Archive for the ‘global’ Category

“Teaching Little Kyla…”
A series on Travis and Sarah’s journey of parental flubs, flaws, failures and accidental^ fortune.

A couple of nights ago I was praying with Kyla and we prayed for all the children in Haiti – that God would protect them and be present with them. The next day while we were sitting at the table sharing a meal Kyla closed her eyes and said, “Dear God, thank you for the Haitis.”

“The Haitis” – or, the Haitians. Are we truly and genuinely thankful for all people in the world the make up all of humanity?

I am challenged by my 2-year old daughter every day.

Humility.

^ There is someone(s) greater than me/us (a divine being and a community of people) that intercede with grace and giving.

Unfortunatly, I don’t think Pat Robertson will ask for forgiveness or even admit any wrong-doing/speaking. He has a history of saying unloving and unkind things that highly misrepresent Christianity. I hope that anyone exposed to Robertson does not impose his words onto others who are genuinely trying to be formed into the image of God as defined in the person of Jesus.

Robertson commented that the people of Haiti “swore a pact with the devil” and that “since then they have been cursed.” He suggests that “we pray for a great turning to God” for the people of Haiti. I do hope that people of Haiti will turn to God as I’m sure many have been even prior to the earthquake of 2010. In his comment, Robertson is suggesting that the destruction in Haiti is due to a curse from some time ago. So, Pat, I have a few questions for you because that’s what we here at subversiveREFORMATION.com do – we ask questions:

Did God cause this earthquake in Haiti because of some type of pact that Haiti supposedly made with the devil?
Were the 45,000 Americans in Haiti at the time somehow in on this pact?
Is the earthquake God’s form of punishment for Haitian people?
If so, why are we all not being punished?
Have you ever been punished?
Have you ever been extended grace or have you ever offered grace to someone?
Are you more concerned about placing blame or about a compassionate response?

And a question for myself and my friends:

Can we forgive Pat Robertson?

It comes down to this: What story are you going to embrace? The story of the popular culture? Or THE story? What’s your new tradition for Christmas? How will you celebrate the coming of God to earth in the person of Jesus? He offered salvation and freedom. How about you? Will you share the same message or remain a slave to deadening consumption and commercialism?

What story are you going to embrace? The story of the popular culture? Or THE story? What’s your new tradition?

“All I Want for Christmas.” It’s an interesting title isn’t it? As if Christmas is about me. As if Christmas should be about what I want. Well, I suppose it depends on what one wants for Christmas. I have a hard time accepting things for Christmas that either specifically benefit me and not those around me or perpetuate a cycle of entitlement, greed, and the desire to consume. So… all I want for Christmas is for our celebration of God coming to earth to reflect the love for all people that is demonstrated in God’s self-disclosure as an act of giving. As the popular saying goes, “‘Tis better to give than to receive.”

“If anyone is looking for any last minute gift ideas” (for me or for anyone else) here is what I recommend giving. The idea is that the reception of a gift is actually centered on giving to another.

Scarf
Purchase of a hand-crafted/crocheted scarf from Kelly Smith to help our friends James and Kelly bring home the newest member of their family. Every dollar raised will be used toward adoption expenses to give one Ethiopian orphan a home. Customize your scarf by choosing your color (most colors available) and style (skinny, wide, fringe, no fringe). Skinny scarves are $15 and wide are $20. To place an order today email Kelly at: ophelia2377@hotmail.com. Sarah and I both would not only each like one but also hope that you will enter into the Smith’s story and consider supporting them financially and in prayer. Visit their blog.

Beads for Life
90% of the cost of a Beads for Life product go directly to the females in Africa who create the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

Books from Amazon
If you are purchasing anything from Amazon.com then please link to Amazon through any of the Amazon widgets or lists located here at subversiveREFORMATION.com. Each purchase referred from subversiveREFORMATION.com earns Travis, Sarah, and Kyla a percentage of the cost which will be deposited into their adoption fund. Additionally, what better gift might there be than a book which is used for the learning and teaching about the church and the way of Jesus? You may also search Travis Keller’s Wish List using the “TEXT” tab on ssubversiveREFORMATION.com.

Manure
This green gift transforms waste into power—agricultural power. Organic manure increases crop yields and is cheaper, greener, and safer than chemical fertilizers. So, show your loved ones that you really “give a $%@#” for our planet. The gift goes directly to improve the lives of people living in poverty through OxFam America Unwrapped.

World Food Programme Feed Bag
The FEED 1 bag is a stylish, well-designed and reversible burlap and 100% organic cotton ladies’ carrying tote bag sold to help raise awareness and funds for child hunger. When you purchase a FEED 1 bag, you will guarantee that ONE child is fed in school for ONE full year through the United Nations World Food Program. To date, FEED Projects various partnerships have led to over $4 million for WFP school feeding.

ONE.org Africa Shirt
The tees are made of 100% organic African cotton and were made in Uganda. Shirts are available in both men’s and women’s sizes. ONE is a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Cofounded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African policy makers and activists.

What other creative gift ideas do you have?

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“What do you think about Obama’s Afghanistan plan?” That was the question posed by RELEVANT magazine. “Tonight, President Obama is giving a speech detailing his new Afghanistan strategy, which includes a surge of 30,000 troops. What do you think of his plan?”

Response of Travis Keller:

“Peace is love. Violence is not. Militarization brings death… either physically or by fear. What if Afghanistan sent 30,000 troops to the U.S.?”

To contextualize my comment I will disclose that I am neither anti- or pro-Obama. I did vote for him. I would also qualify RELEVANT’s question by noting that the plan is not “his” plan but rather a plan that was developed by a team of people which includes military strategists and advisors. Additionally, I have a brother-in-law who is in the United States Air Force. My wife and I love him. He has been to Afghanistan and currently is stationed in the U.S. where he controls mechanisms on the Predator Drone planes that fly in Afghanistan.

What is your response to my response (or the original question)?

“Teaching Little Kyla…”
A series on Travis and Sarah’s journey of parental flubs, flaws, failures and accidental^ fortune.

The Invisible Children and Remember Nhu Clubs at MVNU are hosting an Art and Poetry awareness and fundraising event tonight (Wednesday) in the student union. Kyla will be presenting her piece of art that she and I composed this weekend. Her piece is called “Red and Yellow, Black and White” in reference to the song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” As we talked about “all the children of the world” and our need to show and express love to all, Kyla used her hands and fingers to paint red, yellow, and black around a cut-out of Africa that I drew, cut out, and taped to the canvas board making a white silhouette of the country where the dehumanization of children continues through militarization and exploitation. Though I cannot talk with Kyla yet about child soldiers and sexual trafficking, she can begin to understand that love and kindness for all of humanity. Eventually, she’ll hear their stories.

We are incapable to loving absent from relationship. We are incapable of relationship absent from the context of story. We have to learn about each other. We have to be aware of the formative life experiences that make us who we are both individually and as a collective group of people in a global community.

The world is our canvas. May we cover it with strokes of love.

^ There is someone(s) greater than me/us (a divine being and a community of people) that intercede with grace and giving.

The Extended Melody Project benefit concert is tonight in just a half hour. Admission is a $5 donation (though you can give more) and all monetary income from admission, concessions, and shirt sales is donated to an orphanage in Cambodia through Asia’s Hope. Shirts cost $10 U.S. Dollars and are sweet as evidenced below. It is a new cut and fabric from Gildan that is very similar to American Apparel.

Do you like music? Do you like orphans? Admittedly, the second question is awkward. Awkward and real. Awkward even in three senses: 1.) Most people reading this blog probably do not like the fact that any child would be orphaned; 2) The term and idea of “orphan” is not the core identity of any child; and 3) Questioning one’s commitment or lack of commitment to acting on behalf of the fatherless may create some discomfort and/or conviction.

Two students at MVNU approached me last year with the idea to do a benefit concert as a social event in order to raise money for resources needed at an orphanage in Brasil. I said “do it.” The short version of the story is that they did do it and they are doing it again. Please visit the Extended Melody Project (EMP) page and become a Fan on Facebook. EMP will be held at Ibiza 33 in Mount Vernon, OH on Friday, October 30. (4) or (5) bands will be playing and all funds from admission and t-shirt / concession sales will be donated to an orphanage in Cambodia.

The church is being the church.

Anyone want to sponsor the event? Any creative ideas?

Informational video to be posted after editing and processing finalized. Updates to our adoption page will be posted soon as well.

Intelligent consumption. Is there such a thing? I suppose there must be such a thing. We all consume. Consumption in and of itself is not inherently evil. A human must consume food to live. If one gives, another is consuming that which is given. The basic idea of consumption is not bad even though language in different Christian conversations promotes either excessive consumption based upon a terrible understanding of God’s desire to “bless” humans or the extreme opposite idea that any and all consumption is evil.

How often do we really think about what we buy? What we put into our bodies? What we fill our lives with? Every time I make a purchase I’ve been considering, “How has/does/will this purchase effect those around me? Is anyone being marginalized or hurt do to my purchase?” I may know the name of a country from where a product was manufactured or sown but I don’t know the working conditions of those who helped produce that product. I do not know the process for harvesting the resources that compose a product nor how that process effects the earth and/or other humans positively or negatively. Are my purchases enslaving a worker in terrible conditions or stimulating a nation’s economy and sustainability? In my journey to become a more responsible and good consumer I am going to offer some ideas that I have recently (or not-so-recently) been practicing:

1) Drink water.

It is common for a soda, lemonade, or tea to cost $1.49 – $2.69 when ordered at a restaurant. Order water. Add a lemon. Your two year old daughter might eat the whole thing. Plus, 2 drinks at $3.98 adds $.60-$.80 in tip to your bill.
And don’t drink water from a bottle unless it is a reusable bottle that you fill with tap water. If all the money used for the production and distribution of bottled water was reallocated toward well digging and filtration, clean water could be provided for every human being in the world. I’m glad my daughter doesn’t have to drink disease infested water. Aren’t you (that is, if you have a daughter… or if you love my daughter)?

2) Buy Puma (or Toms).

We all wear shoes. Well, some of us wear shoes. Many in the world need shoes to prevent disease from entering their open sores, blisters, and raw skin that exist due to lack of foot protection. I stopped in the Puma store at Easton a couple of days ago and found out about a program called Souls for Souls. Here’s the deal: Take any used pair of shoes into a Puma store. When you donate those shoes to be distributed to those in need of shoes, you receive 30% off your shoe purchase. I found a very nice Speeder Mesh II shoe for $62 that ended up costing only $46.44 after tax (I refuse to pay more that $50 for a pair of shoes and prefer the $30-$40 range). I am considering taking in an old pair, buying a new pair at 30% off and immediately donating that new pair. Thoughts?
I also have a pair a Toms that I received at a leadership conference. They are very lightweight. Check out tomsshoes.com. For every pair of shoes your purchase, a new pair will be given to a child in need.

3.) Drink Socially Conscious Coffee.
OK. You’re right. The coffee itself is not socially conscious but the means of growth, harvest, trade, transport, and consumption is. I stopped in at Ten Thousand Villages, an organization that focuses on friendship with global artisans, to check out their fair trade coffee. I came upon organic, fair trade coffee which is also certified CarbonFree®. The smell of the Sumatra “Telong” from the Aceh province in Sumatra, Indonesia captured me as did the certification that ensures that coffee farmers are working in shaded conditions and receiving fair wages for their work.
I am also trying out Costa Rican Tarrazu from World Market. It is Fair Trade certified and especially useful for any of you who are attempting to complete a M.A.R. in Missional Leadership whilst being a loving husband, devoted father, interactive Resident Director, loyal friend, SGA advisor, adjunct instructor, and compassionate follower of Jesus.

TO BE CONTINUED.