Another Day at the Seed

Well, yesterday was my third week of practicum at the Mustard Seed. It seems like every week I would much rather just stay home than spend my entire afternoon working at my practicum; however, once my shift starts, I always enjoy myself and am glad I took the practicum I did.

The first part of my shift began just like any other, where my main role was simply to hang out and chat with those people there for the lunch meal. I have been there enough that I am starting to recognize and get to know some of the regulars, all of whom are friendly guys. Some of them surprisingly know where Cold Lake is! Yesterday, after talking to some of the guys about hockey, life, etc., I got into a long conversation with a man that I had previously befriended. I sat there for what must have been 15-20 minutes, as he basically told me his entire life story, and told of his daily struggles with addictions and life in general on the streets. I cannot share any details for privacy reasons, but it was a very sobering experience. I felt so helpless, as not only could I not directly relate to his experiences, but I did not know how to help him in a way other than just by listening to him and praying for him. The sheer hopelessness and depression of his situation was something that I was not used to.

Another thing that struck me was that he was willing to pour out his life story to me when I had only met him two weeks earlier. From what I understand, it is extremely difficult for street people to trust anyone, and for him to place this kind of trust in me was a little mind-boggling. After all, I am nothing more than a student working there once a week for a practicum; I am not some kind of counselor or chaplain with the qualifications to help him. Maybe that is why he opened up to me, because I am not as intimidating as someone older with greater qualifications. Regardless, it was a great experience, and each week at the Mustard Seed God uses me in different ways. I am extremely happy that I chose to do my practicum there rather than simply become a youth leader at a church like the majority of my classmates. It is a real eye-opening experience, and I think I am learning more through my practicum than I am through my classes. To close out this blog, I would simply like to share the lyrics to a song by the band Killswitch Engage. For those of you who have not listened to them, their music consists of a great deal of screaming and yelling, backed up by heavy guitar riffs and pounding drum beats; however, unlike many metal bands, their lyrics are powerful and uplifting, not despairing.

Reject Yourself

Their cries are blown away with the wind.

How passive can we be before humanity is lost?

Turning our backs on those who need love.

We must not rest while healing is needed.

Tear down the veil that bars your heart from feeling this.

Dedicate yourself. Give your souls to compassion.

With open arms embrace this heart.

With open eyes behold the truth.

Embrace this life. So little time is left.

We must be relentless in our pursuit of those in torment.

Tear down the veil that bars your heart from feeling this.

Dedicate yourself. Become the voice of compassion.

With open arms embrace this heart.

With open eyes behold the truth.

Embrace this life. Can you reject yourself?

Can you feel their agony?

In a world that feeds on disregard. Heal the broken hearted.

Jack Bauer and Christianity: An Unlikely Parallel

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of following along with the adventures of Jack Bauer in the hit TV show 24, this blog may not make as much sense as it could had you viewed the show. For the record, the parallel/analogy drawn in this blog is not my original ideas, but how my Cultural Perspectives professor chose to introduce the class.

For those of you who haven't seen the show, Jack Bauer is like a modern-day MacGyver in the words of my teacher, only he uses his considerable intellect and ingenuity to kill people (terrorists in particular). So keeping that in mind, here is how the story unfolds from the season premier last night. WARNING: IF YOU ARE WAITING UNTIL SEASON 6 OF 24 COMES OUT ON DVD, READ NO FARTHER, AS SOME PLOT LINES ARE GIVEN AWAY.

The story begins as Jack Bauer is released from a Chinese prison, where he had been tortured for two years, and is only a shell of the man he once was. However, he was released only to be turned over to terrorists, in an attempt to bargain for the lives of thousands of US citizens. The terrorists handcuffed Jack to a chair, and proceeded to stab him with knives and long needles, pouring acid on the open wounds. Just as a terrorist was about to cut off one of Jack's fingers, he received a phone call, drawing him away from the room. While his interrogator was out of the room, Jack managed to yank the heart rate monitor from his arm, causing the monitor to flatline. Thinking he had died, his captor came to check on him. As he leaned over to examine the monitor, Jack suddenly head-butted him, and then sank his teeth into the man's jugular, killing him in a creative, if gruesome, fashion.

What does this have to do with anything you may ask, especially in a Bible school? Allow me to explain, as my teacher did. You see, Jack Bauer does not see the world in the same way as a normal human does. Where most people would see their impending death, with no chance of escape, Jack saw opportunity. It is because he is able to view events and situations from a different perspective that he is able to save his own life time after time. Where others see nothing but despair, Jack sees hope. In much the same way, we as Christians are called to view the world from a different perspective. For example, where society sees a wedding as revolving around the latest fashions and decorations as bridal shows will attest to (which, incidentally, is a field trip offered in this class, one which I will not participate in), the Christian sees a wedding as a celebration of the entering into a covenant relationship between two people. Christians are called to view people as Jesus views them: with compassion and love, not judgment and condemnation. Once again, this relates to my practicum at the Mustard Seed this semester, as I must look past outer appearances and habits and view the street people as my fellow brothers and sisters. So far, this has been much easier than anticipated, although I have only worked there for a grand total of one afternoon now. So there you have it: a lesson in Christianity learned from a one-man killing machine.

Back to School...

Well, I've now made it through most of a week of school this semester. I had a really enjoyable holidays, spending time with family and hanging out with close friends. But its good to be back in school now...we'll see how long that feeling lasts. This semester is shaping up to be even better than the first, as I am in some more interesting courses now that I've completed some of the first year prerequisites. However, it will be an extremely busy semester, as I have 5 courses, practicum, and a skiriffic band to throw together.

I began my practicum at the Mustard Seed today, and even though it will take up my entire Sunday afternoons for the next 12 weeks or so, I don't think that it will be something that I dread going to. Along with two other students from the school, we are working alongside the chaplain and assisting him with the worship services at the Seed. It does not appear that it will be terribly work intensive, which is good, as I have enough on the go this semester.

Today was our first day, and much of it was spent simply getting aquainted with the place and learning what goes on Sunday afternoons. We got there just in time to witness them serving lunch to the homeless. Our first task was simply to hang out with the people and talk to them. Following the meal, we then helped clean up and set up for the church service, which about 50 or so people attended. The service was fairly basic: it consisted of a guy leading worship with his acoustic guitar, followed by a sermon preached using simplistic language, which I found quite interesting, much more so than many sermons preached to a mature Christian congregation. After the service was another chance to talk to the people, as coffee and dessert was served. I think that I will really enjoy this practicum, as much of it consists simply of building relationships with the people at the shelter. It is exciting to be able to sit down and chat with these people without; despite the fact that we are physically better off than them, they in no way viewed us with any contempt or jealousy.

These are the people that society for the most part rejects and avoids at all costs. People come under the misconception that street people are somehow sub-human, and that we need not show kindness to them because their own actions are what led to their present circumstances. While it is obviously true that many of them do suffer with various addictions, they are also capable of showing love and acceptance, much more so than many of the 'normal' people you may encounter working their 9-5 jobs.

Recently, I purchased the bood 'A Ragamuffin Gospel' by Brennan Manning. So far, I have only had the time to read the first chapter, but his writing relates directly to this situation. He writes:

"Jesus comes for sinners, for those as outcast as tax collectors and for those caught up in squalid choices and failed dreams. He comes for corporate executives, street people, superstars, farmers, hookers, addicts, IRS agents, AIDS victims, and even used-car salesmen. Jesus not only talks with these people but dines with them - fully aware that His table fellowship with sinners will raise the eyebrows of religious bureaucrats who hold up the robes and insignia of their authority to justify their condemnation of the truth and their rejection of the gospel of grace."

And that, I believe, is the essence of my work at the Mustard Seed.