Here’s my “oddity in expression” that I just couldn’t get over.

Friend:  dont tell anyone

Me:  ok. fine.
i never do.
i’m like a freaking sarcophagus

Friend:  I dunno what that is

Me:  mummy tomb

        i keep things mum

        nm.

Friend: oh…lol

I’m an idiot, I know. But I thought it was funny and smart…My friend’s “oh…lol” was the most polite thing (s)he could come up with.

Sometimes a sermon writes itself.

There are tons of moments where you are too late and you miss out on something amazing. There are also times when you are too early. There are times when you are looking left when you should be looking right, looking down when you should be looking up, looking straight ahead when you should be turned around.

But there is this rare occurrence; there are these rare moments in life where everything seems to be perfectly in place, and most importantly, you are perfectly in place. Today, Friday December 16, 2011, for one hour at noon, I was perfectly aligned with the world.

Receiving and Giving Christmas

A month ago, I had an idea for a sermon series that would run on the two weeks before Christmas; The Receiving and Giving of Christmas.

Receiving Christmas would be about recognizing the miraculous gift of Jesus’ birth, but more than that, recognizing the miraculous gift of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The Christmas story is only the introduction of Jesus into our life. And what good is an introduction if the body of work that comes afterward cannot inspire interest?

What good are the words of Charles Dickens when he wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair” if they were not followed by the masterpiece that is A Tale of Two Cities?

And in that same way, Jesus’ birth, dazzling and wondrous as it is, means nothing if we did not have the story that came afterward and the story that is continuing to be written today.

Giving Christmas would work alongside of Receiving Christmas. We must recognize that we are to give, because we have received. And more than that, it is in giving, that we receive. As the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi reads,

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

In receiving Christ’s love, we are called to share Christ’s love. In being loved perfectly, we are urged to practice loving one another as perfectly as we can. As Jesus said, recorded in John 13:34,

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

The sermon series was set, ready to be dreamt up, to be written out, and to be spoken out.

The Week That Was

Earlier, I wrote about how sometimes things just seem out of place and you’re not fitting right with the world. You’re looking the wrong way. That was how I felt when I spoke my “Receiving Christmas” sermon.  It was my first week back from vacation and I felt out of sync. I decided I would share the Christmas story in a different way; with videos, songs, and ideas, as opposed to a “classical sermon”. It was a great plan, but technology, as we often find out disastrously, can fail you. The videos were blurred, the song just wouldn’t play, and because of these failures, I was flustered and my ideas seemed more like the ramblings of a crazed man.

Now I must admit that I am very self-critical. Maybe the sermon wasn’t as bad as imagined. But maybe, it was. And by Sunday night, I was left with my thoughts, reflecting. “I wasn’t prepared enough. I should’ve stayed cool and calm under pressure. I should’ve had a back-up plan. I was just so out of sync.”

This state of disorder persisted through this week. I slept really late Monday night. I had too much coffee, and the caffeine, paired with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 kept me up until 5:00 AM. I woke up Tuesday morning at 1:00 PM. What?! Was I back in university? The day was shot, with little time to do much of anything. And so, a disturbing habit was born. Every night this week, I slept late and every morning, or I should say afternoon, I woke up late. I couldn’t prepare my sermon. I wasn’t mentally checked in. I kept staring at a blank page, with that damned blinking cursor that is all too often a writer’s boogeyman.

Friday

But today, Friday, I could not let this habit continue. I forced myself to wake up earlier, even though I slept so late. Beaming with pride, I saw 11:30 AM on my Winnie the Pooh alarm clock. I did it! I woke up on the right side of noon! The temptation to go back to bed was overwhelming. So I quickly washed up and set out for my laundry list of errands to run.

The list looked something like this.

1. Buy Christmas decorations and candy canes at Dollarama
2. Go to Starbucks and write my sermon
3. Read my book.
4. Smile at twenty people.

Dollarama

Just having stepped out of my car, I looked up at the sky. And in the grey nothingness of a cold and cloudy wintry afternoon, I saw a yellow happy face; a helium balloon had been released from its leash. Its owner, a cute little toddler dressed all in pink, watched helplessly. Mom and daughter stopped and stared for a moment. Then mom ushered her child along. But the little girl would not move. I saw her eyes, fixed upon the balloon. She was confused, watching in wonder as the balloon flew higher and higher. Where was it going? Why did it fly away from her? And then the pain dawned on her. It was gone, forever. Her eyes began to well up. But she did not wail. She did not play the part of spoiled brat. She just silently embraced loss.

It was too much for me. A child of three or four should not have to feel the sting of loss at that age. And so I ran. I knew I had one minute, maybe two. Into Dollarama I raced. I grabbed the same yellow happy-face balloon. Knowing that time was slipping away, I bypassed the line, shouting in a frenzy, that the little girl who had just bought this balloon only minutes ago; had had it stolen by heavens. I dropped my credit card at the register, promising to return. I rushed out the door, raced to mom’s driver side door, and lightly tapped the window. Mom turned suddenly, frightened by my sight, then seeing the balloon, she was puzzled. She slowly opened her door.

“I saw your daughter’s balloon fly away and I wanted to give her a new one. Merry Christmas!”

She was too shocked to even smile, politely saying thank you. I turned and shuffled back to the store, with my own giant yellow happy-face beaming. I was as light as that helium balloon. In this one moment, I had floated to the heights of heaven.

“It is in giving, that we receive.”

The Intersection

I finished my shopping and was headed to the closest Starbucks. I needed to get to writing. This balloon encounter was just what I needed! It was the inspiration for my sermon this week. This was my “Giving Christmas”.

I was driving on a road that circles Erin Mills Town Centre when I came to a three way stop. There were cars stopping in each direction at this intersection when an elderly man, at one corner of the intersection, fell suddenly, crashing to the ground. I put my car in park, shut off the ignition and ran toward him. But I was not the only good Samaritan. Four different strangers, four different women, from four different cars poured around the old man.

The bumpy crosswalk failed him. His walker failed him. His legs failed him. But the five of us would not fail him. I grabbed onto him, in a giant bear hug, helping him back to his feet. His legs wobbled as he collected himself. We collected his belongings, offered rides and ambulance calls, but he assured us that he would be fine. And with a warm thank you and Merry Christmases from and to each person, we all turned back to our own cars and our own lives. As I walked back, I heard a car honking frantically. I assumed it was the white-haired grandma who was waiting in her car behind me this whole time.

But no, it was a car behind her; a new car at the intersection; and in that car, sat a sour-faced woman, who had no idea why our two cars were not moving. She was angry and frustrated at the grandma behind me, and at me. She cut around us, giving us a good amount of stink-eye, and zoomed through the intersection. I felt bad for that lady. She missed out on something amazing. She was too late to the intersection. She was looking the wrong way. She was out of sync from this perfect moment.

I looked at the grandma as I got to my door, smiled at her and waved thank you to her. She smiled at me. We knew that more important than driving rules, we were obeying the Golden Rule.

“Treat others the way you would like to be treated.”

Giving Christmas

Sometimes a sermon writes itself.

There are tons of moments where you are too late and you miss out on something amazing. There are also times when you are too early. There are times when you are looking left when you should be looking right, looking down when you should be looking up, looking straight ahead when you should be turned around.

But there is this rare occurrence; there are these rare moments in life where everything seems to be perfectly in place, and most importantly, you are perfectly in place. Today, Friday December 16, 2011, for one hour at noon, I was perfectly aligned with the world and I felt like I was aligned with God.

In this hour, I experienced God. He always has a plan, a plan beyond our understanding. He leads our lives, giving us opportunities to see Him, calling out to us. And in rare moments, I get to see the culmination of His plans. I get to see a glimpse of the greatness of God’s plans when things come together, and the greatness of God’s love, when people come together.

This week’s sermon is about “Giving Christmas”; sharing the love of Christ with others. I didn’t know that I would have the chance to practice what I preach. But I’m so glad for it.

And so I urge you, my brothers and sisters, to go and practice giving Christmas. Go and give Christmas to someone else. Give a smile, hold the door, buy a stranger a coffee, donate your time and energy to a cause, a shelter, a food bank, hug and kiss your loved ones, laugh at your pastor’s corny jokes, tell your parents and siblings that you appreciate and love them.

Open your eyes for the moment to come. Don’t ignore it. Don’t deny it. Don’t stay silent. Don’t stay still. Move, Act, Be a difference maker. Be an agent of love. Because where love is, God is not far from.

1 John 4:7-21

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

-1 John 4:7-21

Today, I went to my neighbourhood Starbucks (actually, there are 5 “neighbourhood” Starbucks around me) and I attempted to make my purchase with my VisionX Starbucks card. It always gets a lot of attention; a rare and uncommon design and logo. So today, Jenni asked me about it. I smiled and began my explanation knowing that we had had this conversation months ago when we first met on her first day.

“Vision X is an organization that I help run that…”

And with that, she pondered aloud, “Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

I acknowledged her with a smile. The next 3 or 4 minutes was a bit of heaven. I must note that she is a beautiful older woman. She has children, who are almost my age, so let’s not get it twisted people. It wasn’t “that” kind of encounter. Regardless, it was a glimpse of heaven and for some reason there was no one in the shop, no one to put a time limit on our moment.

We chatted about Vision X, BASIC, my work as a youth pastor. She is a pastor’s kid! I’m an elder’s kid. We get each other. Her daughter is about to go off to YWAM. I did YWAM! She volunteers at a youth drop-in centre. I’m looking for a place to volunteer in Mississauga. I work at Dundas and Mississauga Road at Doorae Church. When she’s not volunteering or barista-ing, she teaches Creative Arts to children two or three buildings down from my church!

I don’t know yet what all of this means or where our relationship is headed, but I do know that yes, God must be in the details. And each of us, we have the opportunity to see God move in our lives, perhaps if we only stop and take a moment to be polite to another human being.

 ⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

-1 John 4:7-21

But I just realized something new and it dawns upon me from all angles and all sides. Left handed people are evil.bad.sinister.

Evidence

1. In one episode of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Bart has a twin brother named Bort “We need more Bort licence plates, I repeat we need more Bort license plates”, Hugo. Hugo is the evil twin, trapped in the walls and attic of 742 Evergreen Terrace. But by the end of the episode, we realize Bart, being the conjoined twin on the left side, has always been the evil one.

The word sinister is derived from the Latin word for “left-handedness.”

2. Look how ugly Derek Fisher’s left handed shot is. That’s how all left handed shooters look.

3. In many cultures and societies, shaking hands with the left hand is just plain wrong. Why? Because the left hand is used to clean your bum after…your business. (I’m just going to leave that there)

4. And an epiphany I just had right now, that probably isn’t all that special to you…

the opposite of right is left. another opposite of right is wrong. therefore by the transitive property left is wrong!

Conclusion

In conclusion, I now understand why my dad, on my first day of kindergarten, asked my teacher to tie my left hand behind my back and force me to use only my right hand. Thanks dad for trying to save me from the pits of hell. I love you too. =)

Glorified babysitters. Many churches look to the youth pastor to babysit their children. While the parents are busy doing God-stuff, the expectation on the youth or children’s pastor is to tell cute/funny stories and give out gold stars to those who read the Bible throughout the past week.

And beyond babysitting, the expectation of some parents is that I broadcast a message that supports their parenting goals. For example, I’ve had countless parents, even my own, tell me that a Christian teenager should get good marks in school. 90′s and 100′s, expectation. 80′s are passable. 70 is punishment. 60 and below…death. I didn’t know that good marks are indicative of good Christianity. I always assumed that my job as a preacher was the share the good news of Jesus Christ and encourage a solid relationship with God.

Budgets don’t concern you. And when it comes to church budgets, why do youth never get a say?

Is it because they don’t have an income and thus give little in way of offerings and tithes to the church? If that is the case, then do the more generous (wealthier) givers get more of a say than the poorer ones? What a disgusting and ugly thought! That would never be the case, right? (I think it most often is the case in many churches)

As I read through the Bible, I can’t find the passages that talk about the wealthier being better. Jesus shares a message of love, unity, equality and respect. In fact, it seems like Jesus even thought that the poorer folk were more important. So, if Christians aren’t supposed to judge and value people based on their tax bracket, why are youth ignored in the budget plans?

You don’t get a vote. You know who didn’t get to vote in the past? Blacks, immigrants, women. Yikes! Imagine if that were the case in Canada today? There would be moral outrage and rioting in the streets.

A church that I am well-acquainted with, is going through the process of hiring a new senior pastor to lead the church. They’ve been through the process with many different applicants, but there were never enough votes in the congregation in favour for the applicant. As they’ve steamrolled through pastor after pastor, they failed to do one thing. They never asked the young adults what they thought.

I’ll admit that a young child doesn’t have much to add to the conversation, but what about a 16-year old? What about a 17-year old? What about an 18-year old? Shouldn’t they have the right to choose for themselves what they would like to see in their church?

I was born and raised in the same church for the first 24 years of my life. I look back now and realize I was never a member of the church. How is it that an adult who has attended the church for 6-8 months is given consideration before someone who has participated in the church community for 24 years?

In conclusion, I don’t think that children should necessarily have the same choices and decisions placed upon them that our adult members do. But they should be allowed to make that decision for themselves. And at the very least, there should be a system in place that considers the wishes of the youth.

I am a youth pastor. So church is my business. And kids are my business. It’s where my passion lies. The longer I work in churches, the more I realize that children are treated like second class citizens. And I refuse to let things lie. The way I see it, church has been the same way since I was a child, and probably a lot longer. “It’s the way it has always been done” doesn’t mean that it’s been done right.

So I will advocate for the youth. I will fight for them. I will be their voice, until theirs are heard.

Churches beware, I will not be silent. We will not be silenced.

(Side note, I thank Doorae Church, for believing in me as their youth pastor, trusting me with their children. And for the system that’s in place that allows me to think freely and challenge ideas. It’s the greatest support I could ask for)

Ugh…I don’t want to listen to any more sermons.

This one’s not that bad.

Andy Stanley is such a great speaker and the ideas he presents, wow!

I should use this idea. I could never think of this.

I should just use this whole sermon for my church. Just press play.

But then I’m expendable.

Man, I suck. Why am I a pastor? I’ll give in my resignation.

…

Don’t lose hope.

Don’t give up.

Your strengths and weaknesses are not as important as your willingness to be used by God. You haven’t chosen this for yourself, but you were chosen.

Be humbled. This isn’t about you.

This vision is bigger than you. This ministry is bigger than you. This life is bigger than you. But God is bigger than all these things.

Perspective Will, perspective.

…

Ok, I can keep going. I can fight on.

For all my brothers and sisters who feel like you’re not good enough…Good job on taking on a life, a job, a task that is more than you can handle. Now you can see God in the gap of what is possible —-> impossible.

“Your personal circumstances do not necessarily coincide with how God feels about you.”

Great sermon by Andy Stanley at North Point Community Church. Check it out!

http://www.northpoint.org//messages/when-god/part-1

Yesterday was much of the same and by the early afternoon I found myself trying to read at Starbucks. But I just couldn’t. My eyes were fixed to the pages, but my mind was spinning around elsewhere. It’s all my ears’ fault. They fell upon juicy words and conversations; a Starbucks job interview!

It was a terrible interview. Awkward. Forced words. Boring questions and silly answers. Stilted conversation.

The interviewee was not doing well. I could tell he could sense it wasn’t going well. I could tell that he could tell that I could tell. I did everything in my power to keep my eyes from looking up to experience the catastrophe more fully. In my mind, I saw flop sweat, shaky hands, continued posture shifting.

I haven’t done a “proper” job interview in a long time. And by “proper”, I mean to say that I haven’t done an interview where it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that I was going to get the job regardless of how the interview went. So I decided that I would shadow the interview and answer the questions in my own head. I did really well. The real interviewee did not.

He needed help. As we all do. So, I’ve decided to hearken back to my old blogging practices and come up with a list of rules for job interviews. I hope you enjoy.

————

1. Silence is Golden. When you’re asked a question, don’t rush to answer. Think about what you’d like to say. There’s nothing wrong with taking a few seconds to think the question through. Some fear silence because they fear that interviewers would think them stupid. But there’s nothing more dumb than answering without thinking.

Eg. Interviewer asks – What are some negatives about Starbucks? What would you improve about Starbucks?

Interviewee responds – Ummm…umm….lo…cations.

Locations?

Yes, locations. There’s not enough…Starbucks in…the…city.

Ok…(awkward pause paired with look of confusion)

How are there not enough Starbucks in this city!? Quick mental map check and there’s 5 Starbucks I can think of within 5 km of the very Starbucks we were sitting in. Yikes! What a bad answer. All because he wanted to answer quickly.

1b. Fillers are the Enemy. This goes with the first rule. Don’t use ummm…well…uh…hmmm… DON’T EVER USE “UMMM”!!! It’s ugly. It’s a filler used by people to avoid silence because silence is uncomfortable. Get comfortable with silence and recognize that it’s useful in language and communication. Periods and commas exist for a reason.

2. Short and Sweet. In answering a question, be direct and on point. Answer the question, while also giving a little more detail. But if you talk too much, you’re just rambling.

3. Preparation, Preparation, Preparation. “Preparation is the key to success.” The questions are usually always the same. What are your qualifications? What are your weaknesses/strengths? What do you like about companyX? What don’t you like about companyX? Tell us about yourself. Describe a time where you led people effectively. Describe a time where you failed to accomplish a given task. The questions are almost always the same. So know them and have an answer for them. But remember rule 1. Don’t rush to answer. Conversation has a natural flow to it.

4. Be Authentic. Be you. It’s a professional environment, but you’re also a person. And so is the interviewer. Engage them on a level beyond the superficial. Your qualifications, or lack thereof, are written clearly on a piece of paper. You need to show them that you are more than just what is written in black ink.

5. Confidence is Key. Believe in yourself. Smile. Laugh and sing through the interview. Sit in a relaxed manner. Have a good time at the interview. Being uptight is unattractive and reeks of a lack of self-confidence. Going back to rule 3, practice and preparation will make you all the more confident.

6. Who Has the Power? This is probably the most important rule that I have to share. Who has the power? YOU DO!

So many times, the interviewee goes into the interview like a lamb led to slaughter. You are the sacrificial meat for the angered gods to devour. Have some self-respect and realize that you are a great candidate for the position you’re going after, and if the interviewer doesn’t feel that, then it’s their loss. You are a precious and valuable commodity. But don’t be arrogant and condescending. Because really, as much as you have the power, so does your interviewer. You share power, equally.

You are both in a shared dialogue and relationship. They’re not just interviewing you, but you’re interviewing them. Ask the interviewer questions. What are your concerns? What do you want more information about? As much as the company is trying to figure you out as a potential member of their family, you should be carefully considering if you want to be a part of this family. Take a good, hard look at the interviewer, because he/she is the first contact and first impression you have of the company.

You need to find out if the company is a good fit for you as much the other way around. If you and the company don’t fit, you’ll just end up hating what you do, and what good is life if you can’t enjoy it…

Which brings me to my final point about jobs and careers and life in general.

Do something you love… Do something you are passionate about…

Kill them with it…(Proverbs 25:22-23)

A little bit of it goes a long way…(anon)

It is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see…(Mark Twain)

It is the Dalai Lama’s religion….(Dalai Lama)

Today, I walked into my neighbourhood Wal-Mart to return an impulsive purchase. As I shuffled toward the Returns department, I tripped over a rise in a rug, more like a mountain. I caught myself, glared at the ground to see what I tripped over, sheepishly raised my head taking account of the witnesses, and then carried on my way.

But after two steps, I stopped, turned around, and fixed the bump in the rug. It took some maneuvering and a little bit of an awkward dance to shimmy the rug flat, but well worth it. Why? Because someone else with less than better balance (by the way, doesn’t “less than better” imply “good” because if it does, which I think it should, this phrase’s implication and meaning are opposite to each other), someone who doesn’t have enormous feet like I do, and leg muscles the size of watermelons, might not be able to survive the treacherous line in the Wal-Mart Returns department.

An hour later, I find myself at my favourite Starbucks, working feverishly (trolling the internet), when I notice my battery running low. I plug myself into the wall outlet. It’s quite low. There’s two outlets. I plug into the bottom one. Why? Because someone else who needs to squat or bend down to plug in, won’t have the added work of reaching under my plug.

Kindness is always a little bit more work. It’s opening your mind and heart up just a little bit, to the idea that other people matter just as much as you do, if not more. It’s making little sacrifices for your fellow person. And no one will ever know (unless you blog about it), but I believe that if you do the little things well, it will make all the difference in the world.

It’s the little things.

So today, I urge you, if you’ve read this, instead of judging the flatness of my current writing, instead of hunkering down at your computer and trolling the internet for the next funny thing, instead of all the important things you need to do for yourself, go find someone in this world, and show them a bit of kindness.

A valedictorian and a professor at Tyndale University College are publicly expressing outrage over an appearance by former U.S. president George W. Bush at the local Christian school next week.

Religion and politics are not good bedfellows. In fact, maybe we should give them separate bedrooms altogether. But lovesick for each other, they can never stay away from each other. (For any <18 readers, think Edward and Bella) (For any >18 readers who liked that reference, please quit reading my blog altogether).

Read the Toronto News Article here. Outrage spreads over Bush visit

George W. Bush is coming to Toronto, and more specifically, to Tyndale. The 43rd president of the United States! There’s been 44 of them in all history and one of them is coming to your school.

So what is the reaction? A “valued” employee resigns from her position, and the class valedictorian issues this statement,

“I really question how somebody like George W. Bush could be given a place of honour at a promotional event for a school that stands for peace and justice…I’m very disappointed in this conflict of values.”

A conflict of values? I guess we need to take a deeper look at their values. Click here for their full Statement of Faith

Tyndale University College & Seminary is a Christian institution of higher education standing in the Protestant Evangelical tradition. With all Christians East and West, North and South, we affirm the historic Apostles’ and Nicene creeds, and we affirm our spiritual kinship with all who seek to exalt and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are also rooted in the Protestant Reformation with its conviction concerning the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the normative authority of Scripture. In the tradition of the Evangelical awakenings, we proclaim the message of a personal faith in the crucified Christ and a transformed life through the Spirit. Born out of the world missionary movement of the 19th century, we continue to serve the global Church in all its cultural diversity. We embrace the biblical call to seek justice and peace and to serve the poor, the vulnerable, and the oppressed.

As I see it, yes, there is a conflict of values. Tyndale is an “inclusive” “university”(Insert piles of sarcasm wherever you see quotations). If you identify yourself as a Christian and you agree with their 7 core beliefs, you are welcome to be a part of their community. By this, I would argue that George W. Bush, regardless of my opinion of him, should be welcome to the school.

Oh wait, it doesn’t matter how you identify yourself. It matters how Tyndale identifies you. Inclusive? I think not. A group that decides whether you’re good enough to be a part of said group reeks of exclusivity. Hasn’t Lindsay Lohan’s Mean Girls taught us anything?

Being a “university”, this institution should pride itself on higher learning. The goal of university isn’t to find people of like-minded orientation and perpetuate small-mindedness. It is to expand one’s height, breadth, and depth of knowledge. I went to the University of Toronto, studying World Religions. Never had my Christian faith been so challenged, and even attacked. But the process was wonderful and it opened my mind to others’ views and beliefs, as well as re-affirming my convictions.

Tyndale has the opportunity to sit and listen to one of the most influential people of the 21st century. As a student, or a teacher I would be so excited to hear him talk. I’m thinking of auditing a course just to be a student at Tyndale (300 dollars to see Dubbya? I’ll just sneak in with my pastor friends who attend).

I agree with almost none of Bush’s decisions in foreign policy. The after-effects of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan are still being felt today, and will last for a long time yet. His attempt to right an American economy that was crumbling was a failure. Yes, sometimes his religious rhetoric was cringe-worthy. But I can’t help feel sorry for this man. Because I believe he did the best he could.

I am a pastor to 100 people. My network extends to about 500 people. I, in some way or another, directly or indirectly, have an impact on them. If I make a poor decision, people will be affected by it. The weight of that is overwhelming at times. How much more does the leader of a nation feel that pressure? I expect myself to do the best that I can, to strive for perfection. But perfection is a level that I am unable to attain. I rely on the love and grace of God and the love and grace of other people to cover those times when I’m less than perfect, less than great, less than good, when I’m downright wrong.

Love and grace, two essential ingredients to building community and to the Christian faith. Where is love and grace for George W. Bush? Yes, he made many mistakes during his term. Yes, we may hate what he did. Yes, we may ask, where is love and grace in any of George W. Bush’s actions? But in my amateurish understanding, (because I’m not a Tyndale grad, let alone valedictorian, nor a professor), I have come to understand that love and grace are unconditional. There is no condition that earns or erases how I should show love and grace.

But beyond that, this is an academic institution. How could you, on the platform of intellectual learning,  not be excited to hear this man speak? I would love to be in a room and hear Muammar Gaddafi speak. I would love hear from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I would love to hear from the Dalai Lama. I would love to hear from Jean Cretien, (slightly less interested in Stephen Harper). I might or might not agree with what they say, but this is an opportunity to learn!

And in that same vain, I’d love to be there when George W. Bush visits. Just imagine having the opportunity to ask him his opinion of his presidential term, whether or not he failed as a president, as a person, as a Christian. I could challenge his mindset, while also opening my own. And all this, done with respect, respect for a president, respect for another person, respect for a fellow Christian.

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What do you think?

(edit. September 15, 2011. The visit has been canceled.)