Category: Uncategorized

God Creates; Mothers Raise; We Kill

Screen Shot 2014-08-03 at 11.50.41 AM

God Creates

Mothers Raise

We Kill

That was the graffiti that greeted the team from my church when we were visiting one of the favelas (slums) of Belo Horizonte.

We were told not to wear jewelry, watches, carry money, cameras or other things of value while we were walking through the favela.

This is a place where violence is too common, life is cheap, and where the drug lords reign.

With no prospects for jobs and education, if you’re born in a favela, the likelihood is you will die in a favela.

God Creates…Mothers Raise…We Kill.

It’s dark. It’s evil. It’s reality in the favela.

As we were nearing our walking visit to the favela, another graffiti was pointed out to us that read:

Kindness generates more kindness.

What an amazing contrast to the earlier graffiti.

These two graffiti represent two ways of looking at life.

You don’t have to live in a favela to know which one leads to life and which one perpetuates death.

Particularly when death and darkness seem to be all around, that’s when the light of kindness shines most bright.

Choose kindness.

Choose life.

Changing Me – Changing the World

Screen Shot 2014-05-02 at 12.19.06 PMWhen I was young and free my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world.

As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it, too, seemed immovable.

As I grew in my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me. But, alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie in my deathbed, I suddenly realized: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have change my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed my world. 

– Written on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop buried in the crypts of Westminster Abbey

Elephants and Discipleship

Image borrowed from www.nhm.org
Image borrowed from http://www.nhm.org

I came across an interesting article the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The article was talking about a public television special about elephants.

In an attempt to thin out the local herd, the authorities killed off a number of the older males and moved a group of females and young bulls to another area. Before long, white rhinos in that area were being killed, not by poachers, but by the young bulls who were trying to prove their elephant-manliness. One elephant even organized a gang of fellow delinquents and began leading attacks against tourist buses.

The authorities shot some of the troublemakers but then came up with a better solution.

They released a few old males from another area into the troubled neighborhood. The older males immediately began to bring the young bulls into line. They took them on in tusking matches and bested them. They didn’t shed any blood or harm them. They just deflated their pride and taught them that you don’t have to kill rhinos to prove you’re an elephant, just play the majestic role God has assigned to you. Peace soon returned to that part of the bush.

Christian discipleship is a lot like that.

  • You don’t ever become a maturing Christian in isolation.
  • We need people who model what faithfulness looks like.

How do Christians learn how to trust God when things are hard? How do Christians learn to give and serve even when they are in need and hurting? How do Christians learn to live with joy even in the midst of suffering?

All these things are learned as we observe more mature Christians living out the Christian faith through the highs and lows of life.

One final note, this is the reason why the Little Church on the Prairie intentionally is intergenerational in our ministries. We believe we learn better how to live out the Christian faith when the generations live the faith together.