Echoes and Moments

Disclaimer: This week I might seem a bit heavy handed, but it's an important topic and one that I must discuss frankly in order to maintain my own integrity. Thanks for your graciousness.  Our culture has a problem. A big one. For all the technology, food, and information that we can acquire literally at our fingertips, a vast moral gulf has emerged between us and the developing world. Although such morality can't be quantified or tested in any empirical way, we have clues to help us out and sober our perspective on our global community. Generosity, measured by giving, is one such way that I get to see up close both the joy and sorrow of our condition. Now, rather than jump on the rock in the Areopagus and pontificate, or decry Mammon like others seem to relish, I'll simply share some of my encounters since becoming a missionary responsible for raising my own support. As someone utterly dependent on the generosity of others, I feel I'm somewhat qualified to comment. T...

The Return of the Prodigal Son might seem old hat to we 'professional' Christians. It's up there with the Sunday School classics as a favorite topic for Sunday sermons. And that is a shame that we brush it off so easily. Here Ram Sridharan (who recently became a friend) gives a powerful call to faith at this last year's Urbana Missions Conference, probably InterVarsity's greatest regular public endeavor. Hear the words from Luke spring to life with conviction and power, and remember why we run into the arms of the Father. Watch the video here.

One of the most endearing parts of my recent faith journey has been the walk alongside such wonderful spiritual guides and mentors who lead me with their thoughtful, challenging, and personal encounters with Jesus. These writers can come from our own time, and many, including people like Chris Heuertz and James Martin, are still alive to offer us their wisdom and experience as modern day "elders" in the Church. Yet deeper still are those saints whose lives have left a path paved with the beauty of their personal witness. None of these has been more influential for me over the past year than Saint Francis. Yes, Francis conjures up many images. He is perhaps known today amidst the resurgence in his devotion following our new Pope's public patronage of his name and spirit. He is perhaps most familiar as the stone statue placed in many gardens to be kept company by birds and flowers. He is, after all, the patron of the environment, that flower-smelling hippy at home in a Z...

Hey, who put me on the cover of this movie? It is very difficult for me to summarize a topic as broad as the consciousness of a people. Although I cannot properly consider myself "Mexican," there are many Latino/Hispanic people who share both my ancestry and cultural dilemma. Consider California: we have an overwhelming population of Mexican Americans here, with the most vibrant communities of recent and established generations of immigrants proud to call this country their home, yet firmly rooted in their own culture and traditions. Today I need to remember that I should be sensitive even with labels; the majority of my friends greatly prefer the term Latino even when my family has considered itself Hispanic for so long. I could write for a long while on the distinguishing characteristics of New Mexican identity, even though I have never lived in New Mexico itself. Rather I find it helpful to take the macro scale: identifying those trends in Latin American culture that ...

I don't know why I find it so fun to write about music, specifically the best that I have to choose from as I browse my library on iTunes. Writing this makes me realize that even ten years ago I would have chosen a few different words: looking through my CD tower, flipping through my LP collection, etc. And even as our information-crazy world trudges onward into the limits of shared media, it's worth stopping to appreciate those simpler days when iPods, Pads, and Phones were still a sparkle in Steve Jobs' eye. So, without further ado, I present this week's blog topic: My choices for top ten tracks of the 1990s. I'll rank them according to both significance and quality, so this should give you a window into my taste and life. And again, if I haven't mentioned this before , my taste is impeccable. 10. Fake Plastic Trees, Radiohead, The Bends,  1993. This is one of those tunes that introduced me to the quintet from Oxford, whom I now consider my all-time fav...

Ok, so apparently in order to have a relevant posting on the internet, I have to come up with some top ten lists. I know the inevitable list of movies, music, books, and other things might send you on a fast track out of here and on to some better, more informed lists. But I'm not pretending that I'm not biased. Yes, this list is a subjective compilation operating under the assumption that 1) the best music was produced in either the USA or Britain and 2) that it was made after 1990. With that said, I present you with the albums that have made an impression on me most personally. 10. Santana: Supernatural , 1999 It's got cameo appearances by Cee-Lo, Lauryn Hill (who makes an appearance on this list), Dave Matthews, Everlast, and even Mexican rock titans Maná. Wade through this sea of radio-ready hits and you'll also find some surprising indigenous music from the band itself, and immaculate guitar tone courtesy of San Francisco's greatest living man to pick up th...

I was chuckling recently at one of the headlines that I came across:  Apparantly Tylenol,  in addition to easing your headaches, can help you cope with existential anxiety and angst. Who knew! This, and a good dosage of some music by my favorite existential Christian group, helped encourage me to jot down a few of my recent existential thoughts. You know, sometimes you just have agnostic days. Brace yourself, it's some murky water down there. Is it possible for a person to experience God's goodness directly, at least before death? Are "born again" or other mystical/contemplative/ecstatic experiences essential for demonstration of faith? Does romantic love have any meaning outside of biological impulses and evolutionary programming? Is social justice ever sustainable, or ultimately effective? Are there any clear criteria for salvation through Christ? Is suffering inevitable, no matter our efforts? If so, does it have meaning outside of a purely abstract...