Faith arise!

coping strategies...

Lebanese bloggers trying to find a way to handle the chaos by humour: Those in war with Hezbollah said that they would turn back the time in Lebanon about 20 years. Some  people say it's past that yet, destruction is so vast. But there is always a good side into it. Lebanon happens to have an incredible history: maybe they'll be back in French mandate soon, then maybe Ottoman empire, Byzantine empire, Roman times..and maybe we get to see Jesus on our way back in time then!

empires and social justice

I had to give up blogging for some days. I ran so deeply out of words. Having read so many too descriptive emails from Lebanon, having read so many blogs describing feelings of helplessness people have there. Having seen pictures of the Lebanese coast black with oil. Having heard of the Qana massacre II. Having realized that the biggest war crime might be killing the future of a people. Killing hope.

I talked to Marc who said that experiencing things like this at short distance is a way we wake up to social justice issues. I don't think I ever was very deeply asleep. But I have definately lost something these days. Maybe my remaining faith in people/organisations with power to have any relativity or sense of justice. Something has changed for good deep within me.

Still, this is part of a longer journey on which God is speaking to me about re-formation from religion to Jesus-following. In the heart of that reformation with other things is social justice. The decision is wheather we believers side with prevailing power-structures, or with those on the margins of society. It is only too easy to see which one Jesus chose, whereas the church historically has chosen the other one. On those occations when the church chose differently and stood with the oppressed and persecuted, only then has it carried significant spiritual authority in the society.

But you cannot stand against something you are yourself part of (in spirit at least). That is why we see today non-Christian NGOs carrying prophetic mantle of public witness.

Why are believers so active in attempting to shape legislation concerning family/sexuality issues, and yet so passive in fighting the imperialistic power structures of world politics/economics (which create poverty, unequality, produce ecocatastrophies and ... allow destruction of a "poorer" nation to create a better working "new order" for their country)?

Maybe, having so long been part of an empire we are like birds who, having spent too long in captivity, have forgot about our ability to fly and our calling to be free of empires and look from heavenly perspective with justice-heart of God?

Ordinary radicals

Let me tell you about my Lebanese friends.

The last days I've been quite heart-broken, as you can read. CNN doesn't really help me with visible stories of burnt children, as some phosphor is added to the bombs so that they are even more dangerous. Blogs , though very authentic, lack perspective and answers we so badly need.

This morning I got an positive email from my friend whom I visited just a month ago in a village that is now destroyed. This Lebanese man's family has escaped to safer area where his parents live(who also escaped the village during the civil war when Palestinians attacked the village and killed literally everyone who couldn't  escape quickly enough). He writes me that they stopped watching CNN through the day. He called people toggether and organised a ministry to children in a school, where 700 Muslim refugees are currently accommodated. They are also delivering some relief help, food and sanitary items. He has been asked to start this project in another school as well. His message is filled with faith. He knows God's peace and HIS HEART even in times like this. He is asking for our prayers so that he can be safe when coming and going, bying food and distributing it. He rejoices that God has every day sent helpers to him.

My other friend has escaped to the mountains in the north with her family. When I ask her how they  are doing, she reminds me that even in times like this God has a plan for the nation. She is having extended time of praying and fasting. They meet daily with a team to pray and worsip.

Another friends left Tyre for holiday in the home country just 24hours before this all started. Now they are in a position to stay in touch and encourage the new believers that are left behind. They are distributing information, raising funds for relief work and for friends in need and sending forward specific prayer requests. He reports that good things are happening, miracles even...although some of their team members narrowly escaped being hit by a bomb three times during ten days before they got evacuated.

Makes me think that faith is something so powerful, it activates us. Faith is something we in the West, not to speak of CNN, know so little about.   

Connect goes Istanbul

If you haven't applied yet, consider to do so...the next Connect Europe  gathering will be held in Istanbul 6th-9th October 2006.  It is a coming together of bold dreamers, pioneers and innovators, who are called to break open new ground for God's Kingdom in different spheres of life. As I  have seen it has been a place of emerging of these things in many people.

The theme this is year is "Live dangerously". I think it's so essential to call forth what is underneath, the radicality of following Jesus in our moment in HISstory, as the history is filled with "leaders" managing things, maintaining power and wealth. There  remains to be Jesus'  call  to feed people with what we don't yet have and lose our lives in order to challenge the practices and structures around us.

The invitation will not be online. If you're interested to join, send me an email.

Permission to narrate

One interesting perspective to the Lebanese crises is that many old and new bloggers are expressing their feelings in personal diaries from in the midst of the war.Of course there are countless sites distributing propaganda on both sides. But at best these stories are  diary-like discriptions of what is  happening, that in itself communicates a strong message of peace as the blogs linked to eLebanon site do. To employ the potential of internet to empower those without a voice seems more than suitable in this conflict in which the civilians have turned out to be the main targets.

Electronic Lebanon  is a new project of Electronic Intifada , a website offering analysis, human rights and development information, and voices from the ground. Electronic Intifada was founded 2001 by well-known human right activists with the aim of presenting credible Palestinian narrative on the ground to the intl. community. EI is trusted by the mainsteam  media such as  CNN and BBC, though it  pursues  to  offer an additional perspective. eLebanon is not an Christian site, nor pro-Israel site but in essense it is a website that bears witness to inhumane actions happening in front of the intl. community that largely remains silent. 

Mourning for Lebanon

Been travelling most of the last 9 days that  Israel-Hezbollah crises has lasted. Now at home I follow CNN news constantly for details of what is really happening.

I have no words to describe how I feel  about  Lebanon being destroyed after just recently personally describing the destruction of 1975-90 civil war in Beirut, and now hearing that several places I just visited including Damour, Tyre in the south and Baalbek in the east are being bombed. Very hard to understand that is true, and that this can happen. Not that the war wasn't to be expected but the fact that the world in which this all is happening is no unsophisticated hostile place, but a modern nation of educated people with modern media and open connections to West.

Now relatively speaking, if you think of the population and the amount of casualties, the  9/11 has  happened in  Lebanon  every day since the beginning of current crises. Secondly, I have been embarrassed how much attention the Western media has paid reporting the distress of the foreigners waiting to be evacuated to their safe homes in the West while so many nationals have to leave their homes and are lacking medical supplies, food and water. Part of me wishes that I had stayed and would be able to help in some ways, just to proclaim that my life is not of greater value even if I was born in the West. My heart couldn't be grieving more deeply for the people of Lebanon, flesh and blood like us.

I have received several updates from people I befriended with, which makes the situation significantly more personal. They are ok, yet everyone I know there has left their homes to stay in safer areas. Generally, Christian areas are safe, since Israel is targeting Shiite Muslim neighbourhoods. Some friends are  planning to go and visit Muslim refugees that have had to leave their homes and to offer food, and supplies for children and thus show them Jesus'  love. It truly is different to be a Jesus-follower in the Middle East than it is here!

Richness of the earth

Spent beginning of the week in North Carelia, in eastern Finland at a summer cabin spending time with relatives. The cabin is perfect; it's located in the middle of nowhere, not too far from the Russian border, the distance to the nearest shop is some 15 km. Cloudberries are plenty only once or so in a decade, and it happens to be this year. So I spent lot of time at beautiful swamp wondering wildlife and picking litres of those little suns.
                                 

Open doors in Europe?

I believe there are many "open doors",ways to intervene decision making at the moment in EU, governments and organisations. What is missing are those crazy radical people who hear from God and take action. One of those people is Finnish journalist Tomas Sandell who called together European Coalition for Israel, an organisation that informs European parliament in Bruessels and other European capitals about the complex realities of the conflict in the Middle East by acknowledging the right for Israel to exist within secure borders.

I cannot but say that iniatives like this give me hope to see many other believers to become activists of (but not only!) prayer and  relevant actions of justice to lobby and affect decisions that are made on our behalf.