LISTEN TO YOUR UKRAINIAN BROTHAS AND SISTAS

Hey friends.

I know there's a lot going on in the world news these days (the main headline-catcher being the earthquake in Haiti), but I have sort of a special interest in Eastern Europe, and I just wanted to highlight some stuff that's going on over there right now.

The Ukraine is in the middle of presidential elections. While communism crumbled in the Ukraine at the same time as in Hungary and the rest of Central and Eastern Europe, it seems that other countries are much farther along the road to democracy, liberal society, civic engagement, all that jazz.

There is hope that the Ukrainian people are headed for a more free and active society; after a ton of voter discrimination, behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing, and a skewed electoral outcome in the 2004 election, the Ukrainian people protested—it's known as the Orange Revolution—and this resulted in a more free, fair, better-monitored election and a president chosen by the people instead of a bunch of elites.

But the people are still discouraged by the lack of change over the past six years, embittered by too many years of government corruption, frustrated by long-withheld freedoms. Sigh.

Just pray for your Ukrainian brothers and sisters, okay?

Pray that people are free to get to the polls and vote for whomever they choose. Pray that the leadership is worth voting for. Pray that leaders (political, cultural, religious) continue to emerge who truly want the best for the Ukrainian people and for the development of Eastern Europe. Pray that the people begin to build a culture of civic trust, engagement, critique.

Pray, pray, pray.

And while you do, listen to what your Ukrainian brothers and sisters are crying out. Here are some of their voices:

I defaced my ballot, effectively annulling it, and added a note to whoever will be counting the votes "No matter who wins the election, you, as citizens, have already lost it". It's simple, nobody who's in power in Ukraine has ever cared about the people, their good and their future. And the people, in turn, don't know how to make them care, but they still go to vote like sheep. They cannot defend their basic rights and are being abused by the authorities time and time again. It's a never-ending circle.
Bayan, Nikolaev, Ukraine

The elections were indeed held in a decent manner. My friends and relatives worked as observers for different candidates at the local election commission in Gurzuf, Crimea, and reported no violations. The turnout is surprisingly high and shows that the population is participating actively in political life despite the disenchantment with the Orange Revolution.
Yana Lapitskaya, Gurzuf, Crimea

Most of the people I meet agree that there is no worthy candidate in Ukraine who really wants to tackle corruption. I'm a graduate from medical school and I need to bribe to get work at the hospital.
Serj Shvernik, Kharkov, Ukraine

Although to onlookers it may seem fair enough I don't believe 'democracy' has ever had a place in our country. The technologies have become more refined so all those loudmouths can rig secretly, giving the impression of 'fairness' and 'openness'. Nothing will ever be fair in this country until all those who got used to being in power in the old day give way to the younger ones, to those who look to a better future and are not just looking out for themselves.
Anton, Kiev, Ukraine

Yushchenko's defeat comes as no surprise, but it cannot be seen as a victory for the candidates going into the second round, far from it. Call it a protest vote if you like, because the Ukrainian people have utterly lost confidence in their political leaders. None of the candidates is bringing anything new to the table.
Alenga David, Ternopil, Ukraine

Thanks for reading. Always keep reading and learning.

(More in the BBC article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8467152.stm)

SOMETHING ELSE

I almost forgot to tell you :

I have amazing friends. I got to have coffee with one of these friends yesterday. She's beautiful and joyful and huggable and artsy, and she spilled some wisdom into my life again, something she remembered hearing recently from a fellow artist :

comparison is the thief of joy

Yes, that is something, we agreed. That is something true.

That's all.

SOMETIMES WE JUST SUCK

There are some mornings you just stumble into.

It is not pretty.

These mornings remind me to err on the side of grace when people look like they are stumbling around—because, let's be honest, we've all been there. Sometimes just for a few hours or days, sometimes for months or years. Sometimes we just suck.

Forgive people for sucking. And say something funny or kind, because that helps, and because you'll probably want someone to do that for you someday.

Okay.

LISTS AND GOLD STARS

I hate lists.

I think this is mainly because I've spent too much time worrying about (or feeling like I should be worrying about) things that aren't in order, crossed off one after another in timely fashion. I don't think we're meant to live by shoulds and have tos.

Sometimes lists pretend to be good; it is such a satisfaction to make a long one and pat myself on the back as I cross off each item—heh, look at me go—and end the day looking at a long list of accomplishments. Sometimes I even award myself gold stars.

There's the day-to-day grocery-run, work out, homework, email, clean stuff, call this person, do that pile of laundry. Or the year-after-year win this leadership position, score that prestigious internship, marry somebody, keep in contact with the right people, build financial security, finally tie-up that project.

None of that stuff is inherently bad. And for you compulsive listmakers, don't get me wrong—it's good to remind ourselves to get off our butts and get moving; I'm certainly not advocating that we abandon studying and cleaning and personal hygiene—I'm just saying....leave room.

Yeah. I think that's what I'm trying to say. Leave room. Be willing to rearrange the list or throw it out altogether. Be freed to give beyond what you think you can or surprised by a provision beyond yourself or delighted by opportunities and relationships beyond your own planning.

Oh—also I think I am trying to say that it's gross that I keep giving myself gold stars for "my" accomplishments...valiant swipes of my pen across finished items. Blech.

Let's be honest; I am a wretch without one plea. I don't own any of my skills or words or thoughts or dollar bills or relationships or plans. In fact, if I did, I would royally screw them up. It's really only by the grace of God that I can do anything that even resembles good. And I don't mean to throw that overused phrase in so lightly—by the grace of God—I really mean that I have been mercifully arrested by the reality of Christ, and it is this mercy and grace that reanoints me as the Lord's, that reassures me of my true self, that strips me of all that I would love to pat myself on the back for, that turns all my strivings over to his glory and his purpose.

There is so much more to be said and wondered about. But it is late, and I am going to bed. I will leave it for another night's meandering.

Thanks for co-musing for now, though.

P.S. Can you tell that I grew up in the CRC and go to Calvin College? Talk about meditation on total depravity. Ha.

I SWEAR, I'M STILL KICKIN

Far past time for me to write again...mostly due to all the end-of-semester writing projects in December. Anyway, thanks to any of you who are still checking in.

So a lot of good things have happened in the past little while: I've finished my second to last semester at Calvin, celebrated some birthdays with friends (including my own—hooray for being twenty-two), started a war with winter, joined my housemates in what's-funny-to-put-in-the-microwave experiments, and laughed a lot with my brothers over Christmas break. I've scribbled a bunch of poetry, journal entries, and incomplete thoughts. I've missed Budapest, went to an incredible Trans Siberian Orchestra concert, failed at making warm apple-cabbage salad (delicious when done right, I promise), restarted my coffee addiction.

Man, I love my life.

Now I'm sort of chipping away at the job search—which basically consists of me doing a bunch of research, sending lots of emails, getting excited about all the possibilities, and most of the time, wondering who in his or her right mind would ever hire/pay me for anything. There are some moments where I feel myself winding up a little tighter, ready to spin a bit fast and reckless into that anxious place, and then I remember—oh, good, I'm not actually in control. I just continue to pray that God closes the doors that need to be closed before me, opens the ones that I need to walk through or consider walking through, and shows me the way and the place and the means to dwell among his people next year.

That's all.

So for any of you who wonder or worry about what is coming in this new year (not just college seniors), I urge you—seek out those contexts that God has already prepared in advance for you, that you might be his fleshy dwelling on earth, for all that he has created.