I almost always walk to the gym.
In transit, I pass an old, fairly dilapidated church with a large, hand-painted sign. It proclaims: Jesus is the answer. I usually laugh or cringe. If “Jesus” is the answer, it’s not to any questions that I’m asking. (Except for, “Which name has been used to justify a great deal of violence, many crimes against humanity and incalculable hatred?” Yes, the answer is Jesus.)
This past Monday, while walking to the gym, I noticed something different about the church. It’s usually vacant courtyard was home to a small clustering of five tents. My curiosity was peaked. I inquired.
The tents are home to a group of homeless people. In fact, there is a waiting list to sleep in one.
Out of curiosity, I navigated to the homepage of the church. On the front page of the site is the following quote:
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
-John Wesley
How many of us truly say that we are doing all the good we can with all the means we can in all the ways we can in all the places we can at all the times we can to all the people we can as long as we can? Hm? I don’t see any hands raised, including my own.
Yesterday, I wrote about happiness. According to the survey, nearly half of the people surveyed are somewhere between content and misery. One of the best ways to increase your level of happiness is to open your heart in service to others.
While all of us can work on a micro level to help others, I would like to do something larger. With you. Many people read this blog and watch my videos, and if we all do something small we could make a big difference. It could be like an online organized service project.
But what could we do? Let’s hear some ideas. I’m open and receptive to all good. Share your ideas in the comments.
April 24, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Thanks for sharing this
April 25, 2009 at 1:51 pm
As always, good thoughts. I should tell you that the word is “piqued” your curiousity, not “peaked”
April 24, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Davey-
It is amazing at how many tent cities that are showing up across our country. Here in the greatter Seattle area and King County there are several tent cities. Sad huh?
What bothers me the most is they are forced to relocate every 90 days. They are allowed to be on a church property. For some reason many people who live in the surrounding area of the churches protest the tent cities moving into their neighborhood!! I don’t think they realize that they could end up in a tent city. I just find it ironic that these so self proclaimed “Christians” are not behaving in a very Christian way.
Here is a link to the local tent cities here in King County (Seattle):
Click here: Tent City – Temporary Homeless Shelters
I am not sure if the hyperlink works or not but here is the addy: http://www.mrsc.org/Subjects/Housing/TentCity/TentCity.aspx#About
-Brad
April 24, 2009 at 11:35 pm
You said that they are allowed to be on the church property and then you say that these self proclaimed “christian” are not behaving in a christian way. How are they not behaving in a christian way? They are allowing them to use their property aren’t they? Sounds to me like the neighbors are the ones who are not behaving in a christian way. This is probably because they are not christians.
April 25, 2009 at 7:13 am
He is referring to the neighbors as the self-proclaimed “christians”. Typically people living near a church attend that church, most likely out of convenience. So it’s the neighbors not behaving in a christian way.
April 25, 2009 at 11:40 am
Just because people live near a church does not mean that they ttend that chrch. I live very near two churches but do not attend either of them.
April 25, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I wasn’t saying that everybody who lives near a church attends that church. Nor am I saying that just because you don’t live near a church it doesn’t mean you don’t attend any church. I was just saying that out of convenience some people will attend a church nearest them (typically of the same religion). You were totally misunderstanding what I was trying to say. And maybe in the instances that were mentioned, the neighbors were actually members of that congregation.
And besides, if people don’t want these acts of kindness going on around them, then they should just move away from the church.
April 24, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I say in whatever city we live in, get a group of friends together. Make some sandwhiches or gather slightly used garments of clothes together and take a walk downtown and hand them out to homeless people, people in need with nothing in return. The best gift is the gift of giving. What do you all think?
April 24, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Get groups off people together within there living region to do some good in there own community, clean up a park, get volunteers to do work a soup kitchens, put together a fund raiser that would be cheap and fun, they do that a lot here in northern NH. How about some kind of work shop that shows how you can grow a vegetable garden in very little space, or a large community garden, having a garden makes me eat better:)
April 24, 2009 at 3:45 pm
No I think you people have it all wrong. Instead of doing things in little groups, lets get everyone we can to meet up at one spot. The more people there are the more attention it will draw which in return will draw more in.
April 24, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Two words: Blog Orgy.
April 24, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Blorgy. LOL
April 25, 2009 at 10:08 am
haha.. Lord I’m pissing my pants
great idea to help the community
May 2, 2009 at 12:22 am
LOL … thanks for that.
April 24, 2009 at 7:55 pm
well, i think just by simply saying ‘bless you’ when someone beside u just sneezed would make their day much better. or by smiling at the counter, instead of giving them frown. simple little things, sounds really cliche, but they work like magic
April 25, 2009 at 7:11 am
With all the possible acts of kindness available to us to take on saying “bless you” after someone has sneezed is WAY down the list. It usually comes across as trite. I often think, “How dare you bless me. Who do you think you are to take it upon yourself to bless me!”
I was travelling in a taxi once with four other colleagues. One of us sneezed. It just so happened that three of those people had recently become “born again” Christians. No sooner had the sneeze emanated from the body of the one guy that these others leapt to say, “Bless you!” (I had gone through school with these people. One was gay and had lived a very open and promiscuous life up until then. The other lived with him but resisted being gay with great difficulty and the other was a girl who is still very wrapped up in reborn things) Perhaps it was their new found sense of compassion, or genuine concern for the health of the other. But if you were to know these people their new found religion only seemed to exacerbate their already narrow view of the world and to increase their condemnation of the way others lived their lives.
The really curious thing about this incident to me was that they were failing so terribly to live a life based on Christian values. Instead they valued the appearance of Christianity. It was almost as though in their “welcome package” one of the rules of entering the church was to always remember to bless people whenever they sneezed. It was an absurd moment that always causes me to question spirituality and Christianity and how they are lived and how I live them in my own life. My advice, leave the “bless you” as a silent prayer for their health and well being. God will take care of the rest. Their are better ways to be kind and giving and helpful.
April 25, 2009 at 7:29 am
“Goshdarn”, I personally disagree with your viewpoint on a simple form of politeness. It’s no different than opening the door for a lady, or any other small etiquette. Its harmless. And most people don’t have any baggage associated with the statemnent that causes them to react negatively when it is said.
April 25, 2009 at 7:54 am
The point, Antonioooo!, was that they were not simply being polite. Politeness had little to do with it. If they were just being kind and genuinely compassionate I don’t think I would have cared. There was a “lady of a certain age” in the front seat who said it as well. She was a devout Catholic and came by her “blessings” by virtue of the time in which she was raised and her very religious home life. Her saying “bless you” was an act of long standing which I appreciated and understood. My friends, on the other hand, had applied their compassion on top of very judgemental personalities in an effort to bend themselves to what they thought they were expected to be. I knew them well enough to know that there was little concern for others beyond a hollow,”bless you”.
Opening a door for a “lady” in this day and age might not be seen as a simple act of being polite. I would suggest that you open a door for whomever needs and would appreciate the act. Being kind and polite is beyond male/female and beyond religious/ non-religious. Be kind and polite no matter, with genuine concern for the people you come into contact with and not through an effort to conform to a set of imagined standards.
April 25, 2009 at 8:16 am
I’m with Antonioooo!
No matter what Religion’s are involved no sane person should be offended by a simple kind gesture,unless there’s some personel back story !
Why dose everything We do have to be disected to look for the negative?
I’v noticed when I’m out driving If I give someone a break and let them in front of me more than not they return the favor to someone else. Just think how many lives can be affected by one small gesture.
April 25, 2009 at 8:42 am
Of course I agree with both comments. Being kind and polite should not be viewed with suspicion and for the most part I do not see things in this way. My point was to illustrate that apparent generosity can be self serving at times and I would venture that that taints the the gesture, in my opinion. I appreciate both your points of view and understand that on the face of it my posts could be seen as synical. Perhaps experience colours my opinion of the motives of some I have encountered.
April 26, 2009 at 5:26 pm
In my opinion, the term ‘bless you’ has more to do with culture than it has with religion. As a native German speaker I automatically say ‘Gesundheit’ which means literally translated just ‘health’, there’s nothing rally spiritual about it…it’s just polite on the other hand it is totally uncommon to apologize after sneezing by saying ‘Excuse me’ or the like, it would even irritate people if you would… So, there are different rules in different cultures in terms of politeness. I personally think that being polite is never wrong… but by talking to people with a different background there often arouse odd situations, where people seem quite impolite even if they never ever intended to be rude… these are just misunderstandings. The best to do is to ask the other person in such a situation what he or she actually meant by using this therm or by asking that question, this will broaden mind and help you prevent such situations in the future.
April 24, 2009 at 8:40 pm
If you spend each day helping another living creature (human, plant or animal) you will be a better person for it. No one can be happy without helping another.
April 24, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I say you use your website to raise money for New Orleans. I personally live here, and a lot of people have forgotten about us. It has been almost 4 years and we still have a lot of work to do. People hear about the huge amounts of money that New Orleans has recieved and wonder where it is. Well, I’m here to tell you, we need a lot more money!!!!! I, among many others, had to take a $20,000 loan out in order to replace my all of my belongings. I will be repaying this loan for the next 27 years. How dipressing is that. So if you want to make a change, Help get New Orleans back to the wonderful city it use to be, and can be!!!!
April 25, 2009 at 6:33 am
New Orleans is not the only city affected by mother
April 25, 2009 at 6:38 am
Typing problem up there. New Orleans is not the only
city affected by mother nature. Parkersburg, IA. had
tornadoes destroy more than half of the town and Cedar
Rapids, IA and a lot more communities last year were
destroyed by record flooding. There are stuff like
this happening all over the world. Look at the earthquakes
in Italy.
And its sad that our government moves so slow on giving
money to the states that need it for such things.
So you are not alone and if you had to take out a $20,000 loan to replace
your belongings, then perhaps if you did not have it at the time
you should have renters or household insurance for
such things.
April 25, 2009 at 6:40 am
And I think Davey is talking about helping those who really need help and are not likey
looking for a handout. Help those that really need it.
April 25, 2009 at 10:21 am
I am not looking for anything. I said new orleans, not me personally. Plus i did have homeowners insurance,when your house is worth 150,000 and your have content insurance of 65,000 and your house is 100% destroyed, i recieved 215,000 from insurance for a new house and belongings. I don’t know if you have ever been to New Olreans, but 200,000 doesn’t get you that large of a house. So, i paid off my mortgage and only had 50,000 left over to BUILD an entire home. Try building a home for $50,000. IMPOSSIBLE…… We pay some of the highest isurance rates in the country and we can’t even afford to have our houses insured for what they need to be. NOT EVERYONE IN NEW ORLEANS IS LOOKING FOR FREE MONEY!!!!! I JUST WANT MY CITY BACK!!!!!!!! I DON”T WANT ANYTHING FROM DAVEY!!!!!!
April 26, 2009 at 1:04 am
No I have not been to New Orleans. Some day I would like to make the trip there. I do feel for you and understand your frustration. This day and age, show me where insurance doesn’t rip anyone off. And how our government handle everything is another joke. When the tornados went through one of our towns in Iowa and all the major flooding the government brought up mobliehomes from FEMA and then no one could live in them because they were unhealthy do to something. It has only been one year since all this took place and we are still rebuilding just like New Orleans.
I apolize for misunderstanding what I thought you were saying. I wish you all the best of luck.
April 26, 2009 at 5:46 pm
There are many places on earth where victims of natural hazards need help… actually there are many people living in tents in Italy because their homes have been destroyed by an earthquake, not even to mention such event happening in developing countries where people live under very poor conditions even without such an event and where they don’t even know basic insurance… I think it’s never wrong to help other people in such a situation by helping to rebuild and especially preventing from such events in the future…
April 24, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Just be nice to your neighbor. Your neighbor being anyone you come into contact with. Kindness is contagious. A golden rule kind of thing – if we truly treated others as we would like to be treated this world would be a totally different place. There would be no homeless because we would not allow it to happen to our “neighbors”.
April 25, 2009 at 6:13 am
Davey Wavey..You can start by watching Joyce Meyer on TV daily..and then by going to church once in awhile..It won’t hurt!…Maybe you need some religion in you..Love “your” David
April 25, 2009 at 6:38 am
Rescue a Greyhounds and/or a Boston Terriers that are dumped at the pound or neglected by owners.
April 25, 2009 at 7:11 am
I really used to (love) listening to Joyce, as she was just a regular folk like many of us “pew riders”; Joyce was abused in her first marriage, and carries much of the emotional scars, so my point is, after Joyce got notariety and fame, and a few million bucks, she went to a plastic surgeon to get a face lift and a tummy tuck and a total make up make over, she lost about 20 years, and in my opinion, she also lost the fire that used to lift her (preaching) wings.
Davey I have told you before that I am a volunteer minister with a prison ministry here in Maryland. I work for the State as a stationary engineer for a salary, the ministry work I do is because I am called to serve, but not to necessarily be religious.
Sure, I count myself among the Christian nation, or maybe more free spiritualism, as I don’t much like being labeled like a Methodist or Presbyterian or Baptist, etc.
As a response to the comment about how the Christian churches were being christian by allowing “those people” to build their tents on church property, why not invite those families into your homes, with running water and real food, much like many of “them” are used to?
If you are going to make sandwiches, please remember to add chips, some fruit, napkins, maybe a fresh-n-wipe packet, a juice box and a bottle of water?
Imagine you lost your job(s) and just lost your home, and you are demoralized by living on the street, and some well-meaning christian comes to bring you old worn out clothes?
Those of us who have, look at where you spend your money, I used to go to a (fancy) restaurant once or twice a week; fancy = $100 dinner. Now I eat that night at home and use the cash to buy study Bibles for the guys in the prison, and not the $5 paperbacks, that no one actually reads, I try to get Thompson chain reference, or the Life Application study Bibles, some either hard back, some bonded leather covers, and I give them through the chaplain so the guys don’t know who brings them, because I don’t want thanks. And some of the Bibles I buy are in Spanish due to our growing population of Hispanic brothers.
Davey you ask for ideas? What if every one of your 13 million viewers sent $5.00 less than one trip to Starbucks, let’s see, I am getting older that’s, 13,000,000 x 5 = $65,000,000.00?
Davey what kind of ministry, or people helping people program, if the churchie sounding terms bother you, could you/we fund for that kind of cash?
The “Davey Wavey Foundation”, the “Chipotle Foundation” 501c3 non-profit surely our Davey Wavey community has a lawyer who would do the pro-bono work to set up the non-profit corporation, etc., and after the government stays the heck away, what kind of gifts could the foundation use to underwrite? Like a hotel for homeless folks?
I dream of a day when I could make a hotel for the guys who get out of prison, so they could have a place to live and work towards getting a job, and eventually getting back on their feet, Davey with $65 mil, I bet we could make a very nice place.
Davey, I was inspired by your ressitation of those words by John Wesley. As you may know, John Wesley was originally a priest in the Church of England, and John and his brother Charles, among many of his friends, started colleges and hospitals and medical clinics to care for poor, I guess homeless folks, of his time, and here we sit comfortably ensconsed behind our computer screens, with our high speed internet, (except me, at work I still only have dial up) and coffee, and warm spaces, and our own toilets.
The prison I serve is a medium security facility, make no mistake, the walls are 2′ thick stone and concrete, the bars are 1″ thick, and the doors slam shut, but the place was orriginally designed for single cells, and now the guys are double bunked in a 5×9 cell. 45 sqft, which includes the footprint for the bunk, a desk and chair, a toilet and a sink, and not enough room for two guys to pass each other, and some of the guys will be inside forever.
I know, “they belong there” I have heard it all before, but in the 5 years I have served there, I have seen two men released who were truly innocent, and yet they both served over 30 years for crimes they did not commit, so should we treat them the same?
Sure enough to the “Conservative” readers, many, most of the guys inside belong there, to serve time as our system has adjudicated them. Our program, helps these guys confront the choices they made, and helps them change their insides and maybe, if they get out, not repeat the same behaviors. Is it working? SOme yes, some no, but it’s not up to me to decide, it IS UP TO ME to keep going.
IT IS UP TO YOU to get involved in helping people who need help. Davey you talk alot about Karma, the idea of what goes around comes around? OK, so Karma says if we treat others well, maybe we will also be treated well if we need it? I don’t hold out hope, I do however, serve others, because I feel that “little” or as John Wesley said “Still small voice” or as he said he felt his “heart was strangely warmed” or he was directed by God to do what he did.
OK, modern days, “God” or in AA, our “Higher Power” “Karma” or whatever you call it, get off your collective asses and do something!
I don’t like giving money to organized religion groups, or organized charities, because very often most of the money goes to administrative costs, and only a few pennies goes to the intended group. That is sad.
So Davey, the “Chipotle Foundation” is in your court. Appeal to a corporate lawyer or a few of them who would do the government bs work, and then get a checking account that you can write checks from to give gifts to help people?
13,000,000 viewers x $5 each? Hey Davey, even if we start with 100,000 x $5 that’s $500,000 that can go towards real help or scholarships for needy families, or for gay folks, or closeted folks, or just people regardless of their status?
Imagine the possibilities, of all the people who would love to give cash to a non-profit that would actually help people?
Love, Joey
April 25, 2009 at 7:40 am
GREAT! I love this idea!!! The audience is here. Now let’s do something positive with it!
April 25, 2009 at 7:13 am
Davey,
There are so many people who need help out there. Research a charity that you believe in strongly and then start an onlinemoney campaign from your site. That’s my idea. Hope it’s worth something to think about.
Huggs
April 25, 2009 at 7:18 am
There are so many ways to be of service to others. The easiest one is thanking those that are of service to us. Those countless many that ring up our groceries, get our lattes and make our food. And not just thanking them but using their name… They wear those nametags for a reason. Too often also many expect something in return for their service. When we spread kindness and compassion to others seeing their soul light up should be payment enough.
April 25, 2009 at 7:35 am
Although using the server’s name is an option, too often one simply becomes the dreaded “name inserter”.
~~~ passenger to taxi driver after airport pick-up ~~~ “Hello! Oh am I glad to be home. Driver, what is your name? Jim? Right, I’m Ron. Glad to meet you Jim. Jim….I would like to go to 55 Anywhere Lane, do you know where that is Jim? Fine. Erm…Jim, could you go by the river as opposed to through the centre of town? Well Jim, I think we will avoid the construction that way.” ~~~ &c.
Name inserting is a slippery slope.
April 25, 2009 at 7:24 am
Think globally, act locally.
What is interesting about giving is that there are many ways to help others. There are many well established ways to give money and time to make the lives of others better. Bill and Melinda Gates give money to “giving” organizations because they don’t want to reinvent the charity wheel. Find out who does the best job at making real change in peoples’ lives and give to those organizations. I would hesitate to go about doing “random acts of kindness”. This was promoted for a while by Oprah and I think, although well meant, failed miserably. People don’t take kindly to others forcing their need to be charitable upon them in the parking lot of the grocery store. It was an interesting idea but somehow came across as self serving for the “good doers”.
Davy I think mobilizing the group you have here is a great idea. I just wonder if starting from scratch is well thought. Find out what works and apply their model to something you think will work or ask this group to work with you and the already up and running organization of your choice. You aren’t the first to have the idea of affecting change world wide through your efforts. There are many who have had the same idea. Some work, some don’t and some help only those who run them. Go forth with an open and giving heart but backed by the best advice you can afford.
April 25, 2009 at 7:30 am
Wow… I just stumbled on to you site. Its very exciting and so calming to see positive optimistic people such as myself do exist. I truly can not wait to learn, and read more about you. I made the time to watch one video. “Go ahead and laugh…” Your energy is uplifting and calming. Its a privilege to be shown your soul, yourself. Thank you for sharing.
April 25, 2009 at 8:22 am
The name MARX has been used for far greater evil in a very short period of time.
That is not Marx fault either.
**
What of all the good taht has alos been done in Jesus name?
What of all the changed lives – sometimes for the least likely people.
Yes it can be the old usual – that there is nothing worse than reformed alchoholic or smoker.
**
The challenge of jesus is not why does the church not do more to help people etc.
No it is why don’t I do more.
Come on Davey you already do a bit…
never mind other people…. look to yourself,
April 25, 2009 at 10:42 am
Dear Davey,
I live in Shanghai, China and a few times a year I head out to the rural areas of china and help the local in as many ways as possible. My most recent trip was with a group of student to Yunan province. In Yunan, we installed over 3 kilometers of underground pipe to give a village clean drinking water. Previously to installing the basic PCB pipe the village of nearly 1000 people was being devastated by the feces of cattle and livestock polluting the water system. The government provides little to no assistance in education of health of the poor. B
ecause the water from the mountain is being polluted in the town by the animal feces, the women of the town must make a treacherous 3 hour journey into the mountains to ascertain clean drinking water. The way up is not easy. It is not clean or safe and women must leave early in the morning to arrive back late at night hauling gallons of water on their backs.
Now, because clean pipes have been installed in the village of JianKang the women no longer have to walked the 3 hours up and 3 hours back into the mountains to bring back clean drinking water. We even went as far as to put water gauges in the brick “houses” of the village leaders so 3 “houses” have running water. The benefits were astronomical. Now, because the woman no longer have to spend all day getting water, they can work in the fields with the men. This means that more food to eat and that the children who usually help the men in the fields, can now go to school. Also, because the village is drinking clean water the death rate has been cut in half.
Davey, my heart belongs to the children I came to know in the 3 weeks I spent in JianKang. Unfortunately, JianKang is just one of thousands of villages in dozens of provinces across china. You can help. we can all help weather its going to the villages and meeting the children who’s lives you have made better or donating money. People listen to you, more than they would listen to me. I need your help, the people and children of villages across china need your help. PLease send me an email if you are interested in helping me. Anyone who reads this please. My email is taylor2011102@ciss.com.cn I can tell you lots of ways to get involved. Thank you so much. I love you davey
April 25, 2009 at 11:41 am
It piqued your interest, huh? ;D
April 25, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Xkimo, i finally got your comment. That was very polite
April 25, 2009 at 11:43 am
Here’s something really simple, free, but can make a difference. When you pass by someone on the sidewalk or wherever, instead of looking away and pretending like you’re looking at something else, or just looking at the ground, try this instead: Look at the person, smile, and say “Hi” when you walk by. (Even a very slight smile and a nod is better than nothing.) You may likely get no response, but you’ve still done something good that will have an effect. When this happens to that person again, they’re gonna eventually realize that people can just be polite without expecting something in return and they might try it too. Obviously this isn’t practical on a busy sidewalk (e.g 8th ave), but there are plenty of opportunities to try it. I know you may be thinking, “what a Pollyanna SHE is….” Hey that’s fine. But you know that uplifting feeling you get after you watch one of D-Wavey’s videos ? It’s because he’s positive, upbeat, and SMILING !!! — try it. Give some back !
April 25, 2009 at 12:02 pm
btw, this Pollyanna does not look for answers from any churh or religion either. As a Humanist, my one rule is “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”. (Hmmmm… I just looked up “Golden Rule” on Wikipedia and found that it is rooted in a wide range of world cultures”.) If all the religious peeps (and I’m talking Jew, Christian, Islamic whatever), spent their extra time volunteering (good deeds), instead of praying and churching, it’d be a GREAT thing. I don’t need some promise of an afterlife to be a good person on Earth. I don’t see why anyone does.
April 25, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I look at your question Dave about a Online Service Project so I went to Google and typed in Online Service Projects. One result caught my eye. It read as follows:
Research: Online Service Provider Assessment Project
The goal of the Online Service Provider Assessment (OSPA) project is to determine how fair, accurate, and inclusive online service providers are with …
http://www.onlinepolicy.org/research/ospa.shtml
So I went to the site:
Online Service Provider Assessment(OSPA). I read the page. The statement that caught my eye was this one:
“The OSPA project relies heavily on volunteer and intern participation, so please consider participating in this important project.”
What I thought of was what about a online volunteer service to people and organizations by directing people to help out, finding resources for organizations, offering help where needed. The service would be to not just on specific group but to a variety of services or individuals.
For instance if those who are part of the overall project hears of a need then posts it to the group. The group could brainstorm how to help. Find one that everyone feels could be done. Then the online group would then act on the plan.
The group could be called The Wavey Support Team.
Just a thought.
April 25, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I am amazed that when people all over the earth are forced into homelessness by acts of nature or war we rush to their defense with tent cities, food, medical supplies and clothing etc. However when people are left homeless by the very economic system that we all support, we tend to blame them and sweep the problem under the rug and out of sight. NO ONE should be homeless and we are all responsible for each other.
April 25, 2009 at 4:06 pm
WOW. Leave it to a collective of folks scarred by a nation of people they disagree with to take not only your punchline comment a bit far, but to validate bashing the faith of 100s of millions of people who have decided to look at the example of a man – Jesus Christ – and beat the s**t out of them.
To be sure, the name of Jesus has been used to justify terrible acts, but only due to its misuse. It is because of the maligning of the character of Christ – not following his commands – that has led to abuses.
I could go on, but I believe the question has been thoroughly discussed – on this blog and in our newspapers. The issue for me is that if we can put 2000 years of history aside, and focus on what Jesus actually taught, then the addage “Jesus is the Answer” could hold great value – even for those of us who may not ascribe to the Christian ideals of depravity, sin, or the need of a savior.
Kindness to your enemy is a thoroughly christocetric idea. Vengeance has no place in orthodox Christianity. Working hard, giving to others, self-sacrifice, the denial of greediness, higher education, feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and incarcerated, being at peace with everyone are – again – thoroughly Christian…to the point where at the great judgement seat described in the bible (matt 25ish) those who call him lord on earth but have not cared for the less fortunate are told to depart from Him, for [He] never knew you.
This is not an attempt to win you over to a christian view of thinking, but to say that if you are for kindness, meeting the needs of others, loving your neighbor, sacrificing on behalf of another, and being at peace with everyone…then you have more in common with Jesus’ teachings than you have at odds. As for those who call themselves christians an deny these things…his words may echo your feeings completely…”depart from me.”
Thanks for the space to write.
April 25, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Davey,
I just read your post and knew you would say that. I am a Christian and sadly I agree with you entirely. a “true Christian” lives in community with all people, abhors violence, and lives to serve others as much as they can. In a few years, when my kids are in college, I plan on using my “vacations” as missionary work to help others. That, I feel is what life is about. Peace to you, and everyone here! Mark
April 25, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I have enjoyed reading the many post and comments on your blog. Some I agree with and some I do not but I do believe everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions. I am a gay christian and to be honest I am troubled by the anti-religious sentiment that I see on this blog. Why is there so much disdain for people who believe and worship a god? Everyone here seems to be concerned that everyone’s rights are protected and there should be equality for all so why the hate for christians or any other religion?
April 26, 2009 at 5:11 am
I volunteer at a church less than three blocks away from me.I help the homeless (and not so homeless, but not able to pay for food) with two meals a day. (they’re on their own on lunch and Sundays.)I donate all my expensive, designer clothes to the church. They accept Versace and the Gap equally and distribute it for FREE. Unlike “Out of the closet” where I see the employees there wearing my donations, that they hardly need. Goodwill charges entirely too much for them so I don’t donate to them anymore. Salvation Army’s policy is that ninety percent of all donations go to the people being served.I am now trying to find a way to DIRECTLY distribute shoes and socks that are one of the most important of donations. How ironic that THEY (THEM) would receive unused designer shoes when all they need are basics. I feel pretty stupid when I donate new dress shoes to truly needy people. But I remember a beautiful sweater my Mom donated from me that I didn’t wear in High School that I thought was ” too itchy.” I remarked to a classmate how glad I was that SOMEONE was actually wearing it. What a thoughtless twit I was then.I have since learned my lesson. If you have EVEN designer clothing, they will come.And you can’t tell the homeless from their clothing anymore. After all I’ve been known to wear clothes out of season.
April 26, 2009 at 5:21 am
P. S. I’m an Atheist if anyone cares ” freedom of religion and FROM religion,” if anyone cares.
April 26, 2009 at 6:19 am
David,
Your intention is more than praiseworthy but the homeless problem is a huge one.
An online organized service project can be a good idea but one has to define correctly this project and it needs lots of time and energy.
I think it can only be a local project in order to appreciate precisely the needs and define as better as possible the local possibilities.
I heard that in each town, there are all year long, vacant buildings that belong to private owners, to banks or even to the city itself but it’s hard to convince owners even administration that these numerous unoccupied buildings can be used temporarily for homeless people.
From another side, raising funds wouldn’t be enough and wouldn’t change this problem or it will be like a drop of water in an ocean.
This problem has to be solved only by the people in charge of such problems; I mean the cities and their administrations. They must face their responsibilities and absolutely recognize as a high priority the right to housing of each person and family.
Precisely,in this case, the requisition of these buildings planned and written in a law text, can be a solution.
bye,
April 26, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Ten years ago, I was in the possition that many others are in now. My high-tech job became obsolete and I found myself jobless and close to losing my home. I received no sympathy or help from anyone. It would be easy to turn my back on all of them now. (I live in the Detroit area) Instead, I find myself donating things to charities right and left. And I now work in retail and come in contact with many people each day. I greet each and everyone of them as a friend. And I have become known in the neighborhood as a friend to many. A simple smile and friendly comment will go a LONG WAY. Use them freely and they will come back to you ten fold.
That is happiness.
I now make half of what I used to working twice as much and could not be happier.
April 26, 2009 at 10:47 pm
For what it’s worth, I didn’t find your Jesus comment offensive; granted I’m an atheist, but I don’t think the truth should offend people. And if it does, then maybe that person should not be associated with an organization, ie religion, which doesn’t exemplify his or her beliefs.
I am all for raising funds, or volunteering. There were so many great suggestions before me, I think adding to the list might be a bit superfluous.
April 27, 2009 at 10:04 pm
“Let it be” – I know…too many Beatles quotes…but it’s that musician side of me that makes me believe that love can be something that happens all the time, when you just let things be for a while.
Ciao!