Seven Surprises of the First Christmas
5 hours ago
Monday, January 22, 2007
still carrying on...
well, by now you know the Saints lost. =( but we still had a great time watching the game--check out the pictures . moving on to the next best thing--Cubs season! This is really our year, i can feel it.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Justice and Football
These are the two big things on my mind right now...
Justice issues seem to be pretty inescapable, considering that I work in a neighborhood that looks pretty much the same as it did on August 30, 2005 and all except 2-3% of its low-income majority African-American population have been unable to return to their homes.
Football because, well, I live in New Orleans and I'm from Chicago--how could it not b
e on my mind? Sometimes I think the New Orleans Saints are the only things keeping some of the residents here sane. Honestly, I have loved being on both sides of the story having ties to the Big Easy and the Windy City. There's no question who I'm cheering for (sorry Bears fans) but I've enjoyed reading and hearing the New Orleans media accounts of my home-city. One of my favorite blurbs so far, written by Times-Picayune columnist Chris Rose upon his arrival to Chicago, "My fancy downtown hotel has a small plasma display screen in the elevator that shows the weather forecast to help you plan your day.When I checked in Thursday, it read: Partly Cloudy, 25/13. Partly cloudy, I'll say. If Sherman-Williams made an exterior paint the color of the Chicago sky this week, it would be called January Suicide, something from the upscale Boutique Bereavement collection.Much worse was the "25/13" part. That's a football score, not a weather forecast. What kind of human being would live in these kinds of conditions?" Oh Chris, if only you knew... He goes on to make another major faux pas. Admittedly, the Saints professional record has been nothing stellar and this is their first appearance this far into the playoffs in their 40 year franchise history. But Mr. Rose made the mistake of terming it "the sorriest franchise in sports history." It was all I could do to hold myself back from falling out of my chair. I am willing to go on the record claiming that title for my beloved Chicago Cubs--who haven't won a World Series since 1908. In fact that date, 1908, has been ingrained in my psyche since I was a little girl. I'm willing to admit that I can share in the pain of Saints fans, which is perhaps why I'm excited to see them beat the Bears tomorrow, but let's just be clear about who's really the WORST.
Read the full Chris Rose articles here: Article 1 and Article 2. And one more article to prove my point.
Justice issues seem to be pretty inescapable, considering that I work in a neighborhood that looks pretty much the same as it did on August 30, 2005 and all except 2-3% of its low-income majority African-American population have been unable to return to their homes.
Football because, well, I live in New Orleans and I'm from Chicago--how could it not b
e on my mind? Sometimes I think the New Orleans Saints are the only things keeping some of the residents here sane. Honestly, I have loved being on both sides of the story having ties to the Big Easy and the Windy City. There's no question who I'm cheering for (sorry Bears fans) but I've enjoyed reading and hearing the New Orleans media accounts of my home-city. One of my favorite blurbs so far, written by Times-Picayune columnist Chris Rose upon his arrival to Chicago, "My fancy downtown hotel has a small plasma display screen in the elevator that shows the weather forecast to help you plan your day.When I checked in Thursday, it read: Partly Cloudy, 25/13. Partly cloudy, I'll say. If Sherman-Williams made an exterior paint the color of the Chicago sky this week, it would be called January Suicide, something from the upscale Boutique Bereavement collection.Much worse was the "25/13" part. That's a football score, not a weather forecast. What kind of human being would live in these kinds of conditions?" Oh Chris, if only you knew... He goes on to make another major faux pas. Admittedly, the Saints professional record has been nothing stellar and this is their first appearance this far into the playoffs in their 40 year franchise history. But Mr. Rose made the mistake of terming it "the sorriest franchise in sports history." It was all I could do to hold myself back from falling out of my chair. I am willing to go on the record claiming that title for my beloved Chicago Cubs--who haven't won a World Series since 1908. In fact that date, 1908, has been ingrained in my psyche since I was a little girl. I'm willing to admit that I can share in the pain of Saints fans, which is perhaps why I'm excited to see them beat the Bears tomorrow, but let's just be clear about who's really the WORST.Read the full Chris Rose articles here: Article 1 and Article 2. And one more article to prove my point.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Life on the Oregon Trail
Lately I've been thinking a lot about the computer game "Oregon Trail." Not only because I miss those old Apple IIe computers, but also because it reminds me of my life here in New Orleans. Let me explain...
In May, when Leroy Barber, president of Mission Year, came to visit our team in Oakland, he talked about the new opportunity being developed for Mission Year alumni to live and work for a year on the Gulf Coast. Short on logistical details, Leroy hooked me with his talk about the need for pioneers--this would be a year for people ready to lead the relief work. Whereas Mission Year is a pretty well-oiled machine, complete with an extensive handbook, this opportunity in the Gulf had far fewer details worked out. Normally, this would be a rather unattractive prospect for a potential year-long commitment, but the idea of being a pioneer and helping to shape history on the Gulf Coast inspired me to go. However, in a recent Unified New Orleans Plan district meeting, we sat around the table with City Councillor Cynthia Hedge-Morrell as she explained to the group that really we are not pioneers, but in fact we are trailblazers. The trailblazers make a path where there is none, and pursue what may seem to others like nothing more than a pipe dream. Trailblazers see hope and a destination where others see only wilderness and barriers. Pioneers, you see, may be the first ones to follow the path towards the destination. Pioneers are brave and courageous for going in new directions but someone had to come first to set out that path. The real pioneers will be the residents of New Orleans who are in the first waves to return in light of the progress that has been made. They will come not knowing what to expect, but hopeful in the path that has been tentatively laid out. The settlers are the residents of the city who will be returning for years and years to come. They will return to homes and neighborhoods rebuilt. The return of these families might skip a generation, but this city will be re-settled.
So you see, all this explorer-lingo got me thinking about my days playing "Oregon Trail." A lot of times I feel like I am traversing the wild west in nothing but a covered wagon and trying to plot new ways to get to the destination. While the description of a trailblazer may seem glamorous, most of the time it has been anything but for us. There are certain unique challenges that come along with being the one to clear away the branches when you can't quite see what's in front of you. While we are not needing to hunt buffalo for our meals or cure Susie's typhoid, the current trailblazers in New Orleans have their own set of difficulties to overcome. It looks like hundreds, if not thousands, of people in this city struggling to keep their homes heated when the droplets of storm water still gathered in the gas mains around the city block natural gas flow into their homes. We experienced this last week, though fortunately we have electric heat. However, we went without hot water and stove/oven power for 7 days. We whined and complained, and we were only among the many of others who face this everyday in this city. The energy company is understaffed and overworked and the whole system is messed up. It looks like sitting around a table for months to come up with a "plan" for recovery, and then waiting even longer to know if there will be an implementation strategy. It means adjusting to New Orleans culture while at the same time figuring out which parts of tradition will need to be foresaken for the cause of rebuilding this city in an effective and healthy way. It means often not knowing what each day will bring, attending meetings that may prove fruitless, and soldiering on in light of a lot of unanswered questions.
Just having been here for a few months, I feel like a small cog in the whole trailblazing process. I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with a group of passionate, committed pastors from several local churches. I was at the CURE retreat not as a leader but as a listener. What a privilege! I felt like I was just along for the ride as these pastors talked about what's really important to the recovery of their churches and the community. The conversation turned to how we really define Christian Community Development. It was so neat to see these leaders, the real trailblazers, talk not just about what their individual needs were or how many personal struggles they had but actually discuss what their vision was for a community re-born. I've read books and heard speakers on this topic, but none were quite as encouraging as sitting around the table in this conversation. These leaders are not subscribing to someone else's view or just following tradition. These trailblazers are asking the difficult questions and challenging themselves to come up with the answers that will bring hope and new life in the community.
On the first night of the CURE retreat, we watched a CNN special about the situation in New Orleans. It seems weird when the news of your city is designated for a special on a cable network, although of course we wanted to watch. It kind of reminded me of all the CNN I watched during the days immediately after the storm, wondering how it was possible that the plight of people in New Orleans was being broadcast nationwide while those people, so cut off from the rest of the world, screamed for help, wondering if anyone out there could hear them. People on rooftops waving for help and me sitting on a couch, thousands of miles away, feeling powerless to help. Watching it this time, though, made me glad to be a part of New Orleans. So many times I can watch news like that and then, when I'm sufficiently uncomfortable, I can change the channel to something more pleasant to watch. But here is a city that is crying out for help and I get to be here to be a part of the solution!
As people gathered to protest the violence in the city, many remarked that it feels like the "same old story," same as usual, and that nothing has really changed with all the promises and rhetoric that have proven empty. People are asking the same questions: Where is the accountability? Where is the money? How can we stop the crime? Many of the systems and routines of this city were broken long before the storm and the aftermath of Katrina is exposing all that. It is a testament to the amazing power of God to counter darkness with light. He brings light to bear on the darkest of situations, in order to bring healing and truth to pain and deceit. And that light also shows that there is an alternative, there is a different way. As we clear away the dust and debris, we have nearly a clean slate. As a trailblazer, we don't have to follow the routine that has been set before. We don't have to go down the same old road. And the Kingdom of God provides us a detour. The Kingdom is a whole different story and its vision of restoration and hope is what keeps me here and committed to the trail. We can choose to look at what is directly in front of us or we can keep our gaze set beyond what our limited eyes can see. There is something deep within us that calls out for something more. There is something we can't deny, some power that has brought all these people back here already yearning for their city to be brought back to life. And as blazers of a new trail, we are in pursuit of not the same life that this city once had but a wholly new life of love, truth and justice. We say we are blazing a trail, but truly we are trying to cling to the path that God has set out before us. Some days the way is clear, others we trip over our own feet. But if we are to reach the end, we must get up, dust off, and keep pursuing the city of light and promise of which we dream.
In May, when Leroy Barber, president of Mission Year, came to visit our team in Oakland, he talked about the new opportunity being developed for Mission Year alumni to live and work for a year on the Gulf Coast. Short on logistical details, Leroy hooked me with his talk about the need for pioneers--this would be a year for people ready to lead the relief work. Whereas Mission Year is a pretty well-oiled machine, complete with an extensive handbook, this opportunity in the Gulf had far fewer details worked out. Normally, this would be a rather unattractive prospect for a potential year-long commitment, but the idea of being a pioneer and helping to shape history on the Gulf Coast inspired me to go. However, in a recent Unified New Orleans Plan district meeting, we sat around the table with City Councillor Cynthia Hedge-Morrell as she explained to the group that really we are not pioneers, but in fact we are trailblazers. The trailblazers make a path where there is none, and pursue what may seem to others like nothing more than a pipe dream. Trailblazers see hope and a destination where others see only wilderness and barriers. Pioneers, you see, may be the first ones to follow the path towards the destination. Pioneers are brave and courageous for going in new directions but someone had to come first to set out that path. The real pioneers will be the residents of New Orleans who are in the first waves to return in light of the progress that has been made. They will come not knowing what to expect, but hopeful in the path that has been tentatively laid out. The settlers are the residents of the city who will be returning for years and years to come. They will return to homes and neighborhoods rebuilt. The return of these families might skip a generation, but this city will be re-settled.
So you see, all this explorer-lingo got me thinking about my days playing "Oregon Trail." A lot of times I feel like I am traversing the wild west in nothing but a covered wagon and trying to plot new ways to get to the destination. While the description of a trailblazer may seem glamorous, most of the time it has been anything but for us. There are certain unique challenges that come along with being the one to clear away the branches when you can't quite see what's in front of you. While we are not needing to hunt buffalo for our meals or cure Susie's typhoid, the current trailblazers in New Orleans have their own set of difficulties to overcome. It looks like hundreds, if not thousands, of people in this city struggling to keep their homes heated when the droplets of storm water still gathered in the gas mains around the city block natural gas flow into their homes. We experienced this last week, though fortunately we have electric heat. However, we went without hot water and stove/oven power for 7 days. We whined and complained, and we were only among the many of others who face this everyday in this city. The energy company is understaffed and overworked and the whole system is messed up. It looks like sitting around a table for months to come up with a "plan" for recovery, and then waiting even longer to know if there will be an implementation strategy. It means adjusting to New Orleans culture while at the same time figuring out which parts of tradition will need to be foresaken for the cause of rebuilding this city in an effective and healthy way. It means often not knowing what each day will bring, attending meetings that may prove fruitless, and soldiering on in light of a lot of unanswered questions.
Just having been here for a few months, I feel like a small cog in the whole trailblazing process. I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with a group of passionate, committed pastors from several local churches. I was at the CURE retreat not as a leader but as a listener. What a privilege! I felt like I was just along for the ride as these pastors talked about what's really important to the recovery of their churches and the community. The conversation turned to how we really define Christian Community Development. It was so neat to see these leaders, the real trailblazers, talk not just about what their individual needs were or how many personal struggles they had but actually discuss what their vision was for a community re-born. I've read books and heard speakers on this topic, but none were quite as encouraging as sitting around the table in this conversation. These leaders are not subscribing to someone else's view or just following tradition. These trailblazers are asking the difficult questions and challenging themselves to come up with the answers that will bring hope and new life in the community.
On the first night of the CURE retreat, we watched a CNN special about the situation in New Orleans. It seems weird when the news of your city is designated for a special on a cable network, although of course we wanted to watch. It kind of reminded me of all the CNN I watched during the days immediately after the storm, wondering how it was possible that the plight of people in New Orleans was being broadcast nationwide while those people, so cut off from the rest of the world, screamed for help, wondering if anyone out there could hear them. People on rooftops waving for help and me sitting on a couch, thousands of miles away, feeling powerless to help. Watching it this time, though, made me glad to be a part of New Orleans. So many times I can watch news like that and then, when I'm sufficiently uncomfortable, I can change the channel to something more pleasant to watch. But here is a city that is crying out for help and I get to be here to be a part of the solution!
As people gathered to protest the violence in the city, many remarked that it feels like the "same old story," same as usual, and that nothing has really changed with all the promises and rhetoric that have proven empty. People are asking the same questions: Where is the accountability? Where is the money? How can we stop the crime? Many of the systems and routines of this city were broken long before the storm and the aftermath of Katrina is exposing all that. It is a testament to the amazing power of God to counter darkness with light. He brings light to bear on the darkest of situations, in order to bring healing and truth to pain and deceit. And that light also shows that there is an alternative, there is a different way. As we clear away the dust and debris, we have nearly a clean slate. As a trailblazer, we don't have to follow the routine that has been set before. We don't have to go down the same old road. And the Kingdom of God provides us a detour. The Kingdom is a whole different story and its vision of restoration and hope is what keeps me here and committed to the trail. We can choose to look at what is directly in front of us or we can keep our gaze set beyond what our limited eyes can see. There is something deep within us that calls out for something more. There is something we can't deny, some power that has brought all these people back here already yearning for their city to be brought back to life. And as blazers of a new trail, we are in pursuit of not the same life that this city once had but a wholly new life of love, truth and justice. We say we are blazing a trail, but truly we are trying to cling to the path that God has set out before us. Some days the way is clear, others we trip over our own feet. But if we are to reach the end, we must get up, dust off, and keep pursuing the city of light and promise of which we dream.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
