Where I'm coming from

Sometimes it seems that some people's interest in things is due to fad. "Hey, everyone's being green." Oat bran comes and goes. And goes. :-) Atkins, South Beach, Zone all have had their time in the sun.

Much of my interest comes from my background. My grandparents were farmers and went to the local farmers' market (LFM) for over 40 years. For a time in high school and in college I sold veggies at the LFM, too. "Why I remember back in summer of '88, I think it was... Hoo, that was a hot one!" I remember reading a lot of Rodale gardening books from the library. Through my grandparents I had a connection to the way things were done in the past.

From early on I can remember my mom being into health food. She'd make homemade granola and I'd beg for Cap'n Crunch at the grocery store. She got raw milk from a couple of dairy farmers in the area. Through the years, both my mom and dad have been done lots of reading on nutrition and alternative medicine.

The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Prov 22:6 So now as an adult, I still want the Cap'n Crunch, but eschew it for the granola. Thank you Mom.

Ten years ago my wife and I went to Tampico, Mexico on a missions trip as leaders of our church's high school group. One boy we met a church brought his latest treasure to the vacation Bible school we did for three days. It was the electronic part from a musical greeting card. He proudly showed all his friends and us. The battery was almost dead and barely made any sound, but it put a smile on his face.

I befriended another boy named Daniel who was about 10. I didn't know Spanish, but played tic-tac-toe with him and made a point to sit with him during class. The last day there he gave his marble. I figure he had only one marble and he gave it to me.

Next to the church lived a man and his toddler daughter. They lived in a one-room concrete block shed with no glass windows, dirt floor, no bathroom. The "stove" was a fire-pit/50 gallon drum rig.

Last summer, my cohort from The Lemming Media Group, got me to thinking about social issues. I used to think of social issues as "those" issues. My box was Evangelical, God-fearin', Republican, good guys who know that those other guys are Democratic, tax-raisin', sin-lovin', long-haired, no account varmints. The environment, poverty, and such are issues for those guys. I learned from him that poverty and justice and are on God's agenda, too.

Around the same time I worked at our local CSA (communtiy-supported agriculture). Met a whole lot of people who don't think like I do on most issues, but developed a common ground on organic and such.

So the last year has been incorporating the best of the past and the best of the present. So where I'm coming from is that I'm looking to live out my faith by not just saying that "Jesus is Lord". I want to add to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength", "Love your neighbor as yourself". Faith without works is dead. To have a relevant faith for our times.