Pictures from Portugal

Thanksgiving with Bono

Happy Thanksgiving friends and family!

As I sat in the kitchen drinking a glass of red wine and eating a plate of rice topped garbanzo beans and red sauce, I thought of my family. As U2 filled the air with their beautiful lyrics, I could not help but think about what my family was doing at the moment. Most likely, they are eating some delicious food and enjoying conversation with a football game being shown on T.V. in the living room.

Although my heart would love to be with them, there is something good about being alone. Many times our absence from family and friends helps us to see how deeply we love them. I know this it true for me.

When You Look at the World
U2

When you look at the world
What is it that you see
People find all kinds of things
That bring them to their knees

I see an expression
So clear and so true
That changes the atmosphere
When you walk to the room

So I try to be like you
Try to feel it like you do
But without you its no use
I cant see what you see
When I look at the world

When the night is someone elses
And youre trying to get some sleep
When your thoughts are too expensive
To ever want to keep

When theres all kinds of chaos
And everyone is walking lame
You dont even blink now do you
Dont even look away

So I try to be like you
Try to feel it like you do
But without you its no use
I cant see what you see
When I look at the world

I cant wait any longer
I cant wait til Im stronger
Cant wait any longer
To see what you see
When I look at the world

Im in the waiting room
I cant see for the smoke
I think of you and your holy book
When the rest of us choke

Tell me tell me
What do you see
Tell me tell me
Whats wrong with me

on the move

Lisboa, Portugal


It is about time to get out of town. My friend invited me to go with him to Portugal, at first I was hesitant for that would involve me missing three days of class. He was coming over to hear my answer and I had decided to tell him “no”, but as he entered the apartment, something in me changed. In a little over thirty seconds I had changed my mind and agreed to go. Not only am I going to go to Portugal, I am going to take four days to get there and visit a few cities along the way.

My roommates have been giving me a hard time because every time they ask me what I am doing, I have a new plan or no plan at all. At the moment, my plan is as followed;

Thursday: wake up around 8am and take a bus to Madrid. From there, I am going to take another bus west. I am not sure where, but things tend to work out.

Friday- Saturday: ?
Sunday: meet Pier in Lisboa
Sunday-Friday: ?
Saturday: Return to Zaragoza

Life in Spain.

Things are going well, I have been spending a lot of time reading and indeed enjoying that, however, I might be over doing it. Example, one of my friends wanted me to read a book called “God in the State” by Michael Bakunin. For some reason I did not start reading it until Saturday afternoon. My friend wanted me to read it because we have been having some interesting conversation about life/faith/ world view and he told me that this was a book that brought all his thoughts together. The book is red with a picture of the late Mr. Bakunin sporting a wiry beard and a quasi cray look in his eye. As I read the back trying to get a feel for the book, the description said, “God and the State has been a basic anarchist and radical document for generations. It is one of the clearest statements of the anarchist philosophy of history: religion by its nature is an impoverishment, enslavement, and annihilation of humanity. It is a weapon of the state.” You could see why I have been putting off reading such a book (not what you would call a pick-me-up). But, I want to understand what he thinks and this is indeed important to him.

After about two hours of reading and taking notes, I had to call a friend of mine (Jason Jackson), the book was wearing my little brain out. I still have about half of the book to go and I will indeed finish it, but not until I get back. I know that there are a lot of people that generally avoid books like this as if it is the plague (and I can understand that), but that is not ok with me, I want to learn how to think, how to process information, but this is hard when you grow up in the world of consumerism. We tend to take in information like cows, we listen accept and move on. However, problems arise when you hear or read things that are in conflict with one another.

So, there are two ways (maybe more) to go from here. One, filter your information and only listen to things that you agree with or two, learn to think. There is great value in the ability to sort through information with the hope of coming to a more full understanding. This is where I find myself, its not easy, but I don’t want ease.

I think critics get a bad wrap. The word critical, mean to take a careful or examined look at something, from politics to religion this idea is of utmost importance. Ok, that is enough ranting for me, but I guess that is what this whole blog thing is all about.

Fresh Air

Overwhelming feelings of thankfulness flowed through my body as I sat on my window seal. As I shut my eyes and took in the some fresh air, I exhaled gratitude for my friends, family and for yet another day in Spain.

One of my main worries in coming to Spain was finding community. However, my definition of community two months ago is much different than it is now. The first month I struggled with the fact that there were few Christians here. There was a feeling of "me against the world", Colby had to be strong and be a light into the darkness. As time moves forth I don't see it like that way, the reality is we are all people and we are trying to make since of the world around us and we are all in different places and canl indeed learn from oneanother.

A few of my friends sent me a few books this week, one of the is called "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren and so much of its content finds a place in much of what I have been feeling on a level that is almost scary.

On faith and others
"Instead of saying 'Hey, they're wrong and we're right, so follow u,s" I think we say, 'Here's what I've found. Here's what Ive experienced. Here's what makes since to me. I'll be glad to share it with you, if you're interested.'

Instead of conquest, instead of a coercive rational argument or an emotional intimidating sales pitch or an imposing crusade or an aggressive debate contest where we hope to 'win' them to Christ, I think of it like a dance. You know, in a dance nobody wins and nobody loses. Both parties listen to the music and try to move with it. In this case, I hear the music of the gospel, and my friend doesn't, so I try to help him hear it a move with it. And like a dance, I have to ask if the other person wants to participate. There's a term for pulling someone who doesn't want to dance: assault."

If there is one thing that I have learned about my friends here it is that they know authenticity. There have been times when I have made conversations so uncomfortable because I try to force the topic into a place that it was not naturally going. In reality, I think it was uncomfortable for me and just silly for them.

Most Europeans have had their fair share of Religion, and we have seem how counter productive it was to force it upon others, for we are still reaping to bad fruit of such an approach. I have meet people in South America, Europe and in the U.S who cannot see the beaureligiousrist because of religios people who would rather judge you and send you away than to embrace you. Was it not Jesus who said, "They will know you are my desciple by your love"? I think we have blown it and repentance is in order, for I am guilty. I have has my fill of guilt ridden spirituality damn it, I want freedom! And I have a sneaking suspicion that this is a common denominator within everyone.

Back to Community

The reality of my situation it this; my community at this point in my life is comprisoned of two wonderful French girls (Amelie and Claire) and a kind spirited German guy (Ole). Furthermore, I have friends from all over Europe who have experienced life in a way that is very different. I would do well to shut up, ask questions and listen. This is my community for this season of my life and I believe that the Father is in the middle of it all.