1000 words.

• 2012-05-28

  

• 2012-04-18

  Right or wrong, tension makes us stronger by making us weak when we needed to be.

• 2012-03-24

  

• 2012-03-19

  

  forward.

• 2012-03-11

  

• 2012-03-04

  

• 2012-02-29

  

  bring it back.

• 2012-02-26

  

  To walk is to be blessed.

• 2012-02-01

  humility.

  Today, a day full of power-ties and pant-suits. After hearing the history of the breakfast at least seven times, I think I kind of get the gist of it. A conglomeration of the weekly prayer breakfast meetings held separately by the House and the Senate, it is a time for people to come together over “The Person and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.” This is the catch phrase of the week: Jesus, the person, the prophet. But not the Son of God. It can’t be centered around Christian, Muslim, or Jewish teachings for political reasons, so, like, whatever. We had the privilege of sitting with four Tennessee women this morning who, when heard the speaker say his words were in the name of Christ, turned to us to give a knowing glance: “Yeah Right…” At that moment, we were seated in the middle of a room full of dignitaries, religious leaders and politicians from around the world at what is known as the “Middle East Breakfast.” Iraqi clerics, Jewish Rabbis, at least one representative from every Middle Eastern country listed were sitting in that room. Oh, and me, a student. In the truest sense. As the speaker, reading through the list, came to Syria, one man stood up. The room continued its eternal applause. With the noise decreasing, we were asked to pray. An unexpected move. The room, its leaders, its laymen, the four women from Tennessee, joined with a tangible representative of a country still so tattered with protest and dissention, to pray for peace. I guess this is what the Prayer Breakfast is about.

  Life went on, speaker after speaker. A Muslim leader from Lebanon spoke at this breakfast on the verge of tears. He said he was born to hate Jews as a Rabbi stood behind him, raised to hate westerners as many of us looked on. Life had shown him so many beautiful Jews and Westerners through the years that these preconceptions had been shattered. At one point he said, “I would not be a good Muslim if I didn’t follow the teachings of Jesus.” And went on to say that the Islamic nation wept on 9/11. They wept for the people hurt by the distortion of their faith. They wept for the stain now branded on their religion. Most of us know this, and believe it, but to hear it so heartfelt firsthand is another story completely.

  All these people here for the same reason. All of them so genuine and humble. All of them here to unite in the teachings of Jesus. Makes you wonder: “What makes you so different from them all?” Sure you believe in Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. His resurrection and salvation for us. His Godliness. But why? Tradition? Upbringing? What if I was born in Israel, educated under their system, and raised a Jew? How different that would be. And yet, me and my Presbyterian roots sit here with these leaders and their unique backgrounds, eating quiche together, talking about Jesus and Love. I could have been anybody, but I am who I am. And I do believe what I believe. But we must realize that the complexities of our stories, and all the twists our lives could have possibly taken, prove a necessity for humility. We cannot know certain truth. We are not capable of understanding everything, so let us be humble and open. As one of the speakers at lunch said today: “If we forget reconciliation, we invite destruction.”

• 2012-01-27

  

  typical.