NO COVER UP January 23, 2008

‘No cover up
No room for hiding …

I am broken and I stand accused
Is there someone who can let me loose
If you find the answer make a careful note
I could use you pardon and a lot of hope
I’m getting to that part at the end of the rope’

 (‘NO COVER UP’ – DUKE SPECIAL)

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‘Make-up - is it a blessing or curse – Discuss…!’  Now why did they never come up with useful essay titles like that for school exams?!

Now I’d have to say I’m a complete advocate of make-up…its fun, its pretty useful and it enhances your features or something like that apparently ….But then when I stop and think I realise I have somewhat of a dependency on it – like I can feel very vulnerable when I’m not wearing any.

I guess this is tied in to my life’s journey and the fact that I did have major hang-ups about my appearance when I was growing up.  I mean alot of my story is linked to the fact that God Himself brought me almost out of hiding and into The Light.  I know I’d be still be back in that dark place, too afraid to come out if He hadn’t carried out the rescue…

So I was reminded of alot of this tonight.  I haven’t had the best of weeks…I’ve been letting myself get pretty frustrated at my life’s state of play and then tonight God reminded me of some pretty immense stuff…

How did he do that?  Well Rick’s going to laugh at this one.  So my amazing brother was speaking to a group from our church tonight -among other stuff he was sharing the Bible story of the ‘adulterous woman’ hauled out by the religious elders to be shamed and stoned in front of a crowd.  It was at this point my amazing brother chose to drag me to the front to act the ‘adulterous woman’ in front of this crowd.  That would totally be ok (im ever willing to oblige) in normal circumstances except for tonight…

The deal with tonight was that I felt awful, I’d come home from work sick, had no make-up on and felt a total mess and here I was facing a room full of people!  I felt very exposed.

So the drama proceeded anyway I played the part of the woman as she sank to the ground and faced the judgementalism and rock-throwing of that community.  And then it struck me – how utterly exposed, degraded and vulnerable had this poor woman felt?…And then as Jesus stooped down as her protector and life-giver the release, relief, thankfulness and wonderment that must have pulsed through her.

I don’t like feeling exposed…but then again it reminds me that with Jesus I can face any crowd and any situation.  He raises me up and allows me to live to face a new day….
 

A time to speak… January 14, 2008

I heard stuff this morning that shocked me – and yet at the same time I could totally believe.  Was listening to the Nolan radio show and pricked up my ears when I heard the word ‘Woodvale’…

Basically the story was that a group of ‘locals’ had last week paraded two young guys down the Shankill from Woodvale with placards over their heads which labelled them as thieves.  The pair were forced to walk the length of the road and back – as the group of men and their dogs walked behind them.  Only after an hour did police get word of the incident and show up.  Frightening.

But what was more frightening was the fact that nearly all of the callers who phoned in supported the thugs and slammed the police; and that in a text poll –  80% of people were behind the actions taken by the vigilantes.

Like I said that scared me but didnt surprise me – I’ve experienced that mindset while spending time in Woodvale.  Its a different version of right and wrong – but one which could seem so valid if you live and exist there.  If you’re feeling under siege in your home or fearful of attack you’d want to call someone who would ’actively’ help.  For many that’s the way it is.  And I so hate the fact that for many that’s the way it is. 

I guess words really matter.  And thats why the silence on the show this morning - ie: the real lack of criticism of those behind this public humiliation – was totally deafening.  But more than that, Nolan’s own words were coming back to haunt him – as callers pointed out that the two young guys who had suffered here would probably fit into the ’scumbag’ category that he’s so quick to throw at people on other mornings and in other debates.  I guess all of us specialise in double-standards like that…

But for me God’s challenge in my life is summed up in Proverbs 31:  

8-9 “Speak up for the people who have no voice,
   for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak out for justice!
   Stand up for the poor and destitute!” (Message)

And I know it’s time for me to not just blog about it or talk about it or know it – but to get way more active about it…

T-shirts and Hope January 3, 2008

One of my friends has this cool thing for designing his own t-shirts on some random internet site…He’s of  a pretty quirky disposition so some of the messages emblazoned across his chest are hilariously random – ‘Horse Nipples’ being one of them!?  (apparently quite a conversation starter – can’t imagine why!)

 Creating my own t-shirt excited me as you can imagine so I’ve been trying to come up with a message I want to communicate to the world!  So I think I’ve got it – a phrase that captures a wee motto of mine for 2008.  Its a song lyric from the Frames song ‘Falling Slowly’ and goes like this: ‘Raise your hopeful voice – You have a choice’.

I love that – it reminds me in each situation and each moment I have a choice to be that hopeful voice to both the people around me and to myself.  I feel like the world gets enough doses of cynicism and sarcasm to drown in  – and so I want my input into people’s lives to be one of hope. 

As I rewind back over today I feel like I chose to be that hopeful voice in fits and starts, while in other moments I opted for silence as someone was put down.  I’m sorry for that and I guess as each day passes I’d love for my hopeful voice to keep on rising in crescendo.