World... who???

I'm helping organize Kingdom-World View Seminars... what is that about?? Well, we get that question a lot.

You know those deep questions in life; Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? What's valuable? For some reason, every culture has asked that question (maybe it has to do with that verse in Ecclesiastes that says He's put eternity in people's hearts even if they don't understand it). "Worldview" it's about studying the different responses that different cultures have given to those questions. It goes deeper than that, it goes into studying how reality is interpreted in different ways by different cultures... what "glasses" do people see reality with. Then again it's not just about all that information; because we can study history, and philosophy, arts, science, geography, literature and all those from different perspectives and in the light of different religions, and that would only give us so much light we could go blind all together.

So? What to do then? ... We ask the Holy Spirit!! Oh relief! He knows what to do, He's the source of all true creativity and inspiration, He is God! Studying all these deep things is not about become smarter, or being able to analyze everything we see and do, even though that is the result of it sometimes. It's about the cross, it's about recognizing those people who truly had a Kingdom World-view and changed the course of history in their nation and ultimately in the world. It's about becoming inspired by those giant killers and following their lead into every sphere of society.

Christians with courage are the authors of such things as the first universities, the Red Cross, the abolition of slavery in England, changed economy systems to take their country out of deep poverty in Norway. People who saw heroes from the Bible like Daniel, David, Solomon, Joseph the dreamer, and instead of saying "why?" and giving all kinds of dogmatic pseudo-Christian excuses, they said "why not?" and believed God for the impossible!!

I believe those future heroes are hidden among us, some of them don't even know it yet, some have given up, some think they're calling is to "secular" and God could not possibly be calling to something such as politics, or anthropology. But Daddy God has started to give me His eyes to look at these treasures and recognize His dreams in them. I can only be faithful and become His accomplice in this amazing conspiracy to bring His Kingdom to all in all. There's no better place to be at!

um... so yeah, that's Worldview, or something like that...

Community!

Before becoming a YWAMer (almost ten years ago), I used to think "Christian Fellowship" referred to a church event. Like "the youth group is getting together for tacos" or, "the women are going to have a "ladies night out". It always made me think of a song we have in Spanish, from that Psalm that talks about how it's good and delightful for the brethren to dwell together.

I sometimes laugh a little inside when I sing it in church, because Christian fellowship has become so much more than getting together on Sunday's or Wednesday night, to talk about the Bible or sing... My name is Jazmin Garza, and I'm living at a YWAM base, in Argentina right now. Through that, I've learnt the other meaning, the kind that starts at the shower line, at 6am, when you're waiting for the girl with the long hair to get out of the shower; the kind that involves sharing with an Ecuadorian, an Argentine and an American for lunch (when we all have very different cultures about what "lunch" means).

It's awesome! It's so real... um... and it has its challenges. It's one thing to sing the Psalm when you gather wearing your Sunday's best, it's another to actually live everyday with people, getting to know them at their best and worst. It brings a different kind of closeness, people become more attached more quickly. it makes you so vulnerable, it opens your eyes to "cultural principles" as opposed to "world wide truths". So the confrontation with everything you believe may not be the smoothest, but it's certainly a blessing. Church happens in the midst of daily conversations; worship happens as you clean toilets together, nations bless each other and look out for each others needs. I admit it's not as poetic as it sounds, yet it is truthful, it's enriching.

To me Christian fellowship is not longer some church term for a scheduled meeting with a certain group. It's life itself. We were created for relationships, and living in community brings that blessing!

I'm in Buenos Aires, Argentina right now. It has already been a year filled with surprises and gifts from Daddy.

I spent January and February, mostly working with the YWAM Worldview School in Santiago, Chile. The school gathered teachers that work in both Christian and non-Christian schools, to explore the truth of God in the Education realm. It was fantastic! We were able to set the foundation that God IS in education and science and arts and literature. It's not about us trying to put Him into those subjects; He is the author of real education and creativity; the maker of the nature we study!

At the beginning of March I came to Argentina, to help out at the YWAM base here. I've been interpreting for the Discipleship School, for the Art School, and mainly helping put together a Worldview School here. We're calling philosophers, scientists and professionals who have a Kingdom view, and are making a difference in society, to come and share. We're calling young and old who would want to come and listen, so that they can live differently in whatever area of society that they might be involved with.

I am here, in the middle of everything that's going on in the world, my prayer and my goal is His Kingdom come...