PEACE HAPPINESS

We Gave It to Google*

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 06:07:00 +0000

Being sick is one thing. Being sick along with your wife and two daughters is another. Being sick along with your whole family in China is yet another. And that's exactly where we found ourselves last December. There was Ella with her 102 degree fever, Kayla barely unable to hold down even a sip of water, me passed out on the floor from near dehydration, and Katrina trying hard to care for the rest of us in between trips to the bathroom. I was lucky (or blessed) to have some friends take me to the hospital that night for an IV, and another friend who came over to help Katrina with the girls. (That friend's family got the same diabolical bug a few days later.)

I remember it all so clearly. I couldn't even stand to look at food for the next three days, and I could only tolerate the blandest of soup for a week. Kayla, who was seven months old at the time, couldn't eat solid food without vomiting for the next month.

What I wanted more than anything during that time was information. I wanted to know that my little girl would be okay, that she could continue to put on weight after her false start with solids. So we went online for answers. And then we went to the doctor. And then I prayed--just to cover my bases.

Now I believe in prayer. Not because prayer works according to my design, but because it works according to His--which means that I don't always get what I want when or how I want it. I believe in prayer because it forces me to acknowledge that His beautifully-crafted plan bends for no one--not even me. Maybe that's a paradox, but it's one that helps me to sleep at night.

And yet--as it was the bottom of the seventh with a man on third and an unpredictable pitcher on the mound--I called up the bullpen. The Internet made me no promises that our little Kayla would be okay. But that didn't matter because I was in the driver's seat. I was saving Kayla's life with a few taps on the touchpad.

Kayla's healthy now and happier with life than she's ever been. As it turns out, she didn't have some rare condition of the intestines that would have certainly forced us to leave China (one of the many diagnoses I stumbled across after hours of bleary-eyed browsing). And I still thank God for every day He gives us together as a family. Once the rain goes it's easier to see clearly--to see the perfection of every pitch. But somehow, in the present with all its unknowns, God is good, but God plus Google are even better.

Such is life in the Information Age. But what to say of that assurance of things hoped for?

*I was inspired to write after reading this article by a young mom wrestling with faith and doubt. In contrast to her devout parents, when faced with cancer, she writes, "They gave it to God; we gave it to Google."

Nothing Can Separate Us...

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:14:00 +0000

Dear friends,

Praise the LORD, o my soul,
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the LORD, o my soul,
and forget not all His benefits—
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Ps. 103:1-5)

We want to give you all an update on the past couple of months for our family so you can share in this part of our journey. The past couple of days have reminded us of God’s faithfulness to us, His creatures, but especially of the hope we have of life forever in the New Heavens and New Earth. Life as we know it now is sometimes not the way it’s supposed to be—which helps us to press on even more with the work of being light where there is none.

A few of you might remember the night we found out that Katrina was pregnant. We were in the middle of a Skype conversation with a few of you, trying to fix our computer, which had been broken for three weeks, and Katrina shared with me in the background the most surprising news of our first year in China. We were excited and overwhelmed at the same time, as we already had the two year plan down, complete with a family reunion in Thailand right about the time the baby was due. So we changed our plans. After a long process of figuring out where to have the baby, we decided to stay here in China (Beijing) provided that everything with the pregnancy was normal. Even though that means extra expenses related to pre-natal care and delivery, the benefits are continuous language study, relationship building, avoiding the expense of relocating our family to Australia for a few months, and being able to bring the baby “home” straight from the hospital. We want to do everything possible to bond our family to this place.

Some good friends of ours had a beautiful baby girl last month at the same Beijing hospital, and so we went to visit them and check it out. We were really happy with the place, and soon booked in an appointment to do our first ultrasound for yesterday (Friday). This was to coincide with the time my mom was visiting from the States so she too could see the hospital. That everything was happening in Chinese was encouraging as a test of language progress, but it made the whole morning a bit surreal. An hour after arriving at the hospital, the sonographer was looking at us and telling us what we already sensed—our baby had no heartbeat. She is with Jesus (Ella is still convinced that baby Shedd is a girl), and we are here in China thinking of how to tell our friends in a way that brings Him glory.

The first question that at least one close local friend asked us when we told her we were pregnant was, “Are you going to receive (i.e. keep) it?” Almost no one in China can conceive of a second child, much less a third, and almost every pregnancy test sold here comes with a business card for the nearest “family planning” clinic. Chirpy jingles fill the airwaves here telling women that they can come in one afternoon and be back to work the next day. A good friend even got an unsolicited text message on his phone today hawking cheap abortions. So in that sense, it’s hard to imagine our local friends actually grieving over the loss of baby number three. Bie nan guo. Don’t be sad. Ni hai you ji hui. You still have a chance (if you’re really that foolish). Pray with us that we might know how to love and be loved during this time. Pray that we can honor the short life of our baby in a way that sheds light on the beauty of every little one made in His image.

Thank you to all of you who are already praying—we appreciate all of you more than we can say in a mass e-mail. We will send out a proper newsletter soon with more details on our plans for the coming months. Be praying that He will guide us with His wisdom through the summer months and into the fall semester. One exciting thing coming up is an intense week of English corners and outreach at the end of this month here in our area. The original plan was for an English camp in north TJ, but due to H1N1 (swine) flu concerns, the host school cancelled the camp for this year. Instead we will hang out with students and kids on a more informal basis, in partnership with local brothers and sisters. What an amazing opportunity it will be to walk alongside them and those who will be coming to serve from the US. Please pray for protection, boldness, and grace to permeate these weeks.

An immediate prayer need is for Monday morning, 8:00 Beijing time, we will be returning to the hospital for a check up. At that time, if things haven’t progressed naturally, Katrina will need to have surgery. Pray for us to be trusting the Lord during this time. The girls will be looked after by my Mom back in Tianjin while we are away.

We would love to hear from you guys when you have time. Because of our recent computer problems, we have lost more than a few e-mail addresses. Please send us the updated addresses of anyone you know who might like to receive our updates but currently is not, as well as your updated contact info. You can get in touch with us any time on Skype (username: katrina2103).

Pray with us that we will not forget all His benefits during this time. His love really does endure forever, and we are resting in that promise.

Love,
Tyler, Katrina, Ella, and Kayla

So what's it like to travel with a two year old?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:09:00 +0000

Sometimes people ask us what it's like to travel with a baby. But to date, no one has ever asked me what it's like to travel with a two year old. Being two is that constant collision of curiosity and limitation which causes every kid Icarus to dither away precious moments writhing on the ground in confined anguish.

Which is exactly what my two year old was doing the other day on the flight home from Bangkok while waiting in line for the loo. That was until she discovered the one thing better than a tantrum--buttons. A few seconds of unadulterated joy later--plus one frantic phone call from the captain to the flight attendant nearby--the plane's emergency landing beacon was switched on and then back off. "It was just a kid," said the flight attendant to the pilot's relief.

Not just a kid. It was my kid.

Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler...

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:54:00 +0000

So yesterday I went to E-Mart with Ella. It's my favorite big box store in Tianjin, and here's why:

ME: Can these staples be used in this stapler [of the same brand]?

STATIONERY SALESMAN: No.

ME: Oh, so they're for the mini-stapler over here (pointing)?

SALESMAN: No. Those aren't staplers. Those are staple removers. [The picture on the box was of a mini-stapler].

ME: So do you have the right kind of staples for this stapler?

SALESMAN: No.

ME: Do you have a stapler that will take the staples you do sell?

SALESMAN: No.

ME: Will you have them in the future?

SALESMAN: No.

ME: No worries, thanks anyway!

A completely predictable conversation, but only if you live here. :-)

Solzhenitsyn

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:36:00 +0000

A great article in CT about biblical freedom. Good reading for both sides of the political spectrum, and a fine refutation of libertarian ideology from one of the great champions of classical liberalism.

The Smog Games?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:33:00 +0000

I can't wait til tomorrow. Some friends of ours are getting together to go watch the Americans beat Japan in soccer just down the road from here. The day after that some local friends are coming over to watch the opening ceremony.

My excitement, however, comes in spite of the valiant attempts of several Western media outlets to shower these Olympics with the worst kind of cynical reporting I have perhaps seen in my lifetime. Photographs of Beijing "smog" are broadcast daily across American televisions without one credit to those who have worked for 7 years to create dramatic improvements. Never are such photos accompanied by an actual scientific measure of pollution. Today's hit piece in the Guardian used the Chinese in-house index (which is reading safe but high at the moment)--the same index it has trashed as untrustworthy. It is clear that these media outlets care more about the health of pampered athletes living in China for a short time than they care about ordinary Chinese who breathe the very same air every day. Furthermore, reports of terror attacks in China are riddled with words like "alleged" and "claim." It is no surprise that the Chinese public accuses Western media outlets of falsifying evidence and doctoring photographs for sensational purposes. It certainly leaves me wondering and disappointed.

Despite all efforts to become a compassionate, internationalist society, the West still has a lot of snobbery to atone for.

The Flame

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:59:00 +0000

Today I was on a mission--to get a picture of the torch. I'll spare you the details of my quest save telling you that I left home at the unrighteous hour of 8:30am. And lo, the torch was long gone. But I did come away with a cool Beijing 2008 flag. Ella likes it, except that she can't say her "L's" and so she calls it a, well, you know.

Last night we were walking home, and seriously, there were about 10 busloads of college freshmen leaving campus to be in position along the relay route. Anything here that involves a TV camera is never ever spur-of-the-moment. Scripts and cues are rehearsed for hours, even days. I caught the end of today's celebration on TV and saw some old ladies doing some choreographed flag waving for what seemed like an hour. Their arms must have been tired. A few of them had stopped smiling.

For most, however, the mood is tentative excitement. At exactly 8:08:08pm on 08-08-08, the games will begin. Except of course for the preliminary soccer match between the USA and Japan that I'm attending the day before. Jia you mei guo! (加油美国!)

It's a fun time to ask people what they're really thinking about big issues, since there seems to be a lot of introspection going on these days. One world, one dream, say the signs. If only we could be taught to dream of the world the way it was supposed to be, and the way it will be again one day. Most of us have forgotten that we're the problem and not the solution. I guess you could call that the audacity of faith.

Passing the Baton

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:01:00 +0000

Last Thursday, while I was at work, Katrina and her mum took the girls to see their great auntie, Chris Manning. She turned 98 this year, and she was so excited to hold Kayla. Auntie Chris spent much of her life working for Jesus in the Congo/Zaire/Congo-again/Zaire-redux/Congo-we-mean-it-this-time. She faithfully prays for our family as we prepare to make a similar move overseas in less than three weeks.

Here is a photo from their visit:

On Saturday morning we received the news that Auntie Chris had gone to be with Jesus on Friday night. The funeral service is tomorrow, and all the Shedd girls will be in attendance.

"Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise." - Proverbs 31:31

Whose Freedom?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Everybody wants to be free.

Everybody wants to be free to do what he wants when he wants. But all military cliches aside, who is planning to foot the bill for my freedom?

I have spent the last half hour reading articles and Wikipedia on the so-called "network neutrality" debate that has raged off-and-on in all the respected halls of nerd-dom in America. If I understand correctly, this is a battle between Big Telecom (with quite a few Free Market cheerleaders) and Big Internet (with an assortment of Stand-Up-for-the-Little-Guy free-speech types). In case I'm not understanding this correctly, feel free to chime in below, (especially if your name is Katie and the Internet writes your paychecks and does your laundry.)

Big Internet is worried that Big Telecom is scheming to tamper with or even restrict web content that it doesn't like. Big Internet does not want to be forced to pay more money to Big Telecom for premium speed and quality of service. Big Internet, for the most part, then, wants the Internet to be "neutral," not biased in favor of those who can pay big bucks for premium access to consumers. Many consumer advocates and liberal bloggers agree. Big Telecom must not in any way restrict, interfere with, or inhibit web content.

Big Telecom, on the other hand, claims to have little interest in restricting web content for moral or political reasons, rather for economic ones. Some web content slows down the Internet for everyone and should therefore be restricted or charged accordingly. Big Telecom claims this is for the benefit of everyone in the long run, as it needs new sources of revenue in order to develop next-level technology which will theoretically result in a faster Internet. On a side note, Big Government is also interested in using the resources of Big Telecom to keep an eye on potential risks to homeland security. No wonder all the espressoholic bloggers are foaming at the mouth. (brb. my mug needs a refill)

To over-simplify a complicated and hopelessly boring subject even further, this seems to be a case of Free Speech vs. the Free Market. One side claims the freedom to shout "Fire!" across a crowded network, and the other side claims the freedom to make you pay for it.

Caught in the crossfire of this madness is the diminishing Christian Coalition of America--less visible since the glory days of Ralph Reed (before he went to work for Big Casino). They have repeatedly taken the side of Big Internet in this debate, and in so doing, have been caught holding hands with MoveOn.org. Consequently, according to an aide to the Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Free Market), they are "off the reservation." In other news, there's a rumor going around a few lesser known liberal websites that many Free Market advocates are "elitist."

So here's my cards on the table. I don't really care much who wins this debate. As much as I like the Internet (and I really do like it), I'm not sure I care if anything faster or more convenient comes along. After all, I still have my library card. I'm also not sure I care if AT&T wants to charge me extra to flirt with its "competitors" (who are its competitors precisely?)

I do care, however, that there are a lot of kids around the world who die every day of diarrhea. I'm not sure I remember the exact number. I'll just check Wikipedia.

Freedom is a funny thing. Sometimes it's not as free as it seems on TV. As C.S. Lewis once poignantly observed, human freedom will be permanently honored in only one place.--Hell.

Bean Bag Brawl

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:13:00 +0000

You've met Ella...

You've met Kayla...

But you've NEVER seen ANYTHING like THIS:

Still friends, but can you guess who got the victory?

To be continued...

Pray for China

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:30:00 +0000

The earthquake that struck Sichuan province at 2:30pm on Monday, May 12, will be remembered in China for decades. The casualty toll is in the tens of thousands and rising, and a high proportion of the dead are high school students. Unlike the Tangshan earthquake, which killed 240,000 (officially, unofficial estimates are as high as 650,000) in Hebei and Tianjin provinces in northern China in 1976--this disaster has unfolded on live television before the eyes of the world. For China, this is 9-11 without a scapegoat. This is another tsunami, but one that seemed to selectively target those with many promising years ahead.

Pancaked. That's how reporters have described classroom and apartment buildings in the quake zone. I used to teach 7th graders in an old building in Tianjin just like the ones that fell. I never gave much thought to the structural integrity of the place, even though the city memorial to the '76 quake that claimed 24,000 in Tianjin (pictured above, notice the soldier holding a small baby, presumably, orphaned by the quake) was mere metres down the road. I've spent the last couple of days remembering my students, and thanking God that they're safe. The epicenter was 1000 miles away from their classrooms. And still, even they, even I, feel like we've lost close friends, just by looking at those pictures.

Pray for China, and for the people of Sichuan, Chongqing, and Gansu provinces.

Pray that the local church, and the church across China will rise to the occasion--that they will care for the dying and comfort the living. That they will pour themselves out for those who have lost everything. Pray that the Wounded Healer will rise from the rubble.

More pics

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:07:00 +0000

Is this really a 3-day old baby in a towel? She loved her bath but loved the warm towel even more.

"What? Are you talking to me?"

Awwww.

New Family Photo

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:22:00 +0000

Welcome Kayla Marie Shedd

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:06:00 +0000

Kayla Marie, 9 lbs .3 oz., 51 cm, born May 6, 2008, 3:58 pm

Day 2:

In this last photo, Ella is starting to look a lot like her Mum! More photos of her to come...

Real Men for Jesus?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:46:00 +0000

A while back, I posted on the topic of being a man in today's evangelical church. It was a long and winding post that didn't arrive at a conclusion as much as it did a sentiment. My feeling at the time is that the neo-machismo crowd (from John Eldredge the mild to Mark Driscoll the fire-breather) is right (in some ways) on diagnosis, but dead wrong on cure.

A far more eloquent and reasoned piece of writing, with a clear point of view, can be found in this feature article by Brandon O'Brien in the current issue of Christianity Today. The crux of his concern can be found in this paragraph:

"My point is this: If Adam and Eve illustrate the essential differences between men and women, Christ highlights their essential unity. All believers are called to imitate Christ by exhibiting the same qualities; Paul makes no distinction between masculine and feminine fruits of the Spirit. In fact, the evidence of the Spirit's work looks very different from the qualities the masculinity movement suggests typify a 'real' man. Instead of 'brash, offensive' (Stine), 'self-reliant, competitive' (Murrow), 'punch-you-in-the-nose dudes' (Driscoll), Paul says that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit will be loving, patient, peaceful, kind, and gentle."

Men and women might have different ways of expressing these Christ-like traits. However, to argue that certain negative traits such as passivity, insecurity, or gooey niceness are bad for the Church because they are feminine is to say without saying that the female personna (and by extension, female discipleship) is second-rate and even dangerous. O'Brien makes the case that such negative traits are not bad for men because they are feminine, but because they are so unlike Jesus.

The sloppy cultural critiques of some feminists does not warrant and equally sloppy and ungodly response on the part of evangelical believers and leaders. In the day that the Suffering Servant returns to judge the living and the dead, there will be no prototypical male or female by whose standard we will be measured. Jesus--the incarnation of humanness in all its forms and features--will look only to Himself. And when He does, He will see one who both rules and serves, who both judges and extends grace, who speaks truth but does so with tender mercy, and who is the only standard for every man, woman, boy, and girl who has ever lived.

Two Posts For A Nickel (What a Deal!)

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:50:00 +0000

More food for thought for the long weekend...

Asian geo-politics have featured heavily in the news leading up to the Beijing Olympics. China is walking a fine line in Tibet trying to manage the "evil forces of the Dalai Lama death cult." (Ah, the melodrama.) This band of young enthusiasts seems bent on defying their own leader as well as the Chinese government by calling for de-facto independence and a boycott of the Olympics.

Predictably, a number of activist groups outside Tibet have been making similar demands. Actually, they have been doing so for years. The media is just beginning now to take notice.

Now imagine for a minute that you're a swimmer from Lebanon--a really good one. Your Mom and Dad have made big sacrifices so that you've had the best trainers from an early age. And now, your moment is finally here. You've survived moments of self-doubt, injury, political upheaval, and insurmountable debt. But on August 8, 2008, at 8:08pm, you're going to be in that parade. You've arrived, and your country is cheering you on.

Unless...you become collateral damage.

Why is it that in our striving to uphold righteous causes and accomplish dreams we humans are so quick to quash the dreams of another?

In other words, why is my ambition better than yours?

It might seem obvious to some that winning political freedom for an oppressed people is more important than winning a gold medal. But I will go on the record by saying I'm not so sure. I would be more sure if I knew that punching a ballot card made me more fully human than the next guy. I would be more sure if I believed that human rights were conferred upon us all by the benevolent hands of government. I would be more sure if this life was all there is.

Somewhere in the midst of trying to love people on the other side of the television screen, we forgot what it feels like to love people. A wise man once wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Can't I just hold up a placard? Can't I just write a cheque? Can't I just buy all the right things from all the right sellers? Isn't that enough? To assuage guilt, yes. To love, no.

Real love does not shrug its shoulders when a Chinese peasant is turned out to beg because her employer has lost a lucrative contract exporting goods to the West.

Real love is on the ground giving real answers and real hope to people who have none. Real love costs more than a few cents a day.

Real love changes everything.

(The original title of this post was "Boycotts Are Dumb." I stand by that assertion.)

And it was a Good Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:14:00 +0000

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven..."

Through the suffering, humiliation, torture, and death of Jesus, we have been reconciled to God. This is my hope that even though I don't see Him yet, I know I'm ready to. I know that at any moment, I will see Him and not be destroyed. Not even the Patriarchs had that kind of confidence.

That's because they lived on the other side of Good Friday.

Yesterday after church I sat down to read the paper. I opened up to page 2 and saw that a prominent minister in our denomination called for the Good Friday public holiday here in Australia to be replaced with a National Reconciliation Day in honour of the Australian Aboriginal communities. Reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australia is a crucial goal politically, ethically, and spiritually for the health of the nation. It's importance was brought to the forefront by the Prime Minister in February on the now famous "Sorry Day."

But is reconciliation possible without Good Friday?

Can the noble goal of this minister, Mr. Rudd, and countless others be realized without the cross? It might seem odd that one act of brutal vigilantism a couple of millenia ago has something to do with similar injustice today. But if I understand the passage above, only the horrific beauty of the cross has the power to reconcile the murderers--all of us--to our Creator. And then in turn, those who are now free to see God are also free to embrace their neighbours for no other reason than that they resemble Him.

Yes, Good Friday is reconciliation day. But not because we said so.

A Few More Shots

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:46:00 +0000

Two Shedd's and Harrod's Department Store, London (lit in the background).

Papparazzi catch Ella on her morning stroll through Hyde Park, London.

Aberdeen, Scotland, near the breakwaters. Ella is happy not to be in the car, or wearing a hat.

I will try to put some video on You Tube as well soon.

In London

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:35:00 +0000

Here are a few highlight photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Mum and Ella on the city walls of London, Tower Bridge in the background.

Dad, Ella, and horse near Buckingham Palace (in background).

Mum, Ella and "Di" at the British Museum.

Katrina ordering a pizza.

Feeding the birds, checking the map at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Ella, world traveler and cuisine specialist.

More to come next week!

Love,

the sheddz

Ella is One!

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:41:00 +0000

Today, Ella Grace turned one. She celebrated by spending a full two hours in the church nursery this morning (an extra special treat now that she is walking and can get to the toys with great quickness). Next she came over the grandparents' house to enjoy a special meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, okra, and green bean casserole. ("comfort food") She loved them all. I've never seen her inhale a meal so quickly. She was ready for round 2 of the same later in the evening. In the meantime, she opened presents, hoovered her (green) Dora the Explorer birthday cake, and took a walk around the neighborhood with Mum, Auntie Katie and Auntie Sarah (she is watching her figure, of course).

Watching Ella get older is a fun job to have for lots of reasons. For starters, we can all see that she will be a great big sister come next May. She is so affectionate with her soft toys (even her clothes) and all of us! We wait with anticipation for her toddle in our general direction and throw her arms around our knees (accompanied by her trademark squeal). I'm sure that Mom or Katrina will have pics up soon on their sites.

Hard to believe that in six weeks we will be leaving for London, and in 8 weeks we'll almost be back in Australia. But despite the busyness, we are enjoying our time in Louisville. We will miss our family, friends, church, and even my job at Starbucks. I can't say I'll miss study deadlines, at least for a little while. Hopefully, I'll get back to blogging more regularly in a few weeks so you can keep up with our comings and goings.

Peace,
t shedd

Jesus and Health Care

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:00:00 +0000

Have I ever told you what it's like to have a baby in Australia? (*in the case that you are reading this in Australia, skip forward a couple of paragraphs.)

For starters, it's free. The government covers all the cost of pregnancy as long as you choose a public hospital for all your pre-natal appointments and delivery. We opted for what they call "shared care" which is where the expectant mother goes to her own doctor for all but two appointments and pays anywhere from $10 to $20 per visit. But the delivery was free and uncomplicated.

But wait, there's more.

The government in Australia has decided that due to a declining birth rate (especially among Caucasians) to do two things: 1) pay each couple $4000 per child born in Australia without regard to financial need, and 2) boost immigration by skilled workers from overseas (who also tend to have more children per capita).

But wait, there's more.

Not only did we have a practically free pregnancy and delivery and have $4000 deposited in the bank upon record of Ella's birth, we also continued to receive from the government nearly $350 every two weeks until we left Australia--a gesture from the government to promote financial stability among "new families."

We Americans tend to wonder how they manage to afford all this generosity. Australia is a country of only 20 million people whose standard of living compares with the most affluent countries in the world. One major difference, however, is that the wealthiest Australians are required to subsidize the poorest at levels that even some political liberals in the U.S. would consider scandalous. So we have Rupert Murdoch, James Packer, and others to thank for the financial blessing that flows freely from the state to us mere mortals.

What's truly amazing is that in spite of all this, the birth rate in Australia, like in much of Europe, is still declining. This phenomenon has been the subject of many books and articles meant to make us aware and even afraid. Europe will be a Muslim continent in our lifetime, or so they say. Even nominal Christians will be a minority of the population in Australia and Canada. And dutifully, many in the Church have taken the bait and given into fear.

And that tells us something else significant. There is an apalling lack of understanding of the mission of God in Christendom. That's the best case scenario. Worst case is that so-called Christians understand the mission, but they simply don't care. They just don't want to have noisy neighbors, pay high taxes, or (understandably) live under sharia law.

Let's return to free health care for a minute. Most conservative Protestants in Amreica find the idea unthinkable. "Hillary-care," "socialized medicine," "Marxism at its worst"--these are some of the epithets directed at the ideas of those who feel that the government must act in the face of astronomical health care costs and a growing population of uninsured citizens. J.P. Moreland, a well-respected evangelical ethics professor at Biola University in Southern California, has just blogged that Jesus would not have supported free health care--

"Jesus was angered at moral teaching that emphasized outward conformity to rules without moral action flowing from a heart of compassion and virtue, even if such conformity produced good results. Now the state cannot show compassion in the arena of economic justice, because a necessary condition for compassion is that it is freely given and not coerced. The state forces people to conform to rules. It takes their money and gives it to others."

I have no problem with any of the premises stated here, they are all elementary and verifiably accurate. But what about the inferred conclusion? Jesus was angry at the religious leaders of his day for teaching that outward conformity was good enough while ignoring inward transformation. At no time, however, did he ever praise or criticize Rome for their system of laws--just or unjust. Moreland has drawn a conclusion--that Jesus would not support state-sponsored health care (and presumably, He is against it)--based on His contextualized criticism of the Pharisees. But if, according to Moreland, the State should not be held to the standard of active compassion given to the Church, then why should we expect it to freely limit its own coercive powers based on Jesus' criticism of a group of ancient Jewish priests?

The State throughout history has often reserved the right to discriminate between or against certain groups of people based on a perceived common good. The question has always surrounded how to define the common good. Some have understood coerced compassion to meet the criteria of common good. Others have understood an unregulated market in the same light. Usually, it depends on the culture and historical circumstances of the given society.

Universal health care is an idea that emerged out of a shattered post-war, post-Christian Europe before spreading throughout Christendom. In fact, societies with relatively little Christian history or influence have not successfully implemented such nationwide charity. China, for example, tried universal health care as it seemed to fit with their pro-poor and big-government agenda. Nearly 60 years later, the poor in China today remain some of the most desperate and disconnected in all the world. There is no insurance for well over 90 percent of the country's 1.3 billion people. Those that can manage to afford hospitalization and prescription drugs are often faced with unhygenic facilities and shocking levels of corruption. While the State is beginning to pay attention to the crisis (due in large part to growing public outcries among the poor), China is a long way from having a "compassionate" society. And perhaps, free health care may once again be perceived as a common good. But with its titanic population and growing materialism among the rich, that's less than unlikely.

Now without asking the presumptious and often irreverent question as to what Jesus would or wouldn't say to the Chinese government, let me just ask you a simple question. Where would you rather give birth? China or Australia? I'm sure if Dr. Moreland were forced to decide, his answer would be the same as yours.

Yesterday, Dr. Mohler, the president of Southern Seminary where I attend, added his voice to the growing concern over declining birth rates in Christendom. His conclusion (which I agree with), is that the birth rate decline reflects a world-view demise. In other words, the less Christian a society becomes, the more likely it is that the affluent will pursue their own self-interest as opposed to procreating. (I have blogged previously about the moral issues surrounding having large families).

All of this begs the question as to what the Church and Christians as individuals are supposed to do about the problem. In Europe, Canada, and Australia, the government (not the Church) has taken the initiative to subsidize child bearing and child rearing. Parents have certainly beneifited, but birth rates continue to decline. A news story yesterday reported a Russian village declaring a "procreation" holiday for all married couples in order to bolster Russia's population (currently in free-fall). Americans--while easily scared by the prospect of being outnumbered by recent (read: non-WASPy) immigrants--have done next to nothing to address the social realities which have produced the trend. Free health care for kids and realistic maternity and paternity leave for parents are often laughed off by American conservatives as creating a welfare state. Clearly, the European experience suggests that a government-only approach is not sufficient to increase birth rates. But then again, what exactly has the Church done except preach to the choir?

It is high time for a wholesale reformulation of the mission of God in America. Scholars like Moreland and Mohler have been good at diagnosing problems (coercion does not create compassion or justice, birth rates are declining due to selfishness, etc.), but have offered few solutions. And we wonder why indifference is the common response in the pew and in the polling booth.

True Christian compassion can and must thrive with or without a mandate from the State. When communities are full of new immigrants who know nothing of Jesus and His love, our first response should be to go to them. When we read of birth rates falling, we can pray that our own families will be living testimony of the love that God has for His children. And we must do everything in our power to ensure that our communities are places where children are welcomed and cared for. And yes, that may include political advocacy and financial sacrifice (even government coercion). We live in a fallen world, and sometimes the beautiful ends must justify the painful means. Christians owe it to the communities where they live and take up space to adopt such a posture of love toward their neighbors. More than bemoaning secularization and societal ills, we must address them head on with simple acts of kindness and God-given discernment.

Ideology must and will give way to love.

Are You Bored with the Beatitudes?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:55:00 +0000

I was recently challenged reading an article by Mark Galli in Christianity Today. He questions people like me who like to talk about cultural or world transfomation instead of doing the simple acts of service and suffering that Jesus called us to. He writes:

"I remain puzzled as to why we're so bored with the very things Jesus asks us to do, like picking that foreigner up out of the ditch, giving away our goods to the poor, going to court with a young man who's being railroaded by the system, taking an orphan into our home, going the extra mile with the oppressive and manipulative, forgiving the offender, baptizing, and witnessing. I find these things really, really hard to do. I fail all the time. If I can't even do these things well, why would I believe that I could transform my culture, let alone change the world?"

Somehow I think that missions (or being "missional" --a recent evangelical buzzword) has fallen prey to this kind of promising more than it can deliver (humanly speaking). To be missional is to change the world, right? I was challenged to re-examine the opening words of Jesus' first sermon:

"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Notice that the results of all these things (meekness, peacemaking, humility, showing mercy, suffering persecution, etc.) are God-intiated. Those who try to make peace don't change the world as we know it. They get trodden on. Then God gives them a new name. Those who hunger for righteousness don't often make the headlines. Instead, they are more often ridiculed, even by fellow believers. Then they are satisfied--not by the world, but by the bread and the wine. Jesus' first followers knew these things well. They learned them by suffering more than success. They graduated from the school of sorrow, not celebration.

Signing up for the mission of God in the world is not an option for anyone. The draft card has arrived in the mail and Canada is not an option. God has sent us out to do the work of the kingdom--the dirty, painful, thankless, exhilerating work of the kingdom. And one day (only God knows when), it will be complete. The world and all its creatures will be changed in a flash. And when the credits roll, even the meadowgrass will be standing in awe of the one Name that appears in the midst of all the glory.

Osama Loves Brian McLaren?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:57:00 +0000

I don't think I've ever written a post specifically related to the "emerging" church movement/conversation. There is so much out there on the Internet about it by people more knowledgeable than me. But this article by Frank Pastore (i.e. pot-stirrer extraordinaire) has not surprisingly hit a button with me.

Read it and you will see the deepest flaws of hyper-politicized conservative Christianity in America in bright colors. Read it and you will understand why some Muslims refuse to acknowledge a distinction between the way of Jesus and the American way. Read it and remember that for some, even in America, the Crusader mentality is alive and well. Read it and pray for those Christians who will surely be persecuted in the Muslim world as a result.

The ruffled feathers of emerging church afficionados are the least of my concerns. And they will surely respond with lengthy blog entries. But realize that for Pastore, the "emerging church" is just a convenient face for all things "liberal," which must mean all those who do not worship at the blood-stained altar of the American dream.

To All the Would-Be Saviors

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 12:15:00 +0000

Joel Wickre, of the Blood-Water Mission has an incredible article about mission in Christianity Today. He reminds us that "going to them" can sometimes have unintended effects like creating dependency among the "served" and a savior complex among the "servants." He reminds us, as does the Scripture, that we are all equals in Christ. The wealth divide is really an illusion that shadows what it means to be human. But when the "haves" meet the "have-nots," that sort of worldview seems to be lost in translation.

Forgive us, God, for only going because we are "needed" and not because we are called.

Why Didn't I Think Of That?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:10:00 +0000

So maybe whining does get you places after all.

This just in. Sprint-Nextel has decided to drop 1200 cell phone customers for excessive complaining to their customer care line. These dropped customers allegedly called the hotline 40-50 times a month to complain. They now have one month to find a new provider, and they will not have to pay a contract termination fee.

What??!!!!????

Can I share with you that I called Sprint once asking them to waive a contract termination fee when I moved to China. What do I have to show for it? An empty promise and a big ugly stain on my credit report. And a lot of bad memories of cheer-less collection agents calling my parents' house at all hours.

If only I would have known how to make them back down.

Is that the sound of a squeaky wheel I hear? Or make that 300 million squeaky wheels. It couldn't happen to a more deserving industry. The airlines are next.