There are many defining moments in a child’s life. Some we can’t even remember, being born for example, when we first learn to walk, talk, eat without spitting up. Others are very memorable, our first day or school, our drivers test, that time in college when we realize we actually haven’t learned how to eat without spitting up. These are defining moments for anyone in any generation, but for those of us who belong to “The X-Gen”, “The Facebook Generation”, or whatever you might call it, we all share a common bond, one common experience which took us from bright-eyed, hopeful child, to bitter, sarcastic adult. I’m talking about our eleventh birthday, when we did not receive a letter to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I remember the day vividly, and so do many of my friends. We all describe ourselves as being legitimately crestfallen when we realized that no letter was coming in the mail. And while a small percentage of us resorted to the hope that perhaps we were simply muggles in the midst of a hidden wizarding world, most of us came to the sobering conclusion that Hogwarts, and Diagon Alley, and Hippogriffs, and Whomping Willows, just didn’t exist.

As I said before, this was hard to swallow for me, and many others of my generation. Reading J.K. Rowling’s stories, we received a glimpse of a life that was full of excitement and adventure, a life with the promise of wands and trolls and ghosts and potions, a life where people who once thought of themselves as ordinary discovered that they were actually destined for extraordinary things.

This is why we love stories that involve magic. Magic has a certain alluring charm to it, a certain breathless wonder to it because it has the potential to carry us beyond our human capabilities. We were all disappointed not to find an owl with a letter on our window sill because deep down there is a part of each of us that desires to live Harry Potter’s large than life life!

I was standing in church yesterday during worship and as I felt the words of the songs funneling out of my lips, I thought to myself, as I so often do, “we’re singing about some pretty big stuff.”

“And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?”

“Chains be broken, lives be healed, eyes be opened, Christ is revealed.”

“Oh my God, he will not delay, my refuge and strength always.”

These songs are dealing with some ISSUES, issues that are larger than life. And if it’s all true, if God really is this good and is able to do this many things and transform my life in this way, if it’s all true, then it’s like magic.

But there was one problem, as I much as I have dreamed and searched and hoped and prayed, magic is not real. I’m never getting a letter from Hogwarts, no matter how hard I try. And regardless, God can’t be magic. Prayer doesn’t work like a wand does, you don’t just say the right incantation, wave your Bible, and out pops a car. Magic works that way, God doesn’t.

So there was only one conclusion I could arrive at. God is like magic, but better, because he’s real. God offers us something better.

Call me young, naïve, idealistic, whatever, but I actually believe that the life that God offers and calls us to is a story that could compete with that of Harry Potter. God calls each and every one of us to a life of excitement and adventure, a life with the promise of wands and trolls and ghosts and potions(just accept the metaphor please J) a life where people who once thought of themselves as ordinary discovered that they were actually destined for extraordinary things. It’s like magic, but better.

-jon

So here I sit, a day old college grad still with no real job and no real money. That’s alright though, because I still haven’t taken my last step as an academic student. I have not yet given a commencement speech. And since the foolish higher ups at a University that shall remain nameless did not choose me to deliver a commencement address at any of the numerous ceremonies of the past weekend, I have no choice but to subject the few of you who actually read this blog to my speech, here.

Good afternoon, morning, evening, whatever it may be for you. I sit here typing away, unsure of exactly how to begin. There are many different ways to look at a day like today, our graduation day. Today is an ending. Today is the end of academics and formal education for many of us. Some of us will go on to grad school. But for those of us who are sane or simply exhausted, we will take our undergrad degrees and next fall for the first time in sixteen years we will not go back to school shopping, but we will continue our hard fought job searches, pay rent to our parents, and wait in fear for the first payment on our college loans.

In this regard, today is also about firsts, a beginning, the beginning of the rest of our lives. Today is the beginning of opportunity, the beginning of our potential finally being realized and turned into positive business, industry, and change in our world. Today is the beginning of a whole new understanding to word responsibility. Today is the beginning of a race that has taken most of us just over twenty years to get to the starting line. Today is the beginning indeed.

I walked away from one of the many ceremonies I attended yesterday and as I handed my humorously large diploma over to my girlfriend she said cheerfully, “you’re a big kid now!” I chuckled, because she’s just so darn cute, and then I thought to myself, I hope that statement will always ring true about me.

Graduation from college may be the end of schooling and the beginning of real world opportunity, but I hope for me, and for all of us, that it is also a continuation of the childlike curiosity, dreamer mentality, and faith that we have shared with the world since the time we were young.

There is nothing like the mind of a child. To a young child, anything is possible and the sky isn’t the limit, it’s the beginning. This is why Jesus places so much importance on us sharing a child like faith. Could you imagine what our world would be like if our educated innovators and work force shared the same curiosity and faith that they did when they were children? We would be UNSTOPABBLE. Potential would not only realize itself, but it would exceed itself. Dreams would be sought after rather than hidden under a desk. Lives would be rich and full of whimsy, rather than dull and nine to five. Our world is great need of more big kids who harbor big dreams.

So today, weather you are graduating, celebrating a graduate, or for some crazy reason you found yourself on some weird kid’s blog, I encourage you to appreciate the beginnings of today and the ends of today. You’ve worked hard to get where you are in life, and the opportunities ahead are immeasurable. But I also hope that you will pray for a continuation, or a reclaiming, of the child-like spirit that once ran wild inside of you. When we begin to live from that place, simply as a big kid, we say to the stars, “that’s my starting point”, and we go from there.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES OF ALL KIND: CLASS OF 2013!


-jon

“If you want to be a great blanker, then you must blank everyday.”

As a young actor/writer about to graduate from college, I have found myself repeating this mantra endlessly in my head, with a broken voice of fear and excitement. For the young artist in today’s culture, the opportunities for creativity are vast and expansive, while at the same time, few and far between.

A quote like this gives me comfort, however. Knowing that as long as I commit to writing and acting everyday, I will one day become one of the greats, no matter what scale it may be on.

HOWEVER!!!!!!

To write everyday, or act, or do anything creative everyday for that matter, is a bit more easily said than done. When the human spirit sets out to create, a natural synergy occurs between inspiration, and what I believe to be the divine creative nature within us. Most of us view art and it’s creative process as sort of a, “whenever I’m feeling it,” sort of thing. That’s why our culture has failed recognized artists as part of the work force in the past, because creating art is not work, it’s inspiration mixed with emotions and play.

This facade is stripped away for many young artists the first time they are confronted with a writing deadline, or the first time they have to perform the same role eight shows a week for an entire year. Suddenly, our art is looking like less of a hobby, and more of an actual job. This is where the separation begins to be seen between professional artists, and a bunch of kids playing kitchen in the sandbox.

The hidden ingredient that separates the professional artist from those who are only able to do it “when they feel it” is that dreaded word, discipline.

I know exactly what you’re thinking

“Discipline? Great for athletes.”

“Discipline? Great for businessmen.”

But artists?

No way.

Art was created for those kids with undiagnosed ADHD who have no discipline. And while it may appear this way, I’m sorry to say that you are wrong.

If inspiration is the spark that starts the engine, discipline is the fuel that keeps that engine running. If we as artists only rely on inspiration and our creative nature, we may have sparks of genius from time to time, but we will never reach our full potential. Discipline and dedication is key.

Thomas Edison, one of the most supreme artists of invention in the history of the world, was a master of discipline when it came to his daily work schedule. Instead of sleeping through the night like most people, Edison preferred to take various power naps every eight hours or so in order to maximize his time to invent. Leonardo Di Vinci and Beethoven were the same way.  Even God, when he created heavens and the earth, did so with discipline, giving himself rest of the seventh day.

At times, an artist can ride on pure inspiration and creative spark, but when that tank runs low, the professional artist must call on the reserves of discipline to keep them moving on the road to greatness.  

-jon

Scientifically speaking, water is one of, if not the, most essential component to life here on earth. Now already most of you can see where this is going, but I ask you to please humor me.

The biblical metaphor of water is, while vast and important, one we are well familiar with. But just any story, word, or verse in this book, I believe that even with a lifetime of study we can only scratch the surface of its infinite depths and possibilities. Please excuse my terrible pun.

I was flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco last week, and from the air I got a new perspective on water and what it means in our culture and in our lives. The hour and a half flight on such a small plane requires pilots to fly pretty low, below the cloud line on most sunny California days. Because of this, I was able to watch the earth pass by underneath us almost the entire flight. As we flew along the jagged California coast I began to notice a pattern. The closer we flew to the water, the more buildings and development I could see, and the further we flew away from the ocean, the more open land their seemed to be. It’s the lure of waterfront property, it’s valuable, and everyone wants it. This I already knew, but it had never been made so clear to me as in that moment when I had gained a different perspective.

It reminded me of what we all think of the animal world. We picture the jungle as an animal community where all the animals strategically place their habitats around the community “watering hole” where they all drink in peace together. This is not entirely inaccurate, while there is rarely on community “watering hole”, most animals do establish their living quarters, or follow their migration paths based on where they can find a decent water source. In short, God’s creatures flock to the water.

Not only this, but as we passed over Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and finally to San Francisco I was reminded of something else. Almost all major cities in the world are located in close proximity to a major body of water. This is because hundreds of years ago, when these cities were developed, the water provided boats with a road for travel and trade. In a world separated by continents, the water is what connects us.

I can’t help but believe that God created us with such a physical dependence on water so that we may understand and take seriously what His word says about water spiritually.

In the Psalms, and many other places throughout scripture, the language of “thirsting for God” is used. This is no mistake. The Bible tells a story of a people who are thirsting for God and thirsting for a Savior. Then Jesus comes along and causes living water to flow out of their hearts. (John 7:38) And just like in the old days of seas trading, it is the living water that connects the human spirit one to another and creates the beautiful community that God desires for His people.

But if water is so essential to our spiritual well-being, connection, and survival, why are we rarely as dependent on it as we are physical water? How many times a days to you drink water? How many times a day do you pray? How long would you live if you only drank water for one hour once a week? You wouldn’t get to the second week. Then why is it that most of us are spiritually content with seeking the living water of Jesus only one hour on Sunday morning.

I don’t know about you, but often times I find myself spiritually dehydrated. And yet I look beyond the living water of Jesus to some sugary, tainted type of drink to quench me thirst, but all it does is make me more thirsty.

Please hear my heart on this friends, I do not mean for this to sound like a condemnation. Trust me, I am the first person who needs apply this to my life. I am too broken, too unrighteous, too selfish not to be drinking from the well of living water the Jesus provides several times a day.

We are drawn to the water because the water connects us. Not just with one another, but with a God who loves us. May you allow yourself, this week, to be drawn to the water daily, hourly, every minute. Because that is where we will find life, and find it to the fullest.

 -jon

In the Old Testament, God chose a certain sect of people to be set apart, to be different, to be his people. These folks, the Israelites, journey from slavery to the dessert to a flourishing kingdom of their own, and back to slavery again. Their story, as detailed all through the books of the Old Testament, can be used as mirror to reflect our own lives with God that we still live today. We are born to repeat their mistakes, therefore God has given us His word in order to teach us how to avoid them.

In the book of 1 Samuel, Israel has finally made it to the promised land and for hundreds of years they have flourished in their new kingdom with no king, only periodic judges to lead them. At this point, Samuel is the judge, or leader, leading the Israelites. Samuel has been doing this since he was a boy and he’s been doing a great job. And yet, in chapter eight the Israelites come before Samuel and the Lord and declare... 

            “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations…”

This is one of those terribly sad passages in scripture. By asking for a king, the Israelites are basically saying, "God, you and the life you offer are not enough. Everyone else has one, why can’t we?"

The Israelites wanted a king because they wanted to be like everyone else. And still today our culture presents us with any number of false kings begging to be served and make us just like everyone else. This is one of the lies our culture tells us. True, there are many TV campaigns and t-shirts our there telling us, “Be unique”, “You are your own person”, “You’re special”. This may what our culture is saying, but all our culture is doing in magazines and movies and advertisements is showing us how we can all have the same perfect body, the same diet, the same perfect family, and if you don’t have that, that doesn’t make you unique, that makes you wrong.

The Israelites wanted a king, someone who would tell them what to do, who to be, how to act. Yet they already had the perfect king, and they had already been called, as God’s people, His holy people, to live lives set apart and different.

Within the very fabric of our creation is the calling to be unique. We are told that we are created in His image, which is infinite and incomprehensible. And we worship a God who is infinitely creative. So why do we seek to limit God’s image and creativity by striving to achieve some sort of cultural standard which often leads to spiritual mediocrity?

God has created each of us differently, He has given some to be apostles, some prophets, some teachers, miracle workers, gifts of healing, helps, guidance (1 Cor. 12) the list is endless. And the temptation is to forsake the inbred unique genius inside of us and try to blend in with the crowd. The Israelites forsook their calling as God’s people in order to live like everyone else. But God is not interested in having a people who live like everyone else. God’s word is full of stories of men and woman who took ownership of their unique image and changed the world. And I believe that in a culture obsessed with uniformity that God is still working for diversity. I believe that in a culture obsessed with perfection that God’s still looking and working through imperfect people. I believe that in a culture that says, “Be like everyone else,” God says, “Be like Jesus, cause we was like no one else.”

Do not accept the standards of your culture as the only way to live. If we did, the would have never been a Shakespeare, Mozart, Beatles, Sputnik, Jericho, Red Sea, Virgin birth, and there would be no church, and there would be no salvation for all through Jesus.

To be a Christ follower is not to subscribe to some set list of things to do and not do. To be a Christ follower is to accept the unique image that has been woven into the fabric of your creation, and to live out the unique calling God has given you not what others are doing or saying.

-jon

Usually I try and steer clear of the extremely controversial topics on this blog and stick primarily to the hard truth of God’s love and the fully lived life He offers us, but I figured that today I could make an exception.

Most of you know that a few days ago, NBA Free Agent Jason Collins became the first active athlete in any of the four major sports to come out as a homosexual. The timing of such a statement has added much fuel to the hot debates surrounding homosexuality in America, the church, gay marriage, etc.

There is any number of different stances that people have taken in regards to Jason Collins. Many, including some of the heavy hitters in the NBA (Kobe, Lebron, Doc Rivers), have come forward with their full-fledged support. Others have expressed their disapproval because of a certain belief system (Chris Broussard). And still others, specifically those of the conservative right Christian faith, have used this as a spiritual steroid shot to give them fuel for their next battle against homosexuality.

I, for my part, and here in this blog, do not wish to subscribe to any of these systems. Nor do I wish to spout my own opinion about Jason Collins or homosexuality at large for that matter. I intend rather to speak to the heart of what I believe is an unspoken injustice in regards to the homosexuality debate in America.

Let me start by saying that I understand that the largest injustice here has been and still is the treatment and discrimination of the gay/lesbian community. The injustice I will speak further on in this post does not hold a candle to the years of hatred, fear, and discrimination that these men and women have had to undergo. Much of which has been brought on by people who subscribe to the same belief system as I do, and for that I would like to start by apologizing to the gay community on behalf of “the church”.

That being said, I think there is a secondary injustice going on in these matters, one that is silent and one that is dangerous. And that is a perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what it means to be a “Christian”.

The Christian community and the church at large has made a very loud and proud name for itself lately as being “anti-gay”. And over the past several years, it seems to me that this one issue gets church goers and “Christians” fired up more than any other. In fact, I believe that if you asked the average American to list the top five things they think about the church, you would find “anti-gay” on nearly everyone’s list. In light of this, I find myself asking only one question, why? Why has the battle against homosexuality become one of, if not the chief cornerstone of the Christian faith? Why has the abolition of gay marriage become our main focus? This to me, is an extreme injustice.

I believe the Bible makes very clear what our focus should be as Christians in the world when Jesus is asked by His disciples, what are they two greatest commandments, to which he replies, “To love the Lord your God, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22) Jesus gives many other commands, but these are the two he says are the greatest, and these are how we will be recognized as His disciples. (John 13:35) And yet I would venture to argue that someone who loves the Lord and also loves their gay neighbor as themselves would not be recognized as a Christian in our society whatsoever.

I pray that all readers will hear my heart on this and excuse my generalities. I understand that not every Christian is anti-gay, I understand that some churches are very loving towards the gay community, and I even understand that using phrases such as “gay community” can upset folks. But, as I said before, I pray that you hear my heart. This is not an article about whether homosexuality is a sin against God or not. This is not an article about the sanctity of marriage and whether a male/male or female/female marriage upholds that sanctity. This is an observation that we as the church have lost our way. In making the exclusion or the soul saving of homosexuals our main mission, we are perverting the mission of the Gospel. The mission of the Gospel, as I understand it, is to love one another, love God, and to make disciples. “Beating the gay” out of someone, or “preaching the gay” out of them will certainly not make them a disciple. Loving someone, and meeting them where they are, and coming alongside of them as a servant and washing their feet, taking the posture that our Savior did with so many who were cast out and who were beaten down; that is our call, that is our mission, that’s what makes disciples. As for the social matters and the matters of sin, that is not what I set out to write about. Sorry if that disappoints you. I simply desire to write about love, and to call us to return love to the center of our belief system.


-jon