends from around the nation (some pastors, some working with Bread, some part of One Campaign, one helping immigrants cross the border in Arizona).
• having dinner with good friend Joel Vestal of ServLife fame at a great Arab owned and operated restaurant (knowing a bit of seemingly any language Joel can bring smiles to most faces). We inadvertently stumbled into the D.C. Pride event's favorite block for food leading an amusing set of text messages between my wife and I.
• helping lead an "emergent" worship service on Sunday morning with Lilly and Will, along with Tim and Saranelle Hartman.
• hanging out with one of my former students on Friday night.
• seeing that very cute Panda Cub at the zoo, along with other cool animals.
• staying blocks away from a Whole Foods, after living in Whole Foods Exile in Tampa.
• meeting Kennedy, a Zambian student for the priesthood living in San Antonio.
• listening to Senator Chuck Hagel explain why he thinks poverty relief is so important.
• understanding why the buzz was so large for Harold Ford, Jr. when he ran for Senate in 2006. Although he lost, his upside is huge (and his opponents ran a very dirty/ slightly racist ad). If he becomes Tennessee's governor, he could be the first black man to win the presidency (he is a better speaker than Obama and more charismatic- and much younger). His speech was somewhere between sermon and stump speech (very Clinton-esque). He also has a bit of a downside, but also has a very interesting, and moderate voting record.
• finding out more details on the Farm Bill and how it needs to change to help local individual farmers (instead of corporations that do not need subsidies) and our international friends.
  
• learning more about how Evangelicals and Mainliners can come together to support the Micah Challenge which works with churches in developing nations to relieve extreme poverty and make people's lives much better.
  

I am not watching Jim Wallis with Hillary, Barack and John

So, you may heard about the CNN forum in which Jim Wallis of Sojourners discusses poverty with the top 3 Democratic candidates tonight.

I am sure many people are excited to hear what presidential candidates think about issues such as poverty and faith (I am sure it will be an honest, unscripted time:). I, too, would love to hear what presidential candidates think about these issues. However, I am not interested in listening to Jim Wallis and the Media have a conversation with the 3 appointed possible nominees for one party 8 months before one vote is cast. It is even called a Presidential Forum on Faith, Poverty and Values (what values? The value of listening to those with the most money and loudest voice?).

I am not interested in Sojourners (whom I have given money to and discussed working with in the past- and respect) or any other faith based organization deciding to be part of the king making process by ignoring those that may have the best answers and focusing on those with the most money, resources, media advisers and power.

This is the same as a Focus on the Family event in which Jim Dobson interviews the Top 3 appointed Republicans on the issues of abortion and homosexuality, ignoring others that may have better answers because they have bought into the Mass Media machine and horse race instead of allowing us to decide for ourselves (it is the hey, I think 1 of these may be president and want access disease).

Even if there is a good chance I will be voting for 1 of those 3 in November 2008, I do not need to be embedded with them. I can listen to them (and everyone else). I can share prophetically with them. I cannot give them my loyalty or fawn over them.

This is very disappointing to me. VERY!*

*now I could have rushed to judgement. In fact, they could have called all 10 democrats and only those with the most money could afford to come to DC for the event. If that is the case, I am sorry.

ECHO

My family is heading on vacation in April to the wonderful shell filled Island of Sanibel about 3 hours south of Tampa. While I get a little frustrated by my city and state, I am usually glad to be a Floridian around vacation time, since I can find great deals to wonderful places.

While in Sanibel, I hope to visit this interesting place. it is a Global Village specializing in sustainable agriculture for the poor areas of the world, headed up by a group of Christians hoping to help indigenous poor with their own community development.

I am such a geek and I am sure no one else in the family will want to go with me.

Check out ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization).

Buy (Less) Crap- Give (More)

From Mother Jones comes this tidbit on the Red campaign led by my favorite Saint, Rock Star, Activist Bono...

Bad news for Red, the Bono-inspired, star-studded ad campaign to sell Gap t-shirts, and—oh, yes—raise some money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Despite all the hype, its total contribution to the Fund so far has
been a paltry 18 million. A Global Fund spokesman explains to Ad Age that this was to be expected: "Red has done as much as we could have hoped for in the short time it has been up and running.... The launch cost of this kind of campaign is going to
be hugely frontloaded."

Translation: Most of the money raised has been blown on ad budgets by Gap,
Motorola, Armani, Apple, and other companies that are taking a cut from selling
Red stuff. To give you a sense of just how big the corporate cut is, for every
special edition Red iPod nano sold, Apple donates just $10.

This isn't the first time an altruistic corporate campaign has been
revealed to be too good to be true—we collected some other examples in our November issue. But there's an easy way to not get snooke(red)—cut out the middleman and give directly to the GlobalCFund. Visit buylesscrap.org to
find out how.

Click on the links above. they are each worth following, especially Buy (Less) Crap which reminds us that shopping is not a solution for human suffering (while I believe the market is wonderful way to promote ethical behavior and change things- it is probably not by buying useless things we do not need which give very little money to important charities).

why have I been ignoring blogger

Since I began blogging, this is among the lengthiest periods of non-activity I have had. Usually it is related to vacation. However, this time it is due to work.

Last Monday I attended a wonderful time in D.C. with a few of the Emergent leaders, all of whom are passionate about issues of social justice, poverty, the fact that the Bible is more adamant about such issues than it is the present issues Americans in general and the church in particular seem to discuss. We discussed a few potential upcoming events (2007 & 2008) that Tony will eventually share. I must say I am very happy with Emergent's direction and its critics are so off-base (but, we already knew this).

To be part of a group of people passionate about God, God's work in the world, God's Kingdom, the Hope we Have in Christ, alleviating suffering in the name of Jesus, along with working in a systemic fashion to break down the worldly barriers to God's justice gives me hope for the church in the midst of so much I see that discourages me.

I thought I would blog about this upon returning home. However, the work load has stepped up a notch this week. Sadly, I do not think it will slow down until December 26 (so, please be patient with me and keep reading, even if I don't blog as often as I should). Around the place I work, the holidays cause everyone to work 50%-75% harder and 25%-50% more hours. It is very cool once the holidays begin and we serve over 14,000 families and I lead over 8,000 volunteers, but the ramp up leaves little time for non-priorities.

Also, there are many things going on in the life of my family I wish I could share in this forum that are slowing down the blogging process. Things related to job workload (and stress), future plans, living, ministry, health, kids, etc, all play a part and I wish I could share more. Maybe in the near future I will be able to.

peace

emergent meeting in d.c

I am in D.C. for a few days taking part in meetings with a group from Emergent and justice agencies such as Bread for the World (yes, we are trying to save the world with Bono). I am also visiting some non-profs to see how they recruit and care for volunteers.

If Tony lets me, I will report on the proceedings.

Summit

Although we returned from our unscheduled vacation to Virginia earlier this week, I have not had time for blogging due to the Willow Creek Leadership Summit the leadership staff from MM attends each August. Although I dreaded my first days back at work not being in the office, I was very impressed with Andy Stanley's talk and loved to see church leaders reaction to the Bono interview Hybels presented. However, most of the Summit was not particularly memorable.