hens in the hotspot
Nearly a month and a half ago, Saheeb and Schirlyn of the DigIt! Program said goodbye to their small flock of egg-laying hens. According to a city ordinance, the hens had to go or DigIt would be facing a hefty fine. The DigIt! Program employs and trains city youth in urban agriculture, healthy lifestyles, and [...]
love your neighbor
I recently read Randy White’s inspiring and thought-provoking book Journey to the Center of the City. Here are some spin-off thoughts from my reading of the book: 1. Love of neighbor is stimulated by relational involvement. 2. Love of neighbor leads to identifying needs in a neighborhood and identifying pre-existing resources in the neighborhood to [...]
gentrification in philly
There have been some worrisome connections between anti-gentrification activism and recent illegal arrests in Philly. Read some of the scoop here and here
economic stimulus act (part 2)
Ariah Fine over at Following Jesus posted some good stuff on Jesus Manifesto about the rebate checks we’ll be getting in the mail soon. His observations and creative suggestions strike a chord with me. From his article… What an amazing opportunity to take make a statement flipping a value system on it’s head. The money [...]
defining “christian”
The other day I asked my 10 year old neighbor kid this question: “If someone asked you what a christian is, how would you describe a “christian?” In his hands he held a T-rated Nintendo DS war game. He answered, “Well, somebody who asks forgiveness for their sins every day – ‘cuz we all sin [...]
sheep in unlikely places
My neighbor girl up the street shuffles my deck a bit. Not even sixteen, she has displayed a compassion for the widow, fatherless, poor, and sick that is nothing short of life-giving. At an age when neighborhood who’s who should reign supreme, she steps into the home of the most marginalized and despised family on [...]
new trends in criminal justice
Sheriffs Train in ‘Restorative Justice’ Justice Without Jail Thursday, November 1, 2007 By Nick Welsh Santa Barbara Independent Nine deputies with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department underwent four days of intensive training in “restorative justice,” an alternative to the traditional “catch ’em, bail ’em, and jail ’em” approach to criminal justice. The training — led by [...]
barefoot revolution
After a week like this, there’s not a proverbial shadow of a doubt in my mind that there is a world groaning to see the children of God. The dehumanized, oppressed, and hopeless are looking for a revolution of hope. I went to Sammy’s house on Tuesday, but it’s not his house any more. His [...]
long live the freegans
Long live these freegans who introduce to us a new way to celebrate our surplus…
introductions: the hope of weakness and glory
My friend Matt is about to witness the birth of his firstborn son. The other day, he expressed the hope that he’s got wrapped up in that little bundle. (Best wishes, Matt. I love you man). To be sure, little Kysir is a beautiful mix of weakness and glory. Hope is like that. Born of [...]