The Help (fb)

"It's time Minny, do you hear me?  You are free."

Finally finished this beautiful novel by Kathryn Stockett- The Help.  It is the story of a group of young white girls and the black women who raised them and are raising their babies.  It is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 60's.  Some thoughts:

Read it this summer on vacation- yeah it will break your heart but you'll also laugh a lot

More help for those that still don't understand why "they" can't just get over "it"- I mean that sincerely

Why so many recent books and movies about the courage, beauty, and forgiving hearts of black women in the face of racial, political, gender, and economic injustice?  God's up to something.

I was inspired by Skeeter's courage and willingness to "see"-  to really see

The beauty and dignity of "house work"  

Minny, Mr. Johnny and Miss Celia are a beautiful, redeeming story within a story- all three rise above their times

Stories, even fictional stories, about people that are different than us open our hearts to love all people more deeply, more genuinely, more like Jesus loves people.  It's good for a white man in 2010 Oklahoma to see into the joy and pain of two classes of women in Jackson, Mississippi in the 60's.

Race is THE issue of our times.  If you are looking for "Kingdom come" then put a hand on this plow- books like this help.  Also- watch the upcoming World Cup - it will be globalization's coming out party and racial tension will be ever-present if you're paying attention. 

Half the Sky (fb)

It's January 2010 and, from where I sit, I am looking into Narnia or a Norman Rockwell painting or an Ansell Adams- kindof a combo of all three.  The snow and peace has given me the opportunity to do the thing I've wanted to do for a month.  I've been so excited but I didn't want a sip- I wanted to feast- so I've resisted the temptation to peek.  So this morning I took it in in one gulp and it is both satisfying and has left me desperately hungry, thirsty, restless.

For the last five years I've tried to piece together a case for the thing that God spoke to my heart.  I've spent hours pouring over the internet, clipping magazine articles, reading sociological studies that I could barely understand- trying to capture the hints and whispers in the media.  I have files on my computer and in my file cabinet.  But I still haven't been able to put my hands on a resource that put the cookies on the bottom shelf- until today.

If you want to understand the real reason that Stacy and I hit "reset" on our lives in our fortieth year, I have a resource for you.  It's called Half the Sky, a new book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  Using stories, they build the case for the oppression of women as the core issue of our generation.  They equate the rising movement to bring liberation and empowerment to women with the anti-slavery movement under Wilberforce.  The focus is on three issues:  1.  Sex slavery, 2.  Gender-based violence and 3.  Maternal mortality.  They offer stories, statistics, and strategies to make a fuzzy picture clear and compelling.

If I could write an addendum to the book that would more fully explain my heart it would include things like....

The Father's heart for girls and women
The disproportionate share of suffering shouldered by dark-skinned women, particularly in Africa
The vulnerability of American women, including domestic violence, racism, AIDS, teen pregnancy, and sex trafficking
Megacities as the place of greatest oppression and opportunity
Entrepreneurship as tool of empowerment
What happens to a culture when women are freed
The treasure of women in church history
The Church as a model of hope in many of the most vulnerable places (and I would tell stories about amazing women church leaders in Turkey and how it must freak women out in the most wonderful way to see that the Church is a place for women to display their freedom, leadership, and gifts)
The "girl power" movement in Oklahoma City carried in the hearts of people like Amy Newberry, Kim Bandy, and Jenna Frank

Bloom is a freedom movement designed to glorify God throughout the nations.  It isn't the end, it's a means to an end.  It's the little part of the plow that I get to put my hand to.  In every world-changing freedom movement there is a person whose courage is so extraordinary that their name is associated with that movement- Wilberforce, Lincoln.  Maybe there will be a name connected to this one- if so it will be something like Ayan Hirsi Ali or Jacqueline Novogratz- but I sense this one will be more of a Joel two, nameless faceless crew- I long to be one of those.

I read around 25 books a year.  I love most of them- not because I love books but because I love ideas.  Half the Sky presents a world-changing idea that is in the middle of the heart of God.  Would you consider reading it this year?

King and the Kingdom (fc)

The Martin Luther King holiday has become, for me, one of the most significant days of the year in a way I still don't fully understand.  Ben Nockles and I participated in the silent march this morning down 23rd street in OKC.  Why?  I would be overwhelmed to begin to answer that question, suffice it to say that I think Jesus wanted me to be there- standing more for a people and a person than an ideology.  Here is an excerpt from something I wrote years ago on this day...

Dr. King preached a message of hope rooted in the person of Jesus and the reality of His Kingdom.  The Scripture he most often quoted was from Amos chapter 5 verse 32.

Amos 5:24  ²⁴ But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

The context of this verse is the unlikely prophet Amos, son of a shepherd, speaking about God’s anger over the way his people are treating the oppressed among them. 

Amos 2:7  ⁷ They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed

Amos 5:14-15  ¹⁴ Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.  ¹⁵ Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.

Amos 5:21  ²¹ "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Amos 5:23   ²³ Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures we see a pattern.  Despite God’s blessings his people turn from him in their hearts even though they continue to practice religion.  Evidence that their hearts have turned is almost always systematic sin, injustice and indifference toward the vulnerable- the poor, the children, the hungry, the sick, the outcast.  So God would raise up a prophet to speak two things- judgment…and hope.  And the hope was always that one day God would restore justice and righteousness.  

King knew the source of the problem was not the government or the white majority but the human heart.

 The more I observed the tragedies of history and man’s shameful inclination to choose the low road, the more I came to see the depths and strength of sin…the glaring reality of collective evil 

(from Pilgrimmage to Nonviolence)

But he also knew where hope was found.  In the beginning of the Civil Rights movement King stood up and said the craziest thing.  

Those of us who live in the twentieth century are privileged to live in one of the most momentous periods of human history.  It is an exciting age filled with hope…

I am convinc4ed that the universe is under the control of a loving purpose and that in the struggle for righteousness man has cosmic companionship. (from Pilgrimage to Nonviolence)

The bible reveals for us the end of the story.  In Isaiah 60 we see it as the redeemed nations, cultures, economic structures coming into the Holy City.  In Revelation 21 it is also a city, where every tribe, tongue, color, and nation are united in joyful worship of their king and redeemer.  When we talk about the final chapters of the story we offer incredible hope. 

Martin Luther King Jr. looks eerily to me like an Old Testament prophet.  He called for people everywhere to stand for justice and he offered hope by painting a picture of a future Kingdom of righteousness.

King was motivated by a personal encounter with a living God. His message was a message of hope in the present and future of the Kingdom of God.   His method was nonviolence rooted in the ethics of Jesus and His Kingdom.

An Often Annotated "Best Of" 2009 (fb)

BOOKS

Francis Fukuyama   The End of History and the Last Man

I have wanted to read this book for years.  If a person can get the gist of End of History and Sam Huntington's Clash of Civilizations you'd have a pretty good understanding of what's happening in the world, why it's happening, and where it might be going.

Jacqueline Novogratz  The Blue Sweater

A beautiful story by a pioneer in the empowerment of women through social entrepreneurship.  There are plenty of thinkers, I want to hear from the doers- this book filled me with hope.

Bible: The Gospels and Acts 

My focus this year was on the relationship of Jesus and the Father in the Gospels and the relationship of the Church and the Holy Spirit in Acts.  This book just keeps getting better.

Clay Shirkey  Here Comes Everybody

I have an ongoing fascination with movements- this book is as good as any if you want to understand how communications technology is changing EVERYTHING

Andres Duany  Suburban Nation

Written by the father of "new urbanism," and the man who designed Carlton Landing.  There are a bunch of holes in "new urbanism" but generally, "I'm in!"

Cory Doctorow  Little Brother

If Shirkey is too heady, here is a fun novel about the same subject- the bonus is that it is written from the perspective of a teenager so it's an insightful look into the culture of the next generation

Peter Block  Community:  The Structure of Belonging

Evidence that the secular community often understands and applies the biblical principles of community building better than the Church.  

Robert Lupton  Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life

Here's a Christian who gets it and has been doing it.  The new manual for Christian community transformation.  All of my urban transformation friends were talking about this book this year (and Amy Newberry got to have breakfast with him!)

Jonathon Kozol  Amazing Grace

 Another book that I wanted to read for years.  It is a graphic description of life in the worst neighborhood in the country in the mid-90's from the perspective of the people who live there.  Now my friends the Biddys and the Pattersons both live near the area about which this book was written (Washington Heights and Harlem).  This book made me love people more.

Henry Drummond  The City Without a Church

This may end up being on my "top 10" all-time list.  A beautiful, concise, biblical argument for city transformation as a major expression of "Kingdom come."  

MOVIES

Last Chance Harvey w/ Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson

The last of about six movies I saw on planes to and from China.  I had forgotten how moving it is to see amazing actors tell a great story.  I was moved by this piece of art. 

The Blind Side

Yes- I cried all through it- it's the racial deal for me.

Avatar

Another piece of art that moved me not by the story or acting but by the sheer technology of it.  IMAX 3D may be the only "in theatre" movies I see in the future.

War Dance

Again, it's the racial thing.  Reality and hope.

Saints and Soldiers

Surprised me- a great film about leadership, community, and mission.

Good Hair

Again... 

THEMES

Humility

In America you are defined not by your family name, your gender, class or caste- you are defined by your vocation.  I started 2009 carrying five business cards, fumbling through the question "what do you do? a.k.a. what are you worth?".  I am a man who loves Jesus and I am a family man.  Sometimes I get to build communities.  At the end of '09 I'm really content with that.

Community Building

What do Church, New Urbanism, Sustainable Agriculture, Social Entrepreneurship, empowering women, and Young Life have in common?  Community building.

City Transformation through Church

Relationships with young Church leaders is a treasure the Lord let me continue to invest in '09.  Tim Ulrich, Ben Nockles, Brad and Mirella Watson, Eric Mixon, Graham Ripple and many others were ongoing joy, then I was blessed with new ones like the Bandys, Eddie Coates, Matt Lowery, Ray Sanders and the Newberrys- I could cry right now I feel so outrageously privileged.

Social Entrepreneurship

It's really happening and it's called Bloom.  Neil Boyd, David Ridgeway, Su Crawford and Kami Humphreys are world-changers and I get to hang with them.  80,000 women will be empowered in the next 7 years- Lagos here we come!

Racism

I used to believe that Islam was the greatest barrier to "Kingdom come" in our generation but it's not, it's racism- that's the bugger bear.  Racial reconciliation isn't "a" thing, it's "the" thing and it is definitely the fire that continues to grow in my heart.

Transition

Dave Helm says the journey is the destination- right on.  Was my heart softer toward God and toward people in 2009 than it was in 2008?  Yep.

Family

Time with Stacy and the kids is my treasure of 2009.  We made up for some lost time in the most fun ways- family became "lightweight, low-maintenance" again- love it.

PANDORA STATIONS

Rich Mullins Radio

The Weepies Radio

Nickel Creek Radio

Flowy Alt-Pop (based on the We Are Scientists song After Hours from the Nick & Nora’s  Infinite Playlist soundtrack)

Death Cab for Cutie Radio

TECHNOLOGIES

Iphone

If you don't think this is the best tech tool you've ever had it means you don't have one yet.  It is the tech hub of my schedule, networks, and critical information.  It "saved" me many times this year.

Garmin 305

Became my go-to gadget for training.  Like most gadgets, you just have to take the time to know how to make it work for you.

Evernote

I love organizational tools- this one is awesome- once again- if you know how to use it.

 PLACES

Carlton Landing

I was against this place when I first heard of it- now I feel so honored to help build it.  It will be the most special place in Oklahoma- at least for the people who spend time there.  It will be a place of vision, healing, connection, and community.

The Grove Park Inn and Asheville

Has become our "Lost Valley Ranch" of the east- the place that feels like home.  I could spend lots of time in Asheville given the time and mulah.

Low Country South Carolina

Has our favorite food, architecture, culture, and now many of our favorite people (Breens and Cockrams).

Lake Arcadia- Edmond

Discovered mountain-biking this year with Jake.  Also discovered trail running so this has become a special place.

China

 Finally- and it didn't disappoint.  Now I get it.

Year of Africa and Pacific Northwest to come?

 Will it be 2010 for Africa?  Which country?  Countries?  And what about the Pac Northwest esp Portland?  I'm connected at the heart to the Watsons, so it's inevitable that wherever they are will be a special place for me.

SONGS

This year I wasn't drawn to that touch-feely indie-folky emo crap (which I love:)), it was the year of the anthem- what Stacy calls "ooo-shaka" songs

I Run to You  Lady Antebellum

Fans  Kings of Leon

I Gotta Feeling  The Black Eyed Peas

I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight  U2

I Want to Know You  Phillip Rice

How He Loves David Crowder

Viva La Vida  Coldplay

Revelation Song  Kari Jobe

Breathe on Me Todd Fields

Favorite of the year, right up there with some of Charlie Hall's songs as an all-time favorite that says a lot about what I want to be about.  Forever, you are the God of my story, write every line for your glory, breathe on me

NYT Jobless Rate research (fb)

Check out this interactive graph on jobless rates through the recent recession.  As usual, the black community shoulders a disproportionate share of suffering.  Black women with no high school degree are hit especially hard.

Hair (fb)

Chris Rock was on Oprah the other day talking about his new film.  "If you want to understand black women you have to understand their hair."  And I'm sitting in my bed raising my hand, "that's me, that's me!  I know- er- at least I know more than most white people!"  OK- now I'm gonna say some crazy stuff but hang with me.


There will be a massive move of God among black women all over the world in this generation- first among them- but it will spill over.  The spill over may just ignite the move of God we've prayed for in our generation.  The spill over will look like radical love and forgiveness extended where it isn't deserved- that's called "grace."  But to feel the significance you would first have to understand the offense.  Isn't it just like God to use art, film, comedy to begin to raise awareness of the most marginalized group of people on earth?  Everything a black woman sees and hears tells her she is less than- and her hair is a constant reminder that it takes everything to belong.   The enemy wants to keep a group of people that are characterized by warmth, creativity, and joy locked up in fear and shame.  The love of the Father frees us from our fear, from our shame.  I can't wait to see this film- I hope I laugh all the way through but will be fighting back tears the whole time.

One woman = One business (fb)

Read the "One woman = One business" report from the ICRW- more fuel on the fire.  Here's the deal:

Empowering women may be THE key issue in the economic development of developing countries.

WHY?

Investment in the economic well being of women has a huge, exponential effect on the children, families, communities, and economic development of a nation.

SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Women are the most marginalized and vulnerable group in developing countries, especially young women.  Black women in sub-saharan Africa are the most vulnerable.  Laws that prevent women's rights, crazy unhelpful social norms, lack of access to funding, unequal pay, disease, marriage at a young age, and lack of educational opportunity are just a few of the reasons.  (The spiritual realities behind all of this, coupled with what Jesus wants to do in our generation are - WOW- but that's for another time).

This report concludes that much is being done in the area of micro-finance to address the lack of access to funds for women entrepreneurs, BUT the greatest need is for "leadership training," "entrepreneurial skills training," and "peer networks."

What if a movement gave a "cookies on the bottom shelf" entrepreneurial opportunity to women all over the world?  What if that movement was built on leadership development, peer connection, and training? What if it offered substantial income opportunity?  Welcome to Bloom.