I definitely want to start writing again, and I just filled up the first page of a new notebook with ideas, but now that I finally have a second to write, I'm at a loss for where to start and what to write about.

Who knows when I'll really get at it again...?Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

I watched Iron Man last night... it was well done and I enjoyed it

very much. I do want to call into question the seeming foolishness of

our own myths. This movie is the story of the chief weapons

manufacturer in the world who realizes that his weapons have gotten

into the wrong hands and are being used against his own country. His

answer? He devotes his life to the concept of the Iron Man. He fights

fire with fire. And the movie itself shows the flaw as the very

technology he pushes to develop to stop his enemies gets into those

hands and he ends up fighting a second Iron Man. Never does he put

his energy and genius into something a little bit more creative than

simply fighting back with bigger guns. When will we move toward a

third way? What options and ideas do we have? I'm still thinking.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

This video is, for the most part, in line with a few of the things I've been thinking about.

Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

What if we gave up our right to be right? Then maybe we might get somewhere, but it is a different destination than where we are currently headed. If you've read the last two blog posts then this post will make a little more sense (so read them if you haven't).

I am not going to try and talk somebody into becoming a Christian. I am not going to share with them all the wonders of the things and God that I believe in. Why? Everytime someone else does the same to me, whether Christian or Jehovah's Witness or Mormon or Seventh Day Adventist, etc., it makes me squirm, and I do not listen, and I tend to try and talk them into believing what I believe anyway. These not-so-conversations go nowhere. Why? Because we are both right. When two people are right there cannot be any discussion, there cannot be any debate, there cannot be any conversation. And without these things there cannot be any relationship.

And that is what I offer as an alternative to evangelism (as per the last two blogs): relationship. What is the best thing we can do for someone who believes something different than we do? It is not to show them how right the things we believe in are. It is to fall in love with them, to see the deep beauty of their soul. It is to get to know them, to listen to their story, to share life with them, to respect and take seriously what they believe (because we obviously want them to take seriously what WE believe). It is in this context that conversations will thrive... and if this is where love is, then this is where truth and beauty and goodness is.

Your thoughts?Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

Jesus said, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on

earth. Therefore as you are going and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the holy

spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I

am with you always, even to the end of the age."One thing to notice about this passage is that in the verses before

this (Matthew 28:16-17) the only people that Jesus was talking to were

the eleven disciples. So if we ignore for a second that these words

aren't really directed to us at all (as we usually do), how are we to

understand this, especially in light of my last blog post "Do unto

others..."?As an answer to the questions at the end of the last post: I believe

that discipleship, and discipling, are a wonderful alternative to most

expressions of evangelism. The problem is that we the people called

Christians have not taken this statement seriously, at least not for

the last century or so (and I can't think of any evidence that points

to much of anything before that either...). And street discipling and

door to door discipleship are contradictions. Discipleship

demands a serious commitment to a serious relationship - and we're not

good with commitment.Also in line with the thoughts of the last blog, if I am going to treat others the way that I would like to be treated, I would only come into a discipling relationship with someone who asks it of me. And I would only ask it of someone who has demonstrated wisdom, character and love in a very significant way. Most of us need to spend a decade or two under the wise gaze of a mentor before we think about discipling somebody else. And we have a long way to go before anybody around us (in the world or in our neighborhoods) would approach us to be discipled. We are hardly liked much less respected. What do you think?Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

Jesus said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." What

implications does this have for evangelism? I don't know about you,

but I certainly do not appreciate anothers efforts to convince me to

think or believe something different than I do now. How about you?

Any thoughts? Any alternatives?Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

This is definitely worth a post...

From: Finding Rhythm

Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

Since I first landed on this island I have been continually impressed, and mostly jealous, of Jamaica's national anthem. Now that I've heard and been exposed to the pledge, I am double jealous.

You see, I love my country. But that certainly does not mean that I'm in love with everything that makes us US. Take our national anthem for example "The Star Spangled Banner" -- it is incredibly touching and moving and inspiring. But I am saddened by the fact that our national identity is so inherently integrated in warfare. Yes, the war for our independence from Britain is a fundamental reality of what makes the US the US. But take a look again at the Jamaican anthem. While theirs is a plea to God above to give them wisdom, and a song that rejoices in this land that they love, ours is ecstasy at the fact that when the battle was over, we'd kicked ass!

And so in and with these past few posts, I just wanted to give a big ups to Jamaica. Their national anthems and songs are pure, wise, wholesome, holy and beautiful. It is so good to be living here with these people.

P.S. If you want to check out the page where I found the previous blog entries of mine, check them out by clicking here.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

Jamaica land of beauty, We promise faithfully

To serve thee with our talents and bring our gifts to thee

Jamaica we will always in honour of thy name

Work steadfastly and wisely and never bring thee

ShameFrom riverside to mountain from cane-field to the sea

Our hearts salute Jamaica Triumphant, proud and free,

-----------------------------------

Together in our country, In love and brotherhood

We’ll work and play in freedom, as all god’s children should

With hearts and hands united, In thanks for everything

That God has giv’n unto us, together let us sing

From riverside to mountain from cane-field to the sea

Our hearts salute Jamaica, Triumphant, proud and free.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

I pledge my heart forever

To serve with humble pride

This shining homeland, ever

So long as earth abide.

I pledge my heart, this island

As God and faith shall live

My work, my strength, my love and

My loyalty to give.

O green isle of the Indies,

Jamaica, strong and free,

Our vows and loyal promises

O heartland, ‘tis to Thee.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

I'll post this too, for good measure.

Eternal Father bless our land,

Guard us with Thy Mighty Hand,

Keep us free from evil powers,

Be our light through countless hours.

To our Leaders, Great Defender,

Grant true wisdom from above.

Justice, Truth be ours forever,

Jamaica, Land we love.

Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica land we love. Teach us true respect for all,

Stir response to duty’s call, strengthen us the weak to cherish,

Give us vision lest we perish.

Knowledge send us Heavenly Father,

Grant true wisdom from above.

Justice, Truth be ours forever,

Jamaica, land we love.

Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica land we love. Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

I gave a presentation for World Wetlands Day at a primary school after their morning devotion. And I heard, for the first time, the Jamaican National Pledge. It was so rad. Check it out:

Before God and all mankind, I pledge the love and loyalty of my heart, the wisdom and courage of my mind, the strength and vigour of my body in the service of my fellow citizens; I promise to stand up for Justice, Brotherhood and Peace, to work diligently and creatively, to think generously and honestly, so that Jamaica may, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity, and play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

windy is curious todayshe's curious every dayin fact.

with her head held highstanding up straightand tall,she scans the room.left rightleft righton and on and on againthroughout the day

sometimes when she's stillfrozen solid in stagnationi can turn her on likethe greatest loveri know every buttonto push

that secret spot right above her earshe can hardly hold stillfrom the excitement of it all.

and there's always acool breeze whenwindy's around.

i am grateful for my blackroommatestylishly dressed ingreen with polished abs

and that mole onthe small of herback will make herdrop to her kneeslike you wouldn't believe.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

this depression sucksi'm bored out of my mind and i've gotwell, plenty enough to do to keep me occupied,but not enough of the kind of activitythat makes my soul leap,that lets my spirit soar likethose birds i saw today.something like a turkey vulture or a hawk.they flated on the rising wind ever sodelicately. this one, whosecoat (do you call it a coat on a bird?)was speckled brown and blackwas showing off, for which of hisfriends i couldn't tell, buti know (s)he was defenitely there.it was a mighty and wild dive,flips and flops, and the soundgrabbed my eyes, and i couldnot resist but had to ganderat eachp playful swoop.and i wondered, standing 30ft upon a half broken ladder, are thebirds ever afraid of heights?

(and with such a glory that unfoldedas I dined in the sky,this depression confounds even me)Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

it is almost backed up by a warantee,this particular one is a guarantee,that when I tie up my blue sheet hammockstring it from the left to the rightlike the islanders who lay outin the pacific for the samemy reading will be gently interruptedlike the slow venom of a thoughtful snakeand i will rest though I stray from the ground.

Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

i was in bed with three men when it happenedthe fingers of the wind were playing with myhair, making it dance (because that'show the wind likes it)the van (otherwise known as a pickup)cruised up the coast, but not too fast,when I was struck with a grin.I knew then that life is sweet bliss, a gift,and it happened in a bed with three other men.

Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

I want to write a poem about somethingi would like it to be profoundbut where should I begin? how does it work?most of the poetry I know is in music

you might remind me of my education.of the sonnets and verses shown to me in high school,or of the bibles many lines: pagesupon pages of ageless poetry (in places)but most of that is not poetry I can remembernone of that speaks to me, not like poetry should.such is my disappointment with Dickinson and Elliot,with Shakespeare and so many of the greats.I look to their words and..... nothingnothing but confusion and friction.they do not speak to me. i do not know them.there is billy collins, poet loriat who writesthe most wonderful prose with a poetic touch(and poetic form to fool us)but where does that leave me?i yearn ot write, but who will teach me?my pen and paper are ready, my computerwaiting to have its buttons pushed.i will write alone. and before and behind me iseveryone and everything I know, in an absent presencethat pushes me to be me, to write.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

I had an idea to write about a TV,to describe to you, in many ways, this picture box.The way the family stares longingly at the tube -the great mindfuck of our generation -the screen that captures our attention and aims to a-muse*.(*a=non + muse=thought) it is:the altar of advertisingthe usurper of man's best friendthe mainstay of every american family rooman exercise in apathya dependable alternativea subtle dictatora leech of youthful vigor the death sentence of community.

how many do you have in your home?Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

i don't want to write a shitty poem

so i ignored the urge to capture

my cup of peppermint tea in word

the way it is captured in mug

and the way it slowly travels inward

with the bidding of each and every sip

i take this lazy sunday.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

Here is a little heads up for the next series of blogs that I'm going to post...

I was looking through some of my journals and notebooks from the past year and a half and I'm going to type up and post some of the poetry that I've written since coming to Jamaica.

Look forward to it, they make me smile.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

I can't say that I have finished, because I most certainly have not. But I am slowly learning that I am no better than anybody else.

I used to think that I am better than Jamaicans. No, I am merely a fool.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

The teachers are everywhere. What is wanted is a learner.

In ignorance there is hope.[...]

Rely on ignorance. It is ignorance that the teachers will come to.

They are waiting, as hey always have, beyond the edge of the light.

- Wendell Berry, "Healing," WHAT ARE People FOR?

But where do most Christians find themselves today? Not in ignorance, but full of the truth (as if it takes anything less than a lifetime of discipleship and wisdom to fill even the smallest cup).

Truth is not something that we can have, it is not something that we can give away. Truth is the God that we are walking to. Truth is a journey, and a beautiful expression of life.

What the world needs is more people who know that they don't know. And we must learn together. We must learn about each other, and about ourselves. The teachers will come, they always do. But we will miss them if we are convinced that we already know everything that we need to know.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

If we can never fully know the person sitting next to us... If we can never fully know even one member of our family... If we can never fully know, over the course of a lifetime, the one we call our lover and best friend, our life long partner in all that has breath... And if we can never fully know ourselves...

Then how are we so certain that we know God so well?Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

One thing that I have come to see so powerfully in my time down here in Jamaica is how thoroughly shaped I am by the culture in which I was raised, in which I was an active participant, and in which I will continue to contribute (even as I write this). And I have come to learn so many things about Jamaicans (as a whole and individually - as is the case with several of the people I live near or work with).

What have I found? What do I see? That neither you, nor I, breathe even a single breath without the influence of culture. And I cannot know Jamaicans if I don't know Jamaican culture. I cannot know what makes me different if I don't know American culture. Every word that we say, every thing we do, every bite we eat, every person we love... it is all shaped by culture.

An understanding of the universe (and our place in it)? Yep, that's culture. The shape of a family? Yep, that's culture. Modes of transportation, styles of communication, acceptable romantic relationships? Yep, that's culture. The food we eat, the books we read, the stories we tell, the places we go, the people we look up to, the people we try to become... all shaped and guided by culture. Even counter-culture is a type of culture in itself.

And yet why do we never consider this when, let's say, we pick up the bible? How does it make sense to pick up this book -- which is not just a book but a collection of history, poetry, prophecy, stories, letters and laws... 60 different "books" with many many different voices -- and never stop to consider the culture of the book. How can we pick up ancient literature and expect it to immediately and always make direct and applicable sense to us today, thousands of years later, and with an innumerable amount of cultural changes in between?

This thing we call the "Good Book" indeed is incredible. It is (arguably, of course) the most amazing and important book in the world. But when we look at it only through the lense(s) of our own culture, we lie to ourselves and do an incredible disservice to the pages that we call Scripture.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.

You CANNOT forget your history, or else you will certainly misunderstand where you are coming from.

Why do we as White people, as America, do all we can to avoid the conversation? Why do we continually ask the black community to forget that slavery happened. Why do we continue on without repentance. Yes, I certainly had absolutely nothing to do with slavery. I wasn't ever alive. I am not certain of this, but I may not have any family/ancestors who owned slaves. I probably did, but I am not certain. Nevertheless I will say this: I am so sorry.

It pains me to learn of the terrible history of my own people. Much goodness happened and is happening and will continue to happen. I love my people. I am [United States of] American and I am not ashamed to be such. But the deepest darkness of all humanity is embodied in the history of America, and it is a story that continues to this day (and many of the deepest and darkest Secrets of the American Empire are yet to be told). And all of us: the powerful who have wounded the weak, the weak who have in turn wounded the powerful, and the many caught up and engaged in the middle -- all of us must uncover and embrace the past, we must bear the burden of this reality and sit with it. We cannot ignore it. And we must repent, we must forgive, and we must come together and move forward together.

How are we going to do this? We are going to have to drop our guards for a bit and move into relationships with those who are other than us. Whites need to get to know blacks (and hispanics, and asians and everybody). And it goes the other way around too. And blacks, hispanics, asians, and the numerous little differentiations that I could make, all need to get to know one another too. Heterosexuals need to come into meaningful and compassionate relationships with Homosexuals (all GLBT), and the other way around. Theists need to grab a mug of coffee (or a pint) and seriously get to know some atheists and agnostics, and the other way around. Christians need to learn about Islam, and Judaism, and Hinduism, and Buddhism, and so many that I can't name them; but not to learn about the religion (for the sake of evangelism) so much as get to know the people. We must get to know each other, and we must come to love each other, and we must come together to push each other to being and becoming a better we. And I can say this about liberals and conservatives, the rich and the poor, the well educated and the illiterate, the young and the old, homeowners and the homeless, artists and scientists, the married and the single.

Where does it start? With you. That's right... YOU. You are the only one who can make the move for you. And I know for certain that you have at least one neighbor, colleague, family member or someone in your life who is different than you. I don't know how you are going to do it, but we must do this. And as I am finding out here in Jamaica it is a painful and incredibly patient process. Relationships take time, especially when there is not an established bridge between two souls (by way of culture or interests, etc.). Start with one person, and begin to provide him/her with opportunities to get to know you. You will get to know her/him in the process.

Danger!!! If you doing this, if you are about to embark on this incredibly difficult journey or movement, you are going to get burned, banged up, bruised and I promise that it certainly wont be easy. Trust and intimacy takes a ton of time to develop, especially when it is a relationship that builds a bridge between to kinds of people who are not supposed to be in a relationship. And be aware that there are so many invisible things that will trip us up in this, so many traps set to stop the love. But press on nevertheless. Goodness and mercy will certainly follow, and the scars you get along the way will be all the more meaningful.Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. As they say in Jamaica... Bless. Respect. Give Thanks.