The other day I was in class feeling very alone. Most of the people in there know that I am a Christian. I speak about my beliefs occasionally, enough for others to label me as "religious". Gosh, I hate that word. It's much like the difference between calling someone your "boyfriend" or calling them your "lover". Yea, both have characteristics of what attraction between two people may look like, but the latter signifies depth. Jesus Christ isn't a teacher who commands me to obey a set of beliefs and I am to damn other people if they aren't following. Jesus Christ loves me. And yes, I do have a relationship with God, where we have dialogue, where He tells me what the next best steps are, where He tells me the future about certain events and people. That is the difference between what "religiosity" and "relationship" is.
For the past few days God has been graciously blessing me, enough for me to see account it more than coincidence. Currently, I am student teaching at Belmont, an inner city school comprised of half of their students failing classes. As many know, I am involved with three ministries: Grace Korean Church Family Group co-Leading, Newsong LA small group, and Christian Students of Conscience (UCLA) Core training. In addition, juggling 20 units and 432084038 pages of reading I wonder where I find the time to socialized (thank God I do).
Christian Students of Conscience had a prayer meeting led by Professor Robert Romero (also a pastor at Newsong LA) on UCLA's campus. It is there where I met Jose Morales. Jose is also now part of CSC's core training group and we meet every Thursday in Culver City, joined with Newsong LA's JAC (Justice Advocacy Compassion) team.
The following few weeks My cohort adviser from UCLA told me to do my observation and 3-weeks of student teaching at Belmont High school. I saw that Belmont had the most need (lack of resources, funds, etc.) and recalled Won Kim (GKC's head pastor's son) telling me "Go to the school that is hardest to work in, and you'll learn more", and heeded his challenging advice.
Every Teacher Education Program student from UCLA has someone called a "guiding" teacher at the schools that they are observing/student teaching at. Well, amazingly, out of all the schools that I had a choice from in LAUSD, and out of all the teachers I could have been observing, I am in Jose Morales's room, my friend, and fellow CSC member. There is much grace upon my life because of this. I have the liberties of studying (catching up on readings) during my "observation time", coming in at an hour that would not severely deprive me of sleep, collaborating smoothly on lesson plans, have genuine conversations about our personal spiritual walks, etc. I was matched with JOSE! Because of this, there is more time allotted in the day to do other ministry works.
For instance, yesterday, I was leading worship and prayer with GKC small group and we ended up hanging out till 1am! If I was with another teacher, I'd be screwed because he/she would be on my case about not coming in at 8am.
The small group time was wonderful and well-needed for most of us (including myself). There were about 15 people in total, and 3 of them were newcomers from Santa Monica College. During prayer time, one of the girls shared her experience about some personal issues and felt that she was going "crazy". Anna and I looked at each other and thought the same "wow, we know exactly what she is going through." We had a change to minister to her and she felt so relieved. Later that night, our group went up to Bruin cafe to hang out, and the same girl talked about how she needed to do an interview for one of her classes. She spent the whole day asking faculty members if any of them had experience with the issues of human trafficking. Will Kim laughed and then told her that I had experience with that (Nightlight) and that that is currently a topic that God has put in my heart. She jumped up ecstatically, and shouted "Oh my gosh, you're exactly the person I need to interview, God is so good!" The crazier part is, I have been praying that God would continue to network me with those who have a heart for anti-human trafficking. Every week I am meeting one or two people, who want to get involved with this issue. Simply amazing.
Oh, yea and another act of grace. Most of you know that I wanted a Macbook so I can start doing the documentary (of which I will keep the subject confidential here but is related to the trafficking issue) and write / record music. I prayed that God would help me financially with getting a Macbook knowing that this will help me make music and movies for His purposes. I searched on craigslist for great deal, but to my dismay found none. UCLA's store was having a sale to get rid of the white 13inch macbooks. They were selling it for 899.99 (2.4ghz, etc) which was an excellent deal considering it had enough power and space to do some editing, and it was 300-400 dollars less than the new ones. But still, that was so much money for me (I bring 1-2 sacked lunch everyday to save money!). Brian Kho of passion church (simple churches, Jaeson Ma, Organic church network) called me and told me to wait at Ackerman book store because he had a gift for me. He was in his dorm (way north of campus), took the bus down, and skated to the bookstore just to meet and and give me a gift. I had told him about the documentary idea prior, and he and a few PC members grouped up and collected $100.00 for me. He said that he felt that this is something PC wants to support in, knowing that this documentary idea came from God. These are college students who don't have money, sometimes eating ramen for their dinners, and I was so humbled to see the love through sacrifice of finances. I don't even go to Passion Church! What the heck!!!??? I ended up paying about 800.00 for a new white macbook. Brian also told me he's going to give me his macbook cover, and a few others said they will help me to learn how to do flash (for CSC / SKYSUN web design) and such. God's grace overflows.
Sometimes I get caught up in my emotional / mind battles and I forget to see such grace.
Simply Amazing.
GOD THANK YOU.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
By His Grace Im Surviving Right Now.
It's been a few weeks into life in LA. It has been a mixed of hell and pleasure. Grad school has disappointed me at times. I expected more in terms of mind stimulation, but it's because I'm not as engaged in class? Who knows. Distractions are heavy. Everyday, I wake up to disturbing thoughts of the recent past, paralyzing the new day. Each morning I'm fighting to reorder my mind, to hold onto the greater joys that lie ahead. Much of life is passing by: 20 units, lesson plans, GKC small group, Newsong small group, CSC, friends, homework, readings, CSC website making, SKYSUN webblog making, documentary brainstorming, buying food, making food, consuming wisely, is this fair trade? is this eco-friendly? please, only that, proposition arguements, not spending money as much as possible, issues of sex slavery...and the list continues. what i find release in: photography, art, music, reading. i was advise by a friend today to make some time for myself. The mixture of duties are real. I know I am supposed to make that documentary. I know I'm supposed to be a part of CSC and GKC and be in a teacher education program. I know I'm supposed to be making music. So why the heavy-burdens?
It is definitely a test of my character. Timing is indeed everything. Adding to my impatient nature, my own comforts zones have been crossed. Various types of people, types of class differences, types of ministry focuses, various giftings, school's indoctrination of humanistic/post modern/relative perspectives, and of course, the recurring dreams (sometimes nightmares) of the constant reminder that i just wasn't good enough.
How can I live without Jesus?
By His grace I'm surviving through all this chaos.
In a season or two, I will be stronger...
It is definitely a test of my character. Timing is indeed everything. Adding to my impatient nature, my own comforts zones have been crossed. Various types of people, types of class differences, types of ministry focuses, various giftings, school's indoctrination of humanistic/post modern/relative perspectives, and of course, the recurring dreams (sometimes nightmares) of the constant reminder that i just wasn't good enough.
How can I live without Jesus?
By His grace I'm surviving through all this chaos.
In a season or two, I will be stronger...
Friday, October 24, 2008
Website Info.
When and how did CSC start?
God first placed the vision for CSC in Robert and Erica’s heart in the fall of. 2005. As a professor of Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, Robert observed that there is a terrible and insidious misconception of Christianity which has taken hold of college and university campuses throughout the United States and the world: This is the lie that Christianity stands opposed to issues of racial and social justice and that one cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ and care about justice. This spiritual lie keeps millions of students from coming to know the Lord Jesus and it produces two destructive trends: (1)It serves as a spiritual and emotional barrier that prevents students from exploring a relationship with Jesus Christ; and, (2)It causes many Christian students to lose their faith. Many students go to college with faith in Christ and then fall away from the body of Christ because they encounter this stronghold and don’t know how to reconcile this perspective taught by their professors with the faith passed down to them by their families. What makes matters worse is that this lie is often reinforced when these students go to their home churches/campus fellowships and find apathy towards issues of justice and race on the part of many followers of Jesus Christ. The tragic result—they find community with well-intentioned non-believers, fall out of community with the Church, and fall away from Christ.
In response to these perceived needs, God led Robert and Erica through a special period of prayer and fasting in 2005-2006 to seek His direction and guidance on the establishment of a new ministry which would address this spiritual lie that has taken hold of college campuses throughout the world. At the end of several months of prayer, we felt that God was leading us to pray for a “core” team of leaders who would serve as the foundation for the new ministry of “Christian Students of Conscience.”
Our first kick-off event for C.S.C. was an urban justice “boot camp” in July 2006 called “Project Revolution.” This was a joint ministry venture of C.S.C., New Song L.A., and Here’s Life Inner City (the urban ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ). As part of Project Revolution,God brought together 24 people to live together in community for one week at the Salvation Army in Compton. During this time we conducted intensive Bible studies and trainings on issues of race and justice and we sent teams of students out to various urban ministries throughout the city to work with youth, immigrants, and homeless populations. Participants also went through a “poverty simulation” in which we simulated the experience of being homeless for a day and a half. On the 4th of July, we took a “Freedom Ride” throughout the city and visited various historical sites of racial struggle and discussed specific issues of racial injustice from a Jesus-centered perspective. Our “tour” included the Santa Anita Race Tracks(which were Japanese internment camps during WWII), Olvera Street, Chinatown, and important sites related to the Watts Riots and the Rodney King beatings. The day culminated with a fireworks celebration on the Pacific coast in Santa Monica. It was an amazing time and we are now beginning to plan for Project Revolution IV!
Building upon Project Revolution, we have also conducted two other social justice/inner city programs since 2006. The first is a ministry program called, “The Urban Justice Leadership Training.” The goal of the Urban Justice Leadership Training is to raise up a leadership core of authentic, broken followers of Jesus Christ who have a heart for issues of urban justice and community development. The U.J.L.T. is an intensive 6-month training on social justice and urban community development from a Jesus-centered perspective. It focuses important urban justice issues/topics such as Christian Community Development, Poverty & Health, Women’s Issues & Job Development, Youth & Education, Immigration, and Race Relations. Our second training program is titled the J.A.C./C.S.C. Servant Leadership Training. This is a high commitment two month training which has the goal of raising up core leadership for C.S.C. The Servant Leadership Training covers topics such as “the Jesus of Justice, Advocacy, and Compassion,” “Biblical Perspectives on Poverty,” “Cross-Socioeconomic and Cross-Cultural Learning,” “Urban Ministry Stylz: Learning from the Streets,” “Introduction to Christian Community Development,””Nehemiah and Community Transformation,” “Nehemiah and Community Transformation,” and “The City and the Poor: How Injustice is Built Into City Structures.”
C.S.C. places a high value upon socio-economic and cultural diversity and our students come from a wide array of backgrounds. We have undergrads, graduate students, and young adults from community colleges, UCLA, and local churches. Our group is also incredibly culturally diverse, with a strong mix of Latino, African American, Asian American, and Anglo American participants. In confirmation of the initial vision, God has brought to us many students who would probably feel alienated by many traditional campus groups and churches.
And so, God is doing some amazing things through C.S.C.! We are so thankful for all He has done in such a short period of time, and we look forward with eager anticipation to all that He has planned! We hope that you can come be a part!
Goals of CSC
Are you a “revolutionary”? Interested in issues of race and social justice? Interested in finding ways to serve the poor? Not sure how to reconcile your faith in Jesus with your your heart for these issues? As a follower of Jesus Christ, and as a professor of Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, I know how hard it is to wrestle with these questions. Christian Students of Conscience is a home for Christian college and university students who care about issues of justice and race, but who find no place to express their concern for these issues in traditional church settings and campus ministries. Sadly, many Christian college students have walked away from church and their commitment to Christ because they viewed the organized church as irrelevant to the needs and concerns of the poor and people of color. Christian Students of Conscience (C.S.C.) provides a place for such students to become reconnected with Christ, holistically discipled, and systematically trained in issues of justice and race from a biblical perspective. C.S.C. creates a new community on campus for Christian students concerned with issues of justice and race. In addition, C.S.C. will systematically train college and university students in Christian Community Development and mobilize them to serve the poor of urban communities in the United States and abroad. A primary goal of C.S.C. is to raise up future Christian leaders who understand God’s heart for the poor and who will take this understanding into the international workplace and market place of ideas. A further goal of C.S.C. is to serve and resource the thousands of important and already established ministries of our urban communities. C.S.C. recognizes that these grass-roots ministries are in the best position to understand the needs of their own communities. The leaders of these urban ministries are the “hidden heroes” of our nation who have labored quietly, arduously, and without recognition in the name of Christ for many years. C.S.C. will come alongside these ministries in an attitude of servanthood and humility to learn and serve. C.S.C. will provide a steady supply of student laborers for these ministries which do such important work, but which are often under-staffed and under-resourced. C.SC. is also a place where socially "conscious" students can come to learn more about the real Jesus. Sadly, students are taught in the classroom that Christianity stands opposed to issues of justice and race and this stereotype is further perpetuated by the conflation of Christianity with partisan politics. If this is you, we invite you to join us on the journey of learning more about Jesus' heart for justice. In the Solidarity of the Kingdom,Robert Chao Romero
How can I get more info to be a part of CSC?
Contact Robert Chao Romero at: robertchaoromero@gmail.com
Erica Romero: ericasheplerromero@gmail.com
Check out our Group Facebook: Christian Students of Conscience
What are some upcoming projects?
“Boxes of Love” Packing Party, Here’s Life Inner City, Lynwood, November 15
“Project Angel Tree” Distribution, Salvation Army, Compton, December 13-20
May 1st Immigrant March, Downtown Los Angeles
Urban Youth Worker’s Institute, Azusa Pacific University, May 14-16
Project Revolution, Summer Urban Justice Bootcamp, Los Angeles, July 2009
Resources (News, Media, MP3, Suggested Books, Facebook)
People and Organizations:
1. “Here’s Life Inner City,” Urban Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Various cities throughout the U.S.
http://www.hlic.org/
2. “Christian Community Development Association”
www.ccda.org
3. “International Justice Mission”: http://www.ijm.org
44. Sojourners.com
5. Urban Youth Worker’s Institute: uywi.org
Books and Videos
Books:
1. God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It; Jim Wallace
2. Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development; John Perkins
3. A Theology as Big as the City; Ray Bakke
4. Divided By Faith; United By Faith both by Michael Emerson and Christian Smith
5. Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger; Ronald J. Sider
6. Good News About Injustice; Gary Haugen
7. The Irresistible Revolution; Shane Claiborne
Videos:
“Compassion by Command” by Here’s Life Inner City, C.C.C.
Compassionbycommand.com
2. “Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting world”
http://www.ijm.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=209&srcid=208
“Healing America’s Wounds”, book and video, by John Dawson
“Another World Is Possible”, Vol. 2, “Poverty,” Shane Claiborne
Partnerships
New Song Los Angeles, Here’s Life Inner City, Neighborhood Outreach Council of Los Angeles, Destino, La Fe, Compton Salvation Army, Pico-Union Nehemiah House, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at UCLA, Chinese for Christ, Xealot Mexico City
Meeting Times and Locations
J.A.C./C.S.C. Servant Leadership Training, October 2-December 4
Contact Robert and Erica for more information on the training and upcoming service projects.
When and how did CSC start?
God first placed the vision for CSC in Robert and Erica’s heart in the fall of. 2005. As a professor of Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, Robert observed that there is a terrible and insidious misconception of Christianity which has taken hold of college and university campuses throughout the United States and the world: This is the lie that Christianity stands opposed to issues of racial and social justice and that one cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ and care about justice. This spiritual lie keeps millions of students from coming to know the Lord Jesus and it produces two destructive trends: (1)It serves as a spiritual and emotional barrier that prevents students from exploring a relationship with Jesus Christ; and, (2)It causes many Christian students to lose their faith. Many students go to college with faith in Christ and then fall away from the body of Christ because they encounter this stronghold and don’t know how to reconcile this perspective taught by their professors with the faith passed down to them by their families. What makes matters worse is that this lie is often reinforced when these students go to their home churches/campus fellowships and find apathy towards issues of justice and race on the part of many followers of Jesus Christ. The tragic result—they find community with well-intentioned non-believers, fall out of community with the Church, and fall away from Christ.
In response to these perceived needs, God led Robert and Erica through a special period of prayer and fasting in 2005-2006 to seek His direction and guidance on the establishment of a new ministry which would address this spiritual lie that has taken hold of college campuses throughout the world. At the end of several months of prayer, we felt that God was leading us to pray for a “core” team of leaders who would serve as the foundation for the new ministry of “Christian Students of Conscience.”
Our first kick-off event for C.S.C. was an urban justice “boot camp” in July 2006 called “Project Revolution.” This was a joint ministry venture of C.S.C., New Song L.A., and Here’s Life Inner City (the urban ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ). As part of Project Revolution,God brought together 24 people to live together in community for one week at the Salvation Army in Compton. During this time we conducted intensive Bible studies and trainings on issues of race and justice and we sent teams of students out to various urban ministries throughout the city to work with youth, immigrants, and homeless populations. Participants also went through a “poverty simulation” in which we simulated the experience of being homeless for a day and a half. On the 4th of July, we took a “Freedom Ride” throughout the city and visited various historical sites of racial struggle and discussed specific issues of racial injustice from a Jesus-centered perspective. Our “tour” included the Santa Anita Race Tracks(which were Japanese internment camps during WWII), Olvera Street, Chinatown, and important sites related to the Watts Riots and the Rodney King beatings. The day culminated with a fireworks celebration on the Pacific coast in Santa Monica. It was an amazing time and we are now beginning to plan for Project Revolution IV!
Building upon Project Revolution, we have also conducted two other social justice/inner city programs since 2006. The first is a ministry program called, “The Urban Justice Leadership Training.” The goal of the Urban Justice Leadership Training is to raise up a leadership core of authentic, broken followers of Jesus Christ who have a heart for issues of urban justice and community development. The U.J.L.T. is an intensive 6-month training on social justice and urban community development from a Jesus-centered perspective. It focuses important urban justice issues/topics such as Christian Community Development, Poverty & Health, Women’s Issues & Job Development, Youth & Education, Immigration, and Race Relations. Our second training program is titled the J.A.C./C.S.C. Servant Leadership Training. This is a high commitment two month training which has the goal of raising up core leadership for C.S.C. The Servant Leadership Training covers topics such as “the Jesus of Justice, Advocacy, and Compassion,” “Biblical Perspectives on Poverty,” “Cross-Socioeconomic and Cross-Cultural Learning,” “Urban Ministry Stylz: Learning from the Streets,” “Introduction to Christian Community Development,””Nehemiah and Community Transformation,” “Nehemiah and Community Transformation,” and “The City and the Poor: How Injustice is Built Into City Structures.”
C.S.C. places a high value upon socio-economic and cultural diversity and our students come from a wide array of backgrounds. We have undergrads, graduate students, and young adults from community colleges, UCLA, and local churches. Our group is also incredibly culturally diverse, with a strong mix of Latino, African American, Asian American, and Anglo American participants. In confirmation of the initial vision, God has brought to us many students who would probably feel alienated by many traditional campus groups and churches.
And so, God is doing some amazing things through C.S.C.! We are so thankful for all He has done in such a short period of time, and we look forward with eager anticipation to all that He has planned! We hope that you can come be a part!
Goals of CSC
Are you a “revolutionary”? Interested in issues of race and social justice? Interested in finding ways to serve the poor? Not sure how to reconcile your faith in Jesus with your your heart for these issues? As a follower of Jesus Christ, and as a professor of Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, I know how hard it is to wrestle with these questions. Christian Students of Conscience is a home for Christian college and university students who care about issues of justice and race, but who find no place to express their concern for these issues in traditional church settings and campus ministries. Sadly, many Christian college students have walked away from church and their commitment to Christ because they viewed the organized church as irrelevant to the needs and concerns of the poor and people of color. Christian Students of Conscience (C.S.C.) provides a place for such students to become reconnected with Christ, holistically discipled, and systematically trained in issues of justice and race from a biblical perspective. C.S.C. creates a new community on campus for Christian students concerned with issues of justice and race. In addition, C.S.C. will systematically train college and university students in Christian Community Development and mobilize them to serve the poor of urban communities in the United States and abroad. A primary goal of C.S.C. is to raise up future Christian leaders who understand God’s heart for the poor and who will take this understanding into the international workplace and market place of ideas. A further goal of C.S.C. is to serve and resource the thousands of important and already established ministries of our urban communities. C.S.C. recognizes that these grass-roots ministries are in the best position to understand the needs of their own communities. The leaders of these urban ministries are the “hidden heroes” of our nation who have labored quietly, arduously, and without recognition in the name of Christ for many years. C.S.C. will come alongside these ministries in an attitude of servanthood and humility to learn and serve. C.S.C. will provide a steady supply of student laborers for these ministries which do such important work, but which are often under-staffed and under-resourced. C.SC. is also a place where socially "conscious" students can come to learn more about the real Jesus. Sadly, students are taught in the classroom that Christianity stands opposed to issues of justice and race and this stereotype is further perpetuated by the conflation of Christianity with partisan politics. If this is you, we invite you to join us on the journey of learning more about Jesus' heart for justice. In the Solidarity of the Kingdom,Robert Chao Romero
How can I get more info to be a part of CSC?
Contact Robert Chao Romero at: robertchaoromero@gmail.com
Erica Romero: ericasheplerromero@gmail.com
Check out our Group Facebook: Christian Students of Conscience
What are some upcoming projects?
“Boxes of Love” Packing Party, Here’s Life Inner City, Lynwood, November 15
“Project Angel Tree” Distribution, Salvation Army, Compton, December 13-20
May 1st Immigrant March, Downtown Los Angeles
Urban Youth Worker’s Institute, Azusa Pacific University, May 14-16
Project Revolution, Summer Urban Justice Bootcamp, Los Angeles, July 2009
Resources (News, Media, MP3, Suggested Books, Facebook)
People and Organizations:
1. “Here’s Life Inner City,” Urban Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Various cities throughout the U.S.
http://www.hlic.org/
2. “Christian Community Development Association”
www.ccda.org
3. “International Justice Mission”: http://www.ijm.org
44. Sojourners.com
5. Urban Youth Worker’s Institute: uywi.org
Books and Videos
Books:
1. God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It; Jim Wallace
2. Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development; John Perkins
3. A Theology as Big as the City; Ray Bakke
4. Divided By Faith; United By Faith both by Michael Emerson and Christian Smith
5. Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger; Ronald J. Sider
6. Good News About Injustice; Gary Haugen
7. The Irresistible Revolution; Shane Claiborne
Videos:
“Compassion by Command” by Here’s Life Inner City, C.C.C.
Compassionbycommand.com
2. “Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting world”
http://www.ijm.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=209&srcid=208
“Healing America’s Wounds”, book and video, by John Dawson
“Another World Is Possible”, Vol. 2, “Poverty,” Shane Claiborne
Partnerships
New Song Los Angeles, Here’s Life Inner City, Neighborhood Outreach Council of Los Angeles, Destino, La Fe, Compton Salvation Army, Pico-Union Nehemiah House, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at UCLA, Chinese for Christ, Xealot Mexico City
Meeting Times and Locations
J.A.C./C.S.C. Servant Leadership Training, October 2-December 4
Contact Robert and Erica for more information on the training and upcoming service projects.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
GO WATCH "CALL+RESPONSE" THE MOVIE
Tonight is about turning a movie into a movement. Thousands of people are seeing CALL+RESPONSE as we speak. This means tens of thousands of dollars are going directly to field projects that combat slavery at every level.
We have jumped so many hurdles to get to where we are. While many Producers can breath a sigh of relief on opening night, that's not the story here. We're not out of the woods yet. While many shows are selling out right and left, there are many shows that don't event have one ticket sold yet. I need you to show your commitment and buy a few tickets if you haven't already. This is the only way we are going to be able to expand into other markets in the weeks to come.
If you have already seen CALL+RESPONSE, I hope you want to let everybody in your city know about it. Check out the new city posters we have online: www.callandresponse.com
If you were not able to catch the CALL+RESPONSE special on Dr. Phil today, it really is a must-see. Dr. Phil Clips on C+R
Freedom is up to you. Be The Response.
Justin Dillon
Director/Producer
We have jumped so many hurdles to get to where we are. While many Producers can breath a sigh of relief on opening night, that's not the story here. We're not out of the woods yet. While many shows are selling out right and left, there are many shows that don't event have one ticket sold yet. I need you to show your commitment and buy a few tickets if you haven't already. This is the only way we are going to be able to expand into other markets in the weeks to come.
If you have already seen CALL+RESPONSE, I hope you want to let everybody in your city know about it. Check out the new city posters we have online: www.callandresponse.com
If you were not able to catch the CALL+RESPONSE special on Dr. Phil today, it really is a must-see. Dr. Phil Clips on C+R
Freedom is up to you. Be The Response.
Justin Dillon
Director/Producer
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Education, Social Injustice, and Human Trafficking
It's simply amazing what has been happening for the last few days. I've been connecting with all different types of people, for different reasons. But one goal is sure- that God be glorified through the expression of love.
When reading through the 1000 pages of graduate school articles, I come across numerous historical accounts of social injustices in U.S. education. Over and over, I see people being marginalized, students given unequal opportunities, and the horrible accounts of perverse Protestantism that participated in some of these events. I am a Protestant, no, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. And he did not teach for capitalism to be on of the key interests in American politics. He did not teach that children who were less fortunate than their richer-across-town counterparts be expected to fail since they are "racially inferior". He did not teach that the poor, the fatherless, the orphaned be pushed aside since they were a nuisance to deal with. On the contrary, Jesus is the king of social justice. Did he not talk about issues of money and the dangers of loving it? Did he not tell us Christians to take care of children who have no fathers, the mothers who have no husbands? Did he not reach out to the prostitutes, the outcasts of society, the handicapped, etc?
Yes. The Jesus people see accounted through the figures in textbooks (and even in current events), is not representing the Jesus in the bible. My passion to see the oppressed free, the sex slave to know that they are worthy to be loved, to empower the next generation of children through education, to write and voice about issues that stimulate deeper thoughts of morality, are not my own. These are God's passions that are placed in me.
Digressing a bit...
The other night, I was praying and God spoke a certain calling on my life. It was very shocking since I never fully associated this calling to myself before. However, I felt the Holy Spirit move within me, and could not help but to be overwhelmed with excitement. Then the next several days, I'm meeting people who are interested in the same topic, and wants to 1. network with me 2. work together 3. learn about the subject. I see what God is doing, and it's so incredibly exciting. Living for Jesus is truly living.
When reading through the 1000 pages of graduate school articles, I come across numerous historical accounts of social injustices in U.S. education. Over and over, I see people being marginalized, students given unequal opportunities, and the horrible accounts of perverse Protestantism that participated in some of these events. I am a Protestant, no, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. And he did not teach for capitalism to be on of the key interests in American politics. He did not teach that children who were less fortunate than their richer-across-town counterparts be expected to fail since they are "racially inferior". He did not teach that the poor, the fatherless, the orphaned be pushed aside since they were a nuisance to deal with. On the contrary, Jesus is the king of social justice. Did he not talk about issues of money and the dangers of loving it? Did he not tell us Christians to take care of children who have no fathers, the mothers who have no husbands? Did he not reach out to the prostitutes, the outcasts of society, the handicapped, etc?
Yes. The Jesus people see accounted through the figures in textbooks (and even in current events), is not representing the Jesus in the bible. My passion to see the oppressed free, the sex slave to know that they are worthy to be loved, to empower the next generation of children through education, to write and voice about issues that stimulate deeper thoughts of morality, are not my own. These are God's passions that are placed in me.
Digressing a bit...
The other night, I was praying and God spoke a certain calling on my life. It was very shocking since I never fully associated this calling to myself before. However, I felt the Holy Spirit move within me, and could not help but to be overwhelmed with excitement. Then the next several days, I'm meeting people who are interested in the same topic, and wants to 1. network with me 2. work together 3. learn about the subject. I see what God is doing, and it's so incredibly exciting. Living for Jesus is truly living.
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