Lift A Leg...Find A Tree

I went to go clean this house with one of my friends the other day and part of the house-sitting was also taking care of a dog. And so I go and change his water and fill up his food bowl and picked his poop up. And he got soaked by the sprinklers and got all dirty and his lower half just got immersed in mud. And at that point, I had to reprimand him for getting too close. For being dirty, I just didn’t want to get dirty. The association costs me too much. He is definitely fun as entertainment, and maybe that is all he is there for, to serve my need to be entertained.
Maybe it is the same for the homeless person. Maybe it is the same for the outsider, the “uncool” person. They provide us opportunity for social commentary as we drive on by in our convenient lexus cages. They provide enough guilt to toss up a prayer as we walk on by. They drive us to talk about love and that is as far as we go. They make us uncomfortable. And the association might be too much to our precious reputation. Yet, scripture says Christ was a friend “of” sinners. Not “to” sinners. This is what pissed off the Pharisees. Jesus loved the outsiders. The “dirty” people, the unclean. He calls us, from the Old Testament to the New and beyond to love the outsider, the marginalized and the poor. Who are those people in your world: the elderly person next door, the nerd in your 3rd period class, the prostitute who sits on the corner, or the guy who holds the cardboard sign…We are called to love these people. Christ even says that there is some mysterious connection between loving the outsider and actually partaking in experiencing him. Loving the outsider does not mean we give them a handful of change, it means we befriend them. Mutual reciprocity. You share life with them. Speak of your stressful day at work, your victory at golf, your frustrations with your relationship with God…

I Vote For...

Have you ever mismatched? You know, when you go to your closet and then set out your clothes and the morning arrives to find you on your way. Then when it’s already too late, you realize you have mismatched shoes and socks. And then you have those awkward moments wondering the whole time if you should say anything before someone else does…one of those days.
I believe we have mismatched our values with nationalism. We have embraced something like the American Dream and have discovered scripture to justify it. We embrace the American way as the correct way to do things. We think country pride is biblical. Ironically, scripture does speak on this. With the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Old Testament. These guys were friends of Daniel and also the same three guys who had the walk-in BBQ with Jesus as the fourth guy (Read Daniel). They were told by the King to bow down to the country idol, to serve the countries idealism of the King being God. And they wouldn’t. They didn’t back down. They did allow their country politics to dictate their spirituality or way of life. They allowed their spirituality to dictate those and many other things. Yet, we have claimed Christianity to be a republican religion. We have claimed America as a Christian nation. Christ-following is very different from Christianity. The first designates followership. The second is a religion which man has created which includes the proper way to vote. In fact, scripture does include a promotion to nationalism, but not of the physical world. All over the book of Hebrews is this idea that we are strangers of this world, but that our citizenship is of the unseen world. That our clothes are supposed to be righteousness. Righteousness in it’s depth of meaning refers to us living out our lives scandalously and discovering who we each are meant to be in Christ. That our national anthem should be worship to the King through our lives. That our politics should be advocating transformation in our lives and in the lives of others.

Don't Move

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T MOVE
Taste the reminiscent discord in your voice
Dance with the silence in a room alone
Where no one knows your home
Stay in this place, frozen, cold
As a lovers go, destruction is our wake
We’ve left the circus for another day
Embrace the tide that swept us away
And said goodbye before yesterday
If only it was today, would there be more to say…
Take the cue cards from behind the screen
Live out the last act like steve mcqueen
Let it roll. Down off our backs. Sip martinis and finally relax
And be complacent with what we’ve got
That seems to work for the world so far

Return of The Musical...

He usually is the guy with the long gray beard. It probably hasn’t been groomed for months, maybe even years. You usually won’t find him in a nearby coffee shop or some bookstore or department store that raves of its newest fads. In fact, for him, clothes might be least of his many concerns. In most cases, he is the guy we tend to avoid. We tend to walk faster if we see him approaching us, as we juggle through our pockets and purses to find our keys to seem as if we have somewhere important to go. In reality, he is the guy we want to avoid, and for most of us, we do it artfully.
In the first century, being crippled had a very similar stigma attached to the status of the one who was crippled. It was believed that if you were born crippled that someone in your family committed an unpardonable sin, that the mark was a blemish on the generations of that family to come. You were not liked and you were not popular if you were the crippled guy. They would have special places for you…for many outside the city, or near the temple entrances was where they (the crippled ones) would choose to sit and beg for money. A little piece of the life we get to experience everyday. They were the epitome of the outsider. The poster-child for the marginalized. They lived and breathed rejection. But, today was different…
Peter and John were going through the temple, and saw this guy. And going through his day-to-day rhetoric of asking for money there was no expectation of change. What is interesting is Peter’s reply to the request. Basically he says: look here man, I don’t have any money to my name. I am poor as you are. But, way more important than that hamburger you’ve been dreaming about, I have something else (or someone else) who is much more important to your sustenance. And then after that, he tells the crippled man who has been sitting at the gate called Beautiful (ironic, huh? He has been told and treated by society as if he is ugly) to “Look up here”! (I am flashbacking to the movie “The Three Amigos” (lol))…really what he means is this…I am nobody special. I used to be where you are now. Which means there is hope for you. There is something beyond the mundaneness of expecting the same treatment everyday. There is transformation. I know how you feel, and there is more. Look at us! Look how God changed us. He can change you…then Peter uses an odd phrasing, never really seen before or after this encounter…he says “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!” not your typical, “in the name of Jesus”, but why? Because, the last time we hear anything about Nazareth, “ there is nothing good that can come from it”…in essence Peter is saying, “look at what Christ’s own people thought of Him, and look at who he really is”…he is letting the man know that there is more to what society says about him, there is more to him than what he has come to think of himself. He is valuable. And then tells him to be who he was meant to be by not being encumbered by his ailment. He basically gives him the license to live as a free man. As a person who is and has always been beautiful. We tend to look at this passage as how to react to the homeless person we run into you…but, really, what is crippling you? What is holding you back from knowing Christ deeper? What theologies, sermons, thoughts, fears, strengths, weaknesses, experiences are shaping you into a “crippled” person who is beginning to believe they are not or have not been beautiful…maybe you come to understand that you are the most prized creation. That more than any beautiful musical ever seen or made, you are the epitome of a beautiful song to God’s ear. More beautiful than Mona Lisa, or Starry Night, or Les Miserables …believe this, and you will change the world!!!

WAITING FOR THE BUS TO ARRIVE

it's so much easier to just let it run its course. i mean, sometimes fighting it just makes it worse, and even though we know the outcome, at the time giving in seems to be the best answer at the time. although, in the shadows lurks the shadow of that part of our soul we just just gave up and are not fully aware of. mercy, like air -- we need it. sometimes church loses all the spiritual resources it claims it has. we get disillusioned by the very things that seem to have it all together. we seem to have stomach pains over taking all the overspiritualized sweets that are bribe their way into our heads, until one day, theology itself fails us and leaves us to trust god and not our thoughts. we becom disillusioned by our own ghosts and our own ideas, that all that is left is either to completely run east of eden or into waiting arms of our Father, who like the father of the prodigal -- always waits....how cool is that?

Blessed Are The Poor...They See God

today i noticed that the outsider gets the boot. the marginalized ones get forced to walk on that white little part between the curb and the street. they are not worth our time to share a sidewalk with. this is so very sad. we leave them right where they are and blame them for their demise, when maybe, just maybe, life is what happened. it is not our responsibility to judge them, it is our job to love them despite the judgements that may well up deep inside. we must seem them as possible friends. as possible members in the family called the human race. there is no such status as subhuman. some may say this idealistic, but how do you change the world? one person at a time. we change our perspective. then, that's when the world begans its transformation. but maybe its too easy to stay where you are in your thoughts on all this, is it?

I wish it would rain...

we let it tell us what we can do. what we are able to do. what we should do. it's like we ask its permission to live. to breath even. we must not let the falling rain immoblize us from walking outside, we must do the exact opposite. we must let the rain inside, swim into our veins. let it become part of the experiences we go through. we must let it soak us, embrace the rain. because it will never be that kind of rain again. it will never be the rain on that day in that moment. we must dance, we must get a mess, we must live out our lives irregardless of the rain. we must not live within what might see permissive limitations bound by some weather. we must live out life passionately...and wish it would rain...

i wanna hold your hand...

there were these 3-people, travelers if you will passing in the street. they weren't just any travelers. they were familiar pedestrians not to me, but to each other. how do they become that? the two guys were almost heroic. in the mind of the lady these men were part something greater than just friends, they were people she missed. people who had so much intrinsic value that a simple cordial handshake wouldn't be enough to solidify the bond. a hug was the least appropriate necessary affection called in place. yet, sitting there, i still wondered how did they get that way? they knew each other. they shared stories, their lives, their hearts. they were a stable part of their lives. a staple so to speak. i move around. a lot. i have that with a few. not to many. not on the heroic level. what about you? i think the answer is within this thought.

Even When You're Hope Is Gone, Move Along, Move Along...

god is in everything. they believed this, i mean in every little moment God was with them. the incarnation didn't end with this Christ. it began the "God with us" era of living out our faith. since i have been here, there have been a handful of stressful situations. people, finances (this is still ongoing), and just the transitional mess of being. i mean that, not just transitioning to a new space, but just being. i am restless spirit, so these experiences get compounded and exaggerated. i am an emotional guy (yes, girls, they do exist, lol)...and i am still having a hard time. but, god is here. emmanuel. its true. i just need the eyes to see the spiritual residual of all this. to taste and see through the messiness that God, my God is really that good. i know it. sometimes, i dont believe it. i can't fully understand his goodness. not now, not here. but if i am to get a glimpse, i have to just dive into this messiness and stop trying to figure it all out. its not an easy course to take, not an easy road to traverse. this a new path to take for me. to try and see God at every turn. to experience God in all moments i pass through and breathe in. to be touched by the words and healed by the silence of God...man, i just need to get all of this...really, i do

When Clouds Just Seem To Be Clouds...

i think clouds are thoughts trying to escape. let me say it differently. i think our thoughts sometimes make clouds into images. cloudwatching is somehow so relaxing and can be romantic depending on who you are with. they can tell so much about your psyche. they can tell you about your dreams. i am not saying clouds have this mystical "crystal ball" effect. it is just quite interesting how you can see something completely different than someone else. it lets me know, that we all have different persepctives. different ways of doing things. different insights to life and to love and to a broken heart. and to giving and taking and running and walking and breathing and even living. clouds represent us. we are all different shapes and sizes. but, we all hold rivers of tears back. and there are days we just drown ourselves in our sorrow. then there are days where you pull back and let Jesus do his thing (the "sun"/the son). we let God be God then. most days, we don't. we live out our lives in fear of God who tells us his love drives out fear. so, i wonder if we are only experiencing the shadow of God, because, we are just being clouds and blocking our view of the True God. You see, like the Sun, he wants to always shine on us. to always brighten us. yes, at times, maybe even get burned. but, healing comes. i know this is all imagery here, but, God...loves to wake us. he loves to arouse within us his passion. and before we were created, he did. his passions are the passions you already have within you and they are good ones. and they are already blessed ones. live them out...

Hands Clean

When I was a kid I loved climbing things, mostly trees and buildings and mountains. It was a lot of fun getting to the top. It didn’t matter how long it took or how hard I was breathing, the fact that I made it to the top was good enough. I think we all like that feeling. The feeling of accomplishment of coming nearer to a goal. We used to play this game when I was little called King of the Hill. And the last one standing was the winner. It was a group of you and your friends who met at the top of this hill and whoever could push everyone else off the hill would win. Of course, the biggest and strongest won most of the time. Which would have been me, lol.
So, there is this King of a pretty prestigious city called Israel. He is to be considered one of the greatest Kings of Israel. His name was David. He lived and breathed God. One day as he was struggling with this idea of being nearer to God. He asked a question: “Who can be where God is?” Then he figures out that the only way to get to God is with clean hands and a pure heart. Now this word pure in the original hebrew.aramaic language lent itself to the idea of completeness or wholeness. So, in essence, David is realizing that it is God alone who can make us ready to experience Him even deeper. We can’t on our own make ourselves pure or complete. So, what is he saying. That we must depend on God. We must acknowledge our neediness of Him. That we can’t do it without Him. In a sense, we must come to terms with our brokenness. And the oddity is that the ancient scriptures say that God is near (elbow-to-elbow_ with the broken-hearted. That it is as if he is right there with you. The greeks believed your heart was not just the biological organism. That is was central to who you were as a person. And David is saying that the only way to God is by having a full complete self, or being. Then he also says someone who has clean hands can meet with God in the highest place. You see the Jews would have interpreted the mountain as two different things: (1) the highest mountain in all of Jerusalem and (2) quite possibly Moses encounter with God on Mt Sinai. And this would also explain God’s holiness, since His dwelling is in the highest of heights. He is separating Himself from his creator. He is making the distinction that he, all by himself can’t begin to compare to the Lover of his soul. He is also making a connection with creation. That it isn’t creation that can complete who He is. There were many religions during that time that gave homage to creation, to the point of making parts of nature a god. And David is setting God apart by saying, it is not creation that can save me, but the one who created the mountain I will climb. He also speaks of clean hands. Hands were used for all kinds of tasks, dirty tasks, and even mischievous ones, but also good ones. And so he is saying these are the things that will get you closer to the King. Again, clean has this idea of being whole. That it is perfect. Purity (pure = empty or beloved) was not something to be taken lightly in the Jewish culture. If someone was unclean they were usually banished from the town in which they lived at least for 7 days or until they were considered clean by the temple priests. Some people lived outside the city, it became their home. So, David is really saying that only someone who is considered clean can come to Hill of the God. Or in God’s presence or have friendship with their Creator. He is also saying that he doesn’t want to be separated from His King. A King who is giving Homage to the King of all Kings. In our modern day language, what David would be saying is he (which is anyone, the offer is to whoever wants it). He who has pure motives, and an open heart that has only be reserved for God. Do you have those things today? You see there is this strange contradiction going on here. On one hand, those two things cannot be done without God. But, then it is assumed that if you know God (now keep in mind the Messiah had not come yet), that God is the one who gives the very things he requires. It is as if God is saying: “Yes, I know you have made a lot of mistakes and maybe you have gotten yourself covered in mud, and maybe you have even bad intentions for living the way you live, but, I want to be with you. I love you, you are my son or daughter. And I want you to be in my presence. What you have to understand about the presence of God is that it is the most intimate place to be. There were a group of ancients who lived some time ago. They believed that even if you just thought of God that you were somehow right where God was. Now, if God is everywhere as we believe, then God is the one who is surrounding us with His presence. And we can live in it, only because of what Christ gave up in return for the opportunity of knowing God personally. God set the standards and then He offered us the opportunity to let Him make us acceptable to those standards. David figured this out, that is why he later in that same Psalm instructs the Gates to the city of God to be opened. In essence, David is saying: “I am not going to waste anymore time”. You want to be with me and I want to be with you. So, I am coming to you. I want to drink of your presence. That is the offer. One other thing you must realize before you walk out of here today is that if you have ever done any kind of mountain hiking you know it is not always easy getting to your destination, sometime it is even painful. Yet, you are so very glad you made the trip. A lot of mountains in Palestine were very jagged. Very rough. David knew that getting into God’s presence and staying there, and making it a lifestyle wasn’t going to happen overnight. David began to realize something, that the journey was making him ready for the destination. That his somewhat ardous trek up the mountain of God wasn’t going to be cheap. Yet, even knowing this, he made the choice to go to the mountain of God. You see, all of you here have clean hands and a pure heart. Now, let me make this clear, it is only through Christ that this is possible. Not a good church attendance, not having verses memorized or even giving tithe. It is ONLY through Christ that you are qualified to march up the Hill of God. To be and experience the presence of your creator who is deeply in love with you.
Socrates (a greek philosopher) had a young college-age student come up to him one day and ask for instruction. The student wanted to know God more than anything…Master Socrates thought for a moment, and then he led the young eager student a nearby riverside and instructed the student to kneel. And then asked the student if he trusted him. And the student replied, I would trust you with my life master socrates. Then socrates took the student by the neck and shoved his head underwater for 15 seconds. Then socrates yanked the students head out and asked him what do you want more than anything? And the student replied in bewilderment, I want God more than anything master socrates. Seeing that the student did not get the point, he took the student by the neck and shoved his head underwater for 30 seconds, and the student by this time became frustrated and confused and didn’t understand what master socrates was doing. And in his frustrated voice answered the question of socrates : I want God more than anything while all the while breathing heavily. Then Socrates took the student by the neck one more time and shoved his head underwater for 1 minute. The young student was flailing his arms and started to drown, and just then socrates pulled the young man’s head out of the water and asked him the question a third time, what do you want more than anything young boy, and the young student answered while gasping for air: I want air. I want air master socrates. Socrates responded slowly: When you want God that much, then you will find Him.
How bad do you want God? More than oxygen? What if God became your oxygen? What if today you made a decision to chase after God? What if no matter how hard the climb you made a choice to climb and keep climbing no matter how thin the air got up there? That you’re only goal is to be with your King. In His most high place, where he dwells. Where His friendship doesn’t even come close to any earthly friendships. This is the invitation, the offer. Will you accept? It is a choice only you can make and have to want? What are you going to do?

KISS ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT

Katherine was her name. I was out of High School. And tonight, I was nervous. Yet, I was giddy as a lotto winner. For tonight I held the winning ticket in my hand, and she was close to my heart. And that night, my heart was racing. And when we finally kissed, it made my world turn upside down and spin, like someone in the midst of vertigo. That night I floated all the way home. Although, I had kissed girls before. This was my first love and it meant something. It had value. And after a while, it seems after that, that kissing becomes so easy. That appreciation sits in the back row of the old movie theatre that no one ever goes to anymore. It goes out of style. And it leaves us alone in a relationship. When our affection falls to the wayside. When our value of another loses its value, we lose and they lose. And then like a stalemate in war and the loaf of a bread in a freezer, the relationship and the hearts in it become hard to affection. Christ says at one time: “I desire mercy not sacrifice”. He wants our affection our desires. Not our simple every day acts of getting up and being a Christ-follower. Our want to. Our hearts, not our deeds. Yes, your deeds prove who you follow. So, if you act in deed, do so with the deepest affection as lovers go. If you go to church because you feel like you need to or because you feel guilty. Then stop going. Yes, you heard me right. God turns valley girl in Revelation and says: “what makes me vomit is someone who is in-between” who has no heart and is just using me for fire insurance. He actually says, “I would rather you hate me wholeheartedly then straddle fences”. Read it. So. Where do we go from here. Well, its all up to you. If you don’t need God like oxygen then God has become an obligation. Not something you have passion for. And yes, I believe it is possible for you to have passion for God, always. Yes, always. But, you must fight for it, when in the deserts of your relationship. You must dig to find the well of God. And like He promises, he will satisfy. But, most of us are too comfortable cracking our Bibles open for 15 minutes or making good church attendance or a good tithe record over actually meeting God face-to-face. It is way to scary and unsafe to walk outside of your concepts of God. It is too dangerous and for some, it may cost you everything to let you go of your bubble that God may frequent out of curiosity. And yes, because he cares. So. Change the world. And embrace transformation but from now on instead of you controlling how much transformation, you let the Creator do that. And do things for God like a lover would do things. Not because you are seeking favor, but, because you are insanely in love with this Spirit who chooses to live within. Let that truth be the transformation you meet lips with. When you do things for God, don’t do it out of obligation, he doesn’t want that, he wants your heart…give it to him. And like a lover, he will take care of it better than a girl or guy ever could…kiss your creator king!!

Don’t Blink, Everyone is Watching…

Do you do things because others are watching. Or because you want to. Do you believe the applause of your personal audience is what keeps you going. Or the fact that you truly believe what you believe. Do you share the same convictions of the masses. Or do you follow the you inside. I mean, okay, I know when we were little, we would cry and make a huge show of our emotions and let others know how we feel. And to let your emotions out is a healthy thing, trust me. But, do you do for health or for the screams of the audience around you. Do you believe you are person who has value. Do you. Think about it. Or do you find your value like the game “The price is right”, do you wait until someone gets near your value and then you say, good enough. And sell yourself a few cents short. or like a black and white film, you have no say, you just do. I don’t know, do you?

Dig a Ditch Deep Enough to Never See the Sun

Tans seem to be the biggest next thing. Tanning salons have become popular, tan products seem to be a popular. To be honest, I have bought into it. I like to have a tan. Naturally, because of my Spanish and Indian background, I have a natural tint in my melanin. But, I have also seen the sun burn people. I had a friend who came from the beach one day with boils on her neck and upper chest. The sun is a beautiful thing. So is risk and dreams. Together they are a powerful cocktail that would rival anyone else’s dream. Dreams are beautiful things. But, don’t mistake your dreams for the same dreams when you fall asleep. When you come with a dream, you must be awake and purposeful. Most give up and fall into these walking coma’s. and give up on dreams. So, they dig themselves into the ditches that protect themselves from every failing. Failing is alright. Learn from it, then make it into another step to take you closer and higher to your goal. Don’t let failures tell you who you are or what you can or can’t do. Act despite them. Don’t do it alone. God says he will never turn his back on you. Ask for strength. And then since we are more than conquerors, conquer the world. Your fears, your own heart. And conquer the impossible. It is really the only place that makes sense for dreamers.

You Don't Warrant Long Goodbyes...

You Don’t Warrant Long Goodbyes

Has anyone every jaded you. I mean hurt you SO bad, you think you are either beyond repair or that your relationship is. I mean, everyone has their own luggage, right? Things you just seem to not let go. It is really funny, if you look up this idea of forgiveness in the ancient scriptures, is that you are leaving the issue alone. But, lets think about it, if you don’t leave it alone, you have a companion. So, really, in the midst of your unforgiveness and bitterness and rage and lust for revenge, you are never alone. That issue becomes a fair-weather friend you have somehow found warmth in. and companionship. This takes care of the issue of ever really being alone. So, it is much harder to really forgive others and yourself because you find a sense of peace in a broken heart. The shattered pieces seem to be more, but, really, what it is, is its broken. And its okay to shout and scream and yes if you so feel, cuss, and let it out. And let it go. If you don’t, one day, you might find a long lost companion, many years down the road and bring unnecessary pain into a relationship that has no connection to your bad experience. Don’t let your pain dictate how things really are. Realize that your perceptions are just that. Perceptions. Believe, there is a life and world beyond your brain and your heart. And try to live there. And there, you won’t ever be alone, but, you will have solace in a friendship with the guy who knows all about forgiveness. Embrace that kind of world. Give it freely. Live it freely. Live free…

PERMEATE.

I want one of those ones over there. I mean I don’t need it like a homeless guy needs a coat. I want it. I want the kind that touches your soul. The kind that without it there are parts of you that would never change. It’s like an osmosis of sorts. An intrusion that is welcomed and reinvited after the initial contact. But, maybe, if I am honest, maybe I do need it like that poor unfortunate soul that hangs out on freeway exits. I want love to permeate through me. I want to love her like no other guy has and to tell her she is beautiful for the only reason to let her know how much value she really holds and how much her beauty transcends the very word itself. To be able to hold her deep inside and remind her that she is and will always be the princess in her story. And that romance isn’t something that you get to experience in scripts. That it is real, that it is powerful and that she deserves it…one day, I will open the door and there she’ll be, and until then, I will let this all permeate through me…

Bienvenidos! Welcome...

So. this is my blog. a place for thoughts, questions poems ponderings. I am a bit upside down when it comes to viewing this life...so, bring your kaleidoscope and let the adventure begin!
Thanks for stopping by...