What is the What is an engrossing tale that straddles wars, decades and hemispheres. It follows Achak Deng, a real life Sudanese refugee from his days as a child in southern Sudan to his struggles adjusting to American Life.
The book really has it all: tragedy, war, love stories and hope. Dave Eggars narrator captures the voice of African refugees, with their zest for the small things in life and their deep understanding of tragedy.
The book makes it clear that refugee camps don’t go away. Achak grows up in a refugee camp: a tent city built on a barren desert plain. With no agriculture and little schooling, and the only economy at the mercy of the foreign aid workers, there is little to do but wait.
Although Achak seems indomitable, he can’t help but struggle with theodicy. Having lived through wars only to arrive in the U.S. and experience continued tragedy, he asks the question “does God have a problem with me?” Neither Achak or Eggars ever answer the question directly, yet the hero never gives up, neither on his faith or his desire to build a better life.
This question is one that we have all asked in our lives, and What is the What is a reminder that there are many who have persevered through much more difficulty than we can imagine.
It is also an invitation for Christ followers to respond from the very core of their faith. From the time of Abraham, God’s people have been refugees in a world not their own. God loves them, and has given us the privilege of demonstrating that love.
Have you read What is the What? How should we respond to stories of orphans and refugees?
On Monday night I experienced Highball for the first time. It is really unlike anything else I’ve seen in Austin, yet has the distinct feel that it could only happen in Austin.
The club is located on South Lamar, in a part of town known for cheap chic. My favorite coffee houses, with their patio seating, exposed ceilings, and rickety tables maintain the bohemian steet cred. But Highball doesn’t even try.
Instead they go for classy. Leather paneling and chandeliers, high priced food and drinks make me put on a fedora and pretend that I’m somebody. Then Highball throws you a monkey wrench, or actually a ten pound ceramic ball. Bowling lanes and skee ball may seem to evoke “family fun centers” aimed at suburban teenagers., but actually add an element of interaction not found in your average club. Hidden in the back are private Karaoke rooms.
Then there’s the events, whose sheer level of creativity sets the place on it’s own plane. Everything from Geeks Who Drink trivia, to 90’s dance parties, to Oscar watching parties, to hip-hop karaoke.
I went by Monday night for Big Band night, which is where my only complaint comes in. The music selection was over the top, brassy and to slow for most of us Swing Dancers (although, it seemed perfect for the surprisingly high number of gray hairs cutting a rug.) The most fun we had on the dance floor was actually during the DJed breaks in between sets.
That being said, I’ll definitely give them another chance at the next Big Band night, and bring a few quarters for Skee ball.
It’s hard saying goodbye to a friend, especially if it’s another one of Joss Whedon’s creations that passed before its time.
Dollhhouse is not Whedon’s best work, but it may be his deepest. It lacks the punchiness that made Buffy so much fun, and the creativity which made Firefly soar beyond science fiction. It did, however, use a sexy model with sad puppy dog eyes to raise questions about the dangers of man’s relationship with technology and the nature of the soul.
After the Firefly debacle nothing was going to keep Whedon from telling his story. After season one, he released “Epitath Part One” straight to the internet, telling the story of a post-apocalyptic future directly resulting from the technology used to run the Dollhouse harems. Season Two seemed hurried, trying to accomplish the plot and character development needed to reach the end of civilization. Although rushed, the last few episodes were exhilarating, with heroes becoming anti-heroes and villains becoming pastoral leaders.
Dollhouse raises a number of important questions, but perhaps the most important is about the societal and spiritual implications of our growing dependence on technology. Christians, except perhaps the Mennonites, seem to ignore this.
Could projected preachers create a dangerous celebrity culture? Does social networking increase or impede our ability to function as the body of Christ? Could driving 30 minutes to worship cripple our ability to love our neighbors?
I’ll miss Whedon’s latest, but the questions it raised will stick with me.
With the first two episodes of LOST behind us, here’s my predictions for final season:
1. The two parallel dimensions will be shown to co-mingle, and will, in the end, integrate.
2. Although our favorite old Losties will make guest appearances, none of them will return to the show full time.
3. The relationship between evil Locke/the man in black and Jacob will reveal itself to have a mythical dimension, drawing further on Egyptian Mythology and maybe the legend of Atlantis.
4. Although there won’t be many flashbacks, one episode will be devoted to the story of the Black Rock, the ancient ship marooned on the island.
5. Richard will be revealed to have some sort of Dorian Gray relationship with Jacob, but, thanks to Ben, is now able to die.
6. Man in Black = Smoke Monster, so Jacob = Polar Bear???
7. The show will end with the two realities coalescing, most Losties returning from the grave, and either Jack or Kate giving their life to defeat the Man in Black.
I was all for being missional before it was cool. I led a ministry in college designed to help students think of themselves as “domestic missionaries,” and have tried to approach my ministry in a way positions Christ following as a radical way of life that must be translated into the pluralistic, postmodern, pre-Christian United States.
Many great discussions about God’s mission in the world, and the purpose of the Church are helping to refocus the church, however, like any other terminology, missional has been quickly co-opted to mean whatever you want it to mean. For some it means rebranding seeker-driven formats of the 80s and 90s. For others it means rationalizing a focus of social justice at the expense of personal morality and evangelism.
Ever since being blown away by Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy I haven’t been able to get past the idea that Churches should exist to teach people to live as Christ would if he were them. What if we just took simple ideas like “don’t hate other people” or “trust God” or “eat with people who don’t look like you” and formed sermon series, youth ministries and Sunday School classes around them?
Call me simplistic, but I’m operating from the belief that important doctrinal issues can only be worked out once you really love Jesus, are following him, and are being transformed into his image. Focusing on the life of Jesus and his teachings would, in turn, make us naturally missional, and maybe even take the focus off some other arguments we Christians keep having.
RT @tsharrison Thinking & praying 4 friends N community back N San Antonio-I miss gathering w/ them on Thurs nites-Acts from distance//ditto www.twitter.com/chrismorton823 hours ago
RT @craigwhitney: "The struggle of faith is really the struggle to act as if we had faith when in fact we do not." Dallas Willard www.twitter.com/chrismorton8213 hours ago
What is the What is an engrossing tale that straddles wars, decades and hemispheres. It follows Achak Deng, a real life Sudanese refugee from his days as a child in southern Sudan to his struggles adjusting to American Life.
