"LLLs"

In social work, we are taught that every person has the right to self-determination. Essentially, what this boils down to is that the social worker cannot tell the client they should do this or that.  The social worker helps the client see all of the options and the consequences of those options. Then the social worker helps empower the client to make the wisest choice.  Even if the social worker disagrees with the final decision, it is theirs to make. But at least there was a conversation.

This proverb reminded me of this social work ethic but it is definitely not limited to that. As Christians, we can make this a habit for challenging each other and encouraging one another to learn.

Really, I think this proverb is so great because to me it says "DIALOGUE!" You can learn from each other and everyone's voice is important at the table. Even if you do not agree, it is important to listen and respect others perspectives. 

We are life-long students. 

A Grief Unobserved

A multitude of psalms are lament.  Which got me thinking about how terribly our culture grieves.  We do not have time in our busy schedules to do this.  "The show must go on" as the saying goes and we find that after having a few days to organize funeral arrangements we must get back to work.  This is the case for even close family members it seems.  A friend of mine who is a professor at Baylor studies death and dying trends in our culture. She sees more and more outlets for grief like stickers on the back of cars remembering loved ones and tattoos of the person's name.  




    It is no surprise to her that our culture has a renewed fascination with immortality and death scene in pop culture films that feature vampires and zombies. 



In Egypt, people are expected to spend at least 40 days in morning.  Some people wear black for a year as a symbolic act of grieving their loved ones.  At first, it sounds strange but I think there is something to this. 40 days of not talking to anyone or going to work (if it was a close family member).  Perhaps one doesn't need the whole 40 days but at least you are given the opportunity to move through the stages of grieving.

I think this is severely lacking in our culture.  My mother is still grieving her mother's death ten years later because there was no time to carve out of her demands at work when it happened.  I think the psalms point us in a good and healthy act of expressing emotions that are distressing and may make others uncomfortable.  We need to be leaders in normalizing grief in our churches and being good, healthy examples ourselves. 

Welcoming the Stranger

I'd like to respond to a classmate's blog.  Kevin wrote a really great post about the importance of the temple "God's home" in the prophetic books which you can find here. Kevin sees that a home is reflective of the person which is why it was important to God to have a temple that reflected God's glory.

 I wanted to take a slightly different perspective and I wonder if we too, then look differently at people who do not have a home or are from a different home than our own. It also makes me think about how a refugee defines home then.  Working with refugees is something I am particularly interested in.  In the prophetic books, the Jews found themselves displaced and scattered and struggling to maintain their identity.  I wonder if maintaining identity is possibly the hardest part of leaving one's homeland.  Often, one's culture is looked down upon or seen as different and sometimes even barbaric.  You are told that you need to learn a new language and a new way of how to do things. I'm sure the Jews were frustrated and felt many time unable to truly be themselves.

I am no refugee, but I spent about two years living in Cairo, Egypt and it is a very different way to do life.  I wore shirts past my elbow and pants or jeans.  I looked down a lot while walking in the street because looking men in the eye could be seen as promiscuous.  While we took time off on the weekends from work, I was still always making sure I was being culturally appropriate which makes it feel like you are always working.  Leaving the country for vacation was really the place where I felt like I could be myself again. I could speak my heart language and visit with friends who understood my faith. I didn't have to be on the clock.

Now I loved my time there but it wasn't always easy.  There were days when it was 120 degrees outside that I wanted to be in shorts and a tank top.  But I remembered why I was there and that I had chosen to be there and sacrifice my comfort.

Refugees do not always get the choice. I know we are called as Christians to welcome the stranger.  I think we can do more than be hospitable though.  We can learn who these people are.  Where they are from, what they believe, what their history is, what their stories are and perhaps then we can show that they are loved and that there is a home for their identity, for their being. 



To learn more about how you can help welcome the stranger, check out these links.
World Relief
Catholic Charities