Rachel Held Evans

The Football Post

Note: If you’re not a college football fan, that’s okay. I’m not here to convert you; just plant some seeds. 

College football season has finally begun and I’m allowing myself one post about it…(two if Alabama defends their national title and I have some serious gloating to do).  

With Tim Tebow out of the way, Christian bloggers are under no obligation to debate the effectiveness of biblical eye paint this season, so opportunities to write about God’s favorite sport would be limited were it not for my friend Chad Gibbs, who has written a fantastic book entitled, God and Football: Faith and Fanaticism in the SEC.  

It’s funny. It’s creative. It’s thoughtful.  And it’s SPOT ON in its depiction of the idiosyncrasies found in Southern football culture. 

Now, I have to admit that when I first heard that Chad was an Auburn fan who had defected from Alabama, I was horrified. Alabama vs. Auburn is the most serious rivalry in college football, and the thought of some Auburn fan getting paid to cover the 2009 season made my crimson blood boil. 

But as the season progressed and Alabama continued to win, I realized that this was the perfect scenario:  An Auburn fan is forced to write about the glorious comeback of his arch-rival. 

This provided Chad (and now his readers) with the opportunity for thoughtful introspection regarding the emotional hold that sports can have on our lives and the tension this can create for people of faith. It’s easier to observe this tension objectively when your team is losing, which means this book will be spiritually beneficial to everyone except Alabama fans. 

For us, it’s just one more opportunity to relive the best season we’ve had in seventeen years. (Case in point: The first chapter I read was the last chapter. The second chapter I read was the one about “The Block.” Then I started again at the beginning.) 

The book is full of some great lines that football fans will appreciate: 

• “Now twice God had guided my teams through undefeated seasons, only to break my heart in the end, once because I thought he was picking on me and now because he didn’t factor in strength of schedule.” 

• “Losing makes me introspective, which means Vanderbilt fans must be the most self-aware people on earth.” 

As well as plenty of lines that anyone with a sense of humor would appreciate:

•  "Being a Southern Baptist whose knowledge of nuns comes exclusively from Whoopi Goldberg films, I assumed the sister was actually from the Dominican Republic.”

• “I spat in the face of optimism; I urinated in the cornflakes of hope.” 

Chad’s also got a great blog you will definitely want to follow during the 2010 season. 

So that’s my football post. I’ll try to resist the temptation to rehash game day every week and instead stick with our favorite topics here: doubt, theology, faith & science, missional living, books, coffee, monkeys. 

…But be sure to look for the next football post in January. ROLL TIDE! 

 Where do your sports loyalties lie? 

30 Bloggers, 30 Days, $30,000

My friend Tyler Stanton has asked for an unusual birthday present this year—water for the people of Central African Republic.  And after seeing the video above, I caught his vision and joined the 30 Bloggers, 30 Days, $30,000 challenge.

3 Things to Know: 

1. 100% of your money will go to water projects. Charity: Water is a reputable and effective organization in which overhead costs are covered by private donors.  The money raised through this project will go straight to Central African Republic. 

2. I promise not to blog about this every day during the month of September, so no need to unsubscribe. 

3. $20 provides one person with clean water for 20 years!

3 Places You Might Find $20 in Your House:

1. The Closet. (I have three formal dresses in my closet that I’ve been saving for…what? The Pulitzer banquet? Who am I kidding? My prom days are over and those babies can fetch at least 20 bucks on ebay, providing a kid with safe drinking water for the next twenty years!) 

2. The Cupboard. (You know how it goes. It’s 6:00 on a Wednesday night and you realize you have nothing to make for dinner.  This time, instead of going out, go to the cupboard and make a peanut butter sandwich or waffles or a bowl of cereal…and send the $20 you saved by not eating out to Charity: Water.)

3. The Change Jar. (Like all kids, I was once tricked into thinking that sorting and rolling change is a fun game. Have your kids do the dirty work here.) 

3 Things to Do: 

1. Donate the $20 (or $10 or $5) you find and track our progress here. 

2. Spread the word (#30Water). 

3. Use the comment section to tell us where YOU found YOUR $20 (or $10 or $5) and you will automatically be entered to win a free SIGNED copy of Evolving in Monkey Town. Contest ends on Friday at midnight.

Thanks ahead of time for your ideas and contributions!

Let's build bigger banquet tables

(Photo by purplemattfish)

Today’s post is my contribution to the Eighth Letter project, which invites participants to compose letters to the North American church in the spirit of John’s seven letters of Revelation.  A handful of these letters will be chosen for public reading at the Eight Letter conference in October, so if you’re interested, be sure to submit your contribution by Wednesday, September 1!

***

To the Church in North America,

I write to you as one of your own at a time when many in my generation have abandoned you.  As the Church in the Third World continues to grow, the Church in North America is in decline. Some are predicting our imminent demise, while others foresee a glorious rebirth.  Most seem to think that we’re in the midst of an identity crisis, one that will determine the shape and direction of the North American church for many years to come. 

According to the statistics, we are a people of (relative) wealth and (relative) generosity.  We control most of the world’s wealth and we give much of it away.  Though we struggle with materialism, we value charity. 

But are we people of the Kingdom? 

That is the question at the heart of this crisis, and as we struggle together to answer it, I am convinced that what we don’t need is bigger buildings or fancier sound equipment, better pastors or more parishioners, newer ministries or deeper pockets. 

What we need is bigger banquet tables. 

Jesus loved banquets. He performed his first miracle at a wedding reception in Canaan and spent so much time feasting with tax collectors and prostitutes that the religious called him a glutton. Jesus was never too busy to stop and eat—sharing fish and bread with 5,000 fans, a traditional Jewish supper with his closest disciples, and breakfast with the friend who denied him three times.  When Jesus returns, he plans to throw a great banquet in honor of his bride, The Church. How fitting that in his absence, we remember him by eating together. 

Jesus often compared his Kingdom to a great banquet that includes people from every tribe, tongue, and nation reclining at a single table (Matthew 11:11). He made it clear that this banquet table is open to all, but that the rich and powerful will likely decline his invitation because they are just too busy to stop, slow down, and feast with their neighbors. So instead, Jesus invites “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” so that his “house will be full” (Luke 14:16-24). 

I guess this is why Jesus tells us to do the same. “When you give a luncheon or dinner,” he instructed, “do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed” (Luke 14:12-13).

I suspect that Jesus used all of this delicious imagery because he knew that there is a difference between feeding people and dining with people. 

Feeding people means keeping the hungry at arm’s length.  It means sending checks now and then, making Thanksgiving baskets once a year, preaching about justice, and launching new ministries…all while sitting comfortably at the head of a tiny table, dropping scraps from our abundance to the floor.  Americans are good at feeding people. 

But dining with people is an entirely different matter. Dining together means sitting next to one another and brushing arms, passing the bread basket and sharing the artichoke dip. It means double-dipping and spilling drinks, laughing together and crying together, exchanging stories, ideas, recipes, and dreams.  According to Jesus, it means leaving the seat at the head of the table ceremoniously empty so that all are guests of honor and all are hosts.  Dining together isn’t charity; it’s friendship. 

For the Church in North America to grow in a good way, we need to break down this distinction between those who serve and those who are served. The abundance must truly be shared.  At the local level, this may mean hosting literal banquets, complete with Jesus-style invitation lists. At the global level, it may mean sacrificing some of our own comforts so that when we care for our far-away neighbors we can still feel their presence beside us at the table.  In every case, it means slowing down long enough to savor both the food and the company. 

So let’s build bigger banquet tables.

Let’s eat fruit that is in season and drink coffee that is fairly traded so that Latin farmers can join us at the table with their heads held high. Let’s share the reputation of Jesus and dine with those who the religious love to hate—gays and lesbians, divorcees, single moms, junkies, dreamers, and doubters. Let’s squeeze in a little tighter to make enough room for people of all political persuasions, all religious backgrounds, all ethnicities, and all denominations. Let’s eat a little less so that everyone has enough and let’s linger a little longer so that everyone gets a chance to share what’s on their mind. Let’s invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame so that our house will always be full. 

***

So what would you say in a letter to the North American Church? Feel free to use the comment section to add a P.S. or share an excerpt from your entry. (If you can condense it into a tweet, use #8thletter, @eighthletter.)

Guest Post: Amanda (Held) Opelt on Working with "Those People"

(Photo by The Voice of the Eye)

I'm so pleased to share this guest post from my awesome little sister, Amanda. Amanda lives in Nashville with her husband Tim and works for the Christian Women's Job Corp. When she was little, she went through this weird phase where she was convinced her throat was closing up, so she wouldn't eat anything. But as you will see in this post, it seems that these days Amanda's not really afraid of anything. I'm proud beyond words. 

***

 Dateline recently ran a special with Brian Williams called "Hurricane Katrina: the First Five Days"  The images struck me afresh: families punching their way out of attics, the looting, bodies floating face down in the water.  

But the most alarming shots were perhaps those taken at the Superdome and convention center, where thousands of people were crammed like sardines for five days with hardly anything to eat or drink.  They had gathered in those designated locations at the request of the authorities, yet after Katrina hit, the authorities all but vanished, and day after day went by without any sign of help.  They were stuck.

With no sanitation and 95 degree heat, fear and desperation set in.  There are hours of footage of frantic mothers crying out to the mayor, the governor, or the president to please come and bring food for her children.  Old people died in their wheelchairs. And while the media was able to reach the masses, somehow, the national guard and FEMA were not.  As Brian Williams said, a few simple air drops of food and water could have saved lives.  But the help came too late.

As I look at the faces in that crowd at the Superdome and Convention Center, I notice that while the people there are of all ages, they seem to have a few things in common.  Most are minorities, and most appear to be low income.  It was, in fact, the poor of New Orleans, who had gathered in these "safe places"- the poor who had no cars to drive to Baton Rouge, no family members or friends to stay with, and no money for hotels.  

I can't help but wonder why America did not howl in outrage over the images that came in those first five days.  Why did we not demand that help be sent?  Was it that the people in the photos did not remind us enough of ourselves?  Did we mistake the video as being that of a third world autocracy?  

I worry that the evangelical community has a narrow understanding of what an "American" is.  We tend to stick in our suburban, middle class sanctuaries- we are inundated by a world of upper class media and entertainment.  If we choose not to drive out of our neighborhoods, we have no way of knowing anything else exists in our country.  Yet in Nashville, 36% of families with young children live in poverty.  That's 73,000 people.   41% don't have a high school education, and thousands more go without food on a regular basis.  That's America.  

I began working at the Christian Women's Job Corp (a non-profit that provides education and mentoring for low income women) about 2 years ago, and have heard stories come out of this city that you wouldn't believe.  Just yesterday, I met a woman who was sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend for 5 years- finally, at age nine, she began to cut herself so that the boyfriend would be sickened by the blood and leave her alone.  I can still see the scars on her arm.  And we wonder why she has a hard time holding down a job!

I've met women who survive on tuna and peanut butter.  I've met women who've never slept in a bed of their own.  I've met women who remember burning crosses being staked in their front yards.  I've met women who sleep with their abusive boyfriends because that boyfriend is the only ride they have to work.  Those were the type of women who were stuck in that Super Dome, and for whatever reason, they were not worth an air drop.

A friend asked me the other day , "Do you ever get tired of working with 'those people'?"  I didn't have to ask what he meant by "those people"- he was thinking of a woman on welfare, probably with darker skin than mine or his, probably toting around 3 children, probably dressed in a mis-matched top and sweatpants- probably overweight (45% of women in poverty are overweight due to lack of fresh food at local markets and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol).  

But behind every woman like that you see on the street is a story, a lifetime of pain and a head full of dwindling hope. Sometimes I do get tired, but I am convinced that poverty is not simply the result of laziness.  It is the result of generational deprivation, poor education, racism, class-ism, etc.......and then, of course, really bad decisions.  But those decisions are not made in a vacuum.  And I wonder if somehow my middle class lifestyle, and my ignorance helped to sustain that environment in which such dreadful depravity is cultivated.   

 Friday night, my husband and I were driving in a low income neighborhood, known for high crime rates.  I said, "This is not safe for us."  Tim said, "We shouldn't be here."  But then we looked at each other and realized what we'd said.  The truth is, if it's not safe for me and Tim, it's not safe for anyone.  It's not safe for that woman in her McDonald's uniform walking home from work.  It's not safe for that African American man with the grocery bags.  Their lives are worth just as much as ours, but I fear, were they to be attacked or robbed, no one would take notice.  

Last year, a little boy was shot and killed on the floor above one of my student's public housing apartment.  I did not hear a thing about it on the news.  The Dateline special showed a little girl from New Orleans crying out for her dead grandmother.  Do we not think that her pain is as real as ours?  Her dreams not as important?  Her life not as valuable?

I hope, in the aftermath of Katrina, we pay attention to what those waters washed up.  We saw the face of American poverty. We don't have to go to Africa or Asia to find people in need.  They are a mile down the road, and it will take all of us, every church member mobilized and moving in order to alleviate the suffering and need.  Someone once said that God is not looking for our spare change.  He is looking for our very lives.  Are "those people" worth giving it up for?

***

Can you see why I am proud of my little sister? If this post resonated with you, please share it with your friends or consider making a donation to the Christian Women's Job Corp. I can assure you that the money will be well-spent because Amanda and her team will be the ones spending it! 

Do you think the evangelical community has a narrow view of what "American" is? How can we address this? 

Voices of Doubt, Friendly Atheist, Radio & YOU!

Voices of Doubt: For today’s post, hop on over to my friend Jason Boyett’s blog, where I contributed to his Voices of Doubt series with a post about “works-based salvation.” I’ve really enjoyed reading the other posts in this series, which include:  Winn Collier, Tyler Clark, Rob Stennett, Adam Ellis, Nicole Wick, and Anna Broadway. It's always encouraging to be in conversation with other people who wrestle with tough questions about their faith. (If you haven’t already, check out Jason’s book, O Me of Little Faith—a funny, practical, and insightful journey through the ups and downs of doubt.) 

Friendly Atheist:  On Tuesday I wrote a post for Relevant Online about Christianity and evolution that generated a lively discussion, particularly over at Friendly Atheist, where Hemant Mehta argues that it’s not enough to say that the evidence supports evolution; one must concede that the evidence rules God out completely.  I find it kind of ironic that both Mehta and creationist Ken Ham have essentially agreed!  They both insist that I have to choose between loving God and accepting evolution.

Steve Brown Etc.: Today at noon I’ll be interviewed on the Steve Brown Etc. radio show. I’m slowly but surely getting the hang of these radio interviews, and I never really know what to expect, so wish me luck! 

Whew! I’ve shared enough links to keep you online for a while. Now it’s your turn.  Use the comment section today to share a post from your own blog or a link to something that caught your eye. 

Divine Interruptions

(Photo by Brit)

So I’m reading a really challenging book by Shane Claiborne and Shawn Perkins called Follow Me to Freedom. Although it’s technically a leadership book, the conversational approach makes it a helpful resource for anyone who wants to inspire others to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.  I’m thankful to my friend Meredith for recommending it.

In Chapter 1, Claiborne makes an observation that has haunted me ever since I read it. It’s about interruptions: 

"Interruptions are a theme in Scripture. We have a God who is continually interrupting us—interrupting our routines, our patterns of inequity, the status quo…The gospels are stories of interruption after interruption. Jesus was at a wedding in Cana when His mother interrupted Him and said, ‘They have no more wine.’ He had just stepped ashore in a region called Gerasenes when he was interrupted by the cries of a demon-possessed man. He was on His way to visit a sick child when a touch on His sleeve interrupted Him and He felt the power go out from Him. The incredible thing is that Jesus was always available and attentive to the interruptions and surprises, like someone who stops to fix a flat tire for a stranded motorist. Jesus was never so fixed on His vision for the Kingdom that He missed the needs of folks right next to Him. Sometimes Jesus even gets yelled at for stopping to hang out with the kids…

Most days, our life in Philly feels like one interruption after another. It is packed with surprises: a knock at the door, an emergency, or a kid who wants to show us the first sunflower bud.  It seems that these are the very things so many of us try to squeeze out of our lives. We love predictability. We don’t want anything to alter our course, even if we know there is something beautiful on the other end of the interruption (p. 28-29)." 

I found this particularly convicting, as I tend to be fiercely protective of my time.  I’m a goal-setter and a planner, and once I get on-task, there’s nothing you can do to stop me.  I don’t like veering off track, and I don’t like interruptions. I get annoyed when the phone rings or there’s a knock at the door. 

And yet some of the best, most important moments of my life have been the result of interruptions—unannounced company, unforeseen changes, long conversations, sudden calls for help, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, roads less traveled,  change of plans, and little unexpected moments of abandon. And when I think about what made Uncle Gary special to so many people, it was the fact that he always had time for others.  He was never too busy to talk. 

I’m not exactly sure how to do it, but I want to become more open to interruptions. I don’t want to miss any more opportunities to strengthen friendships or fellowship with strangers or see the divine in the little things. This may mean a change in pace or a shift in priorities. It may even mean missing a deadline now and then.

But something tells me it will be worth it. 

Can you think of a time when an interruption turned into something really beautiful?  How do we become more open to interruptions in our day-to-day lives? (I would love to hear from parents, who I suspect deal with interruptions most frequently!)