American Enterprise Institute

One of the most unique things about being in Maryland right now is the proximity to our country's political headquarters with the upcoming election. Though I live about an hour away from the DC Metro area and Capital Hill, there is a different energy here around political structure, various freedoms, and impact of government action. It's not better or worse, just different. It has challenged me to think outside the box on political issues that I have never had much of a voice on, in a good way.

Our group had the opportunity to attend the American Enterprise Institute's annual fall conference (https://www.aei.org/) on Values & Capitalism. It was set up as a series of discussion panels, with varying beliefs and political ideologies. Peter Wehner, Michael Wear, and Russell Moore, among others.. People that I'm learning more about, and am so thankful to be hearing from during this season in America, even if we don't share the same views.

One of the most engaging conversations was around how Christ-followers will respond after November 8th, because regardless of the outcome of the election, many Americans will wake up disillusioned and afraid. It was a call to remember and apply what it means to follow Jesus regardless of party or affiliation, because he is our ultimate authority. It was also a call for engagement, that we are still called to love our neighbor now while living in the tension of the Kingdom of God being both now and not yet.

So while I'm not excited about November 8th, it is upon me, and I'm grateful for people reminding me of where my real allegiance lies.

Life Stories

I have been failing to post, consistently :)

I thought the last few weeks would be slower, with more free time, as we were sharing our life stories with one another and didn't have class. Somehow that didn't happen, and October has really flown by.

So what were life stories? We each had an hour and a half block of time to share where we have come from and anything that we feel has made us into the people we are today. In preparation for my life story, I read "To Be Told" by Dan Allender. Some of his thoughts on the idea of story:

"He [God] asks me to take the only life I will ever be given and shape it in the direction He outlines for me. I am to keep writing, moving forward into the plot that God has woven into the sinews of my soul." (3-4)

"We don't have stories; we are a story. It is our responsibility to know our story so we can live it out more intentionally and boldly for the Great Story, the gospel." (52)

Allender claims that our more defining moments in life are when peace is destroyed, when shalom is broken. A central part of being known is recognizing these moments and intentionally sharing with one another, and the listeners receiving and learning to respond with love.

"Heartache awakens us to the whisper of a rumor, to a hint of the truth that we're not at home. We spend more of our life pursuing both necessity and luxury, guided by the presumption that life can be orderly and predictable if we just try hard enough. And then tragedy in some form breaks through and awakens us." (73)

And so, we prepared, shared, and then have celebrated and grieved with one another these last few weeks. I'd encourage any of you who would like to try this, I will gladly listen (via Facetime, the phone, or a holiday break). It is hard, but it is good.

Email me for a copy of mine if you'd like.