Shooter Effect

Are you more likely to shoot a black man than a white man? The University of Chicago has been studying this for some time and has developed an online "game" (the word game makes cringe in this situation) to test your reactions. It has been a few months since I have done this so I am rusty. I recently completed the test again and will post my score in the comments. I challenge you to take the test and post your results as well.

Shooter Effect "Game"

Shooter Effect Info

Why Say No?

I found my way to a strange blog post. This blogger said no to blogging. He is shutting down his blog (ironically, he has another blog that will continue). Apparently, his hyper-connectedness has disconnected him from people. Being connected to the information superhighway has turned friendships and relationships into blog posts and wall writing. He has chosen to begin saying no.

Saying no has become taboo in our society. And the most taboo of taboos is saying no to yourself. The singular goal of advertising is to get you to say yes to something you don't need or want. The most common tactic is to convince you that you deserve it.

Some traditions say no to almost everything. The Amish probably say no more frequently and purposefully than any other society. Sometimes they say yes and we cry hypocrisy. For example, some Amish communities allow telephones... in the barn. What's the point of having a telephone in the barn?

It's hard to understand for people who allow telephones to rule our lives. I marvel at those whose phones can take them away from anyone and anything without a thought or consideration to what is happening when the person in front of them is instantly discarded for the electronic devise in their pocket or on their counter. What does this communicate to the person in front of us? This is a question that must be considered for those who value human connectedness and relationships above all else. End sermon, back to the barn.

A phone is a tool. Tools are to be used by humans not the other way around. A phone in the barn gives a family the benefit of the tool without the tool interfering with family relationships. The barn is cold in the winter and smelly in the summer. It is not a place to spend hours on end chatting the night away. This protects the sacredness of the home as a place for family, hospitality and relationships that are real, honest and vital to spiritual growth. How can iron sharpen iron (religious speak for mentoring relationships) if they never come in contact? This is by no means a perfect solution but it is one that has been arrived at after careful consideration of what really matters (deep meaningful relationships) rather than simply picking up the latest and greatest thing and letting it use us to its full potential.

Many other traditions practice saying no on a regular basis. Today is the beginning of Lent. Christians throughout the world practice saying no during this season. For many it is a meaningless exercise that ends in a matter of days or hours. Often the Lenten fast consists of giving up sweets or some other food item. Usually, this too has little meaning. An exercise in self-denial has its benefits but self-denial for its own sake is, at best, silly. But self-denial for the benefit of building, protecting and deepening relationships is a priceless investment.

You don't have to be a Christian to learn from the lesson that the carpenter from Nazareth left for us. You don't have to be a Christian to let the Lenten season remind you that self-sacrifice for the benefit of others is the most noble of human endeavors.

What do we say no to? I would argue that the Amish are closer to having it right than the rest of us but you would think I am crazy and I am writing a blog so lets not go there... yet. Instead, consider the thing that takes you away from relationships the most and reduce or eliminate that thing. For me it is the news. I am a junkie when it comes to consuming news. This will be my second year giving up news for Lent and, I imagine, it will be my second year failing miserably. I will keep trying, renewing my resolve everyday to spend less time consuming news so I can spend more time building, protecting and deepening relationships with those who will be with me long after the president leaves office and the pundits retire and my little corner of Buffalo will be the better for it.

Here We Grow!

Well. Last Friday I spent about 20 minutes with the owners of the vacant lot next to our house. Our house is the one on the left (the weeds are gone but the paint looks about the same). There may be a painting party this summer but I digress. I then spent about 5 minutes at the county clerk's office filing the deed and became the new owner of 191 Glenwood Avenue.

191 Glenwood Avenue is the first official field that we will cultivate beginning this spring. The lot is 32 feet wide and 192 feet deep, huge in comparison to most city lots.

Sunday morning we traveled to Harris Hill Mennonite Church where a couple, who happen to be recently retired farmers, offered to grow 100 tomato seedlings for us! The plan is to produce a tomato sauce for easy preservation, distribution and outreach. For those unfamiliar with the farm, follow the Queen City Farm link for the long description. The short description is this:

Our faith in Jesus has brought us to an abandoned corner of our city to join those struggling on the fringes of society and to learn, teach, grow, find and reflect Christ. The central piece of this effort is the cultivation of vacant land in the heart of the city to grow food for the hungry. We like to think of it as a back to basics approach to Christian discipleship.

We couldn't be more excited but we need to pull together a long list of materials. Take a look at the list and see if you have any extra tools that you can donate to the cause. We are in desperate need of everything on the list but we value relationships even more so feel free to join us any Saturday or contact me to schedule a visit. Grace and peace to all.

Farm Materials Needed:
• Compost/soil
• Soil/compost transportation from municipal composting facilities
• Seedlings/seeds
• Seed starting trays, soil
• ½” PVC and florescent shop lights for seed starting racks
• Roto-tiller
• Seed planter
• Gardening tools
• Chipper/shredder
• Chainsaw
• Organic/natural/sustainable agriculture experience
• Lattice & fencing materials
• Materials for vermiculture bins - Organic matter for worms to eat
• Canning materials/expertise - Canning jars
• Canning labels/label making materials
• Quilting materials/tools/expertise
• Knitting materials/tools/expertise
• Woodworking tools/materials/expertise - Planer, Lathe, Router bits, Joiner, Clamps, Drill press, Work benches, wood, etc.

Slow Life USA

What would happen if money wasn’t king? What would happen if we worked to meet our families needs instead of our wants? All the extra time and energy could be used for more purposeful living. We could spend time with our family and friends. We could volunteer in the community. We could take up painting or ceramics or writing. We could watch the sunset with a glass of wine and the sunrise with a cup of coffee. What if we in-sourced all the housework that we currently out-source. We could grow and prepare better food. We could cut firewood instead of paying the gas company. We could be strong and healthy without going to the gym. We could open our homes to those who don’t look like us. We could understand where they come from and why they feel the way they do. But most importantly, we could do all these things together. We could have relationships; spouses, children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends. We could recognize that all anyone wants is to be loved, heard and counted more valuable than money.

What are your dreams that could be fulfilled without a mortgage, a car payment, credit card debt, student loans and all the other "benefits" of keeping up with the Jones'?

Sweet Land of Liberty

I am currently reading Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North. This is the tale of the civil rights battles outside of the south; outside the national spotlight that ignored racism beyond Dixie's borders.

African-Americans moved north (and west) by the hundreds of thousands looking for freedom and opportunity. What they found was a lot of talk about equality and freedom and very little action. Northern whites talked a great game but [w]couldn't produce an equal society. Freedom riders rode into the lions den while the nation ignored Jim Crow's northern territory. Civil rights leaders dismantled school segregation in the north only to see whites flee the school districts for suburban and parochial schools. Eliminating official segregation gave communities the ability to "ignore" color while schools resegregated at an alarming rate. This is where we find ourselves today. The five most segregated states in the country are beyond southern borders (New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, and California). Likewise, the most segregated major cities in America are outside of Dixie.

Now that we are "color-blind" we can talk about moving in order to get the best education for our children without even nearing the issue of race. When we replaced segregated schools with "neighborhood" schools we gained the ability to ignore the socio-economic and "legal" limits that prevent[ed] people of color from moving from racial and economic ghettos. We integrated schools and segregated communities. This is why the word "urban" has become synonymous with "black". Urban schools, urban neighborhoods, and urban style are synonymous with black schools, black neighborhoods, and black style. The city has been abandoned and left, in large part, to people of color.

But I am not racist, my family is not racist and my ancestors were not racist and never owned slaves, why do I have to sacrifice myself, my kids, my family because of the sins of others? This is the question much of white America wants answered.

Baseball analogy from John Perkins:

• It's the ninth inning.
• The home team has been cheating the entire game and has a 20 point lead.
• With pressure from many sides the home team promises not to cheat so obviously.
  
• The home team refuses to start the game over or even the score.
• The umpire sides with the home team because the past is past and we should look to the future.
• The visiting team starts to walk off the field in anger/despair/disgust.
• The home team says "Hey, aren't you going to finish the game?"

• You are a player running very late to the game and come upon this situation.

• You're on the home team

• What do you do?

• What do you do if you are in the visiting team?