“Are you okay?” “Where were you on Saturday?”
These were two questions I heard my dad ask as he called me earlier in the week and also two questions I read in emails directed to me. It was in reference to the rallies that took place, or tried to take place, last Saturday here in Prague and the international coverage they received. Oh by the way, the easy answers to those questions are, “Yes I’m fine,” and “I was two hours away from Prague.”

Neo-nazis and anarchists tried to march and have rallies downtown. The key word is try. I’ve read several articles this week trying to decipher what actually happened and I still am highly confused. So I thought I would give you a couple links to check out if you so desire (click here or here or here) and the video below from youtube. I have to warn you if you go to the youtube page that houses this video you will see many angry and obscene responses, so be warned. I do recommend watching the video right here on my blog. It’s in Czech but someone translated over it in English. Its just a news report about what happened last Saturday.

Needless to say, as I’ve read all of this and watched several videos I’ve been at a complete loss to what the heck is going and what happened. I get the gist of the neo-nazis a bit and what they are about, but the anarchists and their purpose yeah…I have no idea. What I think we got here is a lot of angry young men who don’t know what to do with that anger.

What’s interesting is this came just days after I read a post entitled Jesus Hardcore: Reaching Angry Mosh-Pit White Guys by Anthony Bradley over at TheResurgence.com . Bradley thinks out loud a bit and challenges the men of America to reach out to angry young men:

Can Christianity reach this awesome sub-culture? Not without a new brand of leaders. Most Christian men today are too soft, passive, and fearful to have any credibility with this growing movement. American Christianity often produces the kind of men that ‘the hardcore’ detests. Hardcore needs to be embraced, not condemned by the church.

Hardcore culture can be reached by a new brand of hardcore missionaries–men who have ‘salt and light’ fortitude and move toward human brokenness instead of away from it. This is where missional men come in.

Well, it’s not just American Christians who need to figure this out. Check out the whole of the article and pray for us here in Prague and Europe as it seems these groups of angry young men are on the rise. We will see what happens today in Prague as there are rumors floating around about more rallies, especially since today is the 18th anniversary of the fall of communism, that took place November 17, 1989. Here are a couple of articles (here and here) about what could happen today. May the God or radical love who beat down sin and death become King of these guys’ lives.

As promised here is another installment of zhtv. I have to get out the door… I’m getting dinner with my good friend, Jason McFarland, and then heading to church for a special night of worship!

I’ve figured out what was wrong with my subscription feed with iTunes, click the little podcast guy to subscribe to my feed via iTunes so you can watch this on your iPod. Blessings!

No I don’t have any kids coming, you will have to watch the video to see what’s up with this. Have a blessed day!

Here are a couple of quick updates before I go to bed for the night. Tanya and Molly (if you don’t know what I’m talking about see post below) made it to Prague and are more than likely sleeping off their jet lag at the Czech Inn right now. The Prague Lions are once again Junior League Champs! We have had a 3 year drought on the Junior team, but we beat the Bratislava Monarchs 19-14 today. It was a great game for our fans, but a bit stressful for us coaches. It got a bit crazy at times, but nothing as crazy as what you will see below. Just had to post it (found it at ElClinto’s). I’m off to bed!

Good Morning from a wet (what’s new) Prague! The wet October I posted about last month, seems to be continuing into November (can you believe it’s November?). I would like it to accumulate into a boat load of snow come another month. Prague under snow is absolutely magical! Anyway, I just wanted to get a brief update about today and the week ahead. First off, today we have our championship game with the Junior team. The game is against, Bratislava (Slovakia) who beat us 6-0 nothing about a month ago on a 70 yard QB sneak on 4th and 1. Yeah it wasn’t cool. So it should be an exciting game.

I also have my first visitors to Prague that are not family! Don’t get me wrong I love my family, but in my 18 months of living here before no friends made it over, which was a bummer. But that is beginning to change. In 30 minutes Tanya (a close college friend) and Molly (married to one of my best friends from College – Wish you were here too Shane!) will arrive for a week to scout out Prague, see what is going on here, and pray about their church (Epikos – Milwaukee) partnering to reach this city. It’s part of a really cool idea that has been drummed up in the hearts and prayers of leaders at Epikos, Tom and my good friend, and their pastor, Danny. Please pray everything goes smoothly and that God really shows up in the lives of Tanya and Molly this week. I’m excited that we will meet a lot of great people this week and talk about reaching this city with the Gospel. Thanks for stopping by. I need to bail!

Death. It’s a strange thing. There is something deep down in me, that says, “This isn’t right. It shouldn’t be this way.” I thought these words as I walked through town tonight after getting the news of a very good family friend who just found out he has terminal cancer only have days. “It’s not supposed to be this way.” That is what the Bible so clearly says; tonight, I’m reminded we live outside the garden. We live in a fallen, cursed world, full of death and destruction. It makes me long for something more.

Something more. More.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:22-23)

Groaning. Longing. More.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

God’s bigger. No tears. No death. Newness.

So here I sit just minutes after saying good-bye to Don. As I said good-bye, through my tears, I was reminded about how Don, Les (his amazing wife) and his 3 kids took in my family after our house burned down 25 years ago and how they have consistently loved the Harrod family through the 25 years since. My heart aches for Don and Les and his family, but Don’s words were amazing – “God is good. I know where I am going, but I hurt for my family, but God is good.”

Amazing. Sheer beauty.

Please pray for Don and Les and their family. I love you more than you know!

When I got done uploading the video below, I found this one and just had to throw it on the blog. This so beautifully shows off my home! Enjoy it!

I love living here. I don’t know if you know that, but I really love living here in Prague. I try to get out into the city as much as I can, I find that ‘s its good for my soul. Well, yesterday we (Jason, Mark and Jason’s sister) went out to shoot some pics and we ran into the group you see in the video above. It was actually rather entertaining! I’m pretty sure they were doing it to stay warm, because winter is just around the corner here. It was a bit of a culture shock moment because this is about non-Czech as a group of people can get. I’m not really sure where they were from, or what language the were singing in, but it was delightful! Here are a couple of pics I snapped of the color here right now! Blessings…