With the encouragement, care, and love of many I have been blessed to meet over the passed few months, I have finally decided to launch "the book". This blog is the beginning of me sharing my stories, musings, thoughts, beliefs, and reflections on life, God, and culture.
If you happen upon this place please do not think that I take myself seriously enough to think that this will "go" anywhere. However, I cannot ignore the call on my heart and the prophetic words of encouragement that told me I need to tell these stories. They are not all my stories, but luckily I have been a witness to them play out in the lives of others around me.
The title "Jesus Saved Me From the Cul-de-sac" comes from Gary Haugen's acceptance speech when he was awarded the Amos award by Sojourners in 2007. Gary started International Justice Mission, "a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression" after working for the U.S. Department of Justice assigned to the United Nation's Center for Human Rights. When sharing his story of coming from the privileged life of a Harvard graduate to fighting for the rights of the most oppressed and poorest people on earth he said, "Jesus saved me from the cul-de-sac". Gary could have very well taken his law degree, prestigious and powerful position in the U.S. government and pursed a career in politics or private practice. But, Jesus showed him the broken lives of the "least of these" and his life has never been the same since.
Gary's story resonated with me. I grew up, not on a cul-de-sac, but on a quiet suburban street in middle America. In fact, my hometown, Muncie, Indiana was designated the "most average town in America by a group of sociologist in the 1920's. My parents are still married after 40 years, I have one brother and one sister, we even had one cat and one dog growing up! We were solidly middle class, I worked my way through high school and college, and was the 50% of my graduating class (ranked 182 out of 364)! I was on my way to living an average, comfortable, American life full of consuming and oblivious to issues of injustice in our world.
Thankfully, Jesus saved me from all that! I didn't stay in Muncie, I married a Vietnamese refugee from half way around the world, and we have adopted an African-American ex-drug dealing adolescent. I am consumed with studying economic justice, environmentalism, peace and reconciliation, politics, and how my faith commands me to care about each of these issues and many more. Life is bigger than I ever imagined!
This blog is a venue for me to share these stories, my passions, and all that I see God doing in this big world I am discovering! I dedicate this work to those that have inspired/ kicked me in the butt to finally start writing (Jessica, Robyn, Amy, Kelly, Pam, Luong, my CGC's at NWMC, and the prophet in the parking lot at GFS!).
