Community Development Archives - Page 3 of 6

After giving it some thought I have decided to begin steering my blog back to my personal life – and not just blog about technology stuff. I honestly haven’t come up with a great solution for blogging about my personal life, my thoughts, and generally what I’m doing and thinking about doing in the technology industry (like the post I wrote back in March on Technology Solutions for Nonprofit Organizations) versus raw technical topics that 3/4 of my friends & family would have no interest in (and hardly any understanding about).

So if you are one of those 3/4, I apologize.

As I am continuously working on ideas and plans for launching Barred Owl Web (Editing note: it used to be a different name) into a full-time venture that will provide web hosting and technical support to nonprofit organizations around the world, I do plan on blogging about pure, raw technical topics. But those will be on Barred Owl Web’ (edit: was Smooth Stone Services) website from now on (that website has recently been redesigned and upgraded with more features including an interactive forum & wiki as well as a blog for site administrators – like me).

I’ve had an interesting past few days, as well as an interesting few months. As many of my friends know, I am now officially in my last week of work at TechMission, the nonprofit organization I worked with as an AmeriCorps intern, for the past year. Next Wednesday, June 2nd, will be my last day. On Monday, June 14, I will begin a new internship with a freaking-awesome company called Acquia that provides Drupal services. I’m pumped.

In addition to my time at TechMission, I have worked hard on my own business plan and in building a stronger foundation for Barred Owl Web to eventually turn into my full time business / ministry. All of this time working has kept me busy to the point of not doing much else. Building your own business on top of working a full time job is hard! But this is what I plan on doing for at least the next year or two – and maybe longer.

But right now, I feel like I’m on a bunch of different rabbit trails. Here’s the main point of my blog tonight: I’m getting really excited for my future (whatever that is), but also have a lot of things on my mind. Just a few minutes ago, I set the following to be my Facebook status message:

I forgot how much of what encourages me: a) talking to old college friends on the phone; b) listening to Sleeping at Last (and other music – I don’t turn my stereo on much); c) Taking an evening to “chill” – do a bit of yard work, eat a good dinner, don’t have anywhere to go; or d) All of the Above. If you answered “D” then you win… well nothing. But it’s been a good night.

I have a friend getting married in under two weeks. For the first time in a long time, I cleaned my room yesterday. After being literally sick for about a month, I think I’m finally starting to feel better. And tonight – I took time to chill. Life is good.

Listening to Sleeping at Last a few minutes ago, their song Needle & Thread came on. I’ve never been one to pay attention to lyrics much, but a certain part of the song always sticks out to me whenever I listen to it: We are made of love.

I looked up the lyrics tonight, and they are beautiful. Here’s an excerpt:

That we are made of love,
And all the beauty stemming from it.
We are made of love,
And every fracture caused by the lack of it.

“You were a million years of work,”
Said God and His angels, with needle and thread.
They kissed your head and said,
“You’re a good kid and you make us proud.
So just give your best and the rest will come,
And we’ll see you soon.”

As I move on from TechMission to my next adventure at Acquia, I want to give my best in all I do. But more than that, I want to give my best in everything I do – building my own business, eventually doing “community development”, and even simply living life.

It’s the simple things in life – taking time to relax, read the Bible, do something physical, listen to good music, talk to old college roommates on the phone – that I don’t do nearly as often as I think I should. But, as Sleeping at Last mentions in another one of their songs, “You are meant for amazing things.”

Life is Short. Why waste it by staying too busy all the time?

Recently, talk show host Glenn Beck said that social justice is a “code word” for Communism and Nazism, and urged people to leave their churches if they teach social justice. Until this evening, I have not been following the news, controversy, or even my friends’ responses. But tonight, something caught my eye and I had to find out what was going on: Sojourners twitter feed said “Due to the overwhelming response, you may receive a message that Beck’s inbox has been filled. Please know we will get your letter through.”

After reading a few blog posts that Jim Wallis wrote, I decided to write Beck and letter as well to tell him that I am a “Social Justice Christian.”

(You can read another article, by Politics Daily, from here)

As many of you (my readers) know, I studied Community Development in college and am now currently an Americorps intern for TechMission, an organization committed to bringing social justice to the poor. Being “socially just” and working for holistic transformation is something that I am called to as a Christian. It is also something that I intend to pursue as a career.

In addition to my work life, I am currently living in a small, intentional community in the heart of Dorchester where we are seeking to build relationships with our neighbors and learn what it means to live in a urban poor community. My housemate, Ben, intends to spend years here. I have committed to being around for the next little while as well. Social justice is not just an 8-5, M-F job. It is a lifestyle.

My Letter to Glenn Beck:

Being just is when I help someone gain something that I have and they do not. But social justice means more to me than simply redistribution of wealth or power, or reforming America’s immigration system. Rather, social justice should be encapsulated by a holistic, transformative approach to helping the poor around the world. If I am not assisting the poor and living my life in relationship with such people, I am not living out the gospel.

The theme of Amos’ book, a minor prophet in the Old Testament, is consistent throughout: Because a nation took advantage of another people, rejected the law of the Lord, and denied justice to the oppressed, the offending nation was going to be severely punished. “They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed.” (Amos 2:7).

I believe that Bryant Myers gets is right when he writes in his book, Walking With the Poor, that “Poverty is a result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings.”

Myers goes on to argue that poverty (and I will insert, the need for social justice) is about relationships that are broken and that are not peaceful. One’s key relationships are with God, with oneself, with others, and with the environment. If I do not work for the healing of these relationships for those around me, I am not being just. If I am not being just, I am not living a life that will empower the poor to help themselves.

Being just is a Biblical mandate, and is my life’s calling that I will not back down from. So help me God.

A Blog by D.W.

Information Technology & IT Security, My Personal Views, Interesting Projects and Other Musings

Tag Archives: Community Development

We Are Made of Love: Getting Back to the Simple Things