Simplicity of Truth

Kayaking at Globe Trotter

Kayaking, rock climbing… rain, sun, ice… one hour… one building… Where am I?!? Globe Trotter!!! During Saturday's day trip to Dresden, I stopped by this REI-esque store where there’s a pool for kayaking, a rock wall, a rain-room, and freezing room. Yeahyeahyeah! Along with the day-trip to Dresden, this week was packed with 2 concerts at the castle (check out http://lizandthelions.bandcamp.com/), a dance and celebration for the September school’s graduation, and a challenging topic for lectures..

Some thoughts from the lectures:

G-d is complex, G-d is infinite, and yet, G-d is simple. David Gava talked about the Holy Spirit and, in many ways, the complexities of living a Christian life. Truly living a life for Christ, he explained, is not easy- it requires sacrifice, discipline, and a real leaving behind the things that draw us away from G-d. I found myself questioning… if Christianity is so complicated- if there is so much I have to understand and so many specific things I have to know, have to learn about G-d, is it really Truth? Doesn’t having child-like faith mean that there is a simplicity to Truth?

I was walking through the woods next to the castle, loving the spring sunshine, when it became clear: Yes, truth is simple. G-d can be found in being present to each moment- in paying attention to life. If I am present to people, to my surroundings, to my senses, I will find that G-d is constantly there. And yet G-d is so infinite that G-d is in all of this and in the words and doctrine that David was describing. The words and doctrine are not there to make G-d seem distant and hard to reach, but to help me know G-d more closely. The challenge is to use doctrine to encourage and inspire rather than leave me feeling distant and separate from G-d. 

U-Kray-kray!!

It's 8pm on Saturday and we're lounging in a Polish family's living room drinking tea and watching the Simpsons on their 40-inch flatscreen... How did I end up here?! Images from the last day float through my head... bright stars at 4am, an endless line of cars, Egyptian Ratslap, a towtruck, the Polish countryside... in a lot of ways, nothing happened in the last 24 hours: rather than arriving back at the castle as planned, we spent 16 hours moving less than 200 km... And yet getting stuck in Poland transformed the trip.

Here's how the the day unfolded:

We woke up at 4am and after sleepy goodbyes to Mimi and the daycare center, we began the supposed 17-hour drive back to Herrnhut. We were driving steady down the road with heavy metal pounding (ha), when we saw a long still line of cars in front of some guards- it appeared that we were approaching the Ukraine-Poland border. We stopped in the back of the line of cars and tried to stay patient- an hour passed.. drivers were out of their cars to have a smoke and stretch their legs... two hours... four... five hours… we played Egyptian Ratslap to pass the time... six hours... NINE hours later we finally were into Poland and on our way once again!

Or so we thought.

We drove less than 100 km when.. dreaded silence... the engine stalled! So, after our 9-hour wait to cross the border, we found ourselves stopped on the side of the road in an unknown town in Poland. We spent the next several hours searching for someone who could fix the van as Ryan made phone calls. We finally got a hold of the insurance company and by 7:30pm, a tow truck had arrived to drag the van to the repair shop. We climbed aboard began the ride. Seated on the flatbed, we drove through the Polish countryside… the sun had just set and the sky was still orange over the rolling hills- the delay was not so bad after all. 40 km later, we stopped in front of a house with an unusually large garage and a sign that told us it was the auto shop. Out of this house in the middle of no where, a young girl welcomed us in to her chandelier-clad home and offered us tea and cookies. She handed us a remote and thus, we found ourselves sipping tea and watching the Simpsons..

The whole ordeal blew me away. We'd spent nearly the whole day waiting- to cross the border, to get a tow truck, to fix the van.. and yet it hadn't seemed so bad. We got to see Poland, we had more time together as a team, we had some snacks and the sun was out... and now, the generosity of this family was amazing- tea, coffee, cookies, a cozy place to stay for a while.. It seemed that after two weeks of outreach this Polish family was the one reminding us to live out the gospel.. Matthew 10:40 says, “Whoever receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me… if anyone gives gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will surely not lose his reward.” We were blessed in so many ways by these strangers: food, hospitality, rest..

And as the evening went on, it only became more clear how blessed we were...

By 10pm, the van still wasn’t fixed and we didn’t have money for a hotel. The ten of us were stranded in Poland, exhausted from the 4am wake-up, hungry from having no real meal all day.. and yet later that night we somehow found ourselves in a 4-star hotel, had some powerful prayer time and group sharing, and in the next morning, had a breakfast waiting and a new van to drive back to the castle. The insurance company provided all. At last, the trip felt complete. The unexpected last day taught me the most important lesson of the entire two weeks: G-d takes care of us. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear… If…G-d clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more care for you? …Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” Matthew 6:25-34.

A.M.D.G.

4am wake up. Say some prayers. Pack the van. Check for art supplies, musical instruments, cameras, boots, and a set of clothes. Double check for passports
.
Thus the journey begins- heading East towards Ukraine!

In the dark, the streets of Germany all look similar... buildings appear the same and fields stretch far on both sides. Slowly, the sky turns from black to orange and the sun begins to rise in front of us. beauty! Sweet conversation, soft music.. I take a bite of my turkey sandwich and hope that the bread in Ukraine better than that of the castle. 2 hours pass... Poland.. graffitied buildings, interesting statues...4 hours.... Stop to pee at a gas station.. carry on..7 hours......8... Stop at the Ukraine border. Border Patrol checks passports and peers into trunk. Where are the documents for the van? Did you steal this van? No. We don't speak Russian. Or Ukranian. 9 hours... still stuck at the border.. ten hours... pray. Let us pass please. Finally- into Ukraine!! The change is immediate. The land is desolate. Graveyards next to silver and bronze churches.. The villages seem deserted. Thank G-d, the GPS still works. 11 hours... potholes are everywhere! Ryan steers the van and we fly over deep holes in the road. How are our tires in tact? Are we going the right direction? Turn onto a sketchy road. Oh GPS... where are you leading us?! Broken and abandoned houses line the side of the road. More potholes. The sun begins to set over the fields and again, all is beautiful. Fields stretch for miles and it looks reminiscent of Route 66. The light softens the land and the abandoned houses and barely green fields looks picturesque. I can't take my eyes off the scenery. It gets more beautiful by the second. The sun sets. The road turns into the forest. We swerve around more potholes. The sky is dark and my eyelids are heavy.. I become accustomed to the swerving and doze off. My head bangs against the window as we fly over a pothole and I'm jerked into consciousness. Are we lost? Make some phone calls. Phone dies. Notice landmarks... 15 hours.. Could it be??! We're here!! We step out into the cold and Mimi welcomes us. She ushers us in and serves us a hot meal- potatoes, cabbage, sausage, muffins, tea. Food, glorious food! We eat, laugh, yawn, and TJay falls off his chair.. ahahh.. Grateful and exausted, I roll out my sleeping bag and shut my eyes. Sweet rest! Welcome to Ukraine.

Sanctuary

7 hours until the journey to Ukraine beings!! Hoorah! After a busy week with photos, leading worship, and powerful lectures, today was a sweet day of rest before the start of the 20-ish hour drive to Ukraine. The sun was shining for the first time in a while and the river’s been running, too- spring is approaching! Hallway music, outdoor (yeah!) soccer, and salsa dancing in the dining room filled the afternoon and evening.

An exciting tidbit from this week is that we found out our location for the longer outreach that starts in April… We’re going to Ethiopia!!! We don’t know too many details yet, but it’s three months and it’s possible that we’ll be make it to a couple other countries as well. Yeahh!! More details to come.

On a different note, Rogario, this week’s speaker, challenged us to ask how we define ourselves. If we want to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God,” we must first know our identity in Christ (Micah 6:8). What are the implications of being a child of G-d? What does that really mean? Here’s what’s been on my mind: It means that G-d will take care of me. Not because I’ve earned G-d’s love or care, but simply because I am a child of G-d. Made and known by G-d. But if I can’t earn G-d’s love, then why do I pray? I challenged my motives this week.. So often, it seems I go to G-d hoping for something in return or even just to fill “daily prayer time.” But the real reason that I am called to go to G-d is because I am made to be in relationship with Him. Made to know G-d. Rogario said, “G-d wants to make a home, not an office within us.” G-d doesn’t expect something from us, but simply desires relationship with us. I can do nothing, and G-d’s love and care will remain. I’m reminded of these lyrics:

Lord prepare me, to be a sanctuary

Pure and holy, tried and true

And with thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for you

Team Ukraineee!!

Sledding near the castle

Lobau- right outside of Herrnhut

Nine people, two weeks, one van, twenty hours of road tripping. The destination? Ukraine!!! My team leaves next Saturday for mini-outreach, which is a shorter version of the 2-3 month outreach we'll be doing later on. While there, we'll be helping out an orphanage. After a lot of time in Herrnhut learning and processing, I'm looking forward working with kids! And the road trip should be a blast, too- I'm excited to see the countryside and be on the road again.

The excitement carried throughout the whole castle this past week as over 100 students from the September DTS just got back from doing two months of outreach in Southeast Europe, Kenya, and China. It's been fun having even more creative energy around here- we've had salsa dancing lessons, Attic Church (sermon and music in the attic- put together by the September students), playing music on the street in Zittau, and a successful all-night prayer service (prayer until 6am, hoorah hoorah). 

It was also a solid week of lectures last week. Cory, the speaker, talked about Foundations. She said that our values make our decisions. If we want to live like Christ, we must align our values with those of Jesus. What then are my values? And where do they come from? She said that an easy way to determine the things we value is where we spend (or don’t spend) money. 

Not only do our values decide our actions, but our actions show what we value. Just by looking at a grocery store, Cory mentioned, it’s easy to tell what a culture values. Germany designates lots of space for chocolate (yahh) and dairy.. The U.S., on the other hand, sets aside an unusually large amount of space for cereal. Perhaps it’s because the U.S. values speed. Food that’s easy to prepare. But what does G-d value? 

During one lecture, Cory sent us outside the classroom with this question. Based on what we see nature, what can we conclude that G-d values? We came up with loads of answers: Relationship, diversity, creativity, beauty, rest... but what was most profound to me was that G-d values change. The seasons change, plants grow and die- nature is constantly changing. Likewise, humans are constantly changing. We can't be boxed in easy categories or defined by a single action. Joe reminded us, “We are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS.” I hope, then, that I, too can value change. If I know the reality of change, I will be more present to each moment, knowing that this moment can never be replicated. Time changes. 

"There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

  a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 a time to tear and a time to mend,
  a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace."

 -Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"Arrow Up"

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”

-Pedro Arrupe

    


      “More than anything else, Christianity is a love song” says Diana Butler Bass in A People’s History of Christianity. I find the same truth throughout Scripture: “Love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:37)… “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13)… “For G-d so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)… “G-d is love” (1 John 4:8). Ultimately, the Gospel is a story of love. Therefore, in love, we must be able to find G-d. But what stops us from seeing love- and therefore from seeing G-d?

      This week, Fiona talked about sin. A stuffy word for most of us... But first, what's sin? Thomas Merton says, “All sin starts with the assumption that my false self, the self that exists only in my egocentric desires, is the fundamental reality of life to which everything else in the universe is ordered.” So according to Merton, sin starts with the ego- with believing that my desires are most important. Because in this mindset, there is no room for G-d. No need for love or any external force- I am all. So to experience love, I need to step outside of the self-centeredness- step out of my pride, and acknowledge that G-d works both in me and outside of me. Then there is room for love. G-d can become clearer. But how do I let go of pride? Of selfishness? Of this human tendency to follow my ego? Only through G-d Himself (…Herself, Itself…). Fiona had a tip: anytime we begin to feel this human tendency to sin, “Arrow Up” (up being figurative here, as G-d is not only "up"). Acknowledge the selfishness (or whatever it might be) and offer it to G-d. Think “Arrow Up.” 

Week Four: Pick a Pocket

Photo taken by Corey Hart. In support of Pick a Pocket. For more, check out http://pickapocketart.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=10556058

Day One: Listen to stories from Pick a Pocket, an organization that began as a group of young people who wanted to use their art to increase awareness and fight extreme poverty. It began at YWAM Herrnhut.

Day Two: More testimonies from Pick a Pocket… Stories of creating the Koshe project- of educating kids living at a garbage dump and helping former prostitutes open a café in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- of using crafts to spread a message of love and awareness…

Day Three: Watch Born into Brothels, a documentary about a woman who taught photography to kids in Kolkata’s red light district.

Day Four: Pick a Pocket Café opens in town and Liz and the Lions (a band working with Pick a Pocket) have their CD preview and pre-order night at the castle. Hoorah! I’m reminded that I can create change. With some creative thought and a bit of determination, I can do as the members of Pick a Pocket have done. They’ve created projects abroad, they hold the keys to a café in town, and they play music on tour. So can I- with a bit of initiative.

Day Five: Uli, another Pick a Pocket member challenges us to be creative with our gifts- Uli’s passion for Super Heroes (yeah!) has allowed him to spread a message of love… What am I passionate about? After a week of Pick a Pocket’s inspiring stories, Uli shares some tools to go forth on our own journey. He notes some things that he’s stored in his “Bat Belt:”

            -Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

            -Pray.

            -Follow what you love.

            -Feed your passion.

Day Six: Watch video about Dorothy Day and the beginning of the Catholic Worker Houses. Feel more inspired.

Day Seven: Rest. Reflect. Go sledding. Think: How can I use my gifts to serve others?

For more info on Pick a Pocket: http://pickapocketart.webs.com/aboutus.htm