passion put into words

passionately alive...a taste of what i'm passionate about and my vision for our future

lately i have been extremely intrigued by the idea of cultural renewal, to the point of tears
to preface, i am currently looking for a job and have found myself at a loss when it comes to discerning an opportunity that i would actually like to be a part of. at first, i wanted to move to the Hill and work in policy, to "make a difference" through the legislative process. i have come to accept the fact that politics is not going to change our world the way that i want to see it changed. it might help the process but it isn't going to get the job done, if you know what i mean.

it is often said "be the change you want to see in the world." while i agree with this statement, i think that the natural outflow of this vision is to move to the next step and change the world because of the change that has begun your own heart. additionally, real change is not possible apart from the working of the holy spirit, so changing the world necessitates the spirit's movement in the way we live our lives...

...change the world because of who you are...because of who you were created to be...because you were made in the image of God.
be the one who changes the world, one corner of creation at a time
be the one who steps into our culture and speaks into it
who isn't hiding in the corner hoping for a random opportunity
but makes the most of the situations that are put before you every day

i love studying foreign policy issues, like international security, religious freedom, poverty, food security, the global green movement, the list goes on and on...i feel called to these issues, to stand as a christian voice in the midst of a fairly humanist perspective on global development screaming (if need be) that there is a better way.

being a christian doesn't mean locking yourself up in "the church" until jesus comes back (somewhere along the way we have convinced ourselves that the church is a building rather than a body of believers...but that is another whole issue)
it means stepping out and having a voice in the environmental movement...encouraging people to buy and produce things in a way that exercises environmental stewardship
it means encouraging people not to buy things created under shady labor practices or where human smuggling/terrorist groups may have linkages to you getting that product into your house
it means not getting greedy and hoarding for yourself, often it means not taking more than you really need...it means not having an ecological footprint that is twenty times that of the rest of the world (HELLO, America)
it means designing beautiful clothing, and designing it well with quality materials and precision
it means celebrating the beauty of things like clothing, food, nature, people, etc.
it means enjoying creative expression through music, paintings, photography, sculpture
it means living life and living it to the full in a way that has real MEANING and real SIGNIFICANCE for eternity
...it means doing all of these things "unto the glory of God"
is it possible? YES
do we sell ourselves short from this possibility? so often...i'm as guilty as all the rest.

recently, my biggest personal inspiration has been Martin Luther King Jr. as I think about my vision to make a real difference in our world in a way that has a lasting impact that promotes God's glorification, I keep coming back to his example. I re-read the "I Have a Dream" speech tonight and started crying. MLK's vision extends to so much more than civil rights; just read:

I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

This is the vision i have for our generation, and as I embark upon a vocation. It is the vision I want to carry with me...not only in my head/heart but in reality...as I put it into practice each and every day. Moving forward into the realm of possibility, i'm not going to be okay with simply promoting a furtherance of the status quo. As a Christian, I am called to excellence in all that I do, and that excellence extends to the type of impact I have on the world. I'm not called to lounge in front of the TV all day eating Doritos. I'm called to be a living active part of extending god's glory throughout HIS creation.