The LA Homeless Opportunity

Job 31:16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary…”

When I make big decisions, I generally gather information, weigh the pros and cons, and then ask God which way he’d like me to go. I often find that his direction is in line with “what makes sense” given the circumstances. But it’s especially exhilarating when he leads in a direction that makes no sense at all. When it works out (and it always has), you have no choice but to look back and give credit to the big guy upstairs.

Well, Elaine and I have felt prompted to pray about spending more time in Los Angeles. That could mean spending a bit more time here on vacations, but we’ve also let our imaginations run wild looking at houses, schools, and business opportunities. It’s been really fun, but today I felt convicted about a big hole in my process.

Rising income inequality is not unique to the United States, but somehow the manifestations seem to be more visceral here than in places like Singapore. There have been multiple shootings in Beverly Hills over the last few months. The homeless litter idyllic beaches next to multi-million dollar mansions in Santa Monica. Most of my thinking around the homeless had more to do with their impact on real estate values than it did with concern for their well-being.

But today I’m reminded that godly men like Job, St Francis and Jesus himself cared for the underprivileged. They loved and blessed the poor, as if they were family. And if God leads us to spend more time in LA in any form, I feel convicted that my calculus must change on what I’m sent here to do.

Lord, thank you for opening my eyes. Great problems are great opportunities, and I look forward to seeing what you have in store for this city and this nation. In you we trust. Amen.

The Grateful Dead

Psalm 111:9 He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever - holy and awesome is his name.

A few weeks back our pastor was explaining his view on Taekwondo to a group of us on a conference call. [I paraphrase.] “Some people feel that all martial arts originate from spiritual elements that aren’t of God. I recognize the danger in a depth of study in anything not of God, but at the same time my principle is basically whether God can redeem it or not.

Originally the Jewish people celebrated Shabbat on Saturday, but the church switched the date of our Sabbath to Sunday to align with a pagan practice. The same is true of the dates and many of the practices around our holidays such as Christmas and Easter. So it’s not that we condone pagan practices, but again the question is, can God redeem them?”

Many of you know my testimony, and that for about a decade I fell far from a relationship with God. There are lots of “pagan practices” that I associate with that era of my life, but attending hippie jam band concerts probably ranks top of mind amongst those. Well when we arrived in Los Angeles and one of our friends invited us to a Grateful Dead show, I balked. The Dead are not just any any hippie jam band, they are the original, quintessential jam band and most born again believers wouldn’t be caught dead (pun intended) miles from one of their shows.

The next day I asked God, as I had done many times before, how I should be thinking about that era of my life. I felt conflicted. People from that world don’t have a relationship with Him in the way that I think about it now. But many of them are amazing, loving people that I maintain friendships with to this day. “Should I go to the show? I was so far from you then. Is going to this thing dangerous? Isn’t it not of you? Am I even helping the enemy?”

But then I heard Him ask me “can I redeem it?”

Well we went to that show and had a great time. I was actually shocked that my wife Elaine enjoyed it as well. I was reminded how Shawn Bolz takes a team of people to go and pray prophetically over people at Burning Man, a festival with a similar hippy audience. And our church friend mentioned to a deadhead friend of hers that I’m a lay preacher he replied “oh really? Can I come to church? I’m around Sunday morning.”

For many years I’ve been so confused on so many levels about why I went through that wilderness, but I feel like there was a real revelation last week. The Grateful Dead is not the enemy. The enemy is the enemy. And deadheads need God’s love just like the rest of us.

Lord, you love is better than life. Your mercy never ends. Thank you for pulling back layer after layer of your plan and your purpose. In your son’s name, Amen.

Dune

1 John 3:1 “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!”

The other day my family went to watch the epic science fiction film, Dune. We all had high expectations heading into it (especially Kyan who is a huge fan of the book), and I’m glad to report that the movie did not disappoint. Towards the beginning of the storyline, Paul Atreides expresses concern about his calling to his father Duke Leto.

“Dad, what if I’m not the future of the House of Atreides?”

Duke Leto responds “a great man doesn’t seek to lead. He’s called to it. But if your answer is ‘no,’ you’ll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be: my son.”

So many of us get so worked up about our calling. Does God want me to this job or that job? Does he want me to live in this city or that city? Does he want me to marry this person or that person? Like Paul Atreides, I’ve often felt an incredible burden about the circumstances of my calling, and whether I’m on the right track.

But the reality is that the head of the heavens relates to us just as the head of Atreides relates to his son. I can never fail in my calling because my calling starts and ends with the fact that I am a child of God. As a son I already have full approval from my father and there’s nothing that I can do to earn more of his love.

Father, I’m so thankful to see how very much you love us. For you call us your children. And that is what we are. Thank you for everything. In Jesus’ name, Amen.