A brief foray into the political world, a place where I really have no bearings at all

Okay, so, I know that many of you have already read so many blogs and articles detailing why or why not to support Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or any of the seemingly endless list of GOP candidates. I'm not really here to tell you who to support. I personally support Bernie Sanders out of all those options, but that is neither here nor there really. What I want to talk about is Christianity and it's place in how we look at voting.

For those who are living under a rock and don't check Facebook ever, if you look back at your feed, it has probably been bombarded by photos with the hashtag #seriousdateswithlizanderic I have indeed been dating someone for a little while now, but that's neither here nor there. I have also had quite a few conversations with my girlfriend's father about politics, and he voices my questions rather well. (But this is in no way a word for word exact quote by him.)

"What I don't understand is how the Political Right and conservative Christianity has been merged into one when the Political Right's agenda is more often than not disagreeing with the Gospel message."

The gospel message of Christ is one of peace, inclusivity, love, and ultimately, reconciliation. Reconciliation of the people of Israel, as well as the entire world. Jesus spent time with the religious elite and the poor and needy alike. He talked about theology and religion, but he also put action to his  words and went out and healed others. not only that, one of the most glaring messages that He spoke was about the Kingdom of Heaven. Not just the Kingdom of heaven though, but the Kingdom of Heaven. Here. Now. Jesus was not just talking about heaven like a far off place that we needed a ticket to get into. Jesus was talking about reality in our world around us. he was calling us to join Him in the reconciling process of the world. That being said, how then can Christianty, most notably, a christianity that almost solely believes that Scripture should guide our lives absolutely and totally, (Again, not sure if I agree with the way that they interpret Scripture or what role it plays in our lvies exactly as they do) adhere to a GOP agenda (mainly Trump's agenda, I realize that not ALL GOP members are like this) that is starkly anti-immigration, anti-muslim, anti-women, pro white, anti-any-sort-of-minority,and really anti-anyone-who-is-not-part-of-the-GOP. This is NOT the message that Jesus taught.

This agenda that people like Trump are trying to pass into effect would basically exclude anyone who is not white enough or American enough. Isn't that what Jesus fought with the Religious elite about in the Bible? Didn't Jesus fight time and time again for the poor and needy when the Pharisees and Sadducees were telling people that they were not pure enough? Didn't they sneer at Jesus when the woman bathed his feet in perfume? Didn't they sneer at him when he healed a man in the synagogue? Why then is mainline Christianity going along with the GOP? Is it because that is just how they were always taught?

I know that this is a bit of a scrambled mess, and I'm not really doing much more than posing questions, but I guess that my point is this, Is Christianity called follow the GOP or are we called to follow the teachings of Jesus? Would Jesus have barred Muslims from fleeing a war torn country or would He have accepted them with open arms? Would Jesus only call a select few to join Him in restoring creation, or would He call everyone that He has created to join in? Is God's grace only for those that are privileged enough or is it for everyone?

This is not to say that America is, in a sense, Jesus, far from it. However, we, as Americans, should be thinking about this sort of stuff when we vote for our next president. Are we voting for someone who's agenda going against the grain of Christ, or should we look to vote for people whose agenda will help those in need, no matter what their situation may be? I do not claim to be an expert by any means, but these are my brief thoughts on the entire discussion.

P.S. I do not think by any means that all republicans agree with Trump. I, by no means, want to lump every Republican into his agenda. Just being clear, and I am not saying that the Democratic party get's it right all the time either. The simple fact is that the GOP is much more tied with Christianity than the Democratic party. Democrats tend to have a much more "separation of Church and state" sort of view. But I also do not think that Democrats are Jesus incarnate. I just want to take a Chriwstocentric view into this.

There are no "Ordinary" People

Yesterday evening I had a clarifying moment. I was reading The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, and one of the lines that stood out to me was this, "There are no ordinary people". What Lewis was getting at was the fact that every single one of us is destined for the spiritual realm, whether that be glory with God, or not. The whole essay is specifically about how humanity has an inborn desire for something more, something beyond the physical realm. This was what I was thinking about when my clarifying moment at the coffee shop in the library on the first Monday evening of the spring semester.

Here is the thought. All of Humanity is connected together. Whether you want to call it reason, morality, language, or all of the above, Humanity shares something that connects us all. Lewis argues that it is the spiritual realm, I agree with him, but just because I agree with Lewis does not mean that both of us are necessarily right. As I was thinking about how connected humanity is, I looked around the cafe and noticed a couple friends talking and smiling and laughing. I saw another group studying in one of the glass study/conference room. I saw another girl studiously pouring over the pages of a text book. I witnessed people come up to the coffee counter for a hot beverage on a cold evening. Every single one of those people have desires. A life. They all enjoy different things. They all have their own down falls. Every single one of these people that I was looking at is different from the others.

I mean sure, humans naturally end up attracting people that are similar to them. And that, by no means, is a bad thing. It is good that humans feel as though they fit in with people that are similar to them. But as much as we attract people that are like us, we should also revel and celebrate the diversity which lives not only within our own lives and emotions, but also in the lives and emotions of every other person in the world. We fit together, no matter how different we are, like pieces of a giant puzzle. Too often we let differences cause division, which then results in conflict, pain, and suffering.

I know I am just as bad as any other person when it comes to judging people. I see someone who is a bit of a douche bag and then I classify them as a douche bag afterwards, which prevents me from thinking about their own thoughts and desires and their own lives in general, and how we are connected together. I can't do that any more. I don't want to do that anymore. I want to fully love and respect anyone and everyone that comes into my life. Because, after all, as Lewis writes, "There are no ordinary people". When we interact with other humans, we are not just talking to a person, but we are talking to someone who is searching, and destined, for glory in the spiritual realm. They are absolutely, positively loved by God, and we are all part of His magnificent tapestry. Who am I to judge someone because they have different tastes, or world views or what have you than mine?

Take me to Church`

Do you ever get those insufferable ear worms? You know what I'm talking about. When you have one line (or a couple of lines) of a song stuck on repeat inside your head? Well I get them.....a lot. Just ask one of my friends, they'll tell you all about them. They can be really annoying at times, just drowning on, forever and ever, the same words redundantly rampaging through my mind. I can't ever seem to escape them till some new song comes on to trigger a new ear worm. In the past few days I have had one particular ear worm. It is the hit song "Take me to Church" by Hozier. If you do not know this song, then that's okay, just know that it is pretty sacrilegious in nature. The particular lines of the song that are currently stuck in my head is the chorus, which reads like this....

Take me to Church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins
and you will sharpen your knife
offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life.

The reason that I bring this up at all in the first place is because this is a problem that the Church faces today, particularly, but not limited to, Europe/western culture in general. The Gospel message is supposed to be one that gives life to the lifeless and healing to the broken. Instead, people view the church's message as poison and death. We're supposed to be life givers, but we are viewed as the MOD squad. I already, in my young life, have had too many stories of the failings of the church driving people away. In particular, pastor's kids. There is such a high standard set upon a pastor and his family that 9 times out of 10, the child of a pastor ends up acting out in extreme ways, and in many cases, falling away from the Church entirely given time.

Just some thoughts about a song. What do you guys think?

Some Poems I wrote

Hey guys, over the past week or so I've written some poems that I'd like to share with you all. I would absolutely love to hear what you think. If you get the meaning from them, then that's great. If you are confused at all, let me know. I'd be more than happy to share my thoughts about why I wrote them and what they are about. Enjoy friends.

P.S. "Coffee" is kind of long.

Ice

white. All is white.
There is no sound

hushed silence surrounds

my covered ears

there’s no one around me

only crystalline trees

give me any sort of fraternity

The snow falls

drifting, like a man stranded at sea

letting the wind take him e’re it goes

but sooner or later, falling, falling, falling

into nothingness once more

each flake different

yet in the end no difference could be made

A path lies before me

trees overhanging

my coat is wrapping me in warmth

my boots are dragging through the unmarked snow

the flakes cling to me, like frozen memories

The trees themselves are reminiscent of the mind

forever encased in ice

never to look different

the sap within, solidified, unchanging

so too are memories

forever enveloped by ice

to preserve them

to keep them always visible

to keep them forever solidified, unchanged

Freezing the mind, solid

while all around, there is naught but white

a hushed silence surrounds

There are none around me

I stand, frozen, with statues of ice as fraternity

Coffee

Let me paint you a picture

you’re in a small coffee shop

the sounds of the hiss and pop

of the air pot topping off

with fresh, smooth, coffee

the murmur of different conversations surrounds you

you hear about a new born baby

of a woman who’s thinking maybe,

she has made a mistake with the man she chose after all

you hear plans of hitting up the mall,

you see people taking instagram pictures of pumpkin lattes and the beautiful fall weather

The barisita behind the counter has a man bun

messily tied up behind his head to keep it out of his face

his hipster beard is reminiscent of the lumbersexual memes you see on Facebook

but his coffee is second to none

Starbucks has nothing on this small town coffee shop

that the barista started with his own time, energy,and resources

He brings me a steaming hot cup

the brown liquid inside still has a few air bubbles

from the strong flow of the air pot

which was freshly filled but minutes ago

little do I know,

that I am that cup

when he was creating His brew,

He was actually creating me anew

My soul has a hard case

it is burnt, it is charred

it is beyond recognition from what it once was

A mockery of what I used to be

My experiences have hardened me

They were the ones that burned me

My mistakes, my mis-ques, my failings.

It all adds up to a dark brown shell,

with seemingly nothing left to give

The Barista grinds me up, breaking apart my shell, taking away my very essence

I know it. My time has come

This is the end

Everything I've done, everything I've said

has led me to where I am today

useless and broken

no words left to be spoken

never to be woken again

from this breaking point in which I sit.

I am nothing but a fine powder now.

He puts me in whitewashed walls,

clearly to be discarded and forgotten, once and for all

I can not reform this soul of mine

it is beyond repair, what could I do?

mend every singular grain with glue?

try to knit back every sinew?

I would if only I knew

how.

But alas I do not

so this existence in my white tomb shall be all that I am

broken, unrecognizable, even from the wretch that I was before.

At least with my hard shell I could bounce off people, hurting them in the wreckage that is my life

but now?

Now I am a soft, fine powder. broken. useless. unmade.

Now scalding water burns me

pours over me

drowns me

I cannot breath

The heat is too much

I have no crutch to stand on

not even my broken soul will remain

it will disappear

washed away by the flood of this scalding water,

ripping all that I am away from me

Pulling my spirit with it, leaving behind the broken shell of my soul

But wait, what is this?

Is this purifying me?

Pulling away all the hate and scorn that I held

when the scorching water came, my spirit swelled

and was pulled forth from my broken shell

which wasn't my essence, but rather my walls

that I put between who I was and who I really am

and my spirit swam in the dark, rich water that dripped down

into a cup, one that overflows, it seems

constantly with the combination of water and spirit

and I am finally made useful once more

I thought I was broken, but I have been made whole

melded with the water that was heated with the coals

of loving mercy

This drink, yes, is bitter, but then again, thus is life

it is filled with struggle and strife, that strangles and stymies

but it is also filled with soothing water

it refreshes, it is joyous

it bubbles and pops with love and kindness and hope

Thus is my cup

Bitter yet refreshing

A beautiful combination

an invigorating brew

Made by a barista

in a small coffee shop

the hissing and the mouse-like murmur of people in the background

Following God's Will

Well my absence has been a very long one indeed. Has it been 6 months since my last post?? I can't even remember! What a crazy, wild ride the past few months have been though. I have witnessed significant growth within myself through out this whole year really. Studying abroad is always a life changing experience, but the months after have been just as impactful.

I guess I'm just stalling at this point because I'm not really sure necessarily what I want to write about in this blog post. I see it as obligatory, given my lengthy absence. I guess I'll go in the direction of listen to God's direction in one's life though, since that is something that has been impacting me the most recently.

I feel as though listening to God is different for everyone. For some, He speak to them through images. For other people, God speaks to them through the mouths of family and trusted friends. For me though, God speaks to me through peace. Where I feel the most peace is where God is calling me. That is what happened to me two years ago. (Oh lordy, did this story really happen two years ago already????)

I was at Camp Hebron on New Years day, celebrating with fellow summer staff members at our "Staff Reunion". While I was there I knew for sure that I was going to be at camp the next summer. I had it all planned out after all. I would start before my senior year of High school, and I would work at camp until the summer before my senior year of college. Godd plan right? Sure it is. And I know many other people who in fact worked at Camp joyfully for 5 years, (or 10 in some cases. *cough cough* Caleb *cough*) and God blessed them immensely through that. However, it was not in the cards for me. Despite all my best laid plans, God had other ideas.

Getting back to the story. I had my interview for the upcoming summer with Curt, then the Summer Staff Director, and I felt pretty confident that Camp was where God wanted me....kind of. I went thorugh the rest of the night enjoying the company of the many dear friends I had made over the previous 3 summers. I went to bed with much bliss in my heart. However, the next morning I woke up and began to truly think, "Is camp where God wants me this summer?" Throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon I began doubting that I was supposed to be at camp. Something didn't feel right. I was not at peace. As I was driving away from Camp Hebron I thought back to the end of my first summer in 2010. That memory was one of my older brother and Sister talking to me. They had just finished their final summers at Camp Hebron. My sister turned back to me and said, "It's weird to think that I'm never going to be coming back here as a summer staff member."

Getting back to the actual story (Sorry I keep trailing off), I thought of what my sister had said three years prior and it struck me that I was experiencing that same feeling. I knew that then and there, I would not be coming back to Camp Hebron as a summer staff member that next summer, if ever.

Because of that decision I ended up being the youth intern at Ashburn Presbyterian Church, where I grew immensely and gave me so much valuable experience in the field of youth ministry. I spent the next two summers working at Ashburn. The crazy thing is, when I first heard about the internship at Ashburn, I felt an immediate peace about that being where God wanted me to be. And it absolutely, 100% was where God wanted me to be. No questions about it.

I'm not saying that god would not have used me just as much at Camp Hebron as in Ashburn, but I know that it was incredibly beneficial for me to be in Ashburn the last two summers.

That being said, following where God's will is leading you is so incredibly worth it. It is really scary at times. Sometimes He will take you into a situation that is so terribly unknown to you. But the growth that comes from it is what makes it, in the end, worth it. I would then urge you to discover just how God speaks to you. When you have, listen for those times when He does speak to you, then follow what He says. Like I've said so many times in this post, it is worth it.

Blessings,
Snades

When I lose my patience

Have you ever had one of those moments where someone around you, generally a complete stranger, has some sort of mannerism that just absolutely drives you nuts? Or just having to deal with someone just pulls at every thread of your patience? As a Barista at a coffee shop, I have to deal with that on a weekly basis. Some days I just do not want to have to deal with making people drinks, and generally on those days, it's super busy. Naturally. It is awful annoying to have to put up with people sometimes. Often times, when I'm at the library, making coffee, I just want to hurl my books at people and say, "Leave me alone! I just want to relax. I don't want to make yet another Caramel Macchiato!" Or even now, as I sit writing this blog in the library (Not at work thankfully), instead of studying for my impending adolescent psych exam, there is someone who is sitting across from me, obnoxiously chewing her gum for all in close proximity to hear...ergo, me. But despite the fact that I get annoyed by these people, I am supposed to love them fully and be as genuine as I can with them. I am going into the field of youth ministry, where I need to be able to give fully of myself to others, even if the people I have to give myself to annoy me sometimes. We are called to love unconditionally, without expectation of reciprocation. Every time I start to loose patience at the coffee shop, or while I procrastinate studying, I must check myself. I think, "I still need to love them anyway".

This is just something I muse upon often while having to deal with people.

Sorry this blog post seems a bit unorganized, but then again, my mind is a bit unorganized. It's quite full of adolescenty psychy type stuff.

peace, and love to you and to everyone you meet :)
Snades

A response.

So today, as I was sitting in my Music History Class, I was clearly not paying attention to the Professor. Instead I was on Facebook, perusing the News Feed, when I saw that my friend Cooper had posted something on his blog, Breakfast of Champions. I read his post and I wanted to write about it too.

First, you should read his post....http://coopergrimm.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/a-call-for-acceptance/


After reading this, I can honestly say I could not agree more. We so often today get caught up in who's right and who's wrong, especially the church. What happened to all the verses in the Bible that talk about Not judging your brother, because Jesus is gonna take care of that!?!?? Seriously, we just sit in our pews and cast judging eyes upon everyone who we think is not "Christian" enough. We ourselves are above reproach like that, merely because our sins are covered up by all the masks that we put upon them. In reality, I am just as messed up as any coked up sex addict out there. But we continue to judge and oppress others, especially the gay community. We don't oppress those who sleep with their daughters, read Leviticus 18 sometime, nearly as much as we oppress homosexuals. Sure, we'll send those pedophiles to jail, and sure, they'll be on a a watch list the rest of their lives, but are we trying to pass laws to deny them service like the Jim Crow laws of old? Are we denying them entrance into our churches? Are we picketing Military Funerals because of them (Freaking West Borough Baptist....I really do not like them at all?) The answer to all those questions is a simple "No". The Church is Hypocritical.

Anyway, I got on a serious tangent there. We need to simply love everyone we come into contact. Just because you love someone, doesn't mean you have to enjoy everything that they do or necessarily like them at all, but we need to be loving. Showing them kindness, patience, and everything else laid out in I Corinthians 13. Honestly, I don't care too much right about now whether Homosexuality is a sin or not. That's not what needs to be discussed right now. What the church needs to be determining is whether or not they are actually extending Love to them, along with everyone else in the world. I think that the church, myself included, does a really poor job of loving everyone. If they are different, then they are judged. That's not alright. Seriously, I feel like I'm a broken record with this, but all you need is love. Anyway, I agree with Cooper. Something needs to change. We need to begin speaking out in our Churches. Supporting them. Loving them. Loving everyone that we meet. Something needs to change.

Tune in next week for a post about Slavery.

Peace.
Snades