Archive of Bfine107’s Xanga

Okay, so Zach was definitly right… If you don’t ask questions peoplerndon’t put comments. So, I’ve now got arncouple practical questions that I need answered.
rn1) Like the P.S. said before, I’ve got a neighbor, she’s about twornmonthes behind on rent, and isn’t getting any hours at work. What do Irndo?
rn2) I saw Hotel Rwanda yesterday and was convicted of my lack of actionrnconcerning a very similiar situation in Sudan.  What can I do tornwake my community (specifically Wheaton College) up to the need to actrnregarding the Genocide in Sudan?

rnP.S. Don’t forget to read the P.S. from Saturday and respond to it.

About geography… I want to try and articulate some of why I think this matters, and see what you all have to say. 
rnLast year I worked in the Atlanta school system, it’s one of the worstrn(test scores, etc.) school systems in the country.  We didn’t livernin the same district as our school, and because we worked there it wasrnhard to rock the boat a little.  So, this school system is grosslyrnunderfunded and lacking in resources necessary for a good solidrneducation (especially with all the stringent testing requirements fromrnEvery Child Left Behind), unlike the rich suburban schools.  Thernproblem of geography is this.  If the rich Christians in Atlantarnhad moved into those areas (and put their kids in those schools) arnnumber of things would happen: there’d be a lot more money to fund thernschools, they’d have the power to influence city leaders (unlike poorrnfolk), they’d have the extra time and resources to invest in the schoolrn(think parent volunteers, and extra money for field trips, etc.), andrnthey’d have a keen interest in the quality of the school and educationrn(which means the education of the poorest kids as well).  None ofrnthat can be done when they live in a seperate place, and just come inrnonce in a while to do a little tutoring.  That’s what I mean byrninjustice because of our (choosen) geography.
rnTwo.  I’m beginning to look for a place for Mindy and I to live inrnNashville when we move in the fall for Mindy to go to Nursing Schoolrn(YAY!).  I’d like to be neighbors with those who we consider poor,rnbecause I find that is where there is true community, and there I canrnhave a vested interest in the school system and more.  So, I lookrnup some churches in the area and give them a call.  ‘Where do yourrnchurch members live?’ I ask…’Well, Edgehill is the poor communityrnright near Vanderbilt nursing school and the church, there’s projectsrnand it’s a rough and dangerous area, But most of our members come fromrnthe Suburbs…’ ‘Huh, I think Edgehill is the sort of area we arernthinking of moving to, do you know of any church members that livernthere?’… ‘I don’t know why you would want to live there… I mean yourncould come here and do ministry there…’ 
rnShe didn’t know why I would want to live there?  Jesus dwelledrnwith the poor of society, and it was there he said, “love your neighborrnas your self,” I could go on but I won’t.  But do you see? rnHow do I advocate for a better school system if I don’t even live inrnthe community?  Don’t you you think they pick up on yourrn”superhero” attitude when you come and do “ministry” and then run backrnto your safe little community? 
rnDo you see that if your family lived in a “dangerous” neighborhood butrnyou couldn’t leave, that you’d want to do something about it? And ifrnthe school wasn’t quality, that you would take action? rnWould  it stir your heart more to action if your actual physicalrnneighbor really didn’t have money to buy food?

rnThat’s what I’m talking about when I saw our geography createsrninjustice, but Emmy is right, People create injustice, geography isrnperpetuating it.

P.S. And a note about Wheaton…Between Terrace Apts. and our apartment isrnCrestview, where a friend lives from Lyberia. She hasn’t been gettingrnenough hours at work to pay for rent and is a month and a half behindrn(maybe more now).  What do we do here to love our neighbor?  Please help me know how to help her…

In related news… MINDY GOT IN TO VANDERBILT!!!!!!!!  That meansrnwe are going to be moving to Nashville, TN.  If you know anyonernfrom there I’d love to talk to them.  But this issue of geographyrnis really real to me at the moment.  I’ll tell you some storiesrnlater as they arise. peace.

Rock on! So I guess folks are interested in this stuff. So now for a new question.

rnOne thing I realized just in thinking about a lot of this stuff is thernway the our geography creates injustice (thanks to John Perkins). rnHere I am going to this ritzy “christian” college in a freakin richrncounty and we sit around and talk all day about theories about thisrninjustice and helping those in need, with no worry about having tornpractice it because we aren’t in proximity of facing it daily. rnAnd the schools here are nice compared to those in the city (I workedrnin Atlanta Schools). 

rnSo, What do you think about our geography creating injustice?  Andrnif this is true are you willing to live in a “dangerous” neighborhood,rnamongst those who have physical needs to be met. Not so you can meetrntheir needs but so that you can truly be their neighbor?  Are yournready to do community?  Where do you live now?  Why the heckrnis Wheaton where it is?

rnP.S. again, you MUST RESPOND!!!! even with non-profound thoughts

So Zach told me that when you ask questions people respond. Unlike myrnspewing off of random thoughts, so here is my new focus: Questions.
rnWhy is the Church soooooooo complacent when it comes to issue of socialrnjustice? ( I mean the Church in the USA)  Particularly racialrnreconciliation.  It’s like a few years ago there was this fadrnabout it in the church, Promise Keepers was all about Racialrnreconciliation (and it cost them big time, their funding nearlyrndissappeared, I guess cause people weren’t interested).
rnSo why the heck are we so freakin complacent?

rnp.s. I want a comment from every person that reads this, that means YOU!

What is a true friendship? When is it worth fighting about something,rnor explaining how you’ve been hurt? What’s the point if they don’trncare? And how do you remain friends if they don’t?

OKAY, So me and a friend decided to Start a One Action a Day club.  It’s called Daily Revolution. rnIt’s a Xanga right now as it’s the easiest way to spread thernword.  We are gonna start posting actions each day starting nextrnTuesday, February 1st.  But for now we are hoping you’ll subscribernto the site so that you get the updates each day.  They’ll usuallyrntake just about five minutes or less and if we are all doing it we canrnmake an impact.  So CLICK HERE AND SUBSCRIBE!!!

rnThis is why I don’t understand republicans.
rnI just don’t get it.
Listen to this.

So I wrote my article for the school newspaper. You can see it here ifrnyou want.  Don’t know what the response will be, actually I dornknow.  I’ve never had anyone write a letter to the editor sayingrnwhat I said was wrong (I wish someone would), nor that it wasrnright.  And even from close friends it’s usually, “I like yourrnarticle.” I’d love to know I was actually doing something, makingrnpeople think, people taking action. 
rnWell, I was thinking I’d start some sort of One-Action-A-Dayrnclub.  Where I’ll post a new thing to do online each day.rnSomething like writing a letter or signing a petition or just readingrnsomething and emailing it to others.  If your interested in thatrnlet me know.  Let’s be proactive. PEACE!

So I’m a doer.  Don’t know what that means besides that I dornthings.  So when I see others Doing things I get reallyrnridiculously excited. Thus my excitment when my friend Becca posted onrnher Xanga, action to take against the child labor that makes ourrnchoclate.  Don’t take my word for it read about it at her Xanga.
rnAlso along those lines is something I’ve been doing, but not with muchrneffort for a long time: Boycott Coke. I haven’t been hardcore about it,rnbut really we all should be. (No offense to you coke memorobiliarnlovers).  Here’s a link to why, and a interesting method of boycotting.
rnEnough for now.