My cousin, Jason, died two years ago when he crashed his truck on the PA turnpike. I miss him a lot. He had made many questionable choices in his young life, getting caught up in many of the things the world throws at young men these days. He also had a big heart and was a lot of fun to be around. Our family misses having him around.
A couple weeks ago, a young man I knew from East Hills died violently. He, like many young men in our culture, made some questionable choices that got him caught up in the street life. He was not just a street thug. He had hopes and dreams and emotions just like anyone else. His death was not just a statistic to me. He meant something to me, and his story was tragic.
I often write positive stories on this blog. I am still being reflective here, but not necessarily in a positive way. I miss both of these young men, and I wish I could have done more to help to guide them down a better path in their lives. I know I at least tried. But... I do have that opportunity with countless other young men in Homewood and East Hills. So, I have to at least try to find mentors for them, even if my efforts are futile. I can't stop now.
There are currently 24 men from my church who are mentoring young men in Homewood and East Hills. This, after four years of pushing as hard as I know how to push. That is out of a church with well over 1,000 men. I have at least 50 boys who are waiting for a mentor right now. Some may not know this, but I have actually stopped signing boys from my neighborhood up for a LAMP mentor from my church because I know that I do not have anyone to match them with. If I did sign any more kids up, they would probably have to wait in line behind some of the other boys who have been on the waiting list for two years now.
Young men in America are in crisis. My cousin, Jason, happened to be from the suburbs. The other young man I described happened to be from the inner city. Young men desperately need older men to step up and invest in them. Where are all of the older men in society? Where is the church? Sadly, I fear that the world has taken out many men to the point that they are caught up in addictions, or chasing after more money, or working too much, or living in whatever smaller story has been presented to them.
Many Christian men tell me that they will mentor "some day" when they are not so busy, or so focused on the pressures of their jobs and families. I wonder what Jesus has to say about that kind of thinking? When they stand before God one day, as we all will, will their excuse be, "Sorry God, I know you brought all of those young men in Homewood across the path of our church, but I was too busy. I was working hard... have you noticed how much money I left my family when I died?" I wonder how that one is going to go over? Men... it is time for us to step up! Where ever you live or what ever you are doing with your life, I will just say that the young men in our society need you more than you know. Don't wait. Now is the time to mentor a young person. Now is the time to give yourself away to others, not just to your own comforts or to your family. Your responsibilities in our world go much deeper than that.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Immigration, Suffering, and More...
Am I picking on kids now? What's next, Christian puppies?
A prayer from Sir Francis Drake.
"What if the violin player is the world?"
"How are we able to discern if our suffering is 'for Christ,' or simply the result of our misguided (though well-intentioned) distortions of faith?"
"WE are all uninvited immigrants. If only those Native Americans would have had a more sophisticated screening process at the borders when we first arrived..."
My friend Tim stopped by this blog to throw in his thoughts... bringing new perspectives on some of my reflections, stretching me in new ways, and also stirring up the immigration debate once again. Check out his comments on my June 21st, June 17th, June 9th, May 28th, and May 15th (the now infamous immigration debate which has as yet not been resolved by coffee) blog posts.
Spiritual formation happens in community, with the diverse perspectives of many people. Does anyone have anything to add to or challenge Tim's comments?
A prayer from Sir Francis Drake.
"What if the violin player is the world?"
"How are we able to discern if our suffering is 'for Christ,' or simply the result of our misguided (though well-intentioned) distortions of faith?"
"WE are all uninvited immigrants. If only those Native Americans would have had a more sophisticated screening process at the borders when we first arrived..."
My friend Tim stopped by this blog to throw in his thoughts... bringing new perspectives on some of my reflections, stretching me in new ways, and also stirring up the immigration debate once again. Check out his comments on my June 21st, June 17th, June 9th, May 28th, and May 15th (the now infamous immigration debate which has as yet not been resolved by coffee) blog posts.
Spiritual formation happens in community, with the diverse perspectives of many people. Does anyone have anything to add to or challenge Tim's comments?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
From Rocks to Bubbles
Julie and the girls and I spent a fun evening in the city tonight, and when we arrived home we noticed two boys playing right across the street from our house. They were throwing rocks at one another. As we got out of the car and entered the house, I mentioned to Julie that "somebody should tell them to stop throwing rocks." Julie stepped up to tell the boys that throwing rocks at one another probably wasn't the best thing to do, and they gave her some perplexed looks before continuing on with their rock-throwing fun.
The vacant lots across the street from us are troublesome. The organization or company who owns them does not take care of them, so as can be seen from the picture above, weeds become overgrown and tons of debris has been illegally dumped there over the past several months. The debris piles make for perfect fortresses for young rock throwers. Anyway, Julie decided to take matters into her own hands. She set our daughters up with street chalk to keep them occupied on our front steps, she grabbed a nerf football from our collection of sporting goods, and she walked across the street to give the boys something else to throw other than rocks. Incarnational living requires creativity, and Julie was on her game today. Before I knew it, the boys had totally forgotten about the rocks and they were completely engaged with my wife in a game of catch with the football.
I brought some bubbles and ice cream out to offer the boys to seal the deal, and before long the rock throwing was a distant memory. There was now an unofficial party at the McCabe house between the street chalk and bubbles and ice cream. What more could any kid want? At one point, Julie looked over at me and said, "I can see the wheels in your head turning. You're going to be blogging about this, aren't you?" I said, "Oh yeah!" How could I pass up on this opportunity? Reflective leadership is a big part of transformational leadership. I can't help myself. I think one key to our move to Homewood is that Julie is on board with it, and she brings her own unique skill set to the table on a daily basis. Also, both of us are open to whoever or whatever God may bring across our paths on a daily basis. Incarnational leadership requires giving up control and comfort, and embracing creativity and risk. Good thing Jesus modeled that for us pretty well.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Resurrection
These thoughts from a sermon by NT Wright about Christ's resurrection challenged me. If you come from an American background, I hope it challenges you too:
Denying the resurrection is a necessary part of the Enlightenment worldview. The Enlightenment split off God from the world and denied that God could or would act in the world. That's the culture we've been living in for the last 200 years, that denial. God was upstairs and we were downstairs. Christian faith enables you (Enlightenment allows it) to enjoy a private spiritual relationship upstairs with God, but that couldn't and shouldn't affect how the world runs. God was banished upstairs and we humans, we in northwestern Europe, we in America, would get on with running the downstairs world the way we wanted to.
The denial of bodily resurrection in the scholarship and popular writing of the last 200 years has gone hand-in-glove with the political position of the contemporary Sadducees.
"We are in power. We run this world. And we aren't going to allow any messages of revolution of a new world order of Jesus to disturb our privileged position." When, as a New Testament scholar, I fight day by day the battle with the skepticism that dogs my own discipline, I have come to believe that that is part of the larger, cultural battle. It isn't just a battle with the Enlightenment philosophy at one level; it's a battle with the whole Enlightenment package - culture, politics, the lot.
This leads to the necessary application of all this to our own day and situation. With the resurrection of Jesus, God created a new world and sent Jesus' followers off to announce it to the world. If you go to the resurrection chapters in Luke 24, or in Matthew, or Mark, or John, and say, "What do the evangelists think this stuff means; why are we telling this story?" The answer is not, "Jesus is risen again, therefore, we can go to heaven when we die and be with him." It's interesting they never say that, those resurrection chapters. Rather, they say, "Jesus is risen from the dead. Therefore, God's new creation has begun, and you are commissioned to go off and make it happen." That's the emphasis. And it's a new world of justice and freedom; it's the exodus of the world, the return-from-exile world, the world where Jesus already reigns as Lord, it's the world with good news for all, especially, as in the New Testament, for the poor.
As we move into a new century, with all the contradictions of post-modernity swirling around us, and now the sense of living in a dangerous and scary world with the forces of violence and hatred suddenly unleashed in our midst, we have to ask: What might God's new world look like? Start with Easter and what dreams will come? What are we, the privileged ones, doing to help implement God's victory over evil, over death, over poverty, over slavery? Where in the world today is the 'exodus' as God listens to the cry of the slaves who cannot help themselves and is assuring them that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
Denying the resurrection is a necessary part of the Enlightenment worldview. The Enlightenment split off God from the world and denied that God could or would act in the world. That's the culture we've been living in for the last 200 years, that denial. God was upstairs and we were downstairs. Christian faith enables you (Enlightenment allows it) to enjoy a private spiritual relationship upstairs with God, but that couldn't and shouldn't affect how the world runs. God was banished upstairs and we humans, we in northwestern Europe, we in America, would get on with running the downstairs world the way we wanted to.
The denial of bodily resurrection in the scholarship and popular writing of the last 200 years has gone hand-in-glove with the political position of the contemporary Sadducees.
"We are in power. We run this world. And we aren't going to allow any messages of revolution of a new world order of Jesus to disturb our privileged position." When, as a New Testament scholar, I fight day by day the battle with the skepticism that dogs my own discipline, I have come to believe that that is part of the larger, cultural battle. It isn't just a battle with the Enlightenment philosophy at one level; it's a battle with the whole Enlightenment package - culture, politics, the lot.
This leads to the necessary application of all this to our own day and situation. With the resurrection of Jesus, God created a new world and sent Jesus' followers off to announce it to the world. If you go to the resurrection chapters in Luke 24, or in Matthew, or Mark, or John, and say, "What do the evangelists think this stuff means; why are we telling this story?" The answer is not, "Jesus is risen again, therefore, we can go to heaven when we die and be with him." It's interesting they never say that, those resurrection chapters. Rather, they say, "Jesus is risen from the dead. Therefore, God's new creation has begun, and you are commissioned to go off and make it happen." That's the emphasis. And it's a new world of justice and freedom; it's the exodus of the world, the return-from-exile world, the world where Jesus already reigns as Lord, it's the world with good news for all, especially, as in the New Testament, for the poor.
As we move into a new century, with all the contradictions of post-modernity swirling around us, and now the sense of living in a dangerous and scary world with the forces of violence and hatred suddenly unleashed in our midst, we have to ask: What might God's new world look like? Start with Easter and what dreams will come? What are we, the privileged ones, doing to help implement God's victory over evil, over death, over poverty, over slavery? Where in the world today is the 'exodus' as God listens to the cry of the slaves who cannot help themselves and is assuring them that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
Monday, June 21, 2010
God's Cosmic Safari Rain Forest Adventure
I've been noticing something odd recently. Churches all over the place are advertising for the various VBS experiences that they are offering for the young people in their communities. That in itself is not odd, but the adventurous names given to the VBS themes are what keep catching my attention. Names like "Safari with God" or "Rain Forest Adventure" or "Galactic Explorers" are marketed by taping handmade signs to the church's roadside display (the same displays that list the pastor's name, service times, and denomination, telling everyone exactly when and how they can access God once a week on Sunday mornings). Some lucky churches may receive thier national denomination's chosen VBS materials in advance, so that they even have some marketing signs to display for all who drive past (as if to say, "The party is in here for this one week this summer!").
This type of thing sends a message that the really adventurous life with God can only be found on adventures with wild animals in Africa or in the rain forest or even in outer space. This plays right into what I call escapist theology. Most Christians in America today live like their own towns and cities are evil, that this whole world is evil, and our only escape is to either become missionaries to the rain forest or hope that we are going to somehow vanish and land magically in heaven to escape everything (the rapture, and escapist theology in general, is not biblical by the way). What's my point? God created everything, and it is GOOD! Even though we live in a present evil age, God does not say that his creation is evil. Christians need to engage culture, especially our own towns and cities every single day throughout the year. God is in cities! Some people think God can only be found in nature by sitting next to waterfalls or frollicking in mountain meadows. Yes, God is found in those places, but he is also to be found in cities and in the midst of broken systems and broken relationships. People are hurting right next door and right down the street from us, not just in the rain forest and on safaris. We should be teaching our children that!
We need to stop teaching our children that life is adventurous with God only one week during the summer of every year. We need to stop teaching our children that the real adenturous life with God only happens in the rain forest. Life is adventurous with God all of the time! Our children should be doing hard things, learning how to engage brokenness in the world, and learning how God is moving every day throughout our own lives and our own culture. Instead, most Christian parents are very actively overprotecting thier children and "providing" for them as stagnant and neutral environments as they can possibly force upon them. We simply must create that all important Christian bubble, which will serve to protect our children from this evil world. Then, we'll let them out of the bubble for one week each year so that they can learn about how an adventure with God is found in outer space. But then it's right back into the bubble after that. Right?
Parents... please, please, please teach your children by both telling and modeling for them that life with God is an adventure all of the time, in our own contexts, in our own communities and schools and workplaces. God is not only to be found and experienced in a church building on Sunday mornings, or for one week each summer. The reason most kids walk away from their Christian faith when they enter college is because their parents helped them develop a very wierd escapist theology which they in turn are unable to contextualize to their new environment on their own. Teach your children how to engage culture, not escape from it. We don't really need to send our kids as missionaries to Africa or the rain forest anymore. Eighty percent of the world's Christians now live outside the West in places like that. That missionary strategy worked! But now, it is not needed anymore. Christianity is rapidly declining in America. Africa is now sending missionaries to us in America! You need to teach your children how to be on fire for God and live the adventurous journey with Christ right here where we are living right now!
This type of thing sends a message that the really adventurous life with God can only be found on adventures with wild animals in Africa or in the rain forest or even in outer space. This plays right into what I call escapist theology. Most Christians in America today live like their own towns and cities are evil, that this whole world is evil, and our only escape is to either become missionaries to the rain forest or hope that we are going to somehow vanish and land magically in heaven to escape everything (the rapture, and escapist theology in general, is not biblical by the way). What's my point? God created everything, and it is GOOD! Even though we live in a present evil age, God does not say that his creation is evil. Christians need to engage culture, especially our own towns and cities every single day throughout the year. God is in cities! Some people think God can only be found in nature by sitting next to waterfalls or frollicking in mountain meadows. Yes, God is found in those places, but he is also to be found in cities and in the midst of broken systems and broken relationships. People are hurting right next door and right down the street from us, not just in the rain forest and on safaris. We should be teaching our children that!
We need to stop teaching our children that life is adventurous with God only one week during the summer of every year. We need to stop teaching our children that the real adenturous life with God only happens in the rain forest. Life is adventurous with God all of the time! Our children should be doing hard things, learning how to engage brokenness in the world, and learning how God is moving every day throughout our own lives and our own culture. Instead, most Christian parents are very actively overprotecting thier children and "providing" for them as stagnant and neutral environments as they can possibly force upon them. We simply must create that all important Christian bubble, which will serve to protect our children from this evil world. Then, we'll let them out of the bubble for one week each year so that they can learn about how an adventure with God is found in outer space. But then it's right back into the bubble after that. Right?
Parents... please, please, please teach your children by both telling and modeling for them that life with God is an adventure all of the time, in our own contexts, in our own communities and schools and workplaces. God is not only to be found and experienced in a church building on Sunday mornings, or for one week each summer. The reason most kids walk away from their Christian faith when they enter college is because their parents helped them develop a very wierd escapist theology which they in turn are unable to contextualize to their new environment on their own. Teach your children how to engage culture, not escape from it. We don't really need to send our kids as missionaries to Africa or the rain forest anymore. Eighty percent of the world's Christians now live outside the West in places like that. That missionary strategy worked! But now, it is not needed anymore. Christianity is rapidly declining in America. Africa is now sending missionaries to us in America! You need to teach your children how to be on fire for God and live the adventurous journey with Christ right here where we are living right now!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Idolatry
Americans have many idols. We have almost made idolatry an art form. People spend countless hours in front of TV sets and computer screens, obsessing over celebrities, and worshipping the rich and powerful of our society. I sometimes think that Christians could solve many of the problems in the world if we would all agree to turn in our televisions, cell phones, and computers for at least one year. Who knows, we might actually start having real face-to-face relationships with other human beings? Maybe we would all of the sudden find that margin in our lives that we've always wanted to use to serve others?
For all the gods of nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
Strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
- Psalm 96: 5-6
Christopher Wright says, "the gods worshipped by the nations are personifications of all that impresses us - splendor and majesty, strength and glory. We look for such magnificence and power, and worship these things wherever they inspire awe and trembling admiration; in the stadiums of great sporting triumph or in the lives of pampered sporting heroes; in massed battalions of soldiers, parades of military hardware or on the decks of aircraft carriers; on the stage of rock concerts or the glare of TV and movie celebrity; on the pinnacles of the thrusting towers of corporate power and greed in great cities. All of these can be enticing and idolatrous. But such places, says our Psalm, are not where we will find genuine deity. If we are looking for true splendor, majesty, strength or glory, they are to be found in the presence of the living Creator God alone. Some commentators see these four words as personifications, as if they were the great angelic companions of YHWH's throne, in stark contrast to the false gods that claimed such magnificence but lacked even real existence."
I have recently asked myself which idols I have in my life. The answers were not pretty. When was the last time you took an idol inventory? What are your idols? American Idol? Professional sports? Celebrities? TV? Shopping? Just imagine what Christianity would look like in the world if we gave up our idols and focused all of our worship on God. We might actually start to talk and live like real, true, authentic Christians. Wouldn't that be something? Instead, we embrace the same idols as the world and people think we're a bunch of hypocrites (just ask them).
For all the gods of nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
Strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
- Psalm 96: 5-6
Christopher Wright says, "the gods worshipped by the nations are personifications of all that impresses us - splendor and majesty, strength and glory. We look for such magnificence and power, and worship these things wherever they inspire awe and trembling admiration; in the stadiums of great sporting triumph or in the lives of pampered sporting heroes; in massed battalions of soldiers, parades of military hardware or on the decks of aircraft carriers; on the stage of rock concerts or the glare of TV and movie celebrity; on the pinnacles of the thrusting towers of corporate power and greed in great cities. All of these can be enticing and idolatrous. But such places, says our Psalm, are not where we will find genuine deity. If we are looking for true splendor, majesty, strength or glory, they are to be found in the presence of the living Creator God alone. Some commentators see these four words as personifications, as if they were the great angelic companions of YHWH's throne, in stark contrast to the false gods that claimed such magnificence but lacked even real existence."
I have recently asked myself which idols I have in my life. The answers were not pretty. When was the last time you took an idol inventory? What are your idols? American Idol? Professional sports? Celebrities? TV? Shopping? Just imagine what Christianity would look like in the world if we gave up our idols and focused all of our worship on God. We might actually start to talk and live like real, true, authentic Christians. Wouldn't that be something? Instead, we embrace the same idols as the world and people think we're a bunch of hypocrites (just ask them).
On Being a Radical
Would you describe yourself as a radical? If your answer is a confident "yes," then I believe that you are on the right track of following Jesus. If your answer is "no," then I wonder why not? What is keeping you from being a radical, as Jesus was?
Does your life look different than the values of this world? Ask yourself that question. No, I mean stop everything you are doing and ask yourself that question. Do a nice, honest assessment of your lifestyle and values. That question should haunt all of us. Where do you live? How do you spend your time? How do you spend money? Where is your treasure stored, because there your heart will be?
Henri Nouwen wrote, "We will never come to know our true vocation in life unless we are willing to grapple with the radical claim the gospel places on us. During the past twenty centuries many Christians have heard this radical call and have responded in true obedience..." Sadly, though, many Christians, especially in modern America, have not responded in obedience to that radical call. We've settled for comfort. We've settled for accumulating as much wealth as we can. We've settled for bigger houses, and nicer cars, and more stuff. We've settled for the latest technological gadgets. We've settled for moving more money into our retirement accounts. We've placed America's economy over God's economy. Seriously, crack open a Bible and see what I'm talking about. Our lifestyles should be different than the world's. Radically different, because Jesus calls us all to be radicals. So... are you a radical?
Does your life look different than the values of this world? Ask yourself that question. No, I mean stop everything you are doing and ask yourself that question. Do a nice, honest assessment of your lifestyle and values. That question should haunt all of us. Where do you live? How do you spend your time? How do you spend money? Where is your treasure stored, because there your heart will be?
Henri Nouwen wrote, "We will never come to know our true vocation in life unless we are willing to grapple with the radical claim the gospel places on us. During the past twenty centuries many Christians have heard this radical call and have responded in true obedience..." Sadly, though, many Christians, especially in modern America, have not responded in obedience to that radical call. We've settled for comfort. We've settled for accumulating as much wealth as we can. We've settled for bigger houses, and nicer cars, and more stuff. We've settled for the latest technological gadgets. We've settled for moving more money into our retirement accounts. We've placed America's economy over God's economy. Seriously, crack open a Bible and see what I'm talking about. Our lifestyles should be different than the world's. Radically different, because Jesus calls us all to be radicals. So... are you a radical?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Signs of Hope and Signs of Need
Today I attended the eighth grade graduation of my one to one mentee from a middle school in the Pittsburgh Public Schools (one different than Faison... he transferred there two years ago). I was so proud of him. In the past two years, he has only been suspended for one day and he has earned consistently good grades. This came in comparison to my first two years with him, where he was almost expelled both years because of his number of suspensions. He also received very low grades both of those years. He has really turned things around. Now he is talking about doing well in high school, and he is talking about going to college. His graduation from middle school was an incredible sign of hope to me. I enjoyed celebrating with his family.
Once the graduation ceremony ended, the graduates made their way out of the auditorium and I anxiously awaited my opportunity to congratulate my mentee. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched a young graduate walk angrily right past me in the wrong direction from where the graduates were supposed to be heading. His mom screamed for him to stop, but he ran to the front of the auditorium and started fighting with a person there. Before I knew it, there was a group of five or six young men involved in a significant fight. Weighing my options, I nodded to three or four other big men in the area and we entered the fray to stop the fight. In pulling kids off of one another, I somehow managed to get some blood on me. What would make a person fight on a day of celebration?
My mentee wanted to jump in on the fight, but he held back. I had made eye contact with him, and shook my head "no." It was one of his best friends who was involved in this fight. He wanted to help, but now was not the time. His mom kept him away as best as she could. We managed to separate the young men from one another until the police arrived. They handled the situation from there, and I was able to go join my mentee's family to try to celebrate with them. There was quite a somber mood from that point on, though.
In urban ministry such as LAMP, it is important to look for signs of hope and signs of need. On the one hand, my mentee graduated from middle school and he chose to stay out of the violence that followed the graduation ceremony. On the other hand, I left with blood on my hands and a clear picture that there are still many young men in this district who need to be mentored. Many of them are waiting for a mentor right now. Some have been waiting for two years now. This sign of need was never more prevelant than today.
As I walked away from the school, a person said to me, "That was the craziest thing I've ever seen! That's why I moved out of the city." I didn't say it, but I thought to myself, "That was one of the craziest things I've ever seen! That's why I moved into the city." Maybe he wouldn't understand. Why would a person intentionally put themselves or their family in that situation? Many people are fleeing the city... running away from these types of situations. As for me? I'm staying. I'm engaging. I am a Christian. God has called me to engage when kids are fighting at a graduation ceremony. God is present all of the time, both during signs of hope and signs of need. Maybe I can find a mentor for one of those kids involved in the brawl. Who knows? It all depends on if any of the other men from my church want to step up. My church has been great, but we do not nearly have enough men who have stepped up to mentor kids in Homewood. When will they step up to meet the needs of the kids? What will it take for Christians to really engage?
Once the graduation ceremony ended, the graduates made their way out of the auditorium and I anxiously awaited my opportunity to congratulate my mentee. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched a young graduate walk angrily right past me in the wrong direction from where the graduates were supposed to be heading. His mom screamed for him to stop, but he ran to the front of the auditorium and started fighting with a person there. Before I knew it, there was a group of five or six young men involved in a significant fight. Weighing my options, I nodded to three or four other big men in the area and we entered the fray to stop the fight. In pulling kids off of one another, I somehow managed to get some blood on me. What would make a person fight on a day of celebration?
My mentee wanted to jump in on the fight, but he held back. I had made eye contact with him, and shook my head "no." It was one of his best friends who was involved in this fight. He wanted to help, but now was not the time. His mom kept him away as best as she could. We managed to separate the young men from one another until the police arrived. They handled the situation from there, and I was able to go join my mentee's family to try to celebrate with them. There was quite a somber mood from that point on, though.
In urban ministry such as LAMP, it is important to look for signs of hope and signs of need. On the one hand, my mentee graduated from middle school and he chose to stay out of the violence that followed the graduation ceremony. On the other hand, I left with blood on my hands and a clear picture that there are still many young men in this district who need to be mentored. Many of them are waiting for a mentor right now. Some have been waiting for two years now. This sign of need was never more prevelant than today.
As I walked away from the school, a person said to me, "That was the craziest thing I've ever seen! That's why I moved out of the city." I didn't say it, but I thought to myself, "That was one of the craziest things I've ever seen! That's why I moved into the city." Maybe he wouldn't understand. Why would a person intentionally put themselves or their family in that situation? Many people are fleeing the city... running away from these types of situations. As for me? I'm staying. I'm engaging. I am a Christian. God has called me to engage when kids are fighting at a graduation ceremony. God is present all of the time, both during signs of hope and signs of need. Maybe I can find a mentor for one of those kids involved in the brawl. Who knows? It all depends on if any of the other men from my church want to step up. My church has been great, but we do not nearly have enough men who have stepped up to mentor kids in Homewood. When will they step up to meet the needs of the kids? What will it take for Christians to really engage?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Monday Night Madness
You've all heard of March Madness. You've all heard of Monday Night Football. Well, every Monday evening at the McCabe house we have Monday Night Madness. The name suits because it is characterized by an ever growing tension about just how everything is going to turn out, and football is almost always involved in one way or another. On these evenings Julie and I have told the kids in our community that they're welcome to come by and hang out. We open up the house to them, feed them, I plan different activities each week, and it is always fun and unpredictable. We never know who is going to drop by. We do have a few regulars who now think that they "live here," but we also have new kids who show up each week.
Today my afternoon started with me shopping at K-Mart for about twenty squirt guns. I love how every Monday afternoon, at some random shopping center on the east end of the city, you'll generally find me, a grown man, standing in line waiting to purchase whatever I can possibly think of that might hold the attention of the kids in my neighborhood (think nerf dart tag, or water balloons, or rockets... you get the picture).
The kids showed up early today, and Julie prepared an amazing meal. One of our favorite things to do is to have everyone sit down together for a healthy meal (unfortunately for the kids, Julie is constantly pushing fruits and vegetables on them... that's a small price to pay to gain admittance to Monday Night Madness at the McCabe's house). It's a chore to get everyone quiet for the blessing, but we all pray together (almost always, one of the kids from the neighborhood volunteers to pray). I think that dinner time should be a special time for everyone, and our time together with the kids in our neighborhood is special.
After dinner tonight we played the Wii, mixed some beats on the keyboard, talked about how the day went at school for everyone, played nerf basketball in my living room, and then we all headed outside for a game of football at the Faison Primary field. Although emotions ran high and there was plenty of trash talk, there were also several teachable moments and opportunities for all of us to learn self control and sportsmanship. Sports teaches us many lessons about life. One of my favorite things about living in Homewood is that I can easily attract a pick up game of football at just about any given moment of the day. Word spreads quickly around here.
We were all hot after the football game, so it was definitely time for a squirt gun battle. The boys (and Kyra) entertained themselves for a good 45 minutes with the water battle in my back yard. Everyone munched on dessert and went home, although not without stuffing some corn cobs and broccoli and carrot pieces in their pockets as ammo for the ensuing food fight that took place on their walk home along Richland and Tioga streets. I guess the draw to food fighting is universal. As I watched from a distance as vegetables flew through the air, I thought, "What have I done?"
Just as I sat down to rest and reflect on another night of Monday Night Madness, there was a knock at the door. One of my LAMP mentees stopped by to tell me that he had eighth grade graduation tomorrow morning, and no nice clothes to wear. Although he is only in eighth grade, he happens to be over six feet tall and 225 pounds. I gave him a few nice outfits to try on, and about thirty minutes later a pair of my black slacks and my only white dress shirt had been donated to a worthy cause. We offered him some dessert.
As he ate at my kitchen counter, I got a phone call telling me that a former mentee that I had lost touch with had been found. He was in foster care very close to where I live, and his foster parent was very open to a visit from me. After the phone call I praised God because of the opportunity I had been given to reconnect with a young man who truly benefits from LAMP. Then, I turned my attention to the young person still chowing down on dessert at my kitchen table, and he informed me that the brother of one of my former LAMP mentees had just been killed on the North Side. My heart sank. How could something like this happen? I went from joy to grieving in a single minute.
This is life in the city. This is incarnational leadership. I experience community. I experience the joy of tremendous break throughs, and I experience the pain of brokenness. I embrace unpredictability. I know that somehow, God is in charge of all of this. It is simply my job to be obedient. I will never be able to fully thank God for the joys he has given me in this life, nor will I ever be fully able to understand the pain that this community experiences on a daily basis. I do know, though, that that is exactly where God wants me. With one hand outstretched to the pain of the world, and with one hand outstretched to Christ. Welcome to Monday nights in Homewood. There's no place I'd rather be.
Today my afternoon started with me shopping at K-Mart for about twenty squirt guns. I love how every Monday afternoon, at some random shopping center on the east end of the city, you'll generally find me, a grown man, standing in line waiting to purchase whatever I can possibly think of that might hold the attention of the kids in my neighborhood (think nerf dart tag, or water balloons, or rockets... you get the picture).
The kids showed up early today, and Julie prepared an amazing meal. One of our favorite things to do is to have everyone sit down together for a healthy meal (unfortunately for the kids, Julie is constantly pushing fruits and vegetables on them... that's a small price to pay to gain admittance to Monday Night Madness at the McCabe's house). It's a chore to get everyone quiet for the blessing, but we all pray together (almost always, one of the kids from the neighborhood volunteers to pray). I think that dinner time should be a special time for everyone, and our time together with the kids in our neighborhood is special.
After dinner tonight we played the Wii, mixed some beats on the keyboard, talked about how the day went at school for everyone, played nerf basketball in my living room, and then we all headed outside for a game of football at the Faison Primary field. Although emotions ran high and there was plenty of trash talk, there were also several teachable moments and opportunities for all of us to learn self control and sportsmanship. Sports teaches us many lessons about life. One of my favorite things about living in Homewood is that I can easily attract a pick up game of football at just about any given moment of the day. Word spreads quickly around here.
We were all hot after the football game, so it was definitely time for a squirt gun battle. The boys (and Kyra) entertained themselves for a good 45 minutes with the water battle in my back yard. Everyone munched on dessert and went home, although not without stuffing some corn cobs and broccoli and carrot pieces in their pockets as ammo for the ensuing food fight that took place on their walk home along Richland and Tioga streets. I guess the draw to food fighting is universal. As I watched from a distance as vegetables flew through the air, I thought, "What have I done?"
Just as I sat down to rest and reflect on another night of Monday Night Madness, there was a knock at the door. One of my LAMP mentees stopped by to tell me that he had eighth grade graduation tomorrow morning, and no nice clothes to wear. Although he is only in eighth grade, he happens to be over six feet tall and 225 pounds. I gave him a few nice outfits to try on, and about thirty minutes later a pair of my black slacks and my only white dress shirt had been donated to a worthy cause. We offered him some dessert.
As he ate at my kitchen counter, I got a phone call telling me that a former mentee that I had lost touch with had been found. He was in foster care very close to where I live, and his foster parent was very open to a visit from me. After the phone call I praised God because of the opportunity I had been given to reconnect with a young man who truly benefits from LAMP. Then, I turned my attention to the young person still chowing down on dessert at my kitchen table, and he informed me that the brother of one of my former LAMP mentees had just been killed on the North Side. My heart sank. How could something like this happen? I went from joy to grieving in a single minute.
This is life in the city. This is incarnational leadership. I experience community. I experience the joy of tremendous break throughs, and I experience the pain of brokenness. I embrace unpredictability. I know that somehow, God is in charge of all of this. It is simply my job to be obedient. I will never be able to fully thank God for the joys he has given me in this life, nor will I ever be fully able to understand the pain that this community experiences on a daily basis. I do know, though, that that is exactly where God wants me. With one hand outstretched to the pain of the world, and with one hand outstretched to Christ. Welcome to Monday nights in Homewood. There's no place I'd rather be.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
A Fun Mentoring Weekend
This has been an amazing weekend. Eight boys from LAMP participated in our sleepover at the LAMP Post. I've been investing in each of these kids over the past four years, as have several other men from North Way who have been mentoring them. All of them are either in high school or soon to be in high school, and it has been so much fun being a part of their process of growing up. Some have accepted Christ into their lives, some have not, but they have all seen and heard the message of the gospel consistently over the past four years.
In just 24 hours that seemed to fly past, our activities included a car cruise, hiking in North Park, soccer, basketball, football, hockey, frisbee, archery, ping pong, darts, Nintendo Wii, music (mixing beats on the keyboard), rapping, a bonfire, and huge amounts of food. We talked about lots of things, such as what it means to be in a relationship with God, girls, memories from our years together so far, school, music, and much more. There were many learning opportunities, for both the kids and the adults. One thing I know for sure... we all had fun!
Although the kids in the photo from Homewood may look tough, they are really kids who are great to spend time with. They have big hopes and dreams for their lives, I have big hopes and dreams for their lives, and I know that God loves them so much and he wants to guide them through all of the amazing things he surely has planned for them. If you mentor a child, then you know what I'm talking about. If you do not mentor a child, just imagine what you're missing out on (not to mention what a potential mentee might be missing out on if they were spending time with you). Don't miss out any longer... sign up today to mentor a child!
Friday, June 11, 2010
God's Mission
Often Christians can get caught up in too many programs, or too much activity in the church, and we lose track of what it is that we are actually supposed to be doing as we get on with our lives. What is God calling us too?
God is on a mission, so the church should also be on a mission. "The church's mission flows from the identity of God and his Christ. When you know who God is, when you know who Jesus is, witnessing mission is the unavoidable outcome... Mission, then, in biblical terms, while it inescapably involves us in planning and action, is not primarily a matter of our activity or our initiative. Mission, from the point of view of our human endeavor, means the committed participation of God's people in the purposes of God for the redemption of the whole creation. The mission is God's. The marvel is that God invites us to join in. Mission arises from the heart of God himself and is communicated from his heart to ours. Mission is the global outreach of the global people of a global God." (The Mission of God, Christopher Wright)
We must be careful not to slip into making everything about ourselves, or our programs, or our activity even though we may have good intentions. Everything is about God, and his mission. Let's participate in what God is doing.
God is on a mission, so the church should also be on a mission. "The church's mission flows from the identity of God and his Christ. When you know who God is, when you know who Jesus is, witnessing mission is the unavoidable outcome... Mission, then, in biblical terms, while it inescapably involves us in planning and action, is not primarily a matter of our activity or our initiative. Mission, from the point of view of our human endeavor, means the committed participation of God's people in the purposes of God for the redemption of the whole creation. The mission is God's. The marvel is that God invites us to join in. Mission arises from the heart of God himself and is communicated from his heart to ours. Mission is the global outreach of the global people of a global God." (The Mission of God, Christopher Wright)
We must be careful not to slip into making everything about ourselves, or our programs, or our activity even though we may have good intentions. Everything is about God, and his mission. Let's participate in what God is doing.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Why a Doctorate Degree?
People sometimes ask me what it is like to be working on a doctorate degree. I think society sometimes places a higher value on higher education than whatever value should actually be placed there, but I am learning some things as I progress along this path. It has been quite a journey, so far.
One of the strange things about this type of doctorate work is that when seemingly everyone else in the world is doing mainstream things (such as watching TV, or surfing the internet, or working on hobbies, or recreating as they wish), I seem to spend all of my free time (outside of work, and spending time with Julie and my kids) either reading or writing about things that most people don't even think about. This has proven to be quite an interesting period of life, then. I read and write pretty much from 9pm to 1am almost every night. I also seem to read and write just about every spare second I can free up during the day as well. It is definitely a shock to the "regular life" system.
So, what is the purpose of working toward a doctorate degree? I first hope that God will continue to equip and empower me to make a difference in this world for the Kingdom of God. Shouldn't we all be trying to learn more about how God is moving in this world, and then join him there? Also, I am a teacher by nature. I am designed to take things in and then tell as many people as I can about what I learned. Hopefully this degree will continue to equip me as a teacher. Finally, God had made me curious as an adult. I would bet that none of my childhood teachers would have guessed that I would have the academic drive to work toward a doctorate degree. I did not start achieving in education until I was twenty years old. God has designed me to have a curious nature, to want to understand truth, and to have the desire to live life on the edge against the grain of what mainstream society would have planned for me (in America, I should work up the corporate ladder, buy a nice comfortable home, find whatever cheap pleasures I can find in the entertainment world, and then settle into a life of doing what "the man" requires of me until I somehow retire comfortably).
Working on a doctorate degree at BGU has required me to exit the matrix of typical American life, but I would not trade it in for anything. I am so thankful for the work that God is doing in my life, and how he is opening my eyes to his plans for our world. What's the big deal with a little sleep deprivation, and a little bit of shock to my comfortable American worldview, and to learning more about how God is moving in our world? I am truly blessed.
One of the strange things about this type of doctorate work is that when seemingly everyone else in the world is doing mainstream things (such as watching TV, or surfing the internet, or working on hobbies, or recreating as they wish), I seem to spend all of my free time (outside of work, and spending time with Julie and my kids) either reading or writing about things that most people don't even think about. This has proven to be quite an interesting period of life, then. I read and write pretty much from 9pm to 1am almost every night. I also seem to read and write just about every spare second I can free up during the day as well. It is definitely a shock to the "regular life" system.
So, what is the purpose of working toward a doctorate degree? I first hope that God will continue to equip and empower me to make a difference in this world for the Kingdom of God. Shouldn't we all be trying to learn more about how God is moving in this world, and then join him there? Also, I am a teacher by nature. I am designed to take things in and then tell as many people as I can about what I learned. Hopefully this degree will continue to equip me as a teacher. Finally, God had made me curious as an adult. I would bet that none of my childhood teachers would have guessed that I would have the academic drive to work toward a doctorate degree. I did not start achieving in education until I was twenty years old. God has designed me to have a curious nature, to want to understand truth, and to have the desire to live life on the edge against the grain of what mainstream society would have planned for me (in America, I should work up the corporate ladder, buy a nice comfortable home, find whatever cheap pleasures I can find in the entertainment world, and then settle into a life of doing what "the man" requires of me until I somehow retire comfortably).
Working on a doctorate degree at BGU has required me to exit the matrix of typical American life, but I would not trade it in for anything. I am so thankful for the work that God is doing in my life, and how he is opening my eyes to his plans for our world. What's the big deal with a little sleep deprivation, and a little bit of shock to my comfortable American worldview, and to learning more about how God is moving in our world? I am truly blessed.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Reflections on a Violin and the Church
During a recent church staff meeting we watched a You Tube video of the most famous violin player in the world conducting something of a social experiment. He got his hands on the most expensive violin in the world, an instrument from the 1700s with an estimated value of over $4 million dollars. Going against the advice of his handlers, who thought he would be mobbed, he decided to go to a busy Washington DC metro station to play the six most world famous songs on the violin. Dressed in regular clothes, he gloriously played the songs as thousands of people walked right past him failing to even acknowledge his existence. Throughout the six song set, only one person dropped a coin in his case and only one person actually stopped to listen to him.
There are several parallels that can be drawn between the experience of this violin player and the Christian church. Our staff was asked to reflect on what we saw, and some folks were encouraged while other people were discouraged by the video. The encouraged people pointed out that in Christian ministry, we also have a powerful message to share with the world and we just need to keep on persevering even if the world does not appreciate us. The discouraged people shared how tough it is to be responsible for communicating the most powerful message of all time, and yet still billions of people don't get the message. Our efforts can sometimes seem futile when people don't pay attention to us.
I want to point out that there is nothing wrong with the reflections of my colleagues at the church. I originally thought the same things, but then I had another thought pop into my head that I can't seem to shake. In some ways, the modern church is like the violin player in the video. The violin player was used to playing in high places, in famous buildings all over the world. He had been comfortable sharing his gifts to entertain the rich and powerful people of society who could afford to make their way into such elite cultural events. In fact, his message over time had been kept so far away from average people or from poor and hurting people that when he finally went down to the masses they did not recognize him. This kind of thing happens all the time in modern churches. When the church becomes too much a church of the powerful and privileged in society, when the church keeps the most powerful message of all time to themselves, and when they fail to build relationships with the poor and underprivileged in society, then the masses of the world fail to recognize the message because the messengers were busy keeping everything to themselves. Then, one day the church tries to bring the message into the world through one time events or by temporarily jumping out of their comfort zones and the world rejects them because they have not known them.
As the body of Christ, we need to recognize this and repent. We have kept the message to ourselves, kept our gifts to ourselves, and then we wonder why countless people drive past our churches every day without recognizing what they are missing out on. Have we kept the church in high places, away from as much brokenness in society as possible? Have we built a bunch of country clubs for cultural elites? Have we catered to the powerful or affluent or elite people in society in order to be "successful?" How will the world recognize the transformational message of the gospel if we keep it to ourselves or if we fail to consistently go into dark places in the world?
There are several parallels that can be drawn between the experience of this violin player and the Christian church. Our staff was asked to reflect on what we saw, and some folks were encouraged while other people were discouraged by the video. The encouraged people pointed out that in Christian ministry, we also have a powerful message to share with the world and we just need to keep on persevering even if the world does not appreciate us. The discouraged people shared how tough it is to be responsible for communicating the most powerful message of all time, and yet still billions of people don't get the message. Our efforts can sometimes seem futile when people don't pay attention to us.
I want to point out that there is nothing wrong with the reflections of my colleagues at the church. I originally thought the same things, but then I had another thought pop into my head that I can't seem to shake. In some ways, the modern church is like the violin player in the video. The violin player was used to playing in high places, in famous buildings all over the world. He had been comfortable sharing his gifts to entertain the rich and powerful people of society who could afford to make their way into such elite cultural events. In fact, his message over time had been kept so far away from average people or from poor and hurting people that when he finally went down to the masses they did not recognize him. This kind of thing happens all the time in modern churches. When the church becomes too much a church of the powerful and privileged in society, when the church keeps the most powerful message of all time to themselves, and when they fail to build relationships with the poor and underprivileged in society, then the masses of the world fail to recognize the message because the messengers were busy keeping everything to themselves. Then, one day the church tries to bring the message into the world through one time events or by temporarily jumping out of their comfort zones and the world rejects them because they have not known them.
As the body of Christ, we need to recognize this and repent. We have kept the message to ourselves, kept our gifts to ourselves, and then we wonder why countless people drive past our churches every day without recognizing what they are missing out on. Have we kept the church in high places, away from as much brokenness in society as possible? Have we built a bunch of country clubs for cultural elites? Have we catered to the powerful or affluent or elite people in society in order to be "successful?" How will the world recognize the transformational message of the gospel if we keep it to ourselves or if we fail to consistently go into dark places in the world?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Celebration
I have been doing lots of celebrating lately. On May 1, North Way reached our official four-year anniversary of partnership with the Helen Faison Arts Academy in Homewood. Many mentors and many children have been impacted by LAMP over the course of those four years, and I am so thankful for the opportunity we have been given to make a difference in the lives of young people in Homewood.
Last Wednesday we had the opportunity to celebrate with this year's school-based mentors and mentees from Faison Primary at the North Way Oakland church building. We all had a great time together, and I would have a hard time describing how powerful it was to see all of the mentors interacting so well with all of their mentees... all in one room at the same time. Our mentors are amazing people, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I've had to get to know each one of them and watch them in action.
On Saturday my oldest daughter, Kyra, sang a Christian pop song by Mandisa in the talent show at Faison Primary. I was so proud of her... she even received a third place prize. She also won an award for being "Caught Being Good" by the school staff. All in all, it was a great morning to celebrate with Kyra on a good year of school at Faison.
Today I have been preparing for tomorrow's celebration with the LAMP mentors and mentees at the Faison Intermediate School. They are another group of incredible people who consistently go to Homewood every week to spend time with their mentees. I can't wait to spend time with them and their mentees. I think I'm running out of things to celebrate, though. I know it can't go on forever, but I do think it is important to stop every once in a while and reflect on everything God has done and continues to do through LAMP. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in moving forward. Much thanks to everyone who has impacted LAMP in one way or another over the past four years.
Last Wednesday we had the opportunity to celebrate with this year's school-based mentors and mentees from Faison Primary at the North Way Oakland church building. We all had a great time together, and I would have a hard time describing how powerful it was to see all of the mentors interacting so well with all of their mentees... all in one room at the same time. Our mentors are amazing people, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I've had to get to know each one of them and watch them in action.
On Saturday my oldest daughter, Kyra, sang a Christian pop song by Mandisa in the talent show at Faison Primary. I was so proud of her... she even received a third place prize. She also won an award for being "Caught Being Good" by the school staff. All in all, it was a great morning to celebrate with Kyra on a good year of school at Faison.
Today I have been preparing for tomorrow's celebration with the LAMP mentors and mentees at the Faison Intermediate School. They are another group of incredible people who consistently go to Homewood every week to spend time with their mentees. I can't wait to spend time with them and their mentees. I think I'm running out of things to celebrate, though. I know it can't go on forever, but I do think it is important to stop every once in a while and reflect on everything God has done and continues to do through LAMP. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in moving forward. Much thanks to everyone who has impacted LAMP in one way or another over the past four years.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Final Claver Lesson: A Life Less Ordinary
Pedro Claver's life was anything but ordinary. He lived life on the edge. People thought he was crazy, or stupid, or even dangerous. The world rejected him because he did not live according to the standards that the world has set up for success.
This has profound ramifications for us today. My basic premise is that many American Christians live according to wordly values. We need a gut check. How are we living? Are we normal? Are we average? Are we successful? Are we comfortable? Are we a mess because we live like the world does?
Jesus Christ calls each of us to a life that goes against this present evil age. God wants us each to experience the freedom that is found in him. We should not be in bondage to the world, even though many of us are buying into what the world is selling. So I'll end my Claver lessons with this point: What is keeping you from living a life that is radically sold out to Christ and making a huge impact for the the Kingdom of God? If your mortgage payment is keeping you from doing something radical with your life, then sell your house and downsize. If debt is keeping you from being generous, then get out of debt. Whatever it is in your lifestyle that is serving as a barrier towards serving others or living a life on the edge, then you must remove those barriers. Plain and simple. Start taking risks, and stop playing it safe. Embrace suffering, and find joy in it. Let go of the comforts of this world. Everything you have, and all that you are, belongs to God anyway. It's all his. Not ten percent. Not what you choose to give. It's all his. Not just your money, but everything. We need to live like that. People will think you are crazy, or stupid, or even dangerous. Then you'll know you're getting close to what it means to follow Christ. Then maybe we will become true believers, and then maybe Christianity will grow in America like we've never seen before. The time is now. Life is short. Now be like Pedro Claver, and go live like Jesus.
This has profound ramifications for us today. My basic premise is that many American Christians live according to wordly values. We need a gut check. How are we living? Are we normal? Are we average? Are we successful? Are we comfortable? Are we a mess because we live like the world does?
Jesus Christ calls each of us to a life that goes against this present evil age. God wants us each to experience the freedom that is found in him. We should not be in bondage to the world, even though many of us are buying into what the world is selling. So I'll end my Claver lessons with this point: What is keeping you from living a life that is radically sold out to Christ and making a huge impact for the the Kingdom of God? If your mortgage payment is keeping you from doing something radical with your life, then sell your house and downsize. If debt is keeping you from being generous, then get out of debt. Whatever it is in your lifestyle that is serving as a barrier towards serving others or living a life on the edge, then you must remove those barriers. Plain and simple. Start taking risks, and stop playing it safe. Embrace suffering, and find joy in it. Let go of the comforts of this world. Everything you have, and all that you are, belongs to God anyway. It's all his. Not ten percent. Not what you choose to give. It's all his. Not just your money, but everything. We need to live like that. People will think you are crazy, or stupid, or even dangerous. Then you'll know you're getting close to what it means to follow Christ. Then maybe we will become true believers, and then maybe Christianity will grow in America like we've never seen before. The time is now. Life is short. Now be like Pedro Claver, and go live like Jesus.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Claver Lessons - Multiplication and Rejection
Pedro Claver invested relationally in the lives of slaves, and as a result Christianity grew well with that group of people. Eventually, new Christian slaves grew in their faith and they began to care for others on their own. Claver knew what many good leaders know... that you cannot do everything on your own. You must give up control. You must disciple others, empower others, and then release them to lead. This is multiplication. Jesus set the ulitmate example of multiplication for us. He invested intimately into a small group of people, who in turn went out and changed the world.
Claver was rejected by the world and mainstream Christian society. However, he had a good understanding of God's economy where the last shall be first and the first shall be last. In his life and ministry, he completely flipped the heirarchy of the world upside down by serving the slaves first, then the poor, then children, and then others after that. How many Christians in America today are racing to be first? Or, how many American Christians are willing to not just have a head knowledge about God's economy but actually flip their lives upside down and live as if the poor and needy of society were actually the most important investment they could make with their time and effort? Some call this lifestyle downward mobility.
Just try going against the grain and live as though all of the values of individual gain and upward mobility were flipped around. The world will scream at you to get back in line! In fact, most comfortable American cultural Christians will scream at you to get back in line! But, the big secret is that true life and communion and intimacy with God can be found in downward mobility. That was the profound thing about Jesus Christ. He was unrecognized by the powerful in the world and the mainstream religous people in his day. He modeled the ultimate downward mobility for us, dying a humiliating and excruciating death on the cross... and prior to his death he spent his time with people who the world and mainstream religous people had rejected. If we realize that we are off track in American Christianity today (which I believe is true and for which I developed a case in my prevous blog post), then we need to humble ourselves and learn from the likes of Pedro Claver. We must become downwardly mobile. It is OK to be rejected. What better example do we have than Jesus?
Claver was rejected by the world and mainstream Christian society. However, he had a good understanding of God's economy where the last shall be first and the first shall be last. In his life and ministry, he completely flipped the heirarchy of the world upside down by serving the slaves first, then the poor, then children, and then others after that. How many Christians in America today are racing to be first? Or, how many American Christians are willing to not just have a head knowledge about God's economy but actually flip their lives upside down and live as if the poor and needy of society were actually the most important investment they could make with their time and effort? Some call this lifestyle downward mobility.
Just try going against the grain and live as though all of the values of individual gain and upward mobility were flipped around. The world will scream at you to get back in line! In fact, most comfortable American cultural Christians will scream at you to get back in line! But, the big secret is that true life and communion and intimacy with God can be found in downward mobility. That was the profound thing about Jesus Christ. He was unrecognized by the powerful in the world and the mainstream religous people in his day. He modeled the ultimate downward mobility for us, dying a humiliating and excruciating death on the cross... and prior to his death he spent his time with people who the world and mainstream religous people had rejected. If we realize that we are off track in American Christianity today (which I believe is true and for which I developed a case in my prevous blog post), then we need to humble ourselves and learn from the likes of Pedro Claver. We must become downwardly mobile. It is OK to be rejected. What better example do we have than Jesus?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Claver Lessons - Engaging Culture and Embracing Brokenness
Christianity is shrinking and losing influence in America and in Western culture in general. Eighty percent of the world's Christians are now non-Western, non-white, and the majority are poor (over fifty percent of the world lives on less than two dollars a day). This global shift in the make up of Christianity is disorienting, sometimes even shocking, for many American Christians who sometimes believe that the Christian world still orbits around us, and our churches, and our growth models, and our preaching, and our trendy books, and our seminaries, and our movements. On our way to religous "success" I believe that we may have blown right past the message of the gospel, so much so that we are rapidly declining. Why is Christianity declining in America and growing explosively elsewhere? And, what can we learn from Pedro Claver in this area?
American Christians are comfortable. Americans make up less than 5% of the world's population, but we use up over 25% of the world's resources. The Christian culture in America largely reflects the values of the nonChristian culture in this country (just check the divorce and charitable giving rates... Christians are the same or actually a little bit worse in both areas). American Christians love to do programs where we all hang out with one another once or twice a week in order to grow spiritually. We like to talk about going to heaven. We read fiction books about escaping this evil world. Our churches compete with one another over who has the best worship, the best teaching, and the best kids ministry. Christians church shop in order to find the best fit for themselves, and they can just leave if things get too uncomfortable. Big, beautiful church buildings are built in growing suburban areas while churches in down and out neighborhoods are abandoned. We just throw away entire churches, or neighborhoods, or people groups, because they weren't meeting our own all important needs. Many Christians in America are actively insulating themselves from as many nonChristians as possible and as much brokenness in society as possible. How so? We develop relationships with only Christians. We send our children to Christian school (or home school them). We build big homes in the suburbs, and if we're lucky enough we might even make our way up into a gated community one day where no messy people can ever disturb us. We go shopping at the Christian book store so that we can read Christian books and listen to Christian music and buy Christian breath mints to follow up our Christian coffee so that we have good Christian breath. Our faith becomes private... it's all about us and how we can improve ourselves. The goal of a good Christian in America seems to be who can make the most perfect Christian bubble.
The problem is... as comfort grows, Christianity declines. Christianity actually declines for all of the reasons listed above. We become marginalized in the world. We give up the most powerful, transformational, subversive, countercultural message of all time for the sake of building our own selves up in order to be more comfortable. The American Dream has no glass ceiling, and we'll do whatever it takes to get there. American Christianity falls nicely in line with those wordly goals, and we don't realize that we've lost the point.
Pedro Claver showed us how to live as a sold out follower of Jesus Christ. He understood the power of the gospel message when others around him did not, including the mainstream Christians who were busy doing church in the area. In the 1600s in Latin American, the powerful Christians of that society would have been busy forcing the Indian population to choose between becoming a Christian or being tortured, put into slavery, or killed. They would have been busy forcing slaves to build bigger church buildings for the glory of God. The mainstream church back then was all about better programs and bigger buildings. Enter our friend Pedro Claver, who arrives on the scene and starts doing some strange things. When slave ships arrive, he actually runs out to meet them so that he can start caring for them. He gives the dead a proper burial. He seeks out the sickest of the sick in order to treat them in the makeshift hospital he has set up. He brought fresh fruit, clean clothes, and water into the slave barracks where no other good Christians were willing to go. He hugged people with leprosy. He personally cleaned the sores of slaves who had smallpox. His heart broke. He entered the most excruciating pain that human beings could possibly endure when most Christians in his day were ignoring it or actually helping to perpetuate that suffering. He ran right into the brokenness and the ultimate expressions of evil being played out in the world right before everyone's eyes. He built authentic community with the slaves, and the gospel message of Christ grew among the slave population as a result. Almost all of the other Christians there thought he was crazy and stupid. They made fun of him and kept on doing what they were doing, which was building bigger buildings and better programs for themselves.
Claver is not alone in his willingness to live out the true gospel message. When the plague hit Europe in the middle ages, wiping out one third of the population, Christians would have been found actually going into cities to care for the sick and dying in order to care for them and share the message of Jesus. Many Christians actually got sick and died. What happened? Christianity took hold and grew like crazy in Europe as a result. Another example is the early Christian church, specifically the first three centuries following Jesus' life. Christians did what nobody else in mainstream Roman society was willing to do. They sought out the sick and the poor in order to care for them. When an outbreak of disease broke out, they would have some nursing moms sit at the city fountain, and then others would walk around the city to pick up abandoned babies. They would bring the babies to those nursing moms at the fountain in order to keep them alive. Then they would adopt the outcast babies into their own families. As a result of the Christian work among the poor and broken, Christianity grew exponentially all over the Roman Empire.
Fast forward to today. Where is Christianity growing exponentially? Among the poor, in places other than America, where Christians are willing to go where others won't go. Like Claver, they are willing to sacrifice comfort in order to reach others with the transformational love of Jesus Christ. They build authentic community with one another by caring for one another and meeting each other's needs, just like the early church in the book of Acts in the Bible. At this point, most of the Christians in the world would have no comprehension of the American Dream. Most Christians in the world do not understand the need to arrange for a more comfortable lifestyle, or insulate ourselves from nonChristians, or work towards retirement, or build bigger buildings, or have better programs. The church is growing fastest in the places where there are no actual church buildings, and there are no programs. There are just Christians willing to live with one another and sacrifice their own lives, if needed, for the sake of others... especially including nonChristians.
While many American Christians desperately search for authentic community and real religion, the Christians in the rest of the world are modeling for us what those things should look like. We should learn from them. We should learn from Pedro Claver. Are we, as American Christians, willing to humble ourselves for the sake of the gospel message of Jesus Christ? Are we willing to give up our comforts? Are we willing to serve others? In our own country? In our own cities? The hurting and lost are right there in from of us. Right under our noses. Right here, right now, in America, in our cities, in our neighborhoods. What will we do?
American Christians are comfortable. Americans make up less than 5% of the world's population, but we use up over 25% of the world's resources. The Christian culture in America largely reflects the values of the nonChristian culture in this country (just check the divorce and charitable giving rates... Christians are the same or actually a little bit worse in both areas). American Christians love to do programs where we all hang out with one another once or twice a week in order to grow spiritually. We like to talk about going to heaven. We read fiction books about escaping this evil world. Our churches compete with one another over who has the best worship, the best teaching, and the best kids ministry. Christians church shop in order to find the best fit for themselves, and they can just leave if things get too uncomfortable. Big, beautiful church buildings are built in growing suburban areas while churches in down and out neighborhoods are abandoned. We just throw away entire churches, or neighborhoods, or people groups, because they weren't meeting our own all important needs. Many Christians in America are actively insulating themselves from as many nonChristians as possible and as much brokenness in society as possible. How so? We develop relationships with only Christians. We send our children to Christian school (or home school them). We build big homes in the suburbs, and if we're lucky enough we might even make our way up into a gated community one day where no messy people can ever disturb us. We go shopping at the Christian book store so that we can read Christian books and listen to Christian music and buy Christian breath mints to follow up our Christian coffee so that we have good Christian breath. Our faith becomes private... it's all about us and how we can improve ourselves. The goal of a good Christian in America seems to be who can make the most perfect Christian bubble.
The problem is... as comfort grows, Christianity declines. Christianity actually declines for all of the reasons listed above. We become marginalized in the world. We give up the most powerful, transformational, subversive, countercultural message of all time for the sake of building our own selves up in order to be more comfortable. The American Dream has no glass ceiling, and we'll do whatever it takes to get there. American Christianity falls nicely in line with those wordly goals, and we don't realize that we've lost the point.
Pedro Claver showed us how to live as a sold out follower of Jesus Christ. He understood the power of the gospel message when others around him did not, including the mainstream Christians who were busy doing church in the area. In the 1600s in Latin American, the powerful Christians of that society would have been busy forcing the Indian population to choose between becoming a Christian or being tortured, put into slavery, or killed. They would have been busy forcing slaves to build bigger church buildings for the glory of God. The mainstream church back then was all about better programs and bigger buildings. Enter our friend Pedro Claver, who arrives on the scene and starts doing some strange things. When slave ships arrive, he actually runs out to meet them so that he can start caring for them. He gives the dead a proper burial. He seeks out the sickest of the sick in order to treat them in the makeshift hospital he has set up. He brought fresh fruit, clean clothes, and water into the slave barracks where no other good Christians were willing to go. He hugged people with leprosy. He personally cleaned the sores of slaves who had smallpox. His heart broke. He entered the most excruciating pain that human beings could possibly endure when most Christians in his day were ignoring it or actually helping to perpetuate that suffering. He ran right into the brokenness and the ultimate expressions of evil being played out in the world right before everyone's eyes. He built authentic community with the slaves, and the gospel message of Christ grew among the slave population as a result. Almost all of the other Christians there thought he was crazy and stupid. They made fun of him and kept on doing what they were doing, which was building bigger buildings and better programs for themselves.
Claver is not alone in his willingness to live out the true gospel message. When the plague hit Europe in the middle ages, wiping out one third of the population, Christians would have been found actually going into cities to care for the sick and dying in order to care for them and share the message of Jesus. Many Christians actually got sick and died. What happened? Christianity took hold and grew like crazy in Europe as a result. Another example is the early Christian church, specifically the first three centuries following Jesus' life. Christians did what nobody else in mainstream Roman society was willing to do. They sought out the sick and the poor in order to care for them. When an outbreak of disease broke out, they would have some nursing moms sit at the city fountain, and then others would walk around the city to pick up abandoned babies. They would bring the babies to those nursing moms at the fountain in order to keep them alive. Then they would adopt the outcast babies into their own families. As a result of the Christian work among the poor and broken, Christianity grew exponentially all over the Roman Empire.
Fast forward to today. Where is Christianity growing exponentially? Among the poor, in places other than America, where Christians are willing to go where others won't go. Like Claver, they are willing to sacrifice comfort in order to reach others with the transformational love of Jesus Christ. They build authentic community with one another by caring for one another and meeting each other's needs, just like the early church in the book of Acts in the Bible. At this point, most of the Christians in the world would have no comprehension of the American Dream. Most Christians in the world do not understand the need to arrange for a more comfortable lifestyle, or insulate ourselves from nonChristians, or work towards retirement, or build bigger buildings, or have better programs. The church is growing fastest in the places where there are no actual church buildings, and there are no programs. There are just Christians willing to live with one another and sacrifice their own lives, if needed, for the sake of others... especially including nonChristians.
While many American Christians desperately search for authentic community and real religion, the Christians in the rest of the world are modeling for us what those things should look like. We should learn from them. We should learn from Pedro Claver. Are we, as American Christians, willing to humble ourselves for the sake of the gospel message of Jesus Christ? Are we willing to give up our comforts? Are we willing to serve others? In our own country? In our own cities? The hurting and lost are right there in from of us. Right under our noses. Right here, right now, in America, in our cities, in our neighborhoods. What will we do?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Claver Lessons - Resourcefulness and Influence
This is the first of what I hope will be a series of follow up thoughts from my previous post "The Incredible Life of Pedro Claver." If you read that post about the life of Claver, then you will understand this post better.
Shortly into Claver's ministry to slaves, we learn that he was resourceful, stubborn about dealing with societal injustices, and he was willing to sacrfice personal gain and even his very life in order to use his influence for what was right both within secular society and within the mainstream church. These are all important things for us to understand as modern Christians. But what does it look like for us?
First, there is the topic of resourcefulness. We live in an evil age, and we are up against a foe that will stop at nothing to kill and destroy anything and everything and everyone. As humans, God wants to work through each of us to address these issues of evil. One particularly evil thing in our world includes injustice, which still manifests itself in oppression, human slavery, unfair laws and regulations, the rich taking advantage of the poor, and so on and so on. You may think that I am being dramatic, but you must also understand that I live in a neighborhood where I actually see and experience the rich taking advantage of the poor EVERY SINGLE DAY. I could provide many examples of injustices that I see all the time, and my heart breaks because of it. How can Christians combat such evil and injustice? We must be resourceful. Sending text messages from the comfort of our living rooms to donate $10 is not going to cut it. Compassion alone is not going to cut it. Being resourceful for us means that we need to educate ourselves to the depth and layers of the problems, and then prayerfully consider multifaceted approaches to dealing with those complex issues. I've said this before, but we must all be life long learners. We must understand that we each have cultural biases, and that by nature we each would choose comfort over suffering if given the choice. But, the life of a Christ follower is countercultural. Leadership comes with a cost. Following Christ comes with a cost. This is why we must be resourceful.
Second is the issue of influence. As a Christian, you are a steward of EVERYTHING. You owe your money, your time, your position, your talent, your influence, and even your very life to Christ. As such, you are called to steward those things on behalf of the powerless and the oppressed. God should be working through you at all times, in all places, and in all situations. You are required to use whatever influence he's given you to speak into issues of injustice, whether you are a business owner, or a parent, or a pastor, or a teacher, or a truck driver, etc. Are you using the influence God has given you to advocate against injustices in our world?
These two issues, resourcefulness and influence, bring some questions to mind. Are you willing to pay the price for Christ? What are you willing to die for? Pedro Claver was gladly willing to pay the ultimate price for the cause that God had called him to. I am willing to give up my life for the kids in Homewood because when I spend time with them, for me it is as if I am spending time with Christ. When a kid from my neighborhood dines at my table, it is as if I am dining with Christ. I have a cause for which I would gladly give up my life. How about you?
Shortly into Claver's ministry to slaves, we learn that he was resourceful, stubborn about dealing with societal injustices, and he was willing to sacrfice personal gain and even his very life in order to use his influence for what was right both within secular society and within the mainstream church. These are all important things for us to understand as modern Christians. But what does it look like for us?
First, there is the topic of resourcefulness. We live in an evil age, and we are up against a foe that will stop at nothing to kill and destroy anything and everything and everyone. As humans, God wants to work through each of us to address these issues of evil. One particularly evil thing in our world includes injustice, which still manifests itself in oppression, human slavery, unfair laws and regulations, the rich taking advantage of the poor, and so on and so on. You may think that I am being dramatic, but you must also understand that I live in a neighborhood where I actually see and experience the rich taking advantage of the poor EVERY SINGLE DAY. I could provide many examples of injustices that I see all the time, and my heart breaks because of it. How can Christians combat such evil and injustice? We must be resourceful. Sending text messages from the comfort of our living rooms to donate $10 is not going to cut it. Compassion alone is not going to cut it. Being resourceful for us means that we need to educate ourselves to the depth and layers of the problems, and then prayerfully consider multifaceted approaches to dealing with those complex issues. I've said this before, but we must all be life long learners. We must understand that we each have cultural biases, and that by nature we each would choose comfort over suffering if given the choice. But, the life of a Christ follower is countercultural. Leadership comes with a cost. Following Christ comes with a cost. This is why we must be resourceful.
Second is the issue of influence. As a Christian, you are a steward of EVERYTHING. You owe your money, your time, your position, your talent, your influence, and even your very life to Christ. As such, you are called to steward those things on behalf of the powerless and the oppressed. God should be working through you at all times, in all places, and in all situations. You are required to use whatever influence he's given you to speak into issues of injustice, whether you are a business owner, or a parent, or a pastor, or a teacher, or a truck driver, etc. Are you using the influence God has given you to advocate against injustices in our world?
These two issues, resourcefulness and influence, bring some questions to mind. Are you willing to pay the price for Christ? What are you willing to die for? Pedro Claver was gladly willing to pay the ultimate price for the cause that God had called him to. I am willing to give up my life for the kids in Homewood because when I spend time with them, for me it is as if I am spending time with Christ. When a kid from my neighborhood dines at my table, it is as if I am dining with Christ. I have a cause for which I would gladly give up my life. How about you?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Incredible Life of Pedro Claver
Justo Gonzalez, the author of one of the text books for my Global Christian History class, wrote an amazing account of the life of Pedro Claver. The book is called The Story of Christianity (HarperSanFrancisco, 1984). There is much to learn from this man's life, so I'll be spending some time breaking things down in some upcoming blog posts. For now, it would be good to read about his life in entirety. A fair warning ahead of time, this is a little long for a blog post but I promise you it will be well worth the read. Another fair warning, if you strongly believe in prosperity doctrine or American cultural Christianity (with all of its comforts), then you may not want to read this. It may cause you to do something crazy, like give up some of those comforts for the sake of suffering as a follower of Christ. Here is what Gonzalez wrote about this amazing person, Pedro Claver:
Pedro Claver, a great Columbian saint, led a very different life. He was born in 1580, shortly before Beltran's death, and from early youth decided to join the Jesuits and become a missionary to the New World. His superiors thought that he lacked intelligence, and he was still a novice when he arrived at Cartagena in 1610. He had ample opportunity to see the suffering of black slaves, and therefore when he was finally allowed to make his final vows in 1622 he added a further vow to his signature: Petrus Claver, aethiopum semper servus - Pedro Claver, forever a servant of the blacks.
Since the languages the slaves spoke were too many for him to learn, he tried to borrow other slaves to serve as his interpreters. But the slaveholders were not willing to lose the labor of these interpreters, and Claver persuaded his monastery to buy a number of slaves to serve as interpreters. This created friction with his fellow Jesuits, some of whom persisted in treating slaves as such. Claver insisted that these were brothers in Christ, to be treated as equals. Eventually, by sheer stubbornness, he forced the other Jesuits to agree, at least in theory.
As soon as a slave ship arrived, Claver and his interpreters ran to meet it. Sometimes they were allowed to enter the hold of the ship, but most often they had to wait until the slaves had been transferred to the barracks that would be their temporary homes until they were sold. These quarters were not as cramped as the ships, and slaves were now fed more abundantly, in order to prepare them for the auction. Still, many died from the effects of the crossing, or because they refused to eat, fearing that they would be fattened in order to be eaten. Stark naked, the sick and the healthy lay together with the dead on the floor of broken bricks, until Claver and his companions came in and carried out the bodies of the dead. Then they would return with fresh fruit and clothes, and seek out the weakest among the slaves. If these seemed to be seriously ill, Claver would carry them to a small hospital he had built nearby. Then he would return and begin trying to communicate the Gospel to those who were well enough to listen to him.
His methods were dramatic. He gave them water, of which they had not had sufficient supply since they had boarded their ships, and then explained to them that the waters of baptism quench the thirst of the soul. Getting together a group who spoke the same language, Claver would sit them in a circle, sit among them, and give the only chair to the interpreter, who sat in the center and explained to the bewildered slaves the rudiments of the Christian faith. Sometimes he would tell them that, just as a snake changes its skin as it grows, so must one change one's life at baptism. he would then pinch himself all over, as if he were removing his skin, and explain to them the characeristics of the old life that must be left behind. Sometimes, in order to show their assent, they too would pinch themselves. At other times he explained the doctrine of the Trinity by folding a handkerchief so that three corners could be seen, and then showing that it was a single piece of cloth. This was all done in a warm spirit of friendliness and sometimes even humor.
Claver's concern, which was first shown at the arrival of the slave ships, was evident in many other ways. Since leprosy was a common disease among slaves, and those who had it were simply expelled by their masters, Claver founded a leprosarium where he spent most of his time when there were no slave ships in the bay, and or slaves in the barracks waiting to be sold. There he was often seen embracing and trying to console a poor leper whose rotting body made others shy away. Also, during the years of his ministry there were three outbreaks of smallpox in Cartagena, and in all three occasions Claver took upon himself the task of cleaning the sores of infected blacks, who had been cast out to die.
Although his superiors always considered him unintelligent, Claver knew full well how far he could go before the white population of Cartagena would crush his ministry. He never attacked or criticized the whites, but the entire city knew that as he walked along the streets he only greeted blacks and those few whites who supported his work. He soon let it be known that when he heard confessions he would follow an inverse order to that of society, listening first to the slaves, then to the poor, and finally to the children. Those who did not fall in any of these categories would do better to find another confessor.
He found much support among the slaves of Cartagena. On the great festivities of the church, some of these slaves helped him prepare banquets for the lepers, slaves, and beggars of the city. Others took up the ministry of giving decent burial to deceased slaves. Still others visited the sick, gathered fruit for the hungry and for the recent arrivals, collected and mended clothing, and in many other ways ministered to their fellow slaves.
During most of this time, white society in Cartagena paid little attention to this strange Jesuit who spent most of his time among the slaves. Those who had anything to do with him mostly tried to dissuade him from his labors, for they feared that giving the slaves a sense of dignity was a dangerous thing to do. His superiors were constantly sending reports to Spain, to the effect that Father Claver had neither prudence nor intelligence.
Towards the end of his days, he was struck by a paralyzing disease and was hardly able to leave his cell. His last outing took him to the pier, where his eyes filled with tears before so much pain that he could no longer assuage. His fellow Jesuits trusted his care to a slave, and Claver had to suffer in his own flesh the consequences of the evil that his race had inflicted upon the black race, for the slave treated him cruelly, letting him lie in his own filth and in many other ways reproducing on his sickbed many of the tortures of the slaves' Atlantic passage.
At the very last moment, Cartagena realized that a saint was about the pass away. The cream of society came to visit him in his cell, and all wanted to caray away a relic. Not even his crucifix was left to the poor Jesuit, for when a marquis declared that he wanted it Claver's superiors ordered him to relinquish it. His death, in 1654, was bemoaned by many who had scorned him while he lived. More than two hundred years later, his name was added to the official list of Catholic saints.
Pedro Claver, a great Columbian saint, led a very different life. He was born in 1580, shortly before Beltran's death, and from early youth decided to join the Jesuits and become a missionary to the New World. His superiors thought that he lacked intelligence, and he was still a novice when he arrived at Cartagena in 1610. He had ample opportunity to see the suffering of black slaves, and therefore when he was finally allowed to make his final vows in 1622 he added a further vow to his signature: Petrus Claver, aethiopum semper servus - Pedro Claver, forever a servant of the blacks.
Since the languages the slaves spoke were too many for him to learn, he tried to borrow other slaves to serve as his interpreters. But the slaveholders were not willing to lose the labor of these interpreters, and Claver persuaded his monastery to buy a number of slaves to serve as interpreters. This created friction with his fellow Jesuits, some of whom persisted in treating slaves as such. Claver insisted that these were brothers in Christ, to be treated as equals. Eventually, by sheer stubbornness, he forced the other Jesuits to agree, at least in theory.
As soon as a slave ship arrived, Claver and his interpreters ran to meet it. Sometimes they were allowed to enter the hold of the ship, but most often they had to wait until the slaves had been transferred to the barracks that would be their temporary homes until they were sold. These quarters were not as cramped as the ships, and slaves were now fed more abundantly, in order to prepare them for the auction. Still, many died from the effects of the crossing, or because they refused to eat, fearing that they would be fattened in order to be eaten. Stark naked, the sick and the healthy lay together with the dead on the floor of broken bricks, until Claver and his companions came in and carried out the bodies of the dead. Then they would return with fresh fruit and clothes, and seek out the weakest among the slaves. If these seemed to be seriously ill, Claver would carry them to a small hospital he had built nearby. Then he would return and begin trying to communicate the Gospel to those who were well enough to listen to him.
His methods were dramatic. He gave them water, of which they had not had sufficient supply since they had boarded their ships, and then explained to them that the waters of baptism quench the thirst of the soul. Getting together a group who spoke the same language, Claver would sit them in a circle, sit among them, and give the only chair to the interpreter, who sat in the center and explained to the bewildered slaves the rudiments of the Christian faith. Sometimes he would tell them that, just as a snake changes its skin as it grows, so must one change one's life at baptism. he would then pinch himself all over, as if he were removing his skin, and explain to them the characeristics of the old life that must be left behind. Sometimes, in order to show their assent, they too would pinch themselves. At other times he explained the doctrine of the Trinity by folding a handkerchief so that three corners could be seen, and then showing that it was a single piece of cloth. This was all done in a warm spirit of friendliness and sometimes even humor.
Claver's concern, which was first shown at the arrival of the slave ships, was evident in many other ways. Since leprosy was a common disease among slaves, and those who had it were simply expelled by their masters, Claver founded a leprosarium where he spent most of his time when there were no slave ships in the bay, and or slaves in the barracks waiting to be sold. There he was often seen embracing and trying to console a poor leper whose rotting body made others shy away. Also, during the years of his ministry there were three outbreaks of smallpox in Cartagena, and in all three occasions Claver took upon himself the task of cleaning the sores of infected blacks, who had been cast out to die.
Although his superiors always considered him unintelligent, Claver knew full well how far he could go before the white population of Cartagena would crush his ministry. He never attacked or criticized the whites, but the entire city knew that as he walked along the streets he only greeted blacks and those few whites who supported his work. He soon let it be known that when he heard confessions he would follow an inverse order to that of society, listening first to the slaves, then to the poor, and finally to the children. Those who did not fall in any of these categories would do better to find another confessor.
He found much support among the slaves of Cartagena. On the great festivities of the church, some of these slaves helped him prepare banquets for the lepers, slaves, and beggars of the city. Others took up the ministry of giving decent burial to deceased slaves. Still others visited the sick, gathered fruit for the hungry and for the recent arrivals, collected and mended clothing, and in many other ways ministered to their fellow slaves.
During most of this time, white society in Cartagena paid little attention to this strange Jesuit who spent most of his time among the slaves. Those who had anything to do with him mostly tried to dissuade him from his labors, for they feared that giving the slaves a sense of dignity was a dangerous thing to do. His superiors were constantly sending reports to Spain, to the effect that Father Claver had neither prudence nor intelligence.
Towards the end of his days, he was struck by a paralyzing disease and was hardly able to leave his cell. His last outing took him to the pier, where his eyes filled with tears before so much pain that he could no longer assuage. His fellow Jesuits trusted his care to a slave, and Claver had to suffer in his own flesh the consequences of the evil that his race had inflicted upon the black race, for the slave treated him cruelly, letting him lie in his own filth and in many other ways reproducing on his sickbed many of the tortures of the slaves' Atlantic passage.
At the very last moment, Cartagena realized that a saint was about the pass away. The cream of society came to visit him in his cell, and all wanted to caray away a relic. Not even his crucifix was left to the poor Jesuit, for when a marquis declared that he wanted it Claver's superiors ordered him to relinquish it. His death, in 1654, was bemoaned by many who had scorned him while he lived. More than two hundred years later, his name was added to the official list of Catholic saints.
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