Amazing Grace - Lessons for today

I love the movie Amazing Grace. And recently when watching it again I noticed a couple things I want to emulate about William Wilberforce.

1. His good friend spurred him on. Willam Pitt became Prime Minister during the period Wilbeforce was up against slave traders in Parliament. His friend indulged his thoughts and ideas. He brainstormed along side him and even did some work while Wilberforce was out sick for a period of time. Without his friend's help in soliciting votes, the law might not have passed. His friend was instrumental in his success and in his life as a freedom fighter. Pitt believed in Wilberforce's call to this mission and sought to propel and help him as much as he could.

2. He had a mentor. John Newton provided wisdom, guidance, and the needed push to keep Wilberforce going in a life of politics. Wilberforce wavered with pursuing a religious life rather than a political one and needed supporters who had his back throughout the tumult of getting the motion to law.

3. His spouse challenged him. While he didn't marry until in his late 30's, he did so to a woman who was already behind his cause. She encouraged his persistence and reminded him what he'd accomplished thus far.

4. He persevered through physical  illness and carried the burdens of many he'd never met.It's believed that William Wilberforce suffered from ulcerative colitis which was only treated back then with opium. It was stress-induced and with him most of his life. In addition, he was plagued by nightmares of slaves in their slave quarters on ships.

These choices and relationships were critical to him fulfilling the mission God gave him. He was surrounded by God's love in the form of these people who provided challenge and support at just the right moments. I recently heard the president of International Justice Mission at the Justice Conference. Gary Haugen spoke about how the work of justice "is long and boring" and the great persistence of the people who work with his organization. It's not a glamorous thing to do, but it's a worthy thing to do. I think about that phrase often - the work of justice is long and boring - it is reflected in the life of William Wilberforce, Lincoln and many others who allow the work of justice to sink deep into their souls. Thank God for them. May we all learn from their work and grow in our ability to persevere as God seeks to use our lives for His glory and to love a world that doesn't acknowledge him.

An Examination of Justice pt. 3

The speakers are up! Now you can see what I experienced at the Justice Conference

http://thejusticeconference.com/videos2013.html 

Definitely take time to hear from Brenda Salter McNeil - big takeaway -
"Examine your theology and foundation for your thoughts. What you believe about God determines what you think about people."

And Gary Haugen from International Justice Mission - big takeaway -
"Live well loved and let others experience a love that will not let go. A love that conquers monotony, a love that overcomes fear."

An Examination of Justice pt 2

There’s a famous saying, “It’s not enough to pull the drowning people out of a raging stream, you have to walk back upstream and see who’s throwing them in in the first place.”

This was a key metaphor for some of the talks I heard at the Justice Conference. It’s about going to the source of the injustice and engaging in changing the entire system. It’s certainly not the only way to develop a theology of justice, but it does have much to teach us. 

I attended a panel of people who represented minority groups in America. They were well-spoken and hard hitting men who weren’t afraid to engage in the conversation of justice. They honed in on an aspect I hadn’t thought about specifically before. 

Reconciliation

Definition --> To reconcile: to make (oneself or another) no longer opposed, usually considered in terms of reconciling to God – getting right with Him through prayer and forgiveness as described in the Bible. I usually think of 1John 1:9 which says “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

I was rereading this section of scripture and noticed that immediately following the section on how we can get right with God, John’s letter builds to the often quoted love scripture which states

 

The same thing happens in Ephesians, written by Paul. In Ephesians 2:14-16 Paul explains how Christ reconciled by the Jew and the Gentile to Himself through the cross. Then in chapter 4, describes unity in the body of believers and how each of us as a part. 4:15-16 states, “Instead we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfect. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is health and growing and full of love.”

The panelists made 3 big points regarding reconciliation:

1. Reconcile the past in the present
2. Reconcile others to Jesus
3. Reconcile others to ourselves

This was a whole new level of the definition of both reconciliation and justice for me, which I am still absorbing. This puts the onus on us! It changes things. We aren’t helping others only to do the will of God – instead, the act of bring about reconciliation, of pursuing justice, is making ourselves like those we serve.  

True Confession Time: 

As a white woman I realize (and continue to realize) a lot of the privilege I have simply because of our country’s history and to whom I was born. As a Christian I see how the foot of the cross is level for all to come before it.  This makes me ache with compassion for those who have been ostracized in our culture. It makes me angry that I can only relate so much to those I wish to love well. It frustrates me that the barriers in the Triad of NC seem so high I don’t know how to get around them because I live in my own Christian bubble of a reality. As an ideal I want a more diverse lifestyle, but as a practice I’m not doing anything about it. This is one of the biggest challenges I came back from the Justice Conference with and still haven’t figured out where to go with it. 

To end, see this video from a recently deceased activist who was scheduled to speak as part of this panel. His words on a multicultural church both challenge and encourage me. 

Richard Twiss on creating a multicultural church

An Examination of Justice pt. 1

Have you ever defined "justice"? It's difficult to do. I just googled the word and, unfortunately, the first thing that came up was the girls’ clothing store. The US Dept. of Justice also showed up. Google couldn't really help me nail down this abstract idea.

I've been interested in what people call "Social Justice" for a while. I can't pinpoint what started it for me, but it was during graduate school in 2008 and has continued since. This usually brings to mind non-profits who work to help those who can't help themselves, advocacy (another word hard to define), or going abroad to help people in a third world country. I wanted to expand it and really figure out where the rubber meets the road in this thing called justice.

Many of you know I have a 30before30 list that expires Dec. 14, 2013. One of my items is "attend a conference that isn't work related." I blogged in January about Passion 2013 and that helped me check this item off my list, but in addition, I signed up for the Justice Conference a while back. I've been looking forward to it for a while because I wanted to be in a space and time to examine this ideal and learn from people who have explored this way more than me!

This conference was last weekend and I’m still processing all I heard to bring it down to a manageable level. This is the first in a series of posts on justice as I reflect on the speakers, organizations and thoughts I experienced as I journeyed to Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love, to engage in a long conversation with Christian thought leaders regarding this topic.

The Justice Conference was started by one of the key speakers and here is a brief overview of what we experienced: The Justice Conference is a two-day annual event to promote dialogue around justice related issues, featuring internationally acclaimed speakers igniting a conversation around the theology of justice - an understanding of God should compel love for others and engagement in justice. The Justice Conference has developed into a movement of students, teachers, business people, parents, artists, social entrepreneurs, pastors, advocates and academics all of whom are discovering the paradox that true life is found when we give our lives away on behalf of others.

I went on my own, and on my own behalf to simply absorb and begin to engage in this increasingly interesting and compelling part of my walk in Christ.

Start with this thought provoking video from one of the artists (spoken word) Micah Bornes.

Is Justice Worth It?

Passion 2013

Passion as defined by Dictionary.com - any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate 

 Passion as defined by the 268 Generation - "for your name and renown are the desire of our souls" from Isaiah 26:8

This New Year's I went to Passion at the Georgia Dome with 60,000 other people, 90% who are between the ages of 18-25.  I attended along with students from my local church's college ministry. There we gathered together in worship and heard teaching from authors and pastors including Francis Chan, John Piper and Beth Moore. It was Biblical training with some of the leaders in this nation. 

We worshiped with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and Kristian Stanfill. It was candy to the ears for all worship leaders, a glimpse of heaven (albeit a white, college-aged heaven), and a time to boldly declare the truths of God. The first night we were requested to yell as loud as possible in order to get those in neighboring Atlanta to wonder what's going on and listen in. Then we continued praising God and declaring his Truths for anyone who could hear. The worship was a sweet gift to God's people and I pray God smiled as he heard it. 

In addition to the worship and teaching Passion presented an opportunity for students to get involved in fighting injustice. This was my favorite part of the conference. I was older than the target audience, and tired quickly of being herded like cattle everywhere I went. But I was a sponge when they spoke of justice. As I've grown and experienced more in my Christian life I am convinced that we are compelled to fight injustice. So as we heard from the president of International Justice Mission, a girl rescued from a life of forced prostitution and  a man who requested we demand products not made by slaves, indentured servants or child laborers - I was all ears! 

All 60,000 of us were challenged with raising money to help established social justice organizations to further what they do and to bring an end to slavery worldwide. According to the State Department there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today. See what CNN said about this conference here. See tweet below to see how we did :)

 
As I attended, absorbed and contemplated all that happened at Passion I felt the need to pray. As someone who has been in multiple ministries, churches, etc. and seen conferences (I did help plan them for a year) of many kinds, I felt several times at Passion a criticism and judgement sneaking into my attitude. Do we need laser lights? Do we have to scream every time a song ends? Do I have to keep standing? Does it mean I love God less because I want to sit? I don't think so, but I do think I've aged out of the target audience and that I need to do a heart-check on my pride in having "been there and done that." It happens often that a mountain-top awe-inspiring kind of atmosphere like Passion causes people to come back and make changes to their lives, but it fades soon after the excitement and feelings they experienced are buffered with everyday life. So my prayer is that Passion really be the movement it calls itself (rather than a conference), and that the Dictionary.com definition not be what it was to these students - a fleeting emotion but rather a new positioning for their lives.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the students' energy and youthful excitement. Let it be a reminder to all of us. Jesus, thank you for igniting them ablaze in a desire to pursue justice and love mercy. Thank you for their passion. Now Jesus, as Passion (the conference) ends,

Take their energy and excitement >>>> Give them endurance

Take the spark of unity and the flame of worship >>>>Give them an all-consuming fire that leads to worship as a lifestyle

Take the 4 days of intense and in-your-face reminders of Jesus >>>> Give them a lifetime of worship in their decisions, actions and words

 give them endurance, turn that small flame into a sustaining all-consuming fire. 

Take their glimpse into the united church >>>> Give them a deep desire to seek unity in all believers and a hope deferred to heaven.  

God pour out your spirit on those students, all 60,000 of them and give them dedication to the causes that break your heart. Give them motivation from Your perfect love for them to change this world for the better. Let their enthusiasm and passion raise the bar for the rest of us as "adult" life can steal our joy.

In Jesus holy and precious name, Amen.

All because of 2 candlesticks

On Christmas day my family likes to go see movies at the local theater. This year my sister and I were already preparing to go see the new Les Miserables and took my parents along. Just before we went I ran across this Gospel Coalition blog on Twitter - Law and Grace in 'Les Mis'  and probably cried more in the movie than I would have regularly.  This post is definitely worth a read!

It's truly a beautiful story of redemption, set in a backdrop of obvious social injustices. It moved me to tears because I see truth in it. I see our broken world and the unbalanced rules we are subject to, even in our present day world. It motivated me once more to speak out when I see injustice, to examine what I can do in my life to fight injustice, and to search for God in our world so I can be a light and part of His story.

I see in Jean Valjean someone who must overcome his past and choose to accept the grace given him in the form of 2 candlesticks. The lavish grace God gives to his children if only we will come to him. I see that in my own life and in the lives of so many I know and have heard about. Grace is freely given, yet how hard it is for some to take hold. His character shows that so well.

This movie came at a time where I was reading Kisses From Katie, a story of a young girl who chose to live a life in Uganda as a single mom to 14 children rather than the life of comfort and predictable mediocrity in TN. So my compassion and empathy radar was on high alert as I watched the story of Les Mis unfold and heard the timeless songs. I was also more moved by the sweet love of a father for his daughter that develops, given Katie's love for her adopted children and God's adoption of us into His family.

fanpop.com

I was reminded of my love of good literature, themes, and how a good story can speak on so many levels at once. It can reflect our own souls in each character. I saw myself in Jean Valjean as he sought to live the blessed life he was given. I saw myself in the inspector Javert as he was blind in his pride to uphold what was law. I saw myself in Eponine as she struggled with unrequited love and in Marius and Enjolras as they sought ways to bring about change.


This movie reminded me of how compelling emotions can be and how terrific Broadway and song are ways of expressing those emotions. I was truly impressed with the actors abilities to sing and cry at the same time. :) Check out this video on why it was so profoundly moving. Ah I love it and want to see it again.

Water - taking the plunge

I took the plunge and started something. I've been thinking about it for a while, praying about it even. I've been asking God - what should I do? I care about the world and there are so many ways its hurting. What are you asking of me?

For over the last 3-4 years I've asked those questions, learned more about social issues affecting our world, and made some small changes (give more money, buy more fair trade, tweet about it, etc.). But as I was thinking of how I might celebrate living n Winston Salem for 5 years, I remembered a friend who celebrated his birthday by "giving it away" to an organization called Charity:Water.  This was a few weeks ago and I came across their September Campaign. They do a major project every year around their "birthday" and this year it is in Rwanda. So I took the plunge.

I want to help them. My mission is to raise $5000 in the next three months. I started the campaign through Charity:Water because it's time for me to do something. And to watch God bless the effort. And to see lives changed for the better. There are millions of people who walk miles every day just to get water to drink. Consider the children who skip primary school to lug 40-pound Jerry cans on their backs. The family members who try to nurse their brothers and sisters back to health after a waterborne illness has infected them.

So I'm asking anyone who can to donate for clean water. Every penny you give will go straight to building water projects in developing nations. And just like I have all of you as friends in my own community, we'll be able to see the community we impacted when the projects we funded are complete!To give go to http://mycharitywater.org/lindapollock

Injustice Shuts Its Mouth.

I attended a gala last week. When I first heard it was a gala, I thought, how lovely! I'd been reading a lot of old English literature and I pictured a Pride and Prejudice type event. I invited my friend Tara and we planned to attend.

We arrived at Castle McCullough after a full day of work and enjoyed the sites and sounds as we bid on silent auction items (Tara won a painting) and listened to musicians. The program was a fundraiser for World Relief and to increase efforts to fight human trafficking. I honestly can't remember how I first found out about this event, I've just been telling people I follow a lot of "this kind of stuff" on twitter and like it on Facebook. The "kind of stuff" I am referring to are social justice issues and causes I care about.

The tone of the evening was hard to describe. But here is my attempt.

Maybe intense? - A survivor of trafficking courageously shared her story including more than a decade of forced prostitution, coercion by her pimp and drug addiction. I think everyone had tears in their eyes.

Maybe  inspiring? - We heard Spoken Word and a lament which point us back to God's faithfulness and love for His people.

Maybe hopeful? - The CEO of World Relief, Stephan Bauman shared his vision for a world free from slavery and reminded us of Wilberforce and the things we've accomplished thus far. 

Maybe igniting? - I spent a couple hours in a room full of people who care about making a difference in our world today. I ended up at a table with the former president and a regional director of World Relief. I signed up for a taskforce and found this other event I may attend soon. 

I've shared with several friends that one day I'd like to run or create a nonprofit and thus far have been looking for those clues God has so graciously revealed over the past several years. I think this even was perhaps a clue. I'm excited for this catalyst and want to keep seeking God's face for what He may be leading me toward. 

Stephan Bauman shared Job 5:16 as part of his vision and as our call to action. Let us pursue God and his love for all people so that injustice shuts its mouth!

According to the UNODC, Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. If you're wondering what World Relief (in High Point NC) does, check out Human Trafficking Advocacy

And to end things well, check out one of the performances Micah Bournes did at the event: