A man of few words

I attended the Q & A session.  When Denver answered the first question, I realized that he was a man of few words.  Yet, his words and the way he said them carried a lot of weight.  I was reminded of a comment people made about Jesus’ speech, “He spoke as one with authority, unlike their leaders.”  In my lifetime (I am fifty) I have know only a few people who were people of few words.  When they spoke, everyone was quiet and listened.  You could hear the wisdom that had come from years of experience, a mix of happy and sad, joyful and painful times.   My father was such a man.  I was blessed to hear Denver answer a question about forgiving people who had hurt him by saying “If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven.”  There was anticipative silence, to which Denver replied, “That is all there is to that answer.”  We live in a world full of inequity,  greed, hunger, sickness, pain and death which produces vexing questions, but the best answers come from people of few words.

Alive?

Rubel Shelly has a weekly web column called the FAX of Life.  I really like his writing style.  It is concise and pithy, with not a single word wasted.  He recently writes about the 10 Commandments of Human Relations.  You can click through the link for the whole list, but what caught my eye was his closing statement:

As the cycle of giving and receiving enlarges, the human community comes alive.

So, how alive are you?

Dry Bones Exhibit at the ACU Library

The ACU Library is pleased to host the Dry Bones traveling art exhibit.  Dry Bones is a ministry centered in Denver, Colorado and focuses on serving inner city homeless youth.  The exhibit features photographs, poems, and artwork by youth on the streets.  I think the words of Matt, one of the Dry Bones coordinators, best describe the purpose of the exhibit:

Our main goal is to continue to give a voice to our often voiceless friends who live on the streets of Denver.  We’re open to whatever will be a blessing and whatever will help tell their story.  We have photographs, matted poetry, writings, a few drawings, paintings, etc.  Most of the photographs were taken by homeless youth and young adults through the Dry Bones photography classes.  A few of the other photos were taken by a photographer friend of the ministry.

The art itself is displayed on hinged partitions of corregated metal or on some really cool walls created out of red yarn.  Much of it is large enough that you can walk through and around the exhibit, immersing yourself in the images.  Some of the art includes large photographs of cityscapes or street scenes.  Some are matted poems.  You will see the faces of those who give and serve on both sides of that ministry.  You will see their fears and their hopes; you will see them as people.

Dry Bones is an incredible example of a ministry of relationship.  It has attracted the attention of the media.  If you wonder what kind of difference it can make, check out JC and Carol’s story or maybe read about Sarah.  These are gritty, harsh stories of reality but they are also stories of connection and even of redeeming love.

The art exhibit is one way to make us aware of others around us, both near and far.  It will be up in the ACU Library only through Wednesday September 24.  I hope you get to check it out.

Reflections on Visits by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

I got to attend both the informal afternoon session and the larger evening presentation at ACU by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, authors of Same Kind of Different as Me.  Both events were incredible times of blessing.  The presence and testimony of these men were both powerful and touching.  Tammy, a professional photographer, records her impressions of Ron Hall and Denver Moore at ACU and displays some of her awesome photos that she took.  Though I cannot match her photographs, I can echo many of her sentiments here.

Student gather for authors' visit

Reliving the book while waiting for authors

The  Tuesday afternoon session was held in a large lecture hall at ACU’s Bible Building.  The authors got to visit with only ACU students and employees during this time.  People began gathering early to get a seat, and many people were re-reading favorite passages from the book or getting out their laptops to take notes.

Denver and Ron answer questions from audience

Ron and Denver arrived shortly after that.  Dr. Stephen Moore led everyone in a worship song, and Dr. Charles Mattis — moderator for the event — led a prayer of blessing for the words these men would deliver.  After that Ron and Denver sat in chairs up front and got ready to answer questions.  They had no formal presentation at this session.  It was solely a time to talk about what ever the audience wanted.  I loved how the audience got to sit so close to the authors.  It made the time seem more like a conversation than a lecture.

I especially like this picture of Denver and Ron because it shows their friendship and easy relationship so well.

The audience was encouraged to text questions to the session moderator.  People asked how the book was written, about Denver’s life on the streets, and about their prayer life.  One question that stood out to me was when someone asked them both about forgiveness.  Ron said he learned forgiveness because of how he experienced it with his wife Deborah (called Miss Debbie by others).  He told how he nearly ruined his family by an affair, an event he related in the book.  He said his wife forgave him so completely, “so far as the east is from the west”, that he could not help but extend that same gift to others.  Sometimes it takes a person to show us a glimpse of what God’s love is like.   Once we see that, it changes us forever.  I hope I can be that glimpse for others.

Denver’s comment was typically brief but powerful.  He said the first step to forgiving others is to realize how much we ourselves have already been forgiven.  If we have been humbled by forgiveness, then we cannot withhold it from someone else.  He quoted the scripture that says we will receive forgiveness with the same measure we extend it to others.  “The end,” he said.  ‘Nuff said.

Book signing

Close up of a signature

After about 30 minutes of questions, the authors signed books.  Even though the line was long, students waited for signatures and a few moments of conversation with Ron and Denver.  Both men took whatever time was necessary to sign every person’s book.  They didn’t turn anyone away.

Crowd gathers for the evening presentation

The evening session was at ACU’s Moody Coliseum.  People from all over the community as well as busloads from out of town arrived, making quite a large audience.

Although the stage was set with chairs, neither Ron nor Denver sat on the stage.  They sat on the side of the audience until it was their turn to speak.  Evidently they feel most comfortable out of the lime light with the attention off themselves and more on their story.

Ron tells the story

Denver preaches

Ron spoke first.  He emphasized how the book is a story about God working through friendships and how Miss Debbie was the human force throughout it all.  He retold their story:  how she had a heart for God’s people, which was her term for the poor and homeless; how he became involved in that ministry just to please her; how he and Denver met; how they forged a firm friendship.  He told briefly of the dark time of his wife’s illness and how Denver agreed to take up the torch for Miss Debbie’s ministry.  This story was familiar to those who had read the book, but hearing them fresh from Ron brought a poignancy to the story and imbued it with renewed meaning.  It makes me realize why we retell the story of Jesus over and over again.  We all need to hear the words afresh.

Denver spoke a bit after Mr. Ron.  Denver is a man of few words, but what he says packs a powerful punch.  He started out soft, but his voice and stature seemed to grow as he preached.  He quoted scripture and he sang.  It was an unforgettable time for most of the audience.  I am glad I got to be there.

For those who did not get to attend, we will be posting the video of both events online.  Look for announcements on this blog.  Also, check out our photostream.  If you have photos to share, we invite you to join our flickr group for ACUOffThePage.

What does poverty look like?

Shan talks in her post about labels we apply to people, suggesting that if we see individuals in a new light then we will see new ministry opportunities God puts before us. That caused me to consider how we view people in preconceived ways. Sometimes I think we imagine who we want to help, and we form a mental image of what they will look like. Mention a ministry designed to help the homeless or the poor, and instantly I see someone dressed in ragged clothes, unkempt in appearance, and not able to have the basics of food and shelter.

I wonder if there are other types of poverty that are harder to recognize.

The Bible talks about those who are “poor in spirit” and those who hunger and thirst for God. There are people who are rich on the outside with things of this world but who are poor in relationships and who thirst for Christian friendships. These people can be found down the hall in our dorms, sitting next to us in the pew at church, and maybe even in our own mirror. As several churches have observed, loneliness is on the rise. Even within the body of Christ, we can have difficulty finding deep, lasting connections.

I wonder if my stereotype of what poverty looks like causes me to overlook these harder-to-see folks and to ignore the opportunity to reach out. A smile, an invitation to sit together, a remembered name, and some extended conversation beyond the usual small talk can go a long way to being that cool cup of water that Jesus says is with the power of each of us to give.

Maybe ministry doesn’t doesn’t always mean service projects and formal ministries and organized groups to people in other parts of town. Maybe a ministry opportunity is sitting right next door.

God’s People

I heard the buzz about this book and borrowed an audio copy. Two very
different voices read the parts of Denver and Ron. When I walk through
the Learning Commons and see the quotes from the book, I hear those
voices in my head. One of my favorite quotes is “Let’s call them God’s
people.” How many times do we encounter people with whom we feel
uncomfortable? Maybe they scare us a little or perhaps we make a quick
judgment about them. We give them names or labels. I’m thinking now of
my children and their reaction and discussion of people we see as we
are driving down the street. They have names and labels for people.
Already, they have formed thoughts and opinions based on appearances.
While they have been cautioned all their lives about dangers, this has
interfered with them learning to feel compassionate and open-hearted.
They are sure that the ragged fellow on the corner will rip the door
open and grab them. “Lock the doors!” they say as we pull up to the
stoplight. I’ve got a lot of work to do with them as well as myself.
After all, I haven’t provided experiences for them through which they
would learn compassion and generosity. And, I guess if I’m being
honest, they really haven’t seen me reaching out in compassion. So, I
am convicted by this story. What will I do? I will begin by calling
those folks we see “God’s people.” I will seek out opportunities for
my family to serve and love God’s people, and together we will learn
to see people as God sees them.