got a voltmeter handy?

On the news the other morning, a report of GM's new addition to the auto stable. An electric car pictured here, named the Volt (how clever), is the machine that they are pinning their hopes on. A representative touted the amazing benefits of this little machine to the newscaster, telling him the outstanding benefits of owning a Volt- both for the pocketbook and for the environment. It all sounded pretty good- that is, if you only need to go 40 miles between charges (although there is a gas engine good for 300 miles when your battery dies...so at that point you're back to the original combustible engine issue, but that's another story).

Then the two big questions. First the newscaster asked when the Volt would be available to the public. The answer? Probably not until 2011, although it will be in the hands of product testers by 2010! Hmmm, three more years? A lot can change in that time, so it seems that we are still a ways off from real help. The second question (and the one I was waiting for)- what will the cost be? The rep look sincerely at the camera said that GM wants to keep this car in the realm of affordability since it will be an valuable option for the public, so they are looking at a cost of something less than $40,000.

$40,000?! Are you freakin' kidding me? This is GM's affordable answer to our energy problems? Two (printable) thoughts raced to the front of my thinking. Number one, if I had the money to purchase a $40K car, it sure wouldn't be something like this from GM. I could- and would- find more desirable alternatives in a heartbeat. Number two, the people who need help the most in dealing with energy issues will be the ones least able to afford what American manufacturers like GM are trying to push. Once again, those with the greatest need will continue to struggle the most, with the fewest options available to them.

What are we thinking? And who are we kidding? I know affordability is a relative thing, but come on. It's insulting that corporate America tries to (once again) convince us that this kind of thinking is actually reality. Maybe for some, but not for most, and certainly not with the America I interact with on a regular basis. I say, drag 'em back to the drawing board until they come up with something that really works for a bigger percentage of the American public.

One thing for sure: it'll take more than the Volt to get me charged up for a GM car.

view from the east

Still mulling over this challenge of worldly riches and our response as Christ-followers:

I was in China in April and I had so many great experiences, so many events and places that opened my eyes to concepts I might not have ever considered in that great country. A few impressions that struck me as we traveled from Mongolia in the north all the way to Hong Kong in the south:

- I was blessed (as I am in most parts of the world) with the friendliness and approachability of the people. They seemed as interested in us as we were in them, and openly tried to share with us with the little (or sometimes considerable) amount of English they knew;

- Christianity is growing and maturing in ways I had not thought. I assumed that believers worshiped quietly in every place, constantly looking over their shoulders in fear of reprisal. While there are definite issues with authorities (and that differs from place to place), it is not like I had imagined, as we met in marketplaces and public buildings, sang our hearts out and shared quite actively;

- I think I had expected that most people (especially those in Beijing) would be wearing Chairman Mao hats and carrying their Little Red Books with them. Boy, was that a silly misconception! In the cities especially, there is a race toward modern westernism, with all that it entails (so glad for the Starbucks that we found!). Make no mistake, communism still rules the country, but people are looking to capitalism as their future. Construction is taking place everywhere, and I was told that perhaps 25% of all cranes (the machines, not the birds!) are found in China's cities. I think we must have seen half of them;

- I quickly realized that the materialism that has gripped our culture (and Church) for so long is not ours alone. The quest for "stuff" feels as all-consuming in China as it is here, particularly in the urban centers. And as people of all ages rush after the "good things" of life I believe that the greatest obstacle for the Chinese Church in the foreseeable future will not be communism...but consumerism.

May God grant them grace to figure out how to do a better job slaying that dragon than we have.

if i were a rich man...

A few weeks ago, when Obama and McCain spoke at Saddleback Church, they were asked about increased taxation for those who were "rich." Of course, the first issue to be settled was how much it takes to be considered rich. Obama mentioned a yearly income of $150,000 as a defining marker (I think he has since upped the amount to $250,000), and McCain jokingly tossed out $5 million as his figure, saying he didn't want to base tax increases simply on personal income.

Political rhetoric, yeah. But I was waiting for the real answer, the answer that most all of us think of when considering what qualifies someone as being rich. It's simple: rich is the guy who has more than me. Because no matter how much I make, I'm just getting by. Therefore, it's the person making more than me who is rich. Told you it's simple.

But what if you and I compare ourselves with another group? Not with those in the high rent districts, but with those living in the rest of the world. If I consider my income and possessions alongside the majority of people on this earth, I quickly realize that I'm the one who is wealthy. I'm the rich person. And so are you. I have scandalously more than most will dare dream of. Ever. And so do you. I've been frivolous with more than most will ever see. And likely, so have you.

But what's that mean in the scope of life's bigger picture? Probably a lot, but for now, at least this: when Jesus talks about riches and rich people, and the issues they face in relation to his kingdom, he's talking about me. To me. And to you. When he says that a camel would have an easier time squeezing through a needle's eye than a rich man making it to heaven, I know that I qualify as that rich man. I don't want to, but I do. Ouch.

Makes me think again about what I have and what I do with it. After all, if it all comes from God, belongs to God, and is to be used for God, it's never mine to begin with. I'm simply supposed to manage it well. Use it wisely. And make the most of it. They say that with great blessing comes great responsibility. You and I are greatly blessed. If you'd go with me to the slums of Nairobi, the streets of India, the hillsides of southeast Asia, or the squalor of Mexico City you'd see it. You'd understand. Maybe you have and you do. I have, and I don't like what I see. Around me. And within me. But I'm rich, and I'm called to figure out what to do about it.

And so are you.

where do you hang your hat?

90210. 92663. 90810.
Do you know these zip codes? (answers at end of post.)

We all know the three most important elements of real estate- location, location, location. Where you live matters much in our culture, not just how or that you live. I get that. But it's made me think again about those who don't quite measure up in the "where you live" department.

Like a homeless man at a church in Long Beach where I used to serve. One Sunday he filled out a visitor card, and in response to our request for his zip, he simply wrote, "none." None? Everyone has a zip code, don't they? No zip code means you live nowhere, you have no permanence, with little or no meaningful connection to society (at least in our eyes).

Like Mike and Ginger, a homeless couple who invited me to their home just off the freeway. And as we walked together under an overpass, past a pumping station, and along a trail of trees lining that freeway, I found their camp. There along the frantic passing of society was their home- a simple shelter for sleeping (complete with double bed), a privy that served as a toilet, an ice chest (fridge), and couch and chairs sitting out front. As we sat an drank a six-pack of cola they had saved for the occasion, they told me that although the world called them homeless, they knew better. They admitted to being houseless, but they had a home, and a community, even if it was virtually invisible (and undesirable) to the humanity speeding past them.

We look at the Mikes and Gingers of our world and see that they have problems. And we're right. They do. But maybe, just maybe, we need to look carefully at our problems as well. We strive for the "best" places, the "best" stuff, the "best" lifestyles. And we run after the status, possessions and comfort the world says matter most. But if they matter so darned much, tell me why so many who have so much end up so unsatisfied. Maybe, just maybe, we've been chasing the wrong stuff, and we've ended up in the wrong place.

After all, it's all about location.

(answers: Beverly Hills [of course], Newport Beach, West Long Beach)

shack attack!

*warning- this is a long post!*

During my time in Kenya last month, I brought along a copy of the novel,The Shack, by William Young (thanks, Rebecca, for lending me your well-used copy). I first heard of this book in the spring while teaching at a missions school in Montana. I discovered that it's one of this year's hot copies on the bookstands and has soared near the top of several secular Top 10 Lists, even though it is a God-centered story. I also discovered that it is currently a huge hot-button issue in Christian circles, as it presents the nature of the Godhead in a unique (controversial?) manner, as well as our relationship to the person of God. I figured I should read it, since it would probably be something I would eventually be asked about anyway (and I was right).

The story contained in The Shack revolves around the age-old question: "Where is God in the midst of our suffering and pain?" Young seeks to resolve that struggle by presenting the triune nature of God in a fresh (heretical?) way to his readers. The main character, MacKenzie Phillips, is invited to meet God in a secluded shack, even as he is struggling with the murder of his young daughter, an event he can't understand in light of what he knows about God. He accepts the invitation and discovers the person of God in a manner he never expected. The time spent there helps him work through and resolve not only his daughter's death, but his struggle with his relationship with God. It is moving, passionate, engaging and challenging. I stayed up late reading just one more chapter, argued aloud with the author over some of his statements and ideas, and wept over some of my own struggles in my concept of and relationship with God.

I sensed that the author wrote this out of his own experience and suffering, trying to make sense of some of his own life issues. Some of the images and ideas he presented were frustrating, some were theologically questionable (at best), some were wonderfully woven and crafted. Young is an excellent wordsmith and storyteller. I know that there are concepts that some (many?) disagree with. I had trouble with some as well. But as uncomfortable as I was with some of the pictures he painted, I was challenged with trying to understand God in ways I have not considered. Seems to me that the longer we are in the faith, the more solid, sedate and stationary we tend to become. It is harder to move us, to shake us up, to rattle our cages (now that's not always a bad thing, but sometimes...).

This book is a cage-rattler. It provoked me to rethink ideas I may have taken for granted after many years, and it reminded me of a particular critical concept, that of relationship. God's great desire is to restore our connection and relationship with Him in a growing and vibrant way. And He wants us to understand the value of relatonship by looking at His own nature, one of triunity. I know it's tough, and our best efforts will always fall short, but I believe we need to continue to try to picture it as best we can. The pictures are important.

The critics of this book are many, and some of their remarks have value (you can find them all over the internet, so I won't bother here). But there is a bigger picture that can have great value for us, as well as for those outside the Church who are searching for answers. A work like this can be a great tool to foster conversation. People are showing interest. Why not use what has been provided as a springboard for greater spiritual discovery? And while we're at it, why not use this to propel our relationship to a more initimate level with a God who cares so very much for us, and who is waiting to meet us wherever we find ourselves in life's journey?

words carry weight

A couple of weeks ago, between services at our church, a young woman approached me. She thanked me for talking to her over the phone some time back as she was contemplating having an abortion. It had been more than a year previously when she called the church wanting to speak with a pastor. I got the call and, even though I had never met her, we discussed her situation. Seems she wasn't convinced that abortion was her best option, but her boyfriend was pressuring her. In fact, she was speaking to me as he was driving her the clinic in San Diego. We spoke for maybe 15 minutes, prayed together, and said our goodbyes, with nothing seemingly resolved. It was a frustrating conversation, since I was afraid she would continue on course, and I would probably never know the outcome of things.

Standing together on this Sunday morning, she informed me that, following the call, she decided against the abortion. Then she introduced me to a beautiful young boy in her arms and told me that this was her son, and she was holding him that day because she had chosen to give him the opportunity to live. She simply wanted me to meet him and know that our few minutes over a telephone made a lifetime of difference for her...and for him.

Wow. I was struck. It doesn't always turn out like this. Right choices are often more difficult than wrong (or easier) choices. They require courage and responsibility. And the blessings are usually evident, obvious, and can often be held close to you. But my reason for writing this was not so much to make a statement about life or responsibility (although they are both poignant here), but to remind us all that simple words spoken, direction offered, concern displayed can make the difference in someone's life- and it could be a matter of life or death. We may not know the impact of our words, our touch, or our love, but make no mistake, there is an impact. Proverbs 25:11 reminds us that a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in setting of silver. So keep speaking such words. Words of encouragement, of counsel, of warning, of hope. They make a difference.

At least I met a little boy who thinks so.

how to say "i'm sorry" in australian

I'm currently in Australia with a team from our church (you can follow this at kaccgoteams.blogspot.com). We're spending two weeks partnering with a small church in the heart of Brisbane as they reach their immediate community and beyond. It's interesting to see the ethnic diversity in this congregation, and to learn about the story of aboriginal Australia and its struggle to move forward.

Those who colonized this great country did so at the expense of its original inhabitants and took from them not only their land, but identity and cultural heritage as well (sound familiar?). Among other actions, aboriginal children were ripped from their families during the early part of the 20th century and given to white families in order to breed the aboriginal genes out of them. Movies such as The Rabbit-Proof Fence demonstrate the tragedies and atrocities of such actions. This group is now known as “The Stolen Generation,” since so much was taken from them and so much suffering inflicted upon them.

The Australian government, under new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, issued an official apology earlier this year, detailing white Australia’s offenses toward its aboriginal citizenship and telling them that the nation indeed was sorry for what it had done. It was called "National Sorry Day." I like it because it seems to me that whenever we seek reconciliation and reconnection with others, we must begin by owning up to our own actions. This is the first step toward setting the record straight, and providing a foundation for forgiveness and growth. I know there's still much to be done to level the playing field in this culture and to right actions that have inflicted hurt and wounding. Admitting past wrongs is a beginning- now the real work begins.

I don’t know where this will all lead, but I'm interested to see it taking place close up, and to follow its progress. Who knows? Perhaps success here can become a model for others to emulate in the quest to bring together those who have been torn apart by wrongs of the past.

Let’s watch, pray and hope.