Nefarious 1: Merchant of Souls

Today's post will not be about the Cost of Discipleship... But rather a documentary called Nefarious 1: Merchant of Souls. Start by watching this video...

It's like your ordering a pizza.

Is there not something seriously wrong with this?

I believe that a perfect world is impossible, the evil present in our world is simply too vast to ever be completely suppressed. However, as followers of Christ we are obliged to shine His light wherever we go. To advocate for the justice of the widow, orphan and those who are generally oppressed. If we are truly followers of Christ allowing something such as sex trafficking to go unnoticed would be a shame and direct disobedience of Christ's teachings.

I'm going to do some digging and in a future post I'll give you an established organization which concerns itself with sex trafficking that you can get in contact with, if you so desire.

JESUS>RELIGION

Holy cow, this guy is legit.

A Letter From Shane Claiborne

This is an article that I happened to stumble upon yesterday, this dude has a lot to say, but stay with it. Completely worth the read.

To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.

Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.

The other night I headed into downtown Philly for a stroll with some friends from out of town. We walked down to Penn's Landing along the river, where there are street performers, artists, musicians. We passed a great magician who did some pretty sweet tricks like pour change out of his iPhone, and then there was a preacher. He wasn't quite as captivating as the magician. He stood on a box, yelling into a microphone, and beside him was a coffin with a fake dead body inside. He talked about how we are all going to die and go to hell if we don't know Jesus.

Some folks snickered. Some told him to shut the hell up. A couple of teenagers tried to steal the dead body in the coffin. All I could do was think to myself, I want to jump up on a box beside him and yell at the top of my lungs, "God is not a monster." Maybe next time I will.

The more I have read the Bible and studied the life of Jesus, the more I have become convinced that Christianity spreads best not through force but through fascination. But over the past few decades our Christianity, at least here in the United States, has become less and less fascinating. We have given the atheists less and less to disbelieve. And the sort of Christianity many of us have seen on TV and heard on the radio looks less and less like Jesus.

At one point Gandhi was asked if he was a Christian, and he said, essentially, "I sure love Jesus, but the Christians seem so unlike their Christ." A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) antigay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here is a bit of an image crisis, and much of that reputation is well deserved. That's the ugly stuff. And that's why I begin by saying that I'm sorry.

Now for the good news.

I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion, or politics, for that matter. (If there is anything I have learned from liberals and conservatives, it's that you can have great answers and still be mean... and that just as important as being right is being nice.)

The Bible that I read says that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it... it was because "God so loved the world." That is the God I know, and I long for others to know. I did not choose to devote my life to Jesus because I was scared to death of hell or because I wanted crowns in heaven... but because he is good. For those of you who are on a sincere spiritual journey, I hope that you do not reject Christ because of Christians. We have always been a messed-up bunch, and somehow God has survived the embarrassing things we do in His name. At the core of our "Gospel" is the message that Jesus came "not [for] the healthy... but the sick." And if you choose Jesus, may it not be simply because of a fear of hell or hope for mansions in heaven.

Don't get me wrong, I still believe in the afterlife, but too often all the church has done is promise the world that there is life after death and use it as a ticket to ignore the hells around us. I am convinced that the Christian Gospel has as much to do with this life as the next, and that the message of that Gospel is not just about going up when we die but about bringing God's Kingdom down. It was Jesus who taught us to pray that God's will be done "on earth as it is in heaven." On earth.

One of Jesus' most scandalous stories is the story of the Good Samaritan. As sentimental as we may have made it, the original story was about a man who gets beat up and left on the side of the road. A priest passes by. A Levite, the quintessential religious guy, also passes by on the other side (perhaps late for a meeting at church). And then comes the Samaritan... you can almost imagine a snicker in the Jewish crowd. Jews did not talk to Samaritans, or even walk through Samaria. But the Samaritan stops and takes care of the guy in the ditch and is lifted up as the hero of the story. I'm sure some of the listeners were ticked. According to the religious elite, Samaritans did not keep the right rules, and they did not have sound doctrine... but Jesus shows that true faith has to work itself out in a way that is Good News to the most bruised and broken person lying in the ditch.

It is so simple, but the pious forget this lesson constantly. God may indeed be evident in a priest, but God is just as likely to be at work through a Samaritan or a prostitute. In fact the Scripture is brimful of God using folks like a lying prostitute named Rahab, an adulterous king named David... at one point God even speaks to a guy named Balaam through his donkey. Some say God spoke to Balaam through his ass and has been speaking through asses ever since. So if God should choose to use us, then we should be grateful but not think too highly of ourselves. And if upon meeting someone we think God could never use, we should think again.

After all, Jesus says to the religious elite who looked down on everybody else: "The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom ahead of you." And we wonder what got him killed?

I have a friend in the UK who talks about "dirty theology" — that we have a God who is always using dirt to bring life and healing and redemption, a God who shows up in the most unlikely and scandalous ways. After all, the whole story begins with God reaching down from heaven, picking up some dirt, and breathing life into it. At one point, Jesus takes some mud, spits in it, and wipes it on a blind man's eyes to heal him. (The priests and producers of anointing oil were not happy that day.)

In fact, the entire story of Jesus is about a God who did not just want to stay "out there" but who moves into the neighborhood, a neighborhood where folks said, "Nothing good could come." It is this Jesus who was accused of being a glutton and drunkard and rabble-rouser for hanging out with all of society's rejects, and who died on the imperial cross of Rome reserved for bandits and failed messiahs. This is why the triumph over the cross was a triumph over everything ugly we do to ourselves and to others. It is the final promise that love wins.

It is this Jesus who was born in a stank manger in the middle of a genocide. That is the God that we are just as likely to find in the streets as in the sanctuary, who can redeem revolutionaries and tax collectors, the oppressed and the oppressors... a God who is saving some of us from the ghettos of poverty, and some of us from the ghettos of wealth.

In closing, to those who have closed the door on religion — I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, "I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you." If those of us who believe in God do not believe God's grace is big enough to save the whole world... well, we should at least pray that it is.

Your brother,

Shane

Original Source: http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2009/shane-claiborne-1209#ixzz1iazxePMP

Merry Christmas

Hello, my name is Jordan and I have a serious problem with Christmas.

On one hand I love Christmas, yet on the other, I despise it.

Near the start of this festive season I was talking with a co-worker who is a self proclaimed scrooge. On Christmas day he would rather play Mario Kart by himself than attend a family gathering. The religiosity, family gatherings and consumeristic nature of Christmas has led my friend to dispise the time that is branded as the happiest time of the year.

Now, I have always loved "the Christmas spirit." To me the Christmas spirit consists of eggnog, outdoor hockey and quality time with family and friends. However, as I have aged I have noticed that the real Christmas spirit is in fact nothing more that a hoax.

Christmas is simply about buying the gift that will in turn get you a pile of smiles, however, don't get the wrong gift, or your going to be hated for the rest of the year...

People, we are missing out on what Christmas is all about.

(If you have read this far, don't stop, please)

Christmas is not, I repeat, IS NOT, about buying gifts and therefore accumulating gifts in return.

Christmas is the time of year where we, as prosperous North American's, have the opportunity to give to those who are not as fortunate as we are. To pack and deliver hampers full essentials to someone living in Manitoba housing, to purchase 20 pizza's for a orphanage of kids in Indonesia and to give to a charity who is helping to improve lives in our city.

While I am not against gifting our loved ones or showing affection though gifts, I must proclaim that we as a culture have dreadfully and regrettably missed the mark concerning Christmas. As an irreligious follower of Jesus Christ I find no need to 'preach' to you and bombard you with scriptures concerning giving, simply because I believe that giving is something, whether religious, non-religious or irreligious, that is completely imperative in our world.

There will always be those who are less fortunate than ourselves, this fact is true. This fact also provides a glorious opportunity to show LOVE to those who happen to find themselves in a less than fortunate circumstance.

This Christmas - I CHALLENGE YOU - to spend your money and/or time on someone who is not as 'blessed' as you are. Find someone who is perhaps from a lower socio-economic class and be a blessing in their life. Find someone who is barely scraping by and help them back to their feet. YOU as a North American consumer have tremendous buying power, now get your priorities straight and use that buying power to help someone else. I am sick and tired of the "it's-all-about-me" attitude. Lets take it, stomp on it, cut it up, spit on it and throw it out. It is time for a serious overhaul of our priorities during the Christmas season...

I hope you take something from this.

Be blessed, and bless.

You Don't Know What Love Is...

I stumbled upon a new band this week. One that I am particularly fascinated with. I think you will enjoy their work, if you do make the $9.99 jump and purchase their album Home on iTunes.

Allow me to introduce you to Mike Mains and the Branches.

I think I love you.

You don't know what love is.

I know that it's great, and it's different. It's when you give and give of yourself, until your tank is on empty, just to be with the one you love. And you bleed on the inside at the thought of losing them. At least that's how I feel...

I love different definitions of LOVE. The one you just read is a pure picture of innocence.

I truly believe that we need to get back to that form of innocence...

I Am Living

A few months ago a friend showed me a video series called I Am Living. This campaign is put together by a group called Come and Live. The simple yet profound mission statement of Come and Live is: "To Establish the kingdom of God within a community of musicians."

This video series takes a look into the personal lives of musicians such as Jake Luhrs, Aaron Gillespie and Tommy Green. Each musician sharing a very inspirational story of how God has worked in and through their lives.

Check it out...

On another note, I honestly do try to get around to blogging as much as possible, with a million things on the go it is often hard to find the time, but I assure you I'll keep hanging around here.

Happy

Today at work I composed a playlist entitled "Good Hearted Electronic Tunes." The goal was simple: To make myself feel happy as I ploughed through a long day.

Music has a huge amount of power and influence over our lives. Music is all around us, all the time. Because of the power that music has I am convinced that listening to positive music makes a huge difference in our mental states. While I am not about to quote you a list of sources I am going to take the word of my educated mother when she tells me that minor keys make people sad.

Think about it. Quickly compare some Death Cab with Owl City and you will see the difference instantly. Putting aside the insane amount of synth layers, you will notice that the driving melodies make you feel encouraged, happy and joyful as opposed to sad, reflected and all around chill.

Now, there is nothing wrong with mellow music, I myself am a complete fan of Death Cab and the like. But too much of anything is a bad thing.

You + Too Much Death Cab = A sad you...

In the same regard...

You + Too Much Owl City = Everyone wanting to punch you!

The math is simple. So, if you're listening to too much sad music switch it up a little and play this video...

and if you're listening to too much happy music try this one out for size...

Moderation in everything is the key.

Peace and Love, or else...

FML

Dear friends, I have to let you in on a personal pet peeve.

No elegantly worded introduction - My blood boils when I see the letters FML.

Think I am overreacting? Allow me to explain.

FML is common vernacular for this tech savvy generation. FML means Fuck My Life, it is a term used over and over again on social media websites by teenagers and adults alike, usually after an explanation of a less-than-desireable circumstance or event.

I am not some stiff who doesn't understand the meaning of the term in its correct context or who thinks that kids shouldn't be cussing, but rather I am a conscientious young person who is bugged at the idea of people taking their lives for granted when we should be thankful for the lives that we have been given.

In my personal opinion, feel free to agree or disagree, the phrase FML is unsophisticated, unintelligible and most of all, ungrateful. It is a dumbed down term that casts a shadow over the prosperity and blessing that most people using the term have experienced.

I don't need to whip out a bunch of statistics for you to comprehend the fact that you owning a computer puts you in richest x% of the worlds population. You know this already, now start being grateful for it. Start using it to empower those in your life. Start using this fact to change perceptions of your generation.

Your life is so much bigger than your FML's.

That's my rant. That's it. That's all.

Rob Bell and Love Wins: A Final Response

I came across Rob Bell a few years ago through his Nooma series of DVD's. I can remember being instantly captured by the way Bell spoke and articulated his words. He has this stagger in his sentences, it's a beautifully artistic way of speaking. I guess that through my love of words I was drawn into his.

This initial attraction to style and presentation made me want to wade deeper into his teaching materials, his ideas and philosophies. After watching a host of Nooma DVD's I turned my attention towards his book Jesus Wants to Save Christians which turned out to be theology that was easily understood as it was presented in the aforementioned Rob Bell style. I found

Jesus Wants to Save Christians particularly intriguing especially in regards to the political statements made concerning America as an empire, bound to fall. But hey, we are not about to go there as that is another can of worms itself.

Other notable resources of Bell's that I have entertained are Sex God, a book that when read side by side with Ralph Erwin McManus' Soul Cravings radically changed my view of love, and his DVD Everything is Spiritual, a resource I would recommend to anyone wondering how Christianity and science can find co-existance.

It was not until sometime after these materials were read that I heard about Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. I understood that there was a fair bit of controversy surrounding the book but chose to hold off reading reviews before I could get my hands on it and make up my own mind about his teachings.

First off, Love Wins provokes the need for open dialogue and sincere conversation. If you have questions about this book I and many other would be more than willing to walk through them with you. In the same regard, if you are going to converse about the teachings in Love Wins please do so with honesty, modesty and ultimately tact.

So here it is... I do not have a problem with Rob Bell's book Love Wins.

Before you get all jacked up I need to let you know that I am not going to enter the universalist debate nor am I going to entertain the conversation on what hell really is. In fact, I am going to steer away from the ‘hot topics’ that are written about in this book and rather address the book as a general whole.

I believe that Love Wins is a book filled with ideas and topics conjured up to spark conversation. Rob Bell proposes (or rather 're'proposes) a twenty-first century way of looking at age old Christian teachings. Do I agree with everything that Bell offers up? By no means. I believe that some scripture has been taken out of context and believe that doing so is a dangerous thing. But ultimately, in reading Love Wins I was given a hope.

By no means does Rob Bell answer all the questions that I have ever had about Christianity, Jesus or God. In fact, he offers my mind a whole host of new questions that I have never had to think about before. Now, for someone who does not understand the Christian faith in its fundamental values this can possibly be a dangerous thing. But in my personal experience with this book, Rob Bell asked the questions and I drew more personal conclusions in regards to my own belief than I could have done without his prodding.

The hope that I was given through reading this book was simply: Love Wins.

The idea that love conquers everything. I wholeheartedly believe that God is love. The scriptures tell me that and it is evident throughout history. Now, we must be careful not to paint God as a teddy bear or cosmic heart because he is more than that. I am convinced that God is love, through and through His being, but I am also convinced that God is a God of justice and jealousy wishing for none to suffer but giving everyone the option to follow Him or to blaze their own trial. Milton once said in his book Paradise Lost that God had created humans sufficient to stand yet free to fall. I fully believe that statement, and since creation did fall God is more than willing to redeem the fallen if we choose to seek Him.

The main thing for me is that I need to hope and trust in Love. Love is a force of attraction and I believe that God is also that same force. A beautiful force that I pray everyone can experience in the ways I have.

Now, if you came to this page looking for a hot topic debate on some of the “issues” found in Love Wins I am glad that I disappointed you. I have seen enough back and forth debates on the internet between stubborn parties from all sides. Allow me to reiterate my previous statement: Love Wins provokes the need for open dialogue and sincere conversation. If you have questions about this book I and many other would be more than willing to walk through them with you. In the same regard, if you are going to converse about the teachings in Love Wins please do so with honesty, modesty and ultimately tact.

But regardless of what you believe about Love Wins I hope that you can see past the debatable aspects of the book and focus on the central theme. The fact that God is love. That God loves people, and that we are to love and serve God with our lives, whatever shape that may take.

"May you experience this vast,

expansive, infinite, indestructible love

that has been yours all along.

May you discover that this love is as wide

as the sky and as small as the cracks in

your heart no one else knows about.

And may you know,

deep in your bones,

that love wins." - Rob Bell

Hope.

Ever wonder what happens when you die? I do. All the time.

I am pretty confident in what will eventually happen to my soul, but it is not mine that I worry about.

My only hope is that the God of the Bible is a God of mercy and a God of grace.

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE

"At Once I Knew, I Was Not Magnificent"

This title line is taken from Bon Iver's Holocene, the song featured in my most recent post.

I have been listening to this album a lot (A LOT - 2 words not 1!) lately, I simply love it. My iTunes play count has well surpassed a sum of 150 plays within a week of owning the album.

The line "... and at once I knew, I was not magnificent" has got me thinking. You know those conversations when it's you and your friend looking at the night sky and then you realize that your problems, your duties and even your life ultimately mean nothing?

Think about it, there are billions of people who currently live on earth and there have been hundreds of billions to walk the earth before you have, so why would you be anymore special than the countless others? I know I have had a few of these experiences, just attempting to comprehend human history, the inevitable future and how a single life like me can somehow fit in there. I guess these questions walk the same line as trying to figure out a meaning to our lives in the grand scheme of things... It's pointless - isn't it?

While I have often taken the viewpoint explained about seen life as nearly pointless - through faith I see everything in a completely different regard.

I see a beauty in the intricate design of each individual that walked this earth. Understanding that each person had their own personality, physical characteristics and unique composition.

I see a vastness that is overwhelming. God created a universe and people with souls to fill it. I must let go of what I think I know, and hang on for the ride of this big ol' plan of His.

I see an opportunity to make a difference. I can take the life that I was given and rather than dwell on how insignificant I may be, I can use my experience and my circumstances to aid those who have found themselves trapped in the same circumstances. I can use my life to better the lives of those around me.

Rather than reflecting on how small and insignificant my life may seem to be, I love to look at the aspects of faith and God, attempting to make those fit in with my idea of the world.

It ultimately boils down to this: Love. My religion is not some form of Christianity but rather love. I believe in love, the ability for every person no matter who they are or where they come from to be drawn to this force, this LOVE.

1 John 4:8b - "For God is Love"

Somehow, though it all, LOVE WINS, period.

It's That Time of Year Again

In case you have not noticed, it's summer time.

As my fingers strike these keys my eyes look over a vast body of water with the sun slowly setting behind the hills in the distance. I would take a picture for you but I couldn't care less about my Blackberry right now.

I must say, I love summer. A few nights ago I was in disbelief as a bunch of us old friends gathered around the campfire just like "old times." It seems that year after year I find myself hanging out with the same people, doing the same things and loving every moment of it.

Believe me, if I could take you here, I would. You'd love every second of it. Enjoying the sun, the water, the food, the people. Everything.

Absolutely everything.

Back to Back

A few months ago I was perusing the good ol' Facebook news feed when I saw a video come up. . It had been posted by a cousin of mine who had taken a year of school in England, and like most things in my news feed, I clicked on it. It turned out to be the band "Wolf Gang", a relatively unknown group of gentlemen from England, playing a beautiful acoustic song titled Back to Back.

Between the trench coat, cup slide, fingerpicking, messes of hair and chirping birds, I fell in love. Take a listen to this tune because you won't regret it.

Oh, and on another note... Happy Canada Day!

I am convinced that I live in the best nation on earth, not bragging or anything...

‎"There are no limits to the majestic future which lies before the mighty expanse of Canada with its virile, aspiring, cultured, and generous-hearted people." - Winston Churchill

The True North, Strong and Free.

Yukon Blonde + C.S. Lewis + The Bible = Whatever You Want It To

I got into the car, put the key in the ignition, turned it, rolled down the windows, opened the sun roof, and drove. This is my usual procedure when getting into the car, except this time something pleasantly peculiar happened. Once the car started up a sound filled my ears, a rather pleasant sound reminding me of far off places I have dreamt of yet never seen.

My years were filled with the joyous noises of Yukon Blonde. Yes, another BC band that has once again expanded my musical library. I encourage you to take a listen, I'll pop out a extremely positive review of this album within the coming week.

As for now, take a listen...

Anyways, it has been a rough week on about 50% of the frontlines. While one part of me is celebrating being done school, officially starting up my summer, another part of me is sad. Yup, sad is the best way to describe it. This week has been a whirlwind of constant poor news amongst my friendship circles. Throughout everything I have been holding on to a few quotes and scripture passages, allow me to share.

“Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.” - C.S. Lewis

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." - 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

Be Blessed.

Electronic Pop Prayers

I have to say, this song pretty much blows my mind.

I was doing some searching of "electronic pop" tunes on YouTube in the hopes of helping one of my brothers develop some of his music and I came across this track.

It makes me speechless to a degree, I see the tune almost as a prayer, a beautiful electronic pop prayer.

Boom! Take a listen, you won't regret it.

God hears your prayers, even the electronic pop ones.

Opportunity, Take It.

I need to tell you something.

When a window opens, pop out the screen and contort your body until you fit through it.

Why no door analogy you may ask? Because I am not talking about the opportunities that you are thinking about. Not the typical things like different jobs, items on the lunch menu or anything else that while being somewhat important, happens routinely.

I am talking about making the most out of those little moments. Those moments that you would usually pass by and not think anything of. It happens a million times a day, missed connections. You have the chance to make a difference in someones life, but because of social norms or your own insecurities you don't.

Take a chance, do something you don't usually do and jump on those minute, fleeting opportunities. You won't regret it.

I Wanna Borrow the Light, Use it On You When the Sun Goes Down

A few weeks ago I downloaded the iTunes pick of the week. A free song, who wouldn't download it? The artist who was up for grabs this particular week was Sean Rowe with his song called Surprise. When I clicked the download button I didn't know that I was clicking yes to a flood of beautiful emotion.

Sure enough, Surprise rocked my world.

The song seems to speak of some form of reflection mixed with an element of starting anew.

This song suits my point in life right now, having just come off a graduation ceremony for a bunch of my friends, meeting another host of new friends and simply knowing that no matter what - life continues to roll on.

Well friends, enjoy this tune.

"You were nothing but the fragrance of an old dream, That was just time playing tricks on my mind. You've escaped from all the pictures that I remember, You come back as a bottle of wine. In your letters, I can see your mouth was moving, Your voice was at the tip of my recall. Then your ghost could only brush against my t-shirt, And now your body shows up to take it all. And your movements, I could match before your maker I know them deep enough to paint them in the air. Life is a liquid, and I stretch far past its boarders. I have a feeling you'll be waiting for me there. And my city shakes its head at my wilderness, And my heart has built a mind for itself. And I have found a little shelter inside of a sickness. I'll be waiting for the icicles to melt. But I want to borrow the light, Use it on you when the sun goes down. Let's lead the rusted old folks back in the city Where they belong. Where they belong. And your children, like little wolves that go unnoticed, As the diamonds play their gimmick against the sand. And I have found an ocean in the doorway of your body, I know the secret, but I haven't got a plan. And I want to borrow the light, Use it on you, when the sun goes down. Let's lead these rusted old folks, back in the city Where they belong. There was a cloud in my face And now I gotta wash my eyes. 'Cause I though love was just a strip mall, Baby, you are a surprise. You are a surprise."

Oh, and one more thing. I need to link you into a blog, one that I enjoy reading so much and am sure you will as well.

This is a girl from BC I met incredably randomly, the meeting story can be read here.

Her blog is a solid list of personal thoughts mixed with Serious West coast music. You can read that here.

Love and Peace, or else.

A Lesson in Music Appreciation

Dear Western Culture as a whole,

I have a bone to pick with you.

Today marks the internet release of Every Teardrop is a Waterfall by world renown band, Coldplay. A pretty big day for Coldplay fans as they, like any fan, thrive off new material. Last December Coldplay released a tune called Christmas Lights, fans and critics both enjoyed the song as it was described as sticking to the "traditional Coldplay sound."

But with today's release comes a lot of negative feedback, "too upbeat", "too poppy", too this and too that. This is where I draw the line and where I believe that we need a valuable lesson in music appreciation.

Lets stick with our current example of Coldplay for a few minutes... These dudes are some of the most successful musicians on the face of the earth, they have been playing music for years and continue to grow in popularity. Now, when they release a song that you don't like, what do you do?

You can take a whole list of approaches to this new music, but here I am going to encourage you to take an understanding that needs to be more prevalent in our society.

Music evolves. It is a 100% natural progression.

Don't believe me?

What did you listen to when you were 10? Backstreet Boys? The Soul Brothers? Spice Girls?

What do you listen to now? PitBull? The Soul Brothers? Lady Gaga?

What I am trying to illustrate is that your musical preferences have evolved as you have evolved in age. In the same way a musician, with age, maturity and a host of other characteristics evolves the music that they produce.

We need to start building a collective understanding that just because "I" don't like it, it is not rubbish. The beauty of music is that it reaches out to everyone, it can be interpreted in 100 different ways and therefore it creates a broad spectrum of enjoyment.

I happen to know a bunch of guys that love their metal. Personally, I am not a fan. It doesn't really strike a cord with me, but does that mean that all metal music is terrible? Of course not, I will be the first one to admit that a lot of those musicians have serious talent.

So, this is going to require a group effort... Stretch out a hand to music and musicians that you may not necessarily like. Instead of bashing music, try to understand it.

Peace, Love and Coldplay

Walk On...

Sunday May 29th, 2011 will stand out as one of the most memorable days of my life thus far.

It all started out with a pretty crumby morning, falling asleep Saturday night fully clothed and in a ridiculously uncomfortable position on the basement couch. After that I managed to wake up only 10 minutes before having to leave the house for church. But despite having terribly messy hair I just tossed on a toque and went from there, perks of being a male I guess.

I was privileged to hear quite the message given by Andy Moore (@AdorePastor) from Victoria BC, talking about Elijah and perseverance through tough times. Andy had stayed with my family over this past weekend during his stay in the Peg, he is a totally solid dude.

Anyways, once the gathering was over and I turned to exit the theatre (yes, we have church in a movie theatre) I looked a few rows up and saw a face that I had only seen on T.V. As many of you know, I have been a die hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan for as long as I can remember. I have put up with more crap than you could dream of, but it all paid off. The Toronto Maple Leafs dignity saver, oh, and starting goaltender was a stones throw away. After some pushing and prodding I was dragged over and shook James Reimer's hand and snapped a picture. A pretty good rebound to the crappy sleep.

After meeting Reimer we took Andy to the airport, sent him on his way and got ready for the U2 concert. I have had my ticket since the day that they went on sale early last fall.

My first memorable exposure to U2 was at a funeral back in 2003. The individual who died was an avid U2 fan and the majority of All That You Can't Leave Behind was played at her funeral. From this point forward I dug out all my Dad's U2 albums, most notably Rattle and Hum, Actung Baby and The Joshua Tree. I listened everyday for quite sometime, and it was at this point where I promised myself that I would see them live before they called it quits.

Sure enough, I fulfilled the vow I made to myself last night at 7pm.

The show started as the Fray came on stage and put together a great set, although it seemed to drone on for moments as they lost my attention more than once. Either way, they rocked it, great guys with great voices.

Once the Fray left the stage it was a solid hour and a bit before we finally saw Bono, the Edge, Larry and Adam. To pass the time, a formation of 3 planes did dives over the 50,000 people packed in Canad Inns Stadium, each time eliciting a loud roar from the crowd.

Now, when I finally saw the 4 men that make up U2, I went nuts. They hit the stage with a roaring thunder and never let up. The most memorable time of the whole show was the last half where they played a series of older tunes such as One, With or Without You and my all time personal favourite; Walk On.

I sang every word as loud as I could, often noticing that a lady one row up from me kept giving me strange looks, but hey, I'm at U2, I could care less. Actually, I think there may have been a tear in my eye when they played Walk On, it was the perfect culmination of listening to All That You Can't Leave Behind a million times.

So for all the hype that surrounded U2 it was more than worth it. The experience of having so many people packed into a stadium and then to see the biggest band in the world walk onto the stage was worth every penny spent. I would do it again in a heart beat.

My love for Bono, the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton has grown more than you know. Such marvellous music, such a brilliant show.

("The Milky Way" from U2 360 in Winnipeg)

(Ending Out the Show in Style, from U2 360 in Winnipeg)

If you have the opportunity to see U2 on the 360 tour, or on any tour for that matter, do it! You will not regret it.

Let me leave you with a U2 lyric...

"And if the darkness is to keep us apart

And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off

And if your glass heart should crack

And for a second you turn back

Oh no, be strong

Walk on..."

This Week in Winnipeg

This last weekend was May long, and what does that mean for Winnipegers? Time to head out to the cottage and get ready for summer. It rained for the majority of the weekend, no surprise as I can't remember a dry May long, but either way, we got together with friends and just had a blast.

Lots of yard work and cottage repairs, oh and we were also impacted by some of the Manitoba flooding. We happened to lose an old church pew that once sat on our now non-existant beach as the waves crashed upon shore and took everything back into the lake. But hey, better a church pew than the whole cottage right?

I have to tell you, I am more than excited for the summer. For the sent of freshly cut grass and the joy of seeing all the pasty whites turn to a golden brown. Summer is a beautiful time in Winnipeg, it seems like when March comes around every person in this city is squirming and waiting for the sun and warm weather.

Oh, and what about the Jets? There is an insane buzz in this town! A few months ago a cousin of mine told me he was 99% convinced that the Jets (Aka: A Winnipeg NHL team) would be coming back for the 2011-12 season. And it seems like this whole idea may just become a reality in the coming weeks. Horray for the Peg!

Yesterday on the Portage and Main Party Facebook page I saw the best comment regarding the Jets yet! The user suggested that during the singing of the National Anthem at all future Jets games the crowd should shout "True North" really loud, like Dallas does for "Stars" and Detroit does for "Red". Of course, True North is the company looking to bring back the NHL to Winnipeg and this term also refers to the cold felt in Winnipeg winters. Either way, I like it.

Seem's like an exciting week to come in this city!

Love and Peace, or else.