Random Thoughts on a Bridge That Is No More (Revisited)

Today marks the eight-year anniversary of the collapse of the old 35W bridge in Minneapolis.  Hard to believe it's been that long.  On this day, I commonly revisit a post I had published on my old blog to reflect on what happened that evening.  Today I wanted to republish that post on this blog as my readership has grown since then.

I don't want to overstate any proximity to the event since through much of the construction I had been avoiding the bridge during rush hour. There are many other's who can claim a much closer call than I, but still when such a disaster strikes a location that is so familiar to you it is hard not to consider the possibility of what could have happened.

It's also strange the random nature of the memories and thoughts that come back to you when a place that has been such a regular part of your life is no longer there. These three stand out in particular.

A weekday evening in Early-July, 2007: It was about 5:00 PM. I missed my normal detour around the construction and ended up in the middle of the slow rush hour flow of the two remaining northbound lanes. It was just after the failed bombing attempts in London and Glasgow and in that moment I had a strange realization of the vulnerability of that situation and how something we take for granted could easily be turned into a place of danger. I said a prayer for safety and quickly put the thought out of my mind until about a month later. Though my thought that day primarily revolved around the possibility of terrorism, it now seems to have been a premonition of what was to come.

About 2:00 PM, August 1, 2007: Ironically I left work early to have my back checked out by my doctor due to a car accident the day before. Again I missed my detour, but the traffic was not as heavy at that time of the day. As I drove across the bridge I looked at the newly laid concrete. Having become weary of all the detours I remember thinking to myself, "Good, it looks like we're making progress toward getting back to normal."
Just over four hours later sitting at home, working through all the paperwork from my own situation, we received a phone call from my mother-in-law to check on us. It was at that moment we would find out that nothing would ever be normal about 35W again.

Evening, August 8, 2007: A week after the collapse my wife and I made our pilgrimage to the river to look at what has happened and somehow connect with this tragedy. As we stand on the Stone Arch Bridge looking down on the destruction, I catch a glimpse of an ambulance crossing the 10th Ave bridge on it's new route from downtown to the east side and it brings my mind back to a much happier memory and the role 35W has played in our lives.

I remembered back to the very first hours of May 19, 2004 as I sat in the back of another ambulance looking at my wife laying there with our newly born daughter who couldn't wait for mom and dad to get her to the hospital to make her appearance. The freeway was very empty at that early hour and the concrete glistened in the glow of the street lights as we rolled across the bridge and up the Washington Ave ramp on our way to HCMC. It was like the whole world had stopped for this special moment and this was Elaina's time in the spotlight. This definitely was a much happier memory and it is the happier memories of this place that I want to hold on to.

Lessons From An AA Meeting

This morning a friend of mine who works daily with friends without homes in Indianapolis invited me to join him at an AA meeting in order to help me better understand the program as I look to get more involved with connecting with those entering recovery programs.  Sitting in a room full of addicts in recovery is always humbling.  It's humbling because the people in that room always seem to understand life better than most of us who live in the "got it all together" world of suburbia.  They realize they're always one bad decision, one drink, from going right back into the same chaotic life that drew them to AA in the first place.  They also know they need each other to keep fighting the battle to stay away from the things that have destroyed their lives in the past.  Many understand that trying to solve their challenges with self-effort will get them nowhere because they realize the challenge is beyond them.

It's long been my conviction that every gathering of the Church needs to be more like an AA meeting than the professional productions we often rely on.  We need teaching.  We need corporate worship.  Still, we also need to be able to communicate as a community of peers sharing our stories and our challenges without fear and without pretense.  Even if alcohol addiction is not the demon that vexes our life, the reality is we're all one bad decision, one sin, away from making a total mess of life.  Some of us may be at the beginning stages of realizing what a mess we had become.  Some of us may have been on the "spiritual sobriety" road for a long time.  Still, we all share these two things in common: we're one bad decision away from chaos and we need each other to stay on the right path.

Today, I was drawn to the "Twelve Traditions Of AA" that were displayed in various forms throughout the room.  These traditions guide how every AA group should operate and how the organization as a whole should function.  As I read them, it seemed to me they were traditions that many of us who lead various faith communities and ministries would benefit from adapting into our own context.  As I read them and as I sat there and listened, I found myself praying "God help me and help Diakonos always live in this way."

What "Home" Are We Living For?

By faith he (Abraham) went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.... These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrew 11:9 - 10, 13 - 16

Kim Schuster. September 26, 2011.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/timmielee5359/6186047030/

As I've pondered a few recent conversations, I can't help but think of how important the lack of "ownership" in this world is to our ability to serve others.  The quote above is from a section of the Bible often referred to as the Hall of Faith.  It summarizes key points in the lives of people who sought God's purposes above their own and were recognized for having more faith than many of their peers.  They may not have always achieved the perception of being rewarded in this world, but they had their view focussed on another world that had God as it's architect.

Yesterday someone posted in a Facebook community forum a request for people to be on the look out for a vehicle that was involved in a hit-and-run accident with her father.  (Thankfully, her father was fine.)  It was interesting how quickly the conversation in the comments turned to speculation about the socio-economic status of the person who hit her father's car.  Our section of Indianapolis has many upper-middle class neighborhoods, but there are pockets of lower-middle working-class neighborhoods dispersed throughout the area as well.  Posts of this nature are often met with a course of replies about how bad the community is getting as more people from the urban core move here.  I often find myself distressed by these comments, because I know so many good people who feel unwelcomed by this.

As I read through this thread, though, I noticed a trend.  Many of the people complaining about the bad element in our community (one in particular) felt justified in their response because they had experienced loss or knew someone who experienced loss at the hands of another.  When we have experienced loss at the hands of someone who fits a certain stereotype in our mind, it's easy to become jaded in our attitude toward "those people."  The only way to avoid being hardened to others is to have an open-handed attitude toward all possessions.  It's only then that we can fully be open to blessing others even when the risk is high that we may suffer loss in the process.  Otherwise, it's totally understandable to become suspicious of others whenever a problem arises.

Abraham lost much in his quest to fulfill God's purpose of seeing all people groups blessed through his descendents.  He lost his homeland.  He lost contact with most of his family over time.  He lived as a nomad in a land he knew his descendants would eventually posses.  He had items stolen many times.  Still, he walked with grace toward his neighbors, knowing that God had higher purposes in mind.

It takes the perspective of Abraham to keep an open hand toward all our neighbors when we know that there will be times we suffer loss as "reward" for caring.  It takes keeping in our view the realization that our eventual home is a heavenly city "whose designer and builder is God," even as we seek to be fully vested in the community around us for the sake of His purposes.  This requires faith.  And this is not easy.

Getting Beyond the Dogma of Personal Reponsibility

James Tissot [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Yesterday my friend Robert Charlock submitted a letter to the Indianapolis Star regarding the need for a Homeless Bill of Rights in Indianapolis.  The self-righteous on-line comments of those who assume poverty is usually the result of personal choices quickly emerged: "How many brought this upon themselves? When having a place to live and a job is no longer a priority for oneself, why should we fix their problem?", "So a select group of people need a special 'bill of rights'?", and such.  If you stand with those on the margins, you're sure to encounter the finger pointing of those who espouse the dogma of personal responsibility.

As I read those comments, the story Jesus told of the Rich Man and Lazarus came to mind:

Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 16:19-31

I wonder what the rich man's response was when he walked by Lazerus.  Did he assume Lazarus was where he was in life because he brought this situation on himself?  Or that he no longer considered a place to live and a job a priority?  Given the context and the reference earlier in the chapter to the Pharisees' love of money I wonder if the rich man in this story was the type of man society as a whole viewed as a righteous man.  Perhaps he faithfully performed his religious duties without flaw and would have been considered a prime candidate for paradise by others.  Could he have been one of those Jesus rebuked for being "careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law--justice, mercy, and faith"? (Matthew 23:23)  Apparently, God had a different view of the situation.

When we presume that our own prosperity is the result of our own work and other's poverty is the result of their bad decisions or behaviors, we tend to assume others just need to get it together and do the right thing to get out of their situation.  It's easy to assume others deserve the misfortune they experience while we are entitled to the good things we have earned.  Though we cannot totally minimize the role personal decisions may play in a situation, we are on shaky ground if we assume it is not our responsibility to watch out for and care for those experiencing poverty.  God calls on us to care for those who are suffering and stand up for those who are ignored and oppressed.  From the experience of the rich man in the story Jesus told, it appears He considers it a serious matter.  So should we.

 

 

Atypical Christmas Songs: #1 Cry Of a Tiny Babe

This is the continuation of a collection of posts I'm doing this year about some of my favorite "Christmas Songs" that most people may not think of when they think of  Christmas.  This is a re-post of a blog from 2012 about my all time favorite song in this category.  Merry Christmas!

One of the things I enjoy most about the Christmas season is the music.  I enjoy the traditional carols with their images of silent and holy nights and a peaceful scene in some manger far away.  There have also been some newer songs that capture my attention with a new twist to the old themes we find in Christmas carols.  Then, every once in a while, an unexpected song comes along that connects the timeless truth of the Incarnation with the hard realities of the world we live in every day.  These songs usually come from mainstream artists who spend most of their time speaking to the world in which we live, but have a sense that there's a bigger story that needs to be told.

While at a Christmas party in the mid-90's a friend introduced me to "Cry Of A Tiny Babe" by Bruce Cockburn.  As an aspiring philosophy student with a bent toward social justice, I was just beginning to discover Bruce's music and the prophetic way he addressed many of the issues of the day we lived in.  His music showed a faith that was sincere, even if it was edgier than what I was accustomed to.  As I listened to his telling of the Christmas story in song that night, it had the same edgy, but truthful, feel to me.  Over the years it has become my favorite Christmas songs.

It's the edgy and down to earth nature of this song that captures something often lost in our more traditional carols.  Jesus' birth did not happen among the acceptable people of his day, but in the midst of scandal and on the margins of society.  Jesus spent much of His life dealing with the messiness of human existence.  He cared for and restored dignity to many who lived on the margins of society.  These were the people Jesus said He came to touch.  One verse especially captures this point:

There are others who know about this miracle birth
The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth
For it isn't to the palace that the Christ child comes
But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums

This remains true today. Whatever there is in our lives that brings shame and messiness, that is the part of our lives Jesus wants to enter into and bring healing and wholeness. Even as it was for those on the margins in Jesus' day, it is true for us today that "forgiveness is given for (our) guilt and (our) fear." In a single moment in history, redemption and restoration ripped "through the surface of time" and the ripples of that moment carry on to our day.

Merry Christmas.

Guest Post by Tina Longard: Christmas: The Heart of the Battle of the Ages

One of my favorite writers lives under my own roof.  I really liked a couple of pieces Tina has written lately and asked her permission to include them on this blog as a way to share them with others.  The first is a reflection she wrote early in the Advent Season, after one of our family devotion times.  It seems very appropriate to the challenges our country and world face leading into Christmas this year.

Christmas:  The Heart of the Battle of the Ages

By Tina Longard

“So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

Throughout the ages the battle has raged between the offspring of Eve and the serpent.  The battle raged as the people of Israel cried out in agony in their slavery in Egypt.  God’s hand was on Moses, “son of Eve.”  The Serpent through Egypt’s pharaoh, reared his ugly head--struck, but missed Moses, as God “hid” Moses under Pharaoh’s very nose.  Other infant sons of Eve died from that strike of the Serpent.  Moses grew up to lead the people of Israel out of that land of slavery, into the Promised Land.

But many years later, the blessed Land of Promise, lay under siege—occupied by the Romans.  Again the ugly serpent is rearing his head—this time through King Herod.  This time the offspring of “Eve”, is also the offspring of God Almighty.  Jesus is the target of the serpent.  The serpent knows that this Offspring of Eve has the ultimate power to destroy him; but right now Jesus is only a vulnerable infant.  Now is the time to strike!  The serpent coils and strikes, but God has warned Joseph in a dream, and he and Mary have already fled humble Bethlehem.  Again, other infant sons of Eve die from the strike of the serpent.

How ironic it is, that the Israelite Land of Promise had become the land of danger; whereas Egypt, former land of slavery, had become the land of refuge.  Jesus is sheltered in Egypt until Herod’s death. 

Jesus will battle the serpent again and again during his time on earth—in the wilderness, in the garden, but ultimately on the cross.  At Golgotha he will be lifted up on a cross—just as the serpent was lifted up on a cross in the wilderness in the time of Moses.  As the Israelites who looked upon the bronze serpent were healed of the effects of their snake bites (Numbers 21:9), those l who look upon Jesus will be healed of their sin.  What appears on the surface to be Jesus’ death and defeat, is actually Jesus ultimate victory over the serpent, and over sin and death!

Yet, here we are 2000 years later, still feeling the vibrations in our world, as the serpent writhes in the throes of death. In reading the book of Revelation, we see that the serpent is doomed; yet, right now we see around us the far-reaching effects of his destructive strikes against the sons of Eve.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is the Christmas carol/prayer that most resonates with my heart in this Christmas season. 

“O come, Thou rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell Thy people save. And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel .”
~ Verse 2, Latin Hymn, 12^th Century

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.”  Rev. 22:20 (NIV)

Atypical (and modern) Christmas Songs: Baby Boy

This is the continuation of a collection of posts I'm doing this year about some of my favorite "Christmas Songs" that most people may not think of when they think of  Christmas.  They're not in any particular order and I'm not sure how many I'll come up with, so I wouldn't exactly call it a countdown.  Perhaps that will be a future year.  This one may be on this list due only to how new the song and the artist are.  Time will tell if song enters the realm of modern Christmas classics.

By far, my favorite new artist emerging on the Christian Music scene is For King & Country.  Everything I have heard from this brother duo up to this point has appealed to me in one way or another.  "Baby Boy" is no different.

Between their debut major-label project and their most recent release, For King and Country released a four song / five track (includes both a studio and live version of "Baby Boy") Christmas EP titled Into The Silent Night. Of the two traditional carols and two original songs, "Baby Boy" has received the most airplay on Christian radio stations.

The imagery of the official video tells a great story.  The entire EP revolves around an animated tale of a Confederate drummer caught in the middle of a fierce Civil War battle played out against the backdrop of a peaceful winter landscape.  In this video, our battle-weary drummer ascends a hill carrying a sword left by a fallen soldier.  After a time of at reflection at the top of the hill, the drummer descends the hill carrying a white flag he made from a sheet hanging on a nearby clothesline.  It's a sign of surrender to the unexpect King that came down in the form of a baby boy.

In a time when the world seems very divided and we get battle-weary, we need songs like this to remind us that there is hope in the midst of the battle.