tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53525546574940488932024-02-19T08:10:00.635-05:00Following The WayKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-89498234315736527612014-08-18T10:48:00.002-04:002014-08-18T10:48:48.228-04:00Litany for Peace<div>
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I just wanted to share some prayers from a prayer
service for peace at house church last week. The litany and closing prayer are original. Let us pray <i><b>and</b> </i>work for peace.</div>
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We are molded, each one of us,<br />
in the image of God,<br />
and within our souls there is a fingerprint<br />
none can erase.<br />
We pray for those who have no regard<br />
for anyone but self,<br />
who put no value on human life.<br />
For nations and individuals who abuse and kill.<br />
We are not called to be judge or jury,<br />
but we are called to be agents of change,<br />
and if the butterfly that flaps its wings<br />
should be our attitude to others<br />
then so be it, Lord,<br />
and may the hurricane this generates<br />
somewhere within the world<br />
reach into the hearts and souls of those<br />
for whom we pray, and reveal to them<br />
how precious are those<br />
for whom they have no love,<br />
and how precious are they<br />
who now bring tears to the eyes of God.<br />
©John Birch</div>
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<strong>We imagine a world </strong><br />
where the deaths of innocent children are never viewed as inevitable and justifiable.<br />
<strong>We imagine a world </strong><br />
with no guns, no bombs, no armies, no soldiers.<br />
<strong>We imagine a world </strong><br />
free of violence, exploitation and oppression.<br />
<strong>We imagine a world </strong><br />
where every human life is honored and regarded as sacred.<br />
<strong>We imagine a world </strong><br />
where selfishness and apathy are no longer the norm and good people are no longer silent.<br />
<strong>We imagine a world </strong><br />
where grace, gentleness and compassion are prized much more than money, power and status.<br />
<strong>We imagine a world </strong><br />
where the triumph of justice, righteousness and peace become an every day occurrence.<br />
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Gracious and loving God to you now we turn. No other help do we know.
For the violence in our hearts, for the violence in the words we’ve
spoken, for the violence done on our behalf aided by our apathy and
inaction, forgives us, wash us and convert us. Help us to continue to
dream your dream for the world and give us the courage to spend our
lives making your dream a reality. Send us to our homes in peace and
out into your world to make peace. In the name of Jesus, whose very
life was pierced by the violence we seek to end Amen.<br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
Kevin VetiacKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-88155888132669196912014-08-15T11:25:00.000-04:002014-08-15T11:46:13.623-04:00Michael Brown: When Will They Stop Killing Us?<br />
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When I first heard about the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri I had no reaction at all. I just went numb. I think my heart was so broken by the death of yet another unarmed black man by the police that it would not allow me to feel anything at all, afraid I would collapse completely under the weight of grief, rage and the sense of helplessness. I was reading another article about the situation yesterday and I finally broke. I burst into tears at my desk at work and had to run to the bathroom so I could have a moment to grieve in private. As a black man I cannot help but ask the following questions. Why do white people hate us so much? What did we do to them? Slavery wasn't enough. Jim Crow wasn't enough. Lynching wasn't enough. Depriving us from economic opportunity and forcing many of us into ghettos is not enough. Now we must also be shot dead for walking down the street. When will they stop killing us?<br />
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I've heard some people blame the militarization of the police for the shooting of Michael Brown. Indeed, this is a major problem, but let's not miss the obvious here. As militarized as the police have become, when's the last time you've heard of an unarmed 18 year-old white teenager being gunned down by the police? Michael Brown was shot dead for being a black man in a country that is as racist as hell and has been from it's very beginning. America does not have a race "problem'; America in its very nature is racist and the denial of this reality furthers its perpetuation. Claims that events like the shooting of Michael Brown are isolated incidents are absolutely absurd. Was the genocide of the Native Americans an isolated incident? How about the African slave trade? The war against Mexico in order to steal land and enlarge the US? Jim Crow? Lynching? The massive rates of incarceration among black people today? The murders of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and John Crawford?<br />
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Am I to believe that all of these are isolated incidents that are not connected to one another? Absolutely not! The shooting of Michael Brown is nothing more than the continuation of the subjugation of people of color this country was founded upon and thrives upon to this day. A racist country produces racist police. It's simple to understand. And until the average white American acknowledges the fact that the very foundation of our nation is built upon the refusal to acknowledge people of color as full human beings, the racism will continue and people of color will continue to pay the price. Your denial is killing us.<br />
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Racism killed Michael Brown. Racism that refuses to acknowledge people of color as fully human. Racism that says people of color are to be humiliated, exploited and kept in their place. Racism that says all black men are dangerous menaces to society who need to be locked up or shot dead. Racism that tells white people to be afraid of all black people everywhere at all times. Racism that makes it OK to shoot first and ask questions later. It is this racism that fuels the American way of life and makes white privilege possible.<br />
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As a black man it is absolutely ridiculous and heartbreaking that I need to say the following in 2014, but hear me white America:<br />
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I am a person. Do you get that? Do you really get that? I'm fully human just like you. I am not a target. I am not a dog that can be shot down in the street for no reason. I do not exist to serve you or be subordinate to you in any way so don't expect me to be submissive to you. I'm going to say that again because you really need to hear this white America. I DO NOT EXIST TO SERVE YOU OR BE SUBORDINATE TO YOU IN ANY WAY. I am made in the image and likeness of God. My blackness is not a curse, it is a blessing. I will never apologize to you for existing, never.<br />
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We cannot talk about Michael Brown without talking about race. A racist country produces racist police. We cannot confront police brutality without confronting racism. And we cannot end racism in America without dismantling all of the systems formulated to deny people of color their full humanity. Until we do this all the police training in the world will not stop the lives of people of color from being sacrificed for the maintenance of white privilege one way or the other. As a black man in America I must return to the question: When will they stop killing us?<br />
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Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-68935324091986461452014-08-12T10:50:00.003-04:002015-11-19T13:13:20.918-05:00Every Breath is a Gift<div style="text-align: center;">
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"The breath you just took is a gift."<br />
Rob Bell</div>
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I am becoming aware of the truth of this statement more and more. It
becomes more difficult to take life for granted when faced with the
atrocities taking place in Gaza, Syria and many places around the
world. The thought of innocent children being bombed in their sleep is
enough to shake you out of apathy. At any moment life can be taken from
you. A close friend of mine is in the hospital after a medical
emergency that could have easily taken her life. She is still here and
in the midst of sadness and worry about her condition I must be
grateful. I must give thanks that she is still here and I am still here
to witness her recovery.<br />
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Every breath is a gift, every single one. Every breath is a
manifestation of grace that is at once beautiful and fragile. Here one
moment and gone the next. We must surrender to this reality if we are
to live life well. Denying our vulnerability does the world no good.
Humility and gratitude are essential to a life well lived. Realizing
the limitations of what we can do for ourselves opens our eyes to see
all that is graciously given to us, providing us with opportunities to
sink deeper into gratitude. We can do nothing to earn or deserve the
breath of life. We cannot take life upon ourselves. It is given to us
freely as an act of grace and love.<br />
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My favorite part of the creation story in the Bible is Genesis 2:7
"Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living
being." I love the imagery of God stooping down into the clay and
personally breathing life into the first human being. It's a beautiful
illustration that our very being is dependent upon another Source, that
life is a gift freely given to be received in gratitude. Love has
called us into being.<br />
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When I am tempted to fall into despair because of all the troubles in
the world I remind myself that every single breath I take gives me
another reason to say thank you. Every breath is a gift. What will I
do with it? The powers that be seem invincible and ubiquitous, but
certainly I can use my life to make a difference in the lives of
others. The ability to be grateful in a world full of trouble saves us
from the paralysis of despair and nudges us to use our gift for purposes
far greater than securing our own comfort. Every now and then stop, be
still, take a breath and recognize it for the miraculous gift that it
is. Let everything that you do flow from this realization.<br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
Kevin</div>
Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-70287112447119027742014-08-11T11:02:00.000-04:002014-08-11T11:04:30.198-04:00Sowing Violence To Reap Peace<div style="text-align: center;">
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Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.</div>
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Galatians 6:7 (Holy Bible, NIV)</div>
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One would not sow apple seeds and expect to grow oranges or pumpkin seeds and expect tangerines. It seems silly to state something so obvious. Doesn't it? Yet over and over again we hear the claim that violence must be used in order to restore peace. We hear it so often that most of us actually believe it. Theologian Walter Wink refers to this ideology as the "myth of redemptive violence". It claims that violence is necessary and can lead to a greater good in the future. It tells us that we can sow violence now and reap peace later. Nothing could be farther from the truth! It is impossible to reap peace by sowing violence.<br />
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The myth of redemptive violence is a lie, but it's a very good lie. All good lies are subtle and seductive. They slip in unnoticed and sound so much like the truth, but thy are not. Israel says it has no choice but to resort to violence against Gaza in order to keep its citizens safe. Really? Has Israel tried ending the occupation of Gaza, allowing the Palestinians their God-given right to self determination, recognizing that the Palestinians are just as human as the Israelis? Dropping bombs on sleeping children in UN shelters is the only way to secure peace? Really Israel?<br />
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The US has declared war on terrorism and yet everywhere the US has engaged in this "war" more and more terrorists emerge, each new manifestation more numerous and dangerous than the one before. Just look at Iraq now. Is it not clear enough yet? Violence does nothing to deter terrorism. Violence does nothing to solve the problems of the world. It is a useless deceptive tool we must lay down now if humanity is to survive at all.<br />
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We must not be passive bystanders. We must intervene. The massacres taking place in Gaza are absolutely unjustifiable. Only those thoroughly deceived by the myth of redemptive violence fail to be horrified by the deaths of innocent children and they are wrong. They may be presidents, prime ministers, congressmen, cabinet members, but they are wrong. We must not believe their lies. There is no salvation in violence. Anyone who claims otherwise is a liar. We must use the full force of nonviolent protest to pressure the US to stop funding Israel's gradual genocide of the Palestinian people. We must not be complicit by remaining silent. The violence we allow to be sown in our name will return to us ten, twenty and a hundredfold. We must act now.<br />
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Following the Way,<br />
Kevin<br />
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Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-63060763401359055132014-07-29T11:40:00.000-04:002014-07-29T11:58:16.357-04:00Why Such Silence?<br />
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I have been so distraught over the relentless targeting of civilians by Israeli forces. I see the faces of Palestinian children in my dreams and every morning I wake up Gaza has been the first thing on my mind. Perhaps I am being naive, but I really am in shock that the international community, especially the US, is allowing such atrocities to continue without forcing Israel to stop dropping bombs on innocent civilians.<br />
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What I find equally if not more disturbing is the silence of the church regarding the massacres taking place in Gaza. I've seen clergy promoting books and church programs on facebook, but not mention a word about Gaza. Israel bombs UN shelters full of women and children in Gaza and the church largely has nothing to say about it. Why? Why the silence?<br />
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Christians are the only people in the world who proclaim a crucified Savior. We believe that God is most clearly revealed among the poor and oppressed, not the rich and the powerful. Liberation theologian Jon Sobrino refers to all people who suffer unjustly as "the crucified people". What does it mean to proclaim a crucified Savior but ignore the suffering of the crucified people? Why does the church fail to recognize the Palestinians as a crucified people? They have been stripped of their homeland by force, occupied by a military regime, trapped in ghettos and refugee camps, stripped of their right of self determination and basic human rights in general, for no other reason than living on land coveted by others with superior military force. As if living in a concentration camp were not enough, now the people of Gaza must be bombed as well.<br />
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To be silent in the face of such injustice is sin and a betrayal of Jesus himself. We are our brother's keeper. We are our sister's keeper. We cannot pick and choose who we will defend if we are to be authentic to the way of Jesus. We must stand up for the crucified people wherever they appear, whether in Gaza, Syria or the urban ghetto. I have never been as disappointed with church as I am now, so slow to move, so slow to take notice, so slow to act, so wrapped up in its own agenda. A church that proclaims a crucified Savior but turns its back on crucified people has lost its way and is of no use to the world.<br />
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The world doesn't need more church services. The world needs people who will lay their lives on the line for the sake of justice and the liberation of the oppressed. The world needs people who refuse to be silent in the midst of atrocities and will fight for what's right regardless of what it might cost them. If the church turns its back on Gaza then it has turned its back on Jesus. Make no mistake about it, we cannot call ourselves the people of God without taking up the cause of those who suffer unjustly. There is no room for us in the kingdom of God if we do otherwise.<br />
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Following The Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-88203018759259919842014-07-21T10:16:00.001-04:002014-07-21T10:29:47.288-04:00The Deception of Despair<br />
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The atrocities currently taking place in Gaza have affected
me deeply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The death of innocent
children and the apathy from so many people regarding those deaths have been
beyond discouraging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself
nearly slipping into depression and despair, wishing for an eject button to get me off
of this planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not want to live in
a world where 1,500 pound bombs are dropped on innocent children in their own
homes while the international community fiddles as to what to do about it or
barely takes notice at all.</div>
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But despair is a deception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Evil knows that it has already lost and its days are numbered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despair is a last ditch attempt to delay the
inevitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the inevitable?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end of injustice, the end off oppression,
the end of violence, the end of unnecessary suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When good people are silent evil wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when good people become overwhelmed with
all that is wrong with the world and fall into despair, evil prolongs its last
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not be deceived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The darkness cannot overcome the light. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despair is a smoke screen, nothing more than
evidence that evil is in its final death throes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is designed to keep us from seeing our
power and fool us into believing that we cannot overturn every system of
oppression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not be deceived. We can and we must.</div>
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Evil will never win because no amount of violence and oppression
can ever extinguish the thirst and hunger for righteousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thirst and hunger for righteousness, the
desire for a world free of violence, poverty, oppression and hate, the capacity
to imagine a whole new world that is just, is eternal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cannot be killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cannot be exterminated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can only be satisfied and it will not rest
until it has had its fill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Evil has already lost and because we know this we will fight
it wherever it dares to show its face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We do not give in to fear, apathy or helplessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We confront it head on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that authentic Christianity
requires radical militancy regarding injustice, an uncompromising, unyielding,
unstoppable determination to end injustice wherever we find it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We are seeing injustice now in Gaza where innocent civilians
are being regularly targeted by Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stripping the Palestinians of their homeland and civil rights, locking
them into ghettos and blocking them from resources and access to power and self
determination apparently is not enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now innocent Palestinian men, women and children must be bombed.</div>
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But let us not give in to despair and the paralysis it
brings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us not turn our heads and
look the other way in apathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now is the
time to take our faith, hope and love and translate it into action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must stand up to injustice wherever it
appears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must love the oppressed
enough to risk our very lives for their liberation or cease to call ourselves
the people of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere” (Martin Luther King Jr.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is time for all of us who consider
ourselves <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be the people of God to join
the struggle for the liberation of the oppressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If not now then when?</div>
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Following The Way,</div>
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Kevin </div>
Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-89472204457869538682014-07-18T11:02:00.000-04:002014-07-21T10:52:17.909-04:00The Slaughter of the Innocents<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="3456px" data-original-width="5504px" height="400" src="https://assets-news.vice.com/images/2014/07/16/israeli-airstrikes-kill-4-children-on-gaza-beach-article-body-image-1405531934.jpg?resize=1000:*" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Momen Faiz</td></tr>
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Matthew chapter 2 tells the story of the slaughter of the innocents as a part of the birth narrative of Jesus. According to the story evil King Herod fearing the prophecy that a new king of the Jews has been born orders the Magi to tell him when they find the child. The Magi do not report back to him so Herod orders the deaths of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and younger. It's a tragic story of the blatant disregard for for human life in the quest to maintain power, but it is most likely completely fictional. There is no historical evidence to suggest that such a slaughter of children ever took place under Herod's reign.<br />
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The same cannot be said for the Palestinians in Gaza, however. A real life slaughter of the innocents is taking place there right now. Over 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes with over 40 of them being children. Civilian homes have been targeted with the 1,500 pound bombs used by Israel. It is important to keep in mind that the residents of Gaza have nowhere to go to escape the bombing. The borders of Gaza and Israel have been closed and they are hemmed in by the sea. A population of 1.7 Palestinians live in about 140 square miles and half of the population is comprised of children. To target civilian homes is to target innocent children. No political jargon or double talk can avoid this fact. Israel is dropping 1,500 pound bombs on children.<br />
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This fact was made abundantly clear by Wednesday's bombing of four children on a beach in Gaza. Hamas was not present. No rocket launchers were in the vicinity, just fisherman trying to go about their daily lives and children playing on the beach. Ahed and Muhammed Baker were 11. Zakariah Baker was 10 and Ismail Baker was 9. Their crime? They simply wanted to play outside after being cooped up in their houses for days since the Israeli air strikes began. They were innocent and they were slaughtered. No one can deny that. What are we going to do about it?<br />
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We must not remain silent. We must inform people about the atrocities taking place in Gaza. We must speak up and demand an end to the slaughter. We must remind the world that slaughtering children is never acceptable, justifiable or inevitable. And for people of faith in particular, we have absolutely no right to call ourselves the people of God if we do nothing in the face of injustice, suffering and oppression. If the slaughter of innocent children does not move us to take action what will? Now is the time to put our faith into action.<br />
<br />
Following The Way,<br />
Kevin<br />
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<span style="color: red;">WARNING!</span> The following video shows graphic footage of the victims of Wednesday's bombing. Please be advised. It is very difficult to watch, but I believe it is very important to bear witness to such atrocities so we may be motivated to act and prevent future atrocities from happening again.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgmq8fs-ick">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgmq8fs-ick</a>Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-60514637918196698072014-07-17T12:15:00.000-04:002014-07-21T11:10:08.444-04:00The Blood of Jesus<div style="text-align: left;">
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(Image Credit: AP. Blood in the streets of Gaza City after an Israeli air strike killed seven, July 12)</div>
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The blood of Jesus runs red in the streets of Gaza and the church barely takes notice. In his book <i>The Cross and The Lynching Tree</i>, James Cone defines salvation as "a liberating event in the lives of all who are struggling for survival and dignity in a world bent on denying their humanity" (p. 151). For Christians we see this salvation illustrated most clearly in the person of Jesus and paradoxically in the scandal of the cross. It is on the cross that the Son of God becomes the Oppressed One, aligning himself not with the rich or the powerful, but the poor, the oppressed, the trampled upon. Tragically, the Jim Crow South never recognized the crucified body of Jesus in the lynched bodies of about 5,000 black men, women and children who were brutally beaten, burned, mutilated and hung from trees. And today we often fail to recognize the blood of Jesus in the shed blood of all who suffer unjustly.</div>
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The blood of Jesus runs red in Gaza where the targeting of civilian homes have left over 200 Palestinians dead, over 40 of them children. The latest victims were four children whose only crime was playing on the beach when an Israeli airstrike violently ended their lives.<br />
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The blood of Jesus runs red in Chicago where the combined forces of capitalism and racism have trapped many blacks in ghettos buried in poverty, violence and despair, while being ignored by the rest of society. Over 80 shootings took place over the course of Independence Day weekend alone. Let us not be deceived, ghettos are no Chicago phenomenon. They can be found all throughout the US. They are created by the rich and the powerful to keep the poor from access to resources and power.<br />
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The blood of Jesus runs red in Syria where the death toll continues to rise higher and higher though mainstream media no longer report the atrocities taking place there. We are over that I guess and on to other things.<br />
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Wherever innocent blood is shed the blood of Jesus flows, yet many of us who are his followers fail to recognize this fact. Many of us care more about the sufferings of fictional characters in shows like <i>Orange Is The New Black </i>than the very real suffering of victims in Gaza or the ghetto. The cross of Jesus ought to fuel us with a desire to put an end to any more crosses. The shed blood of Jesus ought to fuel us with an indomitable desire to stop the shedding of any more innocent blood. The horror of the cross ought to move us to place our very lives on the line in order to create a world where violence, oppression and unnecessary suffering are nothing but distant, distant memories.<br />
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Over 2,000 years have passed and yet the blood of Jesus, the blood of the persecuted, the blood of the trampled upon still flows. When will we take notice?<br />
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Following The Way,<br />
Kevin Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-60217375725882140042014-07-14T11:06:00.001-04:002014-07-14T11:51:13.711-04:00What Have We Become?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Something deep within my soul cried out when I saw this photo of the body of a three-year-old Palestinian child being carried by mourners. Pain shot through my body. I wanted to look away at the horror of it all, but I made myself look. I made myself bear witness to this tragedy. Can you imagine having to bury your child at the tender age of three? Mohammed Mnassrah is just one of over 20 Palestinian children killed by the Israeli airstrikes over Gaza. Many civilian homes have been bombed.<br />
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I don't want to talk about politics. I don't want to talk about military strategies. I want to talk about humanity. Was three-year-old Mohammed not human? Did he deserve to die? What was his crime? Should we not mourn his death? Should we not mourn the deaths of all innocent victims of violence? Some say that the taking of civilian lives is inevitable because Hamas uses civilian sites and Israel must defend itself. I ask you to lay aside your ideologies and look at the lifeless body of three-year-old Mohammed. How can we look at this picture and not feel pity? How can we look at this picture and shrug our shoulders and say it was inevitable?<br />
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What has happened to us? What have we become? Have we lost our souls? Have we lost the capacity to be human? When the death of innocent children no longer stirs any sorrow or empathy within us, what have we become? When we are more interested in the World Cup than the bombing of civilian homes, what have we become? When the church is more interested in its liturgies than being a cause for justice in the world, what have we become?<br />
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I mourn for Mohammed. I mourn for Naftali, Gilad and Eyal, the three Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped and murdered. I mourn for Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was burned alive at the age of sixteen in retaliation. I grieve for every victim of violence, suffering and oppression. I grieve for every person who can look upon the death of a child and talk politics and not humanity. I long for a world where people care more about ending oppression, injustice and violence than soccer, reality television and shopping. When good people are silent evil wins. There must be another way. There must be another way to resolve conflict without killing little children. And if all of us who clam to know God do nothing to help find that way, then what have we become?<br />
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Following The Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-33129540302087951702014-04-18T18:29:00.001-04:002014-04-18T18:37:03.823-04:00No More Crosses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was fighting back the tears during the Good Friday service today. I usually try to avoid thinking about the suffering of Jesus on the cross because I cannot bear it. It makes my soul shudder. If I had been one of the disciples I would have run away too. There's no way I would have been able to bear witness to such pain. The cross has been sanitized by the church these days. Many churches feature shining crosses of silver, bronze or even gold. But the cross that Jesus bore was no sanitized cross and the crucifixion Jesus endured was no sanitized experience. It was horrifically violent with a brutality that not only marred the body on the cross, but the soul of every person who witnessed it. It was a scandal. It was the best way the Romans knew how to completely humiliate and dehumanize its enemies and it was effective.<br />
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I was fighting back the tears in church because I realized that Jesus was not the first person to be crucified and he certainly wasn't the last. We live in a world where those in power are obsessed with crucifying their victims. I don't believe that it was the wrath of God that brought Jesus to the cross. Was it the wrath of God that led to the extermination of the native peoples in America? Was it the wrath of God that caused African slaves to endure the horror of the Middle Passage and then a lifetime of slavery? Was it the wrath of God that caused bloated black bodies found hanging from trees during the Jim Crow era in the South? Is it the wrath of God that causes women to be oppressed so men can maintain power? Is it the wrath of God that necessitates the destruction of communities of people of color all over the world so that white western men can maintain their power? Is it the wrath of God that demands that LGBT people be crucified so that straight people can feel normal? <br />
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No! God never crucified anyone. All of the crucifixions mentioned above were done by people so desperate to maintain power that they failed to see human beings as human beings. They themselves forget their own humanity and became monsters inflicting horrible violence and cruelty upon others who never deserved their crucifixions. <br />
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I believe that God has a dream for this world. I believe that God imagines a world where there are no more crosses. A world where the poor are not crucified to maintain the lifestyles of the rich; a world where women are not told that they are less than; a world where power over the many lays not in the hands of the few. Are we bold enough to join God in this dream? Do we have the capacity to imagine a world without violence and oppression? May God hep us all to imagine and make reality a world where there are no more crosses.<br />
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Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-66731733661505338132013-08-12T09:55:00.003-04:002013-08-12T10:16:23.696-04:00For Those Who Remain<br />
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One year ago today a beautiful, intelligent, confident, funny and sassy young woman by
the name of Kristen was gunned down and killed at the age
of 22. She had just graduated from college and returned to Boston.
She was the daughter of my former pastor and we sang many, many songs
and endured many, many long rehearsals together in the choir.<br />
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I
don't have many words to say. I will not try to defend God. I will
not quote any scriptures; this is not the time for Bible study. I will
not try to be encouraging. There's no point with grief like this and
all of the encouraging things people say just ring hollow anyway. I
will not try to make sense of any of this. It's simply not possible.<br />
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All
I can say is that life is a slippery and precious gift that can slip
right out of our hands at any moment. Whether death comes slowly and
gently, reaching us in old age like an old friend who's come to take us
home or whether death comes swiftly, mercilessly and unexpectedly, none
of us are immune. We all live our entire lives in vulnerability, never
knowing when the next breath we take will be our last.<br />
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For
those of us who remain for the time being, what are we doing with our
lives? How are we using the small number of days allotted to us on this
side? Are there things we want to change? Are there
people we want to forgive? Are there dreams we want to pursue? Now is the time. Don't waste another moment. We don't know how many we have left.<br />
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Kristen's death shook me to the core and forced me to take a good hard look at my life and make some changes. For all of us who are still mourning her death, for everyone mourning the sudden loss of a loved one, may all of the grief, pain and sadness be transformed into catalysts for us living the best life that we can, while we can by the grace of God.<br />
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Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-33571851387719197182013-07-23T15:18:00.000-04:002013-07-23T15:35:31.199-04:00The Royal Birth!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Amidst the huge outbursts of emotions all along the spectrum after George Zimmerman's acquittal for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, many have longed for a distraction and have found it in the birth of the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the royal birth! Such pomp and circumstance! There were gun salutes, a royal crier and minute by minute news coverage for all the adoring fans. Yes, the human tendency to disengage with reality and escape into fantasy stood unhindered this week.<br />
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Can you guess that I wasn't one of the adoring fans waiting with bated breath for the royal birth? Sorry! I was just too busy mourning the gutting of The Voting Rights Act and a victory for Florida's fundamentally flawed and biased "Stand Your Ground" law which will only cause more unnecessary violence and gun proliferation and outrage. "Oh come let us adore him!" That's basically what the media was saying about William and Kate's baby boy, but there is <i>another </i>royal birth of far greater significance that I am waiting for and that is the birth of Christ in our hearts.<br />
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A dear friend of mine has a habit of saying "Merry Christmas!" on any given day. It seems a bit strange, but the truth is that Jesus is born in our hearts every day whenever we allow him to be, whenever we make room for him. Whenever we turn from violence and seek peace. Whenever we seek reconciliation instead of revenge. Wherever there is love. Wherever there is compassion. Wherever there is gentleness, kindness and mercy, Jesus is born in our hearts and is free to live out his resurrected life in us. Now this is a royal birth to get excited about! This is the royal birth the world is desperately in need of. And when it happens it will not be televised. There will be no fanfare, or gun salutes or royal criers with feathered hats, only a still small voice letting us know we're headed in the right direction.<br />
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So may all of the love, all of the compassion, all of the mercy, may all of the sheer goodness, humility and kindness of Jesus be born in our hearts on this day and everyday. May we all learn to love one another as dearly and tenderly as Jesus loves us so that we may create a world free of hate, bitterness, poverty and war, a world full of the abundant life Jesus comes to bring us whenever we let him in. <br />
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Following the Way,<br />
Kevin<br />
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<br />Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-35569013056068371632013-07-16T11:10:00.000-04:002013-07-23T15:23:46.931-04:00Trayvon Martin and Metanoia<br />
I am beyond words right now thinking about the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case. I am disgusted, enraged, heartbroken and afraid. I've always wanted children, but as a black man things like this make me pause and think. Do I want to bring children into a world like this? A world where I cannot keep them safe? A world that will look at their black skin and automatically brand them as menaces? A world where a 17-year-old honor roll, college bound student walking down the street with a bag of skittles and some ice tea is gunned down and the shooter goes free?<br />
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Justice in this life is imperfect, but it's where we start. Convicting George Zimmerman would have done nothing to bring Trayvon back, but it would have sent out a message to any armed-wanna be-cop out there. And it could have in some small way started the process of "metanoia" or a conversion of the heart for George Zimmerman and our society. This is what George Zimmerman needs and this is what our racist, patriarchal, capitalist society needs, a change of heart. Yet as of today George Zimmerman has never apologized for killing Trayvon Martin. Why should he? The courts agree with him in his assertion that he has done nothing wrong. And this is the most tragic part of the verdict: it gives the George Zimmermans of the world no reason to change and it gives those who agree with him no reason to change either.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5352554657494048893&pli=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5352554657494048893&pli=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The soul of our nation is sick with racism, selfishness, greed, apathy and so many other things. Without metanoia, without a change of heart, tragedies like this will just keep happening. And our justice system is not removed from that process of metanoia. The Civil Rights Acts did not change the hearts and minds of Americans over night, but it did change many hearts and many minds over time. It began the process of metanoia for people all across the country regarding racism. George Zimmerman's conviction could have in some small way begun a similar process for a nation still struggling to recognize people of color as full human beings.<br />
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We are not to wait for God's justice when we get to heaven, we won't need it then. God's justice starts right here and right now with our frail, limited justice. This is where we start. It starts with you and me holding people accountable for the evil they do so that metanoia can become a possibility for the individual and the larger society.<br />
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Trayvon, I don't care what anybody says, you did not deserve what happened to you! May your senseless death help reveal to all of us all the evil lurking in our hearts and lead us to metanoia, lead us to a complete change of heart so that we can create a world where what happened to you will never happen to anyone else ever again. <br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-70660350075672445802013-05-14T11:03:00.000-04:002013-05-14T11:22:36.576-04:00Bearing Witness<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi8cQKjE-dMnpsC9jx02U9hQiVqq7GMyfu1fdRsAYCDWm0TBpl9Ntb5tbfMYm7WeaGTwJD2-YgFDGaEPhg_vbrh5wsBL5Jss5ZbVAmJvdG0k2ihF19coIilOzCjv1kZtYwKX1v1h7oNQ/s1600/Vigil+pic+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi8cQKjE-dMnpsC9jx02U9hQiVqq7GMyfu1fdRsAYCDWm0TBpl9Ntb5tbfMYm7WeaGTwJD2-YgFDGaEPhg_vbrh5wsBL5Jss5ZbVAmJvdG0k2ihF19coIilOzCjv1kZtYwKX1v1h7oNQ/s320/Vigil+pic+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Bearing witness…it doesn’t seem like much and indeed it is
not enough, but it’s where we begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
where the journey of bringing God’s dream of justice to the world begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When tragedy strikes we should resist the
urge to turn our heads and look the other way, instead we should stay and bear
witness to the pain, to the loss, to the suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For it is only after we bear witness to such
things that we are motivated to act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
On
Saturday, May 12, the brothers at SSJE hosted a vigil to remember LGBTQ youth
who committed suicide and Bishop Tom Shaw gave a thoughtful sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ceremony was so beautiful and so sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I knelt down to light a few candles and
saw the pictures of youth who had taken their lives scattered on the floor I
was shaken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such loss, such unnecessary
loss!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our support had arrived too late,
bearing witness was the least we could do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so now I invite you to join us in bearing witness to the
immeasurable value of the lives lost and the fact that their deaths were
totally preventable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The God of love and
compassion who sees all is inviting all of us to participate in the divine work
of bearing witness to injustice wherever it appears and taking action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you accept the invitation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you bear witness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Let us not look away when our young people
take their own lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us not look
away when over 1000 sweat shop workers in Bangladesh die in a building collapse
so we can continue to buy our trendy clothes at discounted rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us not look away when the lives of the
poor all over the world are trampled upon so that the wealthiest among us can
become even wealthier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us bear
witness to every tear, every act of violence, every life needlessly lost, every
cry of injustice. And for the sake of God’s love and for the world, let us act.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Following the Way,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kevin Vetiac</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-23851483447378140102013-02-22T11:58:00.000-05:002013-02-22T13:25:29.494-05:00Not Enough Tears<br />
I woke up this morning and couldn't stop crying. Every time I thought I was done I would start back up again. I couldn't stop the tears from pouring down my face, but it's not what you think. I am not sad. I am not depressed. I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of God and the gratitude I feel deep inside reverberating through my soul, rolling like thunder in my spirit.<br />
<br />
I recently received the news that I have been awarded a merit scholarship that covers 100% of my tuition for seminary. It is EXACTLY what I asked God to provide and indeed God has provided. God is faithful . I've been fighting the call to full time ministry for a long time and resisted the call to seminary. How can I afford to go full time when I need to pay my rent? How can I afford tuition? How will I be ordained afterwards? Despite the questions the call remained so I said, "Ok God, if you want me to go to divinity school I'll go, but I don't have the money for it and I'm not taking out any more loans so you have to pay for it." I have received God's response to this request and my soul is flooded with gratitude.<br />
<br />
God has been so faithul and has made his presence known to me since I was a young child. When I look back over my life and think about all God has done for me, all I can say is thank you. Thank you for blessing me. Thank you for keeping me. Thank you for opening doors for me. Thank you for making a way out of no way. Thank you for holding me in pain, in sorrow, in loss, in loneliness, in disappointment and bringing me out. Thank you for being faithful even when I am not. <br />
<br />
There are not enough tears to shed, not enough words to say, not enough songs to sing to adequately express my gratitude so let my life be one big thank you to you O God. Let every moment of my life be drenched with gratitude for your goodness. Every time my heart beats let it say thank you. Every time my lungs take in air let them say thank you. And when it's time to put away this life like an old used up rag, grant me this honor and allow the last words on my lips to be: thank you.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! For his mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1</span></div>
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
Kevin<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-26602395501573465872012-09-20T09:33:00.000-04:002012-10-03T09:00:55.403-04:00The Storms that Come<br />
I really wish I could tell you why life can be so difficult sometimes. I wish I had an answer that made some sense of it all. I look around at some of the people in my life and all that they are going through and all I can think is God, I don't understand. The friend whose job is a huge source of stress and there doesn't seem to be any other options, the pastor who's daughter was murdered at the age of 22, another friend whose precious hopes have once again been shattered. The storms that come in life can be so painful and it's so hard watching someone you love go through a storm.<br />
<br />
A couple of days ago a storm came through Boston. The winds were fierce and it got me thinking. If you look at
strong, sturdy trees when a strong wind blows they look a little
frazzled. The leaves are shaking wildly and the branches are swaying. If it's
a bad enough storm a branch or two may even snap, but the roots remain in
the ground. The wind doesn't uproot the tree and toss it about. The
tree is anchored because of its roots. <br />
<br />
For anyone in the midst of the storms that come, may you be rooted in peace today
and always. Your leaves may shake, your branches may bend and sway and
one or two may snap, but may you be rooted in the shalom that only God
can offer. May you know that no matter how the deep the pain, no matter how grave the crisis, you will NOT be uprooted and tossed about. May God's peace anchor your soul through the storms that come until they pass over. This is my prayer for you.<br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
Kevin Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-73158424286686574482012-09-18T12:36:00.001-04:002012-09-18T12:39:40.667-04:00A Litany Of Thanksgiving<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let us give thanks to God our Father
and Mother for all gifts so freely bestowed upon us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the beauty and wonder of your
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For all that is gracious in the
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<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For our daily food and drink, our
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<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For eyes that see and ears that hear,
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<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For minds to think, and hearts to
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<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For health and strength to work, and
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<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the breath of God within us that
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord we give you thanks.</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the brave and courageous, who
are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,<br />
<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For all who hunger and thirst for
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<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the communion of saints, in all
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<b><i>Lord we give you thanks.</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
tears and how you use them to water the soil of our faith,</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
unexpected loss that causes us to stop and reflect and realize what’s important,
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For meeting
you in silence when there are no words to say,</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
joy and laughter and moments of wonder,</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord we give you thanks.</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
this community and everyone in it and all of the blessings they bring,</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord we give you thanks.</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Following the Way,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kevin </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-22012649781100627142012-09-07T10:37:00.000-04:002012-09-07T10:37:44.838-04:00A Guided Meditation on Gratitude<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a guided meditation I led at my church. May it speak to your heart also.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m feeling incredibly broken right
now. In the past 6 months 2 people that I know have been shot and
killed. Both young women in their twenties and both from the church I was
very involved in for seven years. On Tuesday I found out a friend from college
has cancer. And in addition to all of that I’ve been processing some
heavy personal disappointments of my own. It is quite fitting that I am
here tonight to talk about gratitude because if I am only able to say thank you
to God when everything is going well than my thank you doesn’t really mean
anything. If gratitude is something I only express when everything is
going according to plan than it can never become a spiritual practice that
becomes life giving and life changing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Someone recently asked me why am I
so drawn to gratitude and I struggled to articulate an answer. The best
way that I can put it is that the ability to cultivate gratitude has saved my
life. Some of us have had many, many things go wrong in our lives and I
am one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone with a
history of depression sometimes I become overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me being depressed is like being locked
into a pitch black room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no
windows, no doors. It’s totally dark and I can’t see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t see God. I can’t see the ones around
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so dark I can’t even see
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I find something in my
life to be grateful for and give thanks light comes into the room and I can see
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doors open and I can be
reached. I can be reached by God. I can be reached by those who love me. I can be reached by joy even in the midst of pain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guided
Meditation:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I want you to close your eyes and
take a deep breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about a
painful situation in your life for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Acknowledge it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feel the weight
of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take it all in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now search for something good even in that
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there any good to be
found?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there anything to be grateful
for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find it and focus on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a deep breath and as you breathe,
breathe in gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without ignoring
the pain, focus on what you’re grateful for and breathe in gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With every breath let if fill you; let it
fill your body and soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let gratitude
fill the thoughts of that painful situation and bring in its light. Take
another breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take another
breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allow your heart to rest in this
place of gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Carry this gratitude with you throughout your day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Following the Way,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Kevin </span> </span></div>
Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-55056118804904388242012-08-09T11:33:00.000-04:002012-08-09T15:28:07.686-04:00Our Weeping God<br />
Indeed, God has a sense of humor or at the very least an
exceptionally developed sense of irony!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was just a few days ago that I was watching an episode of Project
Runway with my roommate (Don’t judge me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was getting irritated because there were grown men on the show coming
undone emotionally and weeping like somebody died over something as small as a
dress!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was one in particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know he couldn’t hear me, but I couldn’t
help but talk to the screen and say “Man up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For God’s sake man, pull yourself together!”<br />
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Well, what do you know a few days later I find myself
collapsed on the cold tile of the bathroom floor weeping like somebody
died!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next day I thought, “Ok Jesus,
well played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hear ya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judge not lest ye be judged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get it now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Point taken Lord, point taken. Can we move on
to the next lesson now?”</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;">
Jesus wept. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John
11:35</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the shortest
verse in the Bible but it says so much. Jesus wasn’t weeping because he was having a bad day or feeling
particularly emotional that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wept
because he looked upon the pain of Martha and Mary as they mourned the loss of
their brother and was moved by it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
could not see their pain and not feel it himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could not look upon their tears without
shedding his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This is our God, our weeping God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A God who loves us so much that our pain
becomes God’s pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A God humble enough
to leave the majesty of heaven to come weep with us, in our pain, in our
sorrows, in our difficulties, in our broken places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the silence of our grief our God can be found
holding us, comforting us, simply being present and bearing witness to our
pain.</div>
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I was not alone on that bathroom floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus saw my pain and just couldn’t help
himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He came down, found some space
on that bathroom floor and wept with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For this I am grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this
my heart is overflowing with love for this weeping God and my mouth with
praise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this I cannot help but tell
the world I have a found a Love beyond words that never fails, never fades, and
never falters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is always
enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This weeping God is enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
My heart is fixed on this, that I am never
alone and we are never alone. Our God is never ashamed to weep when we weep and I will never be ashamed of our weeping God.</div>
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Following the Way,</div>
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Kevin </div>Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-34362209442132573092012-08-06T09:25:00.000-04:002012-08-06T12:46:59.693-04:00The Blessing of a Broken HeartThere's a blessing in having a broken heart. I know this may sound strange, but I know it to be true in my own life. In fact, I believe it is true for anyone following the spiritual path. For believers it is important to remember that Christ did not come to remove our brokenness. Anyone who thinks that following Jesus means you'll never cry or experience pain or illness or setbacks and difficulty is dead wrong! For Christ did not come to remove our brokenness but to dwell more fully within it. We are not blessed or broken; we are blessed <i>and </i>broken. Christ came to dwell in our brokenness; to make our broken places his dwelling place. So a broken heart with all of the grief and heaviness that comes with it is an opportunity to sink deeper into Jesus and for Jesus to sink deeper into us. For this I am grateful. Sometimes the only thing that can water the soil of our faith is our tears.<br />
<br />
This is what I've been experiencing recently. Facing some heavy disappointment I turned to God in prayer and felt the love and comfort only God can provide. I said "God I lift my broken heart to You" and immediately felt God's response: God's abiding indwelling presence. When I look back over my life I can't imagine how I would have survived if not for God carrying me through the hard times. Over the years I've discovered that a heart that is broken has more room for God to dwell in. A broken heart can be the catalyst for intimacy and drive us straight into the arms of God where we realize everything we need can be found there. It reminds us of our need for God and allows us to rediscover the comfort and encouragement only God can bring. For this I am grateful.<br />
<br />
So when you find yourself with a heart that is breaking know that you're in a good place because a heart that can be broken is a heart that can be touched, that can be filled, that can be moved by the suffering of others, by the sound of laughter, by the simple sensation of a gentle passing breeze. A heart that can be broken is the perfect place for God to dwell. We are often ashamed of our brokenness, our weakness, our shortcomings. Not God; for our brokenness is the place where God desires to dwell the most. From God's perspective it's the best room in the house! It's the place that God can mend, heal, restore and cause to expand. You are blessed even in your brokenness so allow God to dwell in your broken places. It will make all the difference. It has for me time and time again and is so even now.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God". 1 Corinthians 2:3-4</span><br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-45700617229493962082012-07-19T14:49:00.000-04:002012-08-06T10:30:52.058-04:00Surviving The StormBoy was I unprepared for the sudden rain storm that hit yesterday! Thank goodness there was an umbrella in the office. Looking out the window it didn't seem so bad, but the moment I stepped outside it just started pouring buckets. I haven't seen rain fall like that in a long time. Wearing just a t-shirt and shorts I clung to that umbrella, but the rain was pounding against it so hard I wasn't sure if it would hold up. By the time I got home I was a wet mess!<br />
<br />
The storms of life are often the same way: sudden, blinding and intense. You can't help but wonder in the middle of it, "Am I going to make it out of here"? They come out of nowhere and just descend. An unexpected car accident, job lay-offs, illness, conflict in relationships, these storms can suddenly descend with a fury that makes us wonder are we going to survive.<br />
<br />
"I've never been through a storm that did not pass over". This is a line from a gospel song; it's so simple and so true. A few hours after I came home a sopping wet mess yesterday, the rain stopped completely and the sun made a reappearance. The storm and all it's fury passed over. Every storm comes to an end regardless of how big, bad or ugly the storm is. Every storm passes over.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what storms you may be facing in your life at this moment. I've got a few storms raging right now myself. Maybe you're dealing with a storm of loneliness, depression or economic hardship. Whatever the storm is, no matter how strong the wind, no matter how blinding the rain, no matter how loud the thunder, know this: EVERY storm you face in life WILL pass over.<br />
<br />
There is life after failure. There is life after divorce. There is life after a miscarriage. There is life a after a cancer diagnosis. There is life even after your hopes and dreams seem to shatter into a million little pieces. You will survive the storm. Let me say it again. You will survive the storm.<br />
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<span class="text" style="color: red;">"So do not fear, for I am with you; </span><span style="color: red;">do
not be dismayed, for I am your God. I
will strengthen you and help you; </span><span class="text"><span style="color: red;">I will uphold you with
my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10</span></span></div>
<br />
Following The Way,<br />
Kevin<br />
<br />
<br />Kevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-2864715656577563222011-10-05T12:03:00.004-04:002013-05-22T10:12:46.019-04:00Occupy Wall Street<div style="text-align: left;">
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places".</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ephesians 6:12</div>
<br />
This Scripture came alive for me as I attended the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City on Saturday, September 17. It was my first protest ever, but I can easily say I will never be the same. I went with a group of 9 other Christians as the Protest Chaplains. We were there to be a specifically Christian witness against corporate greed and excess and the exploitation of the poor. It was absolutely wonderful to stand in solidarity with the protesters! We sang, we prayed, we gave out about 500 granola bars and we had many conversations with many wonderful people.<br />
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<br />
One of the things I remember most is seeing the bronze statue of the bull for the first time. It was barricaded and there were police standing around it to protect it from protesters. I was disgusted! Seeing police officers defend this idol, this symbol of the false god of money devouring human lives in order to make a profit, made me want to vomit. It was then that I became aware that we were confronting evil. This protest wasn't just a social battle it was a spiritual one. We joined the people and we marched around the bull several times holding up a cross and I felt God marching with us. My eyes are tearing up just thinking about it. The atmosphere was intensely charged. I felt this surge of energy and the conviction that darkness cannot overcome the light. Evil will never conquer good. Justice can be delayed but it cannot be stopped. This bull and all who swear by it will fall.<br />
<br />
This was the first time that I realized that being a follower of Jesus in this present time meant being an activist. When huge banks and corporations seek to devour the soul of America, highjack our political and economic systems and reduce democracy to a historical artifact, Christians must not lock themselves in their churches. We must follow Jesus out of our churches and into the streets to stand in solidarity with all who fight for justice, fairness and equality. Our faith never tells us to run and hide from evil, but to confront it head on with the knowledge that evil shall not prevail. <br />
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It is not enough for the church to say "Blessed are the poor". What are we doing to help them? Do we dare speak the truth to power in love? Are we willing to lay aside our comfort and complacency to be a voice for those who are trying to be silenced by systems of oppression and exploitation? Let's not just say what Jesus said. Let's do what Jesus did and is still doing today: setting the captives free. Let us turn our prayers into action. Let us follow Jesus, the Liberator; the Jesus who was never ok with anyone being mistreated and stepped on, especially the poor. This protest gives me an opportunity to do just that and I am going to follow this Jesus with all that I have within me. I hope you will join me.<br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-80201002272906550102011-09-22T11:22:00.000-04:002012-08-06T10:40:19.179-04:00Giving God Thanks!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For his mercy endures forever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">1 Chronicles 16:34</span></div>
<br />
My sister was rear-ended by another car this week. She was in a stopped position waiting to make a left turn when a car just plowed right into her. <br />
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When I look at this picture all I can say is THANK YOU JESUS!!! My sister is still alive. The accident could have been so much worse. She could have been killed. My nephew could have been in the back seat, but he wasn't. My little nieces could have been in that back seat, but they were not. I have to give God thanks for sparing my sister's life. Even when all hell breaks loose God is still FAITHFUL!!! God has proven this to me over and over again.<br />
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If you are in the habit of texting while driving I beg you, PLEASE STOP!!! If not for the sake of your own life than for the sake of the lives of all the other drivers and passengers on the road. But for the grace of God my family could be making funeral arrangements for my sister right now because of a negligent driver. Don't let that negligent driver be you. Please don't text and drive! God's peace be with you all!<br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-15972445870764697202011-09-13T15:14:00.001-04:002012-08-06T10:39:06.215-04:00Meeting God in the StormOn Sunday, August 28 Boston got a taste of Tropical Storm Irene. I had begun to move from one apartment to another the day before. Yes I know, bad timing! I was at my mom's, sitting in her bed upstairs, listening to the wind howl and the rain beat heavily against the window. It's the same house I grew up in as a child and even in adulthood there is something so comforting about being in my mom's room, wrapped up in her blankets! From time to time I have trouble sleeping. There are some nights like last night when I just lay awake for hours, but EVERY time I visit my mom and sneak off into her room I fall asleep, EVERY single time. I just can't explain it.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I was in bed watching TV, so glad to be completely sheltered from the storm when I began to feel the presence of God slip into the room. It was unexpected, but it should not have been. I allowed myself to be still for a moment and became aware of the Presence that had always been there. It happens every time I allow myself to be still. I thought to myself isn't it just like God to show up in the middle of a storm? The wind is raging outside, knocking down tree branches and power lines. The rain is beating against the window as if it really wants to come in and here comes God, quietly, but so surely stepping into the room and meeting me in the middle of the storm. I began to pray and I began to feel that every single storm I've ever experienced in my life would be used by God to bring out something good, that all of the things I've thought of as burdens God would use them to become sources of blessing for me and for others.<br />
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This is the God that I know, the God who is not deterred by raging winds and relentless rain. The God who is not deterred by your past. The God who is not deterred by your rage. The God who is not deterred by your unbelief. This God will meet you in the storm, whatever storm you may be experiencing in your life right now. God will meet you there and God will use the very things that came into your life to hurt you to bless you. The God who turns burdens into blessings will meet you in the storm.<br />
<br />
And so I say thank you, even for the winds and the rain, even for the challenges and the obstacles, even for the disappointments and the pain. If I had never shed a tear than I would have never discovered the God who turns tears into dancing. And so I say thank you, even for the storm, but most of all for the God who's not afraid to meet me there.<br />
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352554657494048893.post-80628179666264393682011-07-28T10:20:00.004-04:002012-08-06T11:00:44.164-04:00Eyes That See<a name='more'></a>"She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genesis 16:13</div>
<br />
Boy has this been a trying week for me! I am emotionally and physically exhausted. My aunt has been in the hospital since last Wednesday and still isn't much better. My mother is recovering from surgery and gave us all a huge scare yesterday when she was rushed to the hospital because of difficulty breathing. I'm still in the process of securing an apartment for September and I am ready for this whole process to be over and done with. It has been a stressful week and yet I am not overwhelmed because I know that God is here. This is the prayer I am lifting up to God today. Feel free to make it your own.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">God, I know that you are here. I know that your eyes always see me so give me eyes that always see you. Give me eyes that see you in every situation, good or bad. In sickness or in health; in trouble or in peace; in faith and even in doubt give me eyes that see your goodness, your faithfulness, your presence all around me. Despite all of the many distractions life throws my way, give me eyes that see light where others only see darkness; hope where others see only despair; possibility where others only see doom. God, give me eyes that see and by your grace cause my eyes to ever be upon the One whose eyes are ever upon me. In your name I pray. Amen.</span></blockquote>
<br />
Following the Way,<br />
KevinKevin Vetiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663172445969633176noreply@blogger.com0