If you haven't been around us lately then you might know that we are on a mission to get healthy. After lots of research and a little experimenting we've decided that it's time to get rid of refined flours and sugars. But we've also made a commitment to increase our exercise regimen. We were both athletes in high school and college so this is something that should be that hard...ha. Anyways, I decided to sign up for The Color Run with a few friends from work. And thanks to the LifeProof case for iPhone I was able to document the fun!
The Noah Controversy: To Watch or Not To Watch
I have to say, I’ve been surprised to see how much “controversy” has come out of a movie. Then again, am I really surprised…
Normally I don’t jump on the bandwagon of posting my feelings about some issue that really seems trivial in the grand scheme of things, but this time I felt it needed addressing.
Whether you like or dislike the fact that Noah was made by an atheist, played by actors and actresses who aren’t Christians doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing. In fact, I appreciate that it has both of those factors. For one, that means that the writers, producers, directors, actors, and everyone else involved in this movie had to get their head into Scripture…and in case you didn’t know, that stuff is powerful.
And since when did we say that a depiction of a Biblical story could only be done by Christians and for that matter be considered an inerrant word of God? Last time I checked we don’t even use The Message Bible as a word for word translation of what’s really going on. We take it with a grain a salt and extract the Biblical truths…just like we should do with EVERYTHING.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ and have a grasp on the gospel story then you will start to see remnants of it everywhere. In the music you listen to, the shows you watch, and the books you read. Why do so many Christians like Mumford and Sons? It’s not just the hipster cool persona they possess, but it starts with the lyrics, “Awake my soul.” Need I say more?
When we are living out the gospel of grace we will see it dropping hints everywhere we turn. We will either be reminded of our sinful nature caused by the temptations of this world, or we will see a light of grace, grabbing our hearts and making us turn toward our Creator in adoration.
So what does this have to do with Noah? Everything. Because if you choose to not see Noah just because you don’t want to support an atheist trying to tell a Christian story, then you are missing out. You are missing out on a story that accurately depicts sin. As Noah (in the movie) struggles with his understanding of his fellow man he and his family feel entitled to be saved from the flood. They see themselves as followers of the Creator and different than the heathens over there…but then that changes. In a dream God reveals Noah’s sinful nature. It’s original sin at it’s finest. It started with an apple and it made no man innocent. You see, it wasn’t Noah’s good works or obedience that made him different in front of God; it was his faith.
Even the antagonist king in the movie says over and over “I am made in Your image.” He acknowledges that there is a Creator, but he refuses to have faith in him because “he abandoned us long ago.” So the king decides he must take things into his own hands, that man is able to make decisions and take charge of his destiny. But Noah has faith in his creator, faith he will fulfill his promise to his family and faith enough to build an ark. I think you get the picture.
But even more than it’s depiction of sin, the movie portrays a real person. I don’t know about you but the only way I’ve ever heard Noah portrayed me to was with a white beard, staff and some long ‘ol hair. And then he had all those cute little animals with him, you know the elephants, dogs, cats, only the most fluffiest of all creatures. And once that dove came back with the olive branch, well everything was hunky-dory…the end…or was it?
One of the reasons I wanted to go seminary was to explore the Bible in ways that I never did in Church. To learn what was really being said when I read things. And just like numerous stories my eyes were opened when I realized Noah’s story didn’t end when the dove came back that day.
“Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backward and covered their father’s nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father’s exposed body. When Noah woke up with his hangover, he learned what his youngest son had done. He said, "Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves, a slave to his brothers! Blessed be God, the God of Shem, but Canaan shall be his slave. God prosper Japheth, living spaciously in the tents of Shem. But Canaan shall be his slave. Noah lived another 350 years following the flood. He lived a total of 950 years. And he died.”
I don’t know about you, but what do you do with that?! Oh wait, I know, leave it out…at least that’s what all my Sunday School teachers did. But imagine that, the movie did not. Instead we faced the reality that a man who had to listen to the cries of people die around him while spending 40 days and nights on a ship covered in animal dung might go a little drunk. He was a real person. And even more he was a person that God used because he had faith.
So if you are determined not to go see Noah ask yourself why, and remember, this movie never promised to be the inerrant word of God, but what it did promise was to make you think about the life and story of Noah. And if you open up your heart a little bit you might even pull out some nuggets of truth. Besides wouldn’t you rather spend your money on something that speaks some Biblical truth and encourages others to make well-made movies based on Biblical characters then to have more movies about guys who go to Vegas and get drunk and sleep with strippers? (which by the way out of all R-rated films, a movie just like this one I described is actually the highest-grossed film behind only The Passion of the Christ and The Matrix Reloaded.)
So go see it, learn from it, and then inspire dialogue around it. You might just be surprised.
If you've seen the movie, we'd love to hear what you thought, comment below and let us know.
Kenya: Meet Grace
In October of 2011 I had the opportunity to travel to East Africa. While I only spent a day or two in Kenya, I was able to go out and visit with the Maasai People. The organization my husband and I work for, Global Aid Network, has a trusted relationship there and throughout the years they have helped build schools, water wells, and more. I spent the day getting to know some of the ladies as well as hearing the stories of the kids who attend the school. The first set of photos are of Charity. She is so precious! Her mother led us into their hut and then let us photograph her family. She wanted her Bible in her hand as we photographed them so everyone would know she was a Christian. Then her and several other ladies proceeded to sing and dance for us.
I also had the privilege of meeting three brothers. Who are really the cutest things possible. They had to walk over 3 miles to get to school everyday, which is evident by the holes in their shoes. But now thanks to the new school they can attend classes in their own village! And hopefully get some new shoes soon.
And one of my favorite stories is of Grace. She was not allowed to go to school like the other kids in her village. Her father would beat her and force her to work all day long. Our Kenyan partners heard of this and every time they would visit they would ask Grace's father to let her go to school. Finally after numerous times of asking her father agreed. Now Grace is healthy (since she receives food at school), she is happy, and her father does not beat her and force her into child labor. "The change is significant!", Joshua and Tabitha (Kenyan partners who work in this area) tell me.
Colorado, You Stole My Heart
"O My Soul, Faint Not."
"O my soul, faint not, faint not."
Strong words from some of my favorite artists, Jenny & Tyler. The words from this song (and their whole album for that matter) helped get me through a trip that not only tested my faith in God, but own personal values and future. There is so much I could say about my time in the refugee camp in East Africa, but to sum it up, there wasn't enough time.
One look at the faces of people hurting, starving, dying and it's enough to make you want to weep. But to live amongst them, to walk the path they walk is something I could never do. Yet there was happiness. There was joy. And there was laughter. Yes, there was heartache and death in a place where hope is not even familiar, but there was life. Mothers with their children, children with their laughter, and one white girl in a sea of hurting.
"Oh my soul keep up, keep up in love."
Listen to Faint Not by Jenny & Tyler
P.S. If you are in the Dallas area stop by Crooked Tree Coffee House where many of these photos and the stories that accompany them are hanging on the wall. And if you make it in, be sure to tweet me @jessicalee2819
Life Inside an IDP Camp
Holding on to Hope: Meet Fatixya
As we went back to our hotel and I found myself alone in the silence, I began wondering what I was doing here. Had I come in vain? These thoughts danced around in my mind as I fell asleep waiting for another day...another day of heartache.
As we drive around the city our guarded guides take us to another camp. You can imagine that in a place where visitors are scarce, news travels fast that we have come. People emerge from their paper tents. Crowds start to form as they look for a sign of hope. Children start to laugh and gaze in anticipation. And my heart begins to get too close to my chest.
I meet a family on the other side of the barbed wire. I can't seem to find a way in so I'm stuck, once again, as an outsider from their world. I ask her name. "Fatima," she responds in a quiet voice. Through my translator I begin to find out that she is the grandmother of the seven kids all huddled up next to her. Her daughter was one of the lucky ones to be picked for the distribution. I begin making faces at the kids, probing them for laughs, when I notice a young woman in a bright pink head-dress. She seems to know the family and I found it it's Fatima's niece, Fatixya.
Fatixya comes over eager to hear what's going on. She politely answers my questions as I learn she is 27 years old and only arrived in the refugee camp 3 weeks prior. She told us how she has 2 children and her husband divorced her. She has walked days just to get to a place that offers not much more hope than from where she came. I notice that Fatixya is pregnant. She looks down at her covered round belly and says, "Yes. I am 8 months pregnant. I am in a lot of pain."
Knowing there are no hospitals or doctors on call in the forsaken place, I ask her where she plans to have her child. She looks over her left shoulder at the camp across the street, "in my tent." My heart breaks, and tears begin to well up. But I notice something strange. She isn't crying, she isn't sad, and in fact, she's almost laughing. She has a beautiful smile across her face. I ask Hassan, my translator, why is she smiling.
He asks her, looks back at me, and says something I will never forget, "She is happy because you are interested about her."
I bow my head, part in prayer, and part in shame. My heart pounding, my eyes blurry, my head spinning, what am I to do with that? I look up at Fatixya and smile. She may be smiling because I want to hear her story, but I'm smiling because she gave me hope. Hope for her people, hope for their openness to one day escape the heartache of war, famine, oppression, lifelessness. Hope that when I go back home to my cozy bed and all you can eat buffets that I will no longer be stagnant. Hope that her story can change the hearts of our Western comforts. Hope that one day I will return and bring Good News that they so desperately need to hear. Until then I smile. Because in our smiles holds a thousand words. It holds hope. It holds love, and most importantly it holds the truth of something greater. That when times are tough we continue to press on. We strive to fight and push back the darkness. And whether we are fighting in refugee camps in Africa or the suburbs of small towns, there is darkness everywhere, and we must fight.
While I only spent a few minutes with Fatixya it was enough to change my world. I glanced over my shoulder to answer a question from one of my colleagues, and by the time I turned back around she was gone. I had my camera in hand, planning on how to take Fatixya's portrait, but now she was gone. No one could find her, but I did happen to snap one photo of her before we talked. It was all I had left of that conversation, but it was all I needed.
First Steps
The air was dusty. Before I even stepped out of the Land Rover I could feel the sand in my shoes and in my clothes. It was dry, just like the rest of the country. In a place where turmoil had reared it's ugly head for so long, it seemed as if the ground had begun to mimic the ways of it's people.
My heart was in my chest. Partly because there were men surrounding us with AK-47s and partly because the people we were visiting were so beautiful, and yet so lost. As our guards ushered us into the first camp we began to separate. I, and my translator kicked the dust around as we slowly shifted in and out of the tents. There was a man lying in a tent, bones sticking out of his dark skin. He was too weak to stand, and probably wouldn't make it past the end of the week.
My colleagues wanted me to take a photo, I figured it was better to move on and lift up a silent prayer. I wasn't there to get a Nat Geo image, I was there to listen. To hear the cry of the people and understand, if even for just a second, a glimpse into their hearts. I wanted to try and open up my calloused heart just long enough to cry with them and love them. But it was already time to go. Anyplace longer than 30 minutes was too long. We had to watch our steps carefully, and trust no one.
As a mom rushed up to me with her baby boy I began to feel my heart explode. The child was sick, his skin was rotting off and his mom just looked at me and begin repeating something. My translator tried to explain but it was if time stopped. Sound bounced off my ears and all I could do was cry out to my God and pray for this little sweet child. A child born into chaos, war, famine, and a place void of true love. I choked back the tears as I touch his little hand. Our guards ushered us out as quickly as they ushered us in.
What now I thought? What could I possibly ever do to help? These questions have a way of keeping me up at night. Wondering, praying, crying, wanting to know why I am not doing more. But for now I have to play my part. I have to play the part God has given me for this moment. So if that means sitting in an office developing ways for our in-country partners to be more effective, then so be it. Because it's one step at a time. As God opens a door, I must be faithful to follow.
