(6404,179,'2012-05-02 00:34:53','2012-05-02 07:34:53','I\'ve been hearing about a book making the rounds, <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> by E. L. James. Naturally, being a writer and voracious reader, I check out books that people are talking about.\r\n\r\nI hit up Google and typed in a search and up pops this description: <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> is a New York Times bestselling erotic fiction paperback and e-book by E. L. James. Set largely in Seattle, the trilogy traces the deepening relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steel and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of BDSM.1\r\n\r\nWell, that was definitely enough to make me decide NOT to read the book(s). Why not? Because I get the appeal that books with explicit sex scenes have. I went through a very long phase where all I read were romance novels. I am a firm believer that these types of books can be to women what pornography is to men. I was still reading these books early in my marriage. Whenever my husband and I got into a fight I would shut the door, pick up one of my books and stew about how my husband wasn\'t anything like the romantic male characters. I compared my husband constantly to what some writer was telling me was the ideal.\r\n\r\nSound familiar?\r\n\r\nWomen, what do you feel if you know your husband is looking at pornography? That you can\'t measure up to his idea of perfect? That you can\'t perform in bed to his satisfaction so he has to turn somewhere else?\r\n\r\nThese books aren\'t a whole lot different.\r\n\r\nDr. Oz recently did a show on \"Books Women Read\" and he mentioned <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em>. He was quoted saying: \"What it is about is people having an honest conversation about what sex should be like, what makes it better, what are the timing issues, how do we make it an important issue in our life rather than an afterthought.\"2\r\n\r\nThat quote gets me. We <em>should</em> be honest about our sex lives with our partners. We <em>should</em> be able to express what we want, how it feels, how to make it an important part of our lives. We should already be doing that with our spouse. A healthy, fulfilling sex life is important in a marriage and to God! There is a shade of truth to his statement. But that shade of truth can put the thought in your head that this book will help you. It can draw you to pick up this book and read it.\r\n\r\nThat\'s how we stumble, isn\'t it? Listening to a shade of truth. And the enemy has more than fifty shades of the truth; he has countless numbers of them.\r\n\r\nSo, how do we avoid the trap of falling for a shade of the truth? Be in the Word. Read your Bible. Use it as your measuring stick.\r\n\r\nMatthew 5:27-28 (NIV) says, \"You have heard that it was said, \'Do not commit adultery.\' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.\"\r\n\r\nIt\'s not the act of looking; it\'s the act of looking lustfully. It\'s the thought behind it. Whether the person is real or fictional, if what we are looking at <em>or reading</em> is causing us to think lustfully about anyone other than our spouse then we are sinning.\r\n\r\n\"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.\" 1 John 1:5-7 NIV\r\n\r\nLet us be people that strive to live in the full light of the truth, not in the shadowy grey shades of it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[1] <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey\">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey</a>\r\n\r\n[2] <a href=\"http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php\">http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php</a>','Fifty Shades of Truth','','inherit','open','open','','6390-autosave','','','2012-05-02 00:34:53','2012-05-02 07:34:53','',6390,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/29/6390-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6450,179,'2012-05-02 00:33:18','2012-05-02 07:33:18','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FiftyShadesImage.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6391\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FiftyShadesImage-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI\'ve been hearing about a book making the rounds, <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> by E. L. James. Naturally, being a writer and voracious reader, I check out books that people are talking about.\r\n\r\nI hit up Google and typed in a search and up pops this description: <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> is a New York Times bestselling erotic fiction paperback and e-book by E. L. James. Set largely in Seattle, the trilogy traces the deepening relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steel and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of BDSM.1\r\n\r\nWell, that was definitely enough to make me decide NOT to read the book(s). Why not? Because I get the appeal that books with explicit sex scenes have. I went through a very long phase where all I read were romance novels. I am a firm believer that these types of books can be to women what pornography is to men. I was still reading these books early in my marriage. Whenever my husband and I got into a fight I would shut the door, pick up one of my books and stew about how my husband wasn\'t anything like the romantic male characters. I compared my husband constantly to what some writer was telling me was the ideal.\r\n\r\nSound familiar?\r\n\r\nWomen, what do you feel if you know your husband is looking at pornography? That you can\'t measure up to his idea of perfect? That you can\'t perform in bed to his satisfaction so he has to turn somewhere else?\r\n\r\nThese books aren\'t a whole lot different.\r\n\r\nDr. Oz recently did a show on \"Books Women Read\" and he mentioned <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em>. He was quoted saying: \"What it is about is people having an honest conversation about what sex should be like, what makes it better, what are the timing issues, how do we make it an important issue in our life rather than an afterthought.\"2\r\n\r\nThat quote gets me. We <em>should</em> be honest about our sex lives with our partners. We <em>should</em> be able to express what we want, how it feels, how to make it an important part of our lives. We should already be doing that with our spouse. A healthy, fulfilling sex life is important in a marriage and to God! There is a shade of truth to his statement. But that shade of truth can put the thought in your head that this book will help you. It can draw you to pick up this book and read it.\r\n\r\nThat\'s how we stumble, isn\'t it? Listening to a shade of truth. And the enemy has more than fifty shades of the truth; he has countless numbers of them.\r\n\r\nSo, how do we avoid the trap of falling for a shade of the truth? Be in the Word. Read your Bible. Use it as your measuring stick.\r\n\r\nMatthew 5:27-28 (NIV) says, \"You have heard that it was said, \'Do not commit adultery.\' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.\"\r\n\r\nIt\'s not the act of looking; it\'s the act of looking lustfully. It\'s the thought behind it. Whether the person is real or fictional, if what we are looking at <em>or reading</em> is causing us to think lustfully about anyone other than our spouse then we are sinning.\r\n\r\n\"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.\" 1 John 1:5-7 NIV\r\n\r\nLet us be people that strive to live in the full light of the truth, not in the shadowy grey shades of it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[1] <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey\">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey</a>\r\n\r\n[2] <a href=\"http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php\">http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php</a>','Fifty Shades of Truth','','inherit','open','open','','6390-revision-13','','','2012-05-02 00:33:18','2012-05-02 07:33:18','',6390,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6390-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(6405,30,'2012-04-30 03:35:03','2012-04-30 10:35:03','','sacred friendship','','inherit','open','open','','sacred-friendship','','','2012-04-30 03:35:03','2012-04-30 10:35:03','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6406,30,'2012-04-30 03:36:02','2012-04-30 10:36:02','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small chapel outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\n\nBut not just any friendships. For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships between men and women.\n\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.\n\nWe were welcomed to the event by Dan Brennan, author of Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\n\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of Lucky Baby. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love.\n\n<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\n\nKatie Driver spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-5','','','2012-04-30 03:36:02','2012-04-30 10:36:02','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6407,30,'2012-04-30 03:37:02','2012-04-30 10:37:02','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small chapel outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\n\nBut not just any friendships. For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships between men and women.\n\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.\n\nWe were welcomed to the event by Dan Brennan, author of Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions and organizer of th\n\n<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\n\n&nbsp;\n\ne\n\nconference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\n\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of Lucky Baby. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someon\n\ne disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love.\n\nKatie Driver spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-6','','','2012-04-30 03:37:02','2012-04-30 10:37:02','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6408,30,'2012-04-30 03:37:49','2012-04-30 10:37:49','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small chapel outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\r\n\r\nBut not just any friendships. For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships between men and women.\r\n\r\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.\r\n\r\nWe were welcomed to the event by Dan Brennan, author of Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions and organizer of th\r\nconference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\r\n\r\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of Lucky Baby. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love.\r\n\r\nKatie Driver spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-7','','','2012-04-30 03:37:49','2012-04-30 10:37:49','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6409,30,'2012-04-30 03:39:20','2012-04-30 10:39:20','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small chapel outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\r\n\r\nBut not just any friendships. For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships between men and women.\r\n\r\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\r\n\r\nWe were welcomed to the event by Dan Brennan, author of Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\r\n\r\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of Lucky Baby. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love.\r\n\r\nKatie Driver spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-8','','','2012-04-30 03:39:20','2012-04-30 10:39:20','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(6410,30,'2012-04-30 03:57:19','2012-04-30 10:57:19','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small church outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\n\n<strong>But not just any friendships.</strong> For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships <a title=\"When Jesus Met Mary: A Sacred Friendship Gathering\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/\" target=\"_blank\">between men and women</a>.\n\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\n\nWe were welcomed to the event by <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, author of <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335782568&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions</a> and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\n\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of <a title=\"Lucky Baby\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Baby-Novel-Meredith-Efken/dp/B004L2KNWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324916866&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lucky Baby</a>. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that <strong>outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love</strong>.\n\n<a title=\"Katie Driver\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/katie-driver/\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Driver</a> spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie without a good-bye. He contacted her later and told her what had happened, but the relationship had already suffered damage.\n\nKatie is a motorcycle safety instructor, and one of the ways that she related her experience with cross-gender friendship to motorcycle riding is that those who enjoy riding are aware of the \"what ifs\" of riding, but <strong>they choose not to live in the what ifs</strong>. Instead, they focus on the beauty and joy of the freedom of riding. Honesty allows us to recognize if there\'s any truth to accusations made against a cross-gender friendship, but we are not required to live in fear.\n\nFollowing a brief discussion asking what brought people to the event, Dan, Meredith, and Katie had a brief Q &amp; A. The main point of discussion was that of \"attraction.\" What do we do if we discover attraction in a cross-gender friendship. Dan suggested that we have conflated attraction and lust. We feel attraction in all friendships - it\'s simply the desire to be with that other person. However, we have framed the discussion of male-female friendship, that we assume that all attraction is lust and that we have no ability to control it. Instead, he suggested that we need to embrace attraction so that we can be more self-aware and therefore more honest. Problems arise when there is dishonesty.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-9','','','2012-04-30 03:57:19','2012-04-30 10:57:19','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(6411,30,'2012-04-30 03:57:28','2012-04-30 10:57:28','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small church outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\r\n\r\n<strong>But not just any friendships.</strong> For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships <a title=\"When Jesus Met Mary: A Sacred Friendship Gathering\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/\" target=\"_blank\">between men and women</a>.\r\n\r\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\r\n\r\nWe were welcomed to the event by <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, author of <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335782568&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions</a> and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\r\n\r\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of <a title=\"Lucky Baby\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Baby-Novel-Meredith-Efken/dp/B004L2KNWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324916866&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lucky Baby</a>. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that <strong>outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love</strong>.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Katie Driver\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/katie-driver/\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Driver</a> spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie without a good-bye. He contacted her later and told her what had happened, but the relationship had already suffered damage.\r\n\r\nKatie is a motorcycle safety instructor, and one of the ways that she related her experience with cross-gender friendship to motorcycle riding is that those who enjoy riding are aware of the \"what ifs\" of riding, but <strong>they choose not to live in the what ifs</strong>. Instead, they focus on the beauty and joy of the freedom of riding. Honesty allows us to recognize if there\'s any truth to accusations made against a cross-gender friendship, but we are not required to live in fear.\r\n\r\nFollowing a brief discussion asking what brought people to the event, Dan, Meredith, and Katie had a brief Q &amp; A. The main point of discussion was that of \"attraction.\" What do we do if we discover attraction in a cross-gender friendship. Dan suggested that we have conflated attraction and lust. We feel attraction in all friendships - it\'s simply the desire to be with that other person. However, we have framed the discussion of male-female friendship, that we assume that all attraction is lust and that we have no ability to control it. Instead, he suggested that we need to embrace attraction so that we can be more self-aware and therefore more honest. <strong>Problems arise when there is dishonesty.</strong>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-10','','','2012-04-30 03:57:28','2012-04-30 10:57:28','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(6412,30,'2012-04-30 03:57:48','2012-04-30 10:57:48','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small church outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\r\n\r\n<strong>But not just any friendships.</strong> For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships <a title=\"When Jesus Met Mary: A Sacred Friendship Gathering\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/\" target=\"_blank\">between men and women</a>.\r\n\r\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\r\n\r\nWe were welcomed to the event by <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, author of <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335782568&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions</a> and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\r\n\r\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of <a title=\"Lucky Baby\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Baby-Novel-Meredith-Efken/dp/B004L2KNWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324916866&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lucky Baby</a>. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that <strong>outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love</strong>.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Katie Driver\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/katie-driver/\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Driver</a> spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie without a good-bye. He contacted her later and told her what had happened, but the relationship had already suffered damage.\r\n\r\nKatie is a motorcycle safety instructor, and one of the ways that she related her experience with cross-gender friendship to motorcycle riding is that those who enjoy riding are aware of the \"what ifs\" of riding, but <strong>they choose not to live in the what ifs</strong>. Instead, they focus on the beauty and joy of the freedom of riding. Honesty allows us to recognize if there\'s any truth to accusations made against a cross-gender friendship, but we are not required to live in fear.\r\n\r\nFollowing a brief discussion asking what brought people to the event, Dan, Meredith, and Katie had a brief Q &amp; A. The main point of discussion was that of \"attraction.\" What do we do if we discover attraction in a cross-gender friendship. Dan suggested that we have conflated attraction and lust. We feel attraction in all friendships - it\'s simply the desire to be with that other person. However, we have framed the discussion of male-female friendship, that we assume that all attraction is lust and that we have no ability to control it. Instead, he suggested that we need to embrace attraction so that we can be more self-aware and therefore more honest. <strong>Problems arise when there is dishonesty. </strong>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-11','','','2012-04-30 03:57:48','2012-04-30 10:57:48','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(6413,30,'2012-04-30 04:07:49','2012-04-30 11:07:49','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small church outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\r\n\r\n<strong>But not just any friendships.</strong> For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships <a title=\"When Jesus Met Mary: A Sacred Friendship Gathering\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/\" target=\"_blank\">between men and women</a>.\r\n\r\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\r\n\r\nWe were welcomed to the event by <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, author of <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335782568&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions</a> and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\r\n\r\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of <a title=\"Lucky Baby\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Baby-Novel-Meredith-Efken/dp/B004L2KNWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324916866&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lucky Baby</a>. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that <strong>outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love</strong>.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Katie Driver\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/katie-driver/\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Driver</a> spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie without a good-bye. He contacted her later and told her what had happened, but the relationship had already suffered damage.\r\n\r\nKatie is a motorcycle safety instructor, and one of the ways that she related her experience with cross-gender friendship to motorcycle riding is that those who enjoy riding are aware of the \"what ifs\" of riding, but <strong>they choose not to live in the what ifs</strong>. Instead, they focus on the beauty and joy of the freedom of riding. Honesty allows us to recognize if there\'s any truth to accusations made against a cross-gender friendship, but we are not required to live in fear.\r\n\r\nFollowing a brief discussion asking what brought people to the event, Dan, Meredith, and Katie had a brief Q &amp; A. The main point of discussion was that of \"attraction.\" What do we do if we discover attraction in a cross-gender friendship. Dan suggested that we have conflated attraction and lust. We feel attraction in all friendships - it\'s simply the desire to be with that other person. However, we have framed the discussion of male-female friendship, that we assume that all attraction is lust and that we have no ability to control it. Instead, he suggested that we need to embrace attraction so that we can be more self-aware and therefore more honest. <strong>Problems arise when there is dishonesty. </strong>When we allow ourselves to be honest about our friendships and separate out lust from attraction, we can better embrace the moral passion that exists.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-12','','','2012-04-30 04:07:49','2012-04-30 11:07:49','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(6524,180,'2012-05-04 13:11:38','2012-05-04 20:11:38','I recently wrote a recommendation for one of my best friends. Not for a job, not for LinkedIn, not for a sweet spot at some Ivy League college nor for an elite daycare. But to finally have all of his criminal records expunged.\n\nPeople will argue that he should not have them removed, that he must pay his debt to society, that he is a bad man and deserves no shot at a normal life. <em>These people have the Devil in them.</em>\n\nI don’t just say this as one who is hurt by their demonization of my good friend. I say this as one who believes that their tongue is set on fire by hell itself - that <strong>what they represent is to steal, kill, and destroy life</strong> – that ultimately the perspective they espouse is from the Father of Lies.\n\nMy friend/brother/sometimes-sparring-partner/secret-lover David Henson recently said that he<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/the-making-of-an-adversary-satan-and-christianitys-unspoken-heresy/\" target=\"_blank\"> doesn’t believe in a being called Satan</a>, but that Satan is a scapegoat for the collective sins of humanity. I do believe in spiritual beings, good and evil and - like in the Buffyverse - a whole lot in between. But I also think that much of these beings are devils of our own making.<strong> We place upon them our own very worst tendencies.</strong>\n\nThe Devil made us do it.\n\n<em>The Devil makes us imprison entire populations for measly crimes</em>. For, roughly, the crime of being poor, the infraction of being born “losers.” We don’t want to have to deal with the ugliness of the fear that “There I go but for the grace of God” and the terror of proximity to ugliness. So we make a hell and we put those who confound us and trouble our conscience there. They remind us what it means to be poor; they must be removed, marginalized, swept up, and locked away.\n\n<strong>So we lock them up </strong>for nothing, for something, for violence or for relaxing, but<strong> largely for being poor and colored</strong>. Those who are in need of fixing are combined with those who are in need of an equal shake at a living wage job. In this cocktail, the worst gets to the most of them - schemes are implanted and dreams are haunted.\n\nThe devil gets to them.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"361\" caption=\"from the Tyne &amp; Wear Archives &amp; Museums via flickr\"]<a title=\"Mustapha Irola by Tyne &amp; Wear Archives &amp; Museums, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/6628453347/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6628453347_392b48820f.jpg\" alt=\"Mustapha Irola\" width=\"361\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnd <strong>they do their time</strong>, waste their time, sitting, lifting weights, smoking, staring, reading, thinking, sulking. They sleep when they’re told. They may watch basketball, or perhaps the news, play pick-up games, whistle at visitors that walk by on their way to talk to their lovers and family, talk to their own lovers and children through a public phone. But mostly they spend inconsiderate and immense hours and days and years – often in solitude, sometimes in nothing but solitude, sometimes with the simplest of communication, but<strong><em> mostly alone</em></strong>.\n\n<strong>It’s a dark, lonely, wretched, demonic time, bereft of the treatment that is given to a child of God, one made in God’s own image</strong>.\n\nDepression sets in, because no one was made to psychologically or spiritually withstand that type of treatment. <strong>No one is <em>supposed</em> to be on the defensive at every single moment of life</strong> – waking or unwaking.\n\nAnd they get tossed from imprisonment back to normal life – <em>but not really</em>. They can’t find living wage jobs; they can’t find decent housing; they can\'t find respect. <strong>There’s a good chance they may have picked up some bad habits while locked up. And if they haven’t, the <em>perception</em> is there</strong>. And if they have, regardless of whether or not they practice them or would ever practice them, we don’t want their kind in our building, workspace, our houses of worship, or near our children. Whether or not they actually pose a risk, they carry the Mark of the Beast – the Mark of the Worst.\n\nAnd so<strong> two-thirds of released convicts end back up in prison within three years.</strong>\n\n<strong><em>We talk of redemption. We aren’t willing to live by it. It’s much cheaper and easier to demonize.</em></strong>\n\nIn many states, these same ex-cons are not allowed to vote and therefore have no say in their predicament.<strong> I guess we fear that they may</strong> overtake us so-called law-abiders and replace the US dollar with a cigarette-based currency. Or, that they may<strong> push for leniency toward ex-felons</strong>.\n\nHeaven forbid.\n\nBecause <strong>then maybe the streets may not be filled with them</strong>. Homeless, vagabonds, no pillows for their heads. People like my friend, whose family was not able to take him in for any extended period of time, who could not find a quality job with his record, nor with his injuries find <em>any</em> type of job that did not include further injuring himself. Being a Jack of All Trades was not adequate enough for him, not with him being a criminal.\n\nSo he was forced to live on the streets. It got better because Jesus found him. But even Jesus needs some help.\n\nWhen I’m able to, maybe I’ll share his testimony. The pertinent part of it being, however, how <em>extraordinary</em> it is – not necessarily because it <em>has</em> to be, but because such are the ways of how we treat our convicts, our homeless, our poor, our “criminal class”. It is such that<strong> only extraordinary people with extraordinary energy and extraordinary skills and who happen to find themselves in extraordinary circumstances are able to rise above the fate of the ex-con</strong>, particularly the ex-con of color.\n\nI know that <strong><em>I</em></strong> couldn’t make it to the next level. Not with watching my back every moment, not with sleeping with one eye opened, not with constant harassment from cops, not with constant fights over scraps. And not with the daily torment of battling the elements, the weather, animals, and stares and distances that the home-privileged build between ourselves and those with the stench of homelessness – wary that they will beg us, make us feel uncomfortable for having any degree of comfort, and <em>they</em> are wary of our wariness of them and the spaces they find themselves in.\n\nMy experience with the homeless has taught me that madness sets in, because no one was made to withstand this type of treatment. Not psychologically, spiritually or physically  No one should be on the defensive at every single moment of life – waking or unwaking.\n\nIt\'s demonic.','Homelessness, Prison, and the Devil of our Making','','inherit','open','open','','6470-revision-6','','','2012-05-04 13:11:38','2012-05-04 20:11:38','',6470,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6470-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6414,30,'2012-04-30 04:13:09','2012-04-30 11:13:09','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small church outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\n\n<strong>But not just any friendships.</strong> For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships <a title=\"When Jesus Met Mary: A Sacred Friendship Gathering\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/\" target=\"_blank\">between men and women</a>.\n\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\n\nWe were welcomed to the event by <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, author of <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335782568&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions</a> and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\n\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of <a title=\"Lucky Baby\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Baby-Novel-Meredith-Efken/dp/B004L2KNWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324916866&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lucky Baby</a>. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that <strong>outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love</strong>. She encouraged us to avoid ever diminishing close, opposite-sex friendships. They aren\'t \"just\" friends, and we should not be shamed into referring to them as less than they are.\n\n<a title=\"Katie Driver\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/katie-driver/\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Driver</a> spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie without a good-bye. He contacted her later and told her what had happened, but the relationship had already suffered damage.\n\nKatie is a motorcycle safety instructor, and one of the ways that she related her experience with cross-gender friendship to motorcycle riding is that those who enjoy riding are aware of the \"what ifs\" of riding, but <strong>they choose not to live in the what ifs</strong>. Instead, they focus on the beauty and joy of the freedom of riding. Honesty allows us to recognize if there\'s any truth to accusations made against a cross-gender friendship, but we are not required to live in fear.\n\nFollowing a brief discussion asking what brought people to the event, Dan, Meredith, and Katie had a brief Q &amp; A. The main point of discussion was that of \"attraction.\" What do we do if we discover attraction in a cross-gender friendship. Dan suggested that we have conflated attraction and lust. We feel attraction in all friendships - it\'s simply the desire to be with that other person. However, we have framed the discussion of male-female friendship, that we assume that all attraction is lust and that we have no ability to control it. Instead, he suggested that we need to embrace attraction so that we can be more self-aware and therefore more honest. <strong>Problems arise when there is dishonesty. </strong>When we allow ourselves to be honest about our friendships and separate out lust from attraction, we can better embrace the moral passion that exists in <em>all</em> close friendships.\n\n<em>(Stop by tomorrow for part 2)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-13','','','2012-04-30 04:13:09','2012-04-30 11:13:09','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(6415,30,'2012-04-30 07:30:10','2012-04-30 14:30:10','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small church outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\n\n<strong>But not just any friendships.</strong> For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships <a title=\"When Jesus Met Mary: A Sacred Friendship Gathering\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/\" target=\"_blank\">between men and women</a>.\n\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\n\nWe were welcomed to the event by <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, author of <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335782568&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions</a> and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\n\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of <a title=\"Lucky Baby\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Baby-Novel-Meredith-Efken/dp/B004L2KNWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324916866&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lucky Baby</a>. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that <strong>outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love</strong>. She encouraged us to avoid ever diminishing close, opposite-sex friendships. They aren\'t \"just\" friends, and we should not be shamed into referring to them as less than they are.\n\n<a title=\"Katie Driver\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/katie-driver/\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Driver</a> spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie without a good-bye. He contacted her later and told her what had happened, but the relationship had already suffered damage.\n\nKatie is a motorcycle safety instructor, and one of the ways that she related her experience with cross-gender friendship to motorcycle riding is that those who enjoy riding are aware of the \"what ifs\" of riding, but <strong>they choose not to live in the what ifs</strong>. Instead, they focus on the beauty and joy of the freedom of riding. Honesty allows us to recognize if there\'s any truth to accusations made against a cross-gender friendship, but we are not required to live in fear.\n\nFollowing a brief discussion asking what brought people to the event, Dan, Meredith, and Katie had a brief Q &amp; A. The main point of discussion was that of \"attraction.\" What do we do if we discover attraction in a cross-gender friendship. Dan suggested that we have conflated attraction and lust. We feel attraction in all friendships - it\'s simply the desire to be with that other person. However, we have framed the discussion of male-female friendship, that we assume that all attraction is lust and that we have no ability to control it. Instead, he suggested that we need to embrace attraction so that we can be more self-aware and therefore more honest. <strong>Problems arise when there is dishonesty. </strong>When we allow ourselves to be honest about our friendships and separate out lust from attraction, we can better embrace the moral passion that exists in <em>all</em> close friendships.\n\n<em>(Stop by tomorrow for part 2)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-autosave','','','2012-04-30 07:30:10','2012-04-30 14:30:10','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6417,177,'2012-04-29 20:11:26','2012-04-30 03:11:26','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FiftyShadesImage.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6391\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FiftyShadesImage-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI\'ve been hearing about a book making the rounds, <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> by E. L. James. Naturally, being a writer and voracious reader, I check out books that people are talking about.\r\n\r\nI hit up Google and typed in a search and up pops this description: <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> is a New York Times bestselling erotic fiction paperback and e-book by E. L. James. Set largely in Seattle, the trilogy traces the deepening relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steel and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of BDSM.1\r\n\r\nWell, that was definitely enough to make me decide NOT to read the book(s). Why not? Because I get the appeal that books with explicit sex scenes have. I went through a very long phase where all I read were romance novels. I am a firm believer that these types of books can be to women what pornography is to men. I was still reading these books early in my marriage. Whenever my husband and I got into a fight I would shut the door, pick up one of my books and stew about how my husband wasn\'t anything like the romantic male characters. I compared my husband constantly to what some writer was telling me was the ideal.\r\n\r\nSound familiar?\r\n\r\nWomen, what do you feel if you know your husband is looking at pornography? That you can\'t measure up to his idea of perfect? That you can\'t perform in bed to his satisfaction so he has to turn somewhere else?\r\n\r\nThese books aren\'t a whole lot different.\r\n\r\nDr. Oz recently did a show on \"Books Women Read\" and he mentioned <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em>. He was quoted saying: \"What it is about is people having an honest conversation about what sex should be like, what makes it better, what are the timing issues, how do we make it an important issue in our life rather than an afterthought.\"2\r\n\r\nThat quote gets me. We <em>should</em> be honest about our sex lives with our partners. We <em>should</em> be able to express what we want, how it feels, how to make it an important part of our lives. We should already be doing that with our spouse. A healthy, fulfilling sex life is important in a marriage and to God! There is a shade of truth to his statement. But that shade of truth can put the thought in your head that this book will help you. It can draw you to pick up this book and read it.\r\n\r\nThat\'s how we stumble, isn\'t it? Listening to a shade of truth. And the enemy has more than fifty shades of the truth; he has countless numbers of them.\r\n\r\nSo, how do we avoid the trap of falling for a shade of the truth? Be in the Word. Read your Bible. Use it as your measuring stick.\r\n\r\nMatthew 5:27-28 (NIV) says, \"You have heard that it was said, \'Do not commit adultery.\' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.\"\r\n\r\nIt\'s not the act of looking; it\'s the act of looking lustfully. It\'s the thought behind it. Whether the person is real or fictional, if what we are looking at <em>or reading</em> is causing us to think lustfully about anyone other than our spouse then we are sinning.\r\n\r\n\"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.\" 1 John 1:5-7 NIV\r\n\r\nLet us be people that strive to live in the full light of the truth, not in the shadowy grey shades of it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[1] <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey\">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey</a>\r\n\r\n[2] <a href=\"http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php\">http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php</a>','Fifty Shades of Truth','','inherit','open','open','','6390-revision-11','','','2012-04-29 20:11:26','2012-04-30 03:11:26','',6390,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/29/6390-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(6418,0,'2012-04-30 12:06:33','2012-04-30 19:06:33','Etc.\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Brandon Wallace\nAUTHOR EMAIL: bwallace88@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: \nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 99.0.126.142\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Brandon Wallace\n    [Email] =&gt; bwallace88@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; \n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Etc.\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; bwallace88\n)\n','Brandon Wallace - 2012-04-30 12:06:33','','publish','open','open','','d8f68f7cbd0cd72e0775443576257b1a','','','2012-04-30 12:06:33','2012-04-30 19:06:33','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=6418',0,'feedback','',0),(6610,125,'2012-05-13 08:00:26','2012-05-13 15:00:26','As a kid, I used to spend vast amounts of time watching movies that were inappropriate.\r\n\r\nI have a fear of clowns to this day from watching the movie “It” when I was eight.\r\n\r\nI have a fear of birds to this day from watching the movie “The Birds” when I was ten.\r\n\r\nI have a fear of giraffes to this day for no particular reason…I wish I could say it was also due to a movie.\r\n\r\nThe point is this: many of the fears that I still hold on to are due to my premature exposure to things that I did not really understand, and that I was not prepared to handle. I saw a movie presenting something typically seen as harmless, i.e. birds and clowns, in a way that made them terrifying; and because I was not knowledgeable enough to know the difference, my association with those things from then on was the scary version rather than the harmless one. Because these feelings were so deeply implanted into my little kid mind, they still determine how I react to those things instinctively even now, as an adult. Have a bird fly in front of me too close while I am walking, and I will unknowingly step into traffic to avoid it. Have a clown try and make me a balloon animal, and I will collapse into a fetal position on the floor. If ever I encountered a bird dressed as a clown, or vice versa, I think perhaps my heart would literally jump out of my mouth and run for cover.\r\n\r\nThese fears, I know, are irrational. In the part of me responsible for self-preservation, I highly doubt there is a category for circus acts or for feathered, toothless bipedals (apart from vultures…blech). But my habituated response is to fear them, and because of this my life works around these fears accordingly. I typically avoid kids’ birthday parties, and steer clear of scattered pieces of bread at parks.\r\n\r\nI say all this to pose a question: if our life can be so altered by an irrational fear, why does it seem to be so unaltered at times by the most rational fear of all? By the awe-inspiring fear that should be felt at even the mention of one Name?\r\n\r\nFear of the Lord is a far different iteration of fear. It is not that God is something to cause us to stay awake at night, flipping on our lamp every hour to make sure nothing is in our room. It is that God deserves our ultimate reverence and awe simply for the breadth of his power and might. But whereas fearing something like clowns is a response to how they could harm us, fearing God is a response to His desire to redeem us as His children, and empower us with the strength of which He is the Source.\r\n\r\nHowever in many who claim to be believers, their response to that fear is actually no response at all. Their lives are not changed, they do things no differently, than if God had nothing at all to do with them.\r\n\r\nIn essence, they believe in God but live like they don’t.\r\n\r\nHow could this happen? How could a true encounter with the God of the cosmos cause not even a ripple of change in our broken lives and how we live them?\r\n\r\nI cannot offer to know anyone’s heart or faith. It is tricky enough at times to interpret my own. But I do know this: if we have truly encountered God, in a way that we truly begin to understand His immense and passionate love for us, His creation, change is inescapable. When I was a child, I was clearly not old enough to really understand why I was scared of those movies. As I grew older, my fear of them was determined more and more unnecessary. Oppositely, when I first encountered God, though I was still not mature enough to understand my reverence of Him, that reverence was determined more and more necessary as I grew in Him. And my response? To live a life of constantly striving to show the world around me, and my God Himself, the strength of my devotion to Him through the changes I was making, through the way I was living and walking.\r\n\r\nJames talks in his epistle about disingenuous faith. He is speaking to people that claim to have encountered God, but are living as if they never had.\r\n\r\nAnd he bluntly compares them to demons.\r\n\r\nJames 2:19 – “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”\r\n\r\nThere is a challenge subtly offered here that could quite easily be overlooked. Examining our lives, and the faith that we claim…are we living as if God is as powerful as we say that He is? Because demons, in their knowledge of God, shudder.\r\n\r\nThose of us that live a life of declaring God but not devoted to God are told in Romans and Psalms that “there is no fear of God before [our] eyes.” (Psalms 36:1, Romans 3:18)\r\n\r\nJames implies, quite simply, that the fear demons hold of God, which in no way leads to salvation, still serves to cause them to shudder. How, then, should we approach a faith that claims to know God and His salvation, but causes no fear of God?\r\n\r\nWe should approach it as we do all things we claim to believe…seeing if it truly affects how we live our life, or if it is just something we have seen but not really sat and considered how truly important it is to us…like a movie seen too young.\r\n\r\n“He does not believe who does not live according to his belief.” – Thomas Fuller\r\n\r\nP.S. – I am still afraid of giraffes for no apparent reason.','Aberrance and Coherence, Giraffes and God','','publish','open','open','','aberrance-and-coherence-giraffes-and-god','','','2012-05-10 20:17:39','2012-05-11 03:17:39','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6610',0,'post','',1),(6420,176,'2013-02-16 02:34:29','2013-02-16 10:34:29','What is happiness? To one person it means owning eight cars. To another it means being in a great relationship. To a third it’s about getting blissed out in kirtan. Happiness means different things to different people. But, despite the discrepancy, one thing is certain — nice things and experiences only offer temporary pleasure. Cars die, relationships end, memories fade. Any definition of happiness based on attaining something or achieving a “positive” state of mind is built on a deck of cards.\n\nAccording to Ven. Sanghasena, a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader in India, equanimity is a higher state of happiness that is steady and long lasting. It is not based on the dualities of pleasure or pain, happy or sad, rich or poor. Rather than the ups and downs that come from a state of happiness based on sensual desires, equanimity is a state of non-attachment based on acceptance of what is happening in the <a href=\"http://www.themindfulword.org/2010/present-moment-presence-process/\">present moment</a> — “good” or “bad,” “pleasure” or “pain” are all concepts created in our minds. With equanimity, all is good.\n\nThe term “equanimity” first entered the English language in the 17<sup>th</sup> century from the Latin “<em>aequanimitas</em>,” which comes from “<em>aequus”</em> (equal) and “<em>animus”</em> (mind). According to the <em>Oxford English Dictionary</em>, it means “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation” — though that general definition doesn’t capture the true essence of this powerful meta-virtue.\n\n<strong>In Theory</strong>\n\nAll the major spiritual traditions of the world regard equanimity as central to their teachings. In verse 2.48 of the sacred Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches: \"Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.\" Hindus and yogis define yoga as “union with God,” designating equanimity as the one all-important virtue to realizing their divinity. Krishna advises Arjuna to maintain non-attachment because it’s that even-mindedness that enables us to escape the ego’s firm grip that constantly compels us to strive for this and avoid that. While abiding in equanimity, we can see more clearly that all those events happening on the surface of our existence are only as relevant as we believe them to be. In equanimity, we experience our true Selves.\n\nLooking beyond the spiritual traditions originating in India, Christianity too embraces equanimity as an important part of its beliefs. St. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11-13 about focusing on the divine rather than getting swayed by externalities: \"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.\"\n\nAccording to Rabbi Chaim Vital, equanimity (“<em>hishtavut” </em>in Hebrew<em>)</em>is a prerequisite to meditation, which in turn is a prerequisite to realizing divine inspiration and prophecy. Unless we can maintain equanimity, we need to further attach our consciousness to G-d. Rabbi Avner, in a teaching on the secret of equanimity, says to “surrender your heart even more, a true surrendering, until you have attained equanimity. Then you will be able to meditate.”\n\nThe word Islam comes from the Arabic <em>aslama</em>, which means “surrender.” When Muslims pray to Allah they surrender to Allah’s will, which can be considered a state of peaceful acceptance no different than equanimity. The similar sounding Arabic word <em>salam</em> is a greeting that means peace: a peace that can come through surrendering to Allah’s will.\n\nBut when hearing the term equanimity in a spiritual context, it is Buddhism people generally think of, because of the virtue’s intrinsic importance to the spiritual tradition. The ancient Sanskrit word “upeksha” roughly translates to equanimity, which along with loving kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna) and joy (mudita), is one of the four immeasurables (the same as the four sublime attitudes in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras).\n\nVietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh translates upeksha as follows in <em>Teachings on Love</em>: “In Sanskrit, ‘<em>upa’</em> means over and ‘<em>iksh’</em> means ‘to look.’ You climb the mountain to be able to look over the whole situation, not bound by one side or the other.” From that vantage point one accesses another aspect of equanimity, “<em>samatajnana</em>” or the wisdom of equality, which Nhat Hanh describes as “the ability to see everyone as equal and not discriminate between ourselves and other people.” When embroiled in conflict, the equanimous will maintain impartiality in an effort to truly understand others’ points of view. They drop their discrimination in order to truly love. In this way, the self, the ego, diminishes and they become one.\n\nAccording to Nhat Hanh’s understanding of equanimity, it is a way to connect. Yet, a common misconception is that it’s a state of indifference. Theravadan Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi counters that claim: “It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honour and dishonour, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings.” When dropping the ego, we naturally connect with others and become better able to assist them.\n\n<strong>In Practice</strong>\n\nVipassana is one of India’s most ancient forms of meditation and has become increasingly popular in recent years partly because of its effectiveness at generating equanimity. Though the Buddha rediscovered it and made it part of the Buddhist practice, it is non-sectarian in nature. “Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation,” says S.N Goenka, one of many Vipassana teachers popularizing the technique worldwide. “It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind.”\n\nVipassana meditators focus on the constantly changing sensations in the body to realize the essential impermanence — and thus limited importance — of all these sensations. It is known as insight meditation, because in developing equanimity with whatever is happening, meditators gain insight into the impermanent reality of life.\n\nThough Vipassana meditators try to apply the principles of their practice in everyday life, their focus is on sitting meditation. In mindfulness, also a non-sectarian practice associated with Buddhism, practitioners focus on being in the present moment throughout the day by using a variety of daily practices such as walking and eating meditation, so when any event occurs, they are aware of it and accept it as just another event. “In touch with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe in. Smiling with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe out” is a guided meditation that mindfulness practitioners repeat to themselves as a means of appreciating, but at the same time not clinging to desires or averting themselves from negativities.\n\nAs we become aware of our emotions we can choose to act responsibly rather than react unskillfully. Mindfulness practitioners train themselves to be constantly aware of whatever enters the mind, feeling the emotions and their effect before acting. Equanimity cultivates an acceptance of our emotional vagaries, allowing us to show compassion for ourselves. As we show compassion for ourselves, we can more easily show compassion for others.\n<div>\n\nThe push-pull drama called the pursuit of happiness doesn’t lead to satisfaction, but to the ego trap of attachment and aversion. Setting a goal to attain something that will make us happy inevitably compounds the belief that there is something bad to avoid. Equanimity undoes that errant thinking. It frees us from that dichotomy of good and bad that will forever hound us as much as we believe in those concepts. In letting go of the ego’s grasp through acceptance of all that is, we realize contentment. And with the success struggle out of the way, we realize gratitude for all that we already have.\n\n&nbsp;\n<div align=\"center\">\n\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" />\n\n</div>\n<a href=\"https://plus.google.com/101556749885182449997\">Kiva Bottero</a> edits and writes for the Engaged Living Network. You can read his writing at <a href=\"http://www.themindfulword.org\">The Mindful Word</a>, <a href=\"http://greenbuildingcanada.ca\">Green Building Canada</a>, Green Home Gnome and Greenhouse Gnome.\n\nphoto courtesy 350.org (<a title=\"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/\">Creative Commons – some rights reserved</a>)\n\n</div>','A Higher State of Happiness','','inherit','open','open','','6335-autosave','','','2013-02-16 02:34:29','2013-02-16 10:34:29','',6335,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6335-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6422,1,'2012-04-30 12:19:17','2012-04-30 19:19:17','What is happiness? To one person it means owning eight cars. To another it means being in a great relationship. To a third it’s about getting blissed out in kirtan. Happiness means different things to different people. But, despite the discrepancy, one thing is certain — nice things and experiences only offer temporary pleasure. Cars die, relationships end, memories fade. Any definition of happiness based on attaining something or achieving a “positive” state of mind is built on a deck of cards.\r\n\r\nAccording to Ven. Sanghasena, a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader in India, equanimity is a higher state of happiness that is steady and long lasting. It is not based on the dualities of pleasure or pain, happy or sad, rich or poor. Rather than the ups and downs that come from a state of happiness based on sensual desires, equanimity is a state of non-attachment based on acceptance of what is happening in the <a href=\"http://www.themindfulword.org/2010/present-moment-presence-process/\">present moment</a> — “good” or “bad,” “pleasure” or “pain” are all concepts created in our minds. With equanimity, all is good.\r\n\r\nThe term “equanimity” first entered the English language in the 17<sup>th</sup> century from the Latin “<em>aequanimitas</em>,” which comes from “<em>aequus”</em> (equal) and “<em>animus”</em> (mind). According to the <em>Oxford English Dictionary</em>, it means “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation” — though that general definition doesn’t capture the true essence of this powerful meta-virtue.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Theory</strong>\r\n\r\nAll the major spiritual traditions of the world regard equanimity as central to their teachings. In verse 2.48 of the sacred Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches: \"Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.\" Hindus and yogis define yoga as “union with God,” designating equanimity as the one all important virtue to realizing their divinity. Krishna advises Arjuna to maintain non-attachment because it’s that even-mindedness that enables us to escape the ego’s firm grip that constantly compels us to strive for this and avoid that. While abiding in equanimity, we can see more clearly that all those events happening on the surface of our existence are only as relevant as we believe them to be. In equanimity, we experience our true Selves.\r\n\r\nLooking beyond the spiritual traditions originating in India, Christianity too embraces equanimity as an important part of its beliefs. St. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11:13 about focusing on the divine rather than getting swayed by externalities: \"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.\"\r\n\r\nAccording to Rabbi Chaim Vital, equanimity (“<em>hishtavut” </em>in Hebrew<em>)<strong> </strong></em>is a prerequisite to meditation, which in turn is a prerequisite to realizing divine inspiration and prophecy. Unless we can maintain equanimity, we need to further attach our consciousness to G-d. Rabbi Avner, in a teaching on the secret of equanimity, says to “surrender your heart even more, a true surrendering, until you have attained equanimity. Then you will be able to meditate.”\r\n\r\nThe word Islam comes from the Arabic <em>aslama</em>, which means “surrender.” When Muslims pray to Allah they surrender to Allah’s will, which can be considered a state of peaceful acceptance no different than equanimity. The similar sounding Arabic word <em>salam</em> is a greeting that means peace. A peace that can come through surrendering to Allah’s will.\r\n\r\nBut when hearing the term equanimity in a spiritual context, it is Buddhism people generally think of because of the virtue’s intrinsic importance to the spiritual tradition. The ancient Sanskrit word “upeksha” roughly translates to equanimity, which along with loving kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna) and joy (mudita), is one of the four immeasurables (the same as the four sublime attitudes in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras).\r\n\r\nVietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh translates upeksha as follows in <em>Teachings on Love</em>: “In Sanskrit, ‘<em>upa’</em> means over and ‘<em>iksh’</em> means ‘to look.’ You climb the mountain to be able to look over the whole situation, not bound by one side or the other.” From that vantage point one accesses another aspect of equanimity, “<em>samatajnana</em>” or the wisdom of equality, which Nhat Hanh describes as “the ability to see everyone as equal and not discriminate between ourselves and other people.” When embroiled in conflict, the equanimous will maintain impartiality in an effort to truly understand others’ points of view. They drop their discrimination in order to truly love. In this way, the self, the ego, diminishes and they become one.\r\n\r\nAccording to Nhat Hanh’s understanding of equanimity, it is a way to connect. Yet, a common misconception is that it’s a state of indifference. Theravadan Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi counters that claim: “It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honour and dishonour, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings.” When dropping the ego, we naturally connect with others and become better able to assist them.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Practice</strong>\r\n\r\nVipassana is one of India’s most ancient forms of meditation and has become increasingly popular in recent years partly because of its effectiveness at generating equanimity. Though the Buddha rediscovered it and made it part of the Buddhist practice, it is non-sectarian in nature. “Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation,” says S.N Goenka, one of many Vipassana teachers popularizing the technique worldwide. “It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind.”\r\n\r\nVipassana meditators focus on the constantly changing sensations in the body to realize the essential impermanence — and thus limited importance — of all these sensations. It is known as insight meditation, because in developing equanimity with whatever is happening, meditators gain insight into the impermanent reality of life.\r\n\r\nThough Vipassana meditators try to apply the principles of their practice in everyday life, their focus is on sitting meditation. In mindfulness, also a non-sectarian practice associated with Buddhism, practitioners focus on being in the present moment throughout the day by using a variety of daily practices such as walking and eating meditation, so when any event occurs, they are aware of it and accept it as just another event. “In touch with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe in. Smiling with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe out” is a guided meditation that mindfulness practitioners repeat to themselves as a means of appreciating, but at the same time not clinging to desires or averting themselves from negativities.\r\n\r\nAs we become aware of our emotions we can choose to act responsibly rather than react unskilfully. Mindfulness practitioners train themselves to be constantly aware of whatever enters the mind, feeling the emotions and their effect before acting. Equanimity cultivates an acceptance of our emotional vagaries, allowing us to show compassion for ourselves. As we show compassion for ourselves, we can more easily show compassion for others.\r\n<div>\r\n\r\nThe push-pull drama called the pursuit of happiness doesn’t lead to satisfaction, but to the ego trap of attachment and aversion. Setting a goal to attain something that will make us happy inevitably compounds the belief that there is something bad to avoid. Equanimity undoes that errant thinking. It frees us from that dichotomy of good and bad that will forever hound us as much as we believe in those concepts. In letting go of the ego’s grasp through acceptance of all that is, we realize contentment. And with the success struggle out of the way, we realize gratitude for all that we already have.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" />\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nKiva Bottero edits The Mindful Word journal of engaged living. He also writes and edits material for Dew Media, an organization that specializes in providing custom publishing and design services for non-profits and social enterprises. Visit him online at www.themindfulword.org and www.dewmedia.org.\r\n\r\nphoto courtesy 350.org (<a title=\"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/\">Creative Commons – some rights reserved</a>)\r\n\r\n</div>','A Higher State of Happiness','','inherit','open','open','','6335-revision-4','','','2012-04-30 12:19:17','2012-04-30 19:19:17','',6335,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6335-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6421,1,'2012-04-26 12:45:24','2012-04-26 19:45:24','What is happiness? To one person it means owning eight cars. To another it means being in a great relationship. To a third it’s about getting blissed out in kirtan. Happiness means different things to different people. But, despite the discrepancy, one thing is certain — nice things and experiences only offer temporary pleasure. Cars die, relationships end, memories fade. Any definition of happiness based on attaining something or achieving a “positive” state of mind is built on a deck of cards.\r\n\r\nAccording to Ven. Sanghasena, a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader in India, equanimity is a higher state of happiness that is steady and long lasting. It is not based on the dualities of pleasure or pain, happy or sad, rich or poor. Rather than the ups and downs that come from a state of happiness based on sensual desires, equanimity is a state of non-attachment based on acceptance of what is happening in the <a href=\"http://www.themindfulword.org/2010/present-moment-presence-process/\">present moment</a> — “good” or “bad,” “pleasure” or “pain” are all concepts created in our minds. With equanimity, all is good.\r\n\r\nThe term “equanimity” first entered the English language in the 17<sup>th</sup> century from the Latin “<em>aequanimitas</em>,” which comes from “<em>aequus”</em> (equal) and “<em>animus”</em> (mind). According to the <em>Oxford English Dictionary</em>, it means “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation” — though that general definition doesn’t capture the true essence of this powerful meta-virtue.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Theory</strong>\r\n\r\nAll the major spiritual traditions of the world regard equanimity as central to their teachings. In verse 2.48 of the sacred Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches: \"Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.\" Hindus and yogis define yoga as “union with God,” designating equanimity as the one all important virtue to realizing their divinity. Krishna advises Arjuna to maintain non-attachment because it’s that even-mindedness that enables us to escape the ego’s firm grip that constantly compels us to strive for this and avoid that. While abiding in equanimity, we can see more clearly that all those events happening on the surface of our existence are only as relevant as we believe them to be. In equanimity, we experience our true Selves.\r\n\r\nLooking beyond the spiritual traditions originating in India, Christianity too embraces equanimity as an important part of its beliefs. St. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11:13 about focusing on the divine rather than getting swayed by externalities: \"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.\"\r\n\r\nAccording to Rabbi Chaim Vital, equanimity (“<em>hishtavut” </em>in Hebrew<em>)<strong> </strong></em>is a prerequisite to meditation, which in turn is a prerequisite to realizing divine inspiration and prophecy. Unless we can maintain equanimity, we need to further attach our consciousness to G-d. Rabbi Avner, in a teaching on the secret of equanimity, says to “surrender your heart even more, a true surrendering, until you have attained equanimity. Then you will be able to meditate.”\r\n\r\nThe word Islam comes from the Arabic <em>aslama</em>, which means “surrender.” When Muslims pray to Allah they surrender to Allah’s will, which can be considered a state of peaceful acceptance no different than equanimity. The similar sounding Arabic word <em>salam</em> is a greeting that means peace. A peace that can come through surrendering to Allah’s will.\r\n\r\nBut when hearing the term equanimity in a spiritual context, it is Buddhism people generally think of because of the virtue’s intrinsic importance to the spiritual tradition. The ancient Sanskrit word “upeksha” roughly translates to equanimity, which along with loving kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna) and joy (mudita), is one of the four immeasurables (the same as the four sublime attitudes in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras).\r\n\r\nVietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh translates upeksha as follows in <em>Teachings on Love</em>: “In Sanskrit, ‘<em>upa’</em> means over and ‘<em>iksh’</em> means ‘to look.’ You climb the mountain to be able to look over the whole situation, not bound by one side or the other.” From that vantage point one accesses another aspect of equanimity, “<em>samatajnana</em>” or the wisdom of equality, which Nhat Hanh describes as “the ability to see everyone as equal and not discriminate between ourselves and other people.” When embroiled in conflict, the equanimous will maintain impartiality in an effort to truly understand others’ points of view. They drop their discrimination in order to truly love. In this way, the self, the ego, diminishes and they become one.\r\n\r\nAccording to Nhat Hanh’s understanding of equanimity, it is a way to connect. Yet, a common misconception is that it’s a state of indifference. Theravadan Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi counters that claim: “It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honour and dishonour, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings.” When dropping the ego, we naturally connect with others and become better able to assist them.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Practice</strong>\r\n\r\nVipassana is one of India’s most ancient forms of meditation and has become increasingly popular in recent years partly because of its effectiveness at generating equanimity. Though the Buddha rediscovered it and made it part of the Buddhist practice, it is non-sectarian in nature. “Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation,” says S.N Goenka, one of many Vipassana teachers popularizing the technique worldwide. “It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind.”\r\n\r\nVipassana meditators focus on the constantly changing sensations in the body to realize the essential impermanence — and thus limited importance — of all these sensations. It is known as insight meditation, because in developing equanimity with whatever is happening, meditators gain insight into the impermanent reality of life.\r\n\r\nThough Vipassana meditators try to apply the principles of their practice in everyday life, their focus is on sitting meditation. In mindfulness, also a non-sectarian practice associated with Buddhism, practitioners focus on being in the present moment throughout the day by using a variety of daily practices such as walking and eating meditation, so when any event occurs, they are aware of it and accept it as just another event. “In touch with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe in. Smiling with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe out” is a guided meditation that mindfulness practitioners repeat to themselves as a means of appreciating, but at the same time not clinging to desires or averting themselves from negativities.\r\n\r\nAs we become aware of our emotions we can choose to act responsibly rather than react unskilfully. Mindfulness practitioners train themselves to be constantly aware of whatever enters the mind, feeling the emotions and their effect before acting. Equanimity cultivates an acceptance of our emotional vagaries, allowing us to show compassion for ourselves. As we show compassion for ourselves, we can more easily show compassion for others.\r\n<div>\r\n\r\nThe push-pull drama called the pursuit of happiness doesn’t lead to satisfaction, but to the ego trap of attachment and aversion. Setting a goal to attain something that will make us happy inevitably compounds the belief that there is something bad to avoid. Equanimity undoes that errant thinking. It frees us from that dichotomy of good and bad that will forever hound us as much as we believe in those concepts. In letting go of the ego’s grasp through acceptance of all that is, we realize contentment. And with the success struggle out of the way, we realize gratitude for all that we already have.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" />\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nKiva Bottero edits The Mindful Word journal of engaged living. He also writes and edits material for Dew Media, an organization that specializes in providing custom publishing and design services for non-profits and social enterprises. Visit him online at www.themindfulword.org and www.dewmedia.org.\r\n\r\nphoto courtesy 350.org (<a title=\"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/\">Creative Commons – some rights reserved</a>)\r\n\r\n</div>','A HIGHER STATE OF HAPPINESS: Accept the good and the bad with equanimity ','','inherit','open','open','','6335-revision-3','','','2012-04-26 12:45:24','2012-04-26 19:45:24','',6335,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/26/6335-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6423,179,'2012-04-30 12:24:17','2012-04-30 19:24:17','What is happiness? To one person it means owning eight cars. To another it means being in a great relationship. To a third it’s about getting blissed out in kirtan. Happiness means different things to different people. But, despite the discrepancy, one thing is certain — nice things and experiences only offer temporary pleasure. Cars die, relationships end, memories fade. Any definition of happiness based on attaining something or achieving a “positive” state of mind is built on a deck of cards.\r\n\r\nAccording to Ven. Sanghasena, a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader in India, equanimity is a higher state of happiness that is steady and long lasting. It is not based on the dualities of pleasure or pain, happy or sad, rich or poor. Rather than the ups and downs that come from a state of happiness based on sensual desires, equanimity is a state of non-attachment based on acceptance of what is happening in the <a href=\"http://www.themindfulword.org/2010/present-moment-presence-process/\">present moment</a> — “good” or “bad,” “pleasure” or “pain” are all concepts created in our minds. With equanimity, all is good.\r\n\r\nThe term “equanimity” first entered the English language in the 17<sup>th</sup> century from the Latin “<em>aequanimitas</em>,” which comes from “<em>aequus”</em> (equal) and “<em>animus”</em> (mind). According to the <em>Oxford English Dictionary</em>, it means “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation” — though that general definition doesn’t capture the true essence of this powerful meta-virtue.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Theory</strong>\r\n\r\nAll the major spiritual traditions of the world regard equanimity as central to their teachings. In verse 2.48 of the sacred Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches: \"Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.\" Hindus and yogis define yoga as “union with God,” designating equanimity as the one all important virtue to realizing their divinity. Krishna advises Arjuna to maintain non-attachment because it’s that even-mindedness that enables us to escape the ego’s firm grip that constantly compels us to strive for this and avoid that. While abiding in equanimity, we can see more clearly that all those events happening on the surface of our existence are only as relevant as we believe them to be. In equanimity, we experience our true Selves.\r\n\r\nLooking beyond the spiritual traditions originating in India, Christianity too embraces equanimity as an important part of its beliefs. St. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11:13 about focusing on the divine rather than getting swayed by externalities: \"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.\"\r\n\r\nAccording to Rabbi Chaim Vital, equanimity (“<em>hishtavut” </em>in Hebrew<em>)<strong> </strong></em>is a prerequisite to meditation, which in turn is a prerequisite to realizing divine inspiration and prophecy. Unless we can maintain equanimity, we need to further attach our consciousness to G-d. Rabbi Avner, in a teaching on the secret of equanimity, says to “surrender your heart even more, a true surrendering, until you have attained equanimity. Then you will be able to meditate.”\r\n\r\nThe word Islam comes from the Arabic <em>aslama</em>, which means “surrender.” When Muslims pray to Allah they surrender to Allah’s will, which can be considered a state of peaceful acceptance no different than equanimity. The similar sounding Arabic word <em>salam</em> is a greeting that means peace. A peace that can come through surrendering to Allah’s will.\r\n\r\nBut when hearing the term equanimity in a spiritual context, it is Buddhism people generally think of because of the virtue’s intrinsic importance to the spiritual tradition. The ancient Sanskrit word “upeksha” roughly translates to equanimity, which along with loving kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna) and joy (mudita), is one of the four immeasurables (the same as the four sublime attitudes in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras).\r\n\r\nVietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh translates upeksha as follows in <em>Teachings on Love</em>: “In Sanskrit, ‘<em>upa’</em> means over and ‘<em>iksh’</em> means ‘to look.’ You climb the mountain to be able to look over the whole situation, not bound by one side or the other.” From that vantage point one accesses another aspect of equanimity, “<em>samatajnana</em>” or the wisdom of equality, which Nhat Hanh describes as “the ability to see everyone as equal and not discriminate between ourselves and other people.” When embroiled in conflict, the equanimous will maintain impartiality in an effort to truly understand others’ points of view. They drop their discrimination in order to truly love. In this way, the self, the ego, diminishes and they become one.\r\n\r\nAccording to Nhat Hanh’s understanding of equanimity, it is a way to connect. Yet, a common misconception is that it’s a state of indifference. Theravadan Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi counters that claim: “It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honour and dishonour, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings.” When dropping the ego, we naturally connect with others and become better able to assist them.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Practice</strong>\r\n\r\nVipassana is one of India’s most ancient forms of meditation and has become increasingly popular in recent years partly because of its effectiveness at generating equanimity. Though the Buddha rediscovered it and made it part of the Buddhist practice, it is non-sectarian in nature. “Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation,” says S.N Goenka, one of many Vipassana teachers popularizing the technique worldwide. “It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind.”\r\n\r\nVipassana meditators focus on the constantly changing sensations in the body to realize the essential impermanence — and thus limited importance — of all these sensations. It is known as insight meditation, because in developing equanimity with whatever is happening, meditators gain insight into the impermanent reality of life.\r\n\r\nThough Vipassana meditators try to apply the principles of their practice in everyday life, their focus is on sitting meditation. In mindfulness, also a non-sectarian practice associated with Buddhism, practitioners focus on being in the present moment throughout the day by using a variety of daily practices such as walking and eating meditation, so when any event occurs, they are aware of it and accept it as just another event. “In touch with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe in. Smiling with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe out” is a guided meditation that mindfulness practitioners repeat to themselves as a means of appreciating, but at the same time not clinging to desires or averting themselves from negativities.\r\n\r\nAs we become aware of our emotions we can choose to act responsibly rather than react unskilfully. Mindfulness practitioners train themselves to be constantly aware of whatever enters the mind, feeling the emotions and their effect before acting. Equanimity cultivates an acceptance of our emotional vagaries, allowing us to show compassion for ourselves. As we show compassion for ourselves, we can more easily show compassion for others.\r\n<div>\r\n\r\nThe push-pull drama called the pursuit of happiness doesn’t lead to satisfaction, but to the ego trap of attachment and aversion. Setting a goal to attain something that will make us happy inevitably compounds the belief that there is something bad to avoid. Equanimity undoes that errant thinking. It frees us from that dichotomy of good and bad that will forever hound us as much as we believe in those concepts. In letting go of the ego’s grasp through acceptance of all that is, we realize contentment. And with the success struggle out of the way, we realize gratitude for all that we already have.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" />\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nKiva Bottero edits The Mindful Word journal of engaged living. He also writes and edits material for Dew Media, an organization that specializes in providing custom publishing and design services for non-profits and social enterprises. Visit him online at www.themindfulword.org and www.dewmedia.org.\r\n\r\nphoto courtesy 350.org (<a title=\"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/\">Creative Commons – some rights reserved</a>)\r\n\r\n</div>','A Higher State of Happiness','','inherit','open','open','','6335-revision-5','','','2012-04-30 12:24:17','2012-04-30 19:24:17','',6335,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6335-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6424,1,'2012-04-30 12:24:21','2012-04-30 19:24:21','What is happiness? To one person it means owning eight cars. To another it means being in a great relationship. To a third it’s about getting blissed out in kirtan. Happiness means different things to different people. But, despite the discrepancy, one thing is certain — nice things and experiences only offer temporary pleasure. Cars die, relationships end, memories fade. Any definition of happiness based on attaining something or achieving a “positive” state of mind is built on a deck of cards.\r\n\r\nAccording to Ven. Sanghasena, a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader in India, equanimity is a higher state of happiness that is steady and long lasting. It is not based on the dualities of pleasure or pain, happy or sad, rich or poor. Rather than the ups and downs that come from a state of happiness based on sensual desires, equanimity is a state of non-attachment based on acceptance of what is happening in the <a href=\"http://www.themindfulword.org/2010/present-moment-presence-process/\">present moment</a> — “good” or “bad,” “pleasure” or “pain” are all concepts created in our minds. With equanimity, all is good.\r\n\r\nThe term “equanimity” first entered the English language in the 17<sup>th</sup> century from the Latin “<em>aequanimitas</em>,” which comes from “<em>aequus”</em> (equal) and “<em>animus”</em> (mind). According to the <em>Oxford English Dictionary</em>, it means “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation” — though that general definition doesn’t capture the true essence of this powerful meta-virtue.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Theory</strong>\r\n\r\nAll the major spiritual traditions of the world regard equanimity as central to their teachings. In verse 2.48 of the sacred Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches: \"Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.\" Hindus and yogis define yoga as “union with God,” designating equanimity as the one all important virtue to realizing their divinity. Krishna advises Arjuna to maintain non-attachment because it’s that even-mindedness that enables us to escape the ego’s firm grip that constantly compels us to strive for this and avoid that. While abiding in equanimity, we can see more clearly that all those events happening on the surface of our existence are only as relevant as we believe them to be. In equanimity, we experience our true Selves.\r\n\r\nLooking beyond the spiritual traditions originating in India, Christianity too embraces equanimity as an important part of its beliefs. St. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11:13 about focusing on the divine rather than getting swayed by externalities: \"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.\"\r\n\r\nAccording to Rabbi Chaim Vital, equanimity (“<em>hishtavut” </em>in Hebrew<em>)<strong> </strong></em>is a prerequisite to meditation, which in turn is a prerequisite to realizing divine inspiration and prophecy. Unless we can maintain equanimity, we need to further attach our consciousness to G-d. Rabbi Avner, in a teaching on the secret of equanimity, says to “surrender your heart even more, a true surrendering, until you have attained equanimity. Then you will be able to meditate.”\r\n\r\nThe word Islam comes from the Arabic <em>aslama</em>, which means “surrender.” When Muslims pray to Allah they surrender to Allah’s will, which can be considered a state of peaceful acceptance no different than equanimity. The similar sounding Arabic word <em>salam</em> is a greeting that means peace. A peace that can come through surrendering to Allah’s will.\r\n\r\nBut when hearing the term equanimity in a spiritual context, it is Buddhism people generally think of because of the virtue’s intrinsic importance to the spiritual tradition. The ancient Sanskrit word “upeksha” roughly translates to equanimity, which along with loving kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna) and joy (mudita), is one of the four immeasurables (the same as the four sublime attitudes in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras).\r\n\r\nVietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh translates upeksha as follows in <em>Teachings on Love</em>: “In Sanskrit, ‘<em>upa’</em> means over and ‘<em>iksh’</em> means ‘to look.’ You climb the mountain to be able to look over the whole situation, not bound by one side or the other.” From that vantage point one accesses another aspect of equanimity, “<em>samatajnana</em>” or the wisdom of equality, which Nhat Hanh describes as “the ability to see everyone as equal and not discriminate between ourselves and other people.” When embroiled in conflict, the equanimous will maintain impartiality in an effort to truly understand others’ points of view. They drop their discrimination in order to truly love. In this way, the self, the ego, diminishes and they become one.\r\n\r\nAccording to Nhat Hanh’s understanding of equanimity, it is a way to connect. Yet, a common misconception is that it’s a state of indifference. Theravadan Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi counters that claim: “It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honour and dishonour, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings.” When dropping the ego, we naturally connect with others and become better able to assist them.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Practice</strong>\r\n\r\nVipassana is one of India’s most ancient forms of meditation and has become increasingly popular in recent years partly because of its effectiveness at generating equanimity. Though the Buddha rediscovered it and made it part of the Buddhist practice, it is non-sectarian in nature. “Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation,” says S.N Goenka, one of many Vipassana teachers popularizing the technique worldwide. “It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind.”\r\n\r\nVipassana meditators focus on the constantly changing sensations in the body to realize the essential impermanence — and thus limited importance — of all these sensations. It is known as insight meditation, because in developing equanimity with whatever is happening, meditators gain insight into the impermanent reality of life.\r\n\r\nThough Vipassana meditators try to apply the principles of their practice in everyday life, their focus is on sitting meditation. In mindfulness, also a non-sectarian practice associated with Buddhism, practitioners focus on being in the present moment throughout the day by using a variety of daily practices such as walking and eating meditation, so when any event occurs, they are aware of it and accept it as just another event. “In touch with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe in. Smiling with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe out” is a guided meditation that mindfulness practitioners repeat to themselves as a means of appreciating, but at the same time not clinging to desires or averting themselves from negativities.\r\n\r\nAs we become aware of our emotions we can choose to act responsibly rather than react unskilfully. Mindfulness practitioners train themselves to be constantly aware of whatever enters the mind, feeling the emotions and their effect before acting. Equanimity cultivates an acceptance of our emotional vagaries, allowing us to show compassion for ourselves. As we show compassion for ourselves, we can more easily show compassion for others.\r\n<div>\r\n\r\nThe push-pull drama called the pursuit of happiness doesn’t lead to satisfaction, but to the ego trap of attachment and aversion. Setting a goal to attain something that will make us happy inevitably compounds the belief that there is something bad to avoid. Equanimity undoes that errant thinking. It frees us from that dichotomy of good and bad that will forever hound us as much as we believe in those concepts. In letting go of the ego’s grasp through acceptance of all that is, we realize contentment. And with the success struggle out of the way, we realize gratitude for all that we already have.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" />\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nKiva Bottero edits The Mindful Word journal of engaged living. He also writes and edits material for Dew Media, an organization that specializes in providing custom publishing and design services for non-profits and social enterprises. Visit him online at www.themindfulword.org and www.dewmedia.org.\r\n\r\nphoto courtesy 350.org (<a title=\"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/\">Creative Commons – some rights reserved</a>)\r\n\r\n</div>','A Higher State of Happiness','','inherit','open','open','','6335-revision-6','','','2012-04-30 12:24:21','2012-04-30 19:24:21','',6335,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6335-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6425,1,'2012-04-28 13:56:52','2012-04-28 20:56:52','Most Christians focus on every word and incident in Jesus’ life as recorded in the four Gospels.  But I’m also drawn to the people involved.  How did they relate to Jesus?  What was their story?\r\n\r\nBeing the mother of three children, there is an event in the Bible I totally understand from Mary’s point of view.  She was Jesus’ mom and caught him teaching the religious teachers in the Temple in Jerusalem at the age of 12 after he had been missing for three days.  Here’s the story in Luke 2:41-52.\r\n<blockquote>Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.\r\n\r\nWhen they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.\r\n\r\nHis parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”\r\n\r\n“But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”</blockquote>\r\nI can imagine what happened next:\r\n\r\nMary: “I don’t care WHO you are.  Don’t talk to your mother like that.”\r\n\r\nGod: “I don’t care WHO you are.  Don’t talk to your mother like that.”\r\n\r\nJoseph:  “You’re grounded for the next week when we get home, and don’t EVER pull a stunt like this again.”\r\n\r\nJesus got the message.\r\n<blockquote>Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.</blockquote>\r\nWait a minute…..how dare Mary talk to Jesus like this!  She knew he was God’s Son, the Messiah.  The angel Gabriel had told her so on the front end.  But Mary had given birth to him and raised him, and was living with a 12-year-old kid.  Have you ever wanted to strangle a pre-teen?  Jesus was fully God, but also fully human.  Verse 52 says \"Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.\"  Well, he had a lot of growing up left to do when this incident happened, and his parents were stuck with the job.\r\n\r\nI think one of the reasons God picked Mary to be the mother of His Son was she had the guts and strength to take on the challenge.\r\n\r\nIn my book, <em>Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God</em>, I wrote what I think about this woman.  According to Luke, here’s what Mary did after the angel announced she would give birth to the Messiah:\r\n<blockquote>Then she immediately ran to see Elizabeth, excited to tell her the good news.\r\n\r\nI wish Scripture told us more about Mary’s three month visit with her relative. When did reality set in?  For Mary, the pregnancy meant tremendous public scorn, possibly death by stoning.  What would her parents say?  Would Joseph reject her?  At some point, Mary had to think, “What is God doing to me?  Was I insane to agree to this?”  I bet she and God had a world-class wrestling match on the mat with Uncensored Prayer.  We like to think of Mary as pious and demure, but I think she was more than that.\r\n\r\nWhat if God selected her for this challenge of faith and commitment because she was a fighter? I think the key to her courage was she knew that even though Gabriel had left, God hadn’t and wouldn’t.  He was her partner, and she knew she could trust Him to help her handle everything that lay ahead.  Mary was one of the three women who had the courage to stand at the foot of the cross watching Jesus die, even though every one of the disciples except John had abandoned him.  She had faith in God that overcame her fear.</blockquote>\r\nI really like Mary.  I wouldn’t have wanted her job, but we would have been great friends.  She was a lot like me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;font-size: small\"> </span>','The Gospel According to Jesus\' Mom','','inherit','open','open','','6020-revision-9','','','2012-04-28 13:56:52','2012-04-28 20:56:52','',6020,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/28/6020-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(6426,0,'2012-04-30 15:48:47','2012-04-30 22:48:47','Redemption for prisoners and the homeless - as well as American society\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Jason Dye\nAUTHOR EMAIL: jasdye@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://leftcheek.blogspot.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 216.125.49.252\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Jason Dye\n    [Email] =&gt; jasdye@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; http://leftcheek.blogspot.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Redemption for prisoners and the homeless - as well as American society\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; jasdye\n)\n','Jason Dye - 2012-04-30 15:48:47','','publish','open','open','','b05ebbec27e0b9ef6739bea2a5bb5332','','','2012-04-30 15:48:47','2012-04-30 22:48:47','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=6426',0,'feedback','',0),(7351,189,'2012-07-31 10:08:11','2012-07-31 17:08:11','Explain the two words spoken by Jesus—“Follow me”—in 1000 words or less? Hmmm. Maybe I should just stop right there and let you think this through on your own.\r\n\r\nMy understanding of what it means to follow Him has changed over the years. Perhaps our understanding of “following” is <em>supposed</em> to change over time as our maturity in the Lord grows in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the ways we experience Him with others. Because I can’t claim to know <em>everything</em> about following Jesus, the best I can offer is to share <em>some</em> of the things I’ve learned about following Jesus—beginning with what “following Jesus” is <strong><em>not</em><em>.</em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Following Jesus is not the same thing as: </strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Following the teachings of Jesus, or following doctrines, ,creeds, or denominational statements of faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Following a Bible Reading Plan, memorizing scripture, or claiming a “life verse”.</li>\r\n	<li>Following “religious convictions”, or acting upon those convictions, alone or as a group, purely for the sake of acting upon convictions.</li>\r\n	<li>Attending a weekly worship service, and maybe a midweek prayer meeting or Bible study, or meeting with a small group or accountability partner.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThere isn’t anything wrong with doing these things. In fact, I  follow  Jesus today because others encouraged me to do these things over the course of my spiritual journey. If I’ve learned anything, I’ve learned that “Christian practices” are not the same thing as following Jesus. <em></em>I know a lot <em>about</em> <em>Jesus</em> by studying, talking about or meditating on these things—but knowing a lot <em>about Jesus</em> isn’t the same as <em>knowing Jesus</em>. It helps to know Who you’re following.<strong><em></em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>“Follow me.”</em></strong>  Two words caused Simon and Andrew to drop their fishing nets.  James and John “left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after Him.” (Mark 1:20 Amplified). Levi, son of Alphaeus, left his tax booth: “he arose and joined Him and His disciples and sided with His party and accompanied Him.” (Mark 2:14 Amp). Philip ran to find his friend Nathanael and they too followed Him. Twelve men, in all, apparently left their life’s work to follow Jesus.\r\n\r\nI find it interesting that the Amplified Version conveys that the words “follow me” carry the connotation, “side with my party\".  Against the backdrop of  first century Hebrew culture—oppressed by the conquering Romans, looking for Messiah to deliver the Children of Israel and fulfill all the promises of the Old Testament—we read Nathanael’s confession, “Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49) and the reason the twelve “followed” begins to come into focus.  Over the course of the next three and a half years, these men—and later Saul of Tarsus, among others—would come to understand that following Jesus isn’t about following teachings, doctrines, scriptures, convictions or attending religious meetings.  Men and women down through centuries found, in the Gospels and other writings of the New Testament, not <em>something</em> to believe in and follow, but rather <strong><em>Someone</em></strong> to believe in and follow.\r\n\r\nTo follow Jesus is to follow a living <strong><em>Person!</em></strong>\r\n<blockquote><strong><em> </em></strong>“And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.”__John 1:14 (Amp)\r\n\r\n“For it has <strong>pleased</strong> [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should <strong>dwell</strong> in Him permanently.”__ Colossians 1:19 (Amp)</blockquote>\r\nFollowing a living Person, who is the Christ, comes with a cost, which He explained Himself to His disciples:\r\n<blockquote>“And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, <sup> </sup>forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].” __Luke 9:23 (Amp)</blockquote>\r\nWhat do we have to gain by following this all-wonderful, all-glorious, all-divine Person? What is the outcome we look forward to? For starters, eternal life! Make that eternal, <strong><em>abundant</em> </strong>life, sustained by Christ who <strong><em>is</em></strong> our life! Many more “rewards” are promised to faithful followers who overcome the trials and temptations of this world—check out the letters to the seven churches in John’s last book!\r\n\r\nThere’s another important thing I’ve learned about following Jesus: it’s something we do <strong><em>together</em></strong>.\r\n\r\nFollowing Jesus is following a living <strong><em>Person</em></strong>…<strong><em>together!</em></strong>\r\n<blockquote>“When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory. __Colossians 3:4 (Amp)</blockquote>','','','inherit','open','open','','7337-revision-13','','','2012-07-31 10:08:11','2012-07-31 17:08:11','',7337,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/31/7337-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(6626,149,'2012-05-15 08:00:48','2012-05-15 15:00:48','Recently, a close friend of mine was talking to a coworker about religion. During the course of the conversation, his coworker asserted “You know I’m a Catholic, don’t you? Well, not a practicing one.”\r\n\r\nMy friend couldn’t shake that comment. He said it gripped him, in a good way. His only response was this: “Fuck apathy.”\r\n\r\nAfter he relayed this story to me, I asked him, “What would happen if we did?”\r\n\r\n“Nothing bad.”\r\n\r\nExactly. What are we so afraid of?\r\n\r\nWhat if we rejected our indifferent, apathetic attitudes and actively pursued a life of purpose? What if we actually lived the Great Commission?\r\n\r\nForget the hot mess that is church as we know it, with its hierarchical structure, contrived relationships, systems, programs and the like, and pursue only what Jesus called us to do: “Go into the world and make disciples, and obey everything I (Jesus) have commanded you.”\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://simplechurch.eu/team/profile/13/\">Jonathan Fokker</a> at <a href=\"http://simplechurch.eu/index.php/toolbox/full/7-basic-commands-of-obeying-jesus-out-of-love/\">Simple Church</a> puts it this way:\r\n\r\n<em>Jesus told us to make disciples by teaching them to obey His commands (Matt. 28:18-20). He also said, “If you love me, obey my commands” (John 14:15). We need to teach disciples to obey the commands of Jesus out of love. </em><strong><em>You cannot obey without love otherwise you end up in legalism. But love without obedience is no real love at all. </em></strong><em>You show your love to Jesus by obedience to Him. </em><strong><em><a href=\"http://simplechurch.eu/index.php/toolbox/full/7-basic-commands-of-obeying-jesus-out-of-love/\">http://simplechurch.eu/index.php/toolbox/full/7-basic-commands-of-obeying-jesus-out-of-love/</a></em></strong>\r\n\r\nHe goes on to break out some of the commands Jesus left us, such as: Repent, believe and receive the Holy Spirit, be baptized, break bread together (communion), pray, give and make disciples, and of course, \"Love God with everything\" and \"Love your neighbour...\"\r\n\r\nSeriously, consider what could happen if we lived the great commission and actually went through life consciously obeying Jesus and making disciples?\r\n\r\nJust the other day, I was speaking with another friend about my journey of leaving church to find Jesus, and he asked how I would know when I’d “arrived” at a redemptive destination. There are many variables and questions still to be addressed and answered. One question I wrestle with is this: “What is church?\" And, \"if I don’t know what it is, how will I know when I find it? If I don’t know where I’m going, how will I get there?”\r\n\r\nMy friend answered with this, “Church is no longer the point. Jesus is.”\r\n\r\nWhen we become buried by our cynicism, unable to move beneath the weight of our own apathy, how easy it is to miss the point. Jesus didn’t call us to build, or even go, to church. He called us to obey him and make disciples. Pretty simple. Do that and we\'ll find out what church is.','F*** Apathy','','publish','open','open','','f-apathy','','','2012-05-10 20:24:10','2012-05-11 03:24:10','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6626',0,'post','',1),(6433,1,'2012-04-30 07:29:06','2012-04-30 14:29:06','On April 27 and 28, fifty people met in a small church outside of Chicago to talk about friendship.\r\n\r\n<strong>But not just any friendships.</strong> For these two days, the discussion was specifically about friendships <a title=\"When Jesus Met Mary: A Sacred Friendship Gathering\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/\" target=\"_blank\">between men and women</a>.\r\n\r\nFor many, cross-gender friendships are perfectly normal. We interact with people of the opposite sex all the time in our jobs, our churches, our day to day lives. But often when men and women develop close friendships, the response is to look for danger. The purpose of the Sacred Friendship Gathering was to encourage people to look at these friendships without the fear-filled lenses.<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" />\r\n\r\nWe were welcomed to the event by <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, author of <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335782568&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions</a> and organizer of the conference. Right at the outset he assured the attendees that he was not looking to promote one kind of friendship, but rather to allow us a glimpse at many different kinds of cross-gender relationships. He shared that his desire was to encourage us to embrace the beauty and moral passion available in these relationships.\r\n\r\nThe first speaker of the night was <a title=\"Meredith Efken\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/meredith-efken/\" target=\"_blank\">Meredith Efken</a>, author of <a title=\"Lucky Baby\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Baby-Novel-Meredith-Efken/dp/B004L2KNWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324916866&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lucky Baby</a>. She spoke of a close male friendship that developed as a result of the creative process of writing that they shared. She thought nothing of their friendship until someone disapproved and indicated that this friendship might cause a problem for her in the Christian publishing world. She acknowledged that when someone questions a cross-gender friendship, you can feel dirty even if that friendship is completely pure. As a result, she said that it can be important to exercise caution when discussing your close, opposite-sex friendships. However, Meredith also said that even when she went through seasons where she shielded her male friend, she needed to remember that <strong>outside opinions had no bearing on her ability to love</strong>. She encouraged us to avoid ever diminishing close, opposite-sex friendships. They aren\'t \"just\" friends, and we should not be shamed into referring to them as less than they are.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Katie Driver\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/katie-driver/\" target=\"_blank\">Katie Driver</a> spoke next, and she shared about several cross-gender friendships, some that went well, and some that did not. One in particular that struck me was a mentoring relationship that she had. She and a young man developed a friendship as a result of a mentoring process. His wife had been fully supportive of their relationship until a minister suggested that it was an \"unhealthy soul tie.\" (Soul ties are generally considered a close bond with another person, generally sexual in nature, but sometimes they can be a result of a close friendship.) Because of the poisoning words of the minister (who was not involved in the friendship at all, but was instead simply making an observation from the outside), the wife became deeply suspicious of the relationship and the young man completely cut ties with Katie without a good-bye. He contacted her later and told her what had happened, but the relationship had already suffered damage.\r\n\r\nKatie is a motorcycle safety instructor, and one of the ways that she related her experience with cross-gender friendship to motorcycle riding is that those who enjoy riding are aware of the \"what ifs\" of riding, but <strong>they choose not to live in the what ifs</strong>. Instead, they focus on the beauty and joy of the freedom of riding. Honesty allows us to recognize if there\'s any truth to accusations made against a cross-gender friendship, but we are not required to live in fear.\r\n\r\nFollowing a brief discussion asking what brought people to the event, Dan, Meredith, and Katie had a brief Q &amp; A. The main point of discussion was that of \"attraction.\" What do we do if we discover attraction in a cross-gender friendship. Dan suggested that we have conflated attraction and lust. We feel attraction in all friendships - it\'s simply the desire to be with that other person. However, we have framed the discussion of male-female friendship, that we assume that all attraction is lust and that we have no ability to control it. Instead, he suggested that we need to embrace attraction so that we can be more self-aware and therefore more honest. <strong>Problems arise when there is dishonesty. </strong>When we allow ourselves to be honest about our friendships and separate out lust from attraction, we can better embrace the moral passion that exists in <em>all</em> close friendships.\r\n\r\n<em>(Stop by tomorrow for part 2)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)','','inherit','open','open','','6384-revision-14','','','2012-04-30 07:29:06','2012-04-30 14:29:06','',6384,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6384-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(6434,178,'2012-04-28 11:35:03','2012-04-28 18:35:03','What is religion?  What is spirituality?  Are the two at odds with one another?  Or can a person be both spiritual and religious?  And can a person truly be one without the other?\r\n\r\nEarlier this month, Amy Julia Becker <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-julia-becker/why-i-am-both-spiritual-and-religious_b_1386187.html?ref=parents\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">wrote a piece for the Huffington Post</span></strong></a> in which she eloquently and persuasively lays out the reasons why religion and spirituality are not at odds with one another.  She explains that she needs the freedom of spirituality and the authority of religion in order to “remember or discover meaning and purpose” within her day-to-day life.\r\n\r\n“[R]eligion and spirituality are not opposed to each other,” she says. “Rather, they are two poles on a continuum, and both reflect the human need to know God\'s presence and to experience the deep rest and purpose that comes from that knowledge.”\r\n\r\nTrue, indeed. <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/979763_hope.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6345\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/979763_hope.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"209\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI can’t help but notice, however, that religion is frequently portrayed as the bad cop to spirituality’s good cop in the religion versus spirituality debate.  Religion is the rule-setting parent; spirituality is the free-loving older sister.  Religion is standardized tests; spirituality is an independent study course.  Religion is a curfew on prom night; spirituality is trustful permission and keys to the car.\r\n\r\nDiscussions about religion and spirituality tend to focus on religion as a structure of rules, judgment, rituals, and inconvenience, and certainly some religions do prioritize these components of their theology.  But what these characterizations miss is the fact that, at its heart, religion is about <em>community</em>.  It is about accountability to oneself and one’s community, not just to God.   It is about support and friendship and love given from one’s religious network, not just from God.  It is about respect and faithfulness to one’s neighbors, not just allegiance to God’s will.\r\n\r\nGroundbreaking studies revealed in the book <a href=\"http://americangrace.org/\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us</span></em></strong></a> show that religious Americans are generally nicer, happier, better citizens.  Religious Americans tend to be more generous with their time, talent, and resources to both religious and secular causes.  They are more likely to join volunteer associations, attend public meetings, and respond more compassionately when others wrong them.\r\n\r\nBut, perhaps, the most startling revelation in the book comes from studies showing that good neighborliness and happiness is attributed not to theology, but rather to religious <em>communities</em>.  According to the book’s authors, Robert Putnam and David Campbell, data reveals that “communities of faith seem more important than faith itself.”\r\n\r\nChurchgoers are not hardwired to be more generous and nicer people; instead, being part of a religious community promotes altruistic acts.  Religion fosters accountability, not through God-fearing rules or antiquated rituals, but through supportive and encouraging faith communities.\r\n\r\nA strong faith network affects neighborliness and generosity even more than the frequency with which one participates in religious activities and spiritual practices.   In other words, it is a faith-based social network formed through simple things like making friends at church, chatting at coffee hour following church service, joining a small group, or even discussing religion or theology with friends and family that is a far greater contributor to the level of generosity and altruism that person exhibits than the frequency with which a person attends worship services.    In fact, according to Putnam and Campbell, an atheist who is socially involved in a church community is more likely to volunteer than a believer who worships in isolation.\r\n\r\nReligious communities – like all communities – have their drawbacks and my own faith in organized religion is frequently called in doubt.  But accepting a religious community requires the recognition that a religious community is flawed, just as each of its human components is flawed.  It is not the commission of mistakes, but the response to the mistakes, that matter.\r\n\r\nReligion is not about regular Sunday church attendance.  Religion is not about making the sign of the cross or genuflecting or saying the “Our Father.”  Religion is not even about a devout and unwavering belief in God.\r\n\r\nReligion is about deliberate and intentional behaviors and practices within a faith-based community that allow grace, compassion, love and forgiveness to thrive.  Religion is about drawing on the support of God through the presence of a supportive community.  Religion is about the awareness of the things in our life that may be out of sync with living a graceful and grace-filled life, and purposefully trying to correct those flaws.\r\n\r\nBy refocusing religion on the communities that it creates, we can rid ourselves of the characterizations of fear, judgment, and rigidity that many of us have come to associate with religion.  We are free to create our own definitions of what it means to engage in spiritual practices within a religion.  Spirituality and religion need not be “two poles on the continuum,” but spirituality and religion can be part and parcel of each other, each of which is sustained by a vibrant community.\r\n\r\nReligion is often associated with regular church attendance and, for some, worship services are a crucial part of their personal religious and spiritual practices.  For others, religion need not be so narrowly defined.  For the past four years I have been part of a small faith group – there are about five of us - that meets monthly over dinner to talk about God and social justice, personal struggles and work stress, emotional failures and successes, spirituality and religion.  Some of us go to church on a regular basis, many of us don’t.  Some of us believe in God, some of us doubt.  What we lack rules and rituals, shared beliefs and theology, we more than make up for through our supportive, intentional, contemplative, and grace-filled community.  And it is in that community, that our group is religion.','The Smallest Church in the World','','inherit','open','open','','6339-revision-6','','','2012-04-28 11:35:03','2012-04-28 18:35:03','',6339,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/28/6339-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6436,160,'2012-05-01 18:00:56','2012-05-02 01:00:56','','cinco4','','inherit','open','open','','cinco4','','','2012-05-01 18:00:56','2012-05-02 01:00:56','',6435,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cinco4.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6437,160,'2012-05-01 18:02:01','2012-05-02 01:02:01','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cinco4.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-6436\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cinco4-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\nDid you know that the first Cinco de Mayo celebration was not in Mexico, but in California in 1863?   To this day, the date is still more celebrated in the US than in Mexico.  While that probably has more to do with tequila and beer corporations marketing the holiday, there is a good reason for (North) Americans to remember Cinco de Mayo.  Contrary to popular belief, May 5th is not Mexico’s Independence Day.  It actually commemorates one of the most important battles in the <em>US</em> Civil War and played a part in Lincoln being able to preserve the Union.\n\nAfter a series of exhausting and expensive wars from 1846 to 1860 (including the Mexican-American War), Mexico was bankrupt.   Mexican President Juarez issued a memorandum that all debt payments would have to be suspended for two years.  That was enough for the English, Spanish and the French to load their respective armies on their ships to come looking for payment.  While the English and Spanish worked out an agreement with Mexico and turned back, Napoleon III (Napoleon I’s nephew) saw an opportunity to make a land grab and establish “The Second Mexican Empire.”\n\nThe French ships landed in Veracruz in 1861 and 8,000 heavily armed French soldiers began their march toward Mexico City…. At the time, France had one of the best trained armies in the world.  They had been undefeated for fifty years, since Waterloo.   However, on their way to the capital city, they ran into General Ignacio Zaragoza and the 4,000 men he had recruited, many of whom were local farmers armed with nothing more than machetes.  When the dust settled in the foothills of Puebla, the elite French army was in full retreat.\n\nWord of the shocking upset spread throughout the countryside and to the entire world.  Relishing their miraculous victory, beleaguered Mexicans were instilled with a renewed sense of national unity and pride.   Unfortunately, the victory was mostly symbolic.  While the French did suffer a major setback, their superior firepower eventually won out.  It took over a year and 30,000 troops, but France took control of Mexico City and installed “Maximilian I” as the new (French approved) emperor of Mexico.\n\nSo how did “Cinco de Mayo” help to preserve the Union?   In 1862, the Civil War was also raging in the United States.   Many believe Napoleon III’s endgame was to break up the Union by providing arms and money to the Confederate Army.  In fact, if France had taken the region of central/Northern Mexico of Puebla, they would have been in position to begin supporting the Confederacy at a critical time in the Civil War.  When the Mexicans defeated the French on May 5th, it bought the Union Army fourteen more months to get to Gettysburg and end the war before the French could weigh in.\n\nOnce the Civil War was finally over, a grateful Abraham Lincoln was able to provide guns and ammunition to Mexico’s rebels who were fighting to take their country back.  Two years later, the French were expelled by the Mexican army and Maximilian I was executed on orders of President Juarez.  The US and Mexico have never been invaded by a European power since.\n\nSo, what are the lessons we can learn from Cinco de Mayo?\n<ol>\n	<li>Empire building is usually not very good foreign policy.   Invading countries half way around the world and expecting them to remain in submission rarely works out.  Napoleon learned that the hard way, as have many Emperors and Presidents throughout history… even recent history.</li>\n	<li>While we’ve had our differences, Mexico and the US have had a longstanding, mutually beneficial relationship.   Maybe we should remember that when we consider immigration reform and decide how to deal with the 10 to 12 million “undocumented” men and women who mostly just want to work really hard to feed their families.</li>\n	<li>Finally, Cinco de Mayo is a great opportunity to celebrate the rich Mexican heritage and embrace the many ways our neighbors have enriched our own country.   And yeah, it’s a pretty good excuse to hoist a Margarita or two, dip some guacamole, and kick up your heels.</li>\n</ol>\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.   Follow on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/hometownprophet\">Twitter</a> or like on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/HometownProphet\">Facebook</a>.','Why We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo','','inherit','open','open','','6435-revision','','','2012-05-01 18:02:01','2012-05-02 01:02:01','',6435,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/6435-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6438,160,'2012-05-01 18:07:05','2012-05-02 01:07:05','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cinco4.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-6436\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cinco4-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\nDid you know that the first Cinco de Mayo celebration was not in Mexico, but in California in 1863?   To this day, the date is still more celebrated in the US than in Mexico.  While that probably has more to do with tequila and beer corporations marketing the holiday, there is a good reason for (North) Americans to remember Cinco de Mayo.  Contrary to popular belief, May 5th is not Mexico’s Independence Day.  It actually commemorates one of the most important battles in the <em>US</em> Civil War and played a part in Lincoln being able to preserve the Union.\n\nAfter a series of exhausting and expensive wars from 1846 to 1860 (including the Mexican-American War), Mexico was bankrupt.   Mexican President Juarez issued a memorandum that all debt payments would have to be suspended for two years.  That was enough for the English, Spanish and the French to load their respective armies on their ships to come looking for payment.  While the English and Spanish worked out an agreement with Mexico and turned back, Napoleon III (Napoleon I’s nephew) saw an opportunity to make a land grab and establish “The Second Mexican Empire.”\n\nThe French ships landed in Veracruz in 1861 and 8,000 heavily armed French soldiers began their march toward Mexico City…. At the time, France had one of the best trained armies in the world.  They had been undefeated for fifty years, since Waterloo.   However, on their way to the capital city, they ran into General Ignacio Zaragoza and the 4,000 men he had recruited, many of whom were local farmers armed with nothing more than machetes.  When the dust settled in the foothills of Puebla, the elite French army was in full retreat.\n\nWord of the shocking upset spread throughout the countryside and to the entire world.  Relishing their miraculous victory, beleaguered Mexicans were instilled with a renewed sense of national unity and pride.   Unfortunately, the victory was mostly symbolic.  While the French did suffer a major setback, their superior firepower eventually won out.  It took over a year and 30,000 troops, but France took control of Mexico City and installed “Maximilian I” as the new (French approved) emperor of Mexico.\n\nSo how did “Cinco de Mayo” help to preserve the Union?   In 1862, the Civil War was also raging in the United States.   Many believe Napoleon III’s endgame was to break up the Union by providing arms and money to the Confederate Army.  In fact, if France had taken the region of central/Northern Mexico of Puebla, they would have been in position to begin supporting the Confederacy at a critical time in the Civil War.  When the Mexicans defeated the French on May 5th, it bought the Union Army fourteen more months to get to Gettysburg and end the war before the French could weigh in.\n\nOnce the Civil War was finally over, a grateful Abraham Lincoln was able to provide guns and ammunition to Mexico’s rebels who were fighting to take their country back.  Two years later, the French were expelled by the Mexican army and Maximilian I was executed on orders of President Juarez.  The US and Mexico have never been invaded by a European power since.\n\nSo, what are the lessons we can learn from Cinco de Mayo?\n<ol>\n	<li>Empire building is usually not very good foreign policy.   Invading countries half way around the world and expecting them to remain in submission rarely works out.  Napoleon learned that the hard way, as have many Emperors and Presidents throughout history… even recent history.</li>\n	<li>While we’ve had our differences, Mexico and the US have had a longstanding, mutually beneficial relationship.   Maybe we should remember that when we consider immigration reform and decide how to deal with the 10 to 12 million “undocumented” men and women who mostly just want to work really hard to feed their families.</li>\n	<li>Finally, Cinco de Mayo is a great opportunity to celebrate the rich Mexican heritage and embrace the many ways our neighbors have enriched our own country.   And yeah, it’s a pretty good excuse to hoist a Margarita or two, dip some guacamole, and kick up your heels.</li>\n</ol>\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.   Follow on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/hometownprophet\">Twitter</a> or like on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/HometownProphet\">Facebook</a>.','Why We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo','','inherit','open','open','','6435-revision-2','','','2012-05-01 18:07:05','2012-05-02 01:07:05','',6435,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/6435-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6439,30,'2012-05-02 20:01:47','2012-05-03 03:01:47','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\r\n\r\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\r\n\r\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book <a title=\"A New Kind of Christian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Jossey-Bass-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959624&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A New Kind of Christian</a>, she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\r\n\r\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. <strong>Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.</strong>\r\n\r\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s <a title=\"I Kissed Dating Goodbye\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Dating-Goodbye-Joshua-Harris/dp/1590521358/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959664&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">I Kissed Dating Goodbye</a> and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\r\n\r\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their friendship, there were changes that needed to be made to accommodate the growth and changes taking place.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, they did encounter negative feedback to their cross-gender friendship, particularly Jennifer and Dan. Jennifer was praying with a female who offered to be her prayer partner. When Jennifer explained that she already had a friend with whom she prayed regularly, the woman suggested that it was not safe and that Jennifer should only pray with other women. As a result of that conversation, Dan was called on the carpet and told that he was playing with fire and that he \"needed to mature.\" Having a close female friend was a mark of immaturity.\r\n\r\nBoth could have submitted to the shame being brought upon their friendship, but instead, they chose to continue the path that they had chosen and continued to pour into one another as friends.\r\n\r\nSusanne has encountered less negative feedback regarding her friendship with Dan. She shared, \"I was the main person that I needed to overcome in our friendship.\" Because of her past interactions with men, she needed to beat back her own negative thoughts about cross-gender friendship to be fully engaged in their relationship.\r\n\r\nDuring a Q &amp; A, the panel was asked about emotional adultery. Jennifer shared that when this topic comes up, she asks the person if the would agree that emotional infidelity is a fair substitute for adultery. If they agree to this, she points out that infidelity is being unfaithful. \"So (emotional infidelity) is not defined by what is happening in the friendship, but what is NOT happening in your marriage.\"\r\n\r\nSusanne suggested that <strong>friendships always need to be lived in the light of community</strong>. She shared that when she was protecting herself from men before, but that learning to have a close friendship with a man without it being romantic has actually better protected any future marriage.\r\n\r\nDan shared that he wanted to experience \"a wide range of emotional intimacy.\" We are not called to love people with part of our hearts, we\'re called to love with all of our hearts across the board. We\'re often taught emotional exclusivity with our spouses, but we never suggest that one should love their child with \"part\" of their heart. Why should we love our friends with only part of our heart? We can give a close friend our whole heart and still value and honor our spouses.\r\n\r\nWhen asked why they care about the topic of cross-gender friendship, Dan replied, \"Love. I have received Christ’s love through Jennifer and Susanne. They have healed parts of me. I have seen their love towards me as extremely virtuous. It’s a part of the kingdom of ‘love one another\'. Part of love is that friendship is a school of love. <strong>I have been schooled and educated in a deep, moral way through friendship with Jennifer and Susanne.</strong>\"\r\n\r\nSusanne responded, \"Our calling is to learn how to love someone of the opposite gender and the same gender beyond any attraction. There’s a more thorough healing that can happen so we can love one another deeply. Women and men need one another to minister to each other.\"\r\n\r\nAnd Jennifer shared, \"<strong>The lost apologetic is to love one another.</strong> That is missing between men and women. What would it say to the world if they could see men and women loving one another. This is a brokenness that is in many cultures. We can start breaking through those barriers.\"\r\n\r\n<em>(come by tomorrow for part 3)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','publish','open','open','','friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-2','','','2012-05-02 20:01:47','2012-05-03 03:01:47','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6439',0,'post','',2),(6440,30,'2012-05-01 19:24:05','2012-05-02 02:24:05','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\n\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of Dan Brennan, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for Dan\'s book.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision','','','2012-05-01 19:24:05','2012-05-02 02:24:05','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/6439-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6441,179,'2012-05-02 00:13:43','2012-05-02 07:13:43','When I took Systematic Theology in graduate school, Devlin Lucent was the best student in the class by far. Devlin knew all the answers. He never lost his cool. He was ridiculously good-looking. Sometimes he asked the professor questions so clever the professor would start to answer, stop, and then say, “That’s a very interesting question, Devlin. Class, what do you think?”\r\n\r\nOne day I had to know why Devlin even bothered with this class. I caught up with him on the quad.\r\n\r\n“Hey, why do you ask such impossible questions?”\r\n\r\n“Just playing devil’s advocate,” he said. “Dr. Hallow is on the right track, but he hasn’t taken it far enough.”\r\n\r\n“Sounds like maybe you should teach.”\r\n\r\n“I will,” said Devlin. “But the world only respects diplomas and degrees, so here I am.”\r\n\r\nThe whole semester went on like this. Devlin knew the correct answers in every category: sin, Trinity, covenant, you-name-it: this guy was as smart as they came.\r\n\r\nAnd talented, too. When he led worship people raved about the music. He had no trouble finding dates: it seemed like a third of the girls in the school were lined up for him. (I noticed, however, that a few of the girls he went out with ended up dropping out of school.)\r\n\r\nOne night I had a dream:\r\n\r\nDevlin was at a nearby bistro enjoying a glass of wine and the admiration of a table full of other students. He saw me through the music and the haze of those who pretend to smoke cigarettes.\r\n\r\n“Grimsley!” He gestured. “Just the man! Get over here.”\r\n\r\nI had to admit it was something of a thrill to be publicly recognized by the coolest guy in seminary. I pulled over a chair and wedged into the crowd.\r\n\r\n“We were just discussing our take-over of the school,” said Lucent. I laughed, but the rest of them turned their attention back to Devlin. “No, really: those stodgy fools have no business running the place. Even when they’re correct they’re hopelessly lost in applying the answers. They’re driving students away and holding the rest of us back. Are you in?”\r\n\r\n“This seems rather sudden, eh?” I tried to ask.\r\n\r\n“Nothing sudden about that lame seminary. They’ve been screwing people up for decades.” No one interrupted Devlin. They focused on him with devotion usually reserved for rock stars or saints. He loved it. He didn’t need my buy-in: “I can see you’re holding back. No matter--I may still let you attend after I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nThe next morning it was Devlin who caught up with me on the frosty quad.\r\n\r\n“Good morning, Grims. Sleep well last night?”\r\n\r\n“Well enough,” I said. In the morning light he didn’t look so menacing.\r\n\r\n“I like to give people a little time to adjust to progressive ideas,” he said. “You should think about my offer.”\r\n\r\nMy heart stopped at the same time as my feet. “Your offer?”\r\n\r\n“Surely you didn’t think that because it was a dream I wasn’t serious?”\r\n\r\n“Wait--how did you--was I really talking to you, then? In my dream?”\r\n\r\n“Don’t concern yourself with details, Grimsley. Just because it was a dream doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. What? Confused? You should’ve studied the Old Testament harder. It’s not so strange.”\r\n\r\nWhat was strange was the winterlight behind him. His head was rimmed with light but I looked through the shadow to his face. His good looks vanished. The features were the same but they had distorted into pride and lust and anger. What had been appealing became grotesque. He saw what I had seen, and it somehow amused him.\r\n\r\n“What now? You’re thinking how a good student like me would want to rebel? Grow up, man: my theology is perfect,” and here he leaned toward me until I smelled the breath of death itself. “It’s not enough. I won’t stop until I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nIn that moment my alarm sounded. I was utterly confused. I had already awakened, or so I thought. Last night’s dream was the dream--or was it a dream within a dream? I was truly afraid, but the student in me still got the point. I fumbled for the notebook next to my Bible. My shaking hand managed to scrawl the awful truth:\r\n\r\nThe devil\'s theology is just fine. The problem is he wants his own way.','The Man With All The Answers','','inherit','open','open','','6348-autosave','','','2012-05-02 00:13:43','2012-05-02 07:13:43','',6348,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6348-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6442,179,'2012-05-02 00:12:22','2012-05-02 07:12:22','','Pride','','inherit','open','open','','manwithalltheanswers','','','2012-05-02 00:12:22','2012-05-02 07:12:22','',6348,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/manwithalltheanswers.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6443,179,'2012-04-26 15:10:32','2012-04-26 22:10:32','When I took Systematic Theology in graduate school Devlin Lucent was the best student in the class by far. Devlin knew all the answers. He never lost his cool. He was ridiculously good-looking. Sometimes he asked the professor questions so clever the professor would start to answer, stop, and then say, “That’s a very interesting question, Devlin. Class, what do you think?”\r\n\r\nOne day I had to know why Devlin even bothered with this class. I caught up with him on the quad.\r\n\r\n“Hey, why do you ask such impossible questions?”\r\n\r\n“Just playing devil’s advocate,” he said. “Dr. Hallow is on the right track, but he hasn’t taken it far enough.”\r\n\r\n“Sounds like maybe you should teach.”\r\n\r\n“I will,” said Devlin. “But the world only respects diplomas and degrees, so here I am.”\r\n\r\nThe whole semester went on like this. Devlin knew the correct answers in every category: sin, Trinity, covenant, you-name-it: this guy was as smart as they came.\r\n\r\nAnd talented, too. When he led worship people raved about the music. He had no trouble finding dates: it seemed like a third of the girls in the school were lined up for him. (I noticed, however, that a few of the girls he went out with ended up dropping out of school.)\r\n\r\nOne night I had a dream:\r\n\r\nDevlin was at a nearby bistro enjoying a glass of wine and the admiration of a table full of other students. He saw me through the music and the haze of those who pretend to smoke cigarettes.\r\n\r\n“Grimsley!” He gestured. “Just the man! Get over here.”\r\n\r\nI had to admit it was something of a thrill to be publicly recognized by the coolest guy in seminary. I pulled over a chair and wedged into the crowd.\r\n\r\n“We were just discussing our take-over of the school,” said Lucent. I laughed, but the rest of them turned their attention back to Devlin. “No, really: those stodgy fools have no business running the place. Even when they’re correct they’re hopelessly lost in applying the answers. They’re driving students away and holding the rest of us back. Are you in?”\r\n\r\n“This seems rather sudden, eh?” I tried to ask.\r\n\r\n“Nothing sudden about that lame seminary. They’ve been screwing people up for decades.” No one interrupted Devlin. They focused on him with devotion usually reserved for rock stars or saints. He loved it. He didn’t need my buy-in: “I can see you’re holding back. No matter--I may still let you attend after I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nThe next morning it was Devlin who caught up with me on the frosty quad.\r\n\r\n“Good morning, Grims. Sleep well last night?”\r\n\r\n“Well enough,” I said. In the morning light he didn’t look so menacing.\r\n\r\n“I like to give people a little time to adjust to progressive ideas,” he said. “You should think about my offer.”\r\n\r\nMy heart stopped at the same time as my feet. “Your offer?”\r\n\r\n“Surely you didn’t think that because it was a dream I wasn’t serious?”\r\n\r\n“Wait--how did you--was I really talking to you, then? In my dream?”\r\n\r\n“Don’t concern yourself with details, Grimsley. Just because it was a dream doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. What? Confused? You should’ve studied the Old Testament harder. It’s not so strange.”\r\n\r\nWhat was strange was the winterlight behind him. His head was rimmed with light but I looked through the shadow to his face. His good looks vanished. The features were the same but they had distorted into pride and lust and anger. What had been appealing became grotesque. He saw what I had seen, and it somehow amused him.\r\n\r\n“What now? You’re thinking how a good student like me would want to rebel? Grow up, man: my theology is perfect,” and here he leaned toward me until I smelled the breath of death itself. “It’s not enough. I won’t stop until I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nIn that moment my alarm sounded. I was utterly confused. I had already awakened, or so I thought. Last night’s dream was the dream--or was it a dream within a dream? I was truly afraid, but the student in me still got the point. I fumbled for the notebook next to my Bible. My shaking hand managed to scrawl the awful truth:\r\n\r\nThe devil\'s theology is just fine. The problem is he wants his own way.','The Man With All The Answers','','inherit','open','open','','6348-revision-2','','','2012-04-26 15:10:32','2012-04-26 22:10:32','',6348,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/26/6348-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6444,179,'2012-05-02 00:12:51','2012-05-02 07:12:51','When I took Systematic Theology in graduate school, Devlin Lucent was the best student in the class by far. Devlin knew all the answers. He never lost his cool. He was ridiculously good-looking. Sometimes he asked the professor questions so clever the professor would start to answer, stop, and then say, “That’s a very interesting question, Devlin. Class, what do you think?”\r\n\r\nOne day I had to know why Devlin even bothered with this class. I caught up with him on the quad.\r\n\r\n“Hey, why do you ask such impossible questions?”\r\n\r\n“Just playing devil’s advocate,” he said. “Dr. Hallow is on the right track, but he hasn’t taken it far enough.”\r\n\r\n“Sounds like maybe you should teach.”\r\n\r\n“I will,” said Devlin. “But the world only respects diplomas and degrees, so here I am.”\r\n\r\nThe whole semester went on like this. Devlin knew the correct answers in every category: sin, Trinity, covenant, you-name-it: this guy was as smart as they came.\r\n\r\nAnd talented, too. When he led worship people raved about the music. He had no trouble finding dates: it seemed like a third of the girls in the school were lined up for him. (I noticed, however, that a few of the girls he went out with ended up dropping out of school.)\r\n\r\nOne night I had a dream:\r\n\r\nDevlin was at a nearby bistro enjoying a glass of wine and the admiration of a table full of other students. He saw me through the music and the haze of those who pretend to smoke cigarettes.\r\n\r\n“Grimsley!” He gestured. “Just the man! Get over here.”\r\n\r\nI had to admit it was something of a thrill to be publicly recognized by the coolest guy in seminary. I pulled over a chair and wedged into the crowd.\r\n\r\n“We were just discussing our take-over of the school,” said Lucent. I laughed, but the rest of them turned their attention back to Devlin. “No, really: those stodgy fools have no business running the place. Even when they’re correct they’re hopelessly lost in applying the answers. They’re driving students away and holding the rest of us back. Are you in?”\r\n\r\n“This seems rather sudden, eh?” I tried to ask.\r\n\r\n“Nothing sudden about that lame seminary. They’ve been screwing people up for decades.” No one interrupted Devlin. They focused on him with devotion usually reserved for rock stars or saints. He loved it. He didn’t need my buy-in: “I can see you’re holding back. No matter--I may still let you attend after I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nThe next morning it was Devlin who caught up with me on the frosty quad.\r\n\r\n“Good morning, Grims. Sleep well last night?”\r\n\r\n“Well enough,” I said. In the morning light he didn’t look so menacing.\r\n\r\n“I like to give people a little time to adjust to progressive ideas,” he said. “You should think about my offer.”\r\n\r\nMy heart stopped at the same time as my feet. “Your offer?”\r\n\r\n“Surely you didn’t think that because it was a dream I wasn’t serious?”\r\n\r\n“Wait--how did you--was I really talking to you, then? In my dream?”\r\n\r\n“Don’t concern yourself with details, Grimsley. Just because it was a dream doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. What? Confused? You should’ve studied the Old Testament harder. It’s not so strange.”\r\n\r\nWhat was strange was the winterlight behind him. His head was rimmed with light but I looked through the shadow to his face. His good looks vanished. The features were the same but they had distorted into pride and lust and anger. What had been appealing became grotesque. He saw what I had seen, and it somehow amused him.\r\n\r\n“What now? You’re thinking how a good student like me would want to rebel? Grow up, man: my theology is perfect,” and here he leaned toward me until I smelled the breath of death itself. “It’s not enough. I won’t stop until I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nIn that moment my alarm sounded. I was utterly confused. I had already awakened, or so I thought. Last night’s dream was the dream--or was it a dream within a dream? I was truly afraid, but the student in me still got the point. I fumbled for the notebook next to my Bible. My shaking hand managed to scrawl the awful truth:\r\n\r\nThe devil\'s theology is just fine. The problem is he wants his own way.','The Man With All The Answers','','inherit','open','open','','6348-revision-3','','','2012-05-02 00:12:51','2012-05-02 07:12:51','',6348,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6348-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6445,179,'2012-05-02 00:14:26','2012-05-02 07:14:26','When I took Systematic Theology in graduate school, Devlin Lucent was the best student in the class by far. Devlin knew all the answers. He never lost his cool. He was ridiculously good-looking. Sometimes he asked the professor questions so clever the professor would start to answer, stop, and then say, “That’s a very interesting question, Devlin. Class, what do you think?”\r\n\r\nOne day I had to know why Devlin even bothered with this class. I caught up with him on the quad.\r\n\r\n“Hey, why do you ask such impossible questions?”\r\n\r\n“Just playing devil’s advocate,” he said. “Dr. Hallow is on the right track, but he hasn’t taken it far enough.”\r\n\r\n“Sounds like maybe you should teach.”\r\n\r\n“I will,” said Devlin. “But the world only respects diplomas and degrees, so here I am.”\r\n\r\nThe whole semester went on like this. Devlin knew the correct answers in every category: sin, Trinity, covenant, you-name-it: this guy was as smart as they came.\r\n\r\nAnd talented, too. When he led worship people raved about the music. He had no trouble finding dates: it seemed like a third of the girls in the school were lined up for him. (I noticed, however, that a few of the girls he went out with ended up dropping out of school.)\r\n\r\nOne night I had a dream:\r\n\r\nDevlin was at a nearby bistro enjoying a glass of wine and the admiration of a table full of other students. He saw me through the music and the haze of those who pretend to smoke cigarettes.\r\n\r\n“Grimsley!” He gestured. “Just the man! Get over here.”\r\n\r\nI had to admit it was something of a thrill to be publicly recognized by the coolest guy in seminary. I pulled over a chair and wedged into the crowd.\r\n\r\n“We were just discussing our take-over of the school,” said Lucent. I laughed, but the rest of them turned their attention back to Devlin. “No, really: those stodgy fools have no business running the place. Even when they’re correct they’re hopelessly lost in applying the answers. They’re driving students away and holding the rest of us back. Are you in?”\r\n\r\n“This seems rather sudden, eh?” I tried to ask.\r\n\r\n“Nothing sudden about that lame seminary. They’ve been screwing people up for decades.” No one interrupted Devlin. They focused on him with devotion usually reserved for rock stars or saints. He loved it. He didn’t need my buy-in: “I can see you’re holding back. No matter--I may still let you attend after I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nThe next morning it was Devlin who caught up with me on the frosty quad.\r\n\r\n“Good morning, Grims. Sleep well last night?”\r\n\r\n“Well enough,” I said. In the morning light he didn’t look so menacing.\r\n\r\n“I like to give people a little time to adjust to progressive ideas,” he said. “You should think about my offer.”\r\n\r\nMy heart stopped at the same time as my feet. “Your offer?”\r\n\r\n“Surely you didn’t think that because it was a dream I wasn’t serious?”\r\n\r\n“Wait--how did you--was I really talking to you, then? In my dream?”\r\n\r\n“Don’t concern yourself with details, Grimsley. Just because it was a dream doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. What? Confused? You should’ve studied the Old Testament harder. It’s not so strange.”\r\n\r\nWhat was strange was the winterlight behind him. His head was rimmed with light but I looked through the shadow to his face. His good looks vanished. The features were the same but they had distorted into pride and lust and anger. What had been appealing became grotesque. He saw what I had seen, and it somehow amused him.\r\n\r\n“What now? You’re thinking how a good student like me would want to rebel? Grow up, man: my theology is perfect,” and here he leaned toward me until I smelled the breath of death itself. “It’s not enough. I won’t stop until I’m in charge.”\r\n\r\nIn that moment my alarm sounded. I was utterly confused. I had already awakened, or so I thought. Last night’s dream was the dream--or was it a dream within a dream? I was truly afraid, but the student in me still got the point. I fumbled for the notebook next to my Bible. My shaking hand managed to scrawl the awful truth:\r\n\r\nThe devil\'s theology is just fine. The problem is he wants his own way.','The Man With All The Answers','','inherit','open','open','','6348-revision-4','','','2012-05-02 00:14:26','2012-05-02 07:14:26','',6348,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6348-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6446,160,'2012-05-26 19:02:20','2012-05-27 02:02:20','I should confess right off that I voted for George W. Bush in 2000 because, in part, he was a man of faith.  He called himself a “compassionate conservative,” which was how I liked to think of myself.   After a couple of years, I realized the man I had voted for wasn’t very compassionate or conservative, at least not fiscally.  By the end of his second term, I was ready for someone totally different.   Yet, even though my politics had shifted, I still wanted to vote for someone that shared my values.\n\nIn 2007, I heard a rumor that Barrack Obama was going to visit the Bethel AME Church in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.  He was here to campaign with Harold Ford, who was running for the US Senate.  While then-Senator Obama wasn’t yet running for President, he was obviously considering it.  Like a lot of people, I’d heard Senator Obama’s speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention and was intrigued enough that I drove across town to see him in person.\n\nWhen we got there on Sunday morning, we were surprised that the small church wasn’t even full.   It didn’t seem like word had gotten out.  I don’t remember any cameras or reporters.   While we were about the only white people, we were warmly welcomed.   The young minister admitted he was nervous and then went on to pray in a moving way.  The singing rang to the rafters and there was a real feeling that the Holy Spirit was in the house.\n\nWhen it came time for Senator Obama to say a few words, I expected to hear a well rehearsed stump speech.   Instead, he openly and enthusiastically talked about his background and his coming to faith.   Apparently, he told us a lot more than he told Franklin Graham about how he came to accept Christ, at least more than Franklin chooses to remember.   We all left moved by the entire service and I felt that I had not just witnessed a great speaker, but someone I could believe in again.\n\nAs President Obama’s first term nears completion, I am still proud of my vote and the record he is running on for re-election.   He has not worn his faith on his sleeve or taken up the social issues that divide us as a country.   For me, that’s a huge step in the right direction.   To my continual amazement, he has consistently risen above the rancor and the hostility that is regularly hurled at him.   And, whether conscious of it or not, he is quietly following the principals I find in the Bible.\n\nFor example, President Obama has provided access to medical care for people who least can afford it.   He expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to insure four million children and pregnant mothers.  (President Bush vetoed two attempts to expand coverage to this same group).   Prior to the Affordable Healthcare Act, anyone with a ‘pre-existing condition,’ could be denied coverage, charged two or three times what they were paying, or have their benefits slashed.\n\nAnother tangible way of sticking up for the little guy is through the Credit Card Reform Act.   This caps and cuts an assortment of fees, gives consumers more reasonable opportunities to pay off their debt, and restricts a credit card company’s ability to arbitrarily raise interest rates.  President Obama boosted funding for the SEC to fight insider trading and started the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, once again standing up to challenges from the powerful banking lobby and Republicans.\n\nWhile domestic oil production has increased during President Obama’s first term, he has given the EPA more tools to enforce existing laws on the books.   He’s also been investing in cleaner forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and bio-fuels.   Perhaps over-reaching at times, he’s attempting to give alternatives a chance to compete with big oil, gas and coal.  Taking a stand for the environment sometimes comes at political peril and there will be many who will ridicule anything that deviates from business as usual.\n\nPresident Obama is in the process of ending two foreign wars that have cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars.  While no one can accuse President Obama of being weak on defense, he has sought peaceful solutions first.   His critics will point to the deficit, which is a valid concern.   However, slashing the budget during a recession is a sure way to extend the economic downturn.   It also seems to me that President Obama has been more than willing to negotiate in good faith on deficit reduction, putting cost-cutting measures on the table in exchange for very modest tax increases on the wealthy.\n\nThese are the types of the issues that affect people’s lives and where principles intersect with reality.  Despite his critic’s inexplicable outrage, President Obama seems to be a pragmatic politician who is gently nudging the country to be a fairer and more just place for all of its citizens.   And many of the issues he’s promoted are the modern day equivalents of what Jesus cared about in his day.   Whether it’s standing up to bullies (the Hate Crimes Bill), defending “the least of these,” protecting creation, or being a peacemaker, President Obama continues to represent my values as a Christian.\n\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>.  <em>If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?   </em>For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.   Follow on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/hometownprophet\">Twitter</a> or like on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/HometownProphet\">Facebook</a>.','You Say You Want A Christian in the White House','','inherit','open','open','','6352-autosave','','','2012-05-26 19:02:20','2012-05-27 02:02:20','',6352,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6352-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6447,179,'2012-04-26 16:29:17','2012-04-26 23:29:17','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/obama-church.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-6353\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/obama-church-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI should confess right off that I voted for George W. Bush in 2000 because, in part, he was a man of faith.  He called himself a “compassionate conservative,” which was how I liked to think of myself.   After a couple of years, I realized the man I had voted for wasn’t very compassionate or conservative, at least not fiscally.  By the end of his second term, I was ready for someone totally different.   Yet, even though my politics had shifted, I still wanted to vote for someone that shared my values.\r\n\r\nIn 2007, I heard a rumor that Barrack Obama was going to visit the Bethel AME Church in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.  He was here to campaign with Harold Ford, who was running for the US Senate.  While then-Senator Obama wasn’t yet running for President, he was obviously considering it.  Like a lot of people, I’d heard Senator Obama’s speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention and was intrigued enough that I drove across town to see him in person.\r\n\r\nWhen we got there on Sunday morning, we were surprised that the small church wasn’t even full.   It didn’t seem like word had gotten out.  I don’t remember any cameras or reporters.   While we were about the only white people, we were warmly welcomed.   The young minister admitted he was nervous and then went on to pray in a moving way.  The singing rang to the rafters and there was a real feeling that the Holy Spirit was in the house.\r\n\r\nWhen it came time for Senator Obama to say a few words, I expected to hear a well rehearsed stump speech.   Instead, he openly and enthusiastically talked about his background and his coming to faith.   Apparently, he told us a lot more than he told Franklin Graham about how he came to accept Christ, at least more than Franklin chooses to remember.   We all left moved by the entire service and I felt that I had seen not just witnessed a great speaker, but someone I could believe in again.\r\n\r\nAs President Obama’s first term nears completion, I am still proud of my vote and the record he is running on for re-election.   He has not worn his faith on his sleeve or taken up the social issues that divide us as a country.   For me, that’s a huge step in the right direction.   To my continual amazement, he has consistently risen above the rancor and the hostility that is regularly hurled at him.   And, whether conscious of it or not, he is quietly following the principals I find in the Bible.\r\n\r\nFor example, President Obama has provided access to medical care for people who least can afford it.   He expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to insure four million children and pregnant mothers.  (President Bush vetoed two attempts to expand coverage to this same group).   Prior to the Affordable Healthcare Act, anyone with a ‘pre-existing condition,’ could be denied coverage, charged two or three times what they were paying, or have their benefits slashed.\r\n\r\nAnother tangible way of sticking up for the little guy is through the Credit Card Reform Act.   This caps and cuts an assortment of fees, gives consumers more reasonable opportunities to pay off their debt, and restricts a credit card company’s ability to arbitrarily raise interest rates.  President Obama boosted funding for the SEC to fight insider trading and started the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, once again standing up to challenges from the powerful banking lobby and Republicans.\r\n\r\nWhile domestic oil production has increased during President Obama’s first term, he has given the EPA more tools to enforce existing laws on the books.   He’s also been investing in cleaner forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and bio-fuels.   Perhaps over-reaching at times, he’s attempting to give alternatives a chance to compete with big oil, gas and coal.  Taking a stand for the environment sometimes comes at political peril and there will be many who will ridicule anything that deviates from business as usual.\r\n\r\nPresident Obama is in the process of ending two foreign wars that have cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars.  While no can accuse President Obama of being weak on defense, he has sought peaceful solutions first.   His critics will point to the deficit, which is a valid concern.   However, slashing the budget during a recession is a sure way to extend the economic downturn.   It also seems to me that President Obama has been more than willing to negotiate in good faith on deficit reduction, putting cost-cutting measures on the table in exchange for very modest tax increases on the wealthy.\r\n\r\nThese are the types of the issues that affect people’s lives and where principles intersect with reality.  Despite his critic’s inexplicable outrage, President Obama seems to be a pragmatic politician who is gently nudging the country to be a fairer and more just place for all of its citizens.   And many of the issues he’s promoted are the modern day equivalents of that Jesus cared about in his day.   Whether it’s standing up to bullies (the Hate Crimes Bill), defending “the least of these,” protecting creation, or being a peacemaker, President Obama continues to represent my values as a Christian.\r\n\r\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>.  <em>If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?   </em>For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.   Follow on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/hometownprophet\">Twitter</a> or like on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/HometownProphet\">Facebook</a>.','You Say You Want A Christian in the White House','','inherit','open','open','','6352-revision-3','','','2012-04-26 16:29:17','2012-04-26 23:29:17','',6352,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/26/6352-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6449,179,'2012-04-30 09:46:41','2012-04-30 16:46:41','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FiftyShadesImage.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6391\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FiftyShadesImage-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI\'ve been hearing about a book making the rounds, <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> by E. L. James. Naturally, being a writer and voracious reader, I check out books that people are talking about.\r\n\r\nI hit up Google and typed in a search and up pops this description: <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em> is a New York Times bestselling erotic fiction paperback and e-book by E. L. James. Set largely in Seattle, the trilogy traces the deepening relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steel and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of BDSM.1\r\n\r\nWell, that was definitely enough to make me decide NOT to read the book(s). Why not? Because I get the appeal that books with explicit sex scenes have. I went through a very long phase where all I read were romance novels. I am a firm believer that these types of books can be to women what pornography is to men. I was still reading these books early in my marriage. Whenever my husband and I got into a fight I would shut the door, pick up one of my books and stew about how my husband wasn\'t anything like the romantic male characters. I compared my husband constantly to what some writer was telling me was the ideal.\r\n\r\nSound familiar?\r\n\r\nWomen, what do you feel if you know your husband is looking at pornography? That you can\'t measure up to his idea of perfect? That you can\'t perform in bed to his satisfaction so he has to turn somewhere else?\r\n\r\nThese books aren\'t a whole lot different.\r\n\r\nDr. Oz recently did a show on \"Books Women Read\" and he mentioned <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em>. He was quoted saying: \"What it is about is people having an honest conversation about what sex should be like, what makes it better, what are the timing issues, how do we make it an important issue in our life rather than an afterthought.\"2\r\n\r\nThat quote gets me. We <em>should</em> be honest about our sex lives with our partners. We <em>should</em> be able to express what we want, how it feels, how to make it an important part of our lives. We should already be doing that with our spouse. A healthy, fulfilling sex life is important in a marriage and to God! There is a shade of truth to his statement. But that shade of truth can put the thought in your head that this book will help you. It can draw you to pick up this book and read it.\r\n\r\nThat\'s how we stumble, isn\'t it? Listening to a shade of truth. And the enemy has more than fifty shades of the truth; he has countless numbers of them.\r\n\r\nSo, how do we avoid the trap of falling for a shade of the truth? Be in the Word. Read your Bible. Use it as your measuring stick.\r\n\r\nMatthew 5:27-28 (NIV) says, \"You have heard that it was said, \'Do not commit adultery.\' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.\"\r\n\r\nIt\'s not the act of looking; it\'s the act of looking lustfully. It\'s the thought behind it. Whether the person is real or fictional, if what we are looking at <em>or reading</em> is causing us to think lustfully about anyone other than our spouse then we are sinning.\r\n\r\n\"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.\" 1 John 1:5-7 NIV\r\n\r\nLet us be people that strive to live in the full light of the truth, not in the shadowy grey shades of it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[1] <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey\">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey</a>\r\n\r\n[2] <a href=\"http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php\">http://www.chron.com/news/article/Men-are-fans-too-of-Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-3511870.php</a>','Fifty Shades of Truth','','inherit','open','open','','6390-revision-12','','','2012-04-30 09:46:41','2012-04-30 16:46:41','',6390,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6390-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(6448,179,'2012-05-02 00:32:34','2012-05-02 07:32:34','','fiftyshades','','inherit','open','open','','fiftyshades','','','2012-05-02 00:32:34','2012-05-02 07:32:34','',6390,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fiftyshades.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6451,179,'2012-05-02 00:43:12','2012-05-02 07:43:12','','higherstateofhappiness','','inherit','open','open','','higherstateofhappiness','','','2012-05-02 00:43:12','2012-05-02 07:43:12','',6335,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/higherstateofhappiness.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6452,179,'2012-04-30 12:26:34','2012-04-30 19:26:34','What is happiness? To one person it means owning eight cars. To another it means being in a great relationship. To a third it’s about getting blissed out in kirtan. Happiness means different things to different people. But, despite the discrepancy, one thing is certain — nice things and experiences only offer temporary pleasure. Cars die, relationships end, memories fade. Any definition of happiness based on attaining something or achieving a “positive” state of mind is built on a deck of cards.\r\n\r\nAccording to Ven. Sanghasena, a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader in India, equanimity is a higher state of happiness that is steady and long lasting. It is not based on the dualities of pleasure or pain, happy or sad, rich or poor. Rather than the ups and downs that come from a state of happiness based on sensual desires, equanimity is a state of non-attachment based on acceptance of what is happening in the <a href=\"http://www.themindfulword.org/2010/present-moment-presence-process/\">present moment</a> — “good” or “bad,” “pleasure” or “pain” are all concepts created in our minds. With equanimity, all is good.\r\n\r\nThe term “equanimity” first entered the English language in the 17<sup>th</sup> century from the Latin “<em>aequanimitas</em>,” which comes from “<em>aequus”</em> (equal) and “<em>animus”</em> (mind). According to the <em>Oxford English Dictionary</em>, it means “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation” — though that general definition doesn’t capture the true essence of this powerful meta-virtue.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Theory</strong>\r\n\r\nAll the major spiritual traditions of the world regard equanimity as central to their teachings. In verse 2.48 of the sacred Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches: \"Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.\" Hindus and yogis define yoga as “union with God,” designating equanimity as the one all important virtue to realizing their divinity. Krishna advises Arjuna to maintain non-attachment because it’s that even-mindedness that enables us to escape the ego’s firm grip that constantly compels us to strive for this and avoid that. While abiding in equanimity, we can see more clearly that all those events happening on the surface of our existence are only as relevant as we believe them to be. In equanimity, we experience our true Selves.\r\n\r\nLooking beyond the spiritual traditions originating in India, Christianity too embraces equanimity as an important part of its beliefs. St. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11:13 about focusing on the divine rather than getting swayed by externalities: \"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.\"\r\n\r\nAccording to Rabbi Chaim Vital, equanimity (“<em>hishtavut” </em>in Hebrew<em>)<strong> </strong></em>is a prerequisite to meditation, which in turn is a prerequisite to realizing divine inspiration and prophecy. Unless we can maintain equanimity, we need to further attach our consciousness to G-d. Rabbi Avner, in a teaching on the secret of equanimity, says to “surrender your heart even more, a true surrendering, until you have attained equanimity. Then you will be able to meditate.”\r\n\r\nThe word Islam comes from the Arabic <em>aslama</em>, which means “surrender.” When Muslims pray to Allah they surrender to Allah’s will, which can be considered a state of peaceful acceptance no different than equanimity. The similar sounding Arabic word <em>salam</em> is a greeting that means peace. A peace that can come through surrendering to Allah’s will.\r\n\r\nBut when hearing the term equanimity in a spiritual context, it is Buddhism people generally think of because of the virtue’s intrinsic importance to the spiritual tradition. The ancient Sanskrit word “upeksha” roughly translates to equanimity, which along with loving kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna) and joy (mudita), is one of the four immeasurables (the same as the four sublime attitudes in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras).\r\n\r\nVietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh translates upeksha as follows in <em>Teachings on Love</em>: “In Sanskrit, ‘<em>upa’</em> means over and ‘<em>iksh’</em> means ‘to look.’ You climb the mountain to be able to look over the whole situation, not bound by one side or the other.” From that vantage point one accesses another aspect of equanimity, “<em>samatajnana</em>” or the wisdom of equality, which Nhat Hanh describes as “the ability to see everyone as equal and not discriminate between ourselves and other people.” When embroiled in conflict, the equanimous will maintain impartiality in an effort to truly understand others’ points of view. They drop their discrimination in order to truly love. In this way, the self, the ego, diminishes and they become one.\r\n\r\nAccording to Nhat Hanh’s understanding of equanimity, it is a way to connect. Yet, a common misconception is that it’s a state of indifference. Theravadan Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi counters that claim: “It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honour and dishonour, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings.” When dropping the ego, we naturally connect with others and become better able to assist them.\r\n\r\n<strong>In Practice</strong>\r\n\r\nVipassana is one of India’s most ancient forms of meditation and has become increasingly popular in recent years partly because of its effectiveness at generating equanimity. Though the Buddha rediscovered it and made it part of the Buddhist practice, it is non-sectarian in nature. “Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation,” says S.N Goenka, one of many Vipassana teachers popularizing the technique worldwide. “It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind.”\r\n\r\nVipassana meditators focus on the constantly changing sensations in the body to realize the essential impermanence — and thus limited importance — of all these sensations. It is known as insight meditation, because in developing equanimity with whatever is happening, meditators gain insight into the impermanent reality of life.\r\n\r\nThough Vipassana meditators try to apply the principles of their practice in everyday life, their focus is on sitting meditation. In mindfulness, also a non-sectarian practice associated with Buddhism, practitioners focus on being in the present moment throughout the day by using a variety of daily practices such as walking and eating meditation, so when any event occurs, they are aware of it and accept it as just another event. “In touch with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe in. Smiling with the flowers (or any other pleasure or aversion), I breathe out” is a guided meditation that mindfulness practitioners repeat to themselves as a means of appreciating, but at the same time not clinging to desires or averting themselves from negativities.\r\n\r\nAs we become aware of our emotions we can choose to act responsibly rather than react unskilfully. Mindfulness practitioners train themselves to be constantly aware of whatever enters the mind, feeling the emotions and their effect before acting. Equanimity cultivates an acceptance of our emotional vagaries, allowing us to show compassion for ourselves. As we show compassion for ourselves, we can more easily show compassion for others.\r\n<div>\r\n\r\nThe push-pull drama called the pursuit of happiness doesn’t lead to satisfaction, but to the ego trap of attachment and aversion. Setting a goal to attain something that will make us happy inevitably compounds the belief that there is something bad to avoid. Equanimity undoes that errant thinking. It frees us from that dichotomy of good and bad that will forever hound us as much as we believe in those concepts. In letting go of the ego’s grasp through acceptance of all that is, we realize contentment. And with the success struggle out of the way, we realize gratitude for all that we already have.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" />\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nKiva Bottero edits The Mindful Word journal of engaged living. He also writes and edits material for Dew Media, an organization that specializes in providing custom publishing and design services for non-profits and social enterprises. Visit him online at www.themindfulword.org and www.dewmedia.org.\r\n\r\nphoto courtesy 350.org (<a title=\"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License\" href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/\">Creative Commons – some rights reserved</a>)\r\n\r\n</div>','A Higher State of Happiness','','inherit','open','open','','6335-revision-7','','','2012-04-30 12:26:34','2012-04-30 19:26:34','',6335,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/6335-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6453,30,'2012-05-02 03:47:50','2012-05-02 10:47:50','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\n\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.\n\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book \"A New Kind of Christian,\" she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\n\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.\n\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s I Kissed Dating Goodbye and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\n\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision-2','','','2012-05-02 03:47:50','2012-05-02 10:47:50','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6454,30,'2012-05-02 03:52:34','2012-05-02 10:52:34','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\n\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.\n\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book \"A New Kind of Christian,\" she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\n\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\n\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s I Kissed Dating Goodbye and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\n\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision-3','','','2012-05-02 03:52:34','2012-05-02 10:52:34','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6455,30,'2012-05-02 03:53:34','2012-05-02 10:53:34','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\n\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.\n\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book \"A New Kind of Christian,\" she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\n\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\n\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s I Kissed Dating Goodbye and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\n\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their friendship, there were changes that needed to be made to accommodate the growth and changes taking place.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision-4','','','2012-05-02 03:53:34','2012-05-02 10:53:34','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6456,30,'2012-05-02 05:01:00','2012-05-02 12:01:00','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\n\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\n\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book <a title=\"A New Kind of Christian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Jossey-Bass-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959624&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A New Kind of Christian</a>, she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\n\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. <strong>Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.</strong>\n\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s <a title=\"I Kissed Dating Goodbye\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Dating-Goodbye-Joshua-Harris/dp/1590521358/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959664&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">I Kissed Dating Goodbye</a> and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\n\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their friendship, there were changes that needed to be made to accommodate the growth and changes taking place.\n\nUnfortunately, they did encounter negative feedback to their cross-gender friendship, particularly Jennifer and Dan. Jennifer was praying with a female who offered to be her prayer partner. When Jennifer explained that she already had a friend with whom she prayed regularly, the woman suggested that it was not safe and that Jennifer should only pray with other women. As a result of that conversation, Dan was called on the carpet and told that he was playing with fire and that he \"needed to mature.\" Having a close female friend was a mark of immaturity.\n\nBoth could have submitted to the shame being brought upon their friendship, but instead, they chose to continue the path that they had chosen and continued to pour into one another as friends.\n\nSusanne has encountered less negative feedback regarding her friendship with Dan. She shared, \"I was the main person that I needed to overcome in our friendship.\" Because of her past interactions with men, she needed to beat back her own negative thoughts about cross-gender friendship to be fully engaged in their relationship.\n\nDuring a Q &amp; A, the panel was asked about emotional adultery. Jennifer shared that when this topic comes up, she asks the person if the would agree that emotional infidelity is a fair substitute for adultery. If they agree to this, she points out that infidelity is being unfaithful. \"So (emotional infidelity) is not defined by what is happening in the friendship, but what is NOT happening in your marriage.\"\n\nSusanne suggested that <strong>friendships always need to be lived in the light of community</strong>. She shared that when she was protecting herself from men before, but that learning to have a close friendship with a man without it being romantic has actually better protected any future marriage.\n\nDan shared that he wanted to experience \"a wide range of emotional intimacy.\" We are not called to love people with part of our hearts, we\'re called to love with all of our hearts across the board. We\'re often taught emotional exclusivity with our spouses, but we never suggest that one should love their child with \"part\" of their heart. Why should we love our friends with only part of our heart? We can give a close friend our whole heart and still value and honor our spouses.\n\nWhen asked why they care about the topic of cross-gender friendship, Dan replied, \"Love. I have received Christ’s love through Jennifer and Susanne. They have healed parts of me. I have seen their love towards me as extremely virtuous. It’s a part of the kingdom of ‘love one another\'. Part of love is that friendship is a school of love. <strong>I have been schooled and educated in a deep, moral way through friendship with Jennifer and Susanne.</strong>\"\n\nSusanne responded, \"Our calling is to learn how to love someone of the opposite gender and the same gender beyond any attraction. There’s a more thorough healing that can happen so we can love one another deeply. Women and men need one another to minister to each other.\"\n\nAnd Jennifer shared, \"<strong>The lost apologetic is to love one another.</strong> That is missing between men and women. What would it say to the world if they could see men and women loving one another. This is a brokenness that is in many cultures. We can start breaking through those barriers.\"\n\n(come by tomorrow for Part 3)','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision-5','','','2012-05-02 05:01:00','2012-05-02 12:01:00','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6457,30,'2012-05-02 05:01:08','2012-05-02 12:01:08','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\r\n\r\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\r\n\r\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book <a title=\"A New Kind of Christian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Jossey-Bass-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959624&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A New Kind of Christian</a>, she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\r\n\r\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. <strong>Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.</strong>\r\n\r\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s <a title=\"I Kissed Dating Goodbye\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Dating-Goodbye-Joshua-Harris/dp/1590521358/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959664&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">I Kissed Dating Goodbye</a> and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\r\n\r\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their friendship, there were changes that needed to be made to accommodate the growth and changes taking place.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, they did encounter negative feedback to their cross-gender friendship, particularly Jennifer and Dan. Jennifer was praying with a female who offered to be her prayer partner. When Jennifer explained that she already had a friend with whom she prayed regularly, the woman suggested that it was not safe and that Jennifer should only pray with other women. As a result of that conversation, Dan was called on the carpet and told that he was playing with fire and that he \"needed to mature.\" Having a close female friend was a mark of immaturity.\r\n\r\nBoth could have submitted to the shame being brought upon their friendship, but instead, they chose to continue the path that they had chosen and continued to pour into one another as friends.\r\n\r\nSusanne has encountered less negative feedback regarding her friendship with Dan. She shared, \"I was the main person that I needed to overcome in our friendship.\" Because of her past interactions with men, she needed to beat back her own negative thoughts about cross-gender friendship to be fully engaged in their relationship.\r\n\r\nDuring a Q &amp; A, the panel was asked about emotional adultery. Jennifer shared that when this topic comes up, she asks the person if the would agree that emotional infidelity is a fair substitute for adultery. If they agree to this, she points out that infidelity is being unfaithful. \"So (emotional infidelity) is not defined by what is happening in the friendship, but what is NOT happening in your marriage.\"\r\n\r\nSusanne suggested that <strong>friendships always need to be lived in the light of community</strong>. She shared that when she was protecting herself from men before, but that learning to have a close friendship with a man without it being romantic has actually better protected any future marriage.\r\n\r\nDan shared that he wanted to experience \"a wide range of emotional intimacy.\" We are not called to love people with part of our hearts, we\'re called to love with all of our hearts across the board. We\'re often taught emotional exclusivity with our spouses, but we never suggest that one should love their child with \"part\" of their heart. Why should we love our friends with only part of our heart? We can give a close friend our whole heart and still value and honor our spouses.\r\n\r\nWhen asked why they care about the topic of cross-gender friendship, Dan replied, \"Love. I have received Christ’s love through Jennifer and Susanne. They have healed parts of me. I have seen their love towards me as extremely virtuous. It’s a part of the kingdom of ‘love one another\'. Part of love is that friendship is a school of love. <strong>I have been schooled and educated in a deep, moral way through friendship with Jennifer and Susanne.</strong>\"\r\n\r\nSusanne responded, \"Our calling is to learn how to love someone of the opposite gender and the same gender beyond any attraction. There’s a more thorough healing that can happen so we can love one another deeply. Women and men need one another to minister to each other.\"\r\n\r\nAnd Jennifer shared, \"<strong>The lost apologetic is to love one another.</strong> That is missing between men and women. What would it say to the world if they could see men and women loving one another. This is a brokenness that is in many cultures. We can start breaking through those barriers.\"\r\n\r\n<em>(come by tomorrow for part 3)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision-6','','','2012-05-02 05:01:08','2012-05-02 12:01:08','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6458,30,'2012-05-02 05:01:16','2012-05-02 12:01:16','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\r\n\r\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\r\n\r\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book <a title=\"A New Kind of Christian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Jossey-Bass-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959624&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A New Kind of Christian</a>, she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\r\n\r\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. <strong>Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.</strong>\r\n\r\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s <a title=\"I Kissed Dating Goodbye\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Dating-Goodbye-Joshua-Harris/dp/1590521358/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959664&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">I Kissed Dating Goodbye</a> and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\r\n\r\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their friendship, there were changes that needed to be made to accommodate the growth and changes taking place.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, they did encounter negative feedback to their cross-gender friendship, particularly Jennifer and Dan. Jennifer was praying with a female who offered to be her prayer partner. When Jennifer explained that she already had a friend with whom she prayed regularly, the woman suggested that it was not safe and that Jennifer should only pray with other women. As a result of that conversation, Dan was called on the carpet and told that he was playing with fire and that he \"needed to mature.\" Having a close female friend was a mark of immaturity.\r\n\r\nBoth could have submitted to the shame being brought upon their friendship, but instead, they chose to continue the path that they had chosen and continued to pour into one another as friends.\r\n\r\nSusanne has encountered less negative feedback regarding her friendship with Dan. She shared, \"I was the main person that I needed to overcome in our friendship.\" Because of her past interactions with men, she needed to beat back her own negative thoughts about cross-gender friendship to be fully engaged in their relationship.\r\n\r\nDuring a Q &amp; A, the panel was asked about emotional adultery. Jennifer shared that when this topic comes up, she asks the person if the would agree that emotional infidelity is a fair substitute for adultery. If they agree to this, she points out that infidelity is being unfaithful. \"So (emotional infidelity) is not defined by what is happening in the friendship, but what is NOT happening in your marriage.\"\r\n\r\nSusanne suggested that <strong>friendships always need to be lived in the light of community</strong>. She shared that when she was protecting herself from men before, but that learning to have a close friendship with a man without it being romantic has actually better protected any future marriage.\r\n\r\nDan shared that he wanted to experience \"a wide range of emotional intimacy.\" We are not called to love people with part of our hearts, we\'re called to love with all of our hearts across the board. We\'re often taught emotional exclusivity with our spouses, but we never suggest that one should love their child with \"part\" of their heart. Why should we love our friends with only part of our heart? We can give a close friend our whole heart and still value and honor our spouses.\r\n\r\nWhen asked why they care about the topic of cross-gender friendship, Dan replied, \"Love. I have received Christ’s love through Jennifer and Susanne. They have healed parts of me. I have seen their love towards me as extremely virtuous. It’s a part of the kingdom of ‘love one another\'. Part of love is that friendship is a school of love. <strong>I have been schooled and educated in a deep, moral way through friendship with Jennifer and Susanne.</strong>\"\r\n\r\nSusanne responded, \"Our calling is to learn how to love someone of the opposite gender and the same gender beyond any attraction. There’s a more thorough healing that can happen so we can love one another deeply. Women and men need one another to minister to each other.\"\r\n\r\nAnd Jennifer shared, \"<strong>The lost apologetic is to love one another.</strong> That is missing between men and women. What would it say to the world if they could see men and women loving one another. This is a brokenness that is in many cultures. We can start breaking through those barriers.\"\r\n\r\n<em>(come by tomorrow for part 3)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision-7','','','2012-05-02 05:01:16','2012-05-02 12:01:16','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6461,1,'2012-05-02 05:02:49','2012-05-02 12:02:49','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\r\n\r\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\r\n\r\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book <a title=\"A New Kind of Christian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Jossey-Bass-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959624&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A New Kind of Christian</a>, she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\r\n\r\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. <strong>Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.</strong>\r\n\r\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s <a title=\"I Kissed Dating Goodbye\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Dating-Goodbye-Joshua-Harris/dp/1590521358/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959664&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">I Kissed Dating Goodbye</a> and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\r\n\r\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their friendship, there were changes that needed to be made to accommodate the growth and changes taking place.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, they did encounter negative feedback to their cross-gender friendship, particularly Jennifer and Dan. Jennifer was praying with a female who offered to be her prayer partner. When Jennifer explained that she already had a friend with whom she prayed regularly, the woman suggested that it was not safe and that Jennifer should only pray with other women. As a result of that conversation, Dan was called on the carpet and told that he was playing with fire and that he \"needed to mature.\" Having a close female friend was a mark of immaturity.\r\n\r\nBoth could have submitted to the shame being brought upon their friendship, but instead, they chose to continue the path that they had chosen and continued to pour into one another as friends.\r\n\r\nSusanne has encountered less negative feedback regarding her friendship with Dan. She shared, \"I was the main person that I needed to overcome in our friendship.\" Because of her past interactions with men, she needed to beat back her own negative thoughts about cross-gender friendship to be fully engaged in their relationship.\r\n\r\nDuring a Q &amp; A, the panel was asked about emotional adultery. Jennifer shared that when this topic comes up, she asks the person if the would agree that emotional infidelity is a fair substitute for adultery. If they agree to this, she points out that infidelity is being unfaithful. \"So (emotional infidelity) is not defined by what is happening in the friendship, but what is NOT happening in your marriage.\"\r\n\r\nSusanne suggested that <strong>friendships always need to be lived in the light of community</strong>. She shared that when she was protecting herself from men before, but that learning to have a close friendship with a man without it being romantic has actually better protected any future marriage.\r\n\r\nDan shared that he wanted to experience \"a wide range of emotional intimacy.\" We are not called to love people with part of our hearts, we\'re called to love with all of our hearts across the board. We\'re often taught emotional exclusivity with our spouses, but we never suggest that one should love their child with \"part\" of their heart. Why should we love our friends with only part of our heart? We can give a close friend our whole heart and still value and honor our spouses.\r\n\r\nWhen asked why they care about the topic of cross-gender friendship, Dan replied, \"Love. I have received Christ’s love through Jennifer and Susanne. They have healed parts of me. I have seen their love towards me as extremely virtuous. It’s a part of the kingdom of ‘love one another\'. Part of love is that friendship is a school of love. <strong>I have been schooled and educated in a deep, moral way through friendship with Jennifer and Susanne.</strong>\"\r\n\r\nSusanne responded, \"Our calling is to learn how to love someone of the opposite gender and the same gender beyond any attraction. There’s a more thorough healing that can happen so we can love one another deeply. Women and men need one another to minister to each other.\"\r\n\r\nAnd Jennifer shared, \"<strong>The lost apologetic is to love one another.</strong> That is missing between men and women. What would it say to the world if they could see men and women loving one another. This is a brokenness that is in many cultures. We can start breaking through those barriers.\"\r\n\r\n<em>(come by tomorrow for part 3)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-revision-8','','','2012-05-02 05:02:49','2012-05-02 12:02:49','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(6462,1,'2012-05-02 20:03:04','2012-05-03 03:03:04','(<a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\">Click here</a> to read about day one of the event)\n\nDay two of the Sacred Friendship Gathering opened with an interview of <a title=\"Dan Brennan\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/dan-brennan/\" target=\"_blank\">Dan Brennan</a>, Jennifer Ould and Susanne Osborne. Dan and Jennifer have been friends for ten years, and Dan and Susanne have been friends for four years. This was an opportunity for us to hear some about the relationships that were the basis for <a title=\"Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Unions-Passions-Engaging-Friendship/dp/0982580703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335925425&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dan\'s book</a>.<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>\n\nJennifer had grown up in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. After stumbling upon Brian McLaren\'s book <a title=\"A New Kind of Christian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Christian-Jossey-Bass-Leadership/dp/0470248408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959624&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A New Kind of Christian</a>, she found that resonated with her more deeply that what she had been taught growing up, and she joined an online discussion group for the book where she met Dan. They were later asked to be part of a sub-group that was sharing their stories in a more complete way, and during that time, they began a friendship based in healing prayer. It began as regular phone calls, and later progressed to meeting in person.\n\nTo emphasize that the friendship was always something that was disclosed with his wife, Dan told us that the first time Jennifer called, Sheila answered the phone and recognized Jennifer from the conversation that she and Dan had. <strong>Honesty was the cornerstone of this friendship, which allowed it to be pursued safely.</strong>\n\nSusanne\'s story was a bit different. She had been friends with Jennifer in school, and saw the burgeoning friendship between her and Dan. She had read Josh Harris\'s <a title=\"I Kissed Dating Goodbye\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Dating-Goodbye-Joshua-Harris/dp/1590521358/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1335959664&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">I Kissed Dating Goodbye</a> and had always treated men in one of two ways. Either they were a potential romantic partner, or they were someone to be avoided for fear of giving away her heart to someone who wasn\'t her husband. But as she worked in a counseling office, she saw that men and women needed one another as a part of that healing. Men needed women to speak into their lives, and women, particularly those who had been abused, needed a safe male voice to speak into theirs. And as she neared her 30\'s as an unmarried woman, she realized that she needed a new way to relate to men. Because she was familiar with Jennifer and Dan\'s story, she saw Dan as a safe person to seek as a friend, so they also began meeting for prayer.\n\nOne of the key ideas that was discussed between the three of them was that of being intentional. During different stages of their friendship, there were changes that needed to be made to accommodate the growth and changes taking place.\n\nUnfortunately, they did encounter negative feedback to their cross-gender friendship, particularly Jennifer and Dan. Jennifer was praying with a female who offered to be her prayer partner. When Jennifer explained that she already had a friend with whom she prayed regularly, the woman suggested that it was not safe and that Jennifer should only pray with other women. As a result of that conversation, Dan was called on the carpet and told that he was playing with fire and that he \"needed to mature.\" Having a close female friend was a mark of immaturity.\n\nBoth could have submitted to the shame being brought upon their friendship, but instead, they chose to continue the path that they had chosen and continued to pour into one another as friends.\n\nSusanne has encountered less negative feedback regarding her friendship with Dan. She shared, \"I was the main person that I needed to overcome in our friendship.\" Because of her past interactions with men, she needed to beat back her own negative thoughts about cross-gender friendship to be fully engaged in their relationship.\n\nDuring a Q &amp; A, the panel was asked about emotional adultery. Jennifer shared that when this topic comes up, she asks the person if the would agree that emotional infidelity is a fair substitute for adultery. If they agree to this, she points out that infidelity is being unfaithful. \"So (emotional infidelity) is not defined by what is happening in the friendship, but what is NOT happening in your marriage.\"\n\nSusanne suggested that <strong>friendships always need to be lived in the light of community</strong>. She shared that when she was protecting herself from men before, but that learning to have a close friendship with a man without it being romantic has actually better protected any future marriage.\n\nDan shared that he wanted to experience \"a wide range of emotional intimacy.\" We are not called to love people with part of our hearts, we\'re called to love with all of our hearts across the board. We\'re often taught emotional exclusivity with our spouses, but we never suggest that one should love their child with \"part\" of their heart. Why should we love our friends with only part of our heart? We can give a close friend our whole heart and still value and honor our spouses.\n\nWhen asked why they care about the topic of cross-gender friendship, Dan replied, \"Love. I have received Christ’s love through Jennifer and Susanne. They have healed parts of me. I have seen their love towards me as extremely virtuous. It’s a part of the kingdom of ‘love one another\'. Part of love is that friendship is a school of love. <strong>I have been schooled and educated in a deep, moral way through friendship with Jennifer and Susanne.</strong>\"\n\nSusanne responded, \"Our calling is to learn how to love someone of the opposite gender and the same gender beyond any attraction. There’s a more thorough healing that can happen so we can love one another deeply. Women and men need one another to minister to each other.\"\n\nAnd Jennifer shared, \"<strong>The lost apologetic is to love one another.</strong> That is missing between men and women. What would it say to the world if they could see men and women loving one another. This is a brokenness that is in many cultures. We can start breaking through those barriers.\"\n\n<em>(come by tomorrow for part 3)</em>','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)','','inherit','open','open','','6439-autosave','','','2012-05-02 20:03:04','2012-05-03 03:03:04','',6439,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/6439-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7350,189,'2012-07-31 10:07:55','2012-07-31 17:07:55','Explain the two words spoken by Jesus—“Follow me”—in 1000 words or less? Hmmm. Maybe I should just stop right there and let you think this through on your own.\r\n\r\nMy understanding of what it means to follow Him has changed over the years. Perhaps our understanding of “following” is <em>supposed</em> to change over time as our maturity in the Lord grows in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the ways we experience Him with others. Because I can’t claim to know <em>everything</em> about following Jesus, the best I can offer is to share <em>some</em> of the things I’ve learned about following Jesus—beginning with what “following Jesus” is <strong><em>not</em><em>.</em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Following Jesus is not the same thing as: </strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Following the teachings of Jesus, or following doctrines, ,creeds, or denominational statements of faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Following a Bible Reading Plan, memorizing scripture, or claiming a “life verse”.</li>\r\n	<li>Following “religious convictions”, or acting upon those convictions, alone or as a group, purely for the sake of acting upon convictions.</li>\r\n	<li>Attending a weekly worship service, and maybe a midweek prayer meeting or Bible study, or meeting with a small group or accountability partner.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThere isn’t anything wrong with doing these things. In fact, I  follow  Jesus today because others encouraged me to do these things over the course of my spiritual journey. If I’ve learned anything, I’ve learned that “Christian practices” are not the same thing as following Jesus. <em></em>I know a lot <em>about</em> <em>Jesus</em> by studying, talking about or meditating on these things—but knowing a lot <em>about Jesus</em> isn’t the same as <em>knowing Jesus</em>. It helps to know Who you’re following.<strong><em></em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>“Follow me.”</em></strong>  Two words caused Simon and Andrew to drop their fishing nets.  James and John “left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after Him.” (Mark 1:20 Amplified). Levi, son of Alphaeus, left his tax booth: “he arose and joined Him and His disciples and sided with His party and accompanied Him.” (Mark 2:14 Amp). Philip ran to find his friend Nathanael and they too followed Him. Twelve men, in all, apparently left their life’s work to follow Jesus.\r\n\r\nI find it interesting that the Amplified Version conveys that the words “follow me” carry the connotation, “side with my party\".  Against the backdrop of  first century Hebrew culture—oppressed by the conquering Romans, looking for Messiah to deliver the Children of Israel and fulfill all the promises of the Old Testament—we read Nathanael’s confession, “Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49) and the reason the twelve “followed” begins to come into focus.  Over the course of the next three and a half years, these men—and later Saul of Tarsus, among others—would come to understand that following Jesus isn’t about following teachings, doctrines, scriptures, convictions or attending religious meetings.  Men and women down through centuries found, in the Gospels and other writings of the New Testament, not <em>something</em> to believe in and follow, but rather <strong><em>Someone</em></strong> to believe in and follow.\r\n\r\nTo follow Jesus is to follow a living <strong><em>Person!</em></strong>\r\n<blockquote><strong><em> </em></strong>“And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.”__John 1:14 (Amp)\r\n\r\n“For it has <strong>pleased</strong> [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should <strong>dwell</strong> in Him permanently.”__ Colossians 1:19 (Amp)</blockquote>\r\nFollowing a living Person, who is the Christ, comes with a cost, which He explained Himself to His disciples:\r\n<blockquote>“And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, <sup> </sup>forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].” __Luke 9:23 (Amp)</blockquote>\r\nWhat do we have to gain by following this all-wonderful, all-glorious, all-divine Person? What is the outcome we look forward to? For starters, eternal life! Make that eternal, <strong><em>abundant</em> </strong>life, sustained by Christ who <strong><em>is</em></strong> our life! Many more “rewards” are promised to faithful followers who overcome the trials and temptations of this world—check out the letters to the seven churches in John’s last book!\r\n\r\nThere’s another important thing I’ve learned about following Jesus: it’s something we do <strong><em>together</em></strong>.\r\n\r\nFollowing Jesus is following a living <strong><em>Person</em></strong>…<strong><em>together!</em></strong>\r\n<blockquote>“When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory. __Colossians 3:4 (Amp)</blockquote>','','','inherit','open','open','','7337-revision-12','','','2012-07-31 10:07:55','2012-07-31 17:07:55','',7337,'http://provoketive.com/2012/07/31/7337-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(6465,12,'2012-05-03 11:20:59','2012-05-03 18:20:59','','seau4','','inherit','open','open','','seau4','','','2012-05-03 11:20:59','2012-05-03 18:20:59','',6464,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/seau4.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6466,12,'2012-05-03 11:21:38','2012-05-03 18:21:38','','seau2','','inherit','open','open','','seau2','','','2012-05-03 11:21:38','2012-05-03 18:21:38','',6464,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/seau2.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6467,12,'2012-05-03 11:18:03','2012-05-03 18:18:03','All-Pro NFL linebacker Junior Seau, who spent most of his amazing career with the San Diego Chargers ended his life recently with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. There is much speculation on why he did it. That\'s not what this article is about.\n\nI got to see Seau play in person twice in his career. Once against the Colts and once against the Rams. He was an amazing leader and ball player. When the play ended, he was almost always where the ball was. He was the true definition of a football player.\n\nOne of the most touching tributes to Seau was by Saints offensive lineman Eric Olsen. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/junior-seau-dead-suicide-eric-olsen-twitter_n_1472482.html\">Take time to read the story at Huffington Post.</a> Without Seau\'s encouragement, Olsen would probably have never pursued a football career.\n\nThis morning, I was listening to sports radio and a caller to one of the programs used one of my least favorite phrases when it comes to suicide. The caller said, \"he took the easy way out.\"\n\nThe easy way out. There are a lot of reasons I abhor that phrase. First, it is extremely insensitive to the family of anyone who has lost someone due to suicide. For the family who is suffering the loss of a loved one who took their own life, there are few words of comfort. There are broken pieces that need to be picked up and that will never be put back together again. Using phrases like, \"he took the easy way out,\" is not a way to help.\n\nIt\'s almost as bad as saying to the family, \"he picked a long-term solution for a short-term problem.\" Yeah, we get what you mean, but those are not words to console with.\n\nI had a grief counselor tell me once that those left behind in the wake of suicide are all left wondering, \"Why? Was there something I could have done? Was it something I did?\" And each of those people all carry with them a piece of that person and a disturbing part of the questions unanswered.\n\nSecondly, using the phrase, \"the easy way out,\" typically comes from those who have no understanding of what severe depression is like. The type of depression that leads one down a path where seemingly, the only door available to them is one that leads them to self-destruction. It\'s an awful place to be, when suddenly, one believes that the world would be a better place without them or that things are never going to improve. The path to that door is not easy, it is terrible, awful and heartbreaking.\n\nThere may be signs that someone is considering suicide that we can watch for. Suicide is not the answer for problems, obviously. But grieving families need support, proper words and consoling, instead of cliche, speculation and strange looks.\n\nThere comes a moment when we all need to be wary of the words we use and ask ourselves why we use them. This might be one of those moments where we remove a certain phrase from our vocabulary.\n\n______________________________\n\nLinks:\n\n<a href=\"http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-recognizing-signs-of-suicide\">WebMD Suicide and Depression: Signs and Symptoms</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.console.ie/index.php?contentid=Suicide&amp;sectionid=suicide-bereavement\">Console: Suicide Bereavement</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/\">National Suicide Prevention Hotline</a>\n\n&nbsp;','Junior Seau and \"The Easy Way Out\"','','inherit','open','open','','6464-revision','','','2012-05-03 11:18:03','2012-05-03 18:18:03','',6464,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/03/6464-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6541,179,'2012-05-06 20:48:21','2012-05-07 03:48:21','','SEAU','','inherit','open','open','','seau','','','2012-05-06 20:48:21','2012-05-07 03:48:21','',6464,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/SEAU.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6468,12,'2012-05-03 11:22:20','2012-05-03 18:22:20','All-Pro NFL linebacker Junior Seau, who spent most of his amazing career with the San Diego Chargers ended his life recently with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. There is much speculation on why he did it. That\'s not what this article is about.\r\n\r\nI got to see Seau play in person twice in his career. Once against the Colts and once against the Rams. He was an amazing leader and ball player. When the play ended, he was almost always where the ball was. He was the true definition of a football player.\r\n\r\nOne of the most touching tributes to Seau was by Saints offensive lineman Eric Olsen. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/junior-seau-dead-suicide-eric-olsen-twitter_n_1472482.html\">Take time to read the story at Huffington Post.</a> Without Seau\'s encouragement, Olsen would probably have never pursued a football career.\r\n\r\nThis morning, I was listening to sports radio and a caller to one of the programs used one of my least favorite phrases when it comes to suicide. The caller said, \"he took the easy way out.\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/seau2.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6466\" style=\"margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/seau2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"298\" /></a>The easy way out. There are a lot of reasons I abhor that phrase. First, it is extremely insensitive to the family of anyone who has lost someone due to suicide. For the family who is suffering the loss of a loved one who took their own life, there are few words of comfort. There are broken pieces that need to be picked up and that will never be put back together again. Using phrases like, \"he took the easy way out,\" is not a way to help.\r\n\r\nIt\'s almost as bad as saying to the family, \"he picked a long-term solution for a short-term problem.\" Yeah, we get what you mean, but those are not words to console with.\r\n\r\nI had a grief counselor tell me once that those left behind in the wake of suicide are all left wondering, \"Why? Was there something I could have done? Was it something I did?\" And each of those people all carry with them a piece of that person and a disturbing part of the questions unanswered.\r\n\r\nSecondly, using the phrase, \"the easy way out,\" typically comes from those who have no understanding of what severe depression is like. The type of depression that leads one down a path where seemingly, the only door available to them is one that leads them to self-destruction. It\'s an awful place to be, when suddenly, one believes that the world would be a better place without them or that things are never going to improve. The path to that door is not easy, it is terrible, awful and heartbreaking.\r\n\r\nThere may be signs that someone is considering suicide that we can watch for. Suicide is not the answer for problems, obviously. But grieving families need support, proper words and consoling, instead of cliche, speculation and strange looks.\r\n\r\nThere comes a moment when we all need to be wary of the words we use and ask ourselves why we use them. This might be one of those moments where we remove a certain phrase from our vocabulary.\r\n\r\n______________________________\r\n\r\nLinks:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-recognizing-signs-of-suicide\">WebMD Suicide and Depression: Signs and Symptoms</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.console.ie/index.php?contentid=Suicide&amp;sectionid=suicide-bereavement\">Console: Suicide Bereavement</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/\">National Suicide Prevention Hotline</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Junior Seau and \"The Easy Way Out\"','','inherit','open','open','','6464-revision-2','','','2012-05-03 11:22:20','2012-05-03 18:22:20','',6464,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/03/6464-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6469,160,'2012-05-03 15:11:41','2012-05-03 22:11:41','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cinco4.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-6436\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cinco4-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\nDid you know that the first Cinco de Mayo celebration was not in Mexico, but in California in 1863?   To this day, the date is still more celebrated in the US than in Mexico.  While that probably has more to do with tequila and beer corporations marketing the holiday, there is a good reason for (North) Americans to remember Cinco de Mayo.  Contrary to popular belief, May 5th is not Mexico’s Independence Day.  It actually commemorates one of the most important battles in the <em>US</em> Civil War and played a part in Lincoln being able to preserve the Union.\n\nAfter a series of exhausting and expensive wars from 1846 to 1860 (including the Mexican-American War), Mexico was bankrupt.   Mexican President Juarez issued a memorandum that all debt payments would have to be suspended for two years.  That was enough for the English, Spanish and the French to load their respective armies on their ships to come looking for payment.  While the English and Spanish worked out an agreement with Mexico and turned back, Napoleon III (Napoleon I’s nephew) saw an opportunity to make a land grab and establish “The Second Mexican Empire.”\n\nThe French ships landed in Veracruz in 1861 and 8,000 heavily armed French soldiers began their march toward Mexico City…. At the time, France had one of the best trained armies in the world.  They had been undefeated for fifty years, since Waterloo.   However, on their way to the capital city, they ran into General Ignacio Zaragoza and the 4,000 men he had recruited, many of whom were local farmers armed with nothing more than machetes.  When the dust settled in the foothills of Puebla, the elite French army was in full retreat.\n\nWord of the shocking upset spread throughout the countryside and to the entire world.  Relishing their miraculous victory, beleaguered Mexicans were instilled with a renewed sense of national unity and pride.   Unfortunately, the victory was mostly symbolic.  While the French did suffer a major setback, their superior firepower eventually won out.  It took over a year and 30,000 troops, but France took control of Mexico City and installed “Maximilian I” as the new (French approved) emperor of Mexico.\n\nSo how did “Cinco de Mayo” help to preserve the Union?   In 1862, the Civil War was also raging in the United States.   Many believe Napoleon III’s endgame was to break up the Union by providing arms and money to the Confederate Army.  In fact, if France had taken the region of central/Northern Mexico of Puebla, they would have been in position to begin supporting the Confederacy at a critical time in the Civil War.  When the Mexicans defeated the French on May 5th, it bought the Union Army fourteen more months to get to Gettysburg and end the war before the French could weigh in.\n\nOnce the Civil War was finally over, a grateful Abraham Lincoln was able to provide guns and ammunition to Mexico’s rebels who were fighting to take their country back.  Two years later, the French were expelled by the Mexican army and Maximilian I was executed on orders of President Juarez.  The US and Mexico have never been invaded by a European power since.\n\nSo, what are the lessons we can learn from Cinco de Mayo?\n<ol>\n	<li>Empire building is usually not very good foreign policy.   Invading countries half way around the world and expecting them to remain in submission rarely works out.  Napoleon learned that the hard way, as have many Emperors and Presidents throughout history… even recent history.</li>\n	<li>While we’ve had our differences, Mexico and the US have had a longstanding, mutually beneficial relationship.   Maybe we should remember that when we consider immigration reform and decide how to deal with the 10 to 12 million “undocumented” men and women who mostly just want to work really hard to feed their families.</li>\n	<li>Finally, Cinco de Mayo is a great opportunity to celebrate the rich Mexican heritage and embrace the many ways our neighbors have enriched our own country.   And yeah, it’s a pretty good excuse to hoist a Margarita or two, dip some guacamole, and kick up your heels.</li>\n</ol>\nJeff Fulmer lives in Nashville Tennessee and is the author of the blog and the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hometown-Prophet-Jeff-Fulmer/dp/1463632312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312940193&amp;sr=8-1\">Hometown Prophet</a>. <em> If God spoke through a prophet today, would we really want to hear what he has to say?</em>   For more information, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/\">Hometown Prophet website</a>.   Follow on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/hometownprophet\">Twitter</a> or like on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/HometownProphet\">Facebook</a>.','Why We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo','','inherit','open','open','','6435-autosave','','','2012-05-03 15:11:41','2012-05-03 22:11:41','',6435,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/03/6435-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6471,180,'2012-05-03 20:41:06','2012-05-04 03:41:06','I recently wrote a recommendation for one of my best friends. Not for a job, not for LinkedIn, not for a sweet spot at some Ivy League college or for an elite daycare. But to finally have all of his criminal records expunged.\n\nPeople will argue that he should not have them removed, that he must pay his debt to society, that he is a bad man and deserves no shot at a normal life. These people have the Devil in them.\n\nI don’t just say this as one who is hurt by their demonization of my good friend. I say this as one who believes that their tongue is set on fire by hell itself - that what they represent is to steal, kill, and destroy life – that ultimately the perspective they espouse is from the Father of Lies.\n\nMy friend/brother/sometimes-sparring-partner/secret-lover David Henson recently said that he doesn’t believe in a being called Satan, but that Satan is a scapegoat for the collective sins of humanity. I do believe in spiritual beings, good and evil and - like in the Buffyverse - a whole lot in between. But I also think that much of these beings are devils of our own making. We place upon them our own very worst tendencies.\n\nThe Devil made us do it.\n\nThe Devil makes us imprison entire populations for measly crimes. For, roughly, the crime of being poor, the infraction of being born “losers.” We don’t want to have to deal with the ugliness of the fear that “There I go but for the grace of God” and the terror of proximity to ugliness. So we make a hell and we put those who confound us and trouble our conscience there. They remind us what it means to be poor, they must be removed, marginalized, swept up, and locked away.\n\nSo we lock them up for nothing, for something, for violence or for relaxing, but largely for being poor and colored. Those who are in need of fixing are combined with those who are in need of an equal shake at a living wage job and they are mixed up and the worst gets to the most of them and they are implanted with schemes and haunted dreams.\n\nThe devil gets to them.\n\nAnd they do their time, waste their time, sitting, lifting weights, smoking, sleep when they’re told. They may watch a game of basketball, play a pick-up game, whistle at the visitors when and if they get that rare chance, read, think, sulk. But mostly they spend inconsiderate and immense hours and days and years – often in solitude, sometimes in nothing but solitude, sometimes with the simplest of communication, but mostly alone.\n\nIt’s a dark, lonely, wretched, demonic time, bereft of the treatment that is given to a child of God, one made in God’s own image.\n\nDepression sets in, because no one was made to psychologically or spiritually withstand that type of treatment. No one is supposed to be on the defensive at every single moment of life – waking or unwaking.\n\nAnd they get tossed from imprisonment and back into normal life – but not really. They can’t find living wage jobs, they can’t find decent housing. There’s a good chance they may have picked up some bad habits while locked up. And if they haven’t, the perception is there. And if they have, regardless of whether or not they practice them or would ever practice them, we don’t want their kind in our building, workspace, our houses of worship, or near our children. Whether or not they actually pose a risk, they carry the Mark of the Beast – the Mark of the Worst.\n\nWe talk of redemption. We aren’t willing to live by it. It’s much cheaper and easier to demonize.\n\nIn many states, these same ex-cons are not allowed to vote and therefore have no say in their predicament. I guess we fear that they may overtake us and put in laws using cigarettes instead of the US dollar. Or, that they may push for bills for more leniency toward ex-felons.\n\nHeaven forbid.\n\nBecause then maybe the streets may not be filled with them. People like my friend, whose family was not able to take him in for any extended period of time, who could not find a quality job with his record, nor with his injuries find any type of job that did not include further injuring himself. Being a Jack of All Trades was not adequate enough for him, not with him being a criminal.\n\nSo he was forced to live on the streets. It’s better since Jesus found him. But even Jesus needs some help.\n\nWhen I’m able to maybe I’ll share his testimony. The pertinent part of it being, however, how extraordinary it is – not necessarily because it has to be, but because such are the ways of how we treat our convicts, our homeless, our poor, our “criminal class”. It is such that only extraordinary with extraordinary energy and extraordinary skills and who happen to find themselves in extraordinary situations are able to rise above the fate of the ex-con, particularly the ex-con of color.\n\nI know that I couldn’t make it to the next level. Not with watching my back every moment, not with sleeping with one eye opened, not with constant harassment from cops, not with constant fights over scraps. And not with the daily torment of battling the elements, the weather, animals, and the stares and distances that the home-privileged build between ourselves and those with the stench of homelessness – wary that they will beg us, make us feel uncomfortable for having any degree of comfort, they wary of our wariness of them and the situation of life they are in.\n\nMy experience with the homeless has taught me that madness sets in, because no one was made towithstand this type of treatment. Not psychologically, spiritually or physically  No one should be on the defensive at every single moment of life – waking or unwaking.','Homelessness, Prison, and the Devil of our Making','','inherit','open','open','','6470-revision','','','2012-05-03 20:41:06','2012-05-04 03:41:06','',6470,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/03/6470-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6473,180,'2012-05-03 21:27:15','2012-05-04 04:27:15','I recently wrote a recommendation for one of my best friends. Not for a job, not for LinkedIn, not for a sweet spot at some Ivy League college nor for an elite daycare. But to finally have all of his criminal records expunged.\n\nPeople will argue that he should not have them removed, that he must pay his debt to society, that he is a bad man and deserves no shot at a normal life. <em>These people have the Devil in them.</em>\n\nI don’t just say this as one who is hurt by their demonization of my good friend. I say this as one who believes that their tongue is set on fire by hell itself - that <strong>what they represent is to steal, kill, and destroy life</strong> – that ultimately the perspective they espouse is from the Father of Lies.\n\nMy friend/brother/sometimes-sparring-partner/secret-lover David Henson recently said that he<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/04/30/the-making-of-an-adversary-satan-and-christianitys-unspoken-heresy/\" target=\"_blank\"> doesn’t believe in a being called Satan</a>, but that Satan is a scapegoat for the collective sins of humanity. I do believe in spiritual beings, good and evil and - like in the Buffyverse - a whole lot in between. But I also think that much of these beings are devils of our own making.<strong> We place upon them our own very worst tendencies.</strong>\n\nThe Devil made us do it.\n\n<em>The Devil makes us imprison entire populations for measly crimes</em>. For, roughly, the crime of being poor, the infraction of being born “losers.” We don’t want to have to deal with the ugliness of the fear that “There I go but for the grace of God” and the terror of proximity to ugliness. So we make a hell and we put those who confound us and trouble our conscience there. They remind us what it means to be poor, they must be removed, marginalized, swept up, and locked away.\n\n<strong>So we lock them up for</strong> nothing, for something, for violence or for relaxing, but largely for being poor and colored. Those who are in need of fixing are combined with those who are in need of an equal shake at a living wage job and they are mixed up and the worst gets to the most of them and they are implanted with schemes and haunted dreams.\n\nThe devil gets to them.\n\nAnd they do their time, waste their time, sitting, lifting weights, smoking, sleep when they’re told. They may watch a game of basketball, play a pick-up game, whistle at the visitors when and if they get that rare chance, read, think, sulk. But mostly they spend inconsiderate and immense hours and days and years – often in solitude, sometimes in nothing but solitude, sometimes with the simplest of communication, but mostly alone.\n\nIt’s a dark, lonely, wretched, demonic time, bereft of the treatment that is given to a child of God, one made in God’s own image.\n\nDepression sets in, because no one was made to psychologically or spiritually withstand that type of treatment. No one is supposed to be on the defensive at every single moment of life – waking or unwaking.\n\nAnd they get tossed from imprisonment and back into normal life – but not really. They can’t find living wage jobs, they can’t find decent housing. There’s a good chance they may have picked up some bad habits while locked up. And if they haven’t, the perception is there. And if they have, regardless of whether or not they practice them or would ever practice them, we don’t want their kind in our building, workspace, our houses of worship, or near our children. Whether or not they actually pose a risk, they carry the Mark of the Beast – the Mark of the Worst.\n\nWe talk of redemption. We aren’t willing to live by it. It’s much cheaper and easier to demonize.\n\nIn many states, these same ex-cons are not allowed to vote and therefore have no say in their predicament. I guess we fear that they may overtake us and put in laws using cigarettes instead of the US dollar. Or, that they may push for bills for more leniency toward ex-felons.\n\nHeaven forbid.\n\nBecause then maybe the streets may not be filled with them. People like my friend, whose family was not able to take him in for any extended period of time, who could not find a quality job with his record, nor with his injuries find any type of job that did not include further injuring himself. Being a Jack of All Trades was not adequate enough for him, not with him being a criminal.\n\nSo he was forced to live on the streets. It’s better since Jesus found him. But even Jesus needs some help.\n\nWhen I’m able to maybe I’ll share his testimony. The pertinent part of it being, however, how extraordinary it is – not necessarily because it has to be, but because such are the ways of how we treat our convicts, our homeless, our poor, our “criminal class”. It is such that only extraordinary with extraordinary energy and extraordinary skills and who happen to find themselves in extraordinary situations are able to rise above the fate of the ex-con, particularly the ex-con of color.\n\nI know that I couldn’t make it to the next level. Not with watching my back every moment, not with sleeping with one eye opened, not with constant harassment from cops, not with constant fights over scraps. And not with the daily torment of battling the elements, the weather, animals, and the stares and distances that the home-privileged build between ourselves and those with the stench of homelessness – wary that they will beg us, make us feel uncomfortable for having any degree of comfort, they wary of our wariness of them and the situation of life they are in.\n\nMy experience with the homeless has taught me that madness sets in, because no one was made towithstand this type of treatment. Not psychologically, spiritually or physically  No one should be on the defensive at every single moment of life – waking or unwaking.','Homelessness, Prison, and the Devil of our Making','','inherit','open','open','','6470-revision-2','','','2012-05-03 21:27:15','2012-05-04 04:27:15','',6470,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/03/6470-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6475,46,'2012-05-12 08:00:09','2012-05-12 15:00:09','There\'s a scene in the movie <em>The Exorcist</em> where the two priests talk about why the devil would choose to possess Linda Blair\'s character out of all the other people in the world. Max Von Sydow\'s character responds, \"I think the point is to make us despair. To see ourselves as... animal and ugly. To make us reject the possibility that God could love us.\"\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s the basis for all of my anguish and despair. All of my questions, my doubts, and my fears all boil down to this one fear: that God might not love me.\r\n\r\nIt happened in high school and college when I would cut myself on a regular basis.\r\n\r\nIt happened when I was engaged to Amy and couldn\'t be the man her family wanted me to be.\r\n\r\nAnd it\'s been happening lately with my bisexuality.\r\n\r\nI always knew I was somehow different from all the other little boys and girls, but I could never put my finger on it. It wasn\'t until I reached middle school that I finally found a name for it: bisexuality. But even after I found a name for it, I was hesitant to identify myself as that. Even though I knew I liked boys, my attraction to girls was much stronger. And in order to be bi you have to like both equally, right? Or so I thought.\r\n\r\nFor years I brushed my attraction to men aside and just focused on my attraction to women, even though my relationships with women always felt awkward. I just chalked it all up to being painfully shy. But then a few months ago during silent meditation, a loud voice rang inside my head: \"You like men, admit it!\"\r\n\r\nSo I did what I normally do when I have questions, which is do some research on the web. I found out that bisexuals don\'t have to be equally attracted to both men and women. Some have stronger feelings for the same sex, and others for the opposite. I also talked to a friend of mine who is a transgender male. Over the years he has really challenged my beliefs about homosexuality and the Bible. My friend said I don\'t need to come out of the closet immediately if I\'m not ready yet, but I also couldn\'t pretend to be someone I\'m not for much longer.\r\n\r\nFinally, about two months ago, I came out on my blog.\r\n\r\nMost of my readers are LGBT-affirming, so there wasn\'t a backlash at first. In fact, shortly after I came out I found an ELCA church that affirmed LGBT people. However, just recently friends have said they are worried about me, and that I\'m going down a dark path. And that\'s when that old question pops back into my head: <em>Does God really love me? How can God possibly love a faggot like me?</em>\r\n\r\nI wish my more conservative friends would realize that my bisexuality isn\'t just a habit I can easily break by just saying the right prayers. <em>It\'s who I am</em>. Yes, I am more than just who I\'m attracted to. I\'m a writer, a Christian, a big brother, a son, a boyfriend, etc. But my bisexuality isn\'t just some perverted fetish I can force myself to ignore. Believe me, I tried that, and it didn\'t work.\r\n\r\nI hope this doesn\'t freak anybody out, but I would be lying if I said I hadn\'t been eying the razor blade this past week.\r\n\r\nLast night before I went to bed I prayed that God would show me what to do. This morning I woke up to an encouraging Facebook message from a friend. As I read it, I realized that I have to be myself. I can\'t pretend to be someone I\'m not. If God tells me I need to change, then so be it. But for now, in this moment, I\'m proud to say that I am both queer and beloved. You don\'t have to agree with me, of course. But if you can\'t love me and accept me for that, then don\'t let the door hit you on the way out.','Queer and Beloved','','publish','open','open','','queer-and-beloved','','','2012-05-06 21:02:10','2012-05-07 04:02:10','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6475',0,'post','',6),(6476,64,'2012-05-10 08:00:08','2012-05-10 15:00:08','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\r\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\r\n\r\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal\" person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far as being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\r\n\r\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me, or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\r\n\r\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\r\n\r\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\r\n\r\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\r\n\r\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\r\n\r\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\r\n\r\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\r\n\r\nWe, the collective consumer, must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\r\n\r\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','Eating Animals','','publish','open','open','','eating-animals','','','2012-05-06 20:43:59','2012-05-07 03:43:59','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6476',0,'post','',2),(6477,64,'2012-05-04 06:57:46','2012-05-04 13:57:46','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\n\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal “person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\n\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\n\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\n\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\n\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\n\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\n\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\n\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\n\nWe the collective consumer must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\n\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','??','','inherit','open','open','','6476-revision','','','2012-05-04 06:57:46','2012-05-04 13:57:46','',6476,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6476-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6480,30,'2012-05-08 11:00:16','2012-05-08 18:00:16','<em>(Click here to read <a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 1)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/01/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-1/\" target=\"_blank\">part 1</a> and <a title=\"Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 2)\" href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/02/friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-2/\" target=\"_blank\">part 2</a>)</em>\r\n\r\nBefore we broke for lunch, Forrest and Vanessa Horn spoke to us about their journey as a married couple dealing with a cross-gender friendship. Often we hear from the people who are in the friendship, but it is more rare to hear from the spouse of the person friend. This courageous couple shared not only the beauty of a close friendship between a man and woman, but also some of the struggles that can happen between a husband and wife as a result of that friendship. Forrest had to deal with his feelings of being not enough for his wife. In one of the most touching parts of their presentation, he talked about receiving a call from Vanessa\'s friend and spending an hour on the phone with him.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6405\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sacred-friendship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"157\" /></a>They are still working through learning how to have a cross-gender friendship in their marriage, but their contribution to the weekend was a powerful reminder that we can learn, even through difficulty, how to make this happen.\r\n\r\nAfter lunch, <a title=\"Jim Henderson\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/jim-henderson/\" target=\"_blank\">Jim Henderson</a>, author of <a title=\"The Resignation of Eve by Jim Henderson\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Resignation-Eve-Willing-Churchs-Backbone/dp/1414337302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324679289&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Resignation of Eve</a>, gave his presentation. The title of his piece was \"The Only Reason Jesus Gives Us Power is to Give It Away.\" Jim focused on how the issue of power plays into that of cross-gender friendships. He reminded us that we all have some level of power afforded to us because of various life circumstances, and we must be wise with how we use that power. Aside from the fear myth, one of the biggest reasons that cross-gender friendships are so taboo is because of inequity between the sexes, especially in the church. We have accepted that inequality for too long and if we want to move forward with friendship, we need to have a better understanding of how we approach power in friendship.\r\n\r\nFollowing Jim\'s talk, <a title=\"Kathy Escobar\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/kathy-escobar/\" target=\"_blank\">Kathy Escobar</a>, author of <a title=\"Down We Go by Kathy Escobar\" href=\"http://store.civitaspress.com/books/35\" target=\"_blank\">Down We Go</a>, shared with us the power of healing in cross-gender friendships. Kathy said, \"I don\'t wake up thinking about cross-gender friendships, but I do think about ways we can all be set free.\" Kathy co-pastors at <a title=\"The Refuge\" href=\"http://kathyescobar.com/the-refuge/\" target=\"_blank\">The Refuge</a> with a man, and as a result, she has found that cross-gender friendships can absolutely bring healing. She said that we know how to live under and over people, but working along-side people is something that we are still learning, and her work with her male co-pastor has taught her more about the along-side work to be done.\r\n\r\nKathy addressed the question of \"need\" in friendship. She suggested that need is completely acceptable, because we all have needs. However, it\'s important that we be honest about our needs and be in touch with our brokenness. Friendship can heal brokenness, but only if we know where the hurt is and are intentional those relationships. She said that we may live in the fallen world of Genesis 3, but we can taste the beauty of Genesis 1, and friendship is a part of that process.\r\n\r\nThere was a final panel discussion. One question asked was: <em>Is it imperative that we have cross-gender friendships?</em>\r\n\r\nSome responses included:\r\n\r\n<strong>Sheila Brennan</strong>: Is \"love one another\" an imperative?\r\n\r\n<strong>Jennifer Ould</strong>: Reconciliation between the genders is an imperative. And I don’t know how you do reconciliation without friendship.\r\n\r\n<strong>Kathy Escobar</strong>: We assume that whatever the current system is, is somehow right. I don’t have an agenda, but I want to be a voice into the possibility that maybe the way we’re doing it isn’t right.\r\n\r\nThere was also a question about the language used. <em>Is cross-gender friendship setting up potential walls? Should we speak in terms of family relationships (brother and sister) since that\'s more acceptable to others?</em>\r\n\r\nJennifer suggested that family language has been okay as long as men and women are still separated. It still doesn\'t do anything to bridge the gap.\r\n\r\nMeredith Efkin stated that because that language has been used so regularly in the Church, it has lost much of its meaning.\r\n\r\n<strong>Jim Henderson:</strong> To have people hear, we have to say things differently.\r\n\r\nBefore we wrapped up our time, Dan\'s good friend <a title=\"John Armstrong\" href=\"http://sacredfriendshipgathering.com/speakers/john-armstrong/\" target=\"_blank\">John H. Armstrong</a> shared with us about Christian unity. He reminded us that the most important part of cross-gender friendship is <em>friendship</em>. As long as we continue to remember that, we have the upper hand in the discussion. He also shared that we need to remember that unity is not something that was intended to be partial, but rather to be complete. We can be friends with men and women because unity isn\'t bound by gender.\r\n\r\nOur time closed with the breaking of bread in communion. We were led in the liturgy by Jennifer Ould, and we were served by men and women at the conference.\r\n\r\nCommunion is such a lovely picture of sacrificial love. Jesus shared this intimate meal with his friends. They celebrated their history, and Jesus gave a picture of what was to come. There was pain and division present, but there was also an abundance of love and reconciliation.\r\n\r\nAs we contemplate cross-gender friendship, it\'s important to recognize the pain and division that it can cause, but let us dwell on the love and reconciliation','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 3)','','publish','open','open','','friendship-between-the-genders-sacred-friendship-gathering-part-3','','','2012-05-08 09:08:36','2012-05-08 16:08:36','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6480',0,'post','',4),(6478,64,'2012-05-04 06:58:48','2012-05-04 13:58:48','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\r\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\r\n\r\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal “person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\r\n\r\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\r\n\r\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\r\n\r\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\r\n\r\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\r\n\r\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\r\n\r\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\r\n\r\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\r\n\r\nWe the collective consumer must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\r\n\r\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','??','','inherit','open','open','','6476-revision-2','','','2012-05-04 06:58:48','2012-05-04 13:58:48','',6476,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6476-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6479,64,'2012-05-04 06:59:08','2012-05-04 13:59:08','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\r\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\r\n\r\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal “person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\r\n\r\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\r\n\r\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\r\n\r\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\r\n\r\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\r\n\r\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\r\n\r\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\r\n\r\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\r\n\r\nWe the collective consumer must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\r\n\r\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','??','','inherit','open','open','','6476-revision-3','','','2012-05-04 06:59:08','2012-05-04 13:59:08','',6476,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6476-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6481,179,'2012-05-06 20:45:11','2012-05-07 03:45:11','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\n\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal\" person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far as being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\n\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me, or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\n\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\n\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\n\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\n\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\n\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\n\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\n\nWe, the collective consumer, must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\n\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','Eating Animals','','inherit','open','open','','6476-autosave','','','2012-05-06 20:45:11','2012-05-07 03:45:11','',6476,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6476-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6482,64,'2012-05-04 06:59:54','2012-05-04 13:59:54','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\r\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\r\n\r\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal\" person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\r\n\r\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\r\n\r\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\r\n\r\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\r\n\r\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\r\n\r\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\r\n\r\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\r\n\r\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\r\n\r\nWe the collective consumer must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\r\n\r\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','??','','inherit','open','open','','6476-revision-4','','','2012-05-04 06:59:54','2012-05-04 13:59:54','',6476,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6476-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6646,181,'2012-05-17 08:00:59','2012-05-17 15:00:59','What would you do with three free sins?\r\n\r\nNow, you may say, \"Hold on a second: That question presupposes that I believe there is such a thing as sin and that under normal circumstances I have to pay someone for them.\" Agreed. So let\'s suppose you believe those things. What do you think? Three free ones, what would you do?\r\n\r\nBefore you answer, let me be clear. You may still have to suffer consequences for the three nasty things on your list, but you won\'t owe God jack. When it comes to these three sins, the slate is clean. They never show up on Santa\'s list.\r\n\r\nI\'ll go first. I\'m a pretty simple guy with common vices. I\'d get drunk, masturbate to porn and smoke a joint... not necessarily in that order.\r\n\r\nNow, you may say, \"Hold on a second! That\'s just not right! Masturbation and viewing pornography count as two sins.\" I understand where you\'re coming from, but I don\'t buy it. One without the other just isn\'t worth it. Press me on this and I\'ll use my second free sin on another joint, or maybe give you a purple nurple. I\'m sorry, that was harsh, but I\'m trying to get to a book review here and you keep interrupting.\r\n\r\nYou know what? Forget the three free sins. What if Jesus gave you unlimited free sins?! You still have to deal with cause and effect on this side of the veil, but God will never be angry at you for what you did or didn\'t do with your life. That\'s the heart of the message in Steve Brown\'s new book, <em>Three Free Sins: God\'s Not Mad at You</em>.\r\n\r\nAt this point I need to insert a disclaimer. I\'ve worked for Steve Brown for almost 15 years. Even so, Brandon Wallace, one of the editors at Provoketive.com, asked me to write a review of <em>Three Free Sins</em>. To me that\'s like asking Robin to review Batman\'s work. What do you expect? Robin\'s gonna tell you his boss is the coolest and he wishes he could trade in his lame uniform for one just like Batman\'s. Batman wrote the book on badass vigilante justice and that book gets five stars from the boy in green underwear, all day long. Even if <em>Three Free Sins</em> sucked, I\'d use one of my free sins and lie because Brown signs the paycheck.\r\n\r\nHowever, I don\'t have to lie. <em>Three Free Sins</em> is Steve Brown at his finest. As Steve admits, he couldn\'t have written this book even a few years ago. He had too much to lose. Today that\'s not the case. Steve\'s old. He\'s done everything he set out to do, and more. He’s a successful author, broadcaster and seminary professor. Nobody is pulling Steve’s strings and nobody has any leverage on him, so he tells it like it is. <em>Three Free Sins</em> is the gospel of grace with no punches pulled, but it\'s more than that.\r\n\r\n<em>Three Free Sins</em> charts a course correction for the church. It\'s a call to abandon the fruitless efforts of sin management in exchange for a life of radical freedom, infectious joy and surprising faithfulness to God. In fact, Steve argues that the reason Christians are so bad is that we\'re trying so hard to be good, and that the only people who get any better are those who know that if they don\'t get any better, Jesus will still love them anyway.\r\n\r\nWithout this focus on God\'s grace and unconditional love, the church has become filthy with the grotesque sins of self-righteousness and pride while frantically scrubbing at a few select sins with the narcissistic zeal of someone with OCD. <em>Three Free Sins</em> is the pure, cleansing water of gospel sanity.\r\n\r\nNot only that, this book is funny. Steve\'s illustrations and crotchety attitude are sprinkled throughout, making <em>Three Free Sins</em> a delightful combination of revelry and revelation.\r\n\r\nPlus Steve is secretly a multi-millionaire playboy who has a jet car and a utility belt with all kinds of great gear (including shark repellant).\r\n\r\nSo, if you think God is mad at you, or you\'ve been trying really hard to make God happy and you\'re tired and want to give up, you must read <em>Three Free Sins</em>. The infectious joy of finding out God is already quite pleased with you will give you strength in your weakness.\r\n\r\nIf you think you\'ve got it all together, this book will probably just tick you off, but read it anyway. Hopefully there will come a day when you find out the truth about yourself and you\'ll remember reading a book by that old white heretic, Steve Brown. Maybe then you\'ll be able to hear the message that your sins are free because Jesus picked up the tab.\r\n\r\nWell, that\'s my book review. I\'ve gotta go finish this spliff and wash the Batmobile. Go buy a copy of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Three-Free-Sins-Gods-Not/dp/1451612265/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1336790066&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Three Free Sins</em></a>. Steve has a staff to pay.','Three Free Sins: A Review of Sorts','','publish','open','open','','three-free-sins-a-review-of-sorts','','','2012-05-17 00:01:40','2012-05-17 07:01:40','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6646',0,'post','',3),(6484,46,'2012-05-04 06:53:55','2012-05-04 13:53:55','There\'s a scene in the movie <em>The Exorcist</em> where the two priests talk about why the devil would choose to possess Linda Blair\'s character out of all the other people in the world. Max Von Sydow\'s character responds, \"I think the point is to make us despair. To see ourselves as... animal and ugly. To make us reject the possibility that God could love us.\"\n\nAnd that\'s the basis for all of my anguish and despair. All of my questions, my doubts, and my fears all boil down to this one fear: that God might not love me.\n\nIt happened in high school and college when I would cut myself on a regular basis.\n\nIt happened when I was engaged to Amy and couldn\'t be the man her family wanted me to be.\n\nAnd it\'s been happening this week with my bisexuality. <em>How can God possibly love a faggot like me?</em>\n\nOf course, it doesn\'t help that I\'ve had people send me messages on Facebook telling me to turn away from sin and follow Jesus. I would love to, except that my bisexuality isn\'t just a behavior. It\'s who I am. Yes, I am more than just who I\'m attracted to. I\'m a writer, a Christian, a big brother, a son, a boyfriend, etc. But you see, my bisexuality isn\'t just some perverted fetish I can force myself to ignore. Believe me, I tried that, and it didn\'t work.\n\nI hope this doesn\'t freak anybody out, but I would be lying if I said I hadn\'t been eying the razor blade this past week.\n\nLast night before I went to bed I prayed that God would show me what to do. This morning I woke up to an encouraging Facebook message from a friend. As I read it I realized that I have to be myself. I can\'t pretend to be some one I\'m not. If God tells me I need to change, then so be it. But for now, in this moment I\'m proud to say that I am both queer and beloved. And if you can\'t love me and accept me for that, then don\'t let the door hit you on the way out. ','Queer and Beloved','','inherit','open','open','','6475-revision','','','2012-05-04 06:53:55','2012-05-04 13:53:55','',6475,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6475-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6485,64,'2012-05-04 07:07:06','2012-05-04 14:07:06','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\r\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\r\n\r\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal\" person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\r\n\r\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\r\n\r\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\r\n\r\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\r\n\r\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\r\n\r\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\r\n\r\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\r\n\r\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\r\n\r\nWe the collective consumer must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\r\n\r\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','??','','inherit','open','open','','6476-revision-5','','','2012-05-04 07:07:06','2012-05-04 14:07:06','',6476,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6476-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6486,30,'2012-05-04 07:04:13','2012-05-04 14:04:13','Before we broke for lunch, Forrest and Vanessa Horn spoke to us about their journey as a married couple dealing with a cross-gender friendship. Often we hear from the people who are in the friendship, but it is more rare to hear from the spouse of the person friend. This courageous couple shared not only the beauty of a close friendship between a man and woman, but also some of the struggles that can happen between a husband and wife as a result of that friendship.','Friendship Between the Genders: Sacred Friendship Gathering (Part 3)','','inherit','open','open','','6480-revision','','','2012-05-04 07:04:13','2012-05-04 14:04:13','',6480,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6480-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6487,64,'2012-05-04 07:10:39','2012-05-04 14:10:39','<p align=\"center\"><strong>“99% of the meat sold in the United States today comes from a factory farm.” </strong></p>\r\nIn the 1970s, my missionary parents uprooted us from the barefoot paradise of Papua New Guinea and planted us in Southern California.  My mother, suffering a bizarre set of health issues, began looking for answers in healthy eating practices.  While other kids ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Mother read Adelle Davis books on nutrition and force-fed us cod liver oil.\r\n\r\nPerhaps because of this, my need to fit in urged me to become a steak-loving “normal\" person. Food, for me, was always more than mere sustenance; it was a visceral, beautiful, even creative thing. But as far being a political statement or a critical health issue, well that was strictly for the <em>weirdoes</em>.\r\n\r\nReading Jonathan Safran Foer’s <em>Eating Animals</em> was the first time that I seriously considered that the Chicken Parmesan in front of me or the meat neatly stacked in my refrigerator was once a living thing.  And confronted by the horrors of modern animal farming, as recounted in shocking detail by Foer, I had to face certain facts: factory farms are disgusting and dangerous for our health.\r\n\r\nFoer made a three-year investigation into the sickening story that is American meat, describing with ghastly precision the disease, deformity and eventual mutilation of animals that defines factory farming today. I was filled with revulsion as Foer chronicled his grisly experience and quickly came to understand why Ellen DeGeneres has called <em>Eating Animals</em> “one of the most important books [she’s] ever read.”\r\n\r\nThe story is heart-wrenching, repulsive and barbaric.  One learns that the idyllic family farms we picture in our minds (think <em>Charlotte‘s Web</em>) have been transformed into secretive, highly secured factories lined with rows of “confinement pens” where animals languish, never seeing real daylight.  Foer admits to clandestinely breaking into a turkey farm to discover locked pen doors, gas masks on the walls, chicks with blackened beaks, and both dead and living birds matted with blood and covered in sores.  He details dozens of eerily similar stories indicting the farming of pigs, chickens, cows and even fish:\r\n\r\n“The power brokers of factory farming know that their business model depends on consumers not being able to see (or hear about) what they do.”\r\n\r\nIn a riveting (if also occasionally, rambling) narrative, Foer contends the meat industry is corrupt, with structures supporting the consumer-driven “need” for cheap meat.  Foer notes that prices haven’t substantially increased since the mid-fifties, and that the “efficiencies” of the factory system are the source of this “benefit.”  I was stunned to learn that only 1% of the meat we consume comes from family-run old-fashioned farms.  The rest is from factories where biodiversity is replaced by genetic uniformity, and the antibiotic-laced animals may be contributing to strange flu like symptoms ravaging millions of Americans.\r\n\r\nWith gritty specifics, allowing for many perspectives, Foer draws personal conclusions, while making it clear that our collective actions can change these practices.  But only by agreeing individually to stop purchasing factory farmed meat.\r\n\r\nIn this philosophical horror story, I was confronted with my “need” and realized I can no longer be a part of supporting this corrupt system.  A “normal” evangelical Mom, I am choosing to no longer eat animals unless they come locally and humanely from a farm.\r\n\r\nWe the collective consumer must make conscious choices, even sacrifices.   Foer says it well, “We are defined not just by what we do. We are defined by what we are willing to do without.”<em> </em> We need to put meat in the middle of the plate of our public discourse.\r\n\r\nThis review originally appeared on The Englewood Review of Books <a title=\"ERB\" href=\"http://erb.kingdomnow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">website</a>.','??','','inherit','open','open','','6476-revision-6','','','2012-05-04 07:10:39','2012-05-04 14:10:39','',6476,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6476-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6488,46,'2012-05-04 08:00:42','2012-05-04 15:00:42','There\'s a scene in the movie <em>The Exorcist</em> where the two priests talk about why the devil would choose to possess Linda Blair\'s character out of all the other people in the world. Max Von Sydow\'s character responds, \"I think the point is to make us despair. To see ourselves as... animal and ugly. To make us reject the possibility that God could love us.\"\n\nAnd that\'s the basis for all of my anguish and despair. All of my questions, my doubts, and my fears all boil down to this one fear: that God might not love me.\n\nIt happened in high school and college when I would cut myself on a regular basis.\n\nIt happened when I was engaged to Amy and couldn\'t be the man her family wanted me to be.\n\nAnd it\'s been happening lately with my bisexuality.\n\nI always knew I was somehow different from all the other little boys and girls, but I could never put my finger on it. It wasn\'t until I reached middle school that I finally found a name for it: bisexuality. But even after I found a name for it, I was hesitant to identify myself as that. Even though I knew I liked boys, my attracted to girls was much stronger. And in order to be bi you have to like both equally, right? Or so I thought.\n\nFor years I brushed my attraction to men aside and just focused on my attraction to women, even though my relationships with women always felt awkward. I just chalked it all up to being painfully shy. But then a few months ago during silent meditation, a loud voice rang inside my head: \"You like men, admit it!\"\n\nSo I did what I normally do when I have questions, which is do some research on the web. I found out that bisexuals don\'t have to be equally attracted to both men and women. Some have stronger feelings for the same sex, and others for the opposite. I also talked to a friend of mine who is a transgender male. Over the years he has really challenged my beliefs about homosexuality and the Bible. My friend said I don\'t need to come out of the closet immediately if I\'m not ready yet, but I also couldn\'t pretend to be someone I\'m not for much longer.\n\nFinally, about two months ago, I came out on my blog.\n\nMost of my readers are LGBT-affirming, so there wasn\'t a backlash at first. In fact, shortly after I came out I found an ELCA church that affirmed \n\n<em>How can God possibly love a faggot like me?</em>\n\nOf course, it doesn\'t help that I\'ve had people send me messages on Facebook telling me to turn away from sin and follow Jesus. I would love to, except that my bisexuality isn\'t just a behavior. <em>It\'s who I am</em>. Yes, I am more than just who I\'m attracted to. I\'m a writer, a Christian, a big brother, a son, a boyfriend, etc. But you see, my bisexuality isn\'t just some perverted fetish I can force myself to ignore. Believe me, I tried that, and it didn\'t work.\n\nI hope this doesn\'t freak anybody out, but I would be lying if I said I hadn\'t been eying the razor blade this past week.\n\nLast night before I went to bed I prayed that God would show me what to do. This morning I woke up to an encouraging Facebook message from a friend. As I read it I realized that I have to be myself. I can\'t pretend to be some one I\'m not. If God tells me I need to change, then so be it. But for now, in this moment I\'m proud to say that I am both queer and beloved. And if you can\'t love me and accept me for that, then don\'t let the door hit you on the way out.','Queer and Beloved','','inherit','open','open','','6475-revision-2','','','2012-05-04 08:00:42','2012-05-04 15:00:42','',6475,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6475-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6489,179,'2012-05-06 20:50:31','2012-05-07 03:50:31','All-Pro NFL linebacker Junior Seau, who spent most of his amazing career with the San Diego Chargers ended his life recently with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. There is much speculation on why he did it. That\'s not what this article is about.\n\nI got to see Seau play in person twice in his career. Once against the Colts and once against the Rams. He was an amazing leader and ball player. When the play ended, he was almost always where the ball was. He was the true definition of a football player.\n\nOne of the most touching tributes to Seau was by Saints offensive lineman Eric Olsen. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/junior-seau-dead-suicide-eric-olsen-twitter_n_1472482.html\">Take time to read the story at Huffington Post.</a> Without Seau\'s encouragement, Olsen would probably have never pursued a football career.\n\nThis morning, I was listening to sports radio and a caller to one of the programs used one of my least favorite phrases when it comes to suicide. The caller said, \"he took the easy way out.\"\n\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/seau2.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6466\" style=\"margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/seau2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"296\" height=\"298\" /></a>The easy way out. There are a lot of reasons I abhor that phrase. First, it is extremely insensitive to the family of anyone who has lost someone due to suicide. For the family who is suffering the loss of a loved one who took their own life, there are few words of comfort. There are broken pieces that need to be picked up, and that will never be put back together again. Using phrases like, \"he took the easy way out,\" is not a way to help.\n\nIt\'s almost as bad as saying to the family, \"he picked a long-term solution for a short-term problem.\" Yeah, we get what you mean, but those are not words to console with.\n\nI had a grief counselor tell me once that those left behind in the wake of suicide are all left wondering, \"Why? Was there something I could have done? Was it something I did?\" And each of those people all carry with them a piece of that person and a disturbing part of the questions unanswered.\n\nSecondly, using the phrase, \"the easy way out,\" typically comes from those who have no understanding of what severe depression is like. The type of depression that leads one down a path where seemingly, the only door available to them is one that leads them to self-destruction. It\'s an awful place to be, when suddenly, one believes that the world would be a better place without them or that things are never going to improve. The path to that door is not easy. It is terrible, awful and heartbreaking.\n\nThere may be signs that someone is considering suicide that we can watch for. Suicide is not the answer for problems, obviously. But grieving families need support, proper words and consoling, instead of cliche, speculation and strange looks.\n\nThere comes a moment when we all need to be wary of the words we use and ask ourselves why we use them. This might be one of those moments where we remove a certain phrase from our vocabulary.\n\n______________________________\n\nLinks:\n\n<a href=\"http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-recognizing-signs-of-suicide\">WebMD Suicide and Depression: Signs and Symptoms</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.console.ie/index.php?contentid=Suicide&amp;sectionid=suicide-bereavement\">Console: Suicide Bereavement</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/\">National Suicide Prevention Hotline</a>\n\n&nbsp;','Junior Seau and \"The Easy Way Out\"','','inherit','open','open','','6464-autosave','','','2012-05-06 20:50:31','2012-05-07 03:50:31','',6464,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6464-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6490,1,'2012-05-04 08:51:14','2012-05-04 15:51:14','','faith series intro','','inherit','open','open','','faith-series-intro','','','2012-05-04 08:51:14','2012-05-04 15:51:14','',5638,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/faith-series-intro.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6586,1,'2012-05-06 23:09:30','2012-05-07 06:09:30','','faith interviews conclusion','','inherit','open','open','','faith-interviews-conclusion','','','2012-05-06 23:09:30','2012-05-07 06:09:30','',6279,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/faith-interviews-conclusion.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6491,1,'2012-04-28 21:11:44','2012-04-29 04:11:44','<h2>Why It All Matters</h2>\r\nOver the next couple of weeks I am going to be posting a series of interviews with religious leaders and congregants of different religions from the metro Detroit area.\r\n\r\nWhy? Well, that’s a complicated answer.\r\n\r\nI’ve been trying to pin down when I first became interested in interfaith relations. I can look back to a couple of years ago picking up a book of poetry by the Sufi poet Rumi. The way he spoke of God was so beautiful and different from what I had heard before.\r\n<blockquote>This lion of God\r\nwatches over me,\r\nI sing as he roars.</blockquote>\r\n(From “I’ve Got You Now” from <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Dont-Say-Anything-God/dp/0875730841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332704201&amp;sr=8-1\"><em>Hush, Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems by Rumi</em></a>.)\r\n<h2>Missing the Guts</h2>\r\nI took a World Religion class a few semesters ago. I inhaled it. However, it was missing the <em>guts</em>. What I mean is that I got all the textbook facts and explanations of the different world religions, but it was missing what it\'s like to be a Buddhist in the world today. It was missing how it feels to be a young Muslim in Detroit. It was missing how it feels to be a Sikh living in the Midwest. I loved the textbook stuff, but I wanted to hear the stories for myself.\r\n\r\nI grew up completely in the dark about other religions. They were this kind of scary blob out there somewhere in the distance. I didn\'t know anyone of other religons, let alone other sects, but I was told very early on that they were dangerous. So, when I grew up and moved out of my beginnings, I started to meet new people around me. They weren\'t Christian, but spoke of faith and god the same way I did. It still meant a lot to them, they still went to worship, and they still had things they could or couldn\'t do because of their convictions.\r\n\r\nThey were just like me.\r\n<h2>Why It Matters to Me</h2>\r\nI grew up in was very isolated from and very ignorant to other religions. At the end of high school I had my own journey with disillusionment/migration from one church to another and I started to see how hurtful my previous views of other religions had been. I know how important, devastating, crucial, life-changing and transformational religion had been in my life, and people of other faiths feel that way about theirs, so how could I be so callous to brush theirs off?\r\n\r\nThe things that I have learned about other religions do not weaken my faith but they <em>enhance it</em>. The more I know about other religions, the more it gives me new perspectives about belief, discipline, love, peace, and faith. How would my faith be stronger if I prayed five times a day? If I committed to not harming other beings? If I stuck to a strong stance of non-violence? These are all principles that are in other religions, but they could be used as tools to understand my own faith better if applied to my own God and faith.\r\n\r\nWe are living in a crucial point in history. Whether we like it or not, we have to share the space on this planet with others. If we cannot learn to live together, we will rip this planet to shreds.\r\n<h2>You Shall Be Free, Indeed</h2>\r\nWhat I found from doing these interviews is that it liberated me. Why?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can offer dignity to the people I had taken it away from.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have said hateful things to people of other religions in my former life. I am not proud of them and I wish I could take them back because I know how misinformed I was. I know now how hurtful I was. So now, I get the chance to show the people around me where I was wrong, and how we can all move forward in a more compassionate, loving way.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can be the bearer of truth.</strong>\r\n\r\nNope, not everyone wearing something on their head is a terrorist. Catholics do not worship Mary. No, they don\'t have mushy beliefs. Nope, they don\'t advocate murder. No, they don\'t do blood offerings.\r\n\r\nIf you know the truth about other people, about your global neighbors, about the people in your community, you will be able to communicate that to your friends and family. You can correct the conversation, right the injustice, and wipe away the discrimination. If you know the truth, you have the power to change the conversation and bring light back into the room.\r\n\r\nThis is about the golden rule. If someone said some blind accusation about you that was clearly false, wouldn\'t you want that cleared up? Wouldn\'t you wish they had taken an extra minute to learn <em>why</em> you do the things you do? Why then shouldn\'t we extend that to other people?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I have learned to appreciate diversity.</strong>\r\n\r\nI don\'t remember who said this to me recent, but they said that people are like a garden. If we were all one flower of the same color, the garden would be pretty but wouldn\'t be significant. But if we are a garden of different flowers, of different shapes, colors, scents, and functions, the garden comes to life. We are beautiful because of our diversity.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I don\'t have to be afraid anymore.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is the piece that has truely changed my life. If you find out that your coworker has a different faith and you get context to what they believe, you start to care about them. They stop being these scary people on the news. They stop being these people you have to clutch your purse closer when you walk by. They stop being unknown.\r\n\r\nThey come to life. They start becoming human.\r\n\r\nThey believe just like I do. They care about life, love, and their families just like I do. They aren\'t an Other. They are my neighbor and I care about them now because they aren\'t something in the distance. They have a face, a personality, a name, an accent and a story. Instead of being able to insult something in the darkness, I melt in the gaze of their eyes because I know them.\r\n\r\nYou may never get the chance or desire to meet a Druid from Plymouth, Michigan. But now that you can connect a face to a story, to a faith, to a religion, you hopefully will be slower to paint hateful things about them or any other member of faith with your words. I wanted to do this series to bring <em>you</em> the stories. I wanted <em>you</em> to hear it straight from the horse\'s mouth.\r\n<h2>Live Together, Die Alone</h2>\r\nWe don\'t have to agree and we don\'t have to convert. But we do need to inform ourselves so we don\'t spread lies about our neighbors and we need to learn how to share this space safely and kindly.\r\n\r\nIf you haven’t watched the TV series LOST, there\'s a point where after enough division, the main character, Jack, gives this beautiful speech and says \"We either live together, or die alone.\" It\'s not a perfect analogy, but if we start are able to start seeing each other as people seeking love as a humans first, there is a lot more we have in common. We’ll have a lot more to appreciate, a lot more to learn, and a lot more to express and explore with each other.\r\n\r\nIf we can learn about each other and hear each other’s stories we won’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll be able to see each other as neighbors, as doctors, as teachers, as friends, as real estate agents, and not as terrorists, liars, or aliens. We’ll be able to see each other as God sees us: his beautiful creation.\r\n\r\nThe point of this series is to call out what is good in each of these faith perspectives because at the core of all of them is <em>love</em>. I want to find the expressions of their journeys that bring meaning to our journeys. This allows us to give more grace, redemption and honor to each other as humans without having to agree on logistics or trying to get everyone to believe in one faith.\r\n\r\nAfter all, everyone is created and born long before they have a religious affiliation. If we start to view each other as humans <em>first</em>, it takes the teeth of those heated, damaging religious conversations and redeems us all.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>First up, we\'ll hear from Carl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"Why It All Matters\" target=\"_blank\">macisaguy</a></em>','Faith Interview Series: Introduction','','inherit','open','open','','5638-revision-9','','','2012-04-28 21:11:44','2012-04-29 04:11:44','',5638,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/28/5638-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(6532,38,'2012-05-06 12:56:44','2012-05-06 19:56:44','<h2>Why It All Matters</h2>\nOver the next couple of weeks I am going to be posting a series of interviews with religious leaders and congregants of different religions from the metro Detroit area.\n\nWhy? Well, that’s a complicated answer.\n\nI’ve been trying to pin down when I first became interested in interfaith relations. I can look back to a couple of years ago picking up a book of poetry by the Sufi poet Rumi. The way he spoke of God was so beautiful and different from what I had heard before.\n<blockquote>This lion of God\nwatches over me,\nI sing as he roars.</blockquote>\n(From “I’ve Got You Now” from <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Dont-Say-Anything-God/dp/0875730841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332704201&amp;sr=8-1\"><em>Hush, Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems by Rumi</em></a>.)\n<h2>Missing the Guts</h2>\nI took a World Religion class a few semesters ago. I inhaled it. However, it was missing the <em>guts</em>. What I mean is that I got all the textbook facts and explanations of the different world religions, but it was missing what it\'s like to be a Buddhist in the world today. It was missing how it feels to be a young Muslim in Detroit. It was missing how it feels to be a Sikh living in the Midwest. I loved the textbook stuff, but I wanted to hear the stories for myself.\n\nI grew up completely in the dark about other religions. They were this kind of scary blob out there somewhere in the distance. I didn\'t know anyone of other religions, let alone other sects, but I was told very early on that they were dangerous. So, when I grew up and moved out of my beginnings, I started to meet new people around me. They weren\'t Christian, but spoke of faith and god the same way I did. It still meant a lot to them, they still went to worship, and they still had things they could or couldn\'t do because of their convictions.\n\nThey were just like me.\n<h2>Why It Matters to Me</h2>\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-5639\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"186\" height=\"93\" /></a>I grew up very isolated from and very ignorant to other religions. At the end of high school I had my own journey with disillusionment/migration from one church to another and I started to see how hurtful my previous views of other religions had been. I know how important, devastating, crucial, life-changing and transformational religion had been in my life, and people of other faiths feel that way about theirs, so how could I be so callous to brush theirs off?\n\nThe things that I have learned about other religions do not weaken my faith but they <em>enhance it</em>. The more I know about other religions, the more it gives me new perspectives about belief, discipline, love, peace, and faith. How would my faith be stronger if I prayed five times a day? If I committed to not harming other beings? If I stuck to a strong stance of non-violence? These are all principles that are in other religions, but they could be used as tools to understand my own faith better if applied to my own God and faith.\n\nWe are living in a crucial point in history. Whether we like it or not, we have to share the space on this planet with others. If we cannot learn to live together, we will rip this planet to shreds.\n<h2>You Shall Be Free, Indeed</h2>\nWhat I found from doing these interviews is that it liberated me. Why?\n\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can offer dignity to the people I had taken it away from.</strong>\n\nI have said hateful things to people of other religions in my former life. I am not proud of them and I wish I could take them back because I know how misinformed I was. I know now how hurtful I was. So now, I get the chance to show the people around me where I was wrong, and how we can all move forward in a more compassionate, loving way.\n\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can be the bearer of truth.</strong>\n\nNope, just because someone is wearing something on their head does not mean they are a terrorist. They dgroup does not worship Mary. No, that group does not have mushy beliefs. Nope, theother group doesn\'t advocate murder. And that one, they don\'t do blood offerings.\n\nIf you know the truth about other people, about your global neighbors, about the people in your community, you will be able to communicate that to your friends and family. You can correct the conversation, right the injustice, and wipe away the discrimination. If you know the truth, you have the power to change the conversation and bring light back into the room.\n\nThis is about the golden rule. If someone blindly accused you of something that was clearly false, wouldn\'t you want that cleared up? Wouldn\'t you wish they had taken an extra minute to learn <em>why</em> you do the things you do? Why then shouldn\'t we extend that to other people?\n\n<strong>It liberated me because... I have learned to appreciate diversity.</strong>\n\nI don\'t remember who said this to me recently, but they said that people are like a garden. If we were all one flower of the same color, the garden would be pretty but wouldn\'t be significant. But if we are a garden of different flowers, of different shapes, colors, scents, and functions, the garden comes to life. We are beautiful because of our diversity.\n\n<strong>It liberated me because... I don\'t have to be afraid anymore.</strong>\n\nThis is the piece that has truly changed my life. If you find out that your coworker has a different faith and you get context to what they believe, you start to care about them. They stop being these scary people on the news. They stop being these people you have to clutch your purse closer when you walk by. They stop being unknown.\n\nThey come to life. They start becoming human.\n\nThey believe just like I do. They care about life, love, and their families just like I do. They aren\'t an Other. They are my neighbor and I care about them now because they aren\'t something in the distance. They have a face, a personality, a name, an accent and a story. Instead of being able to insult something in the darkness, I melt in the gaze of their eyes because I know them.\n\nYou may never get the chance or desire to meet a Druid from Plymouth, Michigan. But now that you can connect a face to a story, to a faith, to a religion, you hopefully will be slower to paint hateful things about them or any other member of faith with your words. I wanted to do this series to bring <em>you</em> the stories. I wanted <em>you</em> to hear it straight from the horse\'s mouth.\n<h2>Live Together, Die Alone</h2>\nWe don\'t have to agree and we don\'t have to convert. But we do need to inform ourselves so we don\'t spread lies about our neighbors and we need to learn how to share this space safely and kindly.\n\nIf you haven’t watched the TV series LOST, there\'s a point where after enough division, the main character, Jack, gives this beautiful speech and says \"We either live together, or die alone.\" It\'s not a perfect analogy, but if we start are able to start seeing each other as people seeking love as a humans first, there is a lot more we have in common. We’ll have a lot more to appreciate, a lot more to learn, and a lot more to express and explore with each other.\n\nIf we can learn about each other and hear each other’s stories we won’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll be able to see each other as neighbors, as doctors, as teachers, as friends, as real estate agents, and not as terrorists, liars, or aliens. We’ll be able to see each other as God sees us: his beautiful creation.\n\nThe point of this series is to call out what is good in each of these faith perspectives because at the core of all of them is <em>love</em>. I want to find the expressions of their journeys that bring meaning to our journeys. This allows us to give more grace, redemption and honor to each other as humans without having to agree on logistics or trying to get everyone to believe in one faith.\n\nAfter all, everyone is created and born long before they have a religious affiliation. If we start to view each other as humans <em>first</em>, it takes the teeth of those heated, damaging religious conversations and redeems us all.\n\n<em><strong>First up, we\'ll hear from Carl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit.</strong></em>\n\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"Why It All Matters\" target=\"_blank\">macisaguy</a></em>','Faith Interview Series: Introduction','','inherit','open','open','','5638-revision-14','','','2012-05-06 12:56:44','2012-05-06 19:56:44','',5638,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/06/5638-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(6492,1,'2012-05-04 08:53:10','2012-05-04 15:53:10','<h2>Why It All Matters</h2>\r\nOver the next couple of weeks I am going to be posting a series of interviews with religious leaders and congregants of different religions from the metro Detroit area.\r\n\r\nWhy? Well, that’s a complicated answer.\r\n\r\nI’ve been trying to pin down when I first became interested in interfaith relations. I can look back to a couple of years ago picking up a book of poetry by the Sufi poet Rumi. The way he spoke of God was so beautiful and different from what I had heard before.\r\n<blockquote>This lion of God\r\nwatches over me,\r\nI sing as he roars.</blockquote>\r\n(From “I’ve Got You Now” from <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Dont-Say-Anything-God/dp/0875730841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332704201&amp;sr=8-1\"><em>Hush, Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems by Rumi</em></a>.)\r\n<h2>Missing the Guts</h2>\r\nI took a World Religion class a few semesters ago. I inhaled it. However, it was missing the <em>guts</em>. What I mean is that I got all the textbook facts and explanations of the different world religions, but it was missing what it\'s like to be a Buddhist in the world today. It was missing how it feels to be a young Muslim in Detroit. It was missing how it feels to be a Sikh living in the Midwest. I loved the textbook stuff, but I wanted to hear the stories for myself.\r\n\r\nI grew up completely in the dark about other religions. They were this kind of scary blob out there somewhere in the distance. I didn\'t know anyone of other religons, let alone other sects, but I was told very early on that they were dangerous. So, when I grew up and moved out of my beginnings, I started to meet new people around me. They weren\'t Christian, but spoke of faith and god the same way I did. It still meant a lot to them, they still went to worship, and they still had things they could or couldn\'t do because of their convictions.\r\n\r\nThey were just like me.\r\n<h2>Why It Matters to Me</h2>\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-5639\" title=\"guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"186\" height=\"93\" /></a>I grew up in was very isolated from and very ignorant to other religions. At the end of high school I had my own journey with disillusionment/migration from one church to another and I started to see how hurtful my previous views of other religions had been. I know how important, devastating, crucial, life-changing and transformational religion had been in my life, and people of other faiths feel that way about theirs, so how could I be so callous to brush theirs off?\r\n\r\nThe things that I have learned about other religions do not weaken my faith but they <em>enhance it</em>. The more I know about other religions, the more it gives me new perspectives about belief, discipline, love, peace, and faith. How would my faith be stronger if I prayed five times a day? If I committed to not harming other beings? If I stuck to a strong stance of non-violence? These are all principles that are in other religions, but they could be used as tools to understand my own faith better if applied to my own God and faith.\r\n\r\nWe are living in a crucial point in history. Whether we like it or not, we have to share the space on this planet with others. If we cannot learn to live together, we will rip this planet to shreds.\r\n<h2>You Shall Be Free, Indeed</h2>\r\nWhat I found from doing these interviews is that it liberated me. Why?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can offer dignity to the people I had taken it away from.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have said hateful things to people of other religions in my former life. I am not proud of them and I wish I could take them back because I know how misinformed I was. I know now how hurtful I was. So now, I get the chance to show the people around me where I was wrong, and how we can all move forward in a more compassionate, loving way.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can be the bearer of truth.</strong>\r\n\r\nNope, not everyone wearing something on their head is a terrorist. Catholics do not worship Mary. No, they don\'t have mushy beliefs. Nope, they don\'t advocate murder. No, they don\'t do blood offerings.\r\n\r\nIf you know the truth about other people, about your global neighbors, about the people in your community, you will be able to communicate that to your friends and family. You can correct the conversation, right the injustice, and wipe away the discrimination. If you know the truth, you have the power to change the conversation and bring light back into the room.\r\n\r\nThis is about the golden rule. If someone said some blind accusation about you that was clearly false, wouldn\'t you want that cleared up? Wouldn\'t you wish they had taken an extra minute to learn <em>why</em> you do the things you do? Why then shouldn\'t we extend that to other people?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I have learned to appreciate diversity.</strong>\r\n\r\nI don\'t remember who said this to me recent, but they said that people are like a garden. If we were all one flower of the same color, the garden would be pretty but wouldn\'t be significant. But if we are a garden of different flowers, of different shapes, colors, scents, and functions, the garden comes to life. We are beautiful because of our diversity.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I don\'t have to be afraid anymore.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is the piece that has truely changed my life. If you find out that your coworker has a different faith and you get context to what they believe, you start to care about them. They stop being these scary people on the news. They stop being these people you have to clutch your purse closer when you walk by. They stop being unknown.\r\n\r\nThey come to life. They start becoming human.\r\n\r\nThey believe just like I do. They care about life, love, and their families just like I do. They aren\'t an Other. They are my neighbor and I care about them now because they aren\'t something in the distance. They have a face, a personality, a name, an accent and a story. Instead of being able to insult something in the darkness, I melt in the gaze of their eyes because I know them.\r\n\r\nYou may never get the chance or desire to meet a Druid from Plymouth, Michigan. But now that you can connect a face to a story, to a faith, to a religion, you hopefully will be slower to paint hateful things about them or any other member of faith with your words. I wanted to do this series to bring <em>you</em> the stories. I wanted <em>you</em> to hear it straight from the horse\'s mouth.\r\n<h2>Live Together, Die Alone</h2>\r\nWe don\'t have to agree and we don\'t have to convert. But we do need to inform ourselves so we don\'t spread lies about our neighbors and we need to learn how to share this space safely and kindly.\r\n\r\nIf you haven’t watched the TV series LOST, there\'s a point where after enough division, the main character, Jack, gives this beautiful speech and says \"We either live together, or die alone.\" It\'s not a perfect analogy, but if we start are able to start seeing each other as people seeking love as a humans first, there is a lot more we have in common. We’ll have a lot more to appreciate, a lot more to learn, and a lot more to express and explore with each other.\r\n\r\nIf we can learn about each other and hear each other’s stories we won’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll be able to see each other as neighbors, as doctors, as teachers, as friends, as real estate agents, and not as terrorists, liars, or aliens. We’ll be able to see each other as God sees us: his beautiful creation.\r\n\r\nThe point of this series is to call out what is good in each of these faith perspectives because at the core of all of them is <em>love</em>. I want to find the expressions of their journeys that bring meaning to our journeys. This allows us to give more grace, redemption and honor to each other as humans without having to agree on logistics or trying to get everyone to believe in one faith.\r\n\r\nAfter all, everyone is created and born long before they have a religious affiliation. If we start to view each other as humans <em>first</em>, it takes the teeth of those heated, damaging religious conversations and redeems us all.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>First up, we\'ll hear from Carl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"Why It All Matters\" target=\"_blank\">macisaguy</a></em>','Faith Interview Series: Introduction','','inherit','open','open','','5638-revision-10','','','2012-05-04 08:53:10','2012-05-04 15:53:10','',5638,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/5638-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(6493,1,'2012-05-04 08:57:31','2012-05-04 15:57:31','','faith series introduction','','inherit','open','open','','faith-series-introduction','','','2012-05-04 08:57:31','2012-05-04 15:57:31','',5638,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/faith-series-introduction.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6494,1,'2012-05-04 08:53:39','2012-05-04 15:53:39','<h2>Why It All Matters</h2>\r\nOver the next couple of weeks I am going to be posting a series of interviews with religious leaders and congregants of different religions from the metro Detroit area.\r\n\r\nWhy? Well, that’s a complicated answer.\r\n\r\nI’ve been trying to pin down when I first became interested in interfaith relations. I can look back to a couple of years ago picking up a book of poetry by the Sufi poet Rumi. The way he spoke of God was so beautiful and different from what I had heard before.\r\n<blockquote>This lion of God\r\nwatches over me,\r\nI sing as he roars.</blockquote>\r\n(From “I’ve Got You Now” from <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Dont-Say-Anything-God/dp/0875730841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332704201&amp;sr=8-1\"><em>Hush, Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems by Rumi</em></a>.)\r\n<h2>Missing the Guts</h2>\r\nI took a World Religion class a few semesters ago. I inhaled it. However, it was missing the <em>guts</em>. What I mean is that I got all the textbook facts and explanations of the different world religions, but it was missing what it\'s like to be a Buddhist in the world today. It was missing how it feels to be a young Muslim in Detroit. It was missing how it feels to be a Sikh living in the Midwest. I loved the textbook stuff, but I wanted to hear the stories for myself.\r\n\r\nI grew up completely in the dark about other religions. They were this kind of scary blob out there somewhere in the distance. I didn\'t know anyone of other religons, let alone other sects, but I was told very early on that they were dangerous. So, when I grew up and moved out of my beginnings, I started to meet new people around me. They weren\'t Christian, but spoke of faith and god the same way I did. It still meant a lot to them, they still went to worship, and they still had things they could or couldn\'t do because of their convictions.\r\n\r\nThey were just like me.\r\n<h2>Why It Matters to Me</h2>\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-5639\" title=\"guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"186\" height=\"93\" /></a>I grew up in was very isolated from and very ignorant to other religions. At the end of high school I had my own journey with disillusionment/migration from one church to another and I started to see how hurtful my previous views of other religions had been. I know how important, devastating, crucial, life-changing and transformational religion had been in my life, and people of other faiths feel that way about theirs, so how could I be so callous to brush theirs off?\r\n\r\nThe things that I have learned about other religions do not weaken my faith but they <em>enhance it</em>. The more I know about other religions, the more it gives me new perspectives about belief, discipline, love, peace, and faith. How would my faith be stronger if I prayed five times a day? If I committed to not harming other beings? If I stuck to a strong stance of non-violence? These are all principles that are in other religions, but they could be used as tools to understand my own faith better if applied to my own God and faith.\r\n\r\nWe are living in a crucial point in history. Whether we like it or not, we have to share the space on this planet with others. If we cannot learn to live together, we will rip this planet to shreds.\r\n<h2>You Shall Be Free, Indeed</h2>\r\nWhat I found from doing these interviews is that it liberated me. Why?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can offer dignity to the people I had taken it away from.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have said hateful things to people of other religions in my former life. I am not proud of them and I wish I could take them back because I know how misinformed I was. I know now how hurtful I was. So now, I get the chance to show the people around me where I was wrong, and how we can all move forward in a more compassionate, loving way.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can be the bearer of truth.</strong>\r\n\r\nNope, not everyone wearing something on their head is a terrorist. Catholics do not worship Mary. No, they don\'t have mushy beliefs. Nope, they don\'t advocate murder. No, they don\'t do blood offerings.\r\n\r\nIf you know the truth about other people, about your global neighbors, about the people in your community, you will be able to communicate that to your friends and family. You can correct the conversation, right the injustice, and wipe away the discrimination. If you know the truth, you have the power to change the conversation and bring light back into the room.\r\n\r\nThis is about the golden rule. If someone said some blind accusation about you that was clearly false, wouldn\'t you want that cleared up? Wouldn\'t you wish they had taken an extra minute to learn <em>why</em> you do the things you do? Why then shouldn\'t we extend that to other people?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I have learned to appreciate diversity.</strong>\r\n\r\nI don\'t remember who said this to me recent, but they said that people are like a garden. If we were all one flower of the same color, the garden would be pretty but wouldn\'t be significant. But if we are a garden of different flowers, of different shapes, colors, scents, and functions, the garden comes to life. We are beautiful because of our diversity.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I don\'t have to be afraid anymore.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is the piece that has truly changed my life. If you find out that your coworker has a different faith and you get context to what they believe, you start to care about them. They stop being these scary people on the news. They stop being these people you have to clutch your purse closer when you walk by. They stop being unknown.\r\n\r\nThey come to life. They start becoming human.\r\n\r\nThey believe just like I do. They care about life, love, and their families just like I do. They aren\'t an Other. They are my neighbor and I care about them now because they aren\'t something in the distance. They have a face, a personality, a name, an accent and a story. Instead of being able to insult something in the darkness, I melt in the gaze of their eyes because I know them.\r\n\r\nYou may never get the chance or desire to meet a Druid from Plymouth, Michigan. But now that you can connect a face to a story, to a faith, to a religion, you hopefully will be slower to paint hateful things about them or any other member of faith with your words. I wanted to do this series to bring <em>you</em> the stories. I wanted <em>you</em> to hear it straight from the horse\'s mouth.\r\n<h2>Live Together, Die Alone</h2>\r\nWe don\'t have to agree and we don\'t have to convert. But we do need to inform ourselves so we don\'t spread lies about our neighbors and we need to learn how to share this space safely and kindly.\r\n\r\nIf you haven’t watched the TV series LOST, there\'s a point where after enough division, the main character, Jack, gives this beautiful speech and says \"We either live together, or die alone.\" It\'s not a perfect analogy, but if we start are able to start seeing each other as people seeking love as a humans first, there is a lot more we have in common. We’ll have a lot more to appreciate, a lot more to learn, and a lot more to express and explore with each other.\r\n\r\nIf we can learn about each other and hear each other’s stories we won’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll be able to see each other as neighbors, as doctors, as teachers, as friends, as real estate agents, and not as terrorists, liars, or aliens. We’ll be able to see each other as God sees us: his beautiful creation.\r\n\r\nThe point of this series is to call out what is good in each of these faith perspectives because at the core of all of them is <em>love</em>. I want to find the expressions of their journeys that bring meaning to our journeys. This allows us to give more grace, redemption and honor to each other as humans without having to agree on logistics or trying to get everyone to believe in one faith.\r\n\r\nAfter all, everyone is created and born long before they have a religious affiliation. If we start to view each other as humans <em>first</em>, it takes the teeth of those heated, damaging religious conversations and redeems us all.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>First up, we\'ll hear from Carl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"Why It All Matters\" target=\"_blank\">macisaguy</a></em>','Faith Interview Series: Introduction','','inherit','open','open','','5638-revision-11','','','2012-05-04 08:53:39','2012-05-04 15:53:39','',5638,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/5638-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(6495,38,'2012-05-07 08:00:33','2012-05-07 15:00:33','Deanna Ogle conducts a series of interviews with different religious groups around metro Detroit to give you insight into the faiths of your neighbors, and so you can hear their stories for yourself.\r\n\r\nThis world is full of religious diversity. How do we learn to live peaceably with the people around us when our faith might differ from theirs? Deanna Ogle says that one way, is through learning about the faith communities of the world.  If you learn about them, you will have more context for your neighbor\'s beliefs. Then we can stop fearing each other, clear up misconceptions, and bring truth and redemption back into the conversation in the public and private square.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/07/faith-interview-series-introduction\">INTRODUCTION</a></strong></h3>\r\nSo why should you be interested in interfaith dialog? Find out why it\'s important for the world today and how it can bring freedom to the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/09/faith-interview-series-the-bahai-faith/\" target=\"_blank\">THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH</a></strong></h3>\r\nThe Bahá’í faith began with a man in 19th century Persia who explained that he was the promised one of all religions. Carl Marshall, a gentleman living in Detroit, Michigan explains how he first came to this faith, what it means to him, and what the followers of Bahá’í are all about.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/11/faith-interview-series-sikhism/\" target=\"_blank\">SIKH</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nEver heard of gurus or wondered why Sikh men wear turbans? Mandheer Singh of Rochester Hills, Michigan brings us into his house of worship, talks about his community and their beliefs, and talks about his journey from only knowing of a few Sikhs while growing up in Ohio to living as a devout Sikh in Michigan with his family.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/14/faith-interview-series-jew/\" target=\"_blank\">JEW</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nThe Huffington Post has named Rabbi Jason Miller, a Jew living in Detroit, one of the most influential Jews in social media. Find out more the Jewish faith, how social media is changing the face of Judaism today, and about what it\'s like being a business man and Rabbi living in Detroit.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/16/faith-interview-series-neopagan-druid/\" target=\"_blank\">NEOPAGAN DRUID</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nDruids are a part of the pagan community that is alive and well today. I speak with Rev. Rob Henderson, the leader of a Neopagan Druid community in western Michigan. He talks about how he first found out about paganism, his congregation, and about what the Druids of Shining Lakes Grove, ADF believe.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/18/faith-interview-series-christian/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CHRISTIAN</strong></a><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/16/faith-interview-series-neopagan-druid/\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n</a></strong></h3>\r\nTwo men, one faith: Dr. Bob Cornwall, an author and pastor of Troy, Michigan and Curt Motsinger, an elder and school teacher in Waterford, Michigan speak about their journeys through the Christian faith, about their beliefs, and about how its affected their lives.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/21/faith-interview-series-muslim/\" target=\"_blank\">MUSLIM</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nDo Muslim women feel oppressed because of their headscarves? What is the Sharia really about? And what about terrorism? Find out more about the true beliefs of Muslims living in the United States today from Saeed Khan, a professor at Wayne State University, and Tuba Rizvi, a student from Dearborn, Michigan.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/23/faith-interview-series-hinduism/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>HINDU</strong></a><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/21/faith-interview-series-muslim/\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n</a></strong></h3>\r\nPadma Kuppa\'s faith was sent to front street when she attempted to help organize a National Day of Prayer event in Troy, Michigan but barred from participating because she was not of the \"correct\" faith. Hear about what Hindus believe, her passion for interfaith efforts, and about the kind of misinformation being spread in this country about the Hindu faith.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/25/faith-interview-series-zen-buddhist/\" target=\"_blank\">ZEN BUDDHIST</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nZen Buddhism is more than sitting and humming on a cushion on the floor. So what is it really about? Find out from Gwen, Jaye, and Nancy, three Zen Buddhists of Thich Nhat Hahn\'s tradition from Ferndale, Michigan, what Buddhist mean to them, what they believe, and how it has transformed them as people.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/28/faith-interview-series-conclusion/\" target=\"_blank\">CONCLUSION</a><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/25/faith-interview-series-zen-buddhist/\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n</a></strong></h3>\r\nSo now that you\'ve read these articles and learned more about your neighbors, what are you supposed to do with this knowledge? Don\'t let it waste away. Find out practical ways you can take action and can help this world be a brighter place with what you\'ve learned.','Faith Interview Series: An Interfaith Dialog','','publish','open','open','','faith-interview-series-an-interfaith-dialog','','','2012-06-01 08:26:45','2012-06-01 15:26:45','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=6495',0,'post','',0),(6496,1,'2012-05-04 08:59:54','2012-05-04 15:59:54','','Faith Series: An Interfaith Dialog','','inherit','open','open','','6495-revision','','','2012-05-04 08:59:54','2012-05-04 15:59:54','',6495,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6495-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6497,1,'2012-05-04 08:57:58','2012-05-04 15:57:58','<h2>Why It All Matters</h2>\r\nOver the next couple of weeks I am going to be posting a series of interviews with religious leaders and congregants of different religions from the metro Detroit area.\r\n\r\nWhy? Well, that’s a complicated answer.\r\n\r\nI’ve been trying to pin down when I first became interested in interfaith relations. I can look back to a couple of years ago picking up a book of poetry by the Sufi poet Rumi. The way he spoke of God was so beautiful and different from what I had heard before.\r\n<blockquote>This lion of God\r\nwatches over me,\r\nI sing as he roars.</blockquote>\r\n(From “I’ve Got You Now” from <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Dont-Say-Anything-God/dp/0875730841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1332704201&amp;sr=8-1\"><em>Hush, Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems by Rumi</em></a>.)\r\n<h2>Missing the Guts</h2>\r\nI took a World Religion class a few semesters ago. I inhaled it. However, it was missing the <em>guts</em>. What I mean is that I got all the textbook facts and explanations of the different world religions, but it was missing what it\'s like to be a Buddhist in the world today. It was missing how it feels to be a young Muslim in Detroit. It was missing how it feels to be a Sikh living in the Midwest. I loved the textbook stuff, but I wanted to hear the stories for myself.\r\n\r\nI grew up completely in the dark about other religions. They were this kind of scary blob out there somewhere in the distance. I didn\'t know anyone of other religons, let alone other sects, but I was told very early on that they were dangerous. So, when I grew up and moved out of my beginnings, I started to meet new people around me. They weren\'t Christian, but spoke of faith and god the same way I did. It still meant a lot to them, they still went to worship, and they still had things they could or couldn\'t do because of their convictions.\r\n\r\nThey were just like me.\r\n<h2>Why It Matters to Me</h2>\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-5639\" title=\"guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/guy-sunset_flickr_macisaguy-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"186\" height=\"93\" /></a>I grew up in was very isolated from and very ignorant to other religions. At the end of high school I had my own journey with disillusionment/migration from one church to another and I started to see how hurtful my previous views of other religions had been. I know how important, devastating, crucial, life-changing and transformational religion had been in my life, and people of other faiths feel that way about theirs, so how could I be so callous to brush theirs off?\r\n\r\nThe things that I have learned about other religions do not weaken my faith but they <em>enhance it</em>. The more I know about other religions, the more it gives me new perspectives about belief, discipline, love, peace, and faith. How would my faith be stronger if I prayed five times a day? If I committed to not harming other beings? If I stuck to a strong stance of non-violence? These are all principles that are in other religions, but they could be used as tools to understand my own faith better if applied to my own God and faith.\r\n\r\nWe are living in a crucial point in history. Whether we like it or not, we have to share the space on this planet with others. If we cannot learn to live together, we will rip this planet to shreds.\r\n<h2>You Shall Be Free, Indeed</h2>\r\nWhat I found from doing these interviews is that it liberated me. Why?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can offer dignity to the people I had taken it away from.</strong>\r\n\r\nI have said hateful things to people of other religions in my former life. I am not proud of them and I wish I could take them back because I know how misinformed I was. I know now how hurtful I was. So now, I get the chance to show the people around me where I was wrong, and how we can all move forward in a more compassionate, loving way.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I can be the bearer of truth.</strong>\r\n\r\nNope, not everyone wearing something on their head is a terrorist. Catholics do not worship Mary. No, they don\'t have mushy beliefs. Nope, they don\'t advocate murder. No, they don\'t do blood offerings.\r\n\r\nIf you know the truth about other people, about your global neighbors, about the people in your community, you will be able to communicate that to your friends and family. You can correct the conversation, right the injustice, and wipe away the discrimination. If you know the truth, you have the power to change the conversation and bring light back into the room.\r\n\r\nThis is about the golden rule. If someone said some blind accusation about you that was clearly false, wouldn\'t you want that cleared up? Wouldn\'t you wish they had taken an extra minute to learn <em>why</em> you do the things you do? Why then shouldn\'t we extend that to other people?\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I have learned to appreciate diversity.</strong>\r\n\r\nI don\'t remember who said this to me recent, but they said that people are like a garden. If we were all one flower of the same color, the garden would be pretty but wouldn\'t be significant. But if we are a garden of different flowers, of different shapes, colors, scents, and functions, the garden comes to life. We are beautiful because of our diversity.\r\n\r\n<strong>It liberated me because... I don\'t have to be afraid anymore.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is the piece that has truly changed my life. If you find out that your coworker has a different faith and you get context to what they believe, you start to care about them. They stop being these scary people on the news. They stop being these people you have to clutch your purse closer when you walk by. They stop being unknown.\r\n\r\nThey come to life. They start becoming human.\r\n\r\nThey believe just like I do. They care about life, love, and their families just like I do. They aren\'t an Other. They are my neighbor and I care about them now because they aren\'t something in the distance. They have a face, a personality, a name, an accent and a story. Instead of being able to insult something in the darkness, I melt in the gaze of their eyes because I know them.\r\n\r\nYou may never get the chance or desire to meet a Druid from Plymouth, Michigan. But now that you can connect a face to a story, to a faith, to a religion, you hopefully will be slower to paint hateful things about them or any other member of faith with your words. I wanted to do this series to bring <em>you</em> the stories. I wanted <em>you</em> to hear it straight from the horse\'s mouth.\r\n<h2>Live Together, Die Alone</h2>\r\nWe don\'t have to agree and we don\'t have to convert. But we do need to inform ourselves so we don\'t spread lies about our neighbors and we need to learn how to share this space safely and kindly.\r\n\r\nIf you haven’t watched the TV series LOST, there\'s a point where after enough division, the main character, Jack, gives this beautiful speech and says \"We either live together, or die alone.\" It\'s not a perfect analogy, but if we start are able to start seeing each other as people seeking love as a humans first, there is a lot more we have in common. We’ll have a lot more to appreciate, a lot more to learn, and a lot more to express and explore with each other.\r\n\r\nIf we can learn about each other and hear each other’s stories we won’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll be able to see each other as neighbors, as doctors, as teachers, as friends, as real estate agents, and not as terrorists, liars, or aliens. We’ll be able to see each other as God sees us: his beautiful creation.\r\n\r\nThe point of this series is to call out what is good in each of these faith perspectives because at the core of all of them is <em>love</em>. I want to find the expressions of their journeys that bring meaning to our journeys. This allows us to give more grace, redemption and honor to each other as humans without having to agree on logistics or trying to get everyone to believe in one faith.\r\n\r\nAfter all, everyone is created and born long before they have a religious affiliation. If we start to view each other as humans <em>first</em>, it takes the teeth of those heated, damaging religious conversations and redeems us all.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>First up, we\'ll hear from Carl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"Why It All Matters\" target=\"_blank\">macisaguy</a></em>','Faith Interview Series: Introduction','','inherit','open','open','','5638-revision-12','','','2012-05-04 08:57:58','2012-05-04 15:57:58','',5638,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/5638-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(6498,38,'2012-06-01 08:26:37','2012-06-01 15:26:37','Deanna Ogle conducts a series of interviews with different religious groups around metro Detroit to give you insight into the faiths of your neighbors, and so you can hear their stories for yourself.\r\n\r\nThis world is full of religious diversity. How do we learn to live peaceably with the people around us when our faith might differ from theirs? Deanna Ogle says that one way, is through learning about the faith communities of the world.  If you learn about them, you will have more context for your neighbor\'s beliefs. Then we can stop fearing each other, clear up misconceptions, and bring truth and redemption back into the conversation in the public and private square.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/07/faith-interview-series-introduction\">INTRODUCTION</a></strong></h3>\r\nSo why should you be interested in interfaith dialog? Find out why it\'s important for the world today and how it can bring freedom to the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/09/faith-interview-series-the-bahai-faith/\" target=\"_blank\">THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH</a></strong></h3>\r\nThe Bahá’í faith began with a man in 19th century Persia who explained that he was the promised one of all religions. Carl Marshall, a gentleman living in Detroit, Michigan explains how he first came to this faith, what it means to him, and what the followers of Bahá’í are all about.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/11/faith-interview-series-sikhism/\" target=\"_blank\">SIKH</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nEver heard of gurus or wondered why Sikh men wear turbans? Mandheer Singh of Rochester Hills, Michigan brings us into his house of worship, talks about his community and their beliefs, and talks about his journey from only knowing of a few Sikhs while growing up in Ohio to living as a devout Sikh in Michigan with his family.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/14/faith-interview-series-jew/\" target=\"_blank\">JEW</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nThe Huffington Post has named Rabbi Jason Miller, a Jew living in Detroit, one of the most influential Jews in social media. Find out more the Jewish faith, how social media is changing the face of Judaism today, and about what it\'s like being a business man and Rabbi living in Detroit.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/16/faith-interview-series-neopagan-druid/\" target=\"_blank\">NEOPAGAN DRUID</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nDruids are a part of the pagan community that is alive and well today. I speak with Rev. Rob Henderson, the leader of a Neopagan Druid community in western Michigan. He talks about how he first found out about paganism, his congregation, and about what the Druids of Shining Lakes Grove, ADF believe.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/18/faith-interview-series-christian/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CHRISTIAN</strong></a><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/16/faith-interview-series-neopagan-druid/\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n</a></strong></h3>\r\nTwo men, one faith: Dr. Bob Cornwall, an author and pastor of Troy, Michigan and Curt Motsinger, an elder and school teacher in Waterford, Michigan speak about their journeys through the Christian faith, about their beliefs, and about how its affected their lives.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/21/faith-interview-series-muslim/\" target=\"_blank\">MUSLIM</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nDo Muslim women feel oppressed because of their headscarves? What is the Sharia really about? And what about terrorism? Find out more about the true beliefs of Muslims living in the United States today from Saeed Khan, a professor at Wayne State University, and Tuba Rizvi, a student from Dearborn, Michigan.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/23/faith-interview-series-hinduism/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>HINDU</strong></a><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/21/faith-interview-series-muslim/\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n</a></strong></h3>\r\nPadma Kuppa\'s faith was sent to front street when she attempted to help organize a National Day of Prayer event in Troy, Michigan but barred from participating because she was not of the \"correct\" faith. Hear about what Hindus believe, her passion for interfaith efforts, and about the kind of misinformation being spread in this country about the Hindu faith.\r\n<h3><strong><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/25/faith-interview-series-zen-buddhist/\" target=\"_blank\">ZEN BUDDHIST</a></strong></strong></h3>\r\nZen Buddhism is more than sitting and humming on a cushion on the floor. So what is it really about? Find out from Gwen, Jaye, and Nancy, three Zen Buddhists of Thich Nhat Hahn\'s tradition from Ferndale, Michigan, what Buddhist mean to them, what they believe, and how it has transformed them as people.\r\n<h3><strong><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/28/faith-interview-series-conclusion/\" target=\"_blank\">CONCLUSION</a><a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2012/05/25/faith-interview-series-zen-buddhist/\" target=\"_blank\">\r\n</a></strong></h3>\r\nSo now that you\'ve read these articles and learned more about your neighbors, what are you supposed to do with this knowledge? Don\'t let it waste away. Find out practical ways you can take action and can help this world be a brighter place with what you\'ve learned.','Faith Interview Series: An Interfaith Dialog','','inherit','open','open','','6495-autosave','','','2012-06-01 08:26:37','2012-06-01 15:26:37','',6495,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6495-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6499,1,'2012-05-04 09:00:03','2012-05-04 16:00:03','','Faith Series: An Interfaith Dialog','','inherit','open','open','','6495-revision-2','','','2012-05-04 09:00:03','2012-05-04 16:00:03','',6495,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6495-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6500,1,'2012-05-04 09:08:14','2012-05-04 16:08:14','Write an introduction.','Faith Series: An Interfaith Dialog','','inherit','open','open','','6495-revision-3','','','2012-05-04 09:08:14','2012-05-04 16:08:14','',6495,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6495-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6501,1,'2012-05-04 09:14:24','2012-05-04 16:14:24','','faith series bahai','','inherit','open','open','','faith-series-bahai','','','2012-05-04 09:14:24','2012-05-04 16:14:24','',6068,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/faith-series-bahai.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6502,1,'2012-04-28 20:47:47','2012-04-29 03:47:47','<div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6071\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A photo of Carl\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6071 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit, Michigan, moved his coffee across the table. “We are in the middle of a fasting month—or actually at the very end of it—so I should probably stop eating. I think the sun rises at 7:35 today.”\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nThe Bahá\'í calendar has nineteen months with nineteen days in each month. During the last month of the year, which falls between March 2<sup>nd</sup> and March 21<sup>st</sup>, members participate in a fast very similar to Ramadan.\r\n\r\nMy first encounter with the Baha’i faith was with a gentleman that sat next to me on a plane from Orlando to Detroit. We first started talking about the book I was reading, but once I learned what religion he was a part of (how this happened, I have no idea) I asked him all sorts of questions and we talked for the remainder of the flight. It was one of the most wonderful and fascinating conversations I’ve ever had.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6092\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Bahá’í Lotus Temple in Delhi, India\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6092  \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bahai-lotus-temple_flickr_jeeheon-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl grew up as a Christian in Detroit his mother attending Reverend C.L. Franklin’s church. He eventually moved to the Hawaiian Islands, where he became a Baha\'i in 1973. He was reading a book about comparative religion, and he said that the world’s religions seemed separate, compartmentalized, and without connection to each other. But then he met some Bahá\'í s and they explained the concept of Progressive Revelation.\r\n\r\n“What that means is that it’s just one God and one Religion, and every thousand years or so, God sends forth a new messenger, and these messengers have been the founders of the world’s great religions.”\r\n\r\nBahá\'u\'lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í religion, is the most recent messenger and is the Promised One of all the religions. “So I saw the unity there, where everything is not coming from a different source, but just a different messenger that’s giving a newer revelation of the previous religion.”\r\n\r\nThe interesting thing about Progressive Revelation is that it gives The Bahá’ís the ability to learn about and appreciate each of the world religions because they are all part of a greater movement through time. “In the Bible you have the Old and New Testament. In the Bahá’í faith, Bahá\'u\'lláh’s revelation consist of the New Testament, and all the previous religions are accepted as the Old Testament.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6095\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"191\" caption=\"Two children in front of the Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6095 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/children-bahai-temple_flickr_upsilon-andromedae-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThey believe in all the major figures of religions across the world: Moses, His Holiness Christ, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, and Mohammed because they are all key messengers with a holy book from God.  Because he is The Promised One of all religions, Bahá\'u\'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the prophecies that were given throughout all of the different holy books. “Bahá\'u\'lláh didn’t come to belittle <em>any</em> religion but to unify, connect and fulfill the previous dispensations.”\r\n\r\nCarl says that this is what the world really needs right now, and in another thousand years there will be another messenger to address the next millennium’s needs, which will occur approximately in the year 2852 AD. “It has to be that way because society advances. So, for example, Moses unified the tribes; Jesus, the church and state; Mohammed, a nation; and now Bahá\'u\'lláh has come to unify the world.”\r\n\r\nMany of the spiritual principles that govern Bahá’í conduct are contained in the book called, “The Hidden Words” of Bahá\'u\'lláh. There are twelve main principles of the Bahá’í faith. One is the elimination of prejudice, and another is the equality of men and women. “It’s not just lip service; it’s one of the founding principles of our faith, and we live by that,” Carl says. There is no clergy or priest hood in the Bahá’í Faith. However elections are held on the 21<sup>st</sup> of April of each year to elect 9 individuals who consult of the teaching, and administrative affairs within their city. Individuals are elected on the basis of their service, purity of heart, and firmness in the covenant.\r\n\r\nThe 9 individuals elected form what is known as the local Spiritual Assembly. Often times women outnumber the men on local spiritual assemblies. “I believe that one reason for this, and this is my own personal opinion, is that women are more spiritually evolved than men. They suffer more and have more test and trials. The equality of women began with the Bahá’í faith. The Bahá’í faith recognized that women have just as much to offer in the way of teaching and spiritual growth as men.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6097\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Mt. Carmel where the Shrine and holy scriptures are\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6097\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mt-carmel_flickr_brett-wagner-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo how do the Bahá’ís practice their faith on a daily basis? Carl says that Bahá\'u\'lláh came to renew religion and remove ritual from faith. However, they are required to fast during the last month of the Bahá’í calendar (called ‘Ala), are required to pray and read from the holy writings in every morning and night.\r\n\r\n“So, for instance, today I got up, I read from the writings and I prayed,” Carl says that according to the research department in the Holy Land the revelation of the Bab, the prophet herald of Bahá\'u\'lláh, contains almost five million words. In relation to Bahá\'u\'lláh, the role of the Bab was similar to the role of John the Baptist to Christ. The revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh contains over six million words, equivalent of more than 100 volumes.   “Being a Bahá’í is not something you do on Sunday; it’s a way of life. Since I live from a set of spiritual principles, every time I encounter someone it’s a test, as far as how you react and respond to them.”\r\n\r\nThe Bahá’í faith is one based on love. When you meet someone, Carl says that you try to show them—depending on their age and sex—the kind of love you would give to a brother, sister, father or mother.\r\n\r\nRegarding out daily life; Abdu\'l-Bahá has said; Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: \'This man is unquestionably a Bahá\'í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá\'ís.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6100\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6100\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shrine-bab_flickr_jay-galvin-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Shrine of the Báb\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne misconception about the Baha\'i faith is that it’s a cult. Cults are usually small groups that are governed by a radical leader who tries to isolate the group from society and tries to keep them from listening to anyone else. Yet, one of the twelve principles of the Bahá’í faith is the independent study and vetting of your faith. So, in other words, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that his books are open and that you should not believe something because someone tells you to, but because you’ve investigated and discovered the faith for yourself.\r\n\r\nAlso the Bahá’í faith is not a division of any previous religion. It is a new and independent revelation from God. The revelation of Bahá’u’lláh consist of over 100 volumes which are located on God’s holy mountain; Mt. Carmel in Haifa Israel.\r\n\r\nOne of the things Carl loves about being a Bahá’í is the fasting because it has nothing to do with losing weight. “It’s designed to purify the heart and cleanse the soul. And so what happens when you fast is you become detached and it increases your spiritual awareness, which allows for the other thing I love about it which is the understanding of religion in general. You reach a point of certitude where you understand how everything is connected together. Things have a deeper meaning.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6102\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Dome of Light in the Bahai Temple, North of Chicago\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6102\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe way his faith has helped Carl through difficult times in his life is by strengthening his faith. “Basically, a ‘difficult time’ is a test. So, say for instance someone was saying something mean or inappropriate to me. I can react the old way or the Baha\'i way. Bahá\'u\'lláh says there is always a choice. The Bahá’í way is to forgive the person, and ultimately get to the point where it doesn’t bother me anymore. A difficult time is a test used to perfect my character. I know that whatever happens, everything is temporary. So, I think I can make it. I can get through this stuff.”\r\n\r\nGlobally, the Bahá’í practices are consistent, so anywhere in the world you go, the Bahá\'ís will have the same four types of gatherings.\r\n<ol start=\"1\">\r\n	<li>The Devotional Gathering is designed to connect hearts through prayer. They are designed to be a bit more social so people have a way to connect with the larger community and find a home in this tumultuous world. Often times a devotional gathering leads to a Fireside. These take place in the home and during the Fireside a short talk is presented on the Bahá’í Faith and then the floor for questions.</li>\r\n	<li>Study Circles are open to all, and often take place in the home. Course material is based on the revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh. The first Study Circle deals with Prayer, the soul and the afterlife.</li>\r\n	<li>Junior youth classes are available.</li>\r\n	<li>Children’s classes are offered. The goal is to establish more through the metro Detroit area, although some people are not very receptive to them since they are not Christian.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAs far as the afterlife, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that your soul is destined to undergo a spiritual evolution until it attains the presence of God. This spiritual evolution is eternal.” Quoting from Abdu\'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá\'u\'lláh, Carl says, “When you die, your soul is plunged in the ocean of God’s mercy. Your behavior in this life and the decisions you make impacts your station in eternity. The degree of purity you attain in this world determines where you start in the afterlife.”\r\n\r\nBut what happens to those who don’t become a Bahá\'í? Are there consequences?  “Well, there isn’t any place where you go and you burn.” Carl says. According to the Bahá’í writings “The spiritual meaning of burning in hell refers to the burning desire to be closer to the creator. Those who choose to ignore Bahá\'u\'lláh in this life will be remote from him in the afterlife. I would define hell as acute and grievous remorse for not recognizing the promised one. This remorse is eternal due to remoteness from God.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6088\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"The symbol for the Bahá&#039;í Faith (Wikimedia Commons)\"]<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6088 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/400px-Bahai_star-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne thing I noticed immediately about the Bahá’í faith is the emphasis on unity. I love the fact that two of their main pillars of faith are the elimination of prejudice and the equality of men and women. It’s not just something they try to do when they are in the mood, but it’s something that their faith is built upon.\r\n\r\nAnother thing that I find beautiful is the fact that they have a way of valuing all the different religions. To them, there is a thread running through all of history. Humanity has a greater story than divisions between rival religious factions, arguments between different denominations, or religiously perpetrated bigotry. Humanity has a beautiful story that is being continually shaped and is still growing and changing.\r\n\r\nCarl was extremely kind and very open to any questions I had. He corrected me a couple of times when I got nervous over a stupid question by saying “No, no question is stupid!” Even since our conversation I have emailed him about other things and he has taken the time to answer all of them, and has told me any time I have other questions he will set aside time to talk to me.\r\n\r\nI look forward to future conversations and appreciate him taking time to share his story and his faith with me.\r\n\r\n<strong>Thank you to Carl Marshall for his kindness, generosity, and for meeting with me to share his faith with me.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em><strong><em><strong>Hear about gurus, turbans, and the Five K\'s from </strong></em>Mandheer Singh, a Sikh gentleman from Rochester Hills next.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176612@N03/3755376430/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">random exposure</a> (Shrine of the Báb and Bahá\'í Gardens), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jeeheon</a> (Bahai Lotus Temple), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Upsilon Andromedae</a> (siblings at the Shrine), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">brett.wagner</a> (view from Mt. Carmel), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jay galvin</a> (Shrine of the <em>Báb), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctot_non_def/1434223112/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">ctot_not_def</a> (Dome of Light)</em> <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons</a> (the symbol for the Bahá\'í faith)</em>','Faith Interview Series: The Bahá\'í Faith','','inherit','open','open','','6068-revision-21','','','2012-04-28 20:47:47','2012-04-29 03:47:47','',6068,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/28/6068-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(6503,1,'2012-05-04 09:14:54','2012-05-04 16:14:54','<div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6071\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A photo of Carl\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6071 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit, Michigan, moved his coffee across the table. “We are in the middle of a fasting month—or actually at the very end of it—so I should probably stop eating. I think the sun rises at 7:35 today.”\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nThe Bahá\'í calendar has nineteen months with nineteen days in each month. During the last month of the year, which falls between March 2<sup>nd</sup> and March 21<sup>st</sup>, members participate in a fast very similar to Ramadan.\r\n\r\nMy first encounter with the Baha’i faith was with a gentleman that sat next to me on a plane from Orlando to Detroit. We first started talking about the book I was reading, but once I learned what religion he was a part of (how this happened, I have no idea) I asked him all sorts of questions and we talked for the remainder of the flight. It was one of the most wonderful and fascinating conversations I’ve ever had.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6092\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Bahá’í Lotus Temple in Delhi, India\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6092  \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bahai-lotus-temple_flickr_jeeheon-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl grew up as a Christian in Detroit his mother attending Reverend C.L. Franklin’s church. He eventually moved to the Hawaiian Islands, where he became a Baha\'i in 1973. He was reading a book about comparative religion, and he said that the world’s religions seemed separate, compartmentalized, and without connection to each other. But then he met some Bahá\'í s and they explained the concept of Progressive Revelation.\r\n\r\n“What that means is that it’s just one God and one Religion, and every thousand years or so, God sends forth a new messenger, and these messengers have been the founders of the world’s great religions.”\r\n\r\nBahá\'u\'lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í religion, is the most recent messenger and is the Promised One of all the religions. “So I saw the unity there, where everything is not coming from a different source, but just a different messenger that’s giving a newer revelation of the previous religion.”\r\n\r\nThe interesting thing about Progressive Revelation is that it gives The Bahá’ís the ability to learn about and appreciate each of the world religions because they are all part of a greater movement through time. “In the Bible you have the Old and New Testament. In the Bahá’í faith, Bahá\'u\'lláh’s revelation consist of the New Testament, and all the previous religions are accepted as the Old Testament.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6095\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"191\" caption=\"Two children in front of the Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6095 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/children-bahai-temple_flickr_upsilon-andromedae-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThey believe in all the major figures of religions across the world: Moses, His Holiness Christ, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, and Mohammed because they are all key messengers with a holy book from God.  Because he is The Promised One of all religions, Bahá\'u\'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the prophecies that were given throughout all of the different holy books. “Bahá\'u\'lláh didn’t come to belittle <em>any</em> religion but to unify, connect and fulfill the previous dispensations.”\r\n\r\nCarl says that this is what the world really needs right now, and in another thousand years there will be another messenger to address the next millennium’s needs, which will occur approximately in the year 2852 AD. “It has to be that way because society advances. So, for example, Moses unified the tribes; Jesus, the church and state; Mohammed, a nation; and now Bahá\'u\'lláh has come to unify the world.”\r\n\r\nMany of the spiritual principles that govern Bahá’í conduct are contained in the book called, “The Hidden Words” of Bahá\'u\'lláh. There are twelve main principles of the Bahá’í faith. One is the elimination of prejudice, and another is the equality of men and women. “It’s not just lip service; it’s one of the founding principles of our faith, and we live by that,” Carl says. There is no clergy or priest hood in the Bahá’í Faith. However elections are held on the 21<sup>st</sup> of April of each year to elect 9 individuals who consult of the teaching, and administrative affairs within their city. Individuals are elected on the basis of their service, purity of heart, and firmness in the covenant.\r\n\r\nThe 9 individuals elected form what is known as the local Spiritual Assembly. Often times women outnumber the men on local spiritual assemblies. “I believe that one reason for this, and this is my own personal opinion, is that women are more spiritually evolved than men. They suffer more and have more test and trials. The equality of women began with the Bahá’í faith. The Bahá’í faith recognized that women have just as much to offer in the way of teaching and spiritual growth as men.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6097\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Mt. Carmel where the Shrine and holy scriptures are\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6097\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mt-carmel_flickr_brett-wagner-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo how do the Bahá’ís practice their faith on a daily basis? Carl says that Bahá\'u\'lláh came to renew religion and remove ritual from faith. However, they are required to fast during the last month of the Bahá’í calendar (called ‘Ala), are required to pray and read from the holy writings in every morning and night.\r\n\r\n“So, for instance, today I got up, I read from the writings and I prayed,” Carl says that according to the research department in the Holy Land the revelation of the Bab, the prophet herald of Bahá\'u\'lláh, contains almost five million words. In relation to Bahá\'u\'lláh, the role of the Bab was similar to the role of John the Baptist to Christ. The revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh contains over six million words, equivalent of more than 100 volumes.   “Being a Bahá’í is not something you do on Sunday; it’s a way of life. Since I live from a set of spiritual principles, every time I encounter someone it’s a test, as far as how you react and respond to them.”\r\n\r\nThe Bahá’í faith is one based on love. When you meet someone, Carl says that you try to show them—depending on their age and sex—the kind of love you would give to a brother, sister, father or mother.\r\n\r\nRegarding out daily life; Abdu\'l-Bahá has said; Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: \'This man is unquestionably a Bahá\'í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá\'ís.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6100\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6100\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shrine-bab_flickr_jay-galvin-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Shrine of the Báb\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne misconception about the Baha\'i faith is that it’s a cult. Cults are usually small groups that are governed by a radical leader who tries to isolate the group from society and tries to keep them from listening to anyone else. Yet, one of the twelve principles of the Bahá’í faith is the independent study and vetting of your faith. So, in other words, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that his books are open and that you should not believe something because someone tells you to, but because you’ve investigated and discovered the faith for yourself.\r\n\r\nAlso the Bahá’í faith is not a division of any previous religion. It is a new and independent revelation from God. The revelation of Bahá’u’lláh consist of over 100 volumes which are located on God’s holy mountain; Mt. Carmel in Haifa Israel.\r\n\r\nOne of the things Carl loves about being a Bahá’í is the fasting because it has nothing to do with losing weight. “It’s designed to purify the heart and cleanse the soul. And so what happens when you fast is you become detached and it increases your spiritual awareness, which allows for the other thing I love about it which is the understanding of religion in general. You reach a point of certitude where you understand how everything is connected together. Things have a deeper meaning.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6102\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Dome of Light in the Bahai Temple, North of Chicago\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6102\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe way his faith has helped Carl through difficult times in his life is by strengthening his faith. “Basically, a ‘difficult time’ is a test. So, say for instance someone was saying something mean or inappropriate to me. I can react the old way or the Baha\'i way. Bahá\'u\'lláh says there is always a choice. The Bahá’í way is to forgive the person, and ultimately get to the point where it doesn’t bother me anymore. A difficult time is a test used to perfect my character. I know that whatever happens, everything is temporary. So, I think I can make it. I can get through this stuff.”\r\n\r\nGlobally, the Bahá’í practices are consistent, so anywhere in the world you go, the Bahá\'ís will have the same four types of gatherings.\r\n<ol start=\"1\">\r\n	<li>The Devotional Gathering is designed to connect hearts through prayer. They are designed to be a bit more social so people have a way to connect with the larger community and find a home in this tumultuous world. Often times a devotional gathering leads to a Fireside. These take place in the home and during the Fireside a short talk is presented on the Bahá’í Faith and then the floor for questions.</li>\r\n	<li>Study Circles are open to all, and often take place in the home. Course material is based on the revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh. The first Study Circle deals with Prayer, the soul and the afterlife.</li>\r\n	<li>Junior youth classes are available.</li>\r\n	<li>Children’s classes are offered. The goal is to establish more through the metro Detroit area, although some people are not very receptive to them since they are not Christian.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAs far as the afterlife, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that your soul is destined to undergo a spiritual evolution until it attains the presence of God. This spiritual evolution is eternal.” Quoting from Abdu\'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá\'u\'lláh, Carl says, “When you die, your soul is plunged in the ocean of God’s mercy. Your behavior in this life and the decisions you make impacts your station in eternity. The degree of purity you attain in this world determines where you start in the afterlife.”\r\n\r\nBut what happens to those who don’t become a Bahá\'í? Are there consequences?  “Well, there isn’t any place where you go and you burn.” Carl says. According to the Bahá’í writings “The spiritual meaning of burning in hell refers to the burning desire to be closer to the creator. Those who choose to ignore Bahá\'u\'lláh in this life will be remote from him in the afterlife. I would define hell as acute and grievous remorse for not recognizing the promised one. This remorse is eternal due to remoteness from God.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6088\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"The symbol for the Bahá&#39;í Faith (Wikimedia Commons)\"]<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6088 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/400px-Bahai_star-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne thing I noticed immediately about the Bahá’í faith is the emphasis on unity. I love the fact that two of their main pillars of faith are the elimination of prejudice and the equality of men and women. It’s not just something they try to do when they are in the mood, but it’s something that their faith is built upon.\r\n\r\nAnother thing that I find beautiful is the fact that they have a way of valuing all the different religions. To them, there is a thread running through all of history. Humanity has a greater story than divisions between rival religious factions, arguments between different denominations, or religiously perpetrated bigotry. Humanity has a beautiful story that is being continually shaped and is still growing and changing.\r\n\r\nCarl was extremely kind and very open to any questions I had. He corrected me a couple of times when I got nervous over a stupid question by saying “No, no question is stupid!” Even since our conversation I have emailed him about other things and he has taken the time to answer all of them, and has told me any time I have other questions he will set aside time to talk to me.\r\n\r\nI look forward to future conversations and appreciate him taking time to share his story and his faith with me.\r\n\r\n<strong>Thank you to Carl Marshall for his kindness, generosity, and for meeting with me to share his faith with me.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em><strong><em><strong>Hear about gurus, turbans, and the Five K\'s from </strong></em>Mandheer Singh, a Sikh gentleman from Rochester Hills next.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176612@N03/3755376430/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">random exposure</a> (Shrine of the Báb and Bahá\'í Gardens), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jeeheon</a> (Bahai Lotus Temple), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Upsilon Andromedae</a> (siblings at the Shrine), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">brett.wagner</a> (view from Mt. Carmel), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jay galvin</a> (Shrine of the <em>Báb), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctot_non_def/1434223112/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">ctot_not_def</a> (Dome of Light)</em> <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons</a> (the symbol for the Bahá\'í faith)</em>','Faith Interview Series: The Bahá\'í Faith','','inherit','open','open','','6068-revision-22','','','2012-05-04 09:14:54','2012-05-04 16:14:54','',6068,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6068-revision-22/',0,'revision','',0),(6564,1,'2012-05-06 22:35:04','2012-05-07 05:35:04','<div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6071\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A photo of Carl\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6071 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit, Michigan, moved his coffee across the table. “We are in the middle of a fasting month—or actually at the very end of it—so I should probably stop eating. I think the sun rises at 7:35 today.”\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nThe Bahá\'í calendar has nineteen months with nineteen days in each month. During the last month of the year, which falls between March 2<sup>nd</sup> and March 21<sup>st</sup>, members participate in a fast very similar to Ramadan.\r\n\r\nMy first encounter with the Baha’i faith was with a gentleman that sat next to me on a plane from Orlando to Detroit. We first started talking about the book I was reading, but once I learned what religion he was a part of (how this happened, I have no idea) I asked him all sorts of questions and we talked for the remainder of the flight. It was one of the most wonderful and fascinating conversations I’ve ever had.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6092\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Bahá’í Lotus Temple in Delhi, India\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6092  \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bahai-lotus-temple_flickr_jeeheon-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl grew up as a Christian in Detroit his mother attending Reverend C.L. Franklin’s church. He eventually moved to the Hawaiian Islands, where he became a Baha\'i in 1973. He was reading a book about comparative religion, and he said that the world’s religions seemed separate, compartmentalized, and without connection to each other. But then he met some Bahá\'í s and they explained the concept of Progressive Revelation.\r\n\r\n“What that means is that it’s just one God and one Religion, and every thousand years or so, God sends forth a new messenger, and these messengers have been the founders of the world’s great religions.”\r\n\r\nBahá\'u\'lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í religion, is the most recent messenger and is the Promised One of all the religions. “So I saw the unity there, where everything is not coming from a different source, but just a different messenger that’s giving a newer revelation of the previous religion.”\r\n\r\nThe interesting thing about Progressive Revelation is that it gives The Bahá’ís the ability to learn about and appreciate each of the world religions because they are all part of a greater movement through time. “In the Bible you have the Old and New Testament. In the Bahá’í faith, Bahá\'u\'lláh’s revelation consist of the New Testament, and all the previous religions are accepted as the Old Testament.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6095\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"191\" caption=\"Two children in front of the Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6095 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/children-bahai-temple_flickr_upsilon-andromedae-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThey believe in all the major figures of religions across the world: Moses, His Holiness Christ, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, and Mohammed because they are all key messengers with a holy book from God.  Because he is The Promised One of all religions, Bahá\'u\'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the prophecies that were given throughout all of the different holy books. “Bahá\'u\'lláh didn’t come to belittle <em>any</em> religion but to unify, connect and fulfill the previous dispensations.”\r\n\r\nCarl says that this is what the world really needs right now, and in another thousand years there will be another messenger to address the next millennium’s needs, which will occur approximately in the year 2852 AD. “It has to be that way because society advances. So, for example, Moses unified the tribes; Jesus, the church and state; Mohammed, a nation; and now Bahá\'u\'lláh has come to unify the world.”\r\n\r\nMany of the spiritual principles that govern Bahá’í conduct are contained in the book called, “The Hidden Words” of Bahá\'u\'lláh. There are twelve main principles of the Bahá’í faith. One is the elimination of prejudice, and another is the equality of men and women. “It’s not just lip service; it’s one of the founding principles of our faith, and we live by that,” Carl says. There is no clergy or priest hood in the Bahá’í Faith. However elections are held on the 21<sup>st</sup> of April of each year to elect 9 individuals who consult of the teaching, and administrative affairs within their city. Individuals are elected on the basis of their service, purity of heart, and firmness in the covenant.\r\n\r\nThe 9 individuals elected form what is known as the local Spiritual Assembly. Often times women outnumber the men on local spiritual assemblies. “I believe that one reason for this, and this is my own personal opinion, is that women are more spiritually evolved than men. They suffer more and have more test and trials. The equality of women began with the Bahá’í faith. The Bahá’í faith recognized that women have just as much to offer in the way of teaching and spiritual growth as men.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6097\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Mt. Carmel where the Shrine and holy scriptures are\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6097\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mt-carmel_flickr_brett-wagner-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo how do the Bahá’ís practice their faith on a daily basis? Carl says that Bahá\'u\'lláh came to renew religion and remove ritual from faith. However, they are required to fast during the last month of the Bahá’í calendar (called ‘Ala), are required to pray and read from the holy writings in every morning and night.\r\n\r\n“So, for instance, today I got up, I read from the writings and I prayed,” Carl says that according to the research department in the Holy Land the revelation of the Bab, the prophet herald of Bahá\'u\'lláh, contains almost five million words. In relation to Bahá\'u\'lláh, the role of the Bab was similar to the role of John the Baptist to Christ. The revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh contains over six million words, equivalent of more than 100 volumes.   “Being a Bahá’í is not something you do on Sunday; it’s a way of life. Since I live from a set of spiritual principles, every time I encounter someone it’s a test, as far as how you react and respond to them.”\r\n\r\nThe Bahá’í faith is one based on love. When you meet someone, Carl says that you try to show them—depending on their age and sex—the kind of love you would give to a brother, sister, father or mother.\r\n\r\nRegarding out daily life; Abdu\'l-Bahá has said; Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: \'This man is unquestionably a Bahá\'í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá\'ís.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6100\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6100\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shrine-bab_flickr_jay-galvin-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Shrine of the Báb\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne misconception about the Baha\'i faith is that it’s a cult. Cults are usually small groups that are governed by a radical leader who tries to isolate the group from society and tries to keep them from listening to anyone else. Yet, one of the twelve principles of the Bahá’í faith is the independent study and vetting of your faith. So, in other words, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that his books are open and that you should not believe something because someone tells you to, but because you’ve investigated and discovered the faith for yourself.\r\n\r\nAlso the Bahá’í faith is not a division of any previous religion. It is a new and independent revelation from God. The revelation of Bahá’u’lláh consist of over 100 volumes which are located on God’s holy mountain; Mt. Carmel in Haifa Israel.\r\n\r\nOne of the things Carl loves about being a Bahá’í is the fasting because it has nothing to do with losing weight. “It’s designed to purify the heart and cleanse the soul. And so what happens when you fast is you become detached and it increases your spiritual awareness, which allows for the other thing I love about it which is the understanding of religion in general. You reach a point of certitude where you understand how everything is connected together. Things have a deeper meaning.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6102\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Dome of Light in the Bahai Temple, North of Chicago\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6102\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe way his faith has helped Carl through difficult times in his life is by strengthening his faith. “Basically, a ‘difficult time’ is a test. So, say for instance someone was saying something mean or inappropriate to me. I can react the old way or the Baha\'i way. Bahá\'u\'lláh says there is always a choice. The Bahá’í way is to forgive the person, and ultimately get to the point where it doesn’t bother me anymore. A difficult time is a test used to perfect my character. I know that whatever happens, everything is temporary. So, I think I can make it. I can get through this stuff.”\r\n\r\nGlobally, the Bahá’í practices are consistent, so anywhere in the world you go, the Bahá\'ís will have the same four types of gatherings.\r\n<ol start=\"1\">\r\n	<li>The Devotional Gathering is designed to connect hearts through prayer. They are designed to be a bit more social so people have a way to connect with the larger community and find a home in this tumultuous world. Often times a devotional gathering leads to a Fireside. These take place in the home and during the Fireside a short talk is presented on the Bahá’í Faith and then the floor for questions.</li>\r\n	<li>Study Circles are open to all, and often take place in the home. Course material is based on the revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh. The first Study Circle deals with Prayer, the soul and the afterlife.</li>\r\n	<li>Junior youth classes are available.</li>\r\n	<li>Children’s classes are offered. The goal is to establish more through the metro Detroit area, although some people are not very receptive to them since they are not Christian.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAs far as the afterlife, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that your soul is destined to undergo a spiritual evolution until it attains the presence of God. This spiritual evolution is eternal.” Quoting from Abdu\'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá\'u\'lláh, Carl says, “When you die, your soul is plunged in the ocean of God’s mercy. Your behavior in this life and the decisions you make impacts your station in eternity. The degree of purity you attain in this world determines where you start in the afterlife.”\r\n\r\nBut what happens to those who don’t become a Bahá\'í? Are there consequences?  “Well, there isn’t any place where you go and you burn.” Carl says. According to the Bahá’í writings “The spiritual meaning of burning in hell refers to the burning desire to be closer to the creator. Those who choose to ignore Bahá\'u\'lláh in this life will be remote from him in the afterlife. I would define hell as acute and grievous remorse for not recognizing the promised one. This remorse is eternal due to remoteness from God.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6088\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"The symbol for the Bahá&#39;í Faith (Wikimedia Commons)\"]<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6088 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/400px-Bahai_star-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne thing I noticed immediately about the Bahá’í faith is the emphasis on unity. I love the fact that two of their main pillars of faith are the elimination of prejudice and the equality of men and women. It’s not just something they try to do when they are in the mood, but it’s something that their faith is built upon.\r\n\r\nAnother thing that I find beautiful is the fact that they have a way of valuing all the different religions. To them, there is a thread running through all of history. Humanity has a greater story than divisions between rival religious factions, arguments between different denominations, or religiously perpetrated bigotry. Humanity has a beautiful story that is being continually shaped and is still growing and changing.\r\n\r\nCarl was extremely kind and very open to any questions I had. He corrected me a couple of times when I got nervous over a stupid question by saying “No, no question is stupid!” Even since our conversation I have emailed him about other things and he has taken the time to answer all of them, and has told me any time I have other questions he will set aside time to talk to me.\r\n\r\nI look forward to future conversations and appreciate him taking time to share his story and his faith with me.\r\n\r\n<strong>Thank you to Carl Marshall for his kindness, generosity, and for meeting with me to share his faith with me.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em><strong><em><strong>Hear about gurus, turbans, and the Five K\'s from </strong></em>Mandheer Singh, a Sikh gentleman from Rochester Hills next.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176612@N03/3755376430/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">random exposure</a> (Shrine of the Báb and Bahá\'í Gardens), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jeeheon</a> (Bahai Lotus Temple), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Upsilon Andromedae</a> (siblings at the Shrine), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">brett.wagner</a> (view from Mt. Carmel), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jay galvin</a> (Shrine of the <em>Báb), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctot_non_def/1434223112/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">ctot_not_def</a> (Dome of Light)</em> <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons</a> (the symbol for the Bahá\'í faith)</em>','Faith Interview Series: The Bahá\'í Faith','','inherit','open','open','','6068-revision-27','','','2012-05-06 22:35:04','2012-05-07 05:35:04','',6068,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/06/6068-revision-27/',0,'revision','',0),(6504,1,'2012-05-04 09:17:30','2012-05-04 16:17:30','','faith interviews bahai','','inherit','open','open','','faith-interviews-bahai','','','2012-05-04 09:17:30','2012-05-04 16:17:30','',6068,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/faith-interviews-bahai.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6505,1,'2012-05-04 09:15:13','2012-05-04 16:15:13','<div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6071\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A photo of Carl\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6071 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit, Michigan, moved his coffee across the table. “We are in the middle of a fasting month—or actually at the very end of it—so I should probably stop eating. I think the sun rises at 7:35 today.”\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nThe Bahá\'í calendar has nineteen months with nineteen days in each month. During the last month of the year, which falls between March 2<sup>nd</sup> and March 21<sup>st</sup>, members participate in a fast very similar to Ramadan.\r\n\r\nMy first encounter with the Baha’i faith was with a gentleman that sat next to me on a plane from Orlando to Detroit. We first started talking about the book I was reading, but once I learned what religion he was a part of (how this happened, I have no idea) I asked him all sorts of questions and we talked for the remainder of the flight. It was one of the most wonderful and fascinating conversations I’ve ever had.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6092\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Bahá’í Lotus Temple in Delhi, India\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6092  \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bahai-lotus-temple_flickr_jeeheon-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl grew up as a Christian in Detroit his mother attending Reverend C.L. Franklin’s church. He eventually moved to the Hawaiian Islands, where he became a Baha\'i in 1973. He was reading a book about comparative religion, and he said that the world’s religions seemed separate, compartmentalized, and without connection to each other. But then he met some Bahá\'í s and they explained the concept of Progressive Revelation.\r\n\r\n“What that means is that it’s just one God and one Religion, and every thousand years or so, God sends forth a new messenger, and these messengers have been the founders of the world’s great religions.”\r\n\r\nBahá\'u\'lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í religion, is the most recent messenger and is the Promised One of all the religions. “So I saw the unity there, where everything is not coming from a different source, but just a different messenger that’s giving a newer revelation of the previous religion.”\r\n\r\nThe interesting thing about Progressive Revelation is that it gives The Bahá’ís the ability to learn about and appreciate each of the world religions because they are all part of a greater movement through time. “In the Bible you have the Old and New Testament. In the Bahá’í faith, Bahá\'u\'lláh’s revelation consist of the New Testament, and all the previous religions are accepted as the Old Testament.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6095\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"191\" caption=\"Two children in front of the Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6095 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/children-bahai-temple_flickr_upsilon-andromedae-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThey believe in all the major figures of religions across the world: Moses, His Holiness Christ, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, and Mohammed because they are all key messengers with a holy book from God.  Because he is The Promised One of all religions, Bahá\'u\'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the prophecies that were given throughout all of the different holy books. “Bahá\'u\'lláh didn’t come to belittle <em>any</em> religion but to unify, connect and fulfill the previous dispensations.”\r\n\r\nCarl says that this is what the world really needs right now, and in another thousand years there will be another messenger to address the next millennium’s needs, which will occur approximately in the year 2852 AD. “It has to be that way because society advances. So, for example, Moses unified the tribes; Jesus, the church and state; Mohammed, a nation; and now Bahá\'u\'lláh has come to unify the world.”\r\n\r\nMany of the spiritual principles that govern Bahá’í conduct are contained in the book called, “The Hidden Words” of Bahá\'u\'lláh. There are twelve main principles of the Bahá’í faith. One is the elimination of prejudice, and another is the equality of men and women. “It’s not just lip service; it’s one of the founding principles of our faith, and we live by that,” Carl says. There is no clergy or priest hood in the Bahá’í Faith. However elections are held on the 21<sup>st</sup> of April of each year to elect 9 individuals who consult of the teaching, and administrative affairs within their city. Individuals are elected on the basis of their service, purity of heart, and firmness in the covenant.\r\n\r\nThe 9 individuals elected form what is known as the local Spiritual Assembly. Often times women outnumber the men on local spiritual assemblies. “I believe that one reason for this, and this is my own personal opinion, is that women are more spiritually evolved than men. They suffer more and have more test and trials. The equality of women began with the Bahá’í faith. The Bahá’í faith recognized that women have just as much to offer in the way of teaching and spiritual growth as men.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6097\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Mt. Carmel where the Shrine and holy scriptures are\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6097\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mt-carmel_flickr_brett-wagner-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo how do the Bahá’ís practice their faith on a daily basis? Carl says that Bahá\'u\'lláh came to renew religion and remove ritual from faith. However, they are required to fast during the last month of the Bahá’í calendar (called ‘Ala), are required to pray and read from the holy writings in every morning and night.\r\n\r\n“So, for instance, today I got up, I read from the writings and I prayed,” Carl says that according to the research department in the Holy Land the revelation of the Bab, the prophet herald of Bahá\'u\'lláh, contains almost five million words. In relation to Bahá\'u\'lláh, the role of the Bab was similar to the role of John the Baptist to Christ. The revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh contains over six million words, equivalent of more than 100 volumes.   “Being a Bahá’í is not something you do on Sunday; it’s a way of life. Since I live from a set of spiritual principles, every time I encounter someone it’s a test, as far as how you react and respond to them.”\r\n\r\nThe Bahá’í faith is one based on love. When you meet someone, Carl says that you try to show them—depending on their age and sex—the kind of love you would give to a brother, sister, father or mother.\r\n\r\nRegarding out daily life; Abdu\'l-Bahá has said; Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: \'This man is unquestionably a Bahá\'í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá\'ís.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6100\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6100\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shrine-bab_flickr_jay-galvin-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Shrine of the Báb\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne misconception about the Baha\'i faith is that it’s a cult. Cults are usually small groups that are governed by a radical leader who tries to isolate the group from society and tries to keep them from listening to anyone else. Yet, one of the twelve principles of the Bahá’í faith is the independent study and vetting of your faith. So, in other words, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that his books are open and that you should not believe something because someone tells you to, but because you’ve investigated and discovered the faith for yourself.\r\n\r\nAlso the Bahá’í faith is not a division of any previous religion. It is a new and independent revelation from God. The revelation of Bahá’u’lláh consist of over 100 volumes which are located on God’s holy mountain; Mt. Carmel in Haifa Israel.\r\n\r\nOne of the things Carl loves about being a Bahá’í is the fasting because it has nothing to do with losing weight. “It’s designed to purify the heart and cleanse the soul. And so what happens when you fast is you become detached and it increases your spiritual awareness, which allows for the other thing I love about it which is the understanding of religion in general. You reach a point of certitude where you understand how everything is connected together. Things have a deeper meaning.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6102\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Dome of Light in the Bahai Temple, North of Chicago\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6102\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe way his faith has helped Carl through difficult times in his life is by strengthening his faith. “Basically, a ‘difficult time’ is a test. So, say for instance someone was saying something mean or inappropriate to me. I can react the old way or the Baha\'i way. Bahá\'u\'lláh says there is always a choice. The Bahá’í way is to forgive the person, and ultimately get to the point where it doesn’t bother me anymore. A difficult time is a test used to perfect my character. I know that whatever happens, everything is temporary. So, I think I can make it. I can get through this stuff.”\r\n\r\nGlobally, the Bahá’í practices are consistent, so anywhere in the world you go, the Bahá\'ís will have the same four types of gatherings.\r\n<ol start=\"1\">\r\n	<li>The Devotional Gathering is designed to connect hearts through prayer. They are designed to be a bit more social so people have a way to connect with the larger community and find a home in this tumultuous world. Often times a devotional gathering leads to a Fireside. These take place in the home and during the Fireside a short talk is presented on the Bahá’í Faith and then the floor for questions.</li>\r\n	<li>Study Circles are open to all, and often take place in the home. Course material is based on the revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh. The first Study Circle deals with Prayer, the soul and the afterlife.</li>\r\n	<li>Junior youth classes are available.</li>\r\n	<li>Children’s classes are offered. The goal is to establish more through the metro Detroit area, although some people are not very receptive to them since they are not Christian.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAs far as the afterlife, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that your soul is destined to undergo a spiritual evolution until it attains the presence of God. This spiritual evolution is eternal.” Quoting from Abdu\'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá\'u\'lláh, Carl says, “When you die, your soul is plunged in the ocean of God’s mercy. Your behavior in this life and the decisions you make impacts your station in eternity. The degree of purity you attain in this world determines where you start in the afterlife.”\r\n\r\nBut what happens to those who don’t become a Bahá\'í? Are there consequences?  “Well, there isn’t any place where you go and you burn.” Carl says. According to the Bahá’í writings “The spiritual meaning of burning in hell refers to the burning desire to be closer to the creator. Those who choose to ignore Bahá\'u\'lláh in this life will be remote from him in the afterlife. I would define hell as acute and grievous remorse for not recognizing the promised one. This remorse is eternal due to remoteness from God.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6088\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"The symbol for the Bahá&#39;í Faith (Wikimedia Commons)\"]<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6088 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/400px-Bahai_star-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne thing I noticed immediately about the Bahá’í faith is the emphasis on unity. I love the fact that two of their main pillars of faith are the elimination of prejudice and the equality of men and women. It’s not just something they try to do when they are in the mood, but it’s something that their faith is built upon.\r\n\r\nAnother thing that I find beautiful is the fact that they have a way of valuing all the different religions. To them, there is a thread running through all of history. Humanity has a greater story than divisions between rival religious factions, arguments between different denominations, or religiously perpetrated bigotry. Humanity has a beautiful story that is being continually shaped and is still growing and changing.\r\n\r\nCarl was extremely kind and very open to any questions I had. He corrected me a couple of times when I got nervous over a stupid question by saying “No, no question is stupid!” Even since our conversation I have emailed him about other things and he has taken the time to answer all of them, and has told me any time I have other questions he will set aside time to talk to me.\r\n\r\nI look forward to future conversations and appreciate him taking time to share his story and his faith with me.\r\n\r\n<strong>Thank you to Carl Marshall for his kindness, generosity, and for meeting with me to share his faith with me.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em><strong><em><strong>Hear about gurus, turbans, and the Five K\'s from </strong></em>Mandheer Singh, a Sikh gentleman from Rochester Hills next.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176612@N03/3755376430/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">random exposure</a> (Shrine of the Báb and Bahá\'í Gardens), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jeeheon</a> (Bahai Lotus Temple), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Upsilon Andromedae</a> (siblings at the Shrine), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">brett.wagner</a> (view from Mt. Carmel), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jay galvin</a> (Shrine of the <em>Báb), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctot_non_def/1434223112/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">ctot_not_def</a> (Dome of Light)</em> <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons</a> (the symbol for the Bahá\'í faith)</em>','Faith Interview Series: The Bahá\'í Faith','','inherit','open','open','','6068-revision-23','','','2012-05-04 09:15:13','2012-05-04 16:15:13','',6068,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6068-revision-23/',0,'revision','',0),(6506,1,'2012-05-04 09:08:25','2012-05-04 16:08:25','Write an introduction.','Faith Series: An Interfaith Dialog','','inherit','open','open','','6495-revision-4','','','2012-05-04 09:08:25','2012-05-04 16:08:25','',6495,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6495-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6507,1,'2012-05-04 09:24:34','2012-05-04 16:24:34','','faith interviews featured series','','inherit','open','open','','faith-interviews-featured-series','','','2012-05-04 09:24:34','2012-05-04 16:24:34','',6495,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/faith-interviews-featured-series.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6508,1,'2012-05-04 09:18:16','2012-05-04 16:18:16','Write an introduction.','Faith Interview Series: An Interfaith Dialog','','inherit','open','open','','6495-revision-5','','','2012-05-04 09:18:16','2012-05-04 16:18:16','',6495,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6495-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6509,1,'2012-05-04 09:26:22','2012-05-04 16:26:22','','faith interview sikh','','inherit','open','open','','faith-interview-sikh','','','2012-05-04 09:26:22','2012-05-04 16:26:22','',5851,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/faith-interview-sikh.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(6510,1,'2012-04-28 20:20:45','2012-04-29 03:20:45','I pulled up to the Gurdwara in Rochester Hills, a small white and brick building. “Gurdwara” is the term for a place of worship for those of the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism\" target=\"_blank\">Sikh faith</a>. “God is One” was printed prominently on their sign near the road. Two boys playing in the parking lot pointed me to the right door and I entered the gurdwara. I was greeted by Mandheer Singh, a tall gentleman with electric brown eyes and a warm smile. Mandheer Singh is a real estate agent, is married and has two children. (Singh is the last name adopted by Sikh men to signify brotherhood and it means “lion\". Women use “Kaur” which means “Princess”.)\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5852\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"A Gurdwara\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/47450200@N02/4350484055/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5852 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gurdwara_flickr_sohoandproud-300x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"184\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n“Now, the first thing we do is we take off our shoes and cover our hair.” I removed my shoes and he handed me a cream-colored scarf to wear, which I place over the top of my hair and wrapped the excess around each shoulder. Mandheer Singh was wearing a black turban. “The reason we take off our shoes is because we believe God is everywhere and so this is a holy place. And the reason we cover our hair is to show modesty and respect.”\r\n<h3>About the Gurdwara</h3>\r\nMandheer Singh first gave me a tour of the gurdwara. Down one hallway was a kitchen. “This kitchen is used to make food that we serve every week for free. Everyone is welcome to eat with us. And this is consistent all across the world, so if you are traveling in a city and need food, or if you are homeless and need a meal, go to a gurdwara and they will take care of you. This is one way we give back to the community, and is one of our core beliefs.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5858\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Sikh women and children\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphia/5662116967/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5858\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sikh-children_flickr_graphia-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nHe then showed me to the room at the end of the hall. There were several women and children sitting on the floor. “This is where the meal will be served after the service. Everyone sits on the floor during the meal to symbolize equality.” In Sikhism, women are not considered any less than men, but are regarded as complete equals in the congregation.\r\n\r\nHe then showed me to the main room down the other hallway where a service was in process, where everyone was sitting on the floor in two main sections with an aisle down the middle.  In the front of the room there was a Sikh man, a Granthi, sitting and reading from scripture.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5860\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Inside a gurdwara\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/hari_singh/6523149179/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5860\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gurdwara_flickr_hari-singh-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n“They just finished about an hour and a half of singing hymns which are directly taken from our scriptures, and now will go for about another half hour of reading and reciting from the Guru Granth Sahib,” (which is their sacred scriptures). There is a screen with the English translation for those who aren’t familiar with Gurmukhi (the Punjabi language alphabet).\r\n<h3>Life as a Sikh</h3>\r\nMandheer Singh wasn’t always a practicing Sikh, he told me. Mandheer Singh’s parents moved from India to the US. He was born in Sacramento, and grew up in a small town in Ohio where his father worked for the Air Force as a civilian. “I grew up in Ohio, so I grew up like any other American. I watched Hulk Hogan, listened to Led Zeppelin, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, all of that.”\r\n\r\nSo how did he come to the Sikh faith? His family came into contact with a few Sikhs who were very dedicated and knowledgable about the religion, and then they went on to introduce his family to more Sikhs in the US and Canada. When he looked around he saw them were being doctors, artists, athletes, professors—fully participating citizens. “I mean, I looked at myself,” said Mandheer Singh. “I have brown skin and dark hair. I was never really going to blend in completely. So it was alright for me to blend in just a little bit less to join this faith. There was something that compelled me to it, and as I learned more about it I felt it was who I really was on the inside.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5871\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"The Golden Temple (Amritsar) in the Sikhism capital, Punjab in India\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/azwegers/6289556477/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5871  \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/golden-temple_flickr_arian-zwegers-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nMandheer Singh and his brother embraced the faith before their parents in to the faith. “He and I stopped cutting our hair and starting wearing our turbans. In fact, I remember chiding my father by saying things like ‘Why do you keep cutting your hair? Don’t you want to be respectful to the faith?’” Mandheer Singh’s father starting making notes when he would talk to people or learn about the Sikh faith. Those notes turned into a folder, which turned into a binder of its own, and now his father is one of the most highly regarded speakers and scholars of Sikhism.\r\n\r\nThe strengthening of his faith changed his desires as a person. “I stopped listening to all the bands that I used to. Like, if you were to play Run DMC right now, I’ll still know all the words, but it doesn’t feel the same to me anymore. I started listening to our hymns all the time and I just wanted to listen to them even more than everything else.”\r\n\r\nMandheer Singh went on to explain the things that Sikh men have on them at all times, known as the Five Ks.\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesh_(Sikhism)\" target=\"_blank\">Kesh</a> – Uncut hair</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanga_(Sikhism)\" target=\"_blank\">Kanga</a> – A small, wooden comb (“The comb is basically supposed to show us that we are not to cut our hair, but that we are also supposed to take care of it and ourselves out of respect”)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_(Sikhism)\" target=\"_blank\">Kara</a> – A metal bracelet (which Mandheer Singh said is very much like a wedding ring)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachera\" target=\"_blank\">Kachera</a> – A specific type of cotton briefs (which represent chastity and preparedness)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirpan\" target=\"_blank\">Kirpan</a> – A small dagger (you may only fight in <em>defense</em>, never offense)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5864\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"A Sikh couple\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/petercastleton/5018035205/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5864\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sikh-couple_flickr_petercastleton-300x221.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"221\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Five Ks give Sikhs a unique outward identity. “I could go into a bar or a club,” (Sikhs are not allowed to drink alcohol) “but I know that I am a walking image of the Gurus and their teachings,” he said. “I could take off my turban and bracelet, but it’s the same thing as if you were to go into a club and take off your wedding rings.”\r\n<h3>How 9/11 Affected the Sikh Community</h3>\r\nI asked about cross-discrimination and racism since September 11<sup>th</sup>, which he said did affect the Sikh community. There were some profane things written on a nearby gurdwara just a few weeks ago.\r\n\r\n“It thought it was unfair that an image I had associated all my life as holy was hijacked; literally hijacked.”\r\n\r\nMandheer Singh remembers the looks he got when he went to the gym after 9/11. He has a Sikh friend in NYC who was attacked on a subway because someone thought he was a Muslim. (“It wouldn’t be right even he had been a Muslim,” Mandheer Singh added.) The judge wanted to send the attacker to jail, but Mandheer Singh’s friend insisted instead that he serve community service at their gurdwara. After getting to know the people and who they were, the man who attacked him apologized and said, “I am so sorry, I didn’t know who you were. Had I known ... I am <em>so</em> sorry.”\r\n\r\n“I have a confession,” Mandheer Singh said to me.\r\n<blockquote>I remember going to a Chinese restaurant with a bunch of people and on our way in there were two very white people coming our direction. You know, blonde hair, blue eyes. They were just staring at us. I could feel myself tensing up and I just knew what they were thinking. As we got closer, they said, \"Hello!\" And I thought, \"I just did it to them!\" My prejudgment of them was no better than what others had done to me. And that was when I knew I couldn’t live like that anymore. I can’t assume those kinds of things of people. Walking around with a chip on my shoulder just makes things worse.</blockquote>\r\nWhen I asked him what he loved about being a Sikh, he said sheepishly, “As cliché as it is … everything. I love everything about it. It gives me such a sense of purpose and meaning in my life.”\r\n<h3>Conclusion</h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5856\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Khanda, a Sikh symbol\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/khanda_flickr_sikhiwiki.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-5856\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/khanda_flickr_sikhiwiki-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nEveryone I interacted with at the gurdwara made sure I felt comfortable and explained whatever I wanted to know. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into before going in, as I had only studied Sikhism through a World Religion class, but the kindness of the Sikh community I visited was overwhelming. My conversation with Mandheer Singh lasted a long time and he was open to any question I had to ask.\r\n\r\nWhat’s interesting is that the kindness they displayed has been consistent across the few other Sikhs I’ve met. (For instance, my doctor is a Sikh. His kind smile puts me at ease and he very good at his job.) I was moved by their hospitality and by their emphasis on equality and community service, and I am proud to count them as my friends.\r\n\r\n<strong>Thanks to Manheer Singh, Mandeep Singh, Kulwinder Singh, and the Sikh Gurdwara of Rochester Hills for allowing me the chance to get to know them and see into their community.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Next, we\'ll hear from one of the most influential Jews in social media, a Rabbi in Detroit.</em></strong>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: </em><em>Flickr / <em><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphia/5648545143/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">graphia</a> (Sikh young man), </em><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/47450200@N02/4350484055/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">sohoandproud</a> (gurdwara), </em><em><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/sikhiwiki/2300262427/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">sikhiwiki</a> (khanda, a Sikh symbol), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphia/5662116967/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">graphia</a> (Sikh children), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/hari_singh/6523149179/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Hari Singh</a> (inside a gurdwara), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/azwegers/6289556477/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Arian Zwegers</a> (Amritsar, the Golden Temple in Punjab)</em>','Faith Interview Series: Sikhism','','inherit','open','open','','5851-revision-21','','','2012-04-28 20:20:45','2012-04-29 03:20:45','',5851,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/28/5851-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(6511,1,'2012-05-04 09:17:52','2012-05-04 16:17:52','<div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6071\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A photo of Carl\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6071 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Carl_Marshall-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl Marshall, a Bahá’í gentleman from Detroit, Michigan, moved his coffee across the table. “We are in the middle of a fasting month—or actually at the very end of it—so I should probably stop eating. I think the sun rises at 7:35 today.”\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nThe Bahá\'í calendar has nineteen months with nineteen days in each month. During the last month of the year, which falls between March 2<sup>nd</sup> and March 21<sup>st</sup>, members participate in a fast very similar to Ramadan.\r\n\r\nMy first encounter with the Baha’i faith was with a gentleman that sat next to me on a plane from Orlando to Detroit. We first started talking about the book I was reading, but once I learned what religion he was a part of (how this happened, I have no idea) I asked him all sorts of questions and we talked for the remainder of the flight. It was one of the most wonderful and fascinating conversations I’ve ever had.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6092\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Bahá’í Lotus Temple in Delhi, India\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6092  \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bahai-lotus-temple_flickr_jeeheon-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nCarl grew up as a Christian in Detroit his mother attending Reverend C.L. Franklin’s church. He eventually moved to the Hawaiian Islands, where he became a Baha\'i in 1973. He was reading a book about comparative religion, and he said that the world’s religions seemed separate, compartmentalized, and without connection to each other. But then he met some Bahá\'í s and they explained the concept of Progressive Revelation.\r\n\r\n“What that means is that it’s just one God and one Religion, and every thousand years or so, God sends forth a new messenger, and these messengers have been the founders of the world’s great religions.”\r\n\r\nBahá\'u\'lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í religion, is the most recent messenger and is the Promised One of all the religions. “So I saw the unity there, where everything is not coming from a different source, but just a different messenger that’s giving a newer revelation of the previous religion.”\r\n\r\nThe interesting thing about Progressive Revelation is that it gives The Bahá’ís the ability to learn about and appreciate each of the world religions because they are all part of a greater movement through time. “In the Bible you have the Old and New Testament. In the Bahá’í faith, Bahá\'u\'lláh’s revelation consist of the New Testament, and all the previous religions are accepted as the Old Testament.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6095\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"191\" caption=\"Two children in front of the Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6095 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/children-bahai-temple_flickr_upsilon-andromedae-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThey believe in all the major figures of religions across the world: Moses, His Holiness Christ, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, and Mohammed because they are all key messengers with a holy book from God.  Because he is The Promised One of all religions, Bahá\'u\'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the prophecies that were given throughout all of the different holy books. “Bahá\'u\'lláh didn’t come to belittle <em>any</em> religion but to unify, connect and fulfill the previous dispensations.”\r\n\r\nCarl says that this is what the world really needs right now, and in another thousand years there will be another messenger to address the next millennium’s needs, which will occur approximately in the year 2852 AD. “It has to be that way because society advances. So, for example, Moses unified the tribes; Jesus, the church and state; Mohammed, a nation; and now Bahá\'u\'lláh has come to unify the world.”\r\n\r\nMany of the spiritual principles that govern Bahá’í conduct are contained in the book called, “The Hidden Words” of Bahá\'u\'lláh. There are twelve main principles of the Bahá’í faith. One is the elimination of prejudice, and another is the equality of men and women. “It’s not just lip service; it’s one of the founding principles of our faith, and we live by that,” Carl says. There is no clergy or priest hood in the Bahá’í Faith. However elections are held on the 21<sup>st</sup> of April of each year to elect 9 individuals who consult of the teaching, and administrative affairs within their city. Individuals are elected on the basis of their service, purity of heart, and firmness in the covenant.\r\n\r\nThe 9 individuals elected form what is known as the local Spiritual Assembly. Often times women outnumber the men on local spiritual assemblies. “I believe that one reason for this, and this is my own personal opinion, is that women are more spiritually evolved than men. They suffer more and have more test and trials. The equality of women began with the Bahá’í faith. The Bahá’í faith recognized that women have just as much to offer in the way of teaching and spiritual growth as men.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6097\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Mt. Carmel where the Shrine and holy scriptures are\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6097\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mt-carmel_flickr_brett-wagner-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo how do the Bahá’ís practice their faith on a daily basis? Carl says that Bahá\'u\'lláh came to renew religion and remove ritual from faith. However, they are required to fast during the last month of the Bahá’í calendar (called ‘Ala), are required to pray and read from the holy writings in every morning and night.\r\n\r\n“So, for instance, today I got up, I read from the writings and I prayed,” Carl says that according to the research department in the Holy Land the revelation of the Bab, the prophet herald of Bahá\'u\'lláh, contains almost five million words. In relation to Bahá\'u\'lláh, the role of the Bab was similar to the role of John the Baptist to Christ. The revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh contains over six million words, equivalent of more than 100 volumes.   “Being a Bahá’í is not something you do on Sunday; it’s a way of life. Since I live from a set of spiritual principles, every time I encounter someone it’s a test, as far as how you react and respond to them.”\r\n\r\nThe Bahá’í faith is one based on love. When you meet someone, Carl says that you try to show them—depending on their age and sex—the kind of love you would give to a brother, sister, father or mother.\r\n\r\nRegarding out daily life; Abdu\'l-Bahá has said; Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: \'This man is unquestionably a Bahá\'í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá\'ís.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6100\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Shrine of the Báb\"]<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6100\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shrine-bab_flickr_jay-galvin-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Shrine of the Báb\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne misconception about the Baha\'i faith is that it’s a cult. Cults are usually small groups that are governed by a radical leader who tries to isolate the group from society and tries to keep them from listening to anyone else. Yet, one of the twelve principles of the Bahá’í faith is the independent study and vetting of your faith. So, in other words, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that his books are open and that you should not believe something because someone tells you to, but because you’ve investigated and discovered the faith for yourself.\r\n\r\nAlso the Bahá’í faith is not a division of any previous religion. It is a new and independent revelation from God. The revelation of Bahá’u’lláh consist of over 100 volumes which are located on God’s holy mountain; Mt. Carmel in Haifa Israel.\r\n\r\nOne of the things Carl loves about being a Bahá’í is the fasting because it has nothing to do with losing weight. “It’s designed to purify the heart and cleanse the soul. And so what happens when you fast is you become detached and it increases your spiritual awareness, which allows for the other thing I love about it which is the understanding of religion in general. You reach a point of certitude where you understand how everything is connected together. Things have a deeper meaning.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6102\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Dome of Light in the Bahai Temple, North of Chicago\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6102\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dome-of-light_flickr_ctot-not-def-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe way his faith has helped Carl through difficult times in his life is by strengthening his faith. “Basically, a ‘difficult time’ is a test. So, say for instance someone was saying something mean or inappropriate to me. I can react the old way or the Baha\'i way. Bahá\'u\'lláh says there is always a choice. The Bahá’í way is to forgive the person, and ultimately get to the point where it doesn’t bother me anymore. A difficult time is a test used to perfect my character. I know that whatever happens, everything is temporary. So, I think I can make it. I can get through this stuff.”\r\n\r\nGlobally, the Bahá’í practices are consistent, so anywhere in the world you go, the Bahá\'ís will have the same four types of gatherings.\r\n<ol start=\"1\">\r\n	<li>The Devotional Gathering is designed to connect hearts through prayer. They are designed to be a bit more social so people have a way to connect with the larger community and find a home in this tumultuous world. Often times a devotional gathering leads to a Fireside. These take place in the home and during the Fireside a short talk is presented on the Bahá’í Faith and then the floor for questions.</li>\r\n	<li>Study Circles are open to all, and often take place in the home. Course material is based on the revelation of Bahá\'u\'lláh. The first Study Circle deals with Prayer, the soul and the afterlife.</li>\r\n	<li>Junior youth classes are available.</li>\r\n	<li>Children’s classes are offered. The goal is to establish more through the metro Detroit area, although some people are not very receptive to them since they are not Christian.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nAs far as the afterlife, Bahá\'u\'lláh says that your soul is destined to undergo a spiritual evolution until it attains the presence of God. This spiritual evolution is eternal.” Quoting from Abdu\'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá\'u\'lláh, Carl says, “When you die, your soul is plunged in the ocean of God’s mercy. Your behavior in this life and the decisions you make impacts your station in eternity. The degree of purity you attain in this world determines where you start in the afterlife.”\r\n\r\nBut what happens to those who don’t become a Bahá\'í? Are there consequences?  “Well, there isn’t any place where you go and you burn.” Carl says. According to the Bahá’í writings “The spiritual meaning of burning in hell refers to the burning desire to be closer to the creator. Those who choose to ignore Bahá\'u\'lláh in this life will be remote from him in the afterlife. I would define hell as acute and grievous remorse for not recognizing the promised one. This remorse is eternal due to remoteness from God.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6088\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"The symbol for the Bahá&#39;í Faith (Wikimedia Commons)\"]<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6088 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/400px-Bahai_star-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne thing I noticed immediately about the Bahá’í faith is the emphasis on unity. I love the fact that two of their main pillars of faith are the elimination of prejudice and the equality of men and women. It’s not just something they try to do when they are in the mood, but it’s something that their faith is built upon.\r\n\r\nAnother thing that I find beautiful is the fact that they have a way of valuing all the different religions. To them, there is a thread running through all of history. Humanity has a greater story than divisions between rival religious factions, arguments between different denominations, or religiously perpetrated bigotry. Humanity has a beautiful story that is being continually shaped and is still growing and changing.\r\n\r\nCarl was extremely kind and very open to any questions I had. He corrected me a couple of times when I got nervous over a stupid question by saying “No, no question is stupid!” Even since our conversation I have emailed him about other things and he has taken the time to answer all of them, and has told me any time I have other questions he will set aside time to talk to me.\r\n\r\nI look forward to future conversations and appreciate him taking time to share his story and his faith with me.\r\n\r\n<strong>Thank you to Carl Marshall for his kindness, generosity, and for meeting with me to share his faith with me.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em><strong><em><strong>Hear about gurus, turbans, and the Five K\'s from </strong></em>Mandheer Singh, a Sikh gentleman from Rochester Hills next.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176612@N03/3755376430/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">random exposure</a> (Shrine of the Báb and Bahá\'í Gardens), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeeheon/4663379544/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jeeheon</a> (Bahai Lotus Temple), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/upsand/427782737/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Upsilon Andromedae</a> (siblings at the Shrine), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwags/3048517550/sizes/z/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">brett.wagner</a> (view from Mt. Carmel), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaygalvin/230687375/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">jay galvin</a> (Shrine of the <em>Báb), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctot_non_def/1434223112/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">ctot_not_def</a> (Dome of Light)</em> <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahai_star.svg\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons</a> (the symbol for the Bahá\'í faith)</em>','Faith Interview Series: The Bahá\'í Faith','','inherit','open','open','','6068-revision-24','','','2012-05-04 09:17:52','2012-05-04 16:17:52','',6068,'http://provoketive.com/2012/05/04/6068-revision-24/',0,'revision','',0),(6512,1,'2012-04-28 20:25:31','2012-04-29 03:25:31','[caption id=\"attachment_6153\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Rabbi Jason Miller\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rabbi-jason-miller-2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6153 \" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rabbi-jason-miller-2-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Rabbi Jason Miller\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRabbi Jason Miller grew up in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He attended James Madison College at Michigan State University where he graduated with a degree in International Relations. He then went to the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York where he became an ordained Rabbi and earned a master’s degree in Education.\r\n\r\nI asked Rabbi Jason how he came to the Jewish faith. “I was raised in the Jewish faith,” he told me. When he was in college he became involved in the Jewish community on campus. “That led me to make the decision that after I graduated I would attend rabbinical school instead of law school.”\r\n\r\nHow does one practice the Jewish faith on a daily basis? Rabbi Jason replied: “I’m an observant Jew. I have daily prayer, I keep kosher, Sabbath and all the Jewish holidays.”\r\n\r\nA misconception that people have about him when he talks about being a Rabbi is that people automatically think he must be in charge of a large congregation. He is not, but is instead a businessman and social media guru. “I’m a teacher, entrepreneur, businessman, visiting Rabbi at several congregations, and I perform ceremonies for life cycle events,” Rabbi Jason said.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6151\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Synagogue of Pécs in Hungary\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/synagogue-hungary_flickr_Emmanuel-Dyan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6151\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/synagogue-hungary_flickr_Emmanuel-Dyan-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Huffington post named Rabbi Jason as one of the top ten most influential Jews in social media and he recently won a Jewish Influencer award from the National Jewish Outreach Program. He <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-jason-miller\">writes articles</a> for The Huffington Post and has a <a href=\"http://blog.rabbijason.com/\">personal blog</a> which he has run since 2006. He took over the family business, Access Computer Technology, from his father in 2010. The company began in 1994 and provides IT support, social media marketing, and website design/build. He also owns Kosher Michigan, a kosher certification agency.\r\n\r\nI asked him how social media interacts with his faith and he said, “Through social media, the global Jewish community appears smaller than it used to be. Traditional borders and barriers that have kept us from each other have virtually disappeared. We’re becoming much more interconnected educationally, religiously, socially, and culturally.”\r\n<h2>About Judaism</h2>\r\nJudaism is an Abrahamic faith and is one of the oldest surviving monotheistic faiths in the world. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism\">According to Wikipedia</a>, in 2010 there were an estimated 13.4 million Jews around the world, 42% of which live in Jerusalem and another 42% of which live in the United States or Canada.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6155\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\" caption=\"A street view of Nazareth, the Holy Land, circa 1880-1900\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/nazareth_flickr_chatham-university.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-6155\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/nazareth_flickr_chatham-university-300x281.jpg\" alt=\"A street view of Nazareth, the Holy Land, circa 1880-1900\" width=\"300\" height=\"281\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLife cycle events in the Jewish faith include things like birth and the first month of life (ritual circumcision on the eighth day for baby boys), bar and bat mitzvahs, divorce, marriage, and death and grieving.\r\n\r\nRabbi Jason Miller loves being a part of the Jewish faith. He said “I love the time-honored traditions, celebrations, and also the emphasis on education.”\r\n\r\nJudaism does not have a set of things you absolutely have to believe to be a Jew, but there is a list of 13 principles that encompass the most widely accepted principles written by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon.  These principles work hand-in-hand with the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Commandments\">10 Commandments</a>.\r\n<h2><strong>13 Principles of Faith</strong></h2>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>God exists</li>\r\n	<li>God is one and unique</li>\r\n	<li>God is incorporeal</li>\r\n	<li>God is eternal</li>\r\n	<li>Prayer is to be directed to God alone and to no other</li>\r\n	<li>The words of the prophets are true</li>\r\n	<li>Moses\' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets</li>\r\n	<li>The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses</li>\r\n	<li>There will be no other Torah</li>\r\n	<li>God knows the thoughts and deeds of men</li>\r\n	<li>God will reward the good and punish the wicked</li>\r\n	<li>The Messiah will come</li>\r\n	<li>The dead will be resurrected</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6157\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A synagogue in Budapest\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/synagoge_flickr_parissharing.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6157\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/synagoge_flickr_parissharing-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRabbi Jason does not believe this personally, but the reason you will sometimes see the word “God” written by Jews with the dash in place of the “o” is because according to some Jewish traditions one should not speak or write the name of God frivolously, which is the fourth commandment. Also, it is rooted in a respect for God; His name is to remain sacred and not spoken unless in prayer or recitation. Substitutions like “Adonai” are often used in place of God’s name.\r\n\r\nThe majority of Jews do not read the New Testament or believe Jesus was the Messiah, which is where Christianity and Judaism part ways. In one of his most recent articles written for The Huffington Post called “<a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-jason-miller/jesus-we-can-finally-talk_b_1241538.html\">Jesus, We Can Finally Talk about Jesus</a>”, Rabbi Jason Miller talked about how at the end of his time at the Jewish Theological Seminary, he was asked to do a presentation for a group of undergrads at The College of St. Elizabeth.\r\n<blockquote>In preparation for my visit [the teacher] asked the students to submit a list of five questions each that they would like me to consider. Without any exaggeration, a full 90 percent of the students included at least one question about Jesus Christ in their list. […] Many of the women in that class at the College of St. Elizabeth were surprised to learn that Jews do not consider Jesus to be the messiah and the entire class was shocked to discover that Jesus\' teachings were not part of the required coursework I was doing in my rabbinical school studies.</blockquote>\r\n<em>Kosher</em> (“kashrut” in Hebrew) is a <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_foods\">set of dietary laws</a> for those of the Jewish faith to ensure that their food is fit to eat, though the work can also mean things that are proper, legitimate, or approved for use. From a historical context, this code was a way of ensuring <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_foods#Ritual_slaughter\">humane slaughtering</a>, kept the Jews from eating animals prone to infection, and kept their food disease free.\r\n<h2><strong>Holidays</strong></h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6160\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A Rabbi in traditional dress\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rabbi_flickr_molotalk.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6160\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rabbi_flickr_molotalk-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nJews celebrate a lot of holidays throughout the year and the celebrations can vary from group to group, but here are a few of the top holidays that are celebrated by almost all of them.\r\n\r\n<strong>Passover</strong> – This holiday commemorates the Israelite’s exodus from a tyrannical reign in Egypt. This holiday typical lasts from seven to eight days and starts on the first full moon in April.\r\n\r\n<strong>Rosh Hashanah</strong> – This is the Jewish New Year according to the Judaic calendar. It lasts between one to two days and falls between Labor Day and Columbus Day. (On the site <a href=\"http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayg.htm\">JewFAQ.org</a>, they mention that ‘You\'ve heard of \"twice-a-year Christians’ who go to church only on Christmas and Easter? ‘Twice-a-year Jews’ go to synagogue only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Yom Kippur</strong> – This holiday occurs on the ninth day after the first day of Rosh Hashanah. It is a somber holiday that is used as an annual day of repentance for sins that have been committed throughout the previous year.\r\n\r\n<strong>Chanukkah (Hanukkah)</strong> – This is the festival of lights which starts sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Chanukkah is in memory of the Israelites\' rededication the temple in Jerusalem after a successful revolt against Seleucid Greeks.\r\n\r\nHis faith has helped him through difficult times in his life through learning what it means to truly engage with faith, through connecting with G-d in prayer, and through reliance on the community. He said, “Here in Detroit we have a very close-knit community that transcends denominations and different walks of life. It’s wonderful.”\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6161\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"A Star of David, a symbol of Judaism\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/star-david_flickr_Klearchos-Kapoutsis.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6161\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/star-david_flickr_Klearchos-Kapoutsis-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOne of the central ideas that originates from Jewish culture is that of <em>chesed</em>, which roughly means “loving-kindness” and going the extra mile to take care of others. I have heard translated to mean “Love G-d, Love Man”. Another key idea is <em>tikkun olam</em> which means “repairing the world”. Basically, Jews aren’t supposed to simply focus on self-preservation but work for the healing and restoration of the world we live in. Followers of the Jewish faith are to build their lives on these two ideas and show love and kindness to everyone they interact with.\r\n<h2>Conclusion</h2>\r\nRabbi Jason Miller has devoted his life to the Jewish way of life and connecting the community. Through social media he is doing his part to bring the Jewish world together. Through his companies he is working to better the lives of Jews and non-Jews alike in Detroit. And through his writing he is challenging and inspiring fellow Jews and Detroiters.\r\n\r\n<strong>I appreciate Rabbi Jason taking the time to talk to me and I hope that someday it be said of me that I have done even a fraction of what he has for his community.</strong>\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Ever met a Druid? Now you\'ll get the chance to! We\'ll hear from Robert, a Neopagan Druid from Plymouth, Michigan.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: Flickr / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/shankbone/3380936274/\" target=\"_blank\">david_shankbone</a> (A Jew kissing the Wailing Wall) <a href=\"http://www.rabbijason.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Jason Miller</a> (used with permission), Flickr / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmanueldyan/5131506614/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Emmanuel Dyan</a> (Syangogue in Hungary), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/14599621@N02/4185625144/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Chatham University JKM Library</a> (Nazareth), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/parisharing/6809648392/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">ParisSharing</a> (synagogue in Budapest), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/molotalk/5895823303/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">molotalk</a> (Rabbi), <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/klearchos/3065649911/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\">Klearchos Kapoutsis</a> (Star of David)</em>','Faith Interview Series: Judaism','','inherit','open','open','','6108-revision-16','','','2012-04-28 20:25:31','2012-04-29 03:25:31','',6108,'http://provoketive.com/2012/04/28/6108-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(6513,1,'2012-05-04 09:30:36','2012-05-04 16:30:36','','faith interview jew','','inherit','open','open','','faith-interview-jew','','','2012-05-04 09:30:36','2012-05-04 16:30:36','',6108,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/faith-interview-jew.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),