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    ,,    		 The Power of the “Un”

    Playing For Blood

    One of my favorite movies of all time is “Tombstone” with Kurt Russell & Val Kilmer.  Recently I was watching the movie again and a particular scene struck me very differently than any of the other 100 times I’ve seen it.  It’s the scene where Doc Holiday meets up with a rival by the name of Johnny Ringo on the streets of Tombstone in a tense standoff.  Ringo had just challenged Wyatt Earp to a duel, which he called playing for blood.  As Earp walks away Holiday steps forward to accept the challenge saying, “I’m your huckleberry”.  That’s when the comparison hit me; many of the court involved youth we are working with are answering that same challenge today, they’re playing for blood and if you have ever wondered why? Well, simply put it gives many inner-city young men & women meaning.  These foot soldiers in the war on drugs have found the same kind of bonding experience many traditional combat veterans feel, running & gunning across neighborhoods, fighting with gangs and the police. 

    This lifestyle manifests a camaraderie no classroom, sports team or typical job could match.  But what is missing in this street life is true friendship; you see many of these young men are more likely to take a bullet for their buddy than discover each other’s dreams and fears, or their own for that matter.  They may be together for years, in and out of jail, drunk, high and straight, fighting side by side for money, or women, or whatever they mean by respect, without ever really understanding what makes each of them uniquely precious.  It isn’t just the boys on the corner, either.  It is the girls who flock to them, too, and their babies, and all the others who get caught up in the madness they make out there.  No matter how long they live that life together; in the end they are always alone.  Here awaits the great tragedy, people living the street life believe those they run with will ride & die for them, but at the moment of truth a horrible reality is revealed, a cruel joke in which they are the punch line, the sudden realization that they are alone in the deepest, darkest sense of the word. 

    But there is real hope and it doesn’t have to come from any brilliant theologian or politician, it can start with you.  Our motto: It’s less about what we Do and more about what we Undo, is where we believe Christ has called us, just being a friend, a mentor, a tour guide who can help someone navigate the system is where we believe hope & healing starts, stay tuned… 

    If They Could See Me Now..(jazz hands)..That Old Gang of Mine

    I want to share a few observations about last night’s activities at Nicholas.  As with previous arrivals, the boys trickled out of the buildings to meet with the group, at first no one wants to appear too excited to see us.  Then one or two break away from the pack in an all out run, this triggers the remainder to hurry over and welcome our group back.  After a few minutes of conversation it’s time to play and whether it’s softball, football, basketball or like last night volleyball, the boys are ready to expend some energy.  But I heard several say to a couple of the new youth, these guys are “For real” or point to one of the men in the group and say, “If you saw him play last time you’d know he’s got skills”.   They believe in our authenticity because of shared experiences and by doing this we have broken through the barrier of expectation.  Our group stands out in their minds, not because of what we are doing, but what we have undone.   

    As the volleyball game ended and everyone made their way over to the picnic tables to sit down, I heard "D" talking to one of the new youth, he said, “Didn’t I tell you this was bang’n”?  The boy obviously wasn’t following what "D" was referring to and replied, “What is”?  "D" looked at him with that big contagious smile, his head tilted to the side, spinning his arm over his head like a helicopter and simply said, “All of this”. These boys are talking with each other long after our group leaves.  The fact they are willing to associate themselves with our group with their peers no less, is an indicator of how much they trust & value our interaction in their lives.   

    Of course my favorite part of the evening was sitting in the circle listening to Ron & Rob as they got the boys to talk very openly about faith and purpose.  One of Ron’s questions began a series of questions/discussions about the Trinity.  As many of youth were talking about how God came to earth as a man, one of the youth said while gesturing to our group, “You could be Jesus”.  While his statement seems elementary and uninformed to us, I couldn’t help but feel Christ must get the kind of joy that only a Father listening to his small children can.  As we fumble with concepts far beyond our understanding, He lovingly encourages us to continue to search His word for the answers. As John & I were putting the wheels on the Victory Project, this is exactly what we had in mind.  Our group may be the closest some of the boys have ever come to Christ.  We are encouraged, inspired & humbled by this idea.  A huge thank you goes out to everyone in our small group, especially Ron & Debbie.  They have been a driving force behind this ministry. 

    Step Outside Your Comfort Zone...and Keep On Going

    A few months ago the Victory Project was invited to engage youth at a local juvenile rehab facility.  We were asked to share in life-coaching, recreation activities and Bible study.  I was blown away, what an awesome opportunity to show Christ to these young men, in real & tangible ways.  So we recruited a mature (in the Biblical sense), active couple’s group to take on the challenge and they jumped at the chance.  OK, let me stop right here.  I was going to just pound out my prospective on this keyboard but have something much better, a firsthand account of how God can take a common group of people and make an uncommon impact.  The following is an email from Anne Haye:  

    I have to be honest… going to NRTC last night was pretty close to the last thing I “felt” like doing.  I had a headache; my muscles ached, recovering from being gone for 4 days, tired, etc. and I just wanted to hang out at home.  But I went and my attitude changed quickly.  When we got there, our group was hanging out by the cars, and within minutes the kids came outside… like bees on honey.  The sight of ALL of the boys coming out at one time displayed their enthusiasm… not to play softball.  But to be with us!  It really touched me.  I quietly observed this taking place, they got in the vans and we followed them to the softball fields.  There wasn’t any questioning as to why we are leaving, where we are going, who are these people…. It was so obvious that this was an opportunity they have been looking forward to for some time!  They knew when we were coming and what was going on and could hardly wait to get in the van to get the evening started.The softball game was definitely entertaining....Sitting on the bench, you get quite a perspective.  I need to share one in particular, because of the way it ended.  Since I don’t work there, with those boys all the time, it is easy for me to see what went wrong.  I know my view is limited and probably wrong, but I will give it from my view anyway.  One leader was a little controlling, and was telling someone to go get the ball, that was thrown over first base (the leader was on first base).  The boy said something.  All of a sudden, the leader is telling him to watch his mouth, to run a lap, to be quiet, etc. Actually going off on him.  Another leader, sitting next to us on the bench tried to intervene and get the other leader to calm down, and he was going to deal with the boy.  Well, this guy couldn’t let it go.  Just when I thought it was over, he would say something else to the boy.  Anyway, the boy lost control, and was pretty mad.  I didn’t hear him say anything rude, except he was feeling frustrated that this leader was trying to make him mad, so he was questioning his actions.  Long story short, it ended.  The game went on without further incident.    We got back to the sight, and brought out cookies, brownies and some other goodies, along with bottled water.  They ate as if they had never eaten!  Teen boys like to eat!  We sat around the bonfire area, and started to talk.  I missed some of it, but when I got back, they were answering the question asked of them last time…”Why do you think we are here?”  One guy, Jacob, said, “because you want to show us a different way to go, to direct us to change our ways.”  Another guy said, “to help us out”.  Before we ended this discussion, Rob asked if there was anything anyone wanted to add.  This boy, I mentioned earlier, said, “I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier.  I just had a bad moment and I am sorry for acting that way.”  I could have hugged him!  He had his head held down, and you could see he truly was sorry for acting that way.  When in reality, don’t we all, at some point in our lives act that way?  Don’t we all do things, or say things, that we wish we could take back?  Don’t we all lose control at some time?  I said, “thanks for saying that, but know you are not alone. “  It was really amazing to see this guy, who is cool, humble himself and apologize.  Plus, there was no one around to “force” him to say it.  They are reminded sometimes to say, “thanks”, and “please”, etc.  But no one told him to say that- and even if they did, You could see the sincerity in his demeanor.  While we were hanging out and cleaning up, the boys asked us several times, “when are you coming back?”   To be wanted, to be needed, to be pursued, to be desired… that is what they make you feel!  But more than that, and more importantly- that is what we make them feel!  To give these guys a reason to try to do better in life…. Amazing!  A couple of them asked about Bible studies…coming to church, etc.  They want to know who we are and what we do! I have been there twice now, and each time I go away thanking God for this opportunity.   These boys represent to me so much more than an opportunity for me to get my “quota of ministry work in”.  They are “little boys” who just missed out on love, and the blessing of being able to be a kid.  Forced to grow up too soon, little discipline and too little encouragement to show them the benefits of  integrity, leadership and confidence… they have missed out on receiving grace that comes through Christ, and this is a chance Christ has given us to help them find it- to offer love and support and REAL adults who care about them!

    Who Asked You 

    The other day I was downtown for a lunch meeting with a community leader.  I arrived early to the restaurant, a local artsy place with decent food and a cool atmosphere.  I pulled out my IPhone (yes I have one of those) and began checking my emails.  As the lunch crowd grew and people waited to be seated I noticed something very interesting.  If two or more people arrived together they were very comfortable waiting for a table.  They’d discuss what to order or roll their eyes about the business back at the office.  In contrast when someone arrived alone, they appeared very uncomfortable.  Usually they’d come in and immediately begin searching the restaurant for the person they were meeting, not casually either, but almost in a panic.  Straining their necks and standing on their toes to see around the restaurant.  If they spotted the person, their furrowed brow would instantly turn into a smile, even offering a hand gesture to their acquaintance as they hurried to sit down.  But if they didn’t find their lunch date, they’d literally sink back into the groups waiting around the hosts stand, almost in defeat.  I asked myself, why are we so worried about being alone for a moment, are we that uncomfortable with ourselves that we need others to focus on?  God tells us to spend time in a quiet place so we can hear what He’s trying to tell us.  But we have become so concerned and distracted with life that we are complete strangers to ourselves.  Of course I noticed all this while flipping through emails on my phone.  I heard my inner-voice say, who asked you anyway; I turned off my phone and spent a few minutes in conversation with God.  It’s OK, get that table for one every now and then.    

    It’s Alive 

    People reading this for the first time may ask, what is VP really all about?  Well I’ll tell you, it’s kind of edgy and alluring with a touch of Billy Graham.  Hold it, that doesn’t sound right, it’s more like John the Baptist meets P-Diddy, wait scratch that, even worse.  OK, VP can’t be summed up in a few words but it can be defined by The Power of the “Un”.  Those involved with VP have committed themselves to the “Un” and before you hit the back button let me explain.  I believe everyone is born into very complex situations and from there it just gets more complicated.  So, depending on our early developmental environments, as we grow, we respond to our surroundings according to our life experiences.  Didn’t think you’d be getting a sociology lesson, did you? 

    Moving on, VP combines strength-based and faith-based philosophies to create the ultimate “Un-program”, it’s less about what we “Do” and more about what we “Undo”.  You see, most programs while helpful for a time often become a Frankenstein monster, turning on those it was designed to help.  Remember the old black & white horror movies where the mad scientist and his limping lab assistant used broken parts to create a living breathing thing?  They were successful in animating it but because of its poor design, events quickly spun out of control.  Their lumbering creation, acting on instinct ran wild through town until the villagers eventually tracked it down and destroyed it.  Now let’s say you were given a once in a life time opportunity to rewrite this classic and this time the scientist used absolutely flawless parts to build upon, how different would the story end?  VP was not created on damaged goods but on the perfection of Jesus Christ, using His model of hope and healing as our guide. 

    Hang on a moment, I know what you’re thinking, here those Christians go again!  Standing around, wagging their fingers and telling everyone how terrible they are.  While we do have strong convictions of faith, we believe the message of Christ is centered on grace.  People may say that sounds nice, but it doesn’t work in real life.  Well we put it to the test by moving way beyond an us versus them mentality, with amazing results.  VP doesn’t have to start from scratch to see life change, we often link up with established institutions to compliment their efforts and magnify the desired impact.  VP steps up to share the work load with those who have been doing what our faith has called us to do. 

    When I help people navigate their tangled lives to find hope, encouragement and healing.  I’m encouraged, I’m healed, I’m hopeful, we are “Undoing” and finding ourselves “Undone” in the process.  It may sound crazy but come out, experience VP for yourself and you just might hear yourself saying, “IT’S ALIVE, IT’S ALIVE”!!! 

    Click on this link for a great illustration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqT9edmTGNU&feature 

    posted by Monnie Bush on 08/19/2008
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