Luke Parrott

Writer's Block?

Maybe. But it's been more like a writer's silence.

I gave up "noise" for Lent and I think the after effects are still lingering.  Without noise, I have felt silence.  And in that silence I have practiced simply listening. When you listen, you can finally hear that much is being said.  In fact, that may be why I like noise so much.  It drowns out another voice. 

I think I am coming out of this season slowly.  It is soon time again to speak.  I suppose this post shows that the writer's silence is close coming to its end. 

Till then, I'm going to let this season linger a little longer.  Much like the snow that fell in Spring today.  My winter is still having its last laughs.

"We can end injustice tomorrow, if we just twitter a lot today."

It's actually a running joke that I share with a friend who does poverty alleviation work in southeast Asia.  The technology age has led to globally disturbing awareness of injustices in real time. 

But there is a disturbing undertone in it all.  The popularity of promoting social justice has become sexy and socially appealing.  We act as though a re-tweet here, and a promotion of causes there is enough to make a difference.  Or at least it positions you socially to a popular standing.  Social Justice is the new way for marketers to sell their products.  It's sexy to buy Dawn Soap because all of a sudden it now saves the wildlife.  Here is their advertisement:

Social justice is not SEXY.  It's not EASY.  It's not SIMPLE.  It doesn't happen solely through ADVOCACY. 

You can devote your entire life to it and still see evil gain great ground.  My buddy, David Dunmyre, has expressed his concern with the wave of interest in the KONY 2012 campaign.  He observes that we are truly caught up in "Doing something without having to actually do something."

I direct a gap year program that takes 18-20 year olds into marginalized communities to downtown Denver, to Haiti, to Rwanda, and to the Philippines.  The students live and work among the poor who are surrounded by injustice.  And you know what shocks me most about the experience?  The fact that the students are largely rendered useless to these organizations until they come to terms with the fact that there is just as much injustice, brokenness, and poverty in their own hearts, in their own homes, and in their own communities as there is in the places where they go to "help and serve."

I firmly believe that most people who go on mission trips and return to say the lesson they learned was that "The people there are so happy and have so little.  I am grateful for what I have" have totally missed the deeper truth that is being revealed to them.  What students find when they travel to developing countries or impoverished communities, IF THEY ARE HONEST ENOUGH TO GET BELOW THE SURFACE AND HAVE SOMEONE PUSH THEM TOWARDS THIS INSIGHT, is that they are inwardly disturbed by these experiences. 

They first feel guilt. 

Then pity. 

Then compassion and a desire to help. 

But all the while they missed the point.  The disturbing thing they saw was a visible representation of the disturbance in their own heart.  Their own inner pain.  Their own poverty.  Their own weakness was manifested in the one they came to serve.

I firmly believe that those who want to join the battle cry of injustice have to get to a place where they resonate with their own brokenness.  They must arrive to the homeless shelter with the attitude of humility that says, "I am here not to serve, but to listen, to learn from, and to be present with these people."  And when two people come together with a shared poverty, healing can begin to happen for each of us. 

Kony2012 is another cry of injustice in a broken world.  But if that cry only causes you to re-tweet, it is probably just another sexy, socially mobile exercise for you.  If, however, that cry causes you to get busy with the injustices in your own heart and your own backyard, then talk of "changing the world" can actually become a reality rather than the next great sexy way you show yourself to the world around you.

One thing we can be sure of:  No one will end injustice tomorrow with a tweet today. 

Learning to Trust God with What I Have and Do Not Have

Why did they want a King?

Was it because they wanted what everyone else had?

Was it because they felt too unprotected?

Did they just want an army?

Did they want an extra layer of protection just in case God couldn't protect them?

Were they feeling too vulnerable?

Did they just want a scapegoat...someone who they could blame instead of themselves if things went wrong?

This week, it was Willie who drew us into 1 Samuel 8 at my church and had us all pondering this question: Why did they want a king?

Israel never had a king.  They were led by Moses out of Egypt.  Then by Joshua into the Promised Land.  Then a series of Judges rose to fill the need of leadership as Israel went up and down and around in their faithfulness.  Finally these leaders all passed away and the people came to Samuel, a well recognized prophet, and requested a king.

But why?  Why now?  Why a king?

¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”  I Samuel 8:19-20

1.  To be like everyone else

2.  To be led by an established, tangible figure

3.  To have someone to fight their battles

Looks like good reasons to me!  I want a king too.  I want someone to lead me.  I want someone to fight my battles for me...or at least with me.  And I want to have that same protection that everyone else has.  (Or at least an emergency fund to fall on if life takes an unexpected turn.)

What I don't want is to be left vulnerable.  Unprotected.  I don't want to be left in a place where I have to truly trust God.  Or rely on others.  The Israelites knew what those stories feel like and while they are great stories, they aren't something you want to relive.  The meager 300 men that Gideon fought the Midianites with!  Blowing trumpets and seeing Jericho's walls fall without using your sword once!  Escaping from the Egyptian army by the skin of your teeth via a parting sea!  Those are fun stories but COME ON, would it not be best for us to beef up our army just in case...???

Just in case, God doesn't show up this time around.

Today, I am learning to trust God.  I'm always learning and re-learning it.  That sometimes the best place is one where I am left vulnerable and unprotected.  I have to learn to trust him with all that I have and all that I don't have.  Often I want to trust him with what I don't have but keep what I have to myself.  Or I want to trust him with what I have but go out and get more for myself. 

What I need more of is simply trust. 

Israel didn't need a king.  They needed to trust God with what they both had and did not have.  It left them feeling vulnerable and unprotected.  But it also left them dependent on the only one who can really come through at the end of the day.

What do you want today?

 

 

 

Our 2nd Class Heads to the Rooftop of Africa

It is our 2nd year of the KIVU Gap Year. 

It is our 2nd class of students traveling, interning, learning, growing, and being students of other cultures.

It is our 2nd year of Vocational Discovery in a Global Community.

It is our 2nd year we will have students reach the rooftop of Africa.

2 hours ago, they began their trek up the final climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro to a riveting thin aired summit of 19,340 feet.  The tallest freestanding mountain in the world.  It is truly the climb of a lifetime.  We added it into our program so that students could grab on to a real physical challenge, experience a real struggle of the human spirit, and do something they may never have a chance to do in their life...see the top of Africa.

As the Director, I traveled on our first year program in its entirety last year.  And I am not bashful to say, the PROGRAM WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.  I had the privilege of hiking alongside 8 students last year up Kilimanjaro.  I tell people it is literally like taking the ring to Mordor!  (for you Lord of the Rings fans).  A 7 day trek.  From thick rainforest to the windy snowy glaciered summit.  The highest point in all of Africa.

Our 2nd class will see that summit tonight somewhere around 6-9am Tanzanian time.  I can't wait to hear their tales of adventure after they return safely to their lodge.  For now here are some breathtaking shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Will You Remember Whitney Houston?

 

 

Most of us will prefer to remember Whitney Houston by her music not her addiction. 

That is the reputation, the legacy, the image of an icon that her family and the media would prefer that we cling to.  Her reputation must be salvaged.  Her legacy must remain largely unstained.  Much like that of Michael Jackson the coming days will probably consist of much responsibility being shirked and blame placed elsewhere. 

But no one is willing to get to the real question...   

That question is NOT "What killed her?" 

That question is NOT "What will the coroner declare as the cause of death?" 

That question is NOT "What are the precise measurements of alcohol and prescription drugs that make it a lethal concoction?

If these are the real questions then the moral of the story with Whitney Houston is simply, "Kids, listen up!  Don't drink and take prescription drugs together.  End of story."

BUT WE ARE MISSING SOMETHING HERE!

The real question is, "What pain was Whitney Houston trying to numb?"

What pain in her life became too unbearable that a 48 year old woman could not be left alone by herself for more than 10 minutes for fear of what might happen...and what did happen on the day of her death.

We all have wounds.  We all have hurt.  We all have pain.  The real question is 'how are we trying to numb it?'  Because it is something that we can't change.  It is a permanent mark that has been made on us.  It can not be undone.   But we can begin to see healing if we face it.  Rather than trying to avoid it at all cost, manage it in everyway, and bandage it up so no one can see it. 

Whitney Houston was in pain.  And she was trying to numb that pain in many different 'manageable' ways.  But eventually, it became unmanageable. 

I recently saw a movie that spoke to me about how we must handle our wounds.  The movie carried the image of our woundedness in the form of a haunting, bloodthirsty pack of wolves.  The wound was ultimately embodied in the alpha wolf whom the character would eventually have to face head on in order to keep his own life.  In the closing minutes of the film, this climactic encounter occurred.  And every one of us in the theater waited to see what would happen.  The message was clear.

You must face your wound head on.  It is how we keep on living.  It is how we choose life over death.

I will remember Whitney Houston as an amazing artist.  An icon indeed.  But I will also remember Whitney as a woman who had a deep pain she could not silence.  In the end, it got the best of her.  Numbing the pain is not a life giving choice.  But facing the pain can free you.

We can choose life.  We can choose freedom.  Every day.  If we are willing to face our wound. 

How to create a culture that breeds sin

Recently I've been in conversations about how believers have learned to breed an underground world of sin and we are complicit in the production of those dark hidden caverns.

It begins with the failure to openly admit that we all have pain. We all have been deeply wounded. We all wrestle with things that have been done to us. We are all desperate to be heard and healed...on a continual basis.

But we are not permitted to share that struggle openly with those around us. It's too messy. It takes time to unpack. It takes a nonjudgmental ear. A heart that can simply listen to us and not fix us. To be WITH us and not live life AT us. So wounds can not find healing.

Thus we burrow in. We dig down. We fly below the radar. We hide our sin. Our pain. Our wounds. We create an intricate underground world that no one knows about.

And that is how we create a culture that breeds sin. On the surface it's all Good. God is good. PTL. I'm doing fine thank you. We fall into these cliches. And nobody can hear what we hide.

But as the old adage goes, be sure your sin will find you out, eventually the waterline will recede and show what is below the surface. And that moment of exposure shocks entire communities. And we are all left wondering "how did this happen? Why did he fall?".

All the while the saga continues as we all tuck away our hurt and wounded hearts. When we fail to create a culture where we can trust each other with our deepest pain and recognize that ALL humans struggle in this manner (from leader to follower from young in the faith to old) we will continue to exasperate the issue at hand.

To fail to have the freedom to share our wounds will always come with devastating consequences. We are all terrified to share our pain but it will always create a culture that breeds sin if we have no brother to bear the burden.

We must choose to break the cycle.  In so doing, we fulfill the law of Christ.

Bear each others burdens.

"What My Dad Has Taught Me", Happy 60th Birthday, DAD!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

It's my Dad's 60th birthday so the kids all got together and said something special to start his day off right!  Here are a few things that "My Dad Has Taught Me" from all 4 of the kids!

  

- How to be a good defensive driver - Laurie

- The importance of meeting with God on a consistent basis and remembering what He has done. - Lindsey

- To shut the sunroof in your car at night - Dan (and Laurie)

- God always provides not matter what your circumstance. - Luke

- Stay calm in all circumstances and make prayer a priority - Laurie

- Don’t make decisions when you’re emotional, really tired or it’s late at night… and definitely not when it’s all 3 at the same time - Lindsey

- God will provide all your needs according to his riches - Dan

- There are still men in the world who love and stay faithful to their wives for 30+ years and counting... - Luke

- Always speak encouraging words that build others up.  I have never heard you gossip or slander anyone, even if they may have hurt you or disrespected you. - Laurie

- The power of prayer, specifically as I’ve watched you talk about how you have prayed for us specifically, daily.  Prayer I know is what has been the power in what God has done in our lives! - Lindsey

- Everytime you meet someone new it could be a divine appointment - Dan

- Laughter is great medicine for everyone, especially when that laughter stops abruptly. - Luke

- You have modeled what a Godly man and husband should be, and so I married one! - Laurie

- That hamsters won’t come back to life if you blow dry them. - Lindsey

- Cooking is more like a science experiment, you don't necessarily need to follow the rules. - Dan

- Calf muscles do come in size Extra Large - Luke

- Mixing milk and hot chocolate mix together and drinking it cold can be a good chocolate fix if there is no chocolate in the house. - Laurie

- What it looks like to sacrifice your time, your energy and your sleep to love and serve others (the countless times you got up early to take us to school, you get up early to take us to the airport or come get us late at night, the ways you are always willing to put down what you’re doing to help us with something) - Lindsey

- To continually seek God in all circumstances because he will provide for you in all circumstances. - Dan

- Just being there is one of the loudest ways to say I love you. - Luke

- Papa johns is the best pizza deal in the city because you get free jalapenos! - Laurie

- The importance of monitoring the weather - Lindsey

- Patience, in life and in relationships - Dan

- Never forget the Shell Ridge and Tree Fort adventures of your childhood. - Luke

- Life is ministry - Laurie

- That the safest place for us to be is in the center of the Lord’s will.  I often wondered why you wouldn’t seem to get too worried about me when I would travel or serve the Lord in uncertain places, but you would always say you trust the Lord with my life and I know that you really commit your children to the Lord and trusted that He would take care of us far better than you ever could.  I want to entrust my children to the Lord in the same way! - Lindsey

- To find your passion and gifts and use those to serve God - Dan

- Blankets can make great human swing sets. - Luke

- Play with your kids and laugh often! - Laurie

- That this world is not our home, and the importance of living for things eternal. - Lindsey

- The greatest song to sing your kids to sleep is "I Love You Lord" - Dan

- God will use it. - Luke (and Nick)

- God is our provider and sustainer - Laurie

- That Jesus really is our only source of life.  You consistently bring us back to Jesus as a family and individually and trust Him with finances, job changes, your children. - Lindsey

- How to be a leader, putting your kids in charge of See You At The Pole and taking leadership positions in ministry has given each of us qualities that many kids don't develop or fear, that is possibly why each of us are so determined and driven towards our individual passions. - Dan

- The best way to teach something is to model it. - Luke

- Love God first and pursue Him before anything/anyone else. - Laurie

- To laugh a lot and not take life too seriously… and especially to learn to laugh at ourselves! - Lindsey

- Think things through logically and trust God to reveal the right direction for you. You have helped me make all my major moves. Choosing a college, choosing to leave that college, moving to Nashville, helping me through two years of struggling to find a full time job, and moving to New York City. - Dan

- Never stop reading and learning - Luke

Love,

Lindsey, Luke, Laurie & Dan

The 'Work of Art' in Adolescence

This one goes out to a girl who has been shamed at her high school with one big lie.  When someone speaks things about you that tarnish who you are, it not only hurts your reputation but it calls into question your identity as well as everyone's around you.  Then, there is an ensuing battle to preserve, refurbish, and put back on display this 'work of art'.

 

The Work of Art in Adolescence

 

I was once a colorful canvas till you tainted me

I'm not what you think that I am

 

Those aren't the words you heard from me

My actions don't speak to that end

 

You splattered your paint all over me

It hurt, every word that you said

 

With letters of scarlet all over me

Now how can I know who I am?

 

 

 

 

You Hurt Me Deeply

"...as we forgive those who have sinned against us."

Often times it's not what we've done but what has been done to us that hurts the most.

These are the things we struggle most to forgive.

We've all heard a million sermons on asking God to forgive us our sins.  But what about us forgiving those who sinned against us? Can you look those people in the eye and say, 'You hurt me deeply but I release you from the pain you have caused me."

Those words are too hard to say.  But it is also where we must go to truly forgive.

In freeing them, you will free yourself.

Live free.

How can GOD give a Hug?

Quality Time.

Words of Affirmation.

Physical Touch.

Receiving Gifts.

Acts of Service.

A popular book recognizes these 5 "Love Languages" that teach us how we show love to others and how we best receive love.

But have you ever wanted GOD to reach down and show His love to you in a real, tangible way?  If GOD would just speak audibly to me, I'd be encouraged to move on.  If GOD would just give me a big old hug, I could continue.  If GOD would just walk with me in the woods for 3 hours and let me fully feel His presence, then it would be enough.

I John 4:12 says "No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us."

God sent Jesus to show us what he would look like were he fully human.  Then, Jesus left his Spirit to work inside of each of us so others could continue to experience God-in-the-flesh.

For those who follow Jesus, we believe it is God who is living inside of us.  And so when God wants to encourage, or give a hug, or offer a gift, or give us his time, or do a small thing to make us smile so we know He loves us...He can choose to express that directly through others.

When God says "Love each other" He may also be saying, "Love each other so that I can say 'I love them'."  It does seem a bit odd.  And certainly God can accomplish this without people.  But the beauty about this way is that God has invited his people in the process of loving his world and all his creation.

Love others today.

And Let yourself be loved today.

God may be trying to get to you in a real, tangible way.