Jan. 1, 2008

'My Masters and Helpers'

'those whom you call beggars, these I proclaim my masters and helpers, for they and they alone can really help us and bestow upon us the Kingdom of heaven"
---St John the Alms giver (died in 619) said, (Leontius, Supplement, 2)

Dear Friends,

As we march into a new year we have much to be grateful for. Amidst hard struggles, deaths, staff moving away, and usual community frustrations we are grateful. Monica and I continue to be amazed that we can honestly say, we love our life. It is full, rich and beautiful. I want to just start by saying thank you for being part of helping us walk into Gods call for our lives.

I recently wrote an article dealing with the vocation of the artist as it relates to social justice. As I wrote it reflecting on how God has led me step by step into more understanding of how to live out of my gifts, I was again struck by how unique and rich this calling is. God has led us as a family to this good and fertile spiritual soil to form us and grow us. We hope that through these reflections you would also be blessed and encouraged in your faith and intimacy with Christ. That you in some small way would too receive this 'help' spoken of by St John the Alms Giver, and have the 'Kingdom of heaven' bestowed upon you.

I recently read NT Wright's small book called Evil and the Justice of God. In it he does a few things that turned a light on for me. First, he turned this problem of evil which tends to be an abstracted philosophical problem and grounds it in the biblical revelation and the Trinity. It is not an esoteric mind puzzle, it is a personal issue to bring before God. He shows beautifully how in the book of Job God never tells Job he is wrong. Job's friends were certainly wrong, but Gods final response was to refer back to Himself as the Creator God. In the face of injustice God says, 'look at my infinite creativity!', 'Don't forget who you are talking to!'. Or in other words, 'look, I created and I can recreate to make things right'. NT Wright gives us permission not to explain away evil as Job's friends did, but rather to hope in our creator God to make things right as He makes the 'new heaven' and 'new earth'.

I loved the moment in "The Passion of Christ' movie where Christ turns to His mother in the midst of carrying His cross and says, 'I am making all things new'. This is God's response to the problem of evil. NT Wright then turns it back on us saying that our appropriate response to the problem of evil is not to get the right answer, but rather prayer, holiness, and doing justice in the world.

My personal hunch is that often we are afraid to ask these hard questions of God. Or maybe we hide in the questions acting as if they give us an out when we should really be doing justice in the world, becoming people of continual prayer, and letting God examine our lives challenging us to increasing holiness. I pray that we would no longer see 'beggars, but rather our 'masters and helpers' that the Body of Christ would be known for justice, mercy, and love. As I understand it, the more we live these things, all the more familiar to us will be the air of the new heavens and the new earth when we breathe it deeply together.

Please pray...

• for our community as we say goodbye to the McAvaddy family. Simeon will be missing his best friend Gavin. Pray we can find other friends for Simeon to play with.
  
• pray for the kids on the street. Another young man Ionut (John) died recently after being hit by a car. It is always hard on the other kids to see another die.
  
• Pray for continued direction and clarity for our community as we learn to use the gifts and resources found among us.
  
• pray for the school kids. They continue to get healthier and healthier. pray for patience and consistency for those struggling with school.
  

Thank you again for you love. Your prayers and financial gifts always give us a sense that we represent you in our daily work among the poor. Blessings on your homes and the work of your hands.

In Christ,
Joel Klepac