Wrestling with Shifting Faith in a Restless World
Every semester I am required to attend a 7-10 day residency for my Urban Studies program (affectionately known as the MAUS program) through Eastern University in Philadelphia. My concentration focus is Community Development, but like most students, I integrate youth development and the arts as well in order to best develop skills that will serve…
Yes I'm a proud geek, but I am no Bilbo Baggins. For one, I have't got the big hairy feet. Anyway… many people have asked me: "What are the biggest lessons you've learned since returning from Olongapo?" Tall question… and thinking on it through jet lag is nearly impossible. Ugh… ears, POP already! But now…
In a country that declares itself to be predominantly Roman Catholic, with a culture of Islam in the south, and a smattering of Pentecostal-related denominations (known as "born again" faiths), the Philippines is a very religous, very devout place. You cannot go anywhere without seeing a "John 3:16" on a license plate, or a "Jesus…
Stop the Demand!, the post I wrote a couple days ago generated some incredible discussion about men's perspectives on how to stop the exploitation of human beings, especially surrounding the sex trade. I want to continue the discussion because we've barely scratched the surface. We have some good feedback to start with, but still the…
As we handed out food to the homeless and marginalized in one of Olongapo's city parks, I came across a young boy of no more than 10 of 11. He was frantically scrambling through a massive green garbage bin and pulling out the plastic bottles. I haven't seen recycling plants around here, althought people claim…
As I enter into my final week here in Olongapo City, I am pondering the many, many ways people come to Christ. It has awed me, encouraged me, and humbled me. Sometimes I think my personal theology and knowledge of the Bible says to the other: "You can't have come to Christ THAT way. It's…
I think one of the biggest surprises that knocked me flat when I arrived here the Philippines was the never ending drugstore shelves of whitening products. That's right: bleaching, whitening, melt-you-dark-away creams, powders, antiperspirants, sunscreens, sprays and solutions (why anyone needs to make their pits white, I can't fathom). Yet the mentality here is that…
