I haven’t blogged in a little while…

This past month has been very busy. And it has had emotional highs and lows. On November 14, 2008 at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I lost my grandpa, one of my heroes. I knew that his passing was eminent, and I thought I would be ready, but I wasn’t. Oh how I miss him. I just want to go into your office and see your big smile and talk. Maybe add some more additions to your desk. Grandpa there is so much I wish I could talk with you about. I miss you. Your legacy was left across the world. You’re the best grandpa I could have ever asked for. Love you.

Since then I was up to a lot as well. My roommate from boarding school flew into the states mid November. It was good to be with him. We headed down to Salt Lake City and saw the most legendary band of my generation. Coldplay, you guys were amazing. Thanks for putting on an awesome show. It was quite something to be packed into the Energy Solutions arena with 15,000 fellow fans. Hope to see you again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-j4vB0B6Mg

Then Wray and I headed out east to meet up with another 17 of our classmates from Kenya. Wow, it was such a memorable time. Some of you I hadn’t seen since 05 and it was great to be able to see your faces again. It was awesome to be with people who understand my third culture craziness. Thank you to the Duncan’s and your family for allowing us to crash your place and thank you so much for all you guys did.

While in West Virginia we did a lot of fun things. One of these things was running a 5k race in 27 degree weather. That was pretty chilly, and having frozen sweat on my face at then end of the race proved it. It wasn’t too fun having to throw up 6 times during the race either, but I finished, and that was fun. I also watched the new Bond again, and this time I thought it was great. The first time I slept through parts, and now I realize that those were some good parts, and that missing them made me miss the plot. So yes, that was actually a great movie. It was quite the experience to be on the local news in Parkersburg, WV. I wish I would have talked in my South African accent though. Oh well. Anyways, all that happened in West Virginia was awesome. Thanks to all of you former classmates that were there to share in the fun.

Now I must get back to adding the finishing touches to this paper due tomorrow. Only one more week and a few days left and then this semester will be finished. Wow it flew by.

Technorati Tags: Floyd,Jerry,Perkins,Africa,RVA,West Virginia,Thanksgiving,Coldplay,Turkey,Trot,5k

You will forever be missed…

Grandpa, I am so glad you have no more suffering.  It was so great to be with you as you passed on.  I love you, and will never forget all that you have taught me.  You were the greatest example anyone could ever give me.  Thank you for living your life of faith, hope and courage.  I will miss you so much.  I am so glad that we got to see each other so much the past 3 1/2 years.  I love you, and I hope heaven is amazing. 

Check it out now.

So this is the costume that I wore for TWIRP (The Woman Is Required to Pay) last night.  It was probably my best costume ever…  By the way, that stache is real, 100% human hair, made in China.   So I don’t know who’s human hair, but it’s real baby!And I bowled my best game ever wearing this, so that must be a sign.  I was at 180 and then we had to leave.  Sad. 

Politics

I definitely used to have set out views on politics.  I will admit that I was one of those people who liked republicans just because I was a Christian.  Now I have changed.  Now I am wondering if Christians really should be so in to politics.  I mean I have no problem with being excited with how the government works and all of that.  But should we really be expecting to get the kind of change that Christ wants to see through the avenue of politics?  Should we be labeling people as the “Matthew 25” president?  I really do not think so at all. 

Christ has called us to be the ones to be the change we want to see in the world.  He has called us to feed the hungry and to clothe the poor.  I honestly believe that we shouldn’t look to the government to do that.  Yes, they most certainly can help, but should we put our hope and trust in them? 

No, we should not.  As a follower of Christ our hope and trust should be placed in the hands of God.  We should be willing to do the things that Christ has called us to do.  If Christians actually lived out what they believed, and are told to do by Jesus himself, the world would see the change that presidential hopefuls claim they can bring. 

Yes, I do have my views on politics.  And I do believe in certain rights, and in certain ideologies.  But I will not look to a president to bring change.  Either republican or democrat.  They simply cannot bring about all that they promise. 

My vote is with Christ and what he has called us to do.  We are to do whatever necessary to bring the Kingdom to earth.  Yes, I will cast my vote for the next president of the USA, but I will not do it because I think that will bring about huge change in America.

“Be the change you want to see in the world”

What do you guys think of this?

This is a pretty long video.  But I wanna know what you think about this…

Technorati Tags: How,He,Loves,John Mark McMillan

I don’t know why…

We get into the circumstances that we do.  But I do know that we can learn from each of them.  As I have grown older in my life I have realized this more.  And I have also had less and less regrets as I learn to make wiser decisions.  But the truth is that life can hurt sometimes.  But I am one of those people who believes that everything happens for a reason.  Sometimes this reason is because our choices have taken us there, but most of the time it’s because God wanted us to experience something.  I have always been a person who regrets some of the things I have done, but now I want to be one of those people who doesn’t have regrets. 

Throughout life we are faced with many different circumstances.  And for whatever reason we have the possibility of doing one thing or the next.  But like I said, I believe that all of this happened for a reason. 

I want to move on from my past.  I know this is really childish, but it’s what popped into my head:  It’s like on the Lion King when Simba gets all sad about his circumstances and mad at himself for being the “cause of his dad’s death.”  Even though he wasn’t in the end.  Simba couldn’t move on from that pain.  I don’t want to be the old Simba.  I want to be the Simba that was ready to be king.  I want to be ready for the circumstances in the here and now. 

I didn’t go down the path I wanted to 3 years ago.  And that left me in pain, just like Simba had been.  But now I have the chance to live for the moment…  God has something else in store.  And I’m hoping I can live for that, rather that live in the past and live in the happiness that I once had.  True happiness comes when we are in the center of God’s will.  I haven’t been for some time, I will freely admit that.  It’s time to turn over a new leaf. 

Oh to be a monk…

This past weekend I had the privilege of going to up to Jerome, Idaho to stay at the Monastery of the Ascension with my Spiritual Formation class.  When I heard we were going to a monastery, I figured it would either be like one of those old stone castles or it would be like one of those old wooden churches from Europe.  It wasn’t really either.  It was actually more like a small catholic church with a conference center attached to it. 

But it was a great time up there.  Whether it was Father Norbert saying damn or the monk from Spain falling asleep before it was his turn to lead a chant, it was all great. 

I had the chance to think about my life for the last three years.  I am now a senior here at NNU and a lot has happened.  But my mind kept on travelling back to one place in time that happened two years and four days ago.  It was one of the best days of my life.  But I screwed it all up.  She meant a lot to me, and has never left my mind or my soul.  I miss you and would go back in a heartbeat. 

It was a good time of reflection.  I was thankful for the beauty of the countryside and for the rain that came down as I journal-ed.  I was able to look back and think about the good memories, and the bad.  The happy times and the sad. 

Those monks live an interesting life.  But it is one of great spiritual devotion.  In some ways I wish I could live like them, and have my devotion structured the way they do.  I learned so much from them.  Just because they do things differently doesn’t mean it’s wrong, in fact, what they do is extremely inspiring to me. 

There were some funny moments while I was up there.  Like Josh and his lady.  And like getting sprayed with Holy Water.  Like saying the wrong words in the services.  Like walking through the corn fields.  Like Matt’s knitting. 

Oh to be a monk…

This thing is so cool

So I am writing this from Window Live Writer Beta.  First off, Windows Live Beta has been out for a little while now, but it is the most awesome thing ever.  It comes with the latest messenger, then this blog thing that lets you write blogs easily while offline or online from a program on your desktop. 

It also comes with this picture editing program.  It’s all pretty pimpin. 

Plus it comes with Windows Live Mail, which you can use all of your e-mail accounts on and you can use it offline and it will send your stuff the next time your online.  But think about it, all of your e-mail accounts from one place.  It rocks my socks. 

So you should all go and download it, so you can see how amazing it really is. 

This past week…

This past week has had its good and sad moments.  First off, the sad.  My Grandpa’s prostate cancer has spread to his back.  Not good.  He is in so much pain, and it is very sad to see.  My grandpa has been one of the biggest influences on my life.  He has been a man of great integrity, and has led a life by example.  He starts radiation this coming week, but only to stop some of the pain, not stop the cancer. 

It was good to be with my parents.  They were up at a retreat in McCall, and spent some time down here as well.  We had fun. 

Finally this past weekend was spent up at McCall on a retreat with the religion department here at NNU.  It was pretty fun.  I really enjoyed getting to know some of my fellow students and staff better.  And we played two ball a lot.  The one of the best games ever!

Also, I enjoyed this song:

OMG!! They ran out of gas in Tennessee!!! Look at Zimbabwe!

So the headlines on CNN today read that 3/4's of the gas stations in Nashville were out of gas today. What a catastrophe! We won't be able to drive down to the mall or go down to the local McD's for lunch! Saddest day of our lives...

Ok, now think about the country of Zimbabwe.
They have had acute fuel shortages for almost a decade. People would wait in line for gas over night sometimes. Often times lines were at least 200 hundred cars long. I watched the news the other day and people were so upset to wait for 10 cars in a line. Somewhere in the Southeastern US.

We have become such a demanding society.

We only care about us. But seriously! Think about the people of Zimbabwe, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, Rwanada, Congo, and the list goes on. People are suffering daily around the world, and they become accustom to living lives that Americans could never ever dream about living.

Seriously lets try not to be so ignorant, and lets try and be thankful for what we have.

$5 a gallon for gas? What about $18 a gallon in Sierra Leone.

A bad economy? What about inflation at 70 MILLION PERCENT in Zimbabwe!

Hungry from taking a 24 hour fast? Try not eating for 120 hours in a row, a reality facing many people in Zimbabwe.

one chance...

The average person in the US lives 2,453,500,800 seconds. Does anyone else think that isn't really all that much? i mean, ya that is definitely a big number, but those are only seconds, not minutes or hours or anything. they go by sooo fast. blink and another one is gone.
so with that in mind, think about how many times you only get one chance to make an impact...
I know personally it happens ALL the time...
i wrote this little poem thingy:

One chance

I see the man with no money
But I look the other way
I see the angry woman walking down the street
But I fail to smile
I see the friend who is so sad
But I don’t give them a hug
I see the most beautiful girl in the world
But I neglect to say hello

I see the dying yearning for help
But I look the other way
I wake up to the most spectacular day
But I fail to smile
I see the person who has experience a loss
But I don’t give them a hug
I see a complete stranger
But I neglect to say hello

In life we have thousands of one chances… But they could be our last

Babies everywhere!

So school starts tomorrow! Wow... It is going to be interesting for sure.
It is my last year of college... I am a senior, for those of you who are still wondering what that means. haha
I bought my 23 books for 1st semester today. Guess how much they cost?
$607! Can you believe it?
What a crazy world.
Tonight I also moved into my grandparents.
That wasn't where I was going to be living when this school year rolled around.
But I feel a peace about it.
But ya, here goes another year of my life.
I think it will be great.
It starts at 9:30 am tomorrow

Video from Portland mission trip

So here is a video from the recent mission trip to Portland. Abbey Howard you are stellar for doing an awesome job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpqUZymRU7A

I have been challenged...

This past week was awesome. I went with the senior high youth from the church I have been interning at for the summer (Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene) on a mission trip to The Community of Adsideo in Sellwood, Oregon. We spent the week with them. And it was flat out awesome.
How many times in the Bible do we see community being talked about? A lot is the answer I am looking for. How many times does your average church here in the US actually get involved with the community? Not a whole lot.
But this was a different story. This church really practices being the embodiment of Christ to those there in Sellwood and Portland as a whole. The people of this church have a remarkable desire to know people, no matter who they are, at a deep level of community.
This is what church is intended to be about. It's about being the church, and being Jesus the whole week! Not just for 90 minutes on a Sunday morning.
Adsideo challenged me, and I am stoked for the future. I hope you are too...

Peace and Love

It is well with my soul... Dedicated to those who have passed this week

This week has been rough. A few people that I have known have gone on to heaven. Today at the memorial service for one of those people, this hymn was sung. If anyone ever needs encouragement, I would suggest reading the story behind the author. It is pretty awesome stuff. To go through the things he went through yet to still say, "It is well with my soul," is downright incredible. But this is what faith in Jesus Christ is all about. Just this past week I read of how even through losing your oldest son who was just twenty years old, a father could still sign off a letter, "With great joy in a great God!"

It Is Well with My Soul

Text: Horatio G. Spafford
Music: Philip P. Bliss

---

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
 when sorrows like sea billows roll;
 whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
 It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
 It is well with my soul,
 it is well, it is well with my soul.

2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
 let this blest assurance control,
 that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
 and hath shed his own blood for my soul.
 (Refrain)

3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
 My sin, not in part but the whole,
 is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
 praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
 (Refrain)

4. And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
 the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
 the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
 even so, it is well with my soul.
 (Refrain)

The world has lost a great man but heaven has gained him

I was so deeply saddened by the passing of Ben. It doesn't seem fair at all to me. He was a friend. One that I didn't know too well, but still, a friend. He was almost always smiling and this is what sticks out to me about him. Maybe God brought him to this earth for the purpose of brightening people's days. I think that is a possibility. Thank you Ben...

do this peeps!

Matthew 25:35 & 36
"35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'"

Jesus is calling us to do this... Why don't we? Let's get on it!

San Francisco....

Was awesome.
For those of you that don't know, I went on a mission trip down there with the junior highers from my church. It was great. We went with the organization CSM (Center for student missions.) They did an awesome job. It was probably the busiest mission trip I have been on, and one of the coolest. We worked with the homeless, poor, kids, AIDS victims, tons of people. It was awesome to be able to give food to people, to show them love, to play with kids. Just great stuff. I wish I was back there.

it's been a really long time.

It has been forever since I have blogged...
So much has happened since my last blog.

1) I finished my junior year of college
It wasn't my favorite year of my life. This school year I kind of just pulled away. For those of you that don't know (which I don't really know why you would be reading this if you don't), I am a missionary kid. As a missionary kid I am also seen as a third culture kid. This means that I have a home culture which is my parents, another place that I call home, and I have lived in a place which is neither of those two. Because of both of the previous criteria, this means that I am different to your average American kid, or your average kid anywhere really. It also means that I have experiences that most of my peers have not had. It also means that I don't really consider America home. Being a TCK also means that I really miss being around others who know who I feel. Because of all of the previously stated facts, I just don't really get all that close to my average peer at NNU. I get close by their standards. This is because I can generally act like them and even talk like them. But I am still missing out, and longing for that connection I made with friends in boarding school and with other MKs. Anyways, with all of that said, I sort of was tired of life, and tired of faking being close to people. So I withdrew, and I basically hung out by myself for most of the year. It was a good time for me. It was a good time to sort of think through my life.

2) I went to Mexico with a team from NNU going with Amor Ministries.
This trip was awesome. I had been longing for some third culture experiences basically since I got back from my last experience last summer. And I had also been planning this trip with a professor and three other students. The team that we had was awesome. It was great to be with some neat people, and above all to really just do the work that God calls us each to do. He calls us to love one another, and what better way than to build a house for fellow human beings. It was just great. I loved being on bumby roads again, and I actually liked being back in horrible traffic. Mexico is a great place. I hope that I can remember some of the lessons I learned on that trip.

3) I started a summer internship
This summer I am the Pastoral Intern at my church, Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene. It has been a great experience so far. I share an office with the youth pastor, who is pretty neat. The rest of the staff are great too. So far I really have learned a lot about church dynamics, and how the pastoral staff work together. It has been a busy job, and everday I learn something new.


So those are really the highlights.

It seems to me like I am really just stuck right now. I have kind of reached a point where I am fed up with some things. Life is good. But at the same time it is meaningless. And I find that all around me there are just more and more things that can hinder our relationship with Christ.

I am tired of politics. I am tired of egos. I am tired of the media. I am tired of...

it goes on

Strawberries and Rugby

Two things I am indulging in right now... both fresh, both juicy... go lions

Servanthood

Hey people, guess what? There is much more to life than you, your girlfriend, your TV, your computer, etc. Being a follower of Jesus is all about being a servant and giving up your comfort for other people. It isn't about spending 24/7 with your girlfriend and forgetting about your friends. It isn't about watching your TV or being so addicted to a show (like the office) that you forget about helping someone out with a need.
Life is about sacrificing your time, your grades, your needs, your emotions to further those of others... Forget yourself and remember those around you.

American Media is so BIAS

So, flip on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, or most other channels of the like, and when they talk about politics, most of what you see is Barack Obama. I don't really know who I am voting for yet, but based on those channels you would think that Obama has a clear lead over everyone. But, the truth is, John McCain has the lead... Isn't it funny how you never hear about such things? I just think it's ridiculous how the media tries to decide for you who should win the elections all because of their owners and those pumping their money in are democrats. Wow, let's grow up America!

Also, when was the last time you heard something good about the war?! Never! I am not trying to express my views on the war here, and whether or not the USA should be over there at all, but seriously, the US is doing a decent job over there. All you see on CNN is "The war is so bad, the latest poll thinks the US should get out." Who the hell are they polling? Lawmakers in Washington DC? Check any US government website and you will find out the true results of what is happening in the war.

Last year there was a special speaker in my Human Resource Management class who spoke on the above topic. And he let us know what is really going on over there, instead of the crap that Ted Turner is trying to make the world believe. It saddens me that people will actually believe what they see on TV without a grain of salt. Please think about what you are believing, and actually try to back it up before you believe it. Change you can believe in huh? That is the same change that the last 6 presidents have promised as well...

http://news.aol.com/elections/story/_a/mccain-erases-obamas-lead-in-new-poll/20080410150809990001

Christianity = Love

So… For the first ¾’s of my life, I struggled with what Christianity truly was. Maybe not so much of a struggle, but more of something that I wasn’t sure of. I knew how to become a Christian, and how to generally live a good life. But, as of late, I have discovered more of what it means. Around December of 2003, I was listening to the song “In Christ Alone”. As I listened to it, I started to realize some things. One of these was as the words ‘up from the grave he rose again’ spoke to me. Here is Jesus Christ, the man whom we follow, and the entire reason why he came was first of all to die on the cross, but secondly to raise from the dead. Ask most people why Christ came to the earth, especially little kids in Sunday school, and they will tell you he came to die on the cross for our sins. But, how amazing is it to realize that he actually came back from that death? ‘Up from the grave he rose again.’ The next part of that lyric is also awesome. ‘Now as he stands in victory, sins curse has lost its grip on me. For every sin on him was laid, here in the death of Christ I stand.’ We are free because of his death. Yes, this is pretty commonly taught in the church. But, how much do we here about his life? Obviously we hear about it a lot during this Easter season. I hope we can think about it for the rest of our lives.

Then we as ‘little Christ’s’ are called to live like him. What did he live like? He loved. What does it mean to love? It means to give your all to God, and to treat others as you would yourself. How many of us do this (I am talking to myself too)? I would say a pretty small fraction of us. What if we fed the poor as much as we would like to eat? What if we gave them the warmth of a bed or a house that they would like at night? These are part of the reasons I want to go back to Africa. I am not saying that people here in the USA don’t need this type of attention either. But God is leading me to Africa. I am not going there to implement a culture on their lives. In fact, I want to become part of theirs. I just want to treat the people of Africa the way I want to be treated. The only way to do this is through love. I am definitely trying to take the plank out of my own eye, because I know I don’t love others the way Christ did. I am also sorry for people who turn away from Christianity because of people like me who don’t love like we should. The way of Christ is a challenge, but one that I am willing to partake in.

One last thought. Imagine if we didn’t judge each other… Christ didn’t judge people. ‘Let him who is without sin cast the first stone’ Yes, we all make mistakes, but should we let that get in the way of how we think of people? n o

Judging others and prayer two things in my mind lately

Judging one another is something that we all do. If you are someone who doesn't please stand up and be counted. But, think about a non-judgmental world.... What would that look like? Just think about it. No misconceptions about anyone... No prior ideas about anyone or anything. In my eyes this would be the perfect world. Just this week I heard a story of someone who looked at me and thought I was a horrible person for how I treated someone, when I know they didn't know my side of it at all. But.... I do the same exact thing. I am so judgmental about everything that has come my way in life. I stand on the other side and look down upon the people I have made relations with and if they have failed, I judge that person and those around them. This is what I am talking about. What if we didn't judge them, and they not judge us. I think that would bring us to a point of recognition of others where we can view them for who they are, not who we think they are. I think it would honestly open the doors of intercommunication with hundreds more people who we are not in communication with right now. I want to personally apologize to each of you who I have judged in my life... Old friends, ex girlfriends, everyone...

The unfortunate thing about this Utopian society is that there has to be judgment in life, unless we all are non-judgmental. For one person who is judgmental will cause a ripple effect like we see today.

Next, Prayer...

Recently I preached a sermon on prayer. I came to some conclusions. Prayer isn't something to be afraid of. Often times we think that prayer is something that has to involve huge words which we know nothing about. God has called us not to 'babble on like the pagans', but rather to pray simply like we see in the Lord's prayer. The Message paraphrases the Lord's prayer and the surrounding scripture amazingly. It says:

Matthew 6:5-15 (The Message)

Pray with Simplicity

5"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

6"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

7-13"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

14-15"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

____________________________________________________________________

I just love that whole passage. People shouldn't be afraid to pray... It's an easy step we can take to further our relationship with God. Prayer isn't having the ability to sound righteous. It isn't about making people like you. It is between you and God, and you can praise him, ask him, talk to him, do anything you like to in prayer.

Love

It's driving me crazy

thoughts on Love, social justice, and non-violence: part one

This is something that I wrote a few weeks ago... a lot of my views have changed since then... so more will come later... but yes, indulge your senses

We as Christians are commanded to love one another, and bless those who persecute us. I agree with this whole heartedly. Christ died upon the cross to save us from our sins. He did it in the most humble way, no complaints at all. Why did he do it? The answer is for our salvation. The way in which he did it was to make a point. He did it without questions to show the world his love, and God's love for us. Did Jesus ever have opinions? Yes, he most certainly did. Did he ever take action? Yes he most certainly did. Christ lived a life of standing for what he believed in. Healing on the Sabbath day, associating with the down and out, and tossing the tables in the synagogue.
I believe that as Christian's we need to fight for social justice. Social justice is the fight for justice in every level of society, not just the law! It is our responsibility to condemn wrong doing, to fight for the down and out, and to respect all people. By respecting all people, this means to respect every race! Not just respect the blacks through the civil rights movement, but also to respect the blacks, whites, yellows, reds, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Moromons and stand against the hatred seen in society through music, media and entertainment.
Mr. Al Sharpton, it isn't just the whites who discriminate! Look at some of the rap music and other forms of media. Evey people group on earth discriminates, and we need to stand against it. You are no reverend in my mind, after all some bishop claimed you as one when you were nine years old, after going through no schooling or other form of teaching to become one.
I would like to ask some questions. Who here would let someone come into your home and rape your mother, sister or daughter and say, "Go ahead and rape them, you know I love you sir, so please rape them!" "Please stick foreign objects in their private parts and destroy their body, please go ahead while I stand here and love you so much!" Which lady out there would say, "Please execute my husband while I stand here and love you!" All of these are horrific forms of violence which should not take place. So why do we let it happen around the world? We must make it stop. We have to fight for what is right. All of the religions aforementioned in this note claim to be peaceful and promote non-violence, so then, why is their cruelty toward humanity occurring around the world? Obviously something is not right. No matter what religion you are, this should not be happening. It is not just an American agenda to go and promote democracy. Social justice in all religions says that violence is wrong. But to stop violence, you cannot just sit and say, "please stop, while I stand back and love you." Is that going to work? No! Many different people groups and countries have tried that throughout the history of the world. For social justice to work in the world, something must be done. I believe that the three in the title of this note can coincide together. Will they ever? I don't know. But, I do know a way to try and get them to do so. That is to stop the hatred and the violence through action against the people that are creating it! Yes, I believe that violence should be used against leaders of countries or people groups that are killing or hurting the innocent. These people have been given the chance to stop what they are doing, but have they?
Another thing I believe strongly in, is not sitting by while people gear up their armies to destroy the innocent. For years no action was taken against terrorist groups in the middle east. If we had stopped them when they began, so much of what they did to humanity would not have occurred. Instead we had leaders who did not take action against them, and instead let them build up their hatred and animosity. Is this right to let them do this? Is it ok to let someone come rape your sister or mother? No! Action is appropriate in some cases. As we come closer to the election in the US, let's try and think of a leader who will fight for social justice, not just here in the US, but around the world. Someone who will fight for what is right. Not sit back and focus on some little Americans and what will do them the best. Combine the two. Fight for social justice in the US and the world. Let's stop being so selfish.