Patriotism

Students are always asking me bizarre questions. They think I'm a bit strange, so they expect an answer that will entertain them or at the least give them a good laugh. I could explain to them the idea of peaceful resolutions, and a roar of laughter would erupt. In fact I have, and it did. So when I was asked the day before Veterans day if I would celebrate those that chose to protect our country, I had a difficult response in front of me. My dad is a veteran. My grandpa was a veteran. My great grandpa was a veteran. My response took a minute or more, but it ended up being something along the lines of, "I will celebrate those people, yes, but possibly not the actions they performed or the country they served. That I will forever lament"

You see, I won't pledge my allegiance to this country, or any other country for that matter. I joined a Kingdom much larger, and that is the only place/people to whom I give my following. There would be no conceivable way to give my allegiance to two authorities, because those two authorities are bound to contradict. And when they do, I have two separate places I have pledged to serve, and ultimately I have to choose just one of them.

Too many people are trying their hardest to unify their patriotism and faith (their country with the Kingdom of God). An American flag inside a church ring a bell for anyone? The sweet part of God's Kingdom is that it runs through nationalities and across borders. I can have my allegiance to this Kingdom anywhere I travel, to any nationality and in any tongue. I won't have to wonder if the Leader is making the right or wrong decision in regards to His people. It allows me to truly serve and really PLEDGE MY ALLEGIANCE to a People.

In this Kingdom peace is the true action of courage. This Leader has told us that war and retaliation will cause more war and retaliation. This Leader has told us that we have no need to fear an attack on our people, because our people are protected by His blood. This Leader has told us that those who die in His name will create more people who die in his name. This Leader has told us that the courageous action is not what it appears. If our people, in this Kingdom, are killed we have the assurance that has allowed us to live without defenses and retaliations. To live with the Freedom that we can die, at anytime, and spend an eternity with the same Kingdom to whom we gave our allegiance.

So will I pick up Weapons, and possibly kill anyone that could someday belong to the greatest, most invisible Kingdom on earth? No, I will act in courage, going peacefully proclaiming a different way with the assurance of my Leader that if I die, I live. The cowardice that nations instinctively follow will not overwhelm me. Not in this Kingdom.

The McDonalds Employee

Her movements, along with her facial expressions, conveyed her spirit well. There was no doubt really. She took the grassy green leaves and pulled them apart, as if examining someones scalps for unwanted ticks. She took the bucket of water besides her and with great deliberation poured the water across the string-like leaves, making sure the soil did not get too much or too little as the water trickled down to the roots. She picked up her bucket, and moved on to the next set of plants. As she continued the process throughout the room, her face never changed. It carried a gentle smile with eyes that were proud of her work.

I haven't seen anything so relaxing or peaceful in a long time. There is something very beautiful about a content person. If we could all make the tedious, mundane things we did look so easy and enjoyable, things would look very different here. The McDonalds employee has found something that many of us search our whole lives for.

Fluid Motion

With another year, it's easy to see how fast life passes by. While we may mark time in numbers so we can better manage it, it's really just a fluid motion that is impossible to stop and hard to remember. Most memories seem to be lost or stolen by time itself. And for the rare few that are kept and imprinted on the mind, I am so grateful. Whether good or bad, memories serve as a remembrance that life will continue it's motion onward.

The number mark 2008 just helps us to trap those memories in a specific location. For me, it is a location that will be easily remembered my entire life. I experienced one day of complete joy with friends and family that marked the beginning of a new life with Callie. I met new lives that have no limit to potential when Ava and Lucas entered this world. At the same time I saw the exiting from this world when my Grandpa passed away. Then there are the smaller memories that slowly shape who we are and how we act. A honeymoon well spent, a weekend full of laughter, and a week in the hospital with a swollen pancreas. And how can I ever forget the election of Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States and the continued advancement of civil rights at that moment? What a sweet memory for humanity.

Some of those times are so strong and written so deeply in my mind they will feel like they happened "yesterday", 10 years from now. Heck, I feel like the Bears just won the super bowl, but that was 24 years ago now! Just the other night I was walking with Callie on Navy Pier and her spirit was captured in both her movement and beauty to form a memory in my mind that I am capable of carrying forever.

All I can really say is that I look forward to the upcoming moments. I look forward to seeing those glimpses of God's Kingdom displayed here on earth for people to enjoy. Those moments are so sweet they keep carrying us through the fluid motion of time.

A day in the sun always makes a beer in the hand that much better.