The Walker - He Has a Name

"Even though virtually all of us have seen him as he wanders relentlessly, day and night, across and beyond his home town, few know his name.
Those of us who know him call him the Walker. That’s what he does. He is well over fifty years old and has not had an established home for years...
He has a name. A family. A history. A history that intersects – more than we would like to acknowledge – with many of us."
from Morf Morford's blog post on Red Letter Christians


Responding and reaching out to "The Walkers" of our community is the most godly and the most human thing we can do. These men, women and children are not problems ... they are PEOPLE, children of God, our fellow residents of God's creation!

The world is watching!

Death, Interrupted

Shane Claiborne's post, Celebrating the Interruption of Death, brought some clarity to my thinking about the death penalty. Since it is in the news, again, as it should be, I think we all have to find a way to reconcile our views on the death penalty with our other pro-life and Christ-following beliefs.

I love the way he ends this message:
"This is the good news - mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). Death has been interrupted by grace. No one is beyond redemption - no one - not King David or Saul of Tarsus, not Duane Buck or you or me. Their stories, and our own, remind us that we should never write any one off. God's grace is bigger than our mistakes. Death Thou Art Dead.

May the interruptions of death continue. And may our lives become a part of the interruption."

The world is watching!

The high cost of poverty

The urban prophet Larry James passed along this column from the NY Times' Charles Blow. There is indeed a huge cost in terms of emotional, spiritual and psychological resources for the poor!

His concluding sentence rings true:
"Until more politicians understand — or remember — what it means to be poor in this country, we are destined to fail the least among us, and all of us will pay a heavy price for that failure."

The world is watching!

Brian Fikkert coming to Tyler!

Fourth Partner Foundation is bringing to Tyler the author of an important new book on dealing with poverty issues, Brian Fikkert, co-author of When Helping Hurts. He will be here on May 10 and everyone is invited to a "Leadership Luncheon" at Christ Episcopal Church. Pre-registration is required at http://gcc.org/event/when-helping-hurts.php






I'm currently reading this book and highly encourage anyone interested in these issues to attend!

Hard Times Generation

This segment on the March 6 broadcast of CBS 60 Minutes is called "Hard Times Generation". It is about the "new breed" of homeless people, the families with children living in cheap motels; trapped there by their minimum wage jobs, having lost their homes and their possessions due to the recession. Can the poverty rate among children be 25%?!?


Its a little long, but you need to watch the whole video.


What is the church's response to this crisis right here in USAmerica? One church's response is noted here in Larry James' blog: $5.6 MILLION! What is the potential good that can be done by the USAmerican church, empowered by the Holy Spirit of God? It is limitless!

What does this mean for us in beautiful East Texas? Does this same issue exist here? Are there families renting cheap motel rooms, using nearly all the income they can generate? Absolutely! When the opportunity presents itself to be a part of the solution, please be generous, be ready, be Jesus to this generation! The world is watching!

Love Wins!

Recently there has been much said, way too much, about Rob Bell and his upcoming book, Love Wins! Here's the video that set off the firestorm.


One of the best responses I've read has been Scot McKnight's blog post, especially the concluding paragraph:

"I find some people can get intoxicated on wrath and it can lead them in a triumphalist dance of anger. And I find some who get intoxicated with a flabby sense of grace. Isn’t it better to get lost in the dance of God’s good and triumphant grace and of making things right? If we are to be intoxicated, let it be from imbibing the hope and grace of God’s love which will both win and be right in the End."

AMEN! The world is watching!

It's Hard, It's Very Hard

Invisiblepeople.tv's latest interview with Angie and Matt rings very true. There are folks in this exact same situation here in Tyler; people who are using all their available income, whether that's from a minimum wage job, or a disability check, or panhandling, to pay the $190-$220 per week required to stay in an old motel. For these folks who are likely doing all they can to acquire income, the motel is an acceptable opportunity for shelter, especially in winter, but it is also a trap in that it is impossible to save enough funds required for the deposits, rent, and move-in expenses for a safe, decent, affordable place to live.

Their simple wishlist of a job, a car, an apartment, and getting their kids back is very touching and also one that I've heard repeatedly here in beautiful East Texas. There is a great need for temporary, supportive, transitional housing! Anybody know of an old motel we can buy to start dealing with this need? The world is watching!

Sometimes Its Personal

It is interesting to me that some of us are quite sure and even adamant about the correctness of our opinions; until our world is rocked by a close personal encounter which forces us to re-think. I have certainly been there enough that I am now open to that occurring on nearly every topic. A true "post-modernist", I guess. There are a very few "core" tenets that I will cling to and defend at this point; I think it is a similar list to one that we would get from Jesus and the apostles, based on my reading of Scripture.

Another example came to my RSS reader today, as another Church of Christ preacher decides its time to openly discuss the "issue" we have with women in public and leadership roles. I don't know his previous conviction on the subject or if he has ever discussed it before, but his blog post says he has been silent. And what has brought about this epiphany, this "coming out"? His wife is expecting a little girl! Having an injustice affect your own children is a great motivator! Its time to repent and right some wrongs. Its kingdom work! The world is watching!