courage

{[thanks mom <3]}


Courage is grace under pressure.

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.

Courage takes many forms.  There is physical courage, there is moral courage, then there is a still higher type of courage, -- the courage to brave pain, to live with it, to never let others know of it and to still find joy in  life; to wake up in the morning with an enthusiasm for the day ahead.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.  You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror.  I can take the next thing that comes along."

What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?

From the Book:

The Change-Your-Life Quote Book

by Allen Klein

life without borders

Hey! So, I'm sorry for not posting for a while, but here I am with something worth blogging about. Last night I went to Old St. Pat's to listen to Father Michael Pfleger, the pastor of St. Sabina's, speak about justice without borders. Pfleger is known for his liberal activism throughout Chicago and beyond. He has been involved in many issues and is the founder of many employment resource centers, youth centers, shelters, etc. in Chicago. He is especially concerned with breaking down the walls of racism and denominationalism by building unity among all people based on Jesus' command to love one another. 


I was really inspired by Pfleger's talk on social justice. So, I'm going to try to sum up what he talked about, and add in my two cents, if ya don't mind. He talked about how today's church has developed a lot of "safety rules." Unlike the early church, that could be described as "dangerous," we live in a period where we do not want to offend one another, we don't want to talk about anything controversial. Basically, churches today have become places that don't want to rock the boat. But, Pflager dared us to become part of a dangerous church, more like that of the Apostles. We must leave our comfort zone and go to where the pain is. According to Pflager, and I'd have to agree, Jesus was the most dangerous man that has ever lived. Jesus knocked down the tables of tax collectors, He befriended criminals and prostitutes, and ultimately He was crucified for His challenge to the status quo. Working for social justice issues is never going to be easy, it comes with a cost. The question is, do we have the courage to be different, to stand up to institutions and systems of injustice, and to be a voice for the voiceless? Are we ready to be possibly cast out or persecuted for these actions? 


The call to be a Christian does not involve conformity or compliance. The call doesn't ask us to be conservative. The call asks us to live outside of the norm, to avoid conforming to the world that surrounds us, to be a light within the darkness. 


Pfleger has stood up to a variety of issues including militarism, racism, sexism, violence, classicism, inadequate education, the celebrity culture and the disproportionate incarceration of young black men. 


He brought up a good question, asking why the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was so widely covered in the press when children are losing their lives to violence and going unnoticed. He told us that we must become just as outraged when children die everyday who are of color. It's true. It got me thinking, why do we, as a culture, give greater value to some people? Honestly, I really don't care to hear another update about William and Kate's royal wedding. Will ya just get married already! I don't think we need to know about the cake, the dress, the reception. That's great for them, really, but why must we make them so much more important than my brother who's getting married in October? Or my neighbor who's tying the knot this fall? Of course, I don't expect the press to be covering these weddings, but I'm only trying to make the point that we live in a culture that is so obsessed with the lives of the "elite," of a select few. So much so that we have to hear every detail about their lives. I want to know about the woman who lost her son to gang violence on the west side of my city. I want to know about the dress that my future sister-in-law is going to be wearing at her wedding. I want to know what's on your heart and in your mind. Want to know why? Because you have value. Just as much as William, just as much as Kate, and just as much as Rep. Giffords. No single person on this planet is any more or any less valuable than another. We are all an essential part of the Body of Christ. 


Jesus didn't exist in a world confined by a "church." Every single person, Jew and Gentile alike, were (and are) a part of His church. He never set up any borders to His Kingdom. There were no fancy buildings, no dues, no dress codes. The only requirement to be a part of the Kingdom of God is love. Love without borders. Compassion without borders. Justice without borders. Forgiveness without borders. 


So, how do we get there, you ask? Well, I'd have to say that we must listen to what our hearts are telling us. What are you most compassionate about? Are there any issues of injustice that can't seem to stop bothering you? If not, maybe start by volunteering at a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen, I can almost guarantee inspiration. Another great idea that I just came across is keeping a gratitude journal. I was told to write five things everyday that I was grateful for. I'm not going to lie, at first I was like, 'crap how am I going to think of FIVE things EVERY day?' Um...Dana, seriously? The first day I sat down to write, I went on for four pages. Give it a try, it's fun and really eye opening. Most importantly, we have to stop asking, stop pleading, stop worrying so much--and just listen. God doesn't scream or yell the answers to us, but instead, He whispers them into our hearts. The world is not against us, as it may seem to be at times, it is actually here to embrace us -- but only if we allow it to. 


The most important thing (some would argue) about being a Christian is not going to Church every Sunday, it's not about being afraid to break the rules that man has made regarding the Eucharist and other church doctrine, I'd have to say it's not even about fully believing that Christ is the "only" way. (eek that might have really offended some people, lo siento) Being a real Christian, a real son or daughter of God, a real citizen of humanity, is about helping our brothers and sisters that are less fortunate. In simpler words, it's about being a huge, overflowing, tub of LOVE. Not just for those that are in our own circles, but for every single dingle one of us--convicts, gang members, nuns, spoiled kids, grandpas, grandmas, the mentally ill, the overly pious, the pot head down the block, those that are different from us--even the guy who has really sweaty hands that you don't want to shake during the sign of peace. YES, all of those--we are to LOVE them. Jesus doesn't love me any more or any less than He loves you, nor any more or less than he loves a violent gang member. Jesus has instructed us:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’" 

-Matthew 25: 35-40

The way that we treat others, especially the "least of these," is the way that we treat the Lord. Let this be on our minds as we go throughout our days. Let us not be tricked by our culture that tries to make us believe that celebrities are of more value than the homeless man who stands at the Fullerton exit every single day. Let us make decisions governed by love and let us not be afraid to do the work that we are called to do. Let us stand up to injustice and care for the "least of these." Let us not be afraid of one another. Let us go beyond ourselves. Let us live our lives without borders.


-dana


Thanks for reading, I apologize if I offended anyone, feel free to let me know if I did!