I almost forgot…

Isn’t it funny that some of the most amazing experiences we have in life and the emotions that accompany them are so easy to forget?

During my time here in Australia I have been able to build relationships with some incredibly amazing people. The other night, one of those amazing people accompanied me to church. She’s from a small town in Ontario, Canada and has no church background aside from a few Christmas services and a frightening encounter with an angry preacher at a funeral.

So it goes without saying (even though I’m saying it) that at the end of the night I was eager to hear what she thought.

At first she spoke of the huge auditorium and the beautiful campus that housed it (It’s cool…It’s Hillsong), and how it was in sharp contrast to the churches in her town, which all happen to be on Church St. (Go figure).

Then she hit me with a couple of statements I wasn’t prepared for.

She told me that she had never been in a room with so many passionate people. To that point in her life she didn’t think it was even possible for people to be that passionate about anything. She said she could tell it wasn’t just a whole bunch of people in a room, but it was a real genuine community. From the worship, to the preaching, to the people… she was blown away.

Seeing the look on her face, and hearing the tone of her voice, made me realize a few things I almost forgot.

I almost forgot the effect that a passion for God can have on someone …

I almost forgot the look in a person’s eyes when He awakens hope in their heart…

I almost forgot how amazing it was that His passion and His hope are always active in me because of the love he showed in His Son.


Psalm 103
 1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; 

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, 
 
and forget not all his benefits-
 3 who forgives all your sins 

and heals all your diseases,
 4 who redeems your life from the pit 
 
and crowns you with love and compassion,
 5 who satisfies your desires with good things 
 
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.


Let us never take for granted the awesome power of God in our lives…

Let us never forget, that same power can change the life of another in an instant.

Please don’t be like me and forget, even for a moment, the goodness of God. I encourage you to carve out some time in your week to reflect on the goodness of God in your life. Reflect on those moments when he “showed up” and left no doubt that He exists and that He hears your call.

Love, Life, Christ
Riis

Love. Tested and Approved.

I used to think my parents had an awful marriage. It’s been wrought with lies, regrets, disappointments and perpetual setbacks, namely my dad’s drug addiction, which literally almost tore our family apart.

I’ve watched my mom stand perplexed as to why my dad continued to choose drugs over our family.

I’ve watched my mom cry in shame to a landlord because we couldn’t pay the rent.

I’ve had to painfully listen as my mom explained that we didn’t have groceries because my dad wasted all of our family’s income on drugs.

I used to see all of this and think my parents needed a divorce. My mom would try to explain to me that she loved my dad and leaving him wasn’t an option. She would always say, “It’s not right to kick a man while he’s down. Your dad needs me.”

I never understood that when I was younger, but I’m starting to now. I used to think that I would one day grow up, get married, and “get it right.” I would be Bill Cosby and my wife would be Phylicia Rashad. Love wouldn’t be difficult at all. It would just come naturally. I wouldn’t ever be selfish or dependent like my dad. And my wife would never argue or be mad at me, plus she’d prance around the house looking cute and doing chores while speaking Spanish on the side just because I like how it sounds.

I’ve since waken up from that fantasy to realize that the test of love is not how perfect it seems to be on the outside, but the hardships it has endured. It’s trials and pain and hardship that proves whether love is true and strong. I used to think my mom was dumb for staying with my dad… now I see that she wasn’t dumb at all. She just understood love more than I did. She understood real unconditional love.

My parents didn’t prepare me for perfection, but they did prepare me for the reality of true love, involving sacrifice and commitment. Any sinful selfish couple learning to love one another has hard work cut out for them, and I couldn’t have picked two parents better suited to teach me that than mine. My parents have taught me more about relationships, love, and marriage than any “picture perfect” parents could have. Now, I thank God they didn’t get a divorce, because they have proven that it is possible to be faithful in the face of uncertain and hard times, and through the darkest of moments.

Do my parents have a perfect marriage now? Absolutely not.

Are there plenty of marriages better off than theirs? More healthy? Absolutely there are.

But I don’t know any two people who have had to prove their love for one another through more challenging circumstances. And for that I respect what they have gone through together. My parents’ love is steadfast, faithful and unrelenting. I don’t think I’ll be in circumstances like my parents. But I still want the kind of love they share. A love as resilient as theirs’.

When I was younger my parent’s marriage disappointed me, now it gives me hope. I hope that my wife has the patience and resilience of my mother. And I can only pray that the gentle and compassionate heart of my father has rubbed off over the years. (I’ll blog about my dad’s love next… so come back.)

I’ve learned that life is not Hollywood.
I’m learning about real love.
Real commitment.
Real risk…

I hope I’m ready.

New

New from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

Revolution143 is in the middle of a series entitled "NEW". This is the video. Enjoy

Raindrops on the Roof

Hello people!!!! I’m Riis, Manny’s best friend, or best-looking friend; I’m fine with both. I’m currently studying abroad in Brisbane, Australia and I thought it would be a great time to jump into the blogging business and check in with all you beautiful people.

I have the privilege of living with a cool old Australian lady named Ursula. She rents out the rooms in her home every semester to students at the near by university. The first day I met Ursula she told me a story about a Korean student and a Chinese student that she housed a while back that made me think a quite a bit.

It doesn’t rain much here in Brisbane, but one night while the two students were living with Ursula there was a huge rainstorm. Thunder, lightning, winds, heavy rain…the whole nine yards. The next morning the Korean student expressed how frightened she was the by the storm. Ursula told me that she wondered why the Korean student was so frightened by the storm; surely at some point in her life she had seen and heard a storm like that…right? Shortly after the Chinese student explained to Ursula why the Korean student was so frightened. It turns out that she was not frightened by the wind, or the rain, by the thunder, or even the lightening…she was frightened by the sound of raindrops on the roof. For you or me the sound of raindrops on the roof seems like a forgone conclusion during rainstorm…that’s just what happens. We have all heard the noise, we may not hear it frequently but surely it’s a familiar sound…right?

For this Korean student whose whole life has been spent living in high-rise apartments in metropolitan Korea the sound of raindrops on the roof is not familiar, nor is calming, or even a foregone conclusion during a rainstorm…it’s frightening. When we think of someone’s immersion into a foreign culture we tend to focus on things like the language barrier, behavior, or cuisine. Seldom do we focus on the subtle differences between cultures that can make a world of difference when it comes comfort and understanding.

This little story had such a huge impact on me because… well…I’m in love with the Church (not your first guess?). I absolutely love the Church. I’m not talking about the building on Sundays that some of us go to where we talk and act funny, where we perform a whole bunch of rituals, and hear a bunch of things that don’t have any effect on our lives (and most importantly don’t have anything to do with Jesus). I’m talking about the radiant bride of Christ, the conduit through which the world will know and experience the amazing, transforming love of God. That’s the Church I love deeply, and because I love Jesus and his Church, I love the lost.

I think we often underestimate how much of a cultural collision occurs when someone steps foot into a Church. I’m sure we fully understand that a Church service or gathering may be new, different, or possibly even strange to someone who has never been in that environment, but have we ever considered the possibility that an experience at a church could be frightening? If your like me this idea is extremely frustrating because there is no possible way for us to know what type of experiences people bring into Church when the step through the doors. The probability of someone walking into a Church and being offended, uncomfortable, or frightened is quite high. So where does this leaves us?

I think being a follower of Jesus is such a privilege because we are entitled to so many invaluable nuggets of truth that help us navigate through life. In this case we don’t have to have all the answers…all I have do is receive and reflect. We are promised a perfect love that drives out all fear. For our sake, and for the lives of those around us we should prioritize saturating every area of our life with the perfect, transforming, and comforting love of Christ. Trusting that people will ultimately see his perfect love working in and through us. Surely his love is bright enough to outshine anything that may distract, offend, or frighten anyone when they walk into a Church. So I encourage you… RECEIVE his love… REFLECT his love so that you can truly be a child of God “without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe”(Philippians 2:14).

Love, Life, Christ

Riis

Tia's Debut

Tia Freestyling. from Manny Arango on Vimeo.

The Blog Is Back... By Popular Demand

Words are extremely powerful.

Last week I was meeting with my counselor, he interrupted me while I was speaking and started asking me a series of questions. After I answered he informed me that he thought I showed multiple symptoms of ADHD. Although I do complain about having a short attention span, I rarely feel as though my daily life and work is inhibited by ADHD. By the time I left his office I was fully convinced that I was plagued with the inability to focus, finish tasks, or sit still. I walked out of my counselor’s office ready to make an appointment with my doctor and get a prescription for Adorall. My counselor’s words worked, they affected me, because words are powerful.

A couple of days ago, I was telling my best friend Riis about my counselor’s “diagnosis”. I expected him to brush the comment off and say, “I could have told you that…” But surprisingly that’s not what happened. He didn’t believe that I had it. He was convinced that I didn’t… and somehow he convinced me too. Because words are powerful.

In a matter of four days I went from not caring about ADHD, to thinking everything in my life would soon change – from study habits to medication intake. Simply based on the words that had been spoken to me I believed two radically different pictures of myself. And will also choose to paint a different picture of myself.

My friend told me that really I was just lazy and bored and that even if I did have ADHD I should be thankful that self control is a fruit of the Spirit. I think he’s right… ADHD would have been a sweet way to get away with being disorganized and handing assignment in late. It’s much easier to have ADHD than it is to be self controlled, disciplined, and mature.

Whether I have ADHD is irrelevant. What I choose to do with the dreams and desires and gifts God has given me is completely in my control. I’m thankful for friends that speak life to my Spirit and guard my heart. Words are powerful. We literally have the power to tear down and build up the people around us based on the words we speak.

Surround yourself with good words… and you will flourish. Speak love and those around you will grow.

Thanks Riis

Me + Dad = Sexy

Dreams + Urbana.

It's almost impossible to dream when you live in a bubble, to imagine a new and different world when all you know is your own. I think this is one of the greatest challenges for American Christians my age. We live in so many bubbles. I live in so many isolated bubbles. There's the "Gordon bubble". For a while I was in the "YWAM bubble". I've lived in my own church's bubble my whole life. And the biggest of all is the "American bubble".

Bubbles blind the eyes of faith, they keep us from dreaming, they hinder ambition, they limit the scope of our imagination in the exchange for security. We trade the inevitable tomorrow for the guarantee of safety. We trade endless possibilities for the predictable. I don't think we do this intentionally though. I think most people don't even know that there is a world of great challenges and opportunities awaiting them.

The greatest part of Urbana was being surrounded by students so full of dreams. It's easier to dream without skeptics around. Hearing the stories of an older generation who chose to dream made me believe that I could do the same. I held the 1946 decision card of Dave Howard, college roomate of Jim Elliot. He made a decision to dream 63 years ago, and as I looked into that old man's eyes I could see no regret. I've also made a decision to dream.

I don't blame you if you choose to live in your bubble instead of embracing crazy dreams and embarking upon wild journeys. I wish I could go back to a time when my dreams didn't ache within me. A time before I saw the world. Before its daunting challenges and opportunities didn't light a flame in my soul. But I have chosen to dream. Or rather God's dreams have chosen me. And I can't return now, I can only invite you to join me in dreaming...

Of a world where people with HIV/AIDS aren't ostracized by the Church and don't have to die in shame.

Of a world where people truly experience the unconditional love of Christ.

Of a world where being born into poverty doesn't mean dieing in poverty.

Of a world where the dreams of a kid born in a township can be realized and exceeded.

Of a world where love abounds, and where reconciliation is a lived reality not simply an ideal.

Of a Church that actually serves the poor and oppressed. Of a Bride with healing and freedom as the the train of her gown.

I dream of greatness.

"It is possible to avoid a multitude of sorrows through the cultivation of an insignificant life. Indeed, if a person's ambition is to avoid the troubles of life, the recipe is simple: shed your ambitions in every direction, cut the wings of every soaring purpose, and seek a life with the fewest contacts and relations. If you want to get through life with the smallest trouble, you must reduce yourself to the smallest compass. Tiny souls can dodge through life; bigger souls are blocked on every side. As soon as a person begins to enlarge his or her life, resistances are multiplied. Let a person remove petty selfish purposes and enthrone Christ, and sufferings will be increased on every side."
-John Henry Jowett, British pastor in the 19th century.

I'm Advertizing Three Books...

These are the three books I'm currently reading. This is the thing... you need to read them too because they are amazing well written books by people I deeply respect.

Happy New Year.

I Met Shane Claiborne

People tend to act weird around people they admire. I stood in line today to get a book signed by a famous author and watched countless individuals stare, fidget, make corny jokes, and ask friends to take their pictures. It made me wonder why truly great people make such an impact on us and cause us to act all weird. I think it’s because secretly we wish we could be like them, we wish we had their guts. So instead we claim to support their message… we buy multiple copies of their books get those books signed, and post our pictures with them on Facebook. The author was Shane Claiborne and whether we agree with him, I think we all wish we could be like him. We all wish we were great. We all wish our lives could make a difference. We all wish we were courageous and radical and followed Jesus in a way that shook things up. As I stood in that line today I came to the conclusion that I was going to be great. I don’t think it was a selfish thought; I simply want my life to matter. There’s something about greatness that can’t be explained in words or summed up with adjectives. There’s something about greatness that goes beyond success or talent. There’s something authentic about greatness that resonates in our heart and soul… we can feel it.

The other day Uncle Paul made a comment that resonated with me. He said that average leaders care about what people think about them whereas great leaders are concerned with what they can get others to believe about themselves. He was paraphrasing a British evangelist
named Steve Chalke who said, "Leadership is not what I can get you to think about me. Leadership is what I can you to think about yourself." My hope is that like Jesus, I can help others to believe in the possibilities of what God can do through them.

I’m learning to be great by learning to serve. We’ll see how this goes…

For Trent and Riis... just because

Thomas Merton Quote

Luke passed this quote along to me... and so I'm passing it along to al of you.

"Most of you, even with all that you have to suffer, are much better off than you realize. Yet the heart of man can be full of so much pain, even when things are exteriorly "all right". It becomes all the more difficult because today we are used to thinking that there are explanations for everything. But there is no explanation for most of what goes on in our own hearts... No use resorting to mental tranquilizers that even religious explanations sometimes offer. Faith must be deeper than that, rooted in the unknown and in the abyss of darkness that is the ground of our being. No use teasing the darkness to try to make answers grow out of it. But if we learn how to have a deep inner patience...God solves them...but do not expect to see how. Just learn to wait, and do what you can and help other people."
-Thomas Merton. The Road to Joy.

My Thoughts on HIV/AIDS after Living in Africa.

What breaks my heart, disgusts, and upsets me more than anything else concerning HIV/AIDS is the religious and social stigma that accompanies the disease. A guy by the name of Doug Fountain was on the verge of tears as he told our group the story of Mary; a UCU student that died of AIDS a couple of years back. Doug was giving our group a presentation on HIV/AIDS and claimed she would probably still be alive if she hadn’t been ashamed to get treatment. Mary kept her condition a secret, for fear she would be shunned by the Church, and died.

As if having a deadly disease isn’t bad enough the Church often adds shame, and ostracism. It may be very easy to cast judgment on the church in Africa and say it’s wrong and evil that they would ever ostracize anyone with a deadly disease. But we do the same exact thing. The issue may not be AIDS that you feel as though you need to hide or be ashamed of, but the issue sure is sex, or pornography, or cutting. Or maybe I'm the only one with real issues. The one thing we can learn from Mary is that secrets kill, you may not physically die, but emotionally and spiritually, secrets will eventually kill you.

How does the religion that kills people like Mary also claim to simultaneously follow Jesus? Jesus forgave and redeemed the humanity of the most shameful sinners of his society. He was scandalously popular among “women of the night”, tax collectors, lepers, Samaritans and other social outcasts. How does the Church claim to follow in the footsteps of Jesus when there are students dying due to shame at our universities? Or when there are Christians secretly struggling with drug addiction, pornography, and eating disorders; hiding in church pews across America? We surely cannot claim to follow Christ.

Jesus constantly challenged pharisaic religiosity with audacity and chutzpah. He relentlessly opposed religion that heaped on guilt, shame, condemnation, or secrecy. I believe that Jesus didn’t tolerate that kind of religion because it breeds pride and ultimately kills people; literally in Mary’s case. In the face of strict legalism, Jesus invited his followers to take upon them his yoke, which was light and his burden, which was easy. In translating The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases this portion of Scripture:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”

I would be willing to bet Mary’s life that she was “burned out on religion” which Jesus would have set her free from had He had the chance. It’s very unfortunate that his Bride couldn’t afford Him that opportunity. But maybe Jesus’ offer isn’t intended for those with HIV/AIDS.
In one of Jesus’ last teachings before being crucified he condemns the Pharisees and teachers of the Law to hell because of their dead religious legalism. He knows that their religious system won’t save them and warns the people, “They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” Jesus continues,

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to… Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”

The difference between the religion of the Pharisees and that of Jesus is the freedom that following Jesus produces. Freedom, that comes from the ability to be open and honest without fear of judgment and condemnation; the freedom to respond to grace. Jesus never condones sin, but neither does He condemn sinners, He convicts, forgives and sets free. Why is it so hard for the Church to do that as well? It is as if Christians are afraid that if we start loving sinners we have somehow compromised our moral convictions. It is as if Christians think offering sinners grace isn’t fair. For some reason, I think Jesus’ forgiveness and grace makes people uncomfortable because it’s not fair. As if it’s too good to be true.

John 8 provides a powerful illustration of how I believe Christians are supposed to deal with HIV/AIDS, and any other issues the Church deems taboo. Religious leaders bring Jesus a woman that has been caught in adultery, and deserves to be stoned. Jesus says the person who is without sin should cast the first stone. Then Jesus says something that I believe is profound, “neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Jesus does what the Church finds so difficult. Challenge people to change without the unnecessary condemnation. Jesus doesn’t ignore the woman’s sinful lifestyle, but He doesn’t condemn her either. Hopefully sooner than later people will begin to flock to Christian environments because of the love and acceptance they feel. Hopefully sooner than later Christians will start loving people like Jesus.

The Church worldwide is constantly tempted to fall into the trap of legalism and religion. Hopefully we can grasp hold of grace in time to care for a broken and dying world. Maybe in the process Christ will heal a broken and HIV positive Church as well.

Another Flashback from Thailand.

Tow Quotes and Countless More Questions.

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer."

-Zora Neale Hurston

During the past two or so years I've been confronted with more of the world than I could have ever expected. I've visited Rwanda and learned about a genocide first hand and asked God how are humans are even capable of such large scale murder. I've walked through red light districts in Thailand. And asked God is there even hope for a world where a "Disneyland for pedophiles" exists. I've heard firsthand stories of HIV/AIDS victims and asked God why He doesn't choose to heal more often. I've lived in Uganda for the past three months and I'm asking God how can I even begin to address the social issues of my time. I'm asking what it means to really follow Christ in such a broken world. I have so many questions. About my calling. About my identity. About the world we dwell and the gospel we proclaim. And for the first time I'm content with having no answers. All the questions in my soul have produced a tension that only produces more question. I never want to stop wrestling with the questions of this life, of this generation. My only hope is that in wrestling and grappling with the questions of my heart Christ becomes an ever more relevant answer. My other hope is that He causes my life to be some sort of answer as well.

"...I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."

- Rainer Maria Rilke (1903) in Letters to a Young Poet