LGBTQ

Recently the student newspaper at Seattle Pacific University, my former school, released this article.

The SPU article has been picked up by The Stranger, Seattle’s beloved, very left-oriented and barely censored weekly newspaper. In a quick and very likely deserved bash, this blog was posted. Its title, “At SPU, It Gets Worse”, references the It Gets Better project, aimed toward gay teens considering suicide or who are simply in despair that they cannot lead “normal” lives.

Shame on us.

On The Falcon’s website, I commented:

“I am proud of SPU for its motto: Engage the Culture, Change the World. Unfortunately, this strikes me as the definition of disengagement. Regardless of views on sexuality, I think everyone can agree that those who identify themselves as LGBTQ find it extremely difficult to dialogue with the Church. As a Christian institution, SPU should take responsibility for some of this marginalization by encouraging groups like Haven rather than setting up roadblocks. This cannot come through imposing the University’s views on students; it must come by letting them find their own views within a safe and supportive Christian context. Only through discussion, prayer, and fellowship will issues be resolved and relationships healed.”

Who is to blame for the marginalization of the gay community? It is not the Church’s fault alone, but as Christians, I think a very hefty sum of the blame rests on us. Just look at the comments after The Stranger’s article – there is a very good reason those comments are anti-Christians (I say “anti-Christians” because I think many of those same people share Gandhi’s view: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians”).

And I’m just as guilty as anyone. I distinctly remember throwing “gay” and “faggot” around like it was no big thing. I’m sure I’ve said and done things that were incredibly hurtful. I’ve pushed to the margins.

This begs the question: what do I believe about homosexuality? Unfortunately, my answer to that question is TBD. I grew up believing that in every instance, homosexuality is wrong. Today I’m still searching for what I believe. I have very dear friends who are gay; they love Jesus and I see God’s love in and through them.

What is frustrating for me is that I’ve heard from both sides and no viewpoint seems to really stick with me. Both sides have very, very good arguments. Both sides have really, really dumb arguments. Despite still searching for a distinct answer to this question, I do know one thing: Jesus told me to love my neighbor. I have gay neighbors. So I love them.

What I ask of you, Mr./Ms. Reader, is to really think, pray, and look into this topic for yourself. I promise to continue to do the same. Encourage groups like Haven from within a Christian framework. Discuss with people who have a different view than you. Read the texts, and recognize context. Please, please don’t just assume what you already know is correct. You know what happens when we assume (…) . We also marginalize, and we turn individuals into the “other”. Christ called us to community and to walk alongside our neighbor in brotherly love. Even if you come to a conclusion that is in contrast to what you formerly believed, or what someone else believes, that’s ok.

Disagreement is not an excuse for detachment, it is an opportunity to grow into fully loving and understanding relationships.

So, to SPU, The Stranger, and the LGBTQ community: It does get better. As a part of the Christian community, I fully commit to making sure that happens.

Jarrett, the Nurse

Pow. Huge potential change that I’ve been thinking about lately. Nursing?

From what I can see, these are the benefits:

- Fulfills my passion to help others, albeit in a much different way than how I’d been thinking

- Very much an interactive and relational position

- Acceptance into programs and jobs are almost entirely based on academic performance (something I’ve found surprisingly lacking in jobs to which I’ve applied), at which I usually excel

- It is an active role, not one where I’d be spending days in an office (which sounds absolutely horrifying to me)

- There are dozens of ways to specialize after I enter the profession, and medical positions are always going to be in demand

- This does not exclude international development from my future, but perhaps redirects it to global health

- I miss the challenges and satisfaction that comes with education/career-oriented work

And the down sides?

- Large time commitment up front

- Large cost up front, multiplied by a potential inability to work while taking classes down the road

- Complete change in direction for me with almost no educational base

- It’s scary to make a huge switch

In church this Sunday, Pastor Dahlstrom preached about Abraham’s faithfulness, but in the context of his frustration with God in fulfilling his covenant. What I took from the sermon are the following:

- We don’t know where God is leading us, but we should trust that he will meet us in the difficulties (the “gaps”) we face in trying to get there

- We need to strive for an intimate relationship with Christ while seeking his guidance in our lives. Rather than asking him to bless “our plans”

So I will move forward, in prayer. This might just be a sign of frustration with my “career”, bringing a desire to shake it up a bit. Or maybe it is a legitimate switch. I’ll trust that I will make the right decision if I keep God in the loop.

And in other news, Maren & Jeremy made a trek with me to Canlis!! It was a splendid evening, and I’m already looking forward to spoiling them again!

Finally at Canlis!

Muscovy Duck gets Maren's Thumbs Up!

My manager David making the famous "Cafe Diablo"

(Un)Happy Holiday?

I am frustrated. Really, really frustrated.

Yesterday I had a minor “run-in” with the woman with whom I’ve been interning; it was via e-mail and completely caught me off guard. There was a misunderstanding stemming from differing opinions as to what my role is with the organization, and without going into all the details, I feel attacked and completely undeserving of her perspective.

I don’t mind being insulted by some idiot who likes to get in fights. I don’t mind getting laughed at for not being trendy or wearing the right clothes. These things are meaningless to me. I do get upset, however, when my character is questioned.

Seeing my potential for a rash and non-other-centered response, I thought and prayed about how I should reply. What have my experiences shown to be the best approach in this situation? What is the right thing to do as a man trying to seek out God’s will for myself and for others?

• Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but to the interests of others”

• Colossians 3:12-17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

My initial reaction, like most of us, was to make a mental list of all the ways that I am right in this situation. Give me five minutes, and like the world’s best lawyer I’ll have you convinced that I have been aggrieved. But if I truly am seeking out God’s will, a counter-attack is never the right option, even though it might be the most satisfying.

Thanks for taking all the fun out of it, Jesus. (Just kidding… kind of.)

And there is room for forgiveness. At first, I didn’t take into consideration her stress level at the busiest part of her year. I also failed to realize that clearly she doesn’t know my whole story; she doesn’t know about my frustrations with finding a job or a meaningful internship with a non-profit. In response, I could be piling on all that frustration rather than focusing only on the situation at hand.

So, after ranting to myself and a great friend or two (thank you!), I know I have to just suck it up and apologize. Even though I still very strongly believe that I am owed an apology.

And seriously: I doubt there is ever a time where one side is 100% innocent in a given argument or disagreement. Should I have expected myself to handle it differently? Probably not. Could I have handled it better? Of course, in retrospect.

That room for forgiveness can always be found.

So thank you, life, for your lesson. It sucked. I didn’t like admitting any kind of wrongdoing, and I definitely didn’t like apologizing. But in life’s barrage of curve-balls, this one was just a softball.

Wait for it…… Insert meaningful and slightly corny ending here:

Thanks for the batting practice.

Snowy Seattle

I suck at this. Sorry, but my average time between posts is approximately too long.

Seattle: You suck at driving in the snow (and in many ways, all the time).

As a true citizen of this great city, I should suck at driving too, but instead I suck at blogging. Most people here update three blogs on a daily basis. I’m backwards I guess.

I spent Tuesday morning walking around downtown Seattle, which I must say is quite beautiful covered in a bit of snow. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve really spent time in snow (Two years?! Last year doesn’t count, I was just visiting), and I do miss the crispness of the air and the crunch under my toes. I miss the feeling of walking into a nice, warm building from the 15-degree street. I miss walking back out into the cold from that warm building after getting hot and sweaty in my pea coat and stocking cap. I miss the first snow, when the cold air really sets in. It’s fun, it’s new. And now it is already 100% melted.

I can’t believe we’re already in the swing of the holiday season. Given the season, I thought I’d gather some semblance of news together and report to the internet. I spent Thanksgiving with my wonderful sister Maren and brother-in-law Jeremy out at his parent’s house in Monroe, WA. It was quite a different experience from last Thanksgiving, spent at my friend Claire and Lindsay’s apartment in central Santo Domingo. Thanks to Canlis, we had 36 pounds of turkey for 12 people. I think there were leftovers… December will be crazy as the busiest month of the year for the restaurant, and it will be odd not to be with my parents on Christmas for the first time in my life. I will get to see them the first week of January, though, so the visit won’t be too far off!

Quick update for those who may not know what I’m up to: I am now a quarter century old (some photos below). I work at Canlis restaurant. It’s great, I’m learning a ton, and the people there are amazing. I love love love learning new things, and this has been quite the immersion into food and wine. I have an internship with Washington C.A.S.H., supporting the development and outreach team by writing all sorts of things. I’ve also been translating a bit for their Hispanic clients. I’ve been going back to Bethany Community Church, the first church I attended when I moved to Seattle six years ago. I saw Usher live in concert and Harry Potter at a midnight showing on opening day. I’m disappointed Nebraska has lost twice this year, they could easily be undefeated, but fine with it since we can still win the Big XII. I have found a new love for macchiatos. My roommate and best friend Cory is probably going to marry his girlfriend, Danielle. Verdict: she’s great. (That’s not really about me, it just affects me).

Time has gone by very quickly since I last wrote a word down. My time at Canlis seems to have just started, even though I’ve been working there for nearly three months. Throw in the 10-15 hours for my internship to an already full-time schedule, and suddenly I feel like I have no time to do anything after spending the summer at a 25 hour/week job.

So that’s what’s new, some things more exciting than others, I know. I know this was a very random post, crammed with many half-finished thoughts. If you made it this far, congratulations on being bored enough to make it to the bottom:)

Ms. Lindsey Shepherd

David, David, and not David (a.k.a. Lance)

Cat, Val, Lindsey & Katie tearing up the dance flo

Our interesting-but-great dinner table set-up, and proof that Josh was there too

Lancer, Sparks, Katie, CoCo & Danielle

Nebraska Paints Seattle Red

What a great, great weekend. For all of you UDub fans, I’m sorry. I will rub it in your faces, even though I like you and your school a lot.

You see, I’ve been living in Seattle for six years now with next to no access to my beloved Cornhuskers. I’ve dealt with constant taunts of “Oh, you’re from NEBRASKA?!?!“, “the Huskers suck now, their good days are in the past”, and constant references to cows, corn, and my knowledge of farm equipment. I put up with it all (mostly). It is what it is, I guess.

I even began liking UW. I cheer for them over all other Pac-10 teams. I like Jake Locker. I really dislike Oregon and USC, just like everyone else in this city. Despite that though, UW will never come anywhere close to winning over my loyalty.

So long story short, I very much enjoyed Nebraska’s 56-21 walloping of UW.

NE Boys

Knowing this game was going to be happening for the last four years, I tried getting as many high school friends out here as possible. My buddies Jim, Matt, and Mike made the trip out, and we spent the weekend with a group of Jim & Mike’s friends from UNL. I took them for a hike at Rattlesnake Ridge, hoping to show off just a little of what Seattle has to offer. The weather wasn’t amazing, but I was happy that we at least didn’t get rained on.

On Rattlesnake

Friday we went to the Mariners game, where there were probably just as many people in red as there were in blue. I constantly was being told “Welcome to Seattle!”, and after one or two explanations I just gave up and went with it. Saturday we were up early for a Lake Union/canal cruise, and made it into the game at about 11:30.

Matt and me

I sat with my friend Matt in the bleachers, which were pretty good seats in the end. Spent a solid 4 hours there watching Nebraska put on a clinic, capped by high-fiving one of Nebraska’s star defenders – DeJon Gomes. Ahh, I can still get excited like a 5-year-old from something like that.

Just a few of my favorite stats from the game:

• Heisman hopeful Jake Locker was 4-20 for 71 yards and had two interceptions, 1 returned for a TD
• Nebraska ran for 383 yards, and had three guys go for over 100
• Nebraska gained 7.1 yards per rush and 13.6 yards per pass
• Despite returning 5 less kicks, Nebraska had 60 yards more than UW on returns
• Taylor Martinez shrugged off 120-decibel Husky Stadium like he was playing backyard football

Sunday I had to say goodbye to everyone; the weekend went by too quickly. It was great having everyone up here, and despite the spotty weather, I think everyone had a really fun time. So the game I’ve been looking forward to for four years has come and gone, and it did not disappoint.

Now I have to plan on what game I will go to next fall. Probably going to head to Wisconsin for Nebraska’s first game in the Big 10. Time to show THAT Udub who the real Big Red is.

Let’s Get Rid of Those Illegals

I’ve had enough.

Every day, I see more and more illegal immigrants in our country. I see them taking our jobs. I see them using up our resources without being asked to pay. I see them in our schools, stealing teachers’ attention from our students. It’s time we do something about these criminals.

That’s right Canada, I’ve got my eye on you.

As a Washington resident, I feel the effects of this insurgence daily. I see them, walking around all Canadian. People in states like Kansas or Mississippi may not understand, but seeing Canadians every day has given me a keen eye. I can tell just by looking at them.

Here is my proposal: Canadians must constantly have their identification on them so that racial profiling is a non-issue. Our police officers will have proper training so that they will know the difference between a Canadian and an American. I can already tell the difference without any training, so a professional officer will be fine. Our officers will have the authority to detain illegal Canadians in order to verify their status in our country.

When practicable, of course, so as not to unfairly single out innocent citizens.

Just a few, fool-proof indicators our officers will use to pick out the Canadians among us:

• Use of words such as “tuke”, phrases like “do me a solid” and “hoser”, or ending normal statements with “eh?”
• Hockey apparel and snow boots
• Park-ranger-looking folks wearing red and riding horses
• People who look Canadian

In addition, if by chance you are a Canadian who is here legally, it will be a misdemeanor if you are found without your papers. This system has worked well historically, just think of all the success Germany had in identifying its citizens 80 years ago. Think of the improvements our system will have with the inclusion of our advancements in technology! The possibilities are endless.

This new law will be in place to protect all U.S. citizens, not just those of us here on the border. Let’s secure our borders, America! Future generations will be thankful for the tough steps we have taken to clean up our population by getting rid of all these Canadians.

Or, we could do the more difficult task of improving relationships and legislation with our neighbor to the North.

But that’s probably too much work, so I like my idea better.

Orange-Hued Hatred

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalm 34:14)

Apparently you believe this, Mr. or Mrs. Christian.

Honestly, what the hell is going on in our country? TWENTY PERCENT of Americans falsely believe Obama is a Muslim (if I hear someone emphasize Barack HUSSEIN Obama one more time….). A 21-year-old student attempted to kill cab driver Ahmed Sharif, yelling “Assalamu Alaikum (peace be with you)” before slitting the man’s throat. Protesters of the mosque plans near Ground Zero in NYC hold signs that say “Sharia” in red, blood-dripping letters, and hold missiles with traditional Islamic head wraps around them. Many verbally attacked and had to be physically restrained from assaulting a black man wearing an UNDER ARMOR SKULL CAP, because they thought he was a Muslim. Most of this is being done by those protecting “American” and/or “Christian” values.

It is painful for me to see this, because I’m disgusted with two things integral to who I am.

I am American.

I am Christian.

Side note: I do not believe that the terms American and Christian should go together. When did that happen? When did religious freedom turn into Christian (…oh, right, and Jewish, sorry Israel…) freedom? This is a much different issue, and maybe I’ll delve into it later. For now, I will just say this: my America is Christian, it is Jewish, it is Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, Agnostic, and Atheist, and I love it that way. And I think Christ loves it that way. Why would he put me in a place where everyone believed the exact same thing I do?

I am so sick of the web of false hatred and fear being spun amongst “Americans/Christians” and against Muslims. Oh, really, is the threat level at Orange right now? Good to know. When was the last time you were in the airport and the threat level was green? Even yellow? As an American, I am constantly bombarded with these orange-hued “threats”. And these orange-hued threats seem to magically emit from somewhere in between Syria and Pakistan. At least it’s not red, but I should probably be on my guard…

I can’t fully understand the issues surrounding the controversial mosque being built near ground zero in NYC. I did not have a family member die; nobody I know was directly affected by the tragedy. And perhaps I don’t know that Obama is a Christian, can’t say I’ve met the man. I just look at facts, not middle names and what I overheard in the church foyer. I am absolutely terrified by how easily many Americans, and sadly many Christians have been sucked into fear. I am absolutely terrified of the things they will do (and are doing) because they are afraid. I am absolutely terrified that I have the same capacity to slip up as everyone else.

What happened to loving your neighbor? What happened to placing others before yourself?

السلام Salaam.

Summer!

Summer, welcome to Seattle. You are late. We are very disappointed in you for your procrastination. It is July. You were supposed to start showing yourself well over a month ago.

But, nevertheless, you are here, and those of us craving your sunshine are so very happy.

For those of you outside of the great Pacific Northwest, the typical day here in June 2010 was cloudy and 55 degrees. Awful. I promise Seattle does not get its rainy, cold reputation based on May-September. I promise those months are usually quite wonderful. June 2010 must have forgotten.

Last week was tiring but great. It started off on Sunday with a great 4th of July. I had to work, yes, but I then went down to hang out with some friends, new and old, but mostly new, down in Burien.

Burien has a bad rap. But this place was right on the water in a sweet house. The food was good. The people were great.

And in Burien, they like to blow stuff up.

It was a little cold, a little rainy (see above), but explosives and fire do still explode and fire in a slight Seattle drizzle. And in Burien, they have a little tradition called “let’s come up with the most creative way to fire up our 7-month-old Christmas tree/this random pile of flammable stuff”. Our neighbors decided to use 200 roman candles, and wouldn’t ya know, they sure did the trick:

America!

Josh was gone all week so I had the jam stand to cover for 7 straight days (not as bad as I thought it was going to be). He was in Maine with Lindsey, Cory, Cat, & David at the Shepherd clan’s household. Wish I could have been there, but hopefully that will happen next summer!

The week was a success: I set personal records for sales on Monday and Saturday, meaning I made 220% what I normally would in a day. So that was fantastic. Add that to working 7 days when I normally work 3, and I get a little financial breathing room for a (short) while. And even though I was tired from a long week, I still was able to spend some good time with friends and have some fun.

On the job front, I have begun looking into for-profit positions. Were I to find one, the plan would be to get some experience for a couple years and probably get a non-profit certification and/or master’s degree in the meantime. So I would be qualified like nobody’s business after that. Bam.

All in all, I’m just trying to stay positive and keep on the hunt. Continued prayers are welcomed!

And I get to see almost my whole entire family in the next few weeks, with the addition of nephew Wyatt in less than a month! So many reasons to be joyful, even in a frustrating period in life.

Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances. Done.

Sometimes.

I Finally Got a Job Offer – So I Turned It Down

This past week I was offered a job at a place called Casa de los Amigos (Friends’ House) where I’d be working with mostly Latino minors who have illegal residency. I’d basically be getting paid to hang out with a bunch of teenagers all day, helping with their homework, making their food, mentoring, supervising, having fun.

So, naturally, I turned it down.

Let me just say that this was a super frustrating decision. I’ve now looked for a job for approximately two years (taking away my stint in the DR), and finally I’m offered a position where I will work and actually get paid. In the salary was the main deterrent, however.

I never want to make what I do for a living about money. Ever. So I was very torn in A) asking for a higher salary, and B) turning down the job mainly because of the salary. Although I didn’t want to make the decision about money, it came down to the realization that with the salary offered, I wouldn’t have been able to pay current expenses, let alone take on additional expenses were anything to happen.

I strongly considered taking on an additional day of work at my old job as a waiter, where I am blessed to always have hours if I ever needed them. I love the people at that job, and I’d be welcomed back without so much as a blink of the eye. This would mean working 6 days a week, just to provide for myself while working at a job that, although fun, wouldn’t really give me very useful experience (assuming I continue working/seeking work in international development). My Spanish would continue to get better, but beyond that there wouldn’t be many things to throw on my résumé.

So I continue to look. Throughout the interview process at Casa de los Amigos I kept looking for new positions, just to keep my options open. It is very frustrating to start applying for jobs again after having that “I finally don’t have to do this anymore” feeling. But I’m hoping something great will come up, something more in line with what I’d like to do in my career, even if it still means taking on two jobs in order to get by.

But I am thankful. As already mentioned, I’ve spent about two years looking for a job that’s a good fit for me. In that time, I had two phone interviews and no face-to-face time with the organizations I was interested in. I’m normally quite confident in my abilities as a person and potential employee, but that lack of feedback and interest would make just about anyone feel a bit down. After all that, just having an organization not only call me in to interview, but actually offer me a position, was very, very encouraging.

Prayers about this are definitely welcomed – it doesn’t help that the job market is pretty awful right now. Peace of mind about my decision and a motivation to keep on trucking are going to be the two most important things for me in this process. We will see…

La Copa Mundial

I have seriously become obsessed with soccer.

I’ve been following European leagues and the new Seattle Sounders FC organization since I went to Ethiopia in 2008 and had my first taste of soccer craziness during the Chelsea/ManU Champions League final. I had been a moderate fan of Chelsea FC in England’s Premier League for a few years before that, but started following them much more closely in the years since.

Chelsea vs. Seattle Sounders 2009

The World Cup is only re-emphasizing this infatuation. I don’t know if you watched the game, but the Americans’ 1-0 win over Algeria this morning was absolutely stunning. Not so much because of the team we played, Algeria is not ranked high at all, but the atmosphere across the U.S. as people skipped work, snuck onto ESPN.com at their desks, and headed to pubs for a pint at 6:30 in the morning.

It truly is the “beautiful game”, as it is called worldwide. To hold entire nations transfixed without a single goal for over 90 minutes, just for that 91st minute of crazy, insane joy, what else could you call it?

Does the U.S. have a realistic chance of pulling off the ultimate and winning the whole thing? Probably not. Probably not. You never know. We beat Spain, the world’s #1 team, last summer, and were up 2-0 over Brazil, the world’s #2 team and kings of world soccer, before losing 3-2. On a good day, we can beat anyone.

People say that soccer will never fully catch on in our football-, basketball-, and baseball-crazed country. Many say it won’t even overcome the NHL in popularity. As Americans, we expect to see the best, and the MLS is simply not the best league for soccer in the world (or second, or third, or fourth….). The MLS is slowly changing, and once they make some switches to their salary cap and player restrictions, which they will do eventually, it will get better. For now, Americans don’t like soccer because they don’t get to see it played to its full potential. Enter: expanding cable TV packages and the oh-so-wonderful DVR/TiVo.

Fact of the matter is that the world’s best soccer is all played while we here in the U.S. are getting back to work after our lunch breaks or sound asleep early on Saturday morning. We usually can’t watch the games live. With more and more households getting DVRs, I think more and more households will record those games. Kids will be able to follow Messi, Drogba, Ronaldinho, and if they have bad taste, Ronaldo. They will want to emulate them in the same way they emulate Peyton Manning, LeBron James, and Derek Jeter.

And US success in international tournaments will only help. We placed second in last year’s Confederation’s Cup against some of the world’s best, our highest finish ever and first final in international competition. And our 1-0 win over Algeria this morning again proves my point. It may have been just the group stage, but the George & Dragon in Seattle was packed at 6:30AM for this game. People cared. Lots of people. When Landon Donovan scored that amazing goal in the 91st minute, the place went crazy, as did thousands of pubs, office conference rooms and living rooms across the country.

The George & Dragon packed at 6:30AM

Soccer hasn’t claimed the #1 spot in my loyalty rankings, replacing college football and my Nebraska Cornhuskers is an impossible task, but it is seriously contending for that #2 spot and bumping my dear old basketball to #3 (say it ain’t so!). Sorry to baseball and hockey, although I can’t say I’ve ever been very interested in hockey.

And finally, parents, what better sport than soccer for your kids? My niece is playing and I love it. Soccer is already the #1 youth sport in the US, and I think it will only further distance itself from others. It’s only a matter of time before the U.S. is a force in international soccer. Just in time for the World Cup when it comes here in either 2018 or 2022.

So watch the next U.S. game against Ghana (a revenge game for us from the 2006 World Cup) if you can. It’s on Saturday at 11:30AM PST. No need for the DVR on this one.