The Organ of Meaning

Just before Christmas I read an article that was recommended by a friend that works in the American University’s chaplain’s office. It was written by an author that works at Penn State as a history prof who focuses on the history of Christianity and particularly focuses on non-Western Christianity.

The article referred to a book that he had written that had been recently released, called The Lost History of Christianity that focused on what happened to the “Jesus movement” in Asia and Africa after Acts ended. Let me just say that this book is fascinating and eye-opening. It outlines a lot of things that we are happily ignorant to in our own histories and which is absent in most of our minds as we think about how the message of Christ has spread to the parts of the earth that are not European in historical and cultural origin.

I read some of the reviews on Amazon – yes, some of the churches that he outlines are ones that have been historically designated as heretical, but there is still value to understanding reality in relation to where the Gospel has gone before and how & why the rest of the world sees and interprets its history. The chapter that I have just finished even talks about the fact that Arab Christians were major players in the Palestinian Movements of the early 20th Century and much of the pro-Arab Identity movements that continue today. It will shed some light on how fellow followers/worshippers of Christ still influence into the wars that we’re fighting now… both on “our” side and on the side of our opponents (either explicitly or implicitly). And, it shows how complicit our own nation and government is in the martyrdom of thousands of Christians in the past 50-ish years alone.

Again, I recommend the book as a history book (as opposed to a “Christian book”) that I think that every Western person who calls themself by the name of Christ (”Christian”) should read this book – especially those who have dreams or callings towards the Middle East or Asia.

For as much time as I spend on here, you’d think I’d update my own blog pretty often. Wrong.

I’d love to. One of my goals for the year was to post something of substance on here every other day. Didn’t happen. Not even close.

Since August 27th, huh? I mean, “Ride the Snake” doesn’t really do anything to update you on me does it? Other than the fact that I love that sketch.

The semester has started crazy, good and crazygood. It’s also been enormously hard. I’ve been working mostly at American University and have been loving working with the three guys that God has put in my path so far as well as leading a small group discussion on some of the less “fluffy” teachings of Jesus – “Eat my flesh and drink my blood if you want to go to Heaven.” (And that was just the first week.)

We’ve had fall retreat and I’ve been working on websites (hosting and designing). I am still planning on voting for Obama.

I’ve been twittering a ton and perhaps that will help me think of what I should update you on (I just want to point out that I am at 600 “tweets” even)…

• I have been doing a lot of office work at Murky Coffee.
• I have been dealing with misplaced self-value.
• Convoy of Hope DC – awesome!
• I haven’t been getting enough sleep.
• I had a wonderful day off that turned into a 6-mile walk.
• Went to Korean Thanksgiving.
• Got to Third Base with Dave and Sean.
• Fall Retreat was great – 11 students from DC. (& the aftermath.)

That’s a decent bullet-point summary of the last few weeks. I have also been reading Star Wars novels and I am not ashamed. Okay maybe I am a little.

This week I am taking a personal retreat and getting alone with God for 5 days. Me in a house/cabin alone – 5 days. Not a vacation, a retreat. Pray for me that it will go well and that I will hear pretty powerfully from God.

It’s weird to me that I care this much that AU is in the March Madness.

I never cared about any school that I attended, at least not in the sports arena, yet I think this is awesome. Now that I’m a chaplain there I am really starting (starting) to identify with the school. Also, I don’t care about basketball… at all.

Still this is cool, I actually have a team to root for in the tournament and I care.