grace.kindness.peace.disruption.pain.processing.rinse.repeat.have a nice day.

7:01 PT – Baker City, OR

I'm not sure that this hotel is the best western Best Western, but it provided a good stop for the night. I drove about 980 miles yesterday, just 20 miles short of my unspoken goal of 1,000. I could have made it. No really, I could have. But my priorities changed as I drove among the giant silhouettes of Oregonian mountains and valleys, the moon glistening off rivers to the side of the road. I thought it might be a crime to drive through such beautiful country at night, so I forfeited the title that would have been bestowed me for driving 1,000 miles. It's for the best on many levels. Considering that I would have bestowed myself with the title, which screams bias to the rest of the world.

My friend Google Maps tells me that I'm just under six hours from the Emerald City. Another long day awaits me, but the end of this day will be sweet.

10:45 MT – Sterling, CO

One thousand thirty-three miles, one package hickory-smoked jerkey, one small bag trail mix, and two naps later I will rest my head for the night. I'm a little shocked at how far I got this first day. It should play out well as I'll have plenty of time tomorrow in Denver to spend with Micah Dekorne and Lucas Steever, as well as continue to work on my first homework assignment in years, due Monday.

Thanks to all of you that called or texted to wish me safe travels. Thus far, your wishes and prayers have been been granted. All is on schedule to arrive in Seattle on Friday.

Again, I've fallen silent for too long, and much that was blog-worthy has been forgotten. My apologies. Let us not dwell on the past.

Today is a big day as I am preparing to load my trusty steed for the big trip to the Emerald City. There is way too much sitting in my parents' garage than ever has hope to make it within the steel cage of the Accord, and as a result there has been much jockeying for position between my possessions. Let's be honest here, some just won't make the cut and will be relegated to either a) a cramped, dark 5×10′ storage unit for several years, or b) Goodwill, never to see my again. There's a good deal of hope in option b, but both options involve a good deal of change, and not a lot of my attention.

So, yes, I will continue the downsizing as I use all of my packing abilities (which are as numerous as they are refined – what does that even mean?) to transplant myself across the country.

 The community center of The Simple Way, a (unfortunately) unique community that serves in one of the poorest communities in Philadelphia, was struck with a seven-alarm fire yesterday. Eight families are currently homeless, and several small businesses have been destroyed as a result.

Some of you may have heard about The Simple Way through the writings of Shane Claiborne, the author of The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. Shane and another member of The Simple Way lost all of their belongings.

If you would like to help make turn this tragedy into something beautiful, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the rebuilding effort or to support the families affected through one of The Simple Way's partner organizations, EAPE. Tax-deductible donations can be made at https://www.tonycampolo.org/online_donation.php. Be sure to check one or both of the boxes to direct the donation to TSW (The Simple Way) funds.

Also, if you're up for learning more about The Simple Way, and/or up for a compelling read, get a copy of Shane's book, The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. You won't regret it.

…

Note: Thanks to Dwight for the heads up on this story.

What do you think of when you think of justice? Do you think of justice? Are you just? What does that even mean? How does your faith in God relate to what you believe about justice?

In my mind, justice was relegated to thoughts of criminal convictions for about the first 25 years of my life. I would celebrate, mildly as it was, events in which I thought justice has been achieved. "Justice" was even a cheer that I would yell when one of the players on my high school basketball team would make a free throw after being fouled. Needless to say, I didn't think too deeply about the full profundity of this word and its ramifications at that time. In college I had several friends that were interested in justice issues. I thought they were weird, but only because I didn't understand their passion or motivation. I respected them greatly, and even thought some of the females quite cute. But I digress …

Over the last many years justice has become more important to me. I cannot remember what it was that opened my eyes, but the topic gained a brand new importance when I began to understand that the God I claimed to follow found it to be ever so important. If I could continue to claim that I followed Jesus, I would have to make justice a part of my life. And it's bold, but I believe it: if you claim to follow Jesus, and do not find justice important, you have seriously misunderstood him and do not understand his message. And it's worth taking another look into both.

There's a new book out that prompts this little reflection. I've only read the free excerpt so far, but its content and premise give me much hope. It's called Justice in the Burbs: Being the Hands of Jesus Wherever You Live by Will and Lisa Samson. There's a pdf excerpt available from the publisher. It gives me hope for a few reasons. First, it reminds me that I'm not alone in wrestling with this dangerous message that God is a god of justice that calls all to be agents of his justice in the world. Second, it provides another opportunity to wrestle with being an agent of justice, both as I read the book to challenge myself, and as I take its challenges into conversation with others. I long to desire justice more, and to desire more justice as life-giving acts of obedience and worship to God. And I hope that this book will help me with these desires.

I hope that you will join me in this conversation, whether you read this book on justice, another book on justice, the Bible (yet another book on justice), or a drink coaster. Challenge yourself by pondering why you value justice when you see it, why you do or do not seek it out, and what it means to live justice.

Here are a few quotes from the excerpt that resonated with me:

Somehow, as we became adults, we did not see the story of justice as a part of the story of God. How did that happen? And why? (p. 12)

But something does drive each of us, doesn’t it? That something can be personal preservation. It can be economic gain. It can be love. It can be hate. It can be fear. But what lies behind those values? We believe that beneath those surface values, every person holds a particular view of God and how he would have them act in the world. (p. 14)

… they were seemingly destined to live lives of busy insignificance. (p. 23)

But perhaps we have forgotten, or perhaps we never knew, what a life lived justly might look like. (p. 25)

The English language is beautiful, but we have a peculiar problem in English. In Spanish, French, Italian, and most other human languages, the New Testament word dikaios is always translated "justice," a sturdy and social word that evokes fairness, integrity, right treatment, and equity in human relationships. But in English, translators often choose to translate dikaios as the word "righteousness." This is unfortunate, even tragic, because many people hear the word "righteousness" and think only of personal and private "piety" or "religiosity" or "personal morality." As important as these things are, they are not dikaios. (p. 30-31)

How would your interpretation and application of Scripture like Matthew 6:33 change if translated in English, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things will be added to you." Would it?