Pictures from NY and Virginia

Benji in the back seat

Back from a conference in Virginia and a trip to NY. I had an opportunity to meet with believers from all over the world. I also viewed the World Trade Center site for the first time since the attacks. There was a new exhibit: "Unwavering Spirit- Hope and healing at ground zero" at St. Paul's Chapel which chronicles the volunteer ministry in the weeks and months after September 11th.

Here are some pics I took during my travels:

Christ vs Religion

Our small fellowship group on Tuesday consisted of sharing our personal life stories. I think we all agreed that we were like turtles on top of a fence —we didn't get there by ourselves :-)

On Wednesday night, we concluded the study of Deuteronomy. Chapter 27 contains the words "Build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool upon them." How easily an altar can be 'altered' and turned into an idol. The message then was the same as in the New Testament -don't worship the worship.

Jesus never condemned a sinner but always criticized the religious hypocrisy of the time. Has our relationship with God turned into religion? Do we go to church to be made to 'feel religious'?

Unless we change and become like little children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And those who want to turn our joy into intellectual doctrine...
it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

When Jesus was asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them.

Recent Portraits (no hyperlinks):

those people who offend us could be our true friends...

I would like to take this opportunity to be very direct -but of course in an indirect fashion. Sometimes a lump of clay is left on a table in a classroom -sometimes blank sheets with Crayolas nearby. The person who left them there asks, "what will they do with these?" and watches the children to see what they will make out of the clay -what will they communicate on paper. Ultimately, it reveals much.

The man robbed, beaten and left for dead also served as such a question. "What will you do with this guy?" The priest had no love for him, neither did the Levite. So much for the self-righteous 'perfect' people...

The most despised of men -the one considered the foreigner, the one who was so 'different' and who's beliefs angered many -he was the one who demonstrated love.

Who is it that you despise? Who do you consider to be an abomination? Might they have more love in their hearts than you? Are we so filled with knowledge that we can't love those who are difficult to love -those who are so different?

"Love your neighbor as yourself" was the command. The question then became, "And who is my neighbor?"