Dear Congressman (a response to Obama's stance on Syria)

I just listened to President Obama's speech from the Rose Garden, where he very forcefully advocated for the use of force against the Syrian government.  The one good thing he did was allow room for the voice of the American people.  Below is a letter I sent to my congressmen, urging them to oppose the use of force at every turn, and instead advocate for a more productive response which might actually help the people of Syria.  I know that it is unlikely to affect any actual conversation in Congress, but at least we can say that our opinions were heard.  Feel free to use the following letter for yourself, as well.

US vs. Them: The danger of "isms"

I know that we are now far removed from the 4th of July Holiday, where the people of the United States celebrate the war that removed British rule from its shores (I think any celebration of the loss of human life is detestable) But the problem of nationalism is not limited to one particular time of year.  The problem pervades Western culture so strongly that it has become second nature for many. So I ask you to consider the following statement:

God Bless ____.

What did you fill in the blank with?  Whites? Blacks? Old people? Young people? Men? Women?  Those statements are grossly inappropriate and wrong.  Yet throw in the word America, and it suddenly seems appropriate.  God Bless America.

That one person

So, in my work, I've interacted with thousands of people and recounted the basic story of Anabaptism, starting with the reformation.

Martin Luther criticized the Catholic church and the pope in 1517, and rather than be executed for heresy, was protected by the nobility of the Holy Roman/German Empire thanks in part to his stance concerning the nobility: that they had the authority to check the power of the church should it become corrupt.  However, not all groups received such treatment.  Starting in 1525, a group of people rebaptized one another in Switzerland, and the movement grew to reject infant baptism, teach pacifism, and denounce the intermingling of the government of man and the church, which was of God.  These beliefs, and several others held by the group, were heresy, and thus punishable by death.  The Anabaptists would be pursued for the next few centuries.  However, this persecution only strengthened the movement and accelerated its growth.  In 1536, Menno Simons left the priesthood in the Netherlands to join the Anabaptists, and became so influential that people began to refer to many Anabaptists as Mennonites.

Moments of Transcendence

There are times in life when we feel that there is more going on that what we see around us.  Times when we feel part of something larger than the current moment, when the past, present, and future all seem to be one, and we are able to commune with others outside that moment.  These moments transcend time and space and scream "WE ARE ALL CONNECTED!"

Modern science can probably map our brain and see all sorts of weird stuff going on during these moments, and I that is part of the wonder and the mystery.  Science has so many surprises, and there are still many things that make researchers scratch their heads because they don't quite understand why something happens the way it does, and that is so exciting for everyone involved.

Introduction: Hello!

Hello everyone! I thought I'd start this out with a little introduction to let you know who I am and what this blog is all about.

So, first me.  I am a baptized and self identified Mennonite belonging to MCUSA.  I was drawn into the church in high school by its emphasis on care, love, peace, and social justice.  I am kept there by my strong appreciation for the long tradition of peace in the church and by the connection I feel to Anabaptists who came before me.  I was not born into the Mennonite church.  Growing up, the only thing I would consider Anabaptist about the churches I attended was the practice of adult baptism.  These churches were solidly evangelical (and sadly, in my opinion, many Mennonite congregations have drifted into the trap of evangelicalism).  I feel an aversion towards evangelical churches generally because of the evangelical emphasis on exclusionary doctrines which make it difficult to bear a grace-oriented or humanistic point of view.  While Mennonites are far from perfect, it is where I have chosen to stay because I believe that the people of that tradition are capable of acknowledging their differences and focusing on shared values of peace and justice.

A little bit about my personal understanding of Christian faith:

I think of people as central to Christianity, as all of creation reflects the divine.  Jesus' life and ministry was focused on meeting the everyday needs of the people and standing with these people in opposition to unjust systems.  His teachings and example had very real and tangible effects; he did a lot of healing and comforting and listening and undersranding, and those who wish to follow him should do the same.

And so what am I doing here?  Well, this is my personal blog.  Essentially, I'm looking to talk about theology, books, movies, culture, current events, music, etc…  I don't really have a whole lot of theological training (my degrees are in music) but if thinking about God is theology, then that makes everyone a theologian. Thanks for joining me.