Ahh...Philedephia

Some of the hardest days to blog on our days like today when I am overwhelmed by the amount of significant things I want to remember. So hang with me as I try to wrap up a day I could write a book about in a few short paragraphs.
We began our day at the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall where we also met with two local news representatives. At noon there was a reading of the The Declaration of Independence in the surrounding courtyard complete with reenactors that would shout and argue with the crowd. We found out that the reason this was done on July 8th instead of 4th like in Boston was because the 8th is historically the first time it was read. From there, we headed to lunch at an indoor market where we had lunch and then had class near Love Park.
At 6:30 we met up with Kez, Amy, and Joe at the Philly Mission Year headquarters. Mission Year is a service organization that takes people from the ages of 18-29 and immmerses them in inner cities across the country. In a nutshell the organization strives to be intentional about community and living simply. We got to sit down to a meal of pizza and once again I was blown away with how much can be shared when people sit down and break bread together.
From the moment we stepped off the subway in their neighborbood I knew this would be a unique experience. Their office was set in a small apartment on a busy street with bars in every window. Several times during our visit we were interupted by the sounds of sirens or loud music from the street just a few feet away. However, as Kez talked about her life, her faith, and her team members I found myself completely engaged. She spoke with an honesty, humility, and conviction about Christianity and service that I found inspirational and at times uncomfortable. I could feel my heart pounding hard as I sat and listened. I think I was reacting in two ways. On one hand, the concept of Mission Year completely terrifies me. Being isolated from family and friends, T.V., and Internet, and everything that is familiar and comfortable made me want to run in the other direction. In fact, in talking about the church and society, she even pointed out that we are often attracted to construction because there is safety in it. I recognize that I as an individual I suscribe to this comfort and that sometimes that can be inhibiting to me and others. On the other hand, I think my near cardiac arrest can be attributed to the the way in which these people encouraged me and inspired me. Its been hard as we've traveled through cities to see the "fire and brimstone" people on every street corner. Most times I feel angry and ashamed that as a Christian I get lumped together with them. While Kez was careful not to judge this form of religious expression, she explained that Mission Year does not bring tracts to doorsteps and stand on the street corners because that is communicating that God is not present in a place when in fact God has been working in these places long before they showed up. In other words, this kind of approach sends a nonverbal message of superiority that is not only a misrepresentation of the message but an instant turn off. She also touched on some of the problems in The Church and said that she could and has been angry about some of the misconceptions that were presented to her growing up but that she has come to understand that broken people were leading a broken person. Basically, the Church isn't perfect and how could it possibly be because we our imperfect people. Instead of that being a downer, I found it incredibly comforting that I don't have to place my trust in people but in a perfect God.
No suprise that this relates back to what we talked about with America and with personal identities and the difference between the image we protray and the message we send with our actions. Hmmm a lot to think about.