2007 In Review

Well, obviously this week is a pretty busy week at our house, what with Ike's bday on the 20th, Christmas, and then Dixie's bday on the 27th. So, I've fallen a bit behind on the blog. I'll catch you up next week.

Today I wanted to post our Christmas eLetter and our "Livingston Family 2007 Year In Review" video. You can watch last year's video if you go to the Photos page.

I hope you were able to see how God is blessing you and working in your life this year. May 2008 be filled with grace and love.

Shalom,
The Livingstons

Shalom

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek,
but a means by which we arrive at that goal.
Through violence you may murder a murderer,
but you can’t murder murder.
Through violence you may murder a liar,
but you can’t establish truth.
Through violence you may murder a hater,
but you can’t murder hate.
Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that..."
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

During this political year, much will be said about "taking this nation back for God", though I'm not sure what that means. Here's what I do know: if we were to let our compartmentalized Christianity bleed over into our politics, we would have to be more concerned with achieving peace and justice in the world.

Read the words of Jesus from the sermon on the mount:
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for
him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."

Then if you're up for the challenge, read Brian McLaren's dream of an alternate way a "Christian Nation" might have responded to the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

Israel Defense Forces

The IDF is having some recruitment problems. Last year 27% of young Israelis avoided "mandatory service". It's not voiced by the Israeli government, but a large reason for this avoidance of service is because Israel has a new generation of people that are refusing to serve in a military that uses inhumane and illegal (according the Geneva Conventions) methods of oppresion of the Palestinian people, masked in "self-defense". This new generation knows that oppression and wall building will not lead to shalom. Even soldiers who currently serve in the IDF are refusing to serve in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza for the same reasons.

What kind of atrocities are happening that are so great that Israel's own soldiers are refusing to participate? In America, we don't hear about anything beyond the day to day violence that tends to break out between the two sides. We occasionally see the American assisted Israeli war machine bomb a few Palestinian buildings, but what's the big deal?

The fact is that Americans, blinded by a biased media and pushed by an evangelical force with poor eschatology, are ignorant of the truth going on in the holy land.

Another World Is Possible Israel and Palestine is a documentary that sheds some truthful light on the situation, with a specific look at the atrocity that occured in Janin in the summer of 2002 that went overlooked by the international community. (It largely went overlooked because UN and Red Cross observers were barred from the area (which happened to be at the same time that we were threatening war on Iraq because of their refusal of UN inspectors)). To watch that documentary, you'll need to create a free acount. The video is about 25 minutes. If you want to be informed, I encourage you to watch it.

OneVoice

A couple of posts ago I mentioned how the British Imperialism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries gave roots to many conflicts that we see ongoing today. Perhaps the largest of these conflicts is between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Now, read closely here, The Brits don't get all the blame for this conflict that has been ongoing basically since Isaac and Ishmael. Still when the Brits dumped the hotly contested area into the lap of the United Nations in 1947, the poorly handled release of territory turned up the heat on the boiling pot. Shortly after the creation of Israel, 726,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes. Today over 4 million Palestinian refugees live in refugee camps in the West Bank or Gaza, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and elsewhere.

Today the only possible solution for peace involves two states. This separation of states will give a homeland to both the Jews and the Palestinians. A two state solution with some mutual control over Jerusalem is the only hope for the resolution of conflict that is still ongoing but buried on the evening news.

OneVoice has set a goal to have a two state solution in place within one year from today. I'd ask that as you pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, that you include a prayer for peace in this region of the world. Only through God can this land and people find shalom.

Guess Who

Any guesses on who stated this quote? Check the comments for the answer.

"One's perspective regarding government and governance determines the way one ‎should cooperate with the people. If one recognizes government as a privilege and prey ‎of the governors, then the period of governance can be counted as an opportunity to fulfill ‎the expectations of certain individuals and groups or the ostentation and hedonism of the ‎governors.‎

But if in our view, "government" would be a responsibility before God for ‎establishing justice and a duty to ensure the rights of common people, serving the ‎servants of God and helping the oppressed- then the most important issue will be the ‎people's concerns. If this is the case, governors would not view themselves as better than ‎other people and they wouldn't put themselves in any other position except serving the ‎people. ‎

Based upon this view point, the ultimate goal is to achieve God's approval and ‎satisfaction in the way of serving His servants, implementing justice and expanding ‎spirituality."

Sand and Sorrow

Paul Freedman has directed "Sand and Sorrow", a documentary on the genocide currently taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan. You can watch it on HBO, or, for a limited time, on HBO's website. I suggest you take 94 minutes and watch it.

Watch it with these verses in mind:
Gen 12.3
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Psalm 67.1,2
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

Isaiah 2.4,5
He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Matthew 5.9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Matthew 5.13-16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Matthew 6.9,10
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Watch the film with these questions in mind:
How does this affect me as a follower of Jesus?

What can I do about this conflict 1000s of miles away?

How does the imperialism of England of the early 20th century, which played a key step in the lead up to conflicts in Sudan, Israel (Palestine), and other nations, mirror the imperialism of the U.S. in the late 20th and early 21st centuries?

Is it ok with me that my elected leaders recognize this atrocity as genocide but take no action?

How can I live a life that would be focused on the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdoms of this world?

What action can I take in my local community to make statements in favor of justice and mercy which by definition are counter cultural to Western capitalistic injustice?

Following Jesus seems difficult to me.

I Dream A World

I Dream A World
By Langston Hughes

I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!