Going Green

I've never really been much of a greenie. Never been able to get worked up about actually washing out my yogurt containers to recycle them, or not make that needless trip to cut back on pollution. I slept through my fair share of environmental science classes during my undergrad biology degree, and I'm as familiar as anyone with the doomsday predictions about global warming. For whatever reason, nothing ever gripped me enough to make an impact.

And then one day I rented Al Gore's (strange, how mere mention of the name induces laughter) "An Inconvenient Truth." When it started I was a nice pale-caucasion-in-January palor and 90 minutes later I was forest green. I was literally entranced as Al went through his powerpoint presentation, and methodically explained that we are royally screwing up our planet. For weeks after I told everyone I met to go watch it. 

Yes, it was biased, politically charged, and all of that -- but I am now convinced that global warming is the most pressing issue of our time, and amazingly enough, it's actually impacted the way I live my life. I begrundgingly wash out my yogurt containers, and am conscious of the mileage I rack up.  

We've had 15 storms this winter in the Vancouver area. Stanley park was massacred, we had multiple snowfalls of almost a foot, frequent power outages, flooding, the list goes on. And in retaliation to contributing this to human causes, people would generally insert some lame rebut like "Well, weather isn't a linear system, it goes up and down, there have been warm periods in our history and it's ridiculous to read so much into such a small period of time." I can't believe I was actually one of those insolent people that would huck that doozy out there just to seem smart. Did I have a clue what I was talking about? No, I used the "linear-line" because I thought it sounded smart. Well I feel dumb now.

Did you know that the Earth's 10 warmest years have all been in the last 14 years.

Did you know that there have been record breaking amounts of flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes in countless regions across several continents over the past five years.

There have been tornadoes and hurricanes in places that scientists used to say it would be impossible for them to take place.

Carbon Dioxide levels are as high as they have ever been throughout the history of earth, including all those "warm-periods" in our past.

In fifty years if we maintain current C02 emmissions, the levels of C02, (which mirror temperature levels throughout earth's history) will be nearly double the highest level they have ever been.

While only 50% of media articles portray global warming as a genuine threat, almost 100% of scientific articles agree that the earth is warming as a result of human activity.

But don't worry, weather isn't linear. Don't get your panties all in a knot.

I watched the film several weeks ago, and I can still recall the explanations. Let's try something. We'll call it global warming for dummies.

1) Why are water levels rising?

Typically, a lot of sunlight bounces off Earth's surface back into space. As C02 and other greenhouse gases collect in the Earth's atmosphere, they disallow the sun's rays to be reflected into space, instead, directing the rays back towards the surface yet again -- creating a game of pong between the greenhouse gases and the earth's surface which ultimately forces the earth to retain heat.

Typically, the poles of the earth act as giant mirrors, reflecting virtually all the light back towards space. But with greenhouse gases trapping the heat, the fringes of the caps are melting. And this is where it gets crazy. Water itself has an enormous heat capacity, and absorbs the sun's energy very readily. As the fringes of the ice are replaced by water, more and more area switches from being a giant reflector of ice to a giant absorber of energy. This effect perpetuates, causing greater and greater amounts of water, and an ever dwindling body of ice. This is why the polar ice caps are predicted to be affected as much as 10-12 degrees, while the equater could only be altered 2-3 degrees.

So, what happens when you melt the ice caps? The water levels rise. Nobody knows exactly how much, but many predict you can wipe out major portions of, oh say, the majority of every major port city across the world.

1) Why the storms?

As the temperature of the ocean rises, there is more kinetic energy in the ocean. As storms pass over the ocean, more energy is transferred into them. Would a couple degrees really matter?  The ocean is so enormous, that the amount of energy it takes to heat it even a couple degrees is atronomical. These are very, very, lay-definitions and I'm definitely oversimplifying, but essentially, you get super-charged storms which translates into some crazy winds.

2) Why the record breaking rainfalls and snowstorms?

As the temperature of the ocean rises, so does the evaporation off of it's surface. As storms build up over the water, they absorb more precipitation that they would over a cooler surface of water. These super-loaded storms dump their increased loads in the form of massive snow and rain storms.

Clearly, if you accepted those simple explanations without questioning you also probably ate up all the linear-bogus just like me. Seriously, go do some research. In doing so, you'll wade through plenty of critiques of Gore's film, of which many are likely quite valid. But that doesn't change the fact that we are permanently altering our planet - and that it is time for us to actually let this impact the way we life. It is time for us to stop thinking that the government is going to solve our problems by regulating this or that, instituting laws that will save the future of our grandchildren. The only thing that will truly change the current state of affairs is if people take to heart what is happening, change their lifestyle, become willing to make sacrifices, and play the stewardship role we've been called to. 

Annual Report

Yes. That is correct. It is time for the much anticipated annual blog entry.  It seems like every time I begin an entry I bemoan my lazy blog tendencies and make a big deal about how sporadic my entries are. So, I figured I would continue that tradition.

A lot has happened since December of last year. After Ottawa, I finished up my degree at Trinity Western University in Langley, walking with a BSc. majoring in biology, with an additional certificate in leadership and applied public affairs. A guy I know from Campus Crusade Canada then challenged me to be a leader on a missions trip to Tanzania. I took him up, having no idea what I was getting myself into. The first week was double culture shock -- 1-2 punch of Africa and Campus Crusade for Christ. The acronyms and methods of Campus honestly rivalled the tin shacks and traditional garb. In short, great six weeks of growth and learning to crave God's presence, knowing fully that I couldn't get through the next day without Him.

I knew I wanted to take a year off school upon returning, so the trip leader mentioned to me an opportunity within Campus as the Assistant to the President. In what has been the most clear and tangible door opening/direction God has done in my life -- within a week of getting back I was working for Campus. I'm now almost six months in. Job has been great. Extremely stretching, fast paced, high energy, and at times overly stressful... but I really feel like I am developing real skills, both organizationally, leadership-wise, and with people. It has been cool to be exposed to the generous wealthy Christians that make Campus run, and the talented men and women of faith that work there, relying on financial supporters to feed their kids and pay their mortages. It's an insane testimony.

Leonard, my boss, turns every instance into a lesson in leadership, which has really opened my eyes. I never truly aspired to be a leader prior to this job, but now feel a burning inside me to lead in whatever capacity God is willing to use me.  Balancing a busy travel schedule, and a frantic office setting that leaves me annihilated at the end of the day, with my walk with God, has not been easy at all... but a lot of times the emptiness of my lack of balance drives me powerfully back to Him. 

Lauren and I have now been dating two years. A friggin long time. We've concluded that dating isn't a whole lot of fun, but at the same time the last two years of my life have been the best.

We're still going to Peace Portal Alliance in Surrey, which I had an epiphany about today.  To preface what is to follow: which may appear to be the stereotypical scenario of a believer bashing his/her church, I really do not mean to be. Peace Portal is solid in so many ways. Anyways, we were about 5 minutes late so seating was tough in the giant auditorium like sanctuary.  We sat in a corner pew -- one of those ones so far to the side that it just so happens to be in a direct line with that one spot where all the microphones align like planets forming a pastoral eclipse -- relegating my view to that of the giant big screen. If you didn't follow that, basically I couldn't see much.

Anyways, Church was packed, and as the service progressed we went from worship led by the latest intern, announcements from a senior-behind-the-scenes-pastor that most congregants most likely could not name or recognize on the street, a long building update for the massive construction project we have undergone, to an offering to hip hop dancers hip-hoppin to Xian hip hop, to a sermon from a former youth pastor that preaches about once every six weeks. None of this is bad, but I thought to myself how startlingly little overarching leadership there is in our church. Our senior pastor is at 50%, splitting time with Regent College, and yet the services are always crammed full of program updates, and the place is packed out for all three services. 

It's almost like it doesn't matter that none of use could tell you what our church is about in this season of our existence (besides getting a new building). Some might tell you we're about being a missional church, or something like that. But, basically it's a strange phenomena. Lack of leadership, thriving church. Zillions of pastors, different faces preaching, leading worship, and up front every week. Sure, you could say it is great to involve so many people, but I just don't see a driving force, a motivator, someone rallying the troops... there is no momentum, no mission, nothing to rally around (ok, the building). We see thermometer-like graphs showing us how much money we've pledged. I wonder what the thermometer for new believers in the church would look like. It very well could be extremely encouraging, but I honestly have no idea. It doesn't seem to be the focus. But I thought the building was to make us a more missional church? After the building will we see graphs of new believers? 

It seems like the lack of leadership isn't an observable problem. Attendance is high, pledges are coming in for the new building, and the services still come across polished and crisp.  It's as though people don't go to church to be built into, to be led by a godly leader with a vision and heart for the Lord's work. Someone who can organize and lead believers, channeling their skills and gifts towards transformation of a community, the great comission... something.

 If you went to work, and there was nobody telling you what to work on, where to focus your efforts, and you were left completely on your own with no direction, would you develop and grow in your job? Perhaps you'd thrive, I think most people would be stagnant, frustrated, on the verge of quitting.  How can we be so content in a church setting without leadership? Maybe, a lot of us aren't looking for church to provide that. We're fine with it being surfacey. It's not as big a part of our life as work, so it doesn't annoy us that we're floating.

Lately, church has felt supplementary.  Like an energy drink for my week. Something to feed me, but not something to actually impact the course of my life. Not something I really enter into.

I think it's alarming that an army, business, or organization with no visible and tangible head of leadership would surely crumble and fail, but a church with no discernable direction, mission, and vision, but a whole lot of programs and really sweet services can be the provincial flagship for the denomination. 

It's not that there is no value in church. I still meet God there, and I still fellowship (you know, say hi to two or three people after a service... that's good solid fellowship, right?) on occasion with the body of Christ. But often enough, it has become so individualistic and surfacey, that it doesn't even bother me that it can't really engage me with a compelling driving force. Bring me out of my comfy house to do something. 

Maybe the lack of leadership thing is appealing, because there is less onslaught, less conviction, nobody with enough authority to offend the congregants with hard hitting sermons week after week. 

Maybe the lack of leadership thing is a magnet, sucking people into a comfortable church that can't impact them, but can make them feel really good about themselves on Sunday morning.

post script. I'm not as cynical as I always come across when I write stuff. Those were just thoughts, I actually don't mind peace portal, and enjoy hanging out with punk kids at youth group on thursday nights. I know it's my own fault for going to a big church. Um, that's it.

Mark.  

Hey all.  Well I'm definitely in a routine here. It's starting to feel like a normal adjusted life.  Simon Moore came out to visit for our plaque unveiling ceremony, along with some other Trinity staff and Presiden't Interns.  It was good to see someone from back home, (wow, I just called BC home) and remember I don't actually live here. 

The ceremony went very well, we invited a whole bunch of supervisors and politicians, and wandered around in our suits and dress clothes attempting to make small talk.  It was neat to see a bunch of people that had probably been to a thousand political mixers, walking around with their cranberry juices.

I hate the way its difficult for me to relax.  I feel like when I'm in school, I'm just so used to having a million things to do, and a tonne of due-dates that I just need to be a touch stressed and anxious.  But here, there really isn't that much to complete, but I still have the same feeling, which just makes me feel ridiculous, because I know that the workload isn't that crazy.  What has Science done to me!? Anyways. Send me an e-mail or, reply or something. It's good to hear from people back out west.

Hey.  Well I finally have some breathing room. I've handed in papers for all three clases and I suppose you could say I am in the eye of the hurricane right now.  Ok, I'm definitely being overdramatic because the workload really isn't that unbearable, compared to typical semesters doing science. Shudder. My internship is fun, although sometimes boring.  Today I was assembling a report on a carbon tax that none other than the Queen's Representative, Leader of the Official Opposition, Stephen Harper, will be reading with his very own Albertan eyes.  Or so I'm told.  The Legislative Assistant I work with, Doug, is hysterical, but far rougher around the edges that I ever envisioned political types as being.  He's a former DJ from Red Deer, and he says things that make even the hairs on my red neck stand on end.  Good for laughs, but I sometimes wonder what would happen if the Conservatives did come to power.  Oh, ya.  And I've decided that Peter McKay is almost as studly as all the girls in my house keep claiming he is. (just though I'd throw that in for free) 

Anyways, Lauren and I are doing really well.  It was strange being plunged into living in the same house together here at the LLC.  Definitely makes for some interesting dynamics at times, but figuring everything out has been fun.

Much like the climactic/God/epiphany I had when I realized I needed to take a year off after I graduate, I had a similar absolute, jolting experience recently that powerfully left me fully aware of some priorities in my life that needed to shift.  The tangible way God has been pursuing me is both terrifying and amazing.  Layers that I thought were "Mark" continue to be stripped away, leaving a little more of my hardened heart exposed.  I transition between 'running' and 'seeking' seamlessly, in such a human way.  These type of steps have been a long time coming for me.  I've always felt Him, calling me, wooing me, but I am only now realizing just how fortified I have been.

What else. Now that the deadlines for Med-school are beginnign to pass I can focus on taking a year off.  It's surprisingly hard to take a year off, especially considering that I know that if I do apply next year there's still no guarantee of getting in.  Fortunately, I just know this is where I'm supposed to be right now.  I've been looking into some Campus Crusade for Christ type trips, and internships... and I've somehow started going to there weekly meeting at UOttawa, but as of now I still don't know what I will be doing next year. I much appreciate your prayers.

Later. Mark.