soo…

War.. a topic that is controversial, very controversial! And is a discussion i had with my dad tonight! which i am very happy to say was a good one and not a heated argument! =) always makes me happy to not fight!

but i would just like to share my stance on this subject with you and would love to have discussion about it if you like!!

For me, as a Jesus follower, as someone who pursues a Christ-like life, who wants to do what Jesus does, i do not want to raise a gun up, aim at a man(who just might be an evil person, who maybe has killed someone or hundreds of people) and shoot him dead. i don’t believe it is my purpose, as it shouldn’t be any Christians purpose, to put myself in that position, join the ranks and stop an evil man with a bomb or a bullet. that is just not what we are called too! i don’t think that’s what any Christian should be called too!

Why would God call a Christian to pick up a weapon, fly an airplane and drop a bomb on someone to kill them because we don’t see eye to eye on faith or on a nations “interest”? if we are called to be set aside, to be different than the world, to live in but not be of the world then why would we join an army, just like any other army in the world, to rid of people who don’t agree with us and/or our nations interests?

War is a protest, a violent protest. War is saying we don’t agree with what you are doing so we are going to make you listen by bombing your country’s individuals, most likely killing babies, children, mothers, donkeys, sheep, dogs and cats that are too close to the bad guys who lives we are trying to end all because his brother killed my cousin first. eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth… life for a life.

My dad made a very good point today in our conversation, on a business trip he was having lunch with a Muslim man. they were eating and exchanging conversations about political and religious views in an easy going conversation. Then across the room a Jewish man got in line at the cafeteria, my dad had no clue the man was Jewish. He said the Muslim man’s attitude and whole body language changed and asked him “is everything okay?”.  The Muslim man replied, “that man over  there is Jewish and disgusts me!” my dad asked why it discussed him and the Muslim man replied “because he isn’t human.”….. (on a side note, that statement shocks me that in 2010, people still believe some people aren’t human). but as my dad and the Muslim left the cafeteria and were about to head there separate ways my dad asked the man ”whether your religon  or my religion is right, should we kill each other because the other is wrong, don’t you think that our God can take care of who dies?” The point being, if Jesus called us to live a life like he lived, to love our enemies, to do good to those who hurt us, who persecute us, who murder us because our faith or our values don’t line up… should we pick up a weapon then point it at the human who has a different opinion and shoot them?

For us a Christians in a worldly nation, America.. we have the choice, war or the good fight? We have been set aside, to be an example to those who don’t know about what love is, what forgiveness is, what sacrificereally is.. we have been called to fight the evil in the man, not the man himself. to fight the evil that wants to take the 5 year old kid who has been raped and beaten by his dad and turn him into a murder.. we are to fight the evil that tells a man to go blow himself up.. we are called to go be disciples of all nations, to spread light in a dark evil world. killing a man will not save him from hell.. it sends him there that much quicker… i pledge my allegiance to a higher power, not of this world, i will not back a nation who puts people in power in other countries to kill people for our “nations interest”. i am in this world, but not of it. i will not participate or support anything that kills another human being.

i am not bashing American soldiers in this blog.. i am not saying Christians who have fought in these last to wars or any wars are any worse than i am.. we are all brothers and sisters and we need to say what we believe, what we feel is right. just because you fight in a war and have to kill someone doesn’t mean you are going to hell. i want to share how i feel and how i am personally convicted. i am convicted to share this belief of mine, it is different than my parents and a whole ton of people i share the same faith with, it may be different than yours! i just think there is a better way to help the world, a better, cleaner fight to be fought.

 Satan wants war, he wants to fill hell up with as many souls as he can, and as Jesus followers what would happen if we laid our weapons down and said “I’m not going to send you to hell, i will not send you to a place of eternal torture, i will speak love into your soul, into your life.”  a non-violent protest against human violence.. Love is a protest, a protest against war.

Revenge – Jon Foreman

this is a song about revenge.. look at it through the point of view by the man who hung next to Jesus on the cross who said “remember me Lord when you enter your kingdom” listen to what he says revenge is..who took revenge for us so we wouldn’t have too..

God Bless

-mike

seems like a discouraging post for my first writing, but it is something i have been dealing with in the last couple of months and feel its time to shed some light on the subject.

“what is the point?” “is this really worth it” these are things that have been running through my head through these cold winter months. maybe that has something to do with the dark and gloomy feeling i’ve had. every aspect of my life has been attacked by discouragement. My relationship, my spiritual life, my education and my music life have all had their days, weeks, months of just wondering why i’m doing them and what for…

i stand for a man who made it possible for me to live, a man who gives me chance, after chance, after chance and knows that the next day, i’m going to need another one. a man who is also God.  i stand for a God who’s love will never fail, never fall short and is never selfish. and because i believe and stand for my God, i believe there is an enemy out there to try and ruin everything i do, an evil out there to ruin my relationship with my Savior and to discourage me in everything i do.

There is a good part to this story though, there is always a happy ending duh! just keep reading!

As you read in my first post, i am part of a band called Response, in the last couple of months i have questioned my position with them and wondering if i should keep playing with them or leave and do my own thing. Balancing a relationship, with a band, family, and school can become quite the hassle when everything gets difficult at once! not to mention the 3am-8am job i had at the time too! Life had become full and passion began to leave.

When things start to go bad, you have to go back to the start, go back to the reason you started the relationship or when you recognized the passion inside of you for that certain thing you love to do and share, for me it was music. I had to look back at the reasons for being a part of the Response band, the reason i shared my passion on a stage with a mic and a guitar. God was the reason, the kids in Uganda was the reason, the kids infront of me raising their hands, dancing, and singing for a God who’s love overflows in their lives. For my relationship, i had to go back to where it started! across from the port-a-jons at canal days when a girl took my arm, looked at my tattoo and said “i’ve read that book…”, that was the reason, her passion for kids and reaching out to people in need was the reason, the grace she gives me for my short comings and failures.

There is a reason for starting anything, you don’t start doing something you hate, there is a reason you decided to pick up that guitar, to take that picture, to write that poem… there is a reason! don’t just give up! the saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is very true.. when things get gloomy and discouraging, just down write depressing.. you need to fight it, share what you are feeling with someone and go back to the start, the place you fell in love. there is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is hope, and once you make it out of the darkness, you have grown and become stronger.

don’t give up, life is a storm.. and here is where i plug in switchfoot… hehe for those of you who know me.. you know me and switchfoot. sorry.. but this band is a group of guys who just know life sucks sometimes, and sing about it but also celebrate the good times. here is a song about the discouragement in our lives and how it won’t silence our love.. discouragement is not enough.. the song is called “hello hurricane” from the new album “hello hurricane” go here to watch and listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFjvaaF25F4

peace amigos

-mike

hello there! I am mike ritchie and i am a new writer here at fall write in love! i just want to say a little about myself so you all know who i am. Well , i’m mike, i’m 20 and i attend ipfw. I come from a pretty decent sized family! about 3 years ago, my parents adopted 3 of my cousins to add to the 4 kids they already had! every kid deserves a chance and my parents believed in that and in them so we took them in! I am also a part of a group/band called “Response”! We go around wherever we can and worship with all kinds of people! One of the purpose’s of what we do is to bless kids in Uganda in Africa! The Response movement sponsors 6 kids at an orphanage in Uganda! I am very privileged to get to help these kids and you can too! to learn more about Response you can go to these links below!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Response/175013726856

www.responseinc.org

So now that you know a little about me, let me know a little about yourselves! if you want me to write about anything particular let me know!

thanks amigos

-mike