The Kingdom of God, birthdays, and 2012

On this bright and sunny birthday morning I finished reading The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person. It was recommended to me by Jason Philbrick when I told him this summer that I'd been obsessed lately with the Kingdom of God.

Apparently the author, E. Stanley Jones, had someone tell him once that he seemed to be obsessed with the Kingdom of God. Jones writes that he then thought, “Would God that I were, for it would be a magnificent obsession. Jesus was obsessed with it, and to be obsessed with his obsession is to be on safe and universal ground. But I'm also obsessed with the person of Jesus, Jesus Christ.” This year I read through the Bible chronologically again and I drew a box around every time the Kingdom of God was mentioned and starred every time the Good News was mentioned, trying to grasp the full picture of it all. Reading Jones' book this past month has helped me to put some things together.

He emphasizes that the Kingdom of God and the parousia (the Second Coming) are not joined in Scripture. “The Kingdom was a vital and decisive issue now, while the Coming was delayed. This is seen from the fact that after the resurrection [Jesus] talked to the disciples about one thing for forty days. He talked to them of the Kingdom of God in the same terms as when he went about preaching the gospel of the Kingdom as a burning issue – now.”

The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person was one of his last books – he was 87 when he wrote it. Here's the last paragraph: an great way to start my 42nd year of life and the new year 2012:

So that would mean that if we are to think and act as though the Kingdom were already here, if we have said personally that Jesus is Lord and have made a personal surrender to him with all we know and all we don't know, I belong to the Unchanging Person, and therefore we belong to the Unshakable Kingdom. Then I prayerfully consider how I can apply the Kingdom spirit and principles to all my relationships as far as it depends on me, to my personal thought, life, actions, and habits, to my family life, to my professional or business relationships, to my class and race relationships, to my recreational relationships, to my church relationships. I can't change everybody but I can change me and my relationships as far as they depend on me. In each of these I can say: As far as I am concerned the Kingdom is already here. In the light of its being already here, how do I think and act? I am certain of one thing about that kingdom, that the Kingdom is the kingdom of love. So I will begin to love, if not by my love, then with his love – for everybody, everywhere, I am a disciple to the kingdom of God, under its tutelage and control and unfolding sovereignty. I may make blunders and fall, but if I fall I will fall on my knees, and if I stumble I will stumble into his arms. I have a destiny – I am a seed of the new order – “the good seed means the sons of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:38 RSV). I am sown in this particular place to be the interpretation and meaning and message of the new order. I know the seed and the soil are affinities, so that all the resources of the Kingdom are at my disposal. So “in Him who strengthens me, I am able for anything.” (Phil. 4:11 Moffatt). I have a total Gospel, for man's total need, for the total world. I ought to be happy – I am!

Trujillo, Peru (part 2)

Every morning in Trujillo was spent preparing lessons (printer issues led to walking to sites which would print for us, then we walked to the photocopy shop, then to the internet cafe to prep my next trip, etc.). In the afternoons we did lessons in Barrio 6 A, then in Libertadores and got home in the evening.

A lesson on how to make oral rehydration serum in the home, for when children have diarrhea.

One evening on our way home we stopped by the town square. Above you see the beautiful cathedral in downtown Trujillo.

Check this out! My last day there I got to go see some amazing ruins. This is called the ruins of the "Sun Temple," since it is guessed to be a monument to the sun god -- although that is hotly debated, and some say it is only thought to be to the sun god because that's how they do things in Mexico (just a little ways away). Only 25% of this building is left intact, and it's still gi-normous! Excavation hasn't yet started.



This is one of the painted walls of the "Moon Temple" (again, see controversy above). This was painted some time around 400 AD using charcoal, calcium, and some plant extracts. These constructions pre-date the Incas; they were built by the Moche people whose civilization had disappeared by 800 AD.

Here is the facade of the Moon Temple. See the different stories? Every 80 to 100 years they completely filled in the story below with bricks and built a new one on top. Only the top two have been excavated so far, the rest are awaiting experts to tell them how to do so safely in an area so prone to earthquakes.

The rent in the center of the facade was caused by people who ransacked the temple for treasures centuries ago.

On our way to the airport my hosts drove me through a fruit market. Mmm... olives. I currently live in an olive-free zone and so my hosts said, "Let's stop and you can take a picture -- take it like you're selling the olives!."

Then my zany new friends said, "Pretend you're eating them!" So, here goes!

Marco and Vilma, my hilarious hosts, next to an incredible variety of fruit.

Trujillo, Peru (part 1)

I had the opportunity to go to Trujillo, Peru to do some trainings. Marco and Vilma, CHE trainers, have started CHE programs in two urban neighborhoods. Here I am with Vilma, posing in front of the boats that have been used for centuries there. Cargo (or a tourist) goes in the hollowed out portion and the rower kneels in the front!
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One of the lessons we did was "Nutrition: 3 x 3." We separated food into three groups: protein, protectors (fruits and veggies), and carbohydrates. We discussed the importance of having all three groups at all three meals (hence 3 x 3).

The lessons I facilitated are usually done by trainers; I don't usually teach the Community Health Evangelists directly. In this instance, since Marco and Vilma are the sole trainers there in Peru, I went to provide a bit of back-up.

Marco and Vilma,Mmm, the Libertadores group made picarones for us this day -- the batter is made from wheat flour, sweet potato, and squash then fried and covered with syrup. My co-worker Marco tells me that this is a really big deal -- a few years ago there was an organization that provided food and/or money for every training. People only came when things were provided, and didn't contribute anything of their own. Now that they are truly implementing the CHE model the community members have started making treats and coming to trainings on their own initiative!


Tee-hee, this picarón is in the form of a dog!

Peru is known for its varied cuisine. Here I am with Marco and Vilma's family about to enjoy a traditional ceviche.

The day after our "3 x 3" lesson the "Barrio 6 A" group made ají de gallina for us all. They very cheerfully noted that it met the 3 x 3 standard: chicken, potato, and lettuce!

This is the drive between the two target neighborhoods. Marco and Vilma are both taxi drivers, so we had their (rented) cab for transportation. The neighborhoods are new, built over the past ten years on land which formerly was used as a garbage dump. The drive between the neighborhoods is through the current dump site.

There is no dirt here, only sand -- to grow anything you have to lay dirt down first. Many people cleared away the garbage first and then built a solid foundation for their house, although several sections were clearly built more precariously and without removing the trash first. Marco jokes that either way, they aren't showing wisdom because there are building their houses on sand! ;-)