Letter to The Chilliwack Progress: Homeless - What Would Jesus Do?

A recent letter to the Chilliwack Progress posed the question, "Homeless: What would Jesus do?" The letter challenged the Chilliwack Ministerial, which I am a part of, to provide additional beds and housing for people who are homeless in Chilliwack.

The need for housing for the growing numbers of Chilliwack street people is frequently being highlighted  in the local press. The thought came to me that since each spring the Chilliwack area churches do a “Love Chilliwack” event – wash cars, provide hot dogs, coffee and a ready smile. I would like to suggest to the Chilliwack Ministerial to grow that smile into beds and housing for our growing number of homeless neighbors.

This is a good point - let's funnel our efforts towards finding solutions to homelessness. The letter cited a recent fund raiser for Ruth and Naomi, a service for people who are living on the streets, as an example of how to help.

Recently,  a Ruth and Naomi fund raising banquet raised $25,000 for start-up money. Much more will be needed. Could I suggest to the area ministers to remind their flock of their obligation to the homeless of their commitment to the teachings of Jesus  to make this a reality.

I'm not sure if $25k was a good amount or what the goal of the fund raiser was. But I think that Ruth and Naomi are doing fantastic work. We need to support them. We need to get involved.

So, flock (including me), let us figure out what our obligations to the homeless are as we learn from the teachings of Jesus.

What can we do Heartland?

Generation Why: Question it all. Answer out loud.

See it for yourself. Do an oversees internship or volunteer with CRWRC. No matter what you do, you will come face to face with the real people living with HIV and AIDS.

Get on your knees. Get serious and let God know. Ask for passion. Ask God to equip you to do what it is you were meant to do in the fight against AIDS -- and to give you the guts to do it.

Give it up. People live on less than one dollar a day. March their income with less than the cost of pack of gum every day for as many months as you can. The full 100% you give to CRWRC's Embrace AIDS campaign goes to AIDS programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Shrug off the cheap stuff. Super cheap coffee and chocolate is usually subsidized. Retrain your brain to buy fair trade (look for the logo) and your stomach to crave what only fairly paid farmers could have made.

Speak up. Your voice is a strong as your desire to speak up. Pay a visit to your elected representatives. Let him or her know that our country needs to send more aid for AIDS.

Give birth to your own brainchild. Got an idea to help the world Embrace AIDS? Fire off an email to embraceaids@crcna.org (US) or embraceaids@crcna.ca (Canada) to help make it happen!

Treatment: As Complex As The Disease Itself

Treating AIDS is as complex as the disease itself. It's more than medicatiion, and more than encouraging abstinence. CRWRC embraces all the symptoms and causes of AIDS then addresses the physical, mental and spiritual needs. To do this, CRWRC follows Jesus' example when working with communities living with HIV and AIDS.

Together -- you, the community and the CRWRC -- can effect lasting change by:

• Teaching youth and adults about abstinence and faithfulness in marriage and about the holiness of the human body as taught in scriptures.
  
• Helping families learn to earn an income despite the difficulties of their illness.
• Supporting communities in their care of children orphaned by AIDS.
• Training pastors and church leaders about HIV and how to effectively care for their community.
• Providing community-based health care to families in remote areas.
• Teaching caregivers and people living with HIV and AIDS ways to manage the illness, such as healthy eating.
• Finding ways to get people access to anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).
• Offering psychological and spiritual counseling.
• Providing seeds for kitchen gardens, to grow disease fighting good and grains like amaranth
• Addressing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.
  

Stigma and Discrimination

"Silence is not an option. Nor is inaction. Injustice and suffering demand our advocacy in a world that desperately needs people of faith creatively working together for change."

-- Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance

The greatest reason people stigmatize and discriminate against others? Ignorance. It was our ignorance -- and hate -- that killed Jesus: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."

We all know what it's like to be misjudged and be hurt and to misjudge and hurt someone else -- even with the truth staring us in the face. We can make a difference for people living with HIV and AIDS just to show enough respect to break down stigma and spread truth.

The Young and Restless

I was reading a friends blog and he linked to an article called, "Young, Restless, Reformed - Calvinism is making a comeback—and shaking up the church."

There is some conversation that a few years ago the emergent church was receiving all the interest by young leaders, but the arguement could be made that the "reformed" church lately is getting more attention now.

Reformed theology often goes by the name Calvinism, after the renowned 16th-century Reformation theologian John Calvin. Yet even Edwards rejected the label, saying he neither depended on Calvin nor always agreed with him. Still, it is Calvin's followers who produced the famous acrostic TULIP to describe the "doctrines of grace" that are the hallmarks of traditional Reformed theology: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints.

The critical beat writers have caught up to the emergent church and are making a living deconstructing it, but what if there is now a movement towards Calvinsim? What will the beat writers find to write on then? Will they drag up old arguments that the TULIP raises? Will they find something critical to say about those that hold that this life is all about God, He starts it, will end it and He is the one who calls people to himself? What if some video surfaces in youtube showing Calvin walking through a forest while it's raining and saying that the Father does in fact love and care for us - and that this universe is really about God, and (gasp) not about us?

"This generation of young Christians is more committed, more theologically intense, more theologically curious, more self-aware and self-conscious as believers because they were not raised in an environment of cultural Christianity," Mohler said. "Or if they were, as soon as they arrived on a university campus, they found themselves in a hostile environment." Mohler explained that Calvinism offers young people a countercultural alternative with deep roots.

Why follow something "new" when there is something that has deep roots. Yet, at the heart of being reformed is the idea of always reforming. Reformed people are not afraid to ask questions, to kick things around at a deeply academic level or in the parking lot after a service. The reformed guides have been the creeds along with "sola scriptura." Sola scriptura simply means that scripture trumps. Scripture is above science, church policy, methods, and the creeds. It doesn't mean they are opposed to each other, but all things defer to scripture. Keep that in mind and you can ask questions, deconstruct, and debate without going wrong. And while doing this, you may come across something new, or at least something someone hasn't thought of for awhile.

Sexual Responsibility

People living with AIDS aren't morally vacant. No more so than I or you, at least. Abstinence and faithfulness would certainly slice the spread of HIV. Look at AIDS in a vacuum and you might think, "What's with them over there?" But here, with food, shelter, security and just as many bad choices being made we might not act objectively and as a result stigmatize people unfairly.

What was it Jesus said? "If anyone among you is without sin, cast the first stone at her," said our merciful Jesus (John 8:7).

Talking about sex and AIDS can be difficult. But silence and whispers only aggravates stigma and discrimination, leaving millions infected with the disease to live and die alone and in fear.

Millennium Development Goals and the Christian Reformed Church

I was reading, "The Skeptic's Guide to the Global AIDS Crisis" last week and I got to page 81 where the 8 millennium development goals were listed. It stopped me in my tracks. Why haven't I seen these before?

The UN adopted them in 2000 as goals that every country could hope to achieve by 2015 and I was not even aware of them. Wow, I live a sheltered life. These 8 goals are so compelling. Who would not want to give their lives to helping achieve these goals? This is what redemption can lead to.

In Christian Reformed circles we talk about transforming society and the world. We talk about how to relate the gospel to the world with a transformational emphasis. That is what I like so much about our reformed perspective, redemption begins between us and God and then it branches out into society and the world with the gospel saying yes to repairing the world. It's seeing the kingdom of God developing in all areas of society.

And this is why the millennium development goals are so compelling to me. They are stated so clearly. They involve all humanity. They are shared with the nations. And they are about, may I use the word - redemption.

1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2) Achieve universal primary education.
3) Promote gender equality and empower women.
4) Reduce child mortality.
5) Improve maternal health.
6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
7) Ensure environmental sustainability.
8) Develop a global partnership for development.

I have so many questions. How are we doing with these goals? What initiatives are there that is working on these? How is the worldwide buy-in? Who are the front runners? Is there a way to track progress? What does this mean for us here in Chilliwack? For Heartland?

AIDS Resources and Useful Things

Useful things for the activist within you!

Micahmorphosis: micahmorphosis.org
Youth site and discussion board focusing on the eight Millennium Development Goals.

Make Affluence History: geezmagazine.org/affluence
ideas to reduce affluence and extreme wealth

UNAIDS: unaids.org
United nations HIV and AIDS web site

Alternatives for Simple Living: simpleliving.org
Their motto: Living simply that others may live.

Buy Nothing Christmas: buynothingchristmas.org
Learn ways to make Christmas truly special without gifts

DATA: data.org
U2 rocker Bono's site for dept, AIDS, trade in Africa

ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History: one.org
U.S. Site for the global campaign

Make Poverty History: makepovertyhistory.ca
Canadian site for the global campaign

Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS: youthaidscoalition.org
Youth Advocacy organization for AIDS

Embrace Aids

If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry, and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places -- firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be know as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
(Isaiah 58:9-12, The Message).

Unfair Trade and Global Economic Policy

"How on earth could anybody stand in a field with these people and say that it's the right thing to do to dump their excess produce cheaply on a third world country? It's beyond me."
-- Chris Martin, lead singer, Coldplay

"Do what's in your best interest." That's not Christ Jesus' way, but it is the way of our messed up world. Wealthy countries offer their farmers subsidies to produce cheaper and more food so it can be sold at low costs both at home and overseas; large corporations pay rock bottom prices to poor farmers for crops like coffee and sugar then sell it to first world coffee chains and grocery stores at a much higher cost. The average African farmer pays two to six times for fertilizer than the world market price. All this unfair trade and policy drives farmers and their communities in developing countries deeper into poverty, despair and hopelessness. HIV is just waiting to infect their exhausted bodies, hearts and minds. In North America, insisting on and buying cheaper coffee, sugar, clothing and electronics often fuels the continuation of unfair trade policies.

Terrace and The Mills

Terrace is the town I grew up in. Many of my relatives live there and I have lots of great memories. My Dad was a builder and some of his work still stands -- he worked on church buildings, houses, schools.

Terrace is a hard working town dependent on the forest industry. Growing up in Terrace I had an uncle who was a millwrite, a friend whose dad own a logging company, a buddy who worked the green chain, and logging trucks outnumbered pickups. If a sawmills slow down, so does the town.

When I read articles like this one, that outlines the challenges that Terrace faces when the mills close, my heart aches.

... The city (Terrace) is a regional hub for social services, drawing people from Prince Rupert to the west, New Aiyansh and Iskut to the north, the Bulkley Valley to the east, and Kitimat to the south.

"The society service industry is one of the biggest employers in town," asserts Ksan executive-director Carol Sabo. "It used to be mills."

The community continues to struggle from a downturn in the forest industry, most recently evidenced by the indefinite shutdown of West Fraser's Skeena Sawmills facility last October and the closure of Terrace Lumber Co. in 2006.

The economy has bred a new type of poverty. Sabo cites the blue-collar worker who dropped out of school in Grade 8 to get a good-paying job in the bush and who now is faced with an annual salary of $25,000 and no prospect of paying the mortgage.

"It's a different type of poverty," she says. "They don't know how to be poor. It's a lifestyle change, a huge difference."

To make matters worse, it's getting harder for the poor to find decent, affordable housing. Within the past two years, she says, one apartment building that catered to single moms burned down, another was torn down, and a third was closed for an upgrade.

Read the whole article from the Vancouver Sun here.

Extreme Poverty

"Poverty is not natural. It is manmade, and can be overcome by the action of human beings."
Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa

More than one billion people live on less than a dollar a day. They can't get the basics of feed, clean water, health care, shelter or education. They live right here on planet Earth, but with all our luxury cars, celebrity power and "Reality" TV they may as well live on Mars. The extremely poor seem like a world away.

But have we put them on another planet, economically and in our hearts and minds? What we buy, what we value, what we don't do and what we don't know have great impact on millions of lives. And since HIV and AIDS is widely considered consequences of extreme poverty, it partly falls on us to reverse the widening gap between rich and poor, healthy and sick that we have helped create - and to do it in the name of God.

What If

What if ...

Five years ago Bernard was a sugar cane farmer, earning just enough to feed his family. Then an agricultural corporation strong-armed the farmers and bought up the land. Bernard was forced to sell his one acre for $25.00

Desperate he took a truck driving job, traveling long distances to earn about a dollar a day. One lonely night, Bernard spend the night with a young woman who turned to prostitution after her parents died to care for her siblings.

A year later, Bernard died from AIDS. His wife, Esther has no money, her in laws took everything she owns and since testing positive for HIV she has been abandoned by her parents, her friends and her church.

Facebook Deactivated

[update 4/12/08: Okay, I'm back on facebook - trying it again. I think I have a better perspective now. Join the Embrace Aids cause on facebook].

I just deactivated my facebook account.

Why would I do such a crazy thing? I had 100+ friends, wouldn't they miss me? How will I keep up with everything? How will I know what someone's status is? What about my hockey pool?

The truth is, I didn't need another thing to "check". I already have email, blogs, office phone, cell phone, home phone, and my trusty palm tungsten c.

It's too bad, because I've enjoyed reconnecting with family, classmates, old friends with facebook. It also became the messaging method (email) of choice.

But, I can do without it. Even though my work has to do with connecting with people, and many are on facebook, I decided it was enough. I was constantly getting emails to join this, look at that, and respond to this. There was wall posts, then fun wall posts, polls, hockey pools, photos, videos, messages, and always the lure of new friends. It became a part time job.

So, for now, you can reach me the old fashioned way: mikevkshema at yahoo.com Hopefully you get past my spam filter....

Please, this isn't personal. I'm still your friend -- even if I'm not on facebook. :-)

No more positive people

• Every day, nearly 12,000 people become HIV positive
• Young people (under the age of 25) account for half of these new HIV infections
• There are currenly 39.5 million people living with AIDS around the world
• 48% of them are women (59%) in Africa
• 2.3 million of them are children
• 63% of them live in sub-Saharan Africa
• In Africa alone, 12 million children are AIDS orphans

Is AIDS a sentence for the sinful sexed up citizens trotting our globe?

Get Real

Try living on less than a dollar a day. Two hundred and thirty-three million Africans do it, a.k.a. the extremely poor. These are the world's most positive - positive with HIV.

And these are the H.O.P.E. positive, like no supped-up-jetsetter-star-studded superficial life can ever wrangle up. They are brothers and sisters full of brilliance and determination, skill and imagination asking brothers and sisters to follow a few simple instructions.

"Love the Lord with all your heart and wil all you soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandement greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31).

This is their time. This is your time. Face the light of the Son and don't turn away. Embrace AIDS.

Embrace Aids - Don't Turn Away

For the next few weeks I'll be blogging about the launch of the embrace aids campaign. We at Heartland are on board, and we are going to be a part of the larger community that is try to "Embrace Aids."

Most of the info for the upcoming posts will be from Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.

Vancouver Board Of Trade

I took part in a leadership skills bootcamp today. It was hosted by the Vancouver Board of Trade.

It was the advertisement in the Vancouver Sun that caught my attention. It was an all day event, with Daniel Goleman, Tod Maffin, and Patricia Lambert that made the trip into Vancouver worth it.

Daniel Golemen had a great talk on Social Intelligence. He put up a picture of the brain and from a scientific perspective talked about social connecting, relationships and the type of leadership that can impact the climate of an organization the most.

Tod Maffin was a hoot. He talked about what he refers to as the Facebook generation (18-30 year olds). I have 3 teenagers and he is really talking about teenagers as well. He said that in the 70's people in the work place were all about stability. Then in the 80's it was about money. We saw in the 90's it was about life balance. But now it's about meaning. We want to change the world. We want to make a difference. He referenced this Apple video that is our mantra.



He says to forget mission statements and use mantra's instead - little piffy statements that capture meaning.

Tod was followed by Patricia Lambert, who is a senior training consultant for Franklin Covey Canada. What a contrast. She was going over the elements of the 8th habit. She had pie charts, and fill in blanks etc. Whereas Tod had stories and stuff that rang true. Don't get me wrong, I have benefited hugely from Covey's stuff - particularly the 7 habits material. But there came a time when that all became fatiguing and linear for me personally. I still value the material, but it doesn't play my soul's guitar like it used to. Finding your "voice" is important, especially understanding one's weaknesses and propensity for ill. I find being in my 40's that it comes a bit easier than when I was in my 30's. In my 40's I've become more comfortable in my skin (not completely, but more so) and less obsessed with being like someone else.

I met a few interesting people. One conversation was providential. I met a person who was doing coaching and training in appreciative inquiry. She has been at it for a few years. I will definitely follow-up as I have a personal interest in appreciate inquiry as it relates to pastoral leadership.