The Beauty of Waves

(To listen as you read)

In light of people returning to school, going to new schools, not going back to school but doing something new and different, and transitioning in innumerable ways, I have turned my thoughts to waves, particularly wave energy.

All photos from Hawaii December 2009

In an episode of their illustrious podcast, Stuff You Should Know, Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant consider the question “Can Oceans Power the World?” (episode 1/20/11)  Clearly the ocean is very powerful and full of natural energy, and while there are many interesting ways humans have learned to harness that power, some of the most basic elements of the ocean, waves and tides, have become incredibly relevant to my life lately.

Waves, to be distinguished from tides, are the movement of the water propelled by the wind.  They rise to a crest and fall to a trough, often moving in toward land.  The power of waves is all too evident when trying to surf (or body surf) on any beach-based summer vacation.  This wave movement naturally flows with tidal change, which is propelled by the moon, and modulates throughout the day reaching 2 highs and 2 lows.

So, in the ocean, we have this constant movement in and out, up and down on smaller and larger levels.  It is movement that is enacted by higher powers of wind and moon, but that contains its own power as it reacts to the initial engagement, rushing in and flowing out. 

Even this mechanical overview, not including the glassy blue sheen or the refreshing scents or constant soothing sounds, reveals the incredible beauty of this mass of moving water.

I have been thinking about this a lot as I have been preparing the past week to conclude my term as interim youth director at the church where I have been working this summer.  I am transitioning into an intern role at the same church for the school year as a new, full-time youth director takes over.  Although this summer has proved to be the most stable and consistent in my life in the past several years, this “small” change has caught me off guard. 

I have experienced the highs of God pulling me closer to Himself through this opportunity of serving and loving youth (as well as the lows that naturally accompany this movement), and the thrill of rushing powerfully on, fueled by the wind of the Spirit. 

But the wave of this opportunity is quickly coming to an end.  I will soon have ridden it out and it will return to the depths of the endless ocean.

But the truly beautiful thing about the ocean is that the waves are only momentary expressions of something bigger.  I can trust that while this specific wave of service that I have expressed is ending and a new wave is coming in for the youth at the church, the water will always be constant.  The moon will always draw that well of life upward and the wind will always blow it in with just the right timing to continue the rhythmic dance.

And in the midst of this changing of the tides, I hope that the grace of the moon and wind will be magnified in the energy of the change.  For it is only in the change of waves and tides that energy can be harnessed from the ocean.  As we respond to the way God is moving in our lives, we produce effective energy.  And as we discern how God is moving us in these new ways, I hope that we can be propelled by the energy of which we are a part.

Transition is scary and we lose something that has been a part of us, even if only for a short amount of time.  But as I hit the shore and am drug back out to sea, I know that I’m blessed to be a part of the beauty and power of the ocean and that I can participate in many ways in its unending dance.

Ultimately, I am confident that the ocean of God’s love will never stand still and I am thankful to get to stay in the same bay to continue to be a part of the life of the church, albeit while riding a different wave.  And there's always the excitement of watching for the next crest.

A New? Hope, I Hope

(I promise this post is not specifically about Star Wars, although perhaps not unrelated)

I just finished The Hunger Games, the first book of the recently popular trilogy bearing the same title by Suzanne Collins.  I highly recommend it and eagerly look forward to reading the remaining two in the series and watching the forthcoming movie.  Spoiler alert! I will not give away too many details, but will be focusing on the general trends of the end of the book. 

The book, set in a future America segmented into districts by a devastating war won by the controlling capitol, follows the story of a young girl, Katniss, who is propelled into a televised “game” where 24 teens must fight to the death.  Katniss is clever, strong, and bound to another competitor by a somewhat contrived romance.  Eventually, she is forced to take drastic measures that could be seen as either heedlessly yielding to this “love” or challenging the all-powerful capitol.  The book ends rather abruptly as she is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions in the game – balancing between sustaining what might be love and pushing against the injustice of the capitol – but the sudden stop could not restrain the forward momentum of my mind. 

Particularly, I found myself predicting all the ways she could show the capitol who’s boss, how she could stick it to the man or stand up to what is obviously a horribly unjust system. 

This strong protagonist may just have what it takes to start some sort of revolution, be a heroine leading legions of rebels against the capitol. 

Or at least she could die trying, sparking an even greater revolution by her martyrdom.  At least that’s how a mind fed on 23 years of inspiring stories hoped this one would turn out.

But the more I thought about these options juxtaposed against the anti-climactic ending of an uncertain girl who is becoming more concerned about her relationship with the other competitor, the more I rethought the grandeur of the rebellious heroine.

Maybe those exciting predictions of revolution led by the now unstoppable Katniss are not the best story.

 

Then, I heard about the current riots in London.  As I researched more into the crazed destruction spurred on by the unrest of economic and social injustice, I couldn’t help but feel even more uneasy at the idea of a bravado-fueled revolution of the disgruntled masses.  These rioters may not have a heroine as noble as Katniss, but their actions are only a shade or two away from what I had initially hoped to find in the rest of the Hunger Games story.

As the end of the book crashed into the hard reality of our world, my heart and mind were left vulnerable and exposed, unsure of how to escape the burning mess all around.

And that’s when the importance of the complicated love relationship between the two protagonists of the book finally sunk in.  If Katniss were to try and challenge the capitol, she would get instantly squashed and wiped from the face of the earth in such a carefully planned accident that no one would dare question the capitol’s involvement.  Even if she was able to muster up some rebel compatriots, this would merely result in more war and death and the propagation of hate.

This does not mean she must lay over like a lame duck, however.  On the contrary, Katniss is in the position of true power.  She is in the position to foster love.  And that love is the only thing that can truly transform a situation rife with injustice, oppression, and death.  That love is the only thing that can bring life into a world of destruction. It is a simple, humble love in which everyone can participate.

(Anyone else think Ben looks a lot like Jim Carrey in this video?)

I now hope that my first inclination of rebellion does not win out.  Rather I hope that humble love wins – the love between Katniss and Peeta.  The simple love that all can express and share.  The love that does not bend to injustice, but rises above the prevalent hate and destruction.  The love that transforms perceptions of the world, allowing our hearts to penetrate deeper into the truth of our reality.  The love that is the more difficult option, but our only hope.

I don’t know which path Collins has chosen to lead her readers, but I know which one needs to be taken.

Reflections on Indonesia

I feel that I’ve told this story a million times already, but I realize that there are many people who supported me or are just interested in my life that I will not get to see or talk to anytime soon.  So, here is a post about my recent trip to Indonesia for those of you who want to virtually participate in the few life-impacting weeks I experienced in late May.

This is a long post.  A general outline is necessary, but the important stuff comes after that.  We had to keep a journal throughout the trip and one of the questions was: What are better questions you wish people would ask when you describe your trip?  So, I will answer a few of those too, and if you've already heard about the trip, you can skip to the end.

But first, the trip itself.

We flew 14 1/2 hours from Atlanta to Seoul, South Korea, during which I pretty much just watched movies, ate, and slept.  I tried to be more productive, but between laziness, a decent in-flight movie selection, and sleepiness, my time was doomed to be sub-productive.  We had a layover in Korea that was just long enough to go check into a hotel, sleep about 6 hours, watch some crazy Korean TV (lots of singing and dancing), and get ready to head back to the airport for our 6 hour trip down to Jakarta.

We arrived in Jakarta on Saturday night and our group of 11 split up into three houses.  I accompanied 3 of my fellow students to a beautiful house (possibly the nicest I have ever been in) and became the guest of the wonderful hosts, Daniel, Mariana, James, and Josephina.  Sunday morning we attended an English speaking church called Wesley Methodist Church in Jakarta.  It was a moving service and I immediately felt the broad arms of God drawing us together from the first song.  I don’t even remember the song itself, but the powerful feeling of global community and brother/sisterhood with strangers was amazing.  The worship was concluded with an empowering rendition of the Hallelujah chorus.  The rest of the day we journeyed around Jakarta some, stopping for a refreshing orange and coconut drink and some time at a mall before a delicious dinner.

n.b. more pictures at facebook

All the food was wonderful and I wish I was still eating it now.  Rice was included in almost every dish (really....even the snacks...yum), and much was similar to our general concept of “Asian” food with a good variety of seafood and meats in savory and often spicy sauces.  We ate very well and were constantly treated to lavish meals.  I was unfortunately sick for one whole day and could not eat anything then, but definitely made up for it the rest of the week.

Monday through Friday we stayed at a retreat center about an hour outside of the city for the seminar.  It was also very nice.  Each day we had several large group lectures over the theme of faith sharing and also broke out into smaller groups and more intimate ministry sharing wesley groups, all of which were very engaging and meaningful.  I especially prized the moments in between sessions at meals and over tea when I got to talk with some of the 100 Indonesian pastors that attended and developed friendships with many of them.  English was spoken about half the time, but many people were fluent enough to carry on conversations.  I also got to play with the worship band some and got to know them fairly well.  Nevertheless, much of my time during the presentations was spent running cameras and seeing to the behind-the-scenes stuff, which I did enjoy.

One day we got to venture out and visit with a group from a nearby university that was participating in a team/leadership building camp.  They were all enthusiastic and it was good to interact with them and get a better sense of what Indonesia is like.

On Saturday we concluded the seminar at Wesley church and had more nice meals.  Sunday we attended the english service again, went to lunch and shopping with our gracious and hilarious hostess, and attended the Aldersgate service at a different church that night.  It was a very moving service of remembering John Wesley’s warmed heart and opening our own to be stirred by God.  

Monday and Tuesday were our last days in the country and we spent them touring some of Indonesia.  We went to Taman Mini, which is a park that has representations of each traditional culture comprising Indonesia, which is a collection of many small and large islands.  We got to walk around and look at some of the houses before loading back up and traveling further out from the city to a safari.  I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical about the safari at first because animals are animals, but I had a wonderful time.  It was a lot of fun driving through and feeding the animals from the car.  I must not fail to mention our wonderful tour guide and dear friend, Raisa, who accompanied us.  She was very helpful in guiding us through a day of Indonesian fun and it was great to get to know her throughout the seminar.  Monday ended with a cultural night where we got to see and hear traditional dancing, clothing, and songs from many parts of Indonesia.  There were so many talented people of all ages and it was a joy to be a part of that culture and share in their heritage.

On Tuesday, we toured the city some more, visiting a shipyard and a steel mill owned by some members of the church.  I really enjoyed this and was fascinated by the production of the steel (and the workers dealing with the red hot metal who were only wearing sandals).  Also, it was refreshing, although slightly sad in a way, to see up close the working class of Indonesia.  I realized how pampered we had been all trip (which I am not complaining about at all :) and was grateful to be connected to the more earthy side of things.  We finished by spending some time shopping at a very large market that was a little overwhelming for me, especially given the fact that I am a terrible shopper.

Then, after a week and a half that truly flew by, we were flying back to Seoul and finally to Atlanta.  I was sad to have to leave after what felt like such a short trip, and would have gladly spent another month there at least (although I am equally as excited to be back working with the youth ministry at Decatur FUMC).

Now, to my questions:

How were you transformed on this trip?

First, my eyes and heart were opened to the amazing impact and power of unmitigated hospitality.  I have never experienced such generosity and service in all my life and am now incredibly energized to bless others in the way I was so richly blessed.  So, if you want to visit me, now is a good time.

My eyes and mind were also opened to a new culture.  This was the first time I traveled to a non-Western, non-English speaking country.  I was excited to learn new phrases, taste new tastes, and be immersed in a place that at times seemed so refreshingly different from America.  

Also, my heart was primed to beat more for those who do not know the gospel.  After seeing and hearing about the courage of the Indonesian pastors who are passionate about sharing faith in such a more difficult context than I will ever face in America, I could not ignore the urgings in my heart to be a loving presence in my own context, gently guiding as many as I can toward the good news of Christ.

What are the biggest differences between America and Indonesia?

The similarities were actually more surprising and humorous, like the fact that KFC was very popular in Jakarta, probably more so than in the US.

A major difference, which was not immediately noticeable in the city, is the Muslim influence.  Indonesia is a Muslim country with many Fundamentalist groups residing on some of the more remote islands.  Jakarta is like any big city and religion is not as big an issue as I presume it is elsewhere in the country, but I believe it is still difficult to get a permit to build a church anywhere in the country, forcing many groups to be without a building.  I heard several stories of pastors having to deal with tense religious issues, and much of the Christian outreach is primarily geared toward proving that the Christians are a non-threatening presence, so there is a lot of free rice and medical distribution and a big emphasis on establishing schools.  While many (Christians) in America try their hardest to create these issues with the fuel of distrust and ignorance, I found that most Christians in Indonesia were trying their hardest to alleviate the hateful boundaries that we have allowed to grow up between us with the strong salve of love, concern, and compassion.

One thing that surprised me was that there were wooden carts being pulled around everywhere, lots of people and kids on the streets during the day, and old shacks put up all over the place even right next to high rise bank buildings.  The scene was so different from our carefully designed cities that are comparatively well kept and neat - in Jakarta it was like two worlds had crashed together and the wreckage was strewn about.

That reminds me that there are basically no traffic laws in Indonesia.  I suppose I have also been transformed in my appreciation of American traffic laws (at least when safety is at stake), and I now know just how worse it can get - so Atlanta doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

Besides all this, I think the biggest difference is that Americans don’t wash their rice. I am only half joking, and if you really want to see how big of a deal this is, just mention it to your closest Asian friend; if you don’t have one, stop reading and go find one.

How did you experience and share love on this trip?

Primarily through the amazing hospitality, which I feel that I cannot mention enough.  I tried to be the best guest I could and graciously received such hospitality.  This was sometimes not an easy task though, like whenever one of our organizers for the trip and regional secretary, Maimuna, ate with me and all but forced me to eat much more than I was prepared for, especially after a day of being ill.

I was also able to begin meaningful friendships even in the short time we were there.  Our shared interests in ministry and the relation through Christ’s love that is stronger than any bond brought us all close together.  We were able to share worship together and participate in the glorification of God with one another.  I experienced God’s loving hand opening my heart to my Indonesian brothers and sisters.  We shared the difficulties and joys of living out our callings to ministry and shared laughs and prayers.

One specific instance of selfless love came the night I was sick.  Some of the other students were also ill that day and one of the pastors and translators, Denny, came by and saw us wallowing on the couches in self-pitying pain.  He immediately asked us what was wrong and after hearing of our stomach problems, called his baker (it was around 7-8pm) to get him to bake us some bread for the next morning.  He went and picked it up and brought it back to us that we might enjoy it after our day of fasting.  And it was very delicious  - fresh breads filled with either pineapple jam or cheese.


All in all, it was an amazing trip.  I am blessed to have had the opportunity to go and to re-experience it each time I tell others about it.

May I have your attention, please?

Dear Britney,

Love the new song. Really. And I don't like much of your other work (sorry). But, your music video is not only frustrating and uninsightful, it also is worrying. If I voice these concerns (and make this all too easy joke) I hope you won't hold it against me.

Love

Patrick

The video, besides being a strange fusion of futuristic technology and flaunting Britney's sexuality, is most disturbing in the fact that no single camera shot lasts more than one second. Watch it again if you don't believe me (the very first shot and the comet at the beginning are the only exceptions). It is worse than the most recent episodes Sesame Street, which I had to watch in a psychology class once and count the number of distinct camera shots in a short segment. I don't remember the exact stats, but it was amazing, and frightening that this is what not only kids, but all of us are watching. This is how our brains are being trained.

Ok, I shouldn't be too dramatic, but I can't help noticing this all the time. For instance, I took some 6^th - 8^th graders to a basketball game a few years ago, and as I sat to watch it, I couldn't help but notice that they were constantly moving around, on phones, changing the focus of their attention every couple of minutes. Call me old fashioned, but I just wanted to sit in one place for the duration of the game, focusing on the court. I don't even like it when my cell phone disrupts whatever I am occupied with.

I have, this very weekend, spent literally several consecutive hours studying the same stuff. I can sit down and rehearse the material over and over again for hours on end with little fatigue or loss of concentration. But this does not come naturally, I have trained myself to endure longer attention spans.

A similar, and more meaningful, example is my current practice of lectio divina. I do this once a week and always find it to be profoundly revealing as I listen to and hear and experience the words of Scripture like never before.

This also brings in the question of the object or content of our attention, which is also important. Focusing long and hard at chaos does not do much good, and in fact could be just as hurtful as not attending to any one thing.

But I have digressed from the exhausting and dizzying calaidascope of images that is a disturbing reflection and reiteration of the state of our attention spans. And this is a video of one of the few people in the world that does have the power to capture the enduring attention of a considerable portion of the population.

The reason I am so adamently against just giving into this state of affairs and trying to figure out how to meet a culture with no focused attention is because I think something very important is lost in this development. Really connecting with God often requires intentional, focused attention, which is already difficult to do. God rarely comes at us constantly from all directions at once, and when He does, it seems that there is always another option vying for our attention. I don't care so much if people can't focus on a 10-20 minute sermon, but if we can't find a way to be still and know that God is God (which, granted, does take a lot of practice), I fear that we lose an essential, fundamental way of relating to God.

And it will take more than a plea for God to not hold it against us.

A psalm of sorts...

Your Word(s)

Are like seed sown by a sower -

Falling on paths, rocks, and thorns throughout the earth

Only to be eaten up, scorched and withered, and choked by various recipients,

And even when falling into good soil, brings forth grain yeilding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.

Your Word(s)

Are like a mustard seed.

Though the smallest of all the seeds on earth,

When sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs,

And puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.

Your Word(s)

Are like a summer flower.

When planted in the moist springtime earth,

It grows deep and tall, trumpeting the sun and beckoning the nose,

Spreading wide its petals so that all are enamored with the brilliant rainbow spectrum.

(In order that:

They may indeed look, but not perceive,

And may indeed listen, but not understand;

So that they may not turn again and be forgiven.)

Amen.

Wait...What?

It's Advent. At Candler, we have been “doing” all of advent in this one week. Each service has been very meaningful and I guess it makes sense to go all the way through it (celebrate all 4 weeks in 4 days) this last week of class, but there is something strangely ironic about that (as a friend of mine pointed out).

Advent is a time of preparation, expectation, and waiting. Waiting has been the key word of the week. I've heard it in almost every prayer, song, and message the past three days. It is clearly being presented as a central characteristic of the season of Advent. But what part of waiting lets us cram 4 weeks of expectation into 4 days? The word advent itself means arrival, which only complicates this more. Is advent really about waiting, or is it about arriving? Or can we somehow hold both of these things together in harmony?

On top of this, it is Christmas, at least as far as culture is concerned. In fact, it would seem that we are already about half-way through Christmas. There is no waiting for Christmas in America. We necessarily cope with a temporal existence, but we do everything we can to overcome that when Christmas approaches each year, forcefully making this holiday arrive ever sooner.

Drew this in paint a long time ago.

Waiting. The only other time I have ever heard this word preached so passionately was in sex-ed in middle and high school. In that context it was abstinence that meant waiting and maybe even “saving” yourself. I don't think I need to highlight the religious connotation there. But the fact that waiting or abstaining was harped on so much betrays the fact that we are people who cannot stand to wait.

And who can blame us? Why wait for something that is allegedly so good, so pleasant? It's not like we can't wait to go kill someone; we can't wait for Christmas – the conception and birth of God in this world, not to mention the jolly and holly and family and gifts. Even when we remove the cultural 'aberrations' of Christmas (i.e. materiality, uninhibited consumption, selfish fulfillment) we still can't wait, and we still can't wait for something good – the celebration of the miracle of Incarnation, of God fully participating in humanity.

So, why wait? We shouldn't be desiring to forestall that long expected day when Christ comes/returns, right? I agree. It's Advent; it is Arriving. We shouldn't be waiting for God's Kingdom to magically pop up. We shouldn't be sitting in apathy waiting for God to do something. Heck, God already has. We aren't waiting for the Incarnation all over again. That happened. Humanity had to wait for that once, but we can't now. God has come; God's Kingdom has been set in motion. If anything, we desperately need to be playing catch-up.

Similarly, we do not wait for some rocket to come and take us off to a better place. We live in a world that has already been (physically) touched by the divine, the Kingdom is here, there is no more waiting for that. Instead, there is action, there is joining in the activity of that Kingdom without hesitancy. We are called to drop our nets and plows without looking back and immediately follow (at least most of the time).

So, what do we wait for? Or, maybe the better question is what don't we wait for (that we should be waiting for)? We (should) wait for God. The previous position essentially asserts the same thing, but where this differs is that we wait for God's guidance. Instead of taking and consuming forcefully and uninhibitedly, maybe we should wait and listen for where God is leading us. Maybe we should stop raping Christmas to see what we can get out of it - to force that height of sensory pleasure into the illusive present. Maybe this waiting is a little like abstinence, where we first cultivate a meaningful relationship with the one we love, listening with reverence and laughing with joy in that one's presence. I think this is the only way we can truly fulfill the not-waiting we need to be doing in joining in God's ongoing activity.

Wait, like the Magi, who were finally guided by the star into the presence of Christ. This waiting cuts through the busyness of our lives, especially at this season, and allows us time to peer into the heavens to see where God wants us to go.

I think John the Baptist is the perfect example of this, and that it is no coincidence that he is the quintessential figure of Advent, in my humble opinion. Baby Jesus can, and must, have center stage at Christmas, but however much we anticipate Jesus, John must have (a share in) the spotlight in Advent (if for no other reason than John was alive at that point, while Jesus was still a weird alien/frog looking clump of cells in Mary's womb). (Although I am fully aware that John would probably deny such a focus on himself, which is even more reason to exemplify him at this time of year.)

John shows us what it means to wait – to live a transformed life now while ever looking for (and finding) Jesus. He shows us what it means to have feet rooted in the sacred running river waters of repentance, consenting to the commands of Christ and opening an avenue for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - all while reveling in the presence of God (Matthew 3). John wasn't apathetic – he was at work preparing the way of the Lord; nor was he busied or forceful (although some of his language may have come across a little forcefully) – he was receptive to Christ. He knew that we should be doing something, but that that something should be filling us with expectation that opens us to the presence of Christ (Luke 3:10-16).

Maybe instead of trying to force ourselves into Christmas and Christmas into our already busy lives, we should let the Holy Spirit clear our threshing floors and gather our hearts and minds like grain into the already come kingdom and presence of Christ. Advent is not about impregnating Mary or rebirthing Jesus over and over again – it is about participating in His already completed Incarnation, baptizing our expectant eyes and ears to be more receptive to Christ's commands, and going and doing what we must for the further expression of God's Kingdom.

What is more exciting than such waiting?

My favorite Advent song:

Bed Intruder: The Genesis

In my short time at Candler, I have already learned a lot and covered a lot of theological ground.  In the past couple of weeks, we have specifically been focusing on Genesis 34 in one of my classes.  This is one of the Bible's "difficult texts" in that it narrates a story about Dinah, Jacob's daughter, who is raped by a Canaanite named Shechem.  Shechem proceeds to try to negotiate a marriage with Dinah, but through deceit, Jacob's sons eventually kill Shechem and the men of his city.  There are many difficulties in this text, and you can read the full version here.

As we have been discussing this text, I could not help but think of the ever popular "Bed Intruder Song" on YouTube, which I took as divine revelation.

So, I have harmonized these two stories in a way that I believe sheds greater light on both.  (And trust me, it will make more sense to read/watch these things first, before my video)

Without further ado, I present Bed Intruder: The Genesis.