4.26.2011

Peter's Plea: A Good Friday Poem

I return here desperate to leave my own shame.
Alone, there is no one left to blame.
I am sitting in the slime that surrounds only my own name.

In this spot, my distraught heart will stand.
Where swords were once drawn at hand
And lowered at one weakened man’s command.

There was one who stood to give a deadly kiss.
Another, an ear he should have made to miss.
And their lives now suddenly thrown into fear’s abyss.

Choked with fear of the unknown
But a single man’s love not yet shown
And a God who needed to return to His throne.

A man pleas for forgiveness.
He’s not the only one.

Three times I spoke those fatal words
Of a denial I pray he never heard.
Then three nails that pierced his skin
To free my life from the chains of sin.

Now I live in constant despair
Because of the three words I let loose in the air.
Scars that burn in the dead of night
But only when the sun rises they might

Reveal the burn within.
He sat in the garden alone.

I tried not to succumb to sleep
But exhaustion digs down deep.
A lamb being led to the slaughter
That one might save a son or daughter.

A God remaining in the in the heavens above
Trying to show unadulterated love,
It pleased him to crush his own son.
And he was satisfied when it was done.

This sacrifice unlike any I have seen;
Unearthly, indescribable, a mystery.
He dug me up out of the pit of hell,
And gave me the stories to tell.

Instead of removing my own shame
I gave thanks with bitterness, anger, and blame.
For it was the only thing I chose to let remain.

I was too afraid to stand naked in the garden,
Unable to receive any form of pardon.
I hoped that the paper leaves would cover the hardened
Human that I have become.
Lord what is it that I have done.
And the crow cries, three…two…one.

And we sit alone in an empty garden.
Peter and I.
One in the same.
Betrayer. Denier. Afraid.

It is here I plea
For grace and mercy.
From the only man who could stay up on a cross
So all would not be lost.

And when we leave the place
From which we tried to hide our face,

We were not the only ones. 

4.20.2011

Ode to a Love Affair

My students are working on a poetry book and their first poem they wrote as an ode. This was mine:

Ode to a Love Affair

The first time I saw you
Hiding in a lonely street
Almost forgotten but I still you
And my heart skipped a beat.

I heard about you from afar
My friends told me of your wonders so great
I knew that I would love you
Even on our first date.

I saw your nametag first
Written in green and white
I knew that I had found heaven
Even at the first sight.

I brought a coupon with me
Tacky I thought it must be
But you were understanding and joyful
For I was prepared you see.

My empty wallet thanked you
For it has little to spare
But you were loving and understanding of my troubles
I thought love this must be so rare.

Each time I went to the place you lived
I was wonderfully fed,
I was so tired from all the food
That I had to go straight to bed.

But our three year love affair must end.
How I terribly the dread that day.
For I am leaving town you see
And I must make my own way.

I will always cherish our time together
I will never forget you my treat.
I will miss your wonderful sandwiches,
Oh beautiful Deli on High Street.

4.09.2011

Voice

Yesterday at Large Group the Invisible Children group came to show a video and make a presentation. I had seen what Invisible Children has done, I have bought some dvd's, bough some t-shirts. Made some donations. I have never been called to go to a foreign country in that way so I never felt convicted by their message.

Until last night.

Don't freak out, I'm not going to Uganda. I'm not going to the Congo. I wasn't convicted that I need to even work with Invisible Children at all. It was a different kind of conviction. But in order to understand it, I need to explain some things about what Invisible Children is doing this year. They are doing a new global even this year called 25. It stands for the 25 years that Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have caused violence, death, and unrest in Northern Uganda and the surrounding countries. This year, participants are going to be silent for 25 years - one hour for every year of Joseph Kony's reign of terror.

What got me thinking was who was I not speaking up for? I love what Invisible Children is doing - I am going to participate in their event this year (and if you want to donate, look at my donation profile page. I'll be making a whole other blog post specifically describing it). But who are the voices that I have let stay silent. Who are the invisible children here, in the United States, that I have neglected to see. This hit me hard because as I watched the Tony video, all I could see where the faces of my own students as night commuters, child soldiers, kids without families, without hope. The fire began to burn again, the one that had been put out because of waking up early, completing PACT, trying to find jobs, making a living, etc. The fire for justice in the education system here in America.

This video helped me see that it is not enough to just show up and teach students. That being a voice for them is more than just showing up to classroom. I don't know exactly how to do that - how to specifically advocate for students who are in poverty, who are being abused at home, who don't have clothes, school supplies, who look to gangs for safety and community, who drop out, get pregnant, or just don't care. Who listens to these kids?

So on April 25th, during the Invisible Children silence campaign, I will be silent for my future students. For those who do not have a voice or do not feel they have a voice. And hopefully Jesus will change my perceptions and give me new inspiration for my future in teaching and education.

4.04.2011

Spring Con Photos

This year at Spring Con I took a lot more regular photography shots rather than people being stupid or making funny faces (I mean I still took those just not as many). Here are the ones I am proud to show.

Quiet time on the beach. 

Acapella worship by the cross. 

Amazing catch!

Last session by the sea

Walk along the rocks. 

An alter to the Lord.