So who's tired of isolated lives, daunting mortages, and jobs that don't allow us to ever connect with anyones outside our houses.

If you answered yes to any of the above then we are probably on the same page.

About four years ago now I stumbled on Shaine Claiborne's book " The Irresistible Revoluion," I have read it several times since and, while certainly not agreeing with everything in the book, still think the basic vision he outlines makes alot of sense.

Claiborne is part of a what is called an intentional community called 'the simple way' located in of the poorest sections in Philidelphia. It is made up of number of like minded individuals who hae given up the american dream and replaced it with a desire to reach other people with the love of Jesus, being his hands and feet in an otherwise abandoned section of America's empire. They share meals, finances, vehicles, wisdom, friendship and, well, pretty much everything! From community gardens to garages to camps for kids. . .together they have created something out of nothing.

This is so contrary to our minds isn't it? We want our own homes, our own money, our own lives with little sections a day or two a week where other people can come in. . .but please don't stay too long! We live lives beyond our means because we live a society that says this is normal. We live isolated lives consisting of jobs, meals, and maybe some brief time with family. Where is the visible church? Do people see and know it by our love for one another?

I've been secretly wanting to be involved in something like this for awhile now, secretly because in the past, reception has usually not been altogether positive. People get strange ideas about communes, kool-aid, and god knows what else. To be honest I more Christians are actually interested but maybe are not ready for such a big step.

My wife and I are pregnant and, God willing, when out child comes, I don't want to bring him up with the notion that isolation is a virtue. Independence is a virtue. Selfishness is a virtue. But rather into the vital practice of community, sacrifice, hospitality and ultimately, a more abundant life.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)."

Elements of a healthy garden.

If you want a nice garden that doesn't kill children and nice animals, you might consider the following

Building a healthy soil, this may include:

-The frequent addition of organic matter (humus) including compost, manure, and the use of cover crops (crops such as winter rye and clover that are planted for the soul purpose of tilling under.)

-Ensuring a regular crop rotation is applied (not planting potatoes two years in a row for example), this discourages the build up of pests and diseases and encourages a balanced consumption of soil nutrients.

-Removing fertilizers altogether. Rich, healthy, soil does not require fertilization, in fact plants that depend on their regular application are weaker and tend to be more prone to disease. The exception is the use of "compost tea," which is the runoff from your home compost pile.

Maintaining diversity within the garden:

The larger the range of plants in your garden, the less likely it will be that a certain pest rises up to the point of declaring genocide. A healthy garden will contain a roughly equal portion of both pests and predators.

Yes, you may find aphids on your nasturtiams, hornworms on your tomatoes, and slugs on your hostas, but spray for these and you'll also kill the ladybugs that eat the aphids, the tobbacco wasp that lays it's eggs on the hornworm, and the frog which eats the slugs (frogs are especially sensitive to pesticides.

You may not have the most spotless leaves in town, but you'll be able to rest easy knowing your garden is a safe place for both creature and human.

Use native plants wherever possible:

Native plants are those that belong to this land. They are able to better withstand cold weather, drought, disease, and pests because they have been created to do so in a specific area.

That tea rose never seems to come up after a long, cold winter? Try replacing it with an equally beautiful native plant such as the wild lupine or purple coneflower. Or how about that spot in your yard that just gets a full eight hours of blazing sun, frying your every attempt at a display? Try sowing some swaths of black eyed susan, aster, or goldenrod. These plants will thrive almost anywhere and bring color and life to an otherwise water-consuming area.

Many insects sole source of food comes from native plants as well. An example can be seen in the monarch butterfly larva as they rely exclusively on the native milkweed for sustanance.

You can still have a beautiful garden this summer and following these easy steps may be a good way to start.

hugs,
ben

'THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD... NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE'

No doubt you've heard of the recent campaign. Hundreds of buses accross England, Scotland and Wales in the upcoming months will be plastered with the above message in an attempt to "encouraged people to enjoy life instead of worrying about what happens afterwards." The project is inspired by none other then Richard Dawkins.

I find this statement intruiging on a number of levels. We are encouraged to enjoy our life, the implication being that a belief in God is irreconciliable with enjoyment. I am not sure who to blame for this prevading misconception. Have we as followers of Jesus neglected to radiate joy to those around us? Do we worry to much?

We are told that once God is forgotten, humanity can be free once again to embrace "life". . .yet what is life without God? How can we forget the One who holds up every natural law, every element, every sense of order, decency, and common grace in this present world. In this reasoning, the pilot, to truly be free, must forget about the plane he is flying. And he would be free of course. . .free to plummet straight to earth in a firery, avionic meteor.

And. .probably no God? Really? "There's probably no venomous snakes at the bottom of that dark pit, so stop worrying and just jump in." Even from a purely secular standpoint, this seems a pretty tenuous position to hold. There's probably no Judge, no hell, no accountability at the end of our life. . .probably? Do you really want to wait and see? I can tell you definately, there is a death, and we all better be darn sure about where we're going afterwards.

I am still not really sure what the end goal of this message really is? Is it really to rally the peoples of the earth under the banner of optimistic agnosticism? Or is it something more sinister, our dark foe disguised as an innocent campaign designed to distract people from the really important questions. To wave away God as not only irrelevant, but actually as a hinderance to a happier life.

Let me assure you friends, this is just another battle in the larger war. I can say without qualification that this campaign will not end with the discounting of Christianity, no more then when Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed "God is dead." The gates of hell, though imposing, can go no further than God allows. Onward Christian soldier.

Things that should or should not tear me up inside.

But they do. . .so now I'm giving them to you so you may or may not be torn up yourself.

In 2002, a group of journalists and reporters went on a tour of various sweat/toy shops in Guangdong Province in China. As they attempted to interview several employees and managers, what they saw and heard shocked them.

Individuals forced from rural towns and villages have fled to cities in search of jobs, many of which require long, grueling hours of work under unsafe working conditions. And here's the clincher. . .

"This place is the epicentre of globalisation. There's mile after dreary mile of box-like factories making affordable clothes, toys and electronic goods for Western countries.

One out of every three pairs of shoes in the world is made here. But this global workshop runs on cheap labour and low safety standards."

"Inside China's sweatshops, Lucy Ash, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/ from_our_own_correspondent/2139401.stm."

That's us folks, that's you and me. But heck, this isn't what I'm thinking about when I see a flyer advertising the next blow-out sale at WalMart. All I see is that shiny white plastic, those crisp new laces, the sweet brown hoodie. . .and all at a low, low price!

I can't prove this, but sometimes I wonder who loses out when those sales happen, is good old father Walmart just taking one for the team? Or has little Hua-Ling just received another cut off her already meager wage. Of course, I'd be naive to say that Walmart is the only one to blame here. It's companies like Zellers, Canadian Tire, Costco, Loblaws. . .the list can go on for as long as you want it to.

And so here I am, newly married, living paycheck to paycheck. I've got bills, car insurance, and rent to pay for just like any other family. But there's something I've conveniently overlooked. . .I also have a Christian duty to love my neighbor. The one next door AND the one next continent.

I am to hate sin, and love God, this is my duty as a Christian. . .but am I not also, as much as depends on me, to love justice and to hate injustice in all its forms. Yeah you know what? Sometimes I get tired of buying my clothes second hand, I don't always love paying extra for a fair-trade cup of coffee but in the end, its really not about us is it, its about others, about viewing them as better than ourselves.

If I'm pointing a finger at anyone its at myself, there are still so many ways in which materialism still has me "pressed deep in the palms of greed." But for every change there is a beginning, and mine starts here.

Wrting to Air

The title refers to what I am currently doing, that is, writing a blog that nobody will read. It's quite sad actually, the whole blog phenomina seems to have been relegated to the broom closet, along with Timmy the broken faced marionette, and an old bug collection containing thirteen grasshoppers, two houseflies, and strip of old pantyhouse that somewhat resembles a shriveled worm.

I've been writing a bit lately, nothing profound of course. Last night I had this image of a kind of a grassy meadow, the sky is impossibly blue and a strong wind is blowing the grasses in every direction. Anyway at one point, these two boys just happen to be walking in the same meadow and end up crossing paths. The one boy seems to be pulling along a lion on a leash, it's teeth have been smashed out, its claws removed and at least one of its forearms appear to be broken. To top it all off the boy has seen fit to put a yellow bonnet on the poor lion's head which sits kind of crooked. It's laughable really, but also sad because lions should never be treated this way.

The other boy however is following his lion. It's golden mane blows in the wind and it's eyes are like spheres of awful fire, burning, exposing. It covers acres and acres of meadow in a single step and when it lifts it's head to roar, the wind stops and every blade of grass stands still. Before I know what's happening the second lion has swallowed up the first, bonnet and all.

This is where the image ends and I really don't plan on making it anything other than what it is.

The great thing about writing to air is that it will never critique you. . .

There once was a squirrel named timmy. Timmy had one leg so he was generally the subject of much mocking by the greater population of squirrels. Sometimes he would stare longingly into the canopy of trees overhead while his friends jumped recklessly from limb to limb. Every so often, when the mood took them, they would sing silly songs about him from above, like this one:

Timmy, Timmy, please jump around,
Timmy, Timmy come off the ground.

What the squirrels did not know however, was that what he lacked in limbs, little timmy made up for in magical powers. Typically, he used his powers only for good, but occasionally, when his squirrel friends began to be especially annoying, he would rain down firery hail upon them, effectively hampering their ability to sing abrasive little songs.

So kids, the moral of the story is simple: Don't make fun of people less fortunate than you because chances are, there's some hidden ability you've overlooked.

new things that are new

Current book I am reading:

St.Francis of Assisi-G.K.Chesterton
Pagan Christianity-Frank Viola and George Barna
Systematic Theology-Wayne Grudem

Current tracks I would like to spin:

Tournament of Hearts-The Weakerthans
Courtship Dating-Crystal Castles (Give me some of that sweet Atari 5200 sound chip goodness)
Ahead by a Century-Tragically Hip (?!)

Current animals I would like to tame:

The Bearcat
Clowns

The clowns would ride the Bearcat and then I would sit on the clowns shoulders enforcing laws put in place designed to frustrate the masses. I would be intimidating and people would call me by a neo-barbarian name --like Andrew the Intimidator.

I also saw Batman a few days ago, and yes it's worth all the hype. Go and see it and tell the ticket man he was right.

go in peace traveler



Before you ask, yes this is a book, someone other than me should read it.