This is the only book that we have read that I've fully enjoyed. It kept me engaged the whole time, and allowed me to think outside of the box, especially aboutChristains "selling" their products and such. But the idea of community feels repetitive in every book that I get tired of hearing it. Yes, we need community, but talking and bringing it up all the time isn't going to push it any farther. Idk.
So, kind of reaking out a bit yesterday because of the paper and trying to finish the powerpoint, but having the project due at 5pm is pretty good. Gives me a bit of hope for now. I'm really unsure of how my porject would look now with the presentation because I don't want to feel repitive, since other people are coving the same issue as I am.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Blue Like Jazz
As I am reading deeper into this book, it makes me wonder about how I am as a follower of faith, or lack of following. For a while, I have been doubting the existence of a God and somewhat of Jesus. yes, he lived, but did all of those things happen? Then I see all these so called "Christians" roaming around, announcing their faith and then acting like hypocrites- drinking, swearing, doing ungodly acts at ungodly hours. How is this faith?
However, I then got into the section where Miller and his few friends built a Confession Booth at Reed, and apologized. I loved it. It was something unheard of, and it was something that porclaimed who they are. And the main fact was, they came out with their faith in a sea of Christain haters (kind of). Then the book went into Andrew's story. He said that, "dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory. Living for something is the hard thing." And it is so very true. Living for something cause much more pain. So, who is ready to live out their faith? I hope to one day.
However, I then got into the section where Miller and his few friends built a Confession Booth at Reed, and apologized. I loved it. It was something unheard of, and it was something that porclaimed who they are. And the main fact was, they came out with their faith in a sea of Christain haters (kind of). Then the book went into Andrew's story. He said that, "dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory. Living for something is the hard thing." And it is so very true. Living for something cause much more pain. So, who is ready to live out their faith? I hope to one day.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
project update
i wanted to make my project of awareness about homelessness a film, but since i have no idea what/how to do it, it might just be a powerpoint presentation. not sure yet.
today i went to the official room in the inn campus downtown to talk to a volunteer coordinator at the campus. i got a tour and much information about the program. what she said about them building a new space really struck me. it reminded me of how Neumark was raising fund to build a new church, well...room in the inn is going throught he exact same thing. they have been planning this project for years now, and they have finally gotten it passed, and will be breaking ground next month. the money is not fully raise, but they have gotten 3/4 of it done. the new facility will be able to house many more people and provide better care.
today i went to the official room in the inn campus downtown to talk to a volunteer coordinator at the campus. i got a tour and much information about the program. what she said about them building a new space really struck me. it reminded me of how Neumark was raising fund to build a new church, well...room in the inn is going throught he exact same thing. they have been planning this project for years now, and they have finally gotten it passed, and will be breaking ground next month. the money is not fully raise, but they have gotten 3/4 of it done. the new facility will be able to house many more people and provide better care.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Defying the Odds
In every one of the stories Neumark writes about, the people are underdogs. They are the ones where society expect to fail, but it doesn't turn out that way. For example, Jim Drake was one of the persons hired for a vison of the South Bronx community, and he pointed out how the people there were not sufficient enough to be leaders, that they did not have what it took to qualify for a leadership role in the community. It was just so interesting how quickly he could judge all those people and their potential, and he never gave them a chance to see how amazing and how incredibily strong those people were. How else would they have gotten thus far? He's such an idiot.
Another a wider scale, the South Bronx continuously go through judgment from surrounding cities, like when there was the rat infestation. It wasn't a problem at first since the rats werent infesting the other cities, but once they did, then something had to be done about it. "If this communityu was expected to be a dumping site and transport point for a large part of the city's garbage, it is only natural that we would host a disproportional share of the cities's rats, and that they could live within our "defined" borders with full impunity." 181
Another a wider scale, the South Bronx continuously go through judgment from surrounding cities, like when there was the rat infestation. It wasn't a problem at first since the rats werent infesting the other cities, but once they did, then something had to be done about it. "If this communityu was expected to be a dumping site and transport point for a large part of the city's garbage, it is only natural that we would host a disproportional share of the cities's rats, and that they could live within our "defined" borders with full impunity." 181
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
A Spirit Within Us
Reading further into Nuemark, there seem to be an unclaimed spirit inside of us (probably the Holy Spirit) that guides us through our daily role in life. Many events may occur and seem as random, but they could be of fate/coincidence. The people we meet, the converstaions we have, the paths we take throughout our lives- where is the meaning we yearn to reason out?
In the beginning, Neumark learned a lesson about shortcuts from Miss Ellie, and it pretty much foreshadows the rest of the book thus far. First arriving to meet the people of the southern portion of the Bronx, the elevator dies, eliminatiung the shortcut. Through this occurance, Neumark was able to meet the neighbors.
Within her children, Neumark seems to try to find reasoning within herself to keep her faith. Bit of doubt are in the mist, like wanting time to write, or the difficulties of answering her children's questions of life, like "but how can you love me with all your heart if you love Ana too?" and such.
Neumark's experience was somewhat similar to Day's. but less extreme. In her teenage years, she was ready to die, but she didn't. However, during that time, she turned from God, like Day. She did find him again when she was hitting rock bottom, again, like Day.
These events shows that there are no coincidences in our lives, but a slightly guided path.
In the beginning, Neumark learned a lesson about shortcuts from Miss Ellie, and it pretty much foreshadows the rest of the book thus far. First arriving to meet the people of the southern portion of the Bronx, the elevator dies, eliminatiung the shortcut. Through this occurance, Neumark was able to meet the neighbors.
Within her children, Neumark seems to try to find reasoning within herself to keep her faith. Bit of doubt are in the mist, like wanting time to write, or the difficulties of answering her children's questions of life, like "but how can you love me with all your heart if you love Ana too?" and such.
Neumark's experience was somewhat similar to Day's. but less extreme. In her teenage years, she was ready to die, but she didn't. However, during that time, she turned from God, like Day. She did find him again when she was hitting rock bottom, again, like Day.
These events shows that there are no coincidences in our lives, but a slightly guided path.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Project Progress
I proposed mine on the Room in the Inn project here in Nashville. I went a few weeks ago to help out at St. Ignacious Catholic Church down in Antioch a few times. They hold it on friday nights and house only 14 people. The church itself have rooms and a small dining area. Food is provided by volunteers, and the clothes and everything the guests receive are pure donations from the community.
The two brothers Paul and Jim are head of the project at St. Ignacious, and they explained to me the process of it. The project runs from mid-november to the end of march. Some places have it every night, but this one is only on friday nights. There is a center downtown that passes out selected cards to fortune participants who come in time. It is around 7am that they pass out the cards. The people who receive it will have orientation about the program and place they will go to in the surround Nashville area. This program allows the 14 people a place to stay, dinner, breakfast, and a sack lunch. The church usually takes the participants back to downtown by 6:50am so they can get in line again to get another card.
While volunteering, the most valuable thing I got to do was get to know the people in this program. They are wholesome, and sometime genius, people. One man, named John, had a lifelong friend with him named Slick (he was there too), and he had this amazing card game that mesmerized and confounded anyone who watched it. Another man I met was named Lucius. He was from MO, and was an electrician. His family doesn't know of his whereabout. He told me about tent city- a place where hundreds of homeless people take out their tents and spend the night.
There are many more stories that I could tell, but the point of my project would be to analyze how we currently view the homeless/poor and how it contradicts what the bible and Jesus teaches us. We are not embracing each other. many people view the homeless as poor, but they are rich in their value- they value what we do not. sometimes it is a financially stable person who is poor.
I wish that I could help out more times than I did, but because of work, I cant take off. The times are so limited to where I could go, that it makes it somewhat impossible to work out sometimes. But i hope the information i received will be sufficient enough.
The two brothers Paul and Jim are head of the project at St. Ignacious, and they explained to me the process of it. The project runs from mid-november to the end of march. Some places have it every night, but this one is only on friday nights. There is a center downtown that passes out selected cards to fortune participants who come in time. It is around 7am that they pass out the cards. The people who receive it will have orientation about the program and place they will go to in the surround Nashville area. This program allows the 14 people a place to stay, dinner, breakfast, and a sack lunch. The church usually takes the participants back to downtown by 6:50am so they can get in line again to get another card.
While volunteering, the most valuable thing I got to do was get to know the people in this program. They are wholesome, and sometime genius, people. One man, named John, had a lifelong friend with him named Slick (he was there too), and he had this amazing card game that mesmerized and confounded anyone who watched it. Another man I met was named Lucius. He was from MO, and was an electrician. His family doesn't know of his whereabout. He told me about tent city- a place where hundreds of homeless people take out their tents and spend the night.
There are many more stories that I could tell, but the point of my project would be to analyze how we currently view the homeless/poor and how it contradicts what the bible and Jesus teaches us. We are not embracing each other. many people view the homeless as poor, but they are rich in their value- they value what we do not. sometimes it is a financially stable person who is poor.
I wish that I could help out more times than I did, but because of work, I cant take off. The times are so limited to where I could go, that it makes it somewhat impossible to work out sometimes. But i hope the information i received will be sufficient enough.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Reflections
Listening to the history of achievements of MLK and Heschel are overwhleming. Their lives were filled with extraordinary purposes that you cannot absorb all at once.
During the interview with Abernethy, the main point made about Heschel was about his insight into the bigger plan of things. Abernethy concluded the fact that "Heschel never blamed God", not for his past nor the future events of hatred among mankind. He demonstrated a life dedicated to God; he believed in his values. "My being Jewish is so sacred to me that I am ready to die for it." Can we all say that we are so devout to a belief that we are willing to die for it also? How many times can you encounter a person so confident in a concept that he/she would die for it?
It is not a coincidence that Heschel and King cooperated together to fight against injustice. They were both prophets in their actions and ideas, as Cornel West would sum up. During Heschel's walk with MLK, he said that he "felt he was praying with his legs." We should all feel that.
During the biography of Heschel, his experiences are truly inspiring. Although some people may view him as controversial, I see him as speaking only truth. He is one of the few people that will speak for the people, not for himself. His words are of meaning, they can weigh down a person, that is why some people say he is controversy.
It is just astounding that even with the obstacles King an Heschel went through, they have not lost sight of God. Many turn against Him, directly blaming Him for the outcome of tragic events, even if He is indirectly related to it. We so easily blame God for the misfortunes of our lives, and we distort our view of Him, that is why many of us have lost Him. He is always there, yet the more we blame Him, the more we push Him away. Simply, He is just there, but when we place blame, we psychologically lose faith.
During the interview with Abernethy, the main point made about Heschel was about his insight into the bigger plan of things. Abernethy concluded the fact that "Heschel never blamed God", not for his past nor the future events of hatred among mankind. He demonstrated a life dedicated to God; he believed in his values. "My being Jewish is so sacred to me that I am ready to die for it." Can we all say that we are so devout to a belief that we are willing to die for it also? How many times can you encounter a person so confident in a concept that he/she would die for it?
It is not a coincidence that Heschel and King cooperated together to fight against injustice. They were both prophets in their actions and ideas, as Cornel West would sum up. During Heschel's walk with MLK, he said that he "felt he was praying with his legs." We should all feel that.
During the biography of Heschel, his experiences are truly inspiring. Although some people may view him as controversial, I see him as speaking only truth. He is one of the few people that will speak for the people, not for himself. His words are of meaning, they can weigh down a person, that is why some people say he is controversy.
It is just astounding that even with the obstacles King an Heschel went through, they have not lost sight of God. Many turn against Him, directly blaming Him for the outcome of tragic events, even if He is indirectly related to it. We so easily blame God for the misfortunes of our lives, and we distort our view of Him, that is why many of us have lost Him. He is always there, yet the more we blame Him, the more we push Him away. Simply, He is just there, but when we place blame, we psychologically lose faith.
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