The Dark Knight.

Yup. I saw it. This past Sunday. And yes I was quite impressed by the whole thing. Everyone loves the new Batman movie and even the critics are impressed by the movie itself. There has been at least one person who has raised some really good questions regarding the movie and its statement regarding our current culture.

I have to admit that this movie hit me at the right/wrong time and has brought me my very own dark night of the soul. Now I don’t want to be all dramatic but as I have thought about the events that have occurred over the last couple of days I have seen a common thread in them all and it includes going to see the new Batman movie.

The movie is dark. The movie is twisted. My stomach was in knots throughout the whole thing and even in the end you don’t leave with a happy-go-lucky sense that everyone is doing great and everything is going to be just alright.

This plot has become somewhat of a microcosm of life to me. There is so much pain and suffering in this world. Most people that I am surrounded by (friends and strangers alike) seem to ignore the massive amounts of suffering too fearful and powerless to do anything about it. I think about the homeless guy who hangs around the local grocery store. Standing there watching soccer moms pass by in their air conditioned Lexus RX. I think about the absolute lust we fixate ourselves with on the latest trinkets and gadgets. Running our fingers over the metaled curves of our phones or smartphones texting and driving and talking to help drown out the cries of suffering. Even within the church we are obsessed with being technologically relevant and cutting edge and we throw Jesus’ name in the mix to make it all sound so holy.

I’m guilty of everyone of these perspectives. I have perpetuated and propagated these very lines of thought.

I am no better than anyone else and that is why I believe that my soul has entered a dark night. I have bought in. I have felt myself pulled between two powerful and important forces. One that seeks to be satisfied by things that are tangible. One that seeks to be satisfied by things that are intangible. I only have myself to blame.

In some ways I feel like I have the weight of the entire world on my shoulders crying out for justice and it seems to me that no one really cares. Even those who are supposed to.

So yesterday I spent much of the day angry. I voted angry. I drove around looking for the homeless guy at the grocery store so that I could take him shopping (he wasn’t around). Today, when my mind is quiet and I am still the pain and suffering still crash over me. Bringing such a burden.

Have you ever entered the dark night of the soul? How did you deal with it?

Tonight.

I can feel it coming in the air tonight…

Yes. Tonight I fulfill a goal of mine. I am riding along with a friend of mine who is a police office with the Tulsa Police Department. I will be taking a video camera along with me so hopefully I’ll have some good stuff to share with you all.

What’s happening in your world tonight?

Security.

Security is feeling secure enough to do or try something that might be risky. It is interesting how the human psyche protects most of us from doing things that are really dangerous or life threatening. But there is also something to attempting risk. Without risk there is no reward. What is the reward for a safe and secure life? Without risk there is no possibility for return. The greater the risk usually the greater the reward. Think of a business or a relationship or even some example of human achievement. All require some risk and usually the greater the risk the greater the achievement, etc…

I’ve seen this at work in my own life. In my marriage the more risk I take in revealing my true self to my wife the deeper our relationship grows. In my relationship with God. The more I am willing to set aside the things I think are important and just be in tune with what God is doing the more fulfilling and rewarding my life becomes. In relationships with other people. The more I make myself vulnerable to them the more I can experience life with others regardless of their situation.

What is your approach to risk management? Where do you need to take more risk?

I’m still here.

A blogger of my caliber can’t afford too much time away. In other words I realize that my audience is still developing and that capturing the attention of those who pass by or actually subscribe requires me to be like Metamucil…consistent and regular.

So where have I been? Right here. In Tulsa. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to spend the day with an incredible friend of mine; Yacouba Seydou. He is the man who created the organization that I traveled to Niger with.

Yacouba has an amazing story to share about his own life that challenges me to look at life here on earth differently. Yacouba was born in Niger and raised Muslim as the overwhelming majority of people in that country are. Given the opportunity to come to the United States to study agriculture under a USAID grant Yacouba spent sometime working in the Nigerien government. Then in the early 1990s he had the opportunity to come to the US again to work on a Master’s degree. This time after finishing his studies he stayed in the US working at a meat packing plant in western Kansas.

One night while lying in bed Yacouba was visited by Jesus Christ in a vision. Jesus appeared dressed in white and surrounded by a great light. He reached out his hand and placed a wafer in Yacouba’s mouth. The vision unnerved Yacouba and he decided to go to the store and find something to eat. While at the store a man introduced himself to Yacouba as a pastor at a local church. Yacouba began attending church learning about the Bible and Jesus.

Over time Yacouba began to feel that God was calling him back to his country to minister to the people there. He attended ORU for a short while, but eventually felt that God was calling him to just go.

There is something remarkable about people who have come literally face to face with Jesus. They are undeterred by “religion” or “theology”. Their faith is built upon an unmovable conviction that indeed Jesus is alive and powerful. That Jesus is working to spread the message of his love and grace to everyone using anyone and anything he pleases. In fact, what appear to be obstacles are really opportunities for the power of Jesus to be shown to all those involved.

So this past Tuesday I found myself in an unusual spiritual condition. Faced with the reality of my own lack of faith in many areas, I repented of cheapening Jesus and his power. I realized that all the things I thought I controlled; I really don’t. In fact, control is really an illusion. Do I control how much money I make? Maybe a little, but there are all those unexpected things that pop up as a reminder that No I don’t control my money as much as I think. Do I control how and what others think? I may be able to alter perceptions about myself but the bottom line is that I can’t control what or how others think; about myself, about others, or really about anything.

So I have associated an old word with my new thinking. Pussyfooting. I have been pussyfooting around with the Truth. And by doing so…I have greatly limited the power of Jesus to work in and through me.

I am truly sorry.

How are you pussyfooting with the gospel?

* Parts of Yacouba’s story are taken from a written account compiled by Dr John Stamm.

Gone Fishing.

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I’m out today…I’ll be visiting this place with the family.

What fun “local” destinations are you going to be visiting?

Free.

You deserve it. It has been a long week. So here is something free for you. Simply right click the link and save to your desktop or documents folder. Hope you enjoy!

Link

Your friend,

Kenyon

What we have here is a failure to communicate…

Ohhh yes. Its Thursday here on Planet Earth (at least the portion that I call home). And well I am looking very forward to taking tomorrow off and spending the day at the Aquarium with the family. (Maybe more about that later.) So what better way to start off a Thursday morning than with a little scripture reading and some meditation. And WHAMMO!!!

Check it:

22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (NIV)

22-23Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven. (MSG)

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others,but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. (NLT)

These passages are from Jude vv22-23 in the NIV, Message, and NLT. Talk about some controversy. It seems to me that it is easier for me to lump everyone into two simple categories. 1. Believers–who deserve grace and mercy 2. Non-believers–who deserve condemnation. But that is not at all how God has called us to relate to others. There is an important distinction made hear among various types of people and how they are to intersect with God’s message. Most fundamental there is not one circumstance where condemnation is deserved or encouraged. Condemnation is reserved solely for acts of sin not sinners. In every instance mercy is to be at the core of how we relate to all people.

Are you getting this? Mercy?

I love the movie Cool Hand Luke. One of my all time favorites and I think everyone should watch it at least once (just fast forward through the car wash scene). The warden at Luke’s prison thought he had everything simplified and figured out. If you watch the movie you’ll see just how wrong he was about Luke and how the wardens misinterpretation of how he treated Luke only created more strife.

Today I have been shown how to react to a very specific person and I admit that I had it wrong.

Thank God for his Word and his Truth.

How do you relate to others? Especially those who have sinned?

Haircuts and job interviews.

Ok. So today I have decided to write about something I have absolutely no clue about. How is this different than most other days? I’m not really sure other than I really, really, have no clue of what I’m talking about.

But, it’s fun.

Everyone goes through a time in their life when they consider a job or career change. And as I grow older and wiser I am becoming more aware of how the world works. For example, certain haircuts are required for certain jobs. If you don’t know this then there is a very good chance you are currently unemployed. If you are employed and don’t know this, then consider yourself lucky and don’t quit your job, yet.

1. Strength/Conditioning Coach

 

The crew cut. Need I say more. I mean if you walk into a gym or a school to interview for a strength or conditioning coaches position one look at you in this haircut and you are hired.

2. Pastor/Evangelist

I know this is too easy. But let’s face it, if you want to be a pastor or evangelist you gotta look the part. As a side note, the bigger the hair the more likely you are to be on TV. And we know that all the really good pastors/evangelists are on TV.

3. Supermodel

To be a real supermodel it takes way more than looks and a body. You have to combine those things with the right haircut. In fact, after watching several seasons of America’s Next Top Model I have come to the conclusion that in actuality it is the right haircut that can get you the job and not necessarily the look. How shallow? To think you had to look a certain way to be a supermodel? It’s all in the haircut folks.

4. Teacher

Everyone knows that our education system is in crisis and that there simply are not enough teachers. I think the real problem lies in haircuts. Teachers now days are trying to be all trendy with their hair and are either losing their jobs or not getting hired. Come on people think! It’s not that complicated; get a haircut, get a job.

5. Sanitation Worker.

The shaved head with tattoo look is both functional and required for the sanitation worker. I can easily list a myriad of health concerns that necessitate a shaved head. Ironic that by shaving the head you are also required to have at least one tattoo scrolled on your noggin’.

I know that there are many more jobs out there, but this is a start. So if you are struggling to find good work in a difficult economy here is a great place to start.

It’s getting dark in here.

I don’t mean to sound like a whiner, but I’ll go ahead. The past week has been extremely difficult for me. I have been stretched and tried in ways I have never experienced. The net result is that I am extremely tired and sleep eludes me as I toss and turn at night with all these things swimming through my mind. The positive I guess is that I have probably not prayed like I have prayed over the last several days. Not just by myself in my mind, but with others, out loud.

So today I’m cleaning up the old office…maybe even doing some rearranging.

How do you quiet your mind? What do you do to create space in your life?

Oh the things we do for free chicken.

It was worth a free meal.