As social documents, Riis's photographs have the effect, through valuing their human centers, of denying any picturesque quality to the squalor in which they are set. Dimensions are accurately captured, light or the lack thereof is noted, debris appears as itself. The human does not adorn or ennoble this setting, he or she appears superimposed on it, as in a montage of grotesquely juxtaposed elements. The vibrant faces look all wrong against the dirt. The mismatch cries out for rectification.

- picture taken by Jacob Riis, excerpt from Low Life, by Luc Sante

Patience

What makes people dishonest? We lie out of fear. We exaggerate to make people think better of us. What do we fear? losing approval, losing trust, tainting our image... we modify ourselves and we try to make ourselves look better. How can we become honest people? When we understand that we are secure and loved, just for who we are, we will stop lying. Everyone is fallible, but God doesn't treat us based on what we do.

Passage: Matthew 18:21-35

The NEED for Patience.

In the passage, the servant owes the King 10,000 talents which is the equivalent of around 300,000 dollars. However, the King takes pity on him and cancels the debt and lets him go. The original word of Patient is "makrothumeo" makro: long thumeo: tempered. longtempered. The servant asked the King to be longtempered with him, and the King did. "power to bear an offense or an injury without meltdown."

When we are offended, it is hard not to retaliate. We automatically count the differences between us and the other person. "I am so much better than that other person." "I would never do what that person did." "What makes he/she think that she can treat me like that? I am above him/her." We make that person 1-dimensional. All we think of is the bad quality of the other person. That person is bad. That person is a betrayer. That person is a liar. We need to highlight not the differences but the commonalities. We also make mistakes. We are all human. We all sin.

Our anger, hurt, and fear are like weeds in a field. If we just take a lawnmower and cut off the top so that no one notices the weeds, it'll grow back. Unless we pull the weeds out from the roots, there will be constant anger and hatred in our hearts.

We are told by God that we need to be patient. We need to be 'long tempered' when someone offends us. We cannot hit back, talk back, or do anything else to retaliate. It hurts. It tortures us to keep it in. It may be so hard that it'll take over our life so that getting revenge is all that we think about. It is impossible to handle it on our own and that is why we need to trust in God because we cannot handle it alone.

- servants connect. notes from sermon given by pastor reggie.

From Mean Streets to Dream Streets

On the bus there were old people and young mothers and teenagers coming in late to school. Most of them were black people. Dark-skinned with generous features. Women with eyes so deep that most men can never know them. Women who'd lost too much to be silly or kind. And there were the children... with futures so bleak that it could make you cry just to hear them laugh. Because behind the music of their laughing you knew there was the rattle of chains.



From Mean Streets to Dream Streets, Woody Haut.

never say goodbye...

I've created a blog...


"Faith is a gift that grows when you practice it"

let's keep each other accountable.