I am sitting at the auto shop, and we have watched the same CNN news play over and over again. If it replays through the same news one more time, my head might explode. Who would of thought that it would be a long wait just to get my oil changed and get a light changed.
However, i am enjoying the conversation with my philly neighbors…
The other video is off youtube now… so here is another one from James Cone. Tell me what you think.
Take a moment and check out this freestyle battle…
I got nothing against classical and professional dance… however there is just something real dope about freestyle. The improvisation and creativity expressed in the moment through hip hop is fresh and authentic. It’s not about perfectly recreating and duplicating someone else’s moves, no.. its about you and that moment forging something new, unique and relevant for right then. That’s freestyle…
“In the beginning, God…”
Reflect on that for a while.
It is a 2 part downloadable video of a sermon I gave not too long ago. It is entitled “Our Ultimate Worship”. I am coming from Isaiah 58, looking at God’s heart for justice as a part of our worship. It will only be available for download through this link for 14 days, so grab it now before it’s too late. Did I mention it is free?
Anyway, tell me what you think…
I wonder what King’s legacy and significance is in the midst of “the age of Obama”. In 2009, how do we interpret his words, his courage, his life. It is 40 years since King truly and fully became “Free At Last” leaving this broken world behind. And so as the next generations emerge, we must consider and understand the meaning of his life, as America empowers its first black president.
There has been a lot of disagreement about what the Obama election signifies. Some see it as evidence of America’s ability to move beyond its historic racist past, while others say that it means little given the continued struggles that people of color live with. A term that has emerged in the middle of this historic time is post racial. The idea is that we as a country have actually moved beyond race as we engage one another.
This concept of moving beyond or being above race is nothing new to this land. In slavery times, the majority said that everyone was treated fairly, and that there was no racial problem. After slavery, during the black codes and Jim Crow segregation, the majority said that race was not a problem. When 5,000 blacks were recorded as lynched, (crazy number since many lynchings were not seen as significant enough to record) the majority saw no problems. So now, when black neighborhoods are victims of police brutality, unfair loans, inadequate housing, inferior education, environmental hazards, and of course blatant racism and hate acts, it is no surprise to hear about this post racial america that has been realized.
Nonetheless, Obama’s presidency is significant for me. It does show that although the progress has been slow (400 years of oppression) there has been new ground covered that can’t be ignored. For the next four years (at the least) Obama will become the face of America. He will be a better reflection of America’s diversity, rather than the all white men we have had so far. He repesents the browning of America.
Now we must all wrestle to interpret what it means to have progressed in our racial struggle, while simultaneously keeping aware of the discrimination that continues to erode our society. And so we must continually go back to King as we move forward with Obama
I have been trying to get back into the Rhythm of Philadelphia. As a city, Philly is culturally different than Harrisburg, so moving back means readjustment and relearning. Cities each have their own unique organic qualities about them. Where are the people, where do they gather, what is unique about the language, food, styles, and approach to life that is specific to that region.
It would be so easy to miss some of the less noticeable differences of one hood with another. However, urban is a broad category, which holds a plethora of subcultures, especially moving from region to region. (Even when the cities are only 2 hours apart like in my case).
My desire is to naturally flow with the rhythm of the city. As Christians, we all should want to have a pulse on our neighborhoods. How do we become organically woven into the fabric of our neighborhoods, in such a way that we can naturally engage folks as insiders and not as outsiders. We need to be finding the rhythm of our community. Sometimes we will miss a beat or two. But once you catch the rythym, then it’s time to flo with the beat.
Jesus found our rhythm when he gave up everything to be like us. He wanted to engage us where we were at, empathize with our struggles, he took on our rhythms of life, so he could connect with us on deeper levels.
With that I am continually listening for the beat… Getting into the Rhythm.
