Travel Journal: Cuenca, Day 12

March 3, 2020

I'm in the process of unlearning most of what I'd formerly known from being steeped in Western Christianity, and certainly all I'd internalized about "American" Christianity. I grew up knowing of "the Jesus of suburbia" and then when I was sixteen I was introduced to him. But it turned out that Jesus never lived in the suburbs. The way of Jesus is so counter-cultural because what we think is the way of Jesus is really just some of his watered-down sayings slapped over top our American priorities. Some sugar-coated, "well that's not really what that means" Bible verses on our bumper stickers and even tattooed on our skin. Crosses and crucifixes everywhere you look, " God bless you" ringing out in public spaces after sneezes, and scores of children growing up knowing that some invisible person named Jesus loves them but having no clue that, without surrender and obedience, they're actually opposing him. And finally, surpris...

Choose This Day

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord . And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord , choose this day whom you will serve , whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .” Joshua 24:14-15 (ESV) "Choose." If we're living in the reality of the Kingdom of God, I don't think there's any way to over-spiritualize. That phrase gets on my nerves like nothing else. I think we use it as a cop out, a way to sidestep the responsibility of living like the Kingdom has invaded every nook and cranny of our existence. Every choice is an opportunity to feed my flesh or feed my spirit. Every choice is a challenge - am I going to lean on my own understanding, or listen clos...

Travel Journal: Cuenca, Day 13

I don't know if anyone will see this... Just trying to get my thoughts out now while everything is fresh in my mind. I'll probably post this one after I edit later. Today went by so fast. The last few days (I haven't written about yet) have been a whirlwind and I've had such wonderful evenings, loving the atmosphere and the blessing of being part of the group. And yet, since last night at Turi, I haven't been able to shake the feeling that these aren't my people. Maybe it's because I'm leaving in a matter of hours, really. Or maybe it's something that God's been settling in my spirit. I talked with Gina for almost three hours over a Facebook video call, and we talked about everything under the sun. (Ecuadorian dairy products, what's going on at CC, summer plans for my internship, hanging out with the crew, going to Passion soon, and hard stuff that needs worked through and prayed through.) Every day I'm more ready to go home. It's...

lengua de corazón

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