posing w/ empire

On Saturday, Paige's school held carnival fundraiser. A friend of ours is a part of the San Diego Star Wars Society. Those dudes dress up as Star Wars characters and go to these kind of events for kids. Matt was stoked to meet all the characters but a little intimidated by their size. So, we took a picture together. The Polaroid got tweaked because of the rain but it kinda looks cool. So, I decided to use it as a header with the subtitle, "All smiles in the face of empire". Ya dig!

ig'nant quotes overheard

Jock: "So we started to talk to the hotel employee with a Mexican accent, using Mexican words." (laughter)

Jock's female friend: "You mean, Spanish?!"

Jock: "She's not from Spain. She's from MEX-I-CO!"

prophetic nature of punk rock

It looks like Ian Svenonius of Soft Focus has got wind of Dan and mine idea of the prophetic nature of punk rock–specifically in Ian MacKaye. Here's an interview with Ian MacKaye. Check it out (specifically towards the end at 7:15):

convenient separation

Photo found here.I sat up the other night and watched the preview for Google Wave. Like many people, I'm looking forward to trying it out. But as I watched, it dawned on me that the biggest attraction is it's convenience. We love convenience. Convenience can be a good thing. But there are times when it clearly distorts our perception. This last week, San Diego County officials ruffled a lot of folks feathers. A county representative visited a local pastor's home and informed his wife that they could not continue having bible studies in their home without a permit. Supposedly, these bible studies had only 15 to 20 people in attendance. My friend Aaron Klinefelter brought it to my attention first. Here's a clip of local news reporting on it. And it also showed up on Fox News.

It seems clear from the conversation online that this has raised concern in the hearts of many. "What if they shut down my home meeting?" "What about the separation of church and state?!" To say that the county of San Diego is taking away the religious rights of Christians is a bit of an exageration. This particular incident has brought such a public "black eye" to the county that I would think that it will back off of this practice of shutting down bible studies. That said, the reaction amongst some Christians about "religious rights" concerns me much more than this particular incident. This incident in our county should spark conversation amongst Christians, however, I don't think that it should be a conversation about our rights.

Throughout history and around the globe, Christians have not had permission from the state to practice their faith. Many governments have had trouble with religion in general and Christianity in particular. All that to say, that this is nothing new. While we can debate the intent of Jesus' words about Caeser's coin and Paul's words about respect for the government, no Scripture comes to mind that implies that the church should receive it's authority from the state, or be an authority over the state. The church–nor any other religious institution–is to be above or under the state (though, our general posture is to be "power under" as Greg Boyd puts it or "domination-free" as Walter Wink puts it). The church is simply something other. Because of that, we can respect the law but the law does not have authority over God and what God asks of us.

In this particular situation in San Diego, the county is saying that religious practices must be limited to buildings designated for that. Residential homes do not typically have this designation. I can not speak for other religions, but for Christianity this is not feasible. Every act of Jesus, whom we consider our Lord and King (or "president" as Shane Claiborn and Chris Haw have put it), leads towards a faith that is found and practiced in the most ordinary of places by all people who choose to. When Jesus was crucified, the temple veil was torn–a symbol of the presence of God moving beyond the confinement of a building designated for religious practices. All I am intending to say is that if we were to follow the letter of law, we would need to file for permits to meet for almost everything and everywhere. We believe that the presence of God is everywhere. We believe that anytime two or more followers of Jesus meet to confess their sin, share a burden, pray for each other, discuss a Scripture passage, or just have coffee that God's Spirit is their with them.

When it comes to rights, it does not seem evident to me that Jesus or the NT church was concerned about their own rights. In fact, there is an appreciation of being punished for practicing their faith and getting caught (the lack of rights) evident in the New Testament. Rather than a concern for their own rights, it does seem that the early church intended to love and care for others that did not have rights (immigrants, widows, poor, terminally ill, prostitutes, etc.). Not only did Jesus model this, but it follows the God-given values of Israel in the OT.

This bible study incident has been a situation in which many Christians are holding up their separation of church and state card. While when it comes to the issue of Proposition 8 here in California, they quietly tuck the same card back in their pocket. I do not understand why many Christians would applaud the upholding of Proposition 8 here in California. Proposition 8 upholds that marriage is between a man and woman only. Quite frankly, I don't understand why Christians would care how or why or for whom the state sanctions marriage. It has historically been our conviction that marriage is a bond made before God. It doesn't matter what the state says about marriage. It matters what God says about it. What seems to be the issue, is what some Christians believe the Bible to say about homosexuality. I agree with Walter Wink's analysis of Scripture and homosexuality.

"... The issue is precisely whether that biblical judgment is correct. The whole tenor of the Bible sanctions slavery as well, and nowhere attacks it as unjust. Are we prepared to argue that slavery today is biblically justified? The overwhelming burden of the biblical message is that women are inferior to men. Are we willing to perpetuate that status? Jesus himself explicitly forbids divorce for any case (Matthew has added “except adultery” to an unqualified statement). Are we willing to forbid divorce, and certainly remarriage, for everyone whose marriage has become intolerable?

The fact is that there is, behind the legal tenor of Scripture, an even deeper tenor, articulated by Israel out of the experience of the Exodus and brought to sublime embodiment in Jesus’ identification with harlots, tax collectors, the diseased and maimed and outcast and poor. It is that God sides with the powerless, God liberates the oppressed, God suffers with the suffering and groans toward the reconciliation of all things. In the light of that supernal compassion, whatever our position on gays, the gospel’s imperative to love, care for, and be identified with their sufferings is unmistakably clear." (link)

I agree that there are specific passages that can be read to condemn homosexuality. And if a church decides that because of that, they will not marry people of the same gender, so be it. But as is historically clear, the Church has never agreed universally on issues such as this. I agree with Wink and think that coming to the conclusion to exclude gay and lesbian couples goes against one of the over-arching values of Scripture; that we are to–as I said above–love and care for others who do not have rights. With that in mind, whether or not we think a church can marry people of the same gender, we should still expect that they are treated fairly and decently within the culture we participate in. To use another example, while we may not serve communion to a Muslim, we don't think the state should deny food stamps to a Muslim (and if it did I would hope that Christians would stand against such treatment).

There is something new about the sexual orientation civil rights movement. Historically, the fight for rights of the marginalized has been for those with limited economic opportunity and power. The gay and lesbian community has not had the same economic restraints. This does not take away from the importance of this, it simply makes it unique. I applaud my friends Rich, Jay and Alex with MissionGathering for their work on this effort. The Our Hearts Are With You campaign that they have initiated has had a huge impact and bridged the gap for many who love Jesus yet have felt hated by his followers. Christians have given millions of dollars to a campaign that has largely been interpreted by others as hatred. Think about how many hungry mouths could have been fed with those resources! As long as we are known by our hate, rather than our love we are missing the point. Shane Claiborne says it most succinctly in this short video clip:


The bottom line is that the Church in the U.S. needs to fess up to it's approach to separation of church and state. We use it when it's convenient to our convictions and we hide it when it isn't convenient. If we are separate (or other as I said) than let's leave it at that. Either way you interpret that, we've commonly got wrong what our involvement with the larger culture should be: we look out for our rights and ignore and deny those of others. It seems to me, that instead we are to count our rights as worthless and look out for others who do not have rights.

The movement is God's

"We are not the initiators of this movement. Even the suffering ones of the earth are not the initiators, though they are the genuine leaders. The movement is God's."

- Elizabeth O'Connor (HT: inward/outward)

Suzie's Farm

We are now a part of a new CSA some friends are starting up. Check it out.

Trolley Raid

I received this in my inbox today:

dear compañera/os,


yesterday morning, as one of my 16 year old female students waited at the Old Town trolley station to go to school, she was approached by border patrol agents and asked for "papers" - she showed them her school ID and explained that she was on her way to school, but she was continually harassed and asked questions about her "status" here in the U.S. . . . having called her parents during the exchange with officers, her uncle (U.S. citizen) immediately went to the trolley station and explained to officers that his niece was only 16, on her way to school, and he would take her from there, HOWEVER, because she was "unable to provide proper documentation", she was detained by the border patrol officers (with several other people, including other minors) and taken to the Otay holding station . .


as soon as myself and her parents got wind of what had happened we contacted local advocacy groups who then contacted the Mexican consulate, and we were hopeful that the consulate and their lawyers could get custody of the student because of her age, and for the way she was unlawfully questioned for identification at a public transit station . . .


additionally, several community members (teachers, principals, community activists, etc.) immediately wrote numerous letters attesting to this student's character, her academic excellence, and how she is revered both at her school and in her community.


despite all of this, the student was deported to Tijuana within 6 hours of detainment - a place where she knows no one, had no money and no resources . . .


i don't think enough people are aware that this is happening. and i also don't believe that anyone who now knows that this kind of indiscriminate "rounding up" of our children is happening, can stand by and do nothing. i will not stand by and allow my students' basic human rights to be violated - our children especially should not be subjected to the fascist operations/interrogations of local "law enforcement" and i ask that you join me tomorrow, along with the American Friends Service Committee, to protest these actions. . . .


i have included the flyer/information about the events that will happen tomorrow:


1) a press conference at 11 am to denounce the racial profiling, raids and subsequent deportation of students


2) a rally/demonstration at 5 pm to protest the interrogation and deportation of our students - rally to take place at the trolley administration building at 12th and Imperial


i thank you in advance for your support and participation - please disseminate this information widely,


in solidarity,
(LINK)

There is just too much of this going on!

I didn't realize until just two minutes ago how much I doubted Christian organizations. Talked with two organizations today that want to "talk". But I can't bring myself to drive up to LA to meet with them... I just know it won't go anywhere... I'm now making excuses (though legitimate ones) to avoid further disappointment in the institution that reared me. Wow.

to blog or not to blog

I've been thinking lately about the nature and purpose of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. For me, I use my online spots as a kind of virtual sticky notes and generally hope to keep friends and family abreast of what is going on in my life and what I am thinking about.

My life kind of goes in seasons where I'm around a computer often and can post stuff and seasons I am not near a computer to post regularly (no, I don't have a phone capable of doing this–except take crappy photos). When I can, it's enjoyable. It doesn't distract me from much. It does effect my journaling some what, which I feel is very important for my soul. I've started storing up my ideas and extended thoughts on things for articles I've committed to and other writing commitments as opposed to dumping them bit by bit here–I've slacked off on sharing my pontifications recently.

Since, in great part, I do this to keep up with others–but don't do all that well–I'm wondering what you think about all of these online communication tools. Specifically, whether or not I should use some of them on a regular basis (yes, Brooke Gonzales, I know you don't get Twitter). For some reason, lately I've thought about pulling the plug on the blog and other things. I often fail to see the purpose. I grow more and more committed to trying to make thoughts and ideas materialize in a local context and community. Because of that, I really am interested in what you think. I don't assume that my blog has a huge readership. I know that it is mostly checked in on occasionally by Hawthornistas and other friends. So, I would like to know what you think. Seriously. Leave a comment if you have time. Thanks.

seen in north park

seen in north park
Originally uploaded by jasonevans.

seen in north park

seen in north park
Originally uploaded by jasonevans.

Two teeth in a week!

Two teeth in a week!
Originally uploaded by jasonevans.

Made in L.A.

Check out upcoming EC workshops

Future DJ MattyBoy

Future DJ MattyBoy
Originally uploaded by jasonevans.

Haven't had much of a chance to post lately. Doing lots of information interviews via phone and in person. Nothing for certain yet. I have days where I feel fine about it. But there are other days where it wears on the ego. Today, I'm fine. I don't know why but shaving my head makes me feel better about lots of things. Snake Babies practice was awesome last night. Cranked a great new tune. Before that, had dinner with some lovely folks, family included. My grandmother passed away last week. We knew this was coming, so it is actually a good thing in a certain way. Making arrangements for speaking at the graveside service right now... alright, back to life.

a night at the hawthorn house

a night at the hawthorn house from Jason Evans on Vimeo.