Enklings Studio

Not Of This World

So I was walking this morning and saw a sticker on a car with the initials NOTW.  This is a common clothing brand in religious circles and a pretty common philosphy among the 648 million evangelicals worldwide. Not of this world.

When I was growing up in a conservative church, a popular song on Sunday mornings was "This World is Not My Home."  Same idea, same philosophy:

"This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through.
My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore"

I just have to say that this is so misguided and part of the reason we have so many in the world without hope today. Regardless of whether you believe in God, heaven, eternal life, having a philosophy that you don't belong here and are not of of this world can lead down the path of not caring about and for this world. The results are apathy, more hunger in the world, more homelessness, and a focus on the future, not the present. Being a heavenly person with no earthy good.

I've used this image several times, but I believe it to be true in life, business and certainly in world view philosophy:

If the result is apathy, you can take Action: start a food bank, talk about what's wrong with the world, do community projects.  These are all really good and I'm SO glad people are doing them, but it won't change the results. We can put Systems in place, missions projects, non-profits, service days every year.  All good things, but it won't change the eventual result until the beliefs and assumptions are changed.

You are of this world.

All of us are here for a reason. Ghandi got it.  Mother Teresa got it.  Both "Of This World."  Most scriptures of all religions point to taking care of those less fortunate than you. In this world. "The least of these" from the Christian tradition is the focus.  Until we realize that we are of this world and it matters what we do, not just what we believe, the results in the world will be the same.  If the 648 million evangelicals became 648 million activists for THIS world, so much would change, event today, even in the Horn of Africa.

Be Of This World.  Be present.  Take notice of what's wrong and don't wait for "some day" (passive) to come.  Do some "to-day" (active) to make your world a better place.

Simply OTW,

Tim

A Response To Bob Bell and Love Wins

Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This isn’t so much a review of “Love Wins” by Rob Bell as it is a response:

There’s a reason that in Churches and religious organizations they have a Statement of Faith or Beliefs and not a Statement of Knowledge. There is much in life for the religious person, Evangelicals included, that is taken on faith. Believing in a God that can’t be seen or touched, having faith that there is an afterlife better than the one on this earth, believing that the bible is more than just a historical account - a path for life. Belief is not the same as knowledge though and faith is not necessarily fact. I know there’s a chair supporting me right now; I believe and have faith it will continue to do just that.

Rob Bell clearly knows the difference between belief and knowledge and in this book he is continuing the dialog that others have started about how our beliefs affect how we live. Oliver Wendell Holmes said: “Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” I think what Bell is saying holistically in this book is that for many Evangelical churches, this quote has come to fruition through their doctrine. They are so worried about saving people from an eternity in hell, they lose sight that eternity has begun and there are people living in hell already, here on this earth. Young women in sexual slavery, young mothers unable to feed their children, fathers losing sons to war, young men with substance abuse and no home. They know hell, not one in some distant future, but today.

So while people are sent off to be reached with the gospel in distant countries, some have forgotten that there are so many of the least of these right here at home. Yes, many are doing their part, but that part is not enough and not near what could be done. While collectively we spend $25 billion a year on maintaining our Churches in the U.S. , government budgets are being cut for services to the least of these so there can be lower taxes. All so we can spend money on more cars, vacations and sending people across the globe to reach the unreached instead of funding programs already in place locally to care for those in need. We spend billions of dollars to provide places to worship a God who I believe would rather us not worship and sing but get the hell out the pew and do something that makes the world sing.

Rob Bell isn’t saying anything new here and for me his beliefs are in line with his knowledge. He knows what he knows and he knows what he doesn’t know. I do think it’s important to have a system of belief, without it there would not be democracy and there would be much less justice in the world. Much more important though, is to act on what you do know. Bell I think captures the true holistic message of the bible, that justice for those less fortunate than me should be my focus in eternity. This eternity, the one started for me when I was born. There may come a day when my focus can change because justice (i.e. everyone has what they need: food, love, hope, happiness, equality) covers all. Maybe when I die, my focus will change, but I doubt it unless justice is ubiquitous. What I know is that there is not justice across this globe today and I shouldn’t spend a moment thinking about the rest of eternity until there is.

I believe that’s what God wants of me.

simply,

Tim

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What's Tim Up To? - End of the Year Edition

It's been a while since I updated my blog on what's been going on, so here goes:

Native Trails!

Having way too much fun working at Native Trails, a kitchen and bath manufacturer that focuses on beautiful recycled copper sinks, tubs and range hoods along with very cool reclaimed and sustainable wood bath vanities and other home goods.  I'm the Exec VP there, so I get to run marketing and operations along with HR, product development, warehousing and shipping and get involved in anything else they ask me to do.  Left brain/right brain, the perfect job for me!  Obviously we have an awesome team that really runs all this stuff, but I just pinch myself every day that I get to go to work at such a cool place!  If you love your work, it seems a lot more like play!

Friends of the Prado Day Center

I signed up for another year of being the board secretary for this awesome non-profit.  I'm giving up the web work to help more on the marketing and PR side which will be a nice change. With the new Homeless Services Center on the horizon, many of the non-profits in SLO that work with the homeless will morph into something slightly different over the next few years.  It will be fun to be a part of that change.  Want to join us?  Let me know.

Cousin Camp - A guide to Intentional Grandparenting

I'm still helping the author of this book to get the word out.  We'll be launching a bit of social media magic after the first of the year and looking for some PR representation in the Phoenix area to take it to the next level!

Twitterforfood

I'm still involved with the hunger community online as once a month I try to get people to skip a meal and use the savings to fund local and global hunger relief. Join me the first Tuesday of each month as twitter users band together to fight hunger around the globe!  Join me @hungernomore.

SLO Green Build

Not much happening here with me, but I'm still on the marketing team for this sustainable non-profit.  Will have to reconnect and see what's happening.  Mostly helping with web on this one.

The Greatest in the Kingdom Book Series

OK, this is the year to find a publisher or start self publishing my children's picture book series.  Three books written with three to go.  Pretty excited about these.  I have this crazy idea to launch the series in China first and then bring it to the U.S.  Watch for some fun ideas coming out of this!

International travel and lots of domestic travel is on the horizon for this year - strapping on my seatbelt and getting ready for a wild 2011!

simply,

Tim

The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire by Matt Taibbi

The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire by Matt Taibbi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. A VERY candid look at our political process, Evangelical Christianity and fringe groups like the 9/11 Truthers through the eyes of Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi.

This volume is definitely NSFC (not safe for Church) as it is riddled with profanity and also ridicules the John Hagee ministry and how "conversions" happen. Taibbi goes undercover in the Church and experiences what happens when a new convert joins the Church. While Hagee's ministry is not entirely representative of Evangelical Christianity, there is more common than not with most Churches today.

The view of the bi-partisan congress we have and the political process that happens is disheartening and one I knew was there, but Taibbi shows the underbelly. Ugh. While Taibbi is a firm liberal, he pulls no punches on either party as to the collective corruption in both and all of Washington.

I would have like to seen some answers, but understand as a reporter, answers are not part of the deal. So this book leaves you a bit up in the air as to what to do. I know I've felt that way anyway for some time, so perhaps this book wasn't all that helpful, but I am determined to find a path that won't have me voting for the person who will cause the least harm. I've also been in the process of deprogramming 50 years of Evangelical brainwashing over the last few years, so the look at the Church was not shocking to me. He shares some poignant moments though that show why belonging to a Church is valuable beyond the doctrine and dogmatism that have taken over what faith was meant to be.

Read this one at your own risk. I recommend it, but only to those who can handle the language and the harsh look at the topics.

simply,

Tim



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Baby Boomers - Read This Book

The Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a beautiful book. To see a life through the eyes of the one who lived it is such a special gift. The end of the book brought tears to my eyes and also prepared me for the death of my Dad the day I finished the book. This will be a book on my shelf as long as I have a shelf to put it on.

If you're a baby boomer with aging parents, you need to read this book.

simply,

Tim

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