Time for Wednesday & Thursday

For those of you helping with Love Your Feet Shoe Outreach, setup will begin at 7PM in the Gym at McAllister Wednesday night and Thursday morning will begin at 8AM - we will have breakfast food and lunch food provided Thursday. 

Just a reminder.

Bullies & Justice

                We were walking a few nights ago along Ocean Avenue, the famous "strip" in South Beach, enjoying the evening, chuckling at the diversity of humanity one can see there after dark.  I have to admit it is a strange kind of laughter there - on one hand you can hardly help it - there are so many things happening that we just don't see much of in Indiana - but on the other hand there is a sadness to it, so many people trying to find happiness and failing...well maybe it isn't that far from Indiana after all, just in a louder and more wild direction...

                So, we were walking along and Melissa's face suddenly got pale and she said somewhat breathlessly, "Jason, look over there, two guys are hitting someone on the ground!"

                My eyes followed her pointing finger about 25 yards off the sidewalk we were walking on and about 25 yards ahead of us where i saw two large men taking turns one holding down someone who to me appeared to me to be much smaller than them in the dirt and kicking and hitting them.  I saw the weak one try to bring their head up and it looked to be an old person, male most likely, with short hair.  The two bullies laughed and talked to the weak one, but the sounds were not audible because of the fray across Ocean Drive.  There was a moment where time slowed and some decisions had to be made.  Melissa's first words then were, "Jason, don't go over there."  I saw her wisdom but felt torn, realizing that i probably would not be able to do much by myself against 2 big guys, so we ran across the street to a store, brought the worker out into the sidewalk to see the beating and asked her to call the Police.  She assured us that she would and we were relieved to see 2 bicycle police guys going that way in the next couple minutes.  We stopped and prayed for the victim and bullies and, feeling troubled, went back to our hotel where we prayed some more. 

                The next day, we had been at the beach and were heading to lunch when a guy on a Segway came by the people walking behind us.  He offered them a tour and when they said no he kept bugging them, trying to get them to buy his tour (like anyone would want a tour with a pushy Segway guy!).  Apparently he realized they weren't going to buy his pushy Segway tour and so he zoomed up next to us.  He asked us what we were doing and if we needed a tour.  My response?  "Just keep moving, we're not interested."  He slowed his Segway down (kinda comical trying to be a convincing bully on a Segway!) and said, "Are you telling me what to do?"  My response?  "We were just walkin' and you drove up."  Followed by his, "Walk faster."  Now, i will let those of you who know me think for just a second what kind of a response that brought from me (not that it was the best response considering my faith and all and what Melissa's response was. 

                In the background you could hear Melissa say, "Oh Jason," and in the take it easy, please don't hurt Segway guy and get thrown in jail because i really want to enjoy the rest of our trip together and it's really not that big of a deal anyway way.

                My response did not involve any talking.  I simply SLOWED DOWN MY WALKING.  He then sped off on his Segway, shaking his head and laughing. 

                Now, the take home point from all this is not to fight with native Miamians.  It is not to feel the need to defend your honor.  Honestly, that guy had nothing to say about me that could hurt me - the best thing to do would have been to say, "No, i was not meaning to tell you what to do, but we are not interested in your tour, have a good day," and really mean it.  But, i supposed there is still something in me of the beat down, bullied kid i used to be and i felt something in me raging at the injustice of it.  I was ready to fight back!!

                So, if that's not the point, what is?

                Well, most of my life from the ages of 5 until age 18, i was bullied.  Hit, picked on, cast out, beat down.  I would have been the one with my head pushed down in the dirt.  Every day was a day of fear.  Every hope was mostly about being not noticed enough to be hurt - i was way past the idea of anyone actually accepting me or caring about me for who i was.  It was such a part of my life that it seemed there would never be an end.  As i got older and bigger, there was a short period of time, although i hate to admit it, that i enjoyed finding people smaller than me and picking on them.  I had so much anger and hurt and rage in me i just could not seem to find what to do with all of it and somehow making someone else hurt like me seemed to help sometimes.  Then i found God, and He taught me that He could bring healing to the hurt and anger in me and then, after a lot of healing and time, that He could use all that anger and passion and hurt to make a difference  in the world.  So...I am sick of injustice!!  I am sick of the strong getting their way with the weak!!  I am sick of the rich taking advantage of the poor!!  I am sick of the big guys who beat up the little guys and the Segway guys who want to intimidate people who are minding their own business!!  I am sick of the people who have, continuing to have while those who have not, having even less!! I am sick of it!!  I am so angry at injustice i could just about scream!!!  There is part of me that wants to become part of Jason Blankenship's League of Masked Avengers (sorry if i got the name wrong Jas!) and i hope we go around together watching for guys like those guys in the park and together whoop the holy crap out of them!!!  Pick up the guy who was getting beat down and give him a few licks of his own on his attackers, then make them say they are sorry and maybe give him a foot massage or something like that!!!

                But as i have been thinking about it, beating up the bullies and knocking Segway guy into next week might be really nice in terms of getting out some rage, but i do not think it would do any justice at all.  It would simply be turning the tables on the "big" guys.  The problem with that is that i really do want to live a life that fights for justice.  I want to be a part of the world where as Switchfoot says, "Where the righteous right the wrongs."  But, what would be just?  That is after all the next question i should be asking.  If i want to have a life that fights for justice - What is Justice? (here my girls might say, "A store at the mall with cool girls only clothes.").  Clearly Segway guy and the bullies in the park are unjust, but does just whooping them do justice?  Now, i totally believe in taking responsibility for your actions - that consequences are important in life - just ask my kids - but do you think that those bullies in the park and Segway guy at some point in their lives decided, "I wanna have the kind of life where i need to go around and beat up small people in the park with my friends so that i can feel significant?" or "I think needing to intimidate people who aren't riding two-wheeled scooters is a good thing for me to do to prove that i am a man!"

                They're silly really questions.  Truth is, those guys no doubt have had lives full of doubt and pain and hurt - anger and resentment and betrayal.  This is the only way they know.  It's sad.  They are more pitiful than the people the prey on.  And when i think of them that way, it is hard to imagine that whooping the crap out of them will in some way right any wrongs, bring any justice.

                So, if justice is not what i always thought it was, what is it?  Well, to me, justice means that i would like to have a chance to bring to the beat down, the hurting, the people that no one cares about the things in life that really matter.  I would like to show them that they matter, not because they have proven something to me or someone else, but because they have been made as a human being, magnificent creations.  I would like to give them a chance to love and be loved.  After all, if everything else in life falls off - all the money and houses and toys and work and everything else - what really matters to you - what gives you joy and meaning and purpose and life to the fullest?  If you are like most of the people i know, it's those you love, loving them and being loved by them.  Truth?  The rest is fluff.  Yet, so many of those who are beat down...and so many of those who do the beating...won't ever get a chance to love and be loved, at least not for real.

                To me, it sounds kinda weird to have this whole line of thought.  Like i was gonna go up to the guys beating the other guy and hug them, announce to them that they are loved, and that was gonna solve the whole thing.  Obviously not.  But, maybe my crusade for justice is not to be conducted during the beatings most of the time, but during the everydays of my life.  What if every person i saw, i looked directly in their eyes?  What if i smiled, like they mattered?  What if i said hello?  What if my neighbors were not just people who lived next door, but people who knew i cared about them?  What if the checker at the grocery store and the co-worker in the next cubicle were not just people i accidentally bumped into, or who slowed me down when i was in a hurry?  What if i saw them?  If they mattered?  What if my agenda for the day was negotiable and people were not?  What if when i saw someone who did not believe that they mattered, i looked for ways to help them see their value?  What if i intentionally put myself in places where i would encounter lots of people who society does not value and i did not just fill their soup bowls, but learned their names, and cared about them as people? 

I think if i began to live like this...i would qualify for the League of Masked Avengers and then some!  I think over the years of my life i would bring justice into a millions places it usually is never seen.

And, let me tell you, More than more is all about this kind of justice.  We want to right the wrongs - not with policies and statements.  Not weapons and wars.  We want to right the wrongs of injustice with love - with relationships.  We want to tell as many people as possible in this world that they really do matter.  And furthermore, that they are welcome to journey with us, to come along side us.  We don't want to tell them of their value and leave them there...we want them to come and learn and grow with us.  This is the story of More than more.  We are people that life has cast out, broken down, thrown aside.  We are bruised and bloodied by our lives.  Our pain is massive.  But we find together value, beauty, wonder, peace, joy, hope, life, More.  It is a fantastic way to live life!  We would love to have you join us - we will be hanging out November 1st, 6:45-8:00PM, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette - as always there will be free, fantastic activities for people of all ages.  Hope you can make it!

Run or be dragged

So, as i previously said, Flo is a great pace dog - sometimes even to an annoying extent.  In that way she reminds me that it is good for all of us to have at least one person around, if not more, who are heading in a good direction and can set the pace for us.

But, there was one time not to long ago that things were quite a bit different than usual on my run with Flo.

It was a hot day, mid 90's and in the middle of the day - apparently i had shut off my alarm that morning and overslept too much to run.

So, Flo and i started out like gang busters as usual; Flo zooming and me following.  But about a mile and a half into the run, Flo started slowing down - now it was hot, i have to admit i was seriously sucking wind too, but Flo was really slowing down.  First, she stopped tugging at the leash.  Then she was barely in front of me.  Then, the unthinkable happened!!!  I passed Flo!!!!  Not only that, but i kept running, maybe even fast, hoping to get home before i collapsed (never looks good for a 40 something guy to collapse on the road - people freak out), and just a few yards later, my arm was yanked backwards, by a dog that was not keeping up with me.  For the rest of the run, i would have to either stop or yank at Flo about every 50 strides, seemingly dragging her home.  She did run a few steps when i yanked on her leash, but then she just slowed right down again, so yank...again.

When we got home, both of us breathing hard, and had some serious rehydrating to do, needless to say!

So, here's the point:

First, even the most consistent, strong, dedicated, fit, pace setters get tired sometimes.  Sometimes the one who is following needs to remind them that they still need to keep going and maybe even yank them along the way a few times.  We all need to have some people who help us along - even the leaders - even the people who are always busy - even the ones who are always involved and caring for someone else - in fact sometimes they don't even see they need a good yank...That's one of the great things about More than more - there are all kinds of people around the group - some are more followers and some more leaders, but none of us considers ourselves to be more important or more significant than anyone else (we always say we are all massively screwed up - makes you want to join us sometime doesn't it?) and we all know we are all responsible to help each other along.  It is a beautiful thing to see people care that much about each other - even if it means being dragged once in a while.

Second, there are times when you are keeping the pace, running hard, trying to get to the end of the run and the person you are running with slows down, dragging you slower in your pace.  At this point you have 3 options: 1) Stop, lay down with your tired co-runner and rest 2) drop the leash and leave them - forget you i'm outta here or 3) keep going, tug on them, remind them that they need to keep going too - know the direction you are going is right and that you can't stop and neither can they.  Slow down a little if you need to, to make sure they are coming, but do your best to keep them with you. 
Sometimes your Flo may even stop, may even turn around - they may give up  If you love them you must tell them of their mistake, but if they just will not come, you may have to go on the rest of the run without them - just make sure they know that they can come back running with you anytime they are ready!!!!

Well, me and my sore muscles are done with this session of Flo stories, but if you are interested in relationships where people are real, no one is more important than anyone else, and where we are all going on the same path toward a much better life than we find in everyday American life, we hope you'll consider joining us October 18th, from 6:45-8:00pm, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette.

When People Love People

What an evening!  Some of us from Mtm just spent a great evening at the Lafayette YWCA serving folks who have had a hard time getting medical care in this crazy world we live in.

But more than medical care and some free medicines, we gave then a gift that was even more valuable!  We gave them hope. We shared the Truth that they matter.  The girls painted nails, Nate did balloon animals and we served and cared for people many of whom feel cast off by society because of the circumstances of their lives.  The Truth?  Circumstances do not give us value - we are all made marvelously!  Each of us is a precious gift - and this came through loud and clear today at the YWCA!!

If seeing the value of people in this way is something you are tired of not seeing in your world, we would love to have you join us Thursday night, the 4th of October, from 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Avenue, Lafayette.  As always there will be free, wonderful activities for all ages!