Ya Man

Well, at least I flew over the famed beaches of Jamaica. Waves rolled to shore in layers, just like the photo-shopped pictures in travel magazines. But then the plane also rolled, and all I saw was cloud. I thought to myself, this is getting ridiculous. It’s so typical for me. I can’t count the times I served in New York City at urban projects and have still not seen the Statue of Liberty. Just the basement of some inner-city church. Same with the famous souk in Amman, and the White House or Smithsonian in DC, and many historic churches and sites in the 30 cities in the US I served in. Too busy to see them. Never any time. Too much fatigue by the time I’m done. And now, I can add the beach in the world’s quintessential vacation spot to the list of things missed.

But, I did see something that many won’t because of it’s location. Ya Man, it was random but I saw Bob Marley’s house. I don’t know much about Marley. Reggae. Weed. Dreads. A legacy of music known around the world. Marley came from the rough streets of a slum called Trench Town, which he sang about. Our students will study Trench Town next April, so I was doing an advance trip to scout it out. It is a poor and violent community that happened to bear one of the most internationally known music superstars. Did I go in the house? No. I passed it on the way to a literacy program for children that was on the same street . But I rolled down the window and heard the familiar beat and guitar tumble in. And I thought to myself, this is ridiculous.

My hosts couldn’t believe I spent only two days in country, and all of that in meetings. Typical American; always onto something else. In my case it was a conference in Memphis the following day. Not to say I didn’t see some cool stuff: an NGO specializing in transformational ministry. A micro-lending ministry and , an early childhood program, a reading program, a church plant, a radio ministry providing national commentary on the social conditions of the country, a spectacular view of Kingston Harbor. I ate some traditional Jamaican food, including Ackee and Salt Fish for breakfast. I met the Chick-fil-A guy of Jamaica. And the president of Caribbean Graduate School of Theology and I essentially raced down a restricted corridor in the Jamaican airport to get to a flight we didn’t have tickets for to grab the last two seats as they were closing the door. The bottom line? I didn’t make the beach, but I made some fabulous memories, as well as plans for next year. But when I take my students there, our toes are going in the sand on one day. And Memphis? Probably won’t do Graceland. Typical. Ridiculous.

Update on "Tampa"

This the way "Tampa" spent his last weekend of freedom, before learning the police wanted him in connection with a home invasion robbery. He said "the ocean is much larger than I ever imagined." We couldn't pull him away. I read him that line from the old hymn that said "... for the wideness of God's mercy is like the wideness of the sea ..." and he was moved. He maintains his innocence, and aspects of the victim's testimony seems to suggest its possible. He is attending daily Bible readings in jail, and his Hope Now for Youth staff tell him he can resume his final two days of program when he gets out, and graduate. We have tried to help him see this setback as "an opportunity. Be like Paul and Silas and get used to telling of God's goodness to your cell mates. And let's see how God expands the walls of that place. What matters most is what is ahead, not what is in your past. You have been set on a new path; God loved you too much to let you continue in the direction you had chosen. What do you want your life to be like when you are out?"

His next court appearance is May 12. Pray for God's plan in "Tampa's" life to be revealed, much larger and more beautiful than he ever imagined, and for justice tempered with the wideness of God's mercy.

I am in Miami, en-route to Kingston, Jamaica where I will lay the groundwork for a course in Transformational Leadership there next year. Yes, there are nice beaches. Perhaps I'll see one as I drive. But there is also some of the worst corruption in the world, which operates in the shadow of the highest number of churches per capita anywhere in the world. And dramatic poverty. Figure that one out. Obviously, something's wrong. Appreciate your prayers.