Shalom

I learned what shalom meant a few years ago during a mission trip to Argentine District in Kansas City. They explained that shalom was used to explain the garden of Eden. It meant perfect. After sin, shalom was broken. We now live in a world full of sadness, pain, lost souls, false fulfillment, disease, and so on. The list never ends, sin has affected every aspect of our lives making it incapable for us to have pure relationship, pure actions, and pure thoughts. We are prone to wander from truth.

The good news is that Jesus came to restore shalom. His work was started when he died for us and gave us a way to be saved from sin. But we still live in a sinful world and we are still prone to sin. But one day he will come again, and everything bad will be gone. We will live in shalom again. Shalom more detailed means completeness, peace, rest, harmony, health, and perfectness. Knowing Jesus gives us a taste of shalom that we will one day experience in its fullness.

I love this idea of God restoring shalom. It's my main encouragement when I watch the news and hear about all the horrible things in our world because of sin. I remember that God is good and he will restore us. That doesn't mean I should throw my hands in the air and let God restore the world when he wants to. I am called to restore brokenness as best I can. 

Today in class we talked about how we don't live in a post racial society. It broke my heart to see how mistaken we are. One day God is gonna fix this. I look forward to that day. Here are some links and videos to what I saw in class today. It is not an easy problem to fix, but being ignorant to it certainly won't help.

I stole this from wired.com. They had nearly 20 maps showing how segregated our cities are. Blue dots are Whites, green dots are African Americans, red dots are Asians, orange dots are Latino, others are brown. Probably the most extreme example would be Detroit, pictured below.

Here is Atlantas map below.

I was shocked that these were not isolated cases. Clusters of whites and blacks is common across the US. Racism is built into the foundations of our society. I have never noticed it because I've never seen it. I'm surrounded by middle and high class white families, so I don't see racism. But the few African Americans in my neighborhood, or my elementary school, see racism. It's also not circumstance that many more African Americans live in lower income areas in crappier houses. I don't think they choose it as much as it's forced upon them.

Here's an example of how blacks and whites are treated differently as children. The article with it is very good also, so here is the article link with the videos. A white 7 year old and a black 7 year old both took their mom or grandmas car for a joy ride. But the white kid gets brought on the Today show and his actions are explained away as being a typical boy. The black kid has internalized the stereotypes that have been placed on him and responds differently. But this doesn't explain the cops different reactions between the two boys. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/media-kids-racial-stereotypes_n_3624740.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Watch this! This video shows a white guy, a black guy, and a pretty girl each trying to steal a bike in public while admitting to what they're doing. See the different reactions!

http://www.upworthy.com/know-anyone-that-thinks-racial-profiling-is-exaggerated-watch-this-and-tell-me-when-your-jaw-drops-2

He showed us more research on the presence of racism. I don't know if this was as convincing coming from me. But I've been convinced over the last year and a half of sociology classes. These are things to at least be aware of. This gets me more excited for when God will restore all that's broken so we can live within shalom again.

Who's Kingdom are you seeking?

Last Wednesday at RUF we went through Matthew 6:19-34. This passage talks about storing up treasures in Heaven, and not being anxious about what you will wear or eat because God provides for even the birds and flowers. Here are my scattered thoughts and take aways.

Jesus is calling us to pick a side. We can't serve two masters. Living for God means giving up a sense of control. When we are getting anxious, we are anxious over the things we can't control. Jesus says we are wasting our energy because our idea of control is an illusion. 

Verse 25 says "Is not life more than food, and the body more the clothing?" We talked about how being anxious about these things and things like it reduces our life to mere food and clothing. I don't want to reduce my life to that. If that's what is most important to me, what's the point? Jesus offers a depth that I can't muster up. We don't realize how shallow we make our lives by being anxious. 

We also ack perspective. We think our lives will be over if we don't pass this test. Is that what I'm living for? I'm living for something bigger than a good grade, bigger than a college degree, bigger than a lot of money, bigger than a happy marriage, I'm living to be used for purposes too big for my mind to grasp. I live in pursuit of a joy that is impossible to attain apart from divine grace.

Birds and flowers are examples of things fully dependent on God. They are helpless. If I was that dependent on God for my basic needs, I think I'd die of an anxiety attack. Ironically, I am fully dependent on God for my basic needs and I live in an illusion of independence. God gives and God takes away. My means of providing for myself are in his hands. By faking self sufficiency, I steal God's glory and his recognition as provider. My lack of trust says God does not love me enough to give me what I need or that he is not capable of meeting my needs. It says that I know what I need better than the one who created me. 

But God is the perfect, loving provider. I am called to be holy as he is holy. I need to care for the birds and flowers in my life. Who has God put around me? Who can I encourage? Who can I provide for? How can I use the money God has given me? I treat my money like it's meant for my good. In a sense it is for my good. But my view of good is messed up. I will find deepest joy when I provide for others. In the process, I show that I trust in God more than my money to provide for me. 

Laura and I were talking the other day about how we should give and then ask for God to supply for us. Read Luke 11:5-8. Here the man offered something to his friend that he did not have, then asked his other friend to meet his needs because he had already committed to provide for this man. So God is even more willing to meet our needs when we give more than we have to be of service to others. I'm being brief, but it took me a while to understand this concept. It's encouraging though because I should be generous with the money I have and sometimes the resources I don't have. I don't plan to get in tons of debt to save the world, but I do see the value in living in a way that you need God to come through; a life with no back up plan. 

Things to think about: What do I need? What will last? Who am I relying on? Am I trying to be God or am I letting him be God? 

I won't always have everything I need. There are strong Christians who suffer daily, some without food and clothes. There may not always be provision for my body, but there will always be provision for my soul. Even if I die of thirst, I have living water so that I will never spiritually thirst. 

The passage tells us to seek first the kingdom of Heaven. When I get anxious and desire things that don't last I need to ask myself if I am building up the kingdom of Morgan or of God. The sermon on the mount points out where people are following the rules yet God isn't involved. I need to ask myself where is God? Where is he in my life, in this decision, in this anxiety?