tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27825135342201842922024-03-25T10:06:57.072-04:00The IntersectionWhere faith and values meet popular cultureTony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-28185558338581184922011-05-23T19:16:00.004-04:002011-05-23T19:24:28.419-04:00The Christophers: Bearing Christ in the Stories<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4s_LD3MHvXQ/TdrsRfHqOYI/AAAAAAAAAig/O-J71fN-Mas/s1600/ChristopherMedallion.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 195px; height: 199px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4s_LD3MHvXQ/TdrsRfHqOYI/AAAAAAAAAig/O-J71fN-Mas/s320/ChristopherMedallion.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610056070998931842" /></a> What do Akira Kurosawa, M. Night Shyamalan, Denzel Washington, Ken Burns, Jason Reitman, Cardinal Avery Dulles, Rod Serling, Bishop Fulton Sheen, David Mamet, Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Heaton, Will Smith, Bob Dole, Clint Eastwood, and Big Bird all have in common?<br /><br />They have all been honored by The Christophers for outstanding work in media and communications.<br /><br />When he won a Christopher Award for his work on the 2002 CBS News special, "9/11," writer/editor and Catholic Deacon Greg Kandra counted the prize as especially meaningful. Although the documentary had also brought him an Emmy and a Peabody Award, "Of all of them, the Christopher means the most to me, because it speaks most directly to the higher calling of working in the media—the effort to act as a candle in the darkness and be, somehow, a tiny beacon of hope."<br /><br />Christopher Awards producer Tony Rossi with Shannon Hickey, founder of Mychal's Message ministry and recipient of the 2011 James Keller Award which recognizes young people who are changing the world for the better. <br /><br />"It comes down to the power of storytelling," says Christopher Awards Producer Tony Rossi. "Whether they're fiction or non-fiction, stories have the power to make us think in ways that preaching doesn't. Stories don't necessarily tell us how to think or act. Instead, they show us the results of thinking or acting a certain way and let us make up our own minds."<br /><br />Recognizing excellence in Film, Television and Books for both children and adults, The Christophers presented their 62nd Annual Awards on May 19, 2011 in categories covering both fiction and non-fiction. Honorees in attendance included director Tom Hooper and screenwriter David Seidler of the Academy Award-winning The King's Speech. Attendees were addressed by two special award winners whose lives also tell great stories: Shannon Hickey—the 21-year-old Foundress of Mychal's Message and recipient of the James Keller Award in recognition of her ministry to the homeless; and Christopher Leadership Award winner Captain Scotty Smiley—the U.S. Army's first blind active-duty officer and the current commander of the Warrior Transition Unit for ailing or wounded soldiers at West Point.<br /><br />(To read further, go to <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Christophers-Bearing-Christ-in-the-Stories-Elizabeth-Scalia-05-23-2011.html">Patheos.com</a>.)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-15966175426155594102011-04-12T19:19:00.002-04:002011-04-12T19:24:08.151-04:00Why "Lost" Still Matters<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0dMzHYTzcE/TaTe_XjITBI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/Z9RkOW7Zh64/s1600/Lost.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 212px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0dMzHYTzcE/TaTe_XjITBI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/Z9RkOW7Zh64/s320/Lost.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594841817335483410" /></a> The ABC TV series "Lost" left the air almost a year ago, yet it continues to generate lots of emotion from fans and detractors. Recently the show's Executive Producers, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were blind-sided by insults from popular fantasy author George R.R. Martin, whose book Game of Thrones has been turned into an HBO mini-series, and who continues work on his Song of Fire and Ice book series.<br /><br />Martin expressed concern about finding a satisfying ending for his series saying, "What if I f--- it up at the end? What if I do a Lost?"<br /><br />That comment struck Lindelof and Cuse as unnecessarily harsh; they had poured their hearts and souls into "Lost's" storytelling. Both men responded on Twitter—Lindelof with some zingers directed at Martin; Cuse more succinctly with the statement, "We never raise ourselves up by demeaning the work of others."<br /><br />Having watched "Lost" from the beginning, I think the level of animosity directed at it is completely unwarranted. The show told a brilliant, engaging story in a way that made it matter to people. In fact, it's a story that I believe continues to matter.<br /><br />For the uninitiated, "Lost" dealt with a group of plane crash survivors who landed on a mysterious, mystical island. Initially, these castaways were emotionally-crippled souls without any genuine human connections, but through the love and responsibility they exhibited toward each other, they were able to grow as human beings—to move past the tragedies, mistakes, and obsessions that haunted them and eventually arrive in a state of grace. Despite everything you may hear about the show's complicated mythology, these are the issues the show was about at its core.<br /><br />Before the haters and naysayers chime in, I do acknowledge that "Lost's" mythology grew unwieldy, and numerous threads were not tied up. But to paraphrase Shakespeare, "Lost" is a show far more sinned against than sinning. It dared to deal with big issues—faith and doubt, sin and redemption, earthly life and the afterlife—through some of the most well-drawn and acted characters ever created on television.<br /><br />Take the issues of faith and doubt: There was an ongoing clash between the characters Jack Shephard and John Locke about whether our actions and experiences in life have some unseen purpose, or whether only those things that can be scientifically proven and deduced are real.<br /><br />In one heated exchange, Locke screams at Jack, "Why do you find it so hard to believe?" Jack responds, "Why do you find it so easy?" Locke exclaims, "It's never been easy!"<br /><br />Right there, you've got an encapsulated version of questions that most believers of all stripes have grappled with. In a world where earthquakes and tsunamis kill thousands, where people who've made evil decisions live to a ripe old age while innocent children die in accidents or from diseases, there can seem like plenty of reasons not to believe in a benevolent God. Yet if people are humble enough to consider the possibility that a reality exists beyond what the senses can experience, they may come to notice connections and meanings they never knew were there. "Lost" did an excellent job of bringing those questions and struggles to light in a way that resonates with the open-minded.<br /><br />(To cotinue reading, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Why-Lost-Still-Matters-Tony-Rossi-04-12-2011.html">go to Patheos.com</a>.)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-8066023237049007172011-03-31T19:26:00.002-04:002011-03-31T19:30:05.049-04:00A Hitman, a Priest, and a Confession<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxeGQES6sHA/TZUOY8LZJ6I/AAAAAAAAAiI/moZTHFXvnYk/s1600/TheConfession.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 219px; height: 284px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxeGQES6sHA/TZUOY8LZJ6I/AAAAAAAAAiI/moZTHFXvnYk/s320/TheConfession.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590390334083901346" /></a>When a cold-blooded hitman bursts into a hotel room to execute someone, the intended victim does something unexpected: he asks the hitman for a moment to make his peace with God. The hitman lowers his gun as the victim takes a chain with a crucifix from around his neck, holds it tightly in his hands, kneels down with eyes closed, and begins moving his lips in silent prayer. Now peaceful and resigned to his fate, the victim opens his eyes, looks at the hitman, and says, "I forgive you." The hitman hesitates, looking confused and even regretfully at a peace he's never seen before, but then pulls the trigger anyway.<br /><br />That's the incident that propels the story in the new online web series on Hulu.com, and across the DBG network, called The Confession. Shot partially in the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York City, the series stars Kiefer Sutherland as the hitman, and John Hurt as the priest to whom he contentiously goes to gain an understanding of what he witnessed.<br /><br />Sutherland's character is definitely complex. He enters the confessional and speaks words from a bygone era of his childhood: "Bless me Father for I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed. I confess to Almighty God and to you, Father. It's been thirty-five years since my last confession."<br /><br />When the priest asks if he's sorry for his sins, he says, "No," and goes on to explain he killed a man last night. The hitman isn't there for forgiveness, but rather to understand the peace he witnessed come over his victim the night before.<br /><br />This begins a back-and-forth between Sutherland and Hurt that is intercut with scenes from the hitman's past. Though the flashbacks are interesting and well-done, the meat of the story hinges on the dynamic Sutherland and Hurt bring to their roles and their natural gravitas as actors. I felt like I could listen to the two of them debate morality and theology for an hour without getting bored. Those areas of morality and theology set this story apart.<br /><br />(To continue reading, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Hitman-a-Priest-and-a-Confession-Tony-Rossi-03-30-2011?offset=0&max=1">go to Patheos.com</a>.)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-70790359995670760992011-02-03T10:11:00.001-05:002011-02-03T10:14:00.465-05:00Catholics, Nazis, and Rat-Eating Aliens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TUrGH4X36AI/AAAAAAAAAiA/Jh1Xj0Brws0/s1600/V.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TUrGH4X36AI/AAAAAAAAAiA/Jh1Xj0Brws0/s320/V.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569481727890941954" /></a> It's rare for a TV series to make a Catholic priest one of its primary characters, but that's what the ABC show "V" did when it debuted in 2009. Not only was the character generally positive and even heroic, but as the show has evolved in Season 2, themes that hold special interest for Catholics have garnered a higher profile too.<br /><br />In case you're not familiar with the basics: "V" is the story of a civilization of human-looking-aliens who come to earth under the guise of being friendly. Dubbed "the Visitors" (or Vs for short) and led by their queen Anna (Morena Baccarin) who promises "We are of peace, always," they provide humanity with healing centers to cure the incurable, clean energy that's free for the neediest, and promises of brotherhood and solidarity. To people whose needs are suddenly provided for, the Visitors are like gods.<br /><br />That makes Catholic priest Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch) suspicious, since he's living out his devotion to the real God. Father Landry and FBI agent Erica Evans (Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell) eventually discover the Visitors are not as peaceful or as harmless as they appear to be; they begin a resistance movement.<br /><br />Though "V" sounds like standard sci-fi fare, it manages to insert some genuine substance into its storytelling. For instance, one recent episode had Anna setting her sights on Father Jack—a threat because of his anti-Visitor sermons. Though the priest insists he is a man of peace, Anna captures video footage of him breaking up a fight; she edits it in a way that depicts him as advocating violence. When the video goes viral on the Internet, Anna believes she has discredited the priest's moral authority and weakened his opposition.<br /><br />(To continue reading at Patheos.com, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Catholics-Nazis-and-Rat-Eating-Aliens-Tony-Rossi-2-2-2011.html?&showAll=1">click here</a>.)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-73892406618653880882010-10-18T10:20:00.002-04:002010-10-18T10:23:59.754-04:00"The Life of a Christian Doesn't Guarantee Sunshine and Lollipops"<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TLxYZalnNdI/AAAAAAAAAhw/H_EjuTr42Fc/s1600/PHeaton.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TLxYZalnNdI/AAAAAAAAAhw/H_EjuTr42Fc/s320/PHeaton.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529391636161181138" /></a> Actress Patricia Heaton is well-known for playing a harried-but-loving wife and mom who makes us laugh, previously as Debra Barone on “Everybody Loves Raymond” and now as Frankie Heck on the ABC comedy “The Middle.” But it was a tragedy involving her own mother that shaped the Emmy Award winner’s life at an early age.<br /><br />When Heaton was 12, her mother died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. The resulting emotional and spiritual struggle lasted for years, but Heaton credits her Catholic upbringing with helping her achieve a level of acceptance and peace. On the Christopher Closeup radio show/podcast, she explained, “Many churches (say) if you’re a Christian, you really shouldn’t be suffering. In fact, suffering is a part of the walk, and I think that’s a very important torch the Catholics carry. You get made fun of for it a lot. The nuns always used to say, ‘Just offer it up.’ But it’s important because rain will come into your life and you need to be able to know that God is still there with you despite those problems.”<br /><br />Knowing that God is with you through struggles is a personal belief of Heaton’s that has also found it’s way into her work, specifically through her role as a producer of the film Amazing Grace, which told the story of William Wilberforce’s efforts to end the slave trade in the British empire. She was introduced to the story by her husband who is British, and drawn to it because Wilberforce’s commitment to solving this social problem was propelled by his Christian faith.<br /><br />Heaton said, “Probably the only thing that was able to keep him going was his faith because it literally took him forty years . . . And Wilberforce was sort of shunned from society . . . There’s a price to pay and I think that is one of the messages -- you have to be willing to sacrifice everything to follow God and to follow what He’s called you to do.”<br /><br />(To continue reading, go to <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Patricia-Heaton-The-Lens-of-Faith.html?&showAll=1">http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Patricia-Heaton-The-Lens-of-Faith.html?&showAll=1</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-26389662973831962982010-10-12T15:37:00.002-04:002010-10-12T15:40:51.590-04:00Healing the Hidden Suffering of Infertility<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TLS5mchVaXI/AAAAAAAAAho/mIub6u2ftJA/s1600/F%26FInfertility.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 194px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TLS5mchVaXI/AAAAAAAAAho/mIub6u2ftJA/s320/F%26FInfertility.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527246712832616818" /></a>“Infertility is one of the most painful things I have ever seen a couple or woman suffer with,” says Dr. Anne Mielnik, Director and co-founder of Gianna: The Catholic Healthcare Center for Women which opened less than a year ago in New York City. “For most of them, it is a hidden suffering.”<br /><br />Dr. Mielnik is doing her best to heal that pain, but unlike many doctors, she’s doing it in a way that’s completely pro-life.<br /><br />In vitro fertilization (IVF) has become the default method by which infertility is treated. Since it involves the creation and sometimes destruction of embryos, it’s morally incompatible with the fact that life begins at conception. That’s where Dr. Mielnik comes in, offering treatment through a relatively new method called NaPro which stands for Natural Procreative Technology.<br /><br />On the Christopher Closeup radio show/podcast, Dr. Mielnik explained, “NaPro refers to a comprehensive approach to evaluating and treating a woman’s reproductive problems including those that lead to infertility, recurrent miscarriage, pregnancy problems, and other disorders. It then treats the woman in a way that doesn’t shut down her cycle or try to bypass the cycle … We use what originally developed as a natural family planning chart - a woman recording the signs of her fertility—as a diagnostic tool.”<br /><br />(To continue reading, go to <a href="http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/features/a_hidden_kind_of_suffering">http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/features/a_hidden_kind_of_suffering</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-51893000805747758802010-09-28T09:40:00.002-04:002010-09-28T09:43:21.345-04:00"The Cure for Which Mankind Longs"<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TKHwg4N1hlI/AAAAAAAAAhg/F7FRRGzQ9Pc/s1600/KellerCelebs.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TKHwg4N1hlI/AAAAAAAAAhg/F7FRRGzQ9Pc/s320/KellerCelebs.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521959065769838162" /></a> "In this time of world crisis brought on by advancing inroads of materialism and godlessness, first-line Christophers have it in their power to snatch faith from disaster if they can be found in sufficiently large numbers to carry Christ into the marketplace."<br /><br />Father James Keller, M.M. who founded The Christophers sixty-five years ago wrote those words then, but their relevance holds true today.<br /><br />To continue reading, go to <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Cure-for-Which-Mankind-Longs.html">http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Cure-for-Which-Mankind-Longs.html</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-42445318387591715462010-09-15T15:33:00.004-04:002010-09-15T15:44:26.265-04:00"She is Far More a Blessing to Us Than We Are to Her"<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TJEfyD8NT0I/AAAAAAAAAhY/Rp453Xeln48/s1600/DEmensAndHaylee.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TJEfyD8NT0I/AAAAAAAAAhY/Rp453Xeln48/s320/DEmensAndHaylee.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517225963417325378" /></a> (Cross-posted at the <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeupblog">"Christopher Closeup" blog</a>)<br /><br />21-year-old Haylee Cain, feeling alone and hopeless, lay in her bed in an Alabama nursing home for senior citizens. She didn’t yet know that an article written by journalist Michelle Eubanks from “The Times Daily” newspaper would soon change her life in a dramatic way.<br /><br />Haylee was afflicted with a form of cerebral palsy that produced a lot of spasticity in her arms and legs. She wasn’t able to stand and had limited use of her hands. Though she had previously lived with her grandfather, his own health problems resulted in him not being able to care for her anymore. Haylee ended up in the nursing home of infirm senior citizens because Alabama has no state agency for people 21 or older “who suffer from physical, rather than intellectual, disabilities.” Though Haylee struggled with her body, her mind was sharp.<br /><br />One day, Michelle Eubanks from Florence, AL, “The Times Daily” got in touch with Haylee because she wanted to write a story about the disadvantage faced by people with strictly physical handicaps. Though reluctant to be interviewed, Haylee agreed to Michelle’s request thinking it might help others who found themselves in similar dire straits. <br /><br />The morning Michelle’s article was published, Tuscumbia, AL, resident Judson Emens brought the newspaper to his wife Donna and showed her the picture accompanying the story. “Do you know who that is?” he asked. Stunned, Donna happily exclaimed, “That’s our Haylee-bug!”<br /><br />It turns out that when Haylee was five-years-old, Donna was her aide in the Head Start program. She recalled on the “Christopher Closeup” radio show/podcast, “(Haylee) was absolutely the brightest spot in anybody’s day! She was so full of life and love.” <br /><br />Haylee often spent weekends and holidays with the Emens who came to love the girl’s unconquerable spirit. When Haylee eventually moved to Texas to live with extended family, Donna lost touch with her. She had recently heard through the grapevine that Haylee was back in Alabama. Though she desperately wanted to re-connect with her, she couldn’t because of privacy laws. The newspaper story was an answer to Donna’s prayers. <br /><br />Donna discovered that Haylee’s nursing home was only 10 minutes away from her home so she rushed over to visit. She said, “When (Haylee) saw me she started screaming, “Mama-bear!’ because that’s what she used to call me. I just started crying, I couldn’t help it. She was laying there so pitifully…She said, ‘Mom, I don’t belong behind these walls. I belong out there.’ And when she said that to me, I knew immediately that I was going to have to do something…When I came home, I was crying and my husband said, ‘How was it?’ And I said, ‘I just wanted to scoop her up and bring her home with me.’ His very next words were, ‘Go get her.’”<br /><br />Though the intention was good, Donna realized it wouldn’t be that easy. She and Judson were already in the process of adopting a 3-year-old girl named Nadia who they’d taken in when she was 4-months-old. Donna also held a job she loved at a cancer center. Their house was small and not particularly handicap-friendly. But as Donna said, “It just all started coming together. We prayed about it, we talked about it…We knew that if we didn’t bring her home with us that she was eventually going to be so depressed that I didn’t know if she would come out of it or not.”<br /><br />When asked where she got the courage to take someone with physical challenges and mobility issues into her home, Donna responded, “From God. God inspired my life with my brother who was Down Syndrome. He died five years ago at age 48. All my life, he has been the light of my life. I think God putting him in our lives helped us to realize that it’s good to help other people with needs.”<br /><br />The Emens’ lives have become more physically demanding since welcoming Haylee into their home because she needs to be lifted up or carried. “It’s a lot of physical activity,” says Donna who left her job to care for Haylee full time. “It just so happens that my husband and I have strong backs and strong arms and we’re very willing to do this for her.”<br /><br />A special van that could accommodate Haylee’s electric wheelchair would be a big help. The spasticity in her legs causes her to shake a lot, but her electric wheelchair keeps her muscles and legs steadier. Donna and Judson’s cars can only accommodate a manual wheelchair, however, so it makes going places more problematic. Locals have set up a fund to raise money for the vehicle.<br /><br />Living with the Emens has done wonders for Haylee’s physical condition and spirits. Whereas before, she couldn’t stand on her own or feed herself, she is now improving in both those areas. She also has a laptop and cell phone which she uses to communicate with friends. More importantly, Haylee has a new goal in life. Donna explains, “She wants to be a motivational speaker, and I really want her to because she is such a good speaker. She has a story and people need to hear it.”<br /><br />Though the Emens are focused on both Haylee and their adopted daughter Nadia, they’re keeping an eye on the bigger picture too. In January, they plan a trip to Montgomery, Alabama to see if they can get some laws changed so physically-handicapped people have better options than being placed in nursing homes like Haylee was. <br /><br />In thinking back over everything that’s transpired over the last few months, Donna concludes, “I knew she was going to bless us, but I didn’t have a clue she was going to bless us like she does. She is far more a blessing to us than we are to her. She brings joy and laughter. And you know, it’s a lot of work but it is so much fun!”<br /><br />(To listen to Donna's full interview, visit <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-72645778887114575272010-09-08T19:08:00.005-04:002010-09-08T19:42:11.417-04:00Lighting a Candle Instead of Cursing the Darkness<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TIgcs4czHsI/AAAAAAAAAhA/nUESH0oT0Ao/s1600/AudreyAssad.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TIgcs4czHsI/AAAAAAAAAhA/nUESH0oT0Ao/s320/AudreyAssad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514689301108170434" /></a> If you haven't already checked out the new <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeupblog">"Christopher Closeup" blog</a> (which I tend to update more frequently than this one), head on over right now so you can read interviews with people like Leigh Anne & Sean Tuohy (the real-life couple played by Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw in "The Blind Side") discussing the power of cheerful giving; singer/songwriter Audrey Assad discussing her struggles with God and the challenge of feeling like a "misfit soul" when growing up; and Julie Woodley, a sexual abuse victim who now helps others in similar situations through a program called "Restoring the Heart Ministries." We also run contests from time to time where we give away free stuff so be sure to subscribe to the blog or bookmark it so you don't miss a thing. Again it's at <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeupblog">http://www.christophers.org/closeupblog</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TIgceYC402I/AAAAAAAAAg4/6LojhXjfQ7s/s1600/girls_with_glasses.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TIgceYC402I/AAAAAAAAAg4/6LojhXjfQ7s/s320/girls_with_glasses.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514689051891389282" /></a> In other news, my friend Danielle Bean (who's also featured at the blog) has written a post about "The Girls With Glasses Show," an Internet show starring "American Idol's" Brooke White and Eliza Magazine's Summer Bellessa. As Danielle writes, "What I really like about The Girls With Glasses and their show is that they demonstrate that girls don’t have to sell their dignity to be entertaining. Girls can be smart, funny, pretty, and cool without taking their clothes off or even getting drunk on TV." <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/theanchoress/2010/09/08/girls-gone-mild/">Read the whole thing and watch the Girls' clever & funny video satire about TV execs trying to get good girls to go bad</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TIgevTaUDpI/AAAAAAAAAhI/H8DXs5yVuW4/s1600/VidContest.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TIgevTaUDpI/AAAAAAAAAhI/H8DXs5yVuW4/s320/VidContest.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514691541728497298" /></a> Finally, you should also check out the <a href="http://www.christophers.org/Page.aspx?pid=1227">3 winning videos in The Christophers' 23rd annual Video Contest for College Students</a>. They're truly outstanding stories about selfless, compassionate people who are making the world a better place - specifically, a young cancer survivor studying to be a scientist so he can help others with the disease, a priest who runs an orphanage for disabled children and adults in the Philippines, and a woman in Pennsylvania who runs a homeless shelter for women in need. These videos will leave you feeling good about your own potential to make a difference in the world so take a few minutes to be inspired!<br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-86520251743735751872010-07-21T22:20:00.002-04:002010-07-21T22:27:14.295-04:00Creating Better MediaI recently contributed a short essay to a site called Patheos.com which offers insights into all the world's major religions. My topic dealt with the problem of people writing off popular culture instead of trying to transform it for the better from the inside. To read my take, <a href="http://www.patheos.com/community/catholicportal/2010/07/19/symposium-future-of-catholicism-day-1/">go here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-40793109168882805492010-07-11T15:52:00.002-04:002010-07-11T16:09:58.870-04:00"American Idols" Show Class and Gratitude<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TDok2XEJ8gI/AAAAAAAAAgw/oAMVHL_WH0g/s1600/IMG_0990.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/TDok2XEJ8gI/AAAAAAAAAgw/oAMVHL_WH0g/s320/IMG_0990.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492743211854721538" /></a> On Friday July 9, I went to see the 2010 Top Ten "American Idol" contestants perform on "Good Morning America" at Central Park's Summerstage. While the performances were great, I was more impressed by the performers themselves who were all very friendly in their interactions with the fans. The two I would single out especially are Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami. Because I have 2 friends who work for GMA, I was lucky enough to get backstage and meet a few of the singers. It also allowed me to observe what people are like once the cameras stop rolling. A young girl accompanied by her grandfather was in a scaffolded area under the stage hoping to talk to and get autographs from Crystal & Didi. Both Crystal and Didi literally had to get on their hands and knees to interact with this young fan and sign her pictures. They did it happily and with genuine appreciation. It was a very classy thing to do and a sign they truly appreciate the opportunity they've been given and the people who support them.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-78025059531043901972010-05-25T10:16:00.010-04:002010-05-26T19:24:27.672-04:00The Afterlife of "Lost"<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_veuoqxRFI/AAAAAAAAAgo/JShJPWoRtUI/s1600/LostFin1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_veuoqxRFI/AAAAAAAAAgo/JShJPWoRtUI/s320/LostFin1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475214664771126354" /></a> Rarely, if ever, has a television show dealt with religious and spiritual themes as extensively and maturely as ABC's "Lost" which ended its six year run on Pentecost Sunday with an episode that was profoundly transcendent. On the surface, the series dealt with a group of plane crash survivors who landed on a mysterious, mystical island with a mythology that grew more complex each season. But at its heart, "Lost" told character-driven stories that explored themes like the possibility that human beings can find redemption from past sins. <br /><br />The series finale addressed that theme again, but in a slightly different way – specifically, from the perspective of death and the afterlife. Apparently, this ending has left a number of people confused and, in some cases, dissatisfied. It was revealed that the Flash-sideways story device employed this season actually took place in a Purgatory-type realm in which the souls of the characters needed to work out their redemption by remembering and ultimately letting go of their past. <br /> <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_vekwuGPkI/AAAAAAAAAgg/nkl3AdQ-3BQ/s1600/LostFin2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_vekwuGPkI/AAAAAAAAAgg/nkl3AdQ-3BQ/s320/LostFin2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475214495133875778" /></a> After experiencing their awakenings, the characters (or their souls, actually) all gather in a church in order to take the final step into eternal life together. Jack Shephard, the doctor who becomes the primary hero of the story by sacrificing his life to keep hell from being unleashed, is the last character to discover the truth in the Sideways world. The soul of his father explains to him that the realm they're in exists outside of space and time - "Everyone dies some time, kiddo. Some of them before you, some of them long after you...There is no now here." <br /> <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_vebnepsBI/AAAAAAAAAgY/Px7Z3-HEN8s/s1600/LostFin3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_vebnepsBI/AAAAAAAAAgY/Px7Z3-HEN8s/s320/LostFin3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475214338034348050" /></a> Some viewers are misreading the full group being there together as meaning they all died at the same time, that the entire series took place in Purgatory because they were dead the entire time. Christian's words clearly dispel that theory. There's also the fact that Hurley and Ben in the Sideways world reminisce about the period where they protected the island. That experience was a part of their real lives that they remembered in their awakenings so that again points to the reality that the island timeline was real and that others escaped the island alive (Sawyer, Kate, Clare, Miles, Lapidus, Richard and Desmond). <br /><br />So what exactly does this ending in which everyone is dead really mean? When the castaways arrived on the island, they were, as Jacob described them, "alone." They were emotionally-crippled, lost souls without any genuine human connections. But through the love and responsibility they exhibited toward each other, they were able to grow as human beings and fulfill their real natures - to move past the tragedies, mistakes and obsessions that haunted them and eventually arrive in a state of grace. In fact, there was a promo for "Lost" before this final season began that was edited to Willie Nelson singing "Amazing Grace." For me, the lyrics in that song "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see" explains the process of what happened in the Sideways/Purgatory world and over the course of the series. Grace builds on nature. As such, the castaways became a means of each others salvation. <br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_veSJproOI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/VbTqC2iPdAs/s1600/LostFin4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_veSJproOI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/VbTqC2iPdAs/s320/LostFin4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475214175408726242" /></a> The communal aspect of the final scene in the church also resolves one of the story's earliest conflicts. In the first season after everyone is trying to adjust to surviving the island soonafter the crash, there are personality clashes and arguments about how best to run things. It gets to the point where Jack addresses the large group of castaways saying, "Every man for himself is not going to work...If we can't live together, we're gonna die alone." That's exactly what this group of loners learned to do over six seasons - live, love, sacrifice, and sometimes die together. And it makes all the difference. Because as their souls are ready to step into the final stage of the afterlife, they do it as a community. Learning to live together in their earthly lives resulted in their stepping into eternal life together too. As Christian Shephard explains, “The most important part of your life was the time you spent with these people. That's why you're all here. Nobody does it alone, Jack: you needed all of them, and they needed you ... to let go."<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_veAHWp_UI/AAAAAAAAAgI/1Fh6Vyk6ntY/s1600/LostFinEloise.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_veAHWp_UI/AAAAAAAAAgI/1Fh6Vyk6ntY/s320/LostFinEloise.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475213865554410818" /></a> The notion of letting go leads me to another aspect of this Purgatory which doesn’t leave everyone with the happy ending the castaways achieve. The Sideways/Purgatory world is somewhat reminiscent of the afterlife created by C.S. Lewis in his book "The Great Divorce" in which dead souls can gain entrance to heaven if they let go of elements from their earthly pasts that are holding them back from fully loving God. For instance, one "Bright Spirit" from heaven tries to talk a mother whose son died years ago to let go of her grief and anger so she can see him in heaven. The mother refuses saying, "You are heartless...The past was all I had." The Bright Spirit responds, "It was all you chose to have. It was the wrong way to deal with a sorrow." In other words, the very normal grief she felt after losing him became the core of who she was to the point that the resentment holds more sway over her than the opportunity to see her son again. Another Spirit later explains, "Every natural love will rise again and live forever in this country: but none will rise again until it has been buried." <br /><br />This exchange reminds me of Eloise Hawking in the Sideways world. She appears to understand where she is and discourages Desmond from pursuing knowledge about the flashes that will make him realize he's dead because she knows that her son Daniel will then leave her. So instead of valuing Daniel's eternal happiness and maybe even joining him, Eloise prefers to possess him in the in-between world. Unlike Hurley & Libby or Sawyer & Juliet who remember their human love for each other and allow it to move them on toward something greater, Eloise is like the mother in Lewis’ story. She chooses stagnancy over growth, an earthly possessiveness over a higher love. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_vdyT-FoII/AAAAAAAAAgA/Gkgui2malH4/s1600/LostFinCoop.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 297px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S_vdyT-FoII/AAAAAAAAAgA/Gkgui2malH4/s320/LostFinCoop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475213628422856834" /></a> <br />Of course, there’s someone who’s even worse off than Eloise: Anthony Cooper. It’s a Christian belief that God doesn't send people to hell; we send ourselves to hell by choosing to separate ourselves from the love and will of God. The one denizen of the Sideways/Purgatory world that appears to fit that bill is Anthony Cooper, John Locke's con-man father who was responsible for paralyzing him and who led Sawyer's father to shoot his own wife and then himself. One of the few characters who never demonstrated any redemptive qualities, Cooper is locked in a stroke-like frozen state, seemingly forever. Interestingly, in Dante's Inferno, the denizens of the 9th circle of hell are depicted as being frozen in a lake of blood and guilt. The choices Anthony Cooper made in his real life have left him with much blood on his hands. He also died unrepentant, so that final act of defiance against the natural moral law appears to have caught up with him here. <br /><br />In the end - though the series ended showing everyone eventually dead - it can still be considered a happy ending from a Christian perspective. The main characters that viewers grew to love all lived their lives in a manner that will allow them to spend eternity together in heaven. Endings don’t get any happier than that.<br /><br />Follow me on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/tonyrossimedia">http://twitter.com/tonyrossimedia</a><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-53363447057712534492010-01-28T15:56:00.003-05:002010-01-28T16:01:57.241-05:00Brooke White on "Christopher Closeup"<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S2H7GbbphCI/AAAAAAAAAf4/7ySZ4dgmSno/s1600-h/BWhite3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/S2H7GbbphCI/AAAAAAAAAf4/7ySZ4dgmSno/s200/BWhite3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431898713447040034" /></a><br />I recently had the opportunity to interview Brooke White on "Christopher Closeup." <br /><br />In Part 1 of our interview she discussed her album High Hopes and Heartbreak, her struggle with self-confidence issues, how prayer is her anchor during times of stress, and why she’s come to see the challenges in her life as blessings. You can listen at <a href="http://www.christophers.org/americanidol">http://www.christophers.org/americanidol </a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-50948852118890175572009-10-25T14:27:00.005-04:002009-10-25T14:36:23.998-04:00"WHAT THE BEAUTY OF THIS WORLD AND THIS LIFE PORTEND"<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SuSaH74iu3I/AAAAAAAAAfk/c67cNUmYGeo/s1600-h/DKoontz.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 287px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SuSaH74iu3I/AAAAAAAAAfk/c67cNUmYGeo/s320/DKoontz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396607714621307762" /></a> Describing <a href="http://www.deankoontz.com">Dean Koontz</a> as a popular author of suspense novels is an understatement. His books have been published in 38 languages and sold more than 400 million copies worldwide. But what I discovered when I read his book “Brother Odd” a few years ago was that you can enjoy a Koontz story strictly for its engaging writing, characters and plot. But if you read the same story through a spiritual lens, you’ll be able to appreciate it on an even deeper level. I recently had the opportunity to interview Koontz on <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">Christopher Closeup</a>. Here's an excerpt:<br /><br />TR: Dean, there’s a line in your latest Odd Thomas book “Odd Hours” – it’s spoken by him but I was wondering also if it reflects your own view too. The line is, “I love life because of what the beauty of this world and this life portend.” Where do you see beauty in this world and how does it point you toward the life beyond this one?<br /><br />Dean Koontz: I see it everywhere in this world. I really feel for people who are depressed or think life is terrible or don’t like the world they’re living in. I just want to say to them, “Stop and look. Look at everything around you. Look at the incredible intricacy of it.” A lot of people think science has explained (everything) but it hasn’t explained anything; it’s described. The intricacy is just awesome and it’s there everywhere you look…There are so many things in the world that are here to make the world a better place that make no sense scientifically or biologically. Flowers don’t have to be beautiful; they just have to attract with pheromones of one kind or another bees that they need. So much in the world is so much more extravagant and delightful than it has to be that it points me to a creative place.<br /><br />TR: So when you see mystery in the world, whereas for some people that could be a stumbling block to faith, for you it makes it more real or more appealing?<br /><br />Dean Koontz: Oh yeah. I think if you look around and you say, “The world is a deeply mysterious place,” then you can’t live alone by the materialist viewpoint. You have to say, there’s deep mystery in the world. And that makes it more fabulous…Recognizing deep mystery in the world gives us a great sense of wonder – and it is a sense of wonder that makes life worth living.<br /><br />TR: Dean, another thing you deal with in your books like “Brother Odd” and “One Door Away from Heaven” – you talk about the dignity of special needs children, you talk about modern bioethics. How and why did these life issues become so important to you?<br /><br />Dean Koontz: My wife and I have long worked with a charity for people with disabilities – Canine Companions for Independence. They train service dogs for all kinds of people with disabilities. People who are paraplegic or quadriplegic, with one of these dogs, can live on their own when they couldn’t before. They have great effect on autistic children. Working with that and being a part of that, I saw that a lot of these people were shunted aside. There’s a lot of people who think they shouldn’t be given medical care. People like Peter Singer think a disabled child should be allowed to die or should not be give antibiotics because they have nothing to contribute to the world. (He’s) an idiot. If you bring these (disabled) people into your life, I’ve discovered – I’ve never found one who whined or complained like average people do. I’ve never found one who wasn’t grateful for every good thing that comes their way. And I haven’t found one that wasn’t an inspiration to people. If you can inspire other people by your own courage and your own stoicism, you’ve had a very valuable and important life. So they bring a great deal to the world…I’ve featured Down Syndrome kids in books at times and I’ve gotten literally thousands of letters from people who have Down’s children . Every single one of them says, “This was the best thing that happened to me.” They’re not pretending; they’re not trying to make the best of a bad situation. They’re saying it really was a tremendous benefit to their lives. That’s why I wish people would stop thinking that you have to be the perfect physical specimen in order to be worth living. That is far from the truth.<br /><br />TR: Do you think that addressing those issues in story form may be a more effective way of getting the point across than say, a priest in a homily or an op-ed piece in a newspaper?<br /><br />Dean Koontz: I think so because you disarm people with a story, you charm them with humor, and then you let them think about these other issues. For me, it’s a wonderful method by which to promulgate at least the thought of these things, at least to make people stop and wonder if they’re really right to think these things.<br /><br />(To hear the full interview, visit <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-78501012984250783112009-09-20T10:26:00.008-04:002009-09-21T09:43:18.944-04:00"AMERICAN IDOL" VOCAL COACH SEES HER WORK AS A MINISTRY<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SrY8BOoKQRI/AAAAAAAAAfc/WhU6oxM65TU/s1600-h/DByrd1.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 238px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SrY8BOoKQRI/AAAAAAAAAfc/WhU6oxM65TU/s320/DByrd1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383556396372082962" /></a> One of the driving forces behind the success of “American Idol” is not someone you see on camera every week. Vocal coach and arranger <a href="http://www.debrabyrd.com">Debra Byrd</a> acts as a vital guide and mentor to the young contestants, and leaves an indelible mark on them once they embark on their careers. Byrd – as she prefers to be called – has had a prolific and successful career in television, film, theater and concerts including a longtime association with Barry Manilow. Her approach to her work on both “American Idol” and “Canadian Idol” has a definite spiritual bent because she sees herself as a vessel that’s being led by God to to help others. Here’s an excerpt from our recent interview on “Christopher Closeup” (<a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">full podcast here</a>):<br /><br />TR: You are the vocal coach and arranger for “American Idol.” But you don’t see that as just a job; you look at it as a ministry. How come?<br /><br />Debra Byrd: I love that it’s a service job. I remember the first tour – we were on the road, Kelly Clarkson was the first American Idol winner and so there was a tour afterwards…I was singing backup for all the contestants that I had just mentored. Band members would say to me, “How can you do that? How can you sing backup for these people? You know more than they (do).” I said, “You don’t understand. I’m here to show them how to do this because it’s a huge undertaking. I get to pass on so much information and I’m grateful to do it.”<br /><br />…When contestants are stumped and overwhelmed, when they’re in a puddle of tears…when they’re saying, “I’m so nervous, I don’t know what to do,” I stop and I look them in the eye and say, “Do you believe in God?” And they say, “Of course I do.” And I say, “Well you have to let God do His job. You have to let go and let God and trust that you will be led to do the right thing.” Then they’ll look at me and it all kind of goes away. And that’s when my ministry kicks in – when I talk about trust. People always ask me what is the most important part of my job. I believe the most important part of my job is that they trust me. I try to explain to them that there’s a higher power and they can be led by that power. <br /><br />TR: Last week, <a href="http://www.realbrookewhite.com">Brooke White</a> was here in New York doing a promotional appearance for her new album “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Hopes-Heartbreak-Brooke-White/dp/B002C2XXGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1253540566&sr=1-1">High Hopes and Heartbreak</a>.” I went to see her and I asked her about you. She said, “Byrd is a bright light and I love her very much.” You obviously leave an impression on contestants even after they leave the show, so when you’re working with these young artists – take Brooke for instance – how do things start out and how do you see her and others evolve by the time the show is over?<br /><br />Debra Byrd: There’s a huge evolution. I didn’t notice it when I began the show the first season because I was trying to figure out what the TV show was, what am I doing, why am I doing it. As the show has evolved, I’m able to step back and really have a good look at the person in front of me…Brooke White is a magnificent young woman. On the small stage – that’s the second stage of being in Hollywood, it’s when you’re in front of the camera - we were on the small stage having band rehearsal. Brooke had her guitar on and she was speaking with the music director Rickey Minor. I was watching and listening to their conversation and…the music director wanted her to make some changes. God love Brooke White, she stood and said, “This is who I am. I play guitar and I sing. I may not be the best singer, I may not be the best guitarist. All of you can play circles around me. But I’m going to play the guitar.” And she stood her ground and did her band rehearsal which was going over the song two or three times. <br /><br />When her portion of band rehearsal was over, she thanked the band, she thanked the music director, she walked to me and I said, “Let’s go for a walk” because I knew it was overwhelming. I knew it was very emotional for her. We walked outside and she began crying as we walked outside. I said, “Number one, I applaud you. I applaud you for not breaking down in front of the band. I applaud you for holding your ground, for knowing who you are, for standing by what you believe.” We walked all the way outside to the parking lot and it began raining. And I said, “See, God didn’t want anyone to your tears. He wanted them to see how strong you are and I applaud you.” Of course we both began crying at this point. And she said, “Byrd, I just love you, thank you so much.” So that was huge with her, we had a huge moment with her standing her ground, knowing who she is, trusting God. It was just a magnificent moment. I love Brooke White.<br /><br />TR: Do you have to take a different approach with different contestants depending on their personalities or is there a common thread you practice with all of them?<br /><br />Debra Byrd: Unconditional love is my common thread. On “Canadian Idol” there was a contestant that no one liked. Clearly, this young man had huge problems that came from his upbringing...Consequently his perspective on life is incredibly different. He didn’t get along with anyone at all. One of the judges on “Canadian Idol” said, “How do you deal with this kid? How can you talk to this kid every day? This is a horrible human being.” And I said, “Through unconditional love. That’s the only way you can get past him, what he brings to the table. I have to deal with him with unconditional love.” And it worked. I’m a living testimony that unconditional love works because that kid – he realized he could trust me, that he had someone he could speak to. And I would bust him if he made an incredibly wrong turn. I’d say, “Now you know that’s incorrect, don’t you?” And he’d say, “Yeah I do.” I said, “You know you can’t do that.” I would just bust him; not (like) being a parent but I just wanted him to realize you can’t walk through life and treat people that way…looking at life through your negativity and responding (even though) no one's done anything to you that’s negative. So I guess that would be the common thread – it’s unconditional love. <br /><br />(To hear the full interview with Debra Byrd which features more insights about “American Idol” and what she calls “the sun and moon theory” in relationships and work situations, visit <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast</a>.)<br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-24942475302923134842009-08-23T14:42:00.003-04:002009-08-23T14:52:16.842-04:00CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SpGPwmo3p4I/AAAAAAAAAfU/0BAAiqVqtg4/s1600-h/GSinise1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 197px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SpGPwmo3p4I/AAAAAAAAAfU/0BAAiqVqtg4/s320/GSinise1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373233895598172034" /></a> Actor Gary Sinise is well-known for playing Detective Mac Taylor on the TV series “CSI: New York” and for his Academy Award-nominated role as Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump.” But Gary is also devoted to charitable efforts, especially those involving the United States military. He co-founded a humanitarian organization called <a href="http://www.operationiraqichildren.org/">Operation Iraqi Children</a>, has been on several USO tours, frequently visits military hospitals, helps support military families, and recently served as executive producer of a powerful documentary called "<a href="http://www.brothersatwarmovie.com/">Brothers at War</a>." Here is an excerpt of Gary’s recent interview on “Christopher Closeup" (<a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">full podcast here</a>):<br /><br />TR: Gary, I want to touch on Operation Iraqi Children which you co-founded with “Seabiscuit” author Laura Hillenbrand. How did the two of you get the idea for Operation Iraqi Children and what have the results been so far?<br /><br />Gary Sinise: I went to Iraq twice in ’03 and on my second trip I visited some schools there and saw what the troops had been doing to help these local areas rebuild these schools. I just saw a lot of good feeling there between the Iraqis and the troops and I wanted to support that. I came home and I started sending school supplies that we collected at my kids’ school. We’d send them over to the troops and they would take them out to give them to the kids. One of the people that I knew at one of the bases in Iraq had been in touch with Laura Hillenbrand who was trying to get “Seabiscuit” translated into Arabic and get it over to some of the soldiers there who wanted to hand it out to the kids. So this person, a Major, she thought that Laura and I should meet. The translation idea of sending her book over there was only going to be a one-time thing but I wanted to continue sending school supplies and encourage people. So Laura and I teamed up and came up with a web site called Operation Iraqi Children…Ever since early 2004…we’ve sent something like 300,000 school supply kits and soccer balls and shoes and blankets and various items over to the troops so that they could go into these villages with these supplies and hand them out to the kids. <br /><br />TR: This isn’t just a cause you attach your name to. You’ve made numerous trips to Iraq yourself. What kind of difference have you personally seen Operation Iraqi Children make?<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SpGPmiFnsxI/AAAAAAAAAfM/TTiLObDjbi0/s1600-h/GSinise2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SpGPmiFnsxI/AAAAAAAAAfM/TTiLObDjbi0/s320/GSinise2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373233722577892114" /></a>Gary Sinise: I know this has been a very beneficial program to our troops because they can go into these villages with these supplies and – maybe they were in this village two days before and it was a little bit hostile. They return to the village and start handing out these school supplies to the kids. They show that they’re there to help. Maybe then a few days after that they’re going down the same road and – we’ve had kids run out and stop the convoy because a bomb had been placed on the road. This was a village that was previously hostile, but then these supplies were handed out and now it’s a friendly village and the kids are trying to help the troops…And of course the supplies help the kids because in many of these areas, they don’t have access to the types of things that we do.<br /><br />TR: Tell me about your first experience visiting injured soldiers…because it was something you felt awkward about. What happened and how has your view changed since then?<br /><br />Gary Sinise: I remember as a kid, my grandmother died and it was very difficult for me to be in the hospital so I just never wanted to go to hospitals. But I knew that when I started visiting troops…and got involved with disabled American veterans, I knew I should go out there and do what I could for our wounded. So the first trip I made to a hospital was actually over in Germany after one of my early trips to Iraq. I went to visit Landstuhl Medical Center which is where all our troops go from Afghanistan and Iraq. They first go to Germany and then they get shipped back home. And so I went to Landstuhl and I met a lot of folks who had been blown up and shot up and burned up and – that was a difficult day but, when I left, I knew that my being there had helped some people. So you forget about your own reaction to what you’re seeing and it’s all about them; it’s not about you. From that point on I knew that, even though it’s difficult to see some of these injuries and what some of these guys are going through, my presence there helps them and it helps their families so I’ve continued to go time and time again.<br /><br />(For more on Gary's work and the new documentary "<a href="http://www.brothersatwarmovie.com/">Brothers at War</a>," listen to the full "Christopher Closeup" interview at <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast</a>.)<br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-83152518228857725892009-08-09T14:41:00.003-04:002009-08-09T15:49:06.198-04:00THE MOST HUMMABLE ALBUM I'VE HEARD IN YEARS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/Sn8Ym51alHI/AAAAAAAAAfE/dn8tu-Ubcp4/s1600-h/Brooke+White+3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 317px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/Sn8Ym51alHI/AAAAAAAAAfE/dn8tu-Ubcp4/s320/Brooke+White+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368036337487877234" /></a> Usually when I hear a catchy song, it’ll stay in my head for a couple of days after which I’ll have a completely different song/artist/genre pop into my brain. Since listening to singer/songwriter <a href="http://www.realbrookewhite.com/">Brooke White’s</a> new album “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Hopes-Heartbreak-Brooke-White/dp/B002C2XXGC">High Hopes and Heartbreak</a>” last week, it’s been all Brooke all the time. “High Hopes and Heartbreak” is the most hummable album I’ve heard in years though that doesn’t detract from its emotional depth. It’s a true talent that can keep you singing to yourself, not just the upbeat songs, but also the slower ones. White’s songwriting skills pull that off beautifully.<br /><br />With the sunny personality Brooke displayed on Idol, you would expect to get a number of feel-good songs on this album, and she doesn’t disappoint. The gleefully infectious “Radio Radio” starts things off with a tribute to the medium that introduced Brooke to the music that now plays such an influential role in her life and career. Even for non-musicians like me, it provides a happy memory to searching the car radio as a kid looking for Springsteen singing “Glory Days” or Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl.” Another outstanding track is “Phoenix” which is both current and nostalgic at the same time. Reminiscent of a great Eagles’s song with a more contemporary vibe, this summer anthem makes me want to drive down the highway in a convertible with the top down on a beautiful day. <br /><br />Heartfelt ballads are another Brooke White specialty. For instance, “Out of the Ashes” tells the story of a couple who’ve broken up after hurting each other but realize they want to work things out. Brooke sings the verse solo, but then background vocalist Steve McEwan joins in, singing harmony on the chorus which conveys the beauty of that loving relationship being restored through the blending of the two voices. <br /><br />Another impressive track is “Sometimes Love” which chronicles a couple’s blossoming relationship with the acknowledgement that “Sometimes love is an empty invitation / Sometimes love is a word that’s used in vain.” But this couple realizes the dead end of looking at love as just a meaningless word, and move toward a deeper connection that can provide healing and support over the course of a lifetime.<br /><br />I knew from her time on “American Idol” and her independent first album “Songs from the Attic” that Brooke was excellent at adapting well-known songs to her personal style. She did it on Idol with her stripped-down acoustic guitar version of Pat Benatar’s rocker “Love is a Battlefield” and on “Songs from the Attic” with Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” The singer continues that trend on “HH&HB” by Brooke-ifying the Kings of Leon hit “Use Somebody” into an engaging country-rocker about the loneliness and longing for genuine personal relationships when you’re performing in front of thousands of people who don’t really know who you are.<br /><br />Music, by its very nature, is an emotional and spiritual experience meant to touch the heart and soul. With the country in the throes of economic hard times, Brooke White’s “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Hopes-Heartbreak-Brooke-White/dp/B002C2XXGC">High Hopes and Heartbreak</a>” offers a perfect antidote to the gloom through songs that will lift your spirits and help you better appreciate the relationships that make life worthwhile. <br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-72083048457994596682009-06-29T19:32:00.002-04:002009-06-29T19:45:41.846-04:00High Hopes and Heartbreaks<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SklQjHRvwpI/AAAAAAAAAe8/jMq25MybkoI/s1600-h/BrookeWhite2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SklQjHRvwpI/AAAAAAAAAe8/jMq25MybkoI/s320/BrookeWhite2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352898196285670034" /></a> Season 7 American Idol finalist <a href="http://www.realbrookewhite.com/">Brooke White</a> has released her new single "Radio Radio" on iTunes. Her album "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/High-Hopes-Heartbreaks-Brooke-White/dp/B002C2XXGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1246318944&sr=8-1">High Hopes and Heartbreaks</a>" (featuring her first single "Hold Up My Heart") is coming out on July 21. <br /><br />Brooke has a distinctive tone and character to her voice along with an emotional core that allows her to convey joy, hope, longing or loss in her well-crafted, engagingly delivered songs. Though she's a new artist, Brooke's got a classic singer/songwriter vibe that struck a chord with Idol's viewers and should do the same with new listeners. But to attract new listeners, word about the music has to get out. So check it out yourself by clicking through the widget below. Then, as a certain late night host used to say, "Wake the kids and phone the neighbors" and tell them to buy "High Hopes and Heartbreaks." <br /><br /><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI*NjMxNzYyMTI3OCZwdD*xMjQ2MzE4Mzc1MzEyJnA9MTIwNzQxJmQ9amdEWXBWNzZGaG1iMk9kQyZuPWJsb2dnZXImZz*xJnQ9Jm89YTIyZGMxMjFkZGQyNDU3ZTllODBhZTk4NDkzMWM3YWImb2Y9MA==.gif" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="425" height="350" id="spo_jgDYpV76Fhmb2OdC" data="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/jgDYpV76Fhmb2OdC.swf"><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="align" value="middle" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="movie" value="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/jgDYpV76Fhmb2OdC.swf" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" name="spo_jgDYpV76Fhmb2OdC" src="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/jgDYpV76Fhmb2OdC.swf" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" align="middle" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" quality="best"></embed></object><br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-28802139196759341972009-06-21T14:00:00.005-04:002009-06-21T14:19:28.777-04:00Ca C'est Bon!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/Sj53lgKFQuI/AAAAAAAAAe0/jtJmopjQPdI/s1600-h/LAngelus1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/Sj53lgKFQuI/AAAAAAAAAe0/jtJmopjQPdI/s320/LAngelus1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349844893533815522" /></a> The Louisiana-roots band known as <a href="http://www.angelusband.com/home.html">L’Angelus</a> is made up of siblings Johnny, Stephen, Katie and Paige Rees. They want their music to bring families together because that’s exactly what it did for them. Paige Rees joined me recently on “Christopher Closeup” (<a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">full podcast here</a>) to talk about the central role her family’s faith plays in their lives and music. Here’s an excerpt: <br /><br />TR: Paige, L’Angelus is made up of you, your sister Katie, and your brothers Johnny and Stephen. By modern standards, that’s already a big family. But there are even more of you at home. How many kids are in your family?<br /><br />Paige Rees: We are actually a group of ten kids altogether. Our Mom and Dad have been blessed with eight children. And two years ago, we were blessed with a foster brother and sister.<br /><br />TR: Tell me about your parents taking in those foster children. How did it happen and why did they do it when they already had a significant number of mouths to feed and raise?<br /><br />Paige Rees: My parents, about seven or eight years ago, became open to life as they grew deeper in their faith…Then we met this little family in New Orleans shortly after Katrina. Their mother was very young and she had four little ones herself. (She had) no family or support system and was suffering very much the effects of the storm. After meeting her and getting to know her over a few days, there was a lot of uncertainty but we just tried to trust in God and follow what He has shown us over and over in Scriptures and through the examples of the saints of how we are supposed to care for one another. So we’ve had this relationship with their mother for the past few years, and she just graduated from a medical assistant program. She actually came into the church this past Easter. The children were baptized and it was a really glorious day for everybody.<br /><br />TR: Paige, your music career has become more successful through the years, and sometimes it would seem that the busier you would get, the more faith would be pushed to the side. But the exact opposite has happened with your family. Why do you think that is?<br /><br />Paige Rees: We started out playing music when we were pretty young. Early on, our uncle who has had a career in the music business - he doesn’t necessarily practice any faith. But he did tell my Dad when we were still quite young, “If you’re going to be in this business, you better take those kids to church.” There are so many challenges to the faith that are presented in this business, in media in particular. So I think my Dad really took that advice to heart and we tried to stay really close to the sacraments and close to each other so that we would have that support system, that accountability. So I think it’s been a grace, not necessarily anything that we’ve done but our heavenly father protecting us and thankfully giving our father a lot of wisdom.<br /><br />TR: Paige, I don’t know if you saw this in the newspaper late last year. There were some atheist bus ads in London that said, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Considering the fact that you’re Catholic and you perform this joy-filled music, does being a person of faith keep you from enjoying your life or does it make you enjoy it more? <br /><br />Paige Rees: I think that because of our faith, because of knowing that we are children of a heavenly father who loves us – that gives our life meaning. I did see those bumper stickers (saying) “There’s no God so stop worrying and enjoy your life.” I think (the problem) is just the opposite. The problem is that people feel no purpose. There’s meaninglessness. You can’t enjoy anything if you don’t see a reason for it. You can only enjoy in the moment the pleasures that you’re experiencing. So I think the reality that there is a father in heaven who loves us, who wants to help us, and who wants us to be eternally happy with him in heaven – that is what gives everything meaning, it gives everything purpose, it gives suffering purpose, and it gives joy the ability to last instead of just being a pleasure that comes and goes.<br /><br />TR: Another way you’re living out that faith is you’re working on an <a href="http://www.ignatius.com/ViewProduct.aspx?SID=1&Product_ID=3593&Category_ID=145&SKU=SHY-D&">album of sacred songs</a> with the family. Can you tell me about that?<br /><br />Paige Rees: The CD’s that we’ve released so far have been more of the music that is Louisiana roots and stuff like that. So we’ve been thinking about doing a sacred album for a while now. You know, we play at Mass pretty often. We’ve come up with a collection of songs that we play a lot and we really love. So we’ve been thinking about doing an album for a while. Then through a meeting at a Catholic marketing network in New Jersey, Ignatius Press, they told us they were interested in carrying one if we ever did one…So we’ve got a lot of traditional songs on here that have been very inspiring to us.<br /><br />(To listen to the full interview with Paige and here clips of L’Angelus songs, visit <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast</a>. You can also check out a L'Angelus music video below:<br /><br /> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p6pJDPf294s&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p6pJDPf294s&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-52348552672445576262009-06-05T08:58:00.005-04:002009-06-05T09:01:07.123-04:00Please Vote for "Christopher Closeup"If you've ever listened to a podcast of "Christopher Closeup" and liked what you heard (or if you've ever read text excerpts from the interviews here and liked those), please consider voting for the show in the Catholic New Media Awards. We're under:<br /><br />- Most Informative Podcast<br />- Most Spiritual Podcast<br />- People's Choice Podcast<br /><br />The site is <a href="http://www.catholicnewmediaawards.com/">http://www.catholicnewmediaawards.com/</a><br /><br />Thank you.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-89379348450573949982009-05-31T15:54:00.006-04:002009-05-31T22:07:25.167-04:00"MOTHER TERESA WITH EARRINGS AND TATTOOS"<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SiLiK3E80rI/AAAAAAAAAes/YBFqRVFETeY/s1600-h/RighteousB+1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SiLiK3E80rI/AAAAAAAAAes/YBFqRVFETeY/s320/RighteousB+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342080784226112178" /></a> Bob Lesnefsky, a graduate of Franciscan University, found musical success as the award winning Christian rapper <a href="http://www.righteousb.com/flash.html">Righteous B</a> whose albums include “Get the Kids to Revolt,” “Sweatshop Sessions,” and “How a Wound Bleeds.” But Bob’s true passion – what he considers his vocation – is a program he co-founded called <a href="http://www.dirtyvagabond.com/live/">Dirty Vagabond Ministries</a> which currently operates in Steubenville, OH, Queens, NY, and Rochester, NY. I recently had the opportunity to interview Bob on “Christopher Closeup” (<a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">full podcast here</a>). Here are some excerpts:<br /><br />TR: I want to focus on Dirty Vagabond Ministries because I was on your web site and I saw a description where somebody said, “If you want to know how these guys operate, think of Mother Teresa with earrings and tattoos.” So tell me about Dirty Vagabond Ministries.<br /><br />Bob 'Righteous B' Lesnefsky: In the most simple description, it’s youth ministry to the inner-city church… We come into a city and make a long-term commitment to that city. We place two urban missionaries there that live among the people. The style of ministry they do we call incarnational ministry; they’re not waiting for people to sign up or show up. They’re going out to them, hitting the streets, and really everything happens in the context of that relationship.<br /><br />TR: Did you grow up in the inner-city yourself? How did your vocation for this develop?<br /><br />Bob 'Righteous B' Lesnefsky: I really have no idea to be honest (laughs). God kind of sucker-punched me. I definitely didn’t grow up in the inner-city. I grew up in about as suburban, white, upper-middle-class culture as it gets. Just outside of Philadelphia (is where) I grew up. But when me and my wife started doing youth ministry, we ended up at a little inner-city parish in New York. I didn’t realize how urban it was. About a year into it, we found ourselves in just a whole mess of problems with police there all the time, violence. We were about to quit and leave but something happened where our hearts were changed and we really fell in love with that kind of kid and we felt this is what we wanted to do with our lives.<br /><br />TR: Give me an example of how relational ministry works with the kids.<br /><br />Bob 'Righteous B' Lesnefsky: We go up to the projects or a basketball court or we show up at a park with a grill and start grilling hot dogs and feeding people. The first time we maybe just see them, get to know their name. Over weeks or years, it eventually builds relationships and develops into a friendship. It’s much more effective for me to share Christ with someone who considers me their friend than someone who I knock on their door and try to give them a five minute plug. These are people we have an authentic relationship with. There’s an element of trust that happens before we even tell them about God. They begin to see we care for them outside of whether or not they ever come to the church.<br /><br />TR: Bob, on the <a href="http://www.dirtyvagabond.com/live/">Dirty Vagabond web site</a>, it says, “We believe the greatest intimacy with Christ is found in the sacramental life of the Church.” A lot of these kids don’t have a foundation of faith, so how do you and your volunteers convey the relevance of the sacramental life of the Church to teens who may not have ever been exposed to anything like that?<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SiLhYkS-D7I/AAAAAAAAAek/7O5oVUbmYOI/s1600-h/RighteousB+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 280px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SiLhYkS-D7I/AAAAAAAAAek/7O5oVUbmYOI/s320/RighteousB+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342079920191180722" /></a>Bob 'Righteous B' Lesnefsky: It’s difficult. We have a little storefront building; it’s called “Urban Underground.” Kids come in there, there’s a pool table, it’s kind of a fun, cool place. A lot of those kids when they come in, I’ll hear them say, “Yesterday at church…” and they’re talking about coming into our building and hanging out. In some sense, we’re like, “Uh, we’re not church.” We’re trying to bring them to the Church and Christ and the sacraments. But on the other hand, there is something true about what they’re saying. They are experiencing the sacraments in a living way in someone who’s really trying to live that out and be Christ for them...But as far as how we make that tangible, we’ve got an old school bus we drive around every day. We pick kids up. On Sunday, we fill it up and go to Mass. Afterwards we have a big family style meal. So some of it is just exposing them to (the church) which is a little jarring when you’ve never come to church. But there’s a beauty in it too that they’re attracted to.<br /><br />TR: Do you think the fact that they’re lacking in a lot of worldly things opens them up to more spiritual nourishment?<br /><br />Bob 'Righteous B' Lesnefsky: Yeah, I think so. I think half of the difficulty in ministry situations is first convincing people of their need. We’re one of the richest countries in the world. We have lots and lots of stuff and things to distract us. When you remove those distractions, you don’t have to spend as much time convincing them that we’re a people who are desperate for God. They’re well aware that they’re desperate. But for them, it’s trying to grab onto anything that can give them satisfaction or fulfillment for the moment. When you can point that in a genuine way (to Christ as) the person that’s going to fill that (need), it’s kind of a beautiful awakening.<br /><br />TR: Bob, in everything I read about your work with Dirty Vagabond Ministries, you cite your wife Kate as helping to create everything. So tell me how did you find this incredible woman who’s so in tune with your life and your faith?<br /><br />Bob 'Righteous B' Lesnefsky: It’s all God’s grace. When I met her, we were just good friends. She told me she was going to be a nun. She had already visited some convents. Somehow, we fell in love. My friends always tease me that when I die, I’m going to hell for stealing her from the convent (laugh). But she’s far more holy than I am. The thing I appreciate the most about her is that – in her holiness and in her relationship with Christ, she’s just willing to step into the adventure. She definitely has a missionary heart. She has a very simple heart and a very pure heart for God. So the rest of the stuff of the world and the things that a lot of times we feel like we need, she’s just okay without them. She’s also willing to take the risk of following God’s call wherever that’s been…She’s definitely my better half. <br /><br />For more information on Dirty Vagabond Ministries, go to <a href="http://www.dirtyvagabond.com/live/">www.DirtyVagabond.com</a>. To download the full interview, go to <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast</a>. <br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-20101227896474049652009-05-24T12:00:00.003-04:002009-05-24T12:06:12.492-04:00THESE AREN'T DISPOSABLE PEOPLE<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/ShlwQx8E4wI/AAAAAAAAAec/9S6wKEHZs2U/s1600-h/BenSkinner1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/ShlwQx8E4wI/AAAAAAAAAec/9S6wKEHZs2U/s320/BenSkinner1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339422266809967362" /></a> A few weeks ago, I read an interview with author and activist E. Benjamin Skinner on the <a href="http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/a-crime-so-monstrous-pt-1/">Busted Halo</a> web site. The interview was about his new book “<a href="http://www.acrimesomonstrous.com/">A Crime So Monstrous: Face to Face With Modern Day Slavery</a>.” Up until then, I was peripherally aware that slavery and human trafficking were a problem in the world today, but I didn’t realize the extent to which it goes on, or the horrific abuses suffered by those who fall victim to slave owners and traders. Ben put his own life at risk to share these victims’ stories with the world and hopefully motivate people to address this problem in a way that leads to concrete results. Here are some excerpts from my interview with Ben on “Christopher Closeup” (<a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">full podcast here</a>).<br /><br />TR: Ben, in the book “A Crime So Monstrous,” you share the story of a boy named Bill Nathan and how a nun named Sister Caroline helped him out. Can you tell me a little about his story?<br /><br />E. Benjamin Skinner: Bill was born to a loving mother who died quite young, and had come in contact with this American nun, Sister Caroline, in Haiti in his childhood. Bill was taken in as a domestic slave (after his mother’s death) and beaten regularly. He would be whipped until strips of flesh came off of his back. If I’m recalling correctly, he was six years old when this started. He only got out when Sister Caroline caught wind of what was happening to him and sent in two men to rescue him - to actually abduct him from his captors – and to put him into a wonderful home run by a man who used to be part of Mother Teresa’s order. It was a tiny, under-funded, but safe, peaceful, graceful home called St. Jospeh’s. It’s in Port-au-Prince. Bill is now the manager of the home.<br /><br />The most remarkable thing to me about Bill is that after he was rehabilitated, after he began to thrive in this home, he went back and found the woman that had forced him to work as a slave and he openly forgave her. He actually offered her money. The degree to which individuals like Bill can take their lot in life and say, “That isn’t me” and demand their humanity, but then go in and make the world a better place really underscores why it’s worth fighting slavery. These aren’t disposable people; these are people that can be survivors - and these survivors can be leaders and can radically scale up the degree to which their communities understand the basic concepts of liberty.<br /><br />TR: One of the parts of Bill’s story that really stood out with me is when he went back to the house, he sees the boy there who took his place as a slave and he tells him, “Have hope. God is good.” How difficult is it for these slave children to have a concept of a good God in light of how they’re treated?<br /><br />E. Benjamin Skinner: Bill’s mother had given him the gift of faith before she died. He held onto that despite the brutality that he suffered. There’s no question in my mind and there’s no question in his mind that his faith in God is what sustained him. On the flip side, I’ve talked to survivors and I’ve talked to current slaves who seem to have lost hope. I know that this does not make them disposable. It shouldn’t make them hopeless in our eyes, but it certainly makes their road to recovery more difficult.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/ShlwI-bPWQI/AAAAAAAAAeU/s9fi5gFY8sM/s1600-h/BenSkinner2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/ShlwI-bPWQI/AAAAAAAAAeU/s9fi5gFY8sM/s320/BenSkinner2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339422132722948354" /></a> TR: Ben, another section of the book that was really powerful to me was when you were undercover in Romania and you meet a young woman in a brothel who is in the worst condition you’ve ever seen. You’re a journalist, not an actor, so how do you keep your emotions in check when you see those kind of things?<br /><br />E. Benjamin Skinner: To flesh that out, this young woman was being offered to me for sale. She was taken out of a darkened room. She had the visible effects of Down Syndrome. On one of her arms, she had raised red slashes where I can only assume she was trying to escape daily rape the only way that she knew how - by killing herself. This young woman was offered to me in trade for a used car. I went in and I was undercover and I immediately thought I have to keep in character…I said, “Let’s get out of here. Let’s talk.” So we began to negotiate. My impulse was to go and find the local chop shop, find a used car, trade for her, and get her out. But I knew from talking to those who do the real hard work of emancipation that rewarding a trafficker like that would be giving rise to a trade in larger misery. So what I did is I took a zoom photo of the trafficker and took the (tape from the wire I was wearing) into the local police. I said, “Here’s the evidence, here’s what I’ve seen, I’m willing to testify.” The response that I got from a quite able prosecutor who had successfully prosecuted a number of trafficking cases was, “These are the gypsies. We want to prosecute them but we have nobody on our task force that speaks Romani. If we were to take that girl out of bondage, who is to say that she would testify?” <br /><br />The Romanian justice system needs to be reformed…In a situation like this where you have somebody who has been enslaved for as long as this young woman, it takes some real TLC, some real sensitivity to win this person’s trust enough so that they know they will be protected if they testify against their trafficker. The prosecutor in this case had no confidence that that would be the situation so as far as I know, that young woman is still in hell.<br /><br />(To help the fight against modern-day slavery, visit <a href="http://www.FreeTheSlaves.net ">www.FreeTheSlaves.net</a> or visit E. Benjamin Skinner’s web site <a href="http://www.acrimesomonstrous.com/">www.ACrimeSoMonstrous.com</a>. To listen to the full Christopher Closeup interview with E. Benjamin Skinner, visit <a href="http://www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast">www.christophers.org/closeuppodcast</a>.) <br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-32329552089538586092009-05-16T16:29:00.002-04:002009-05-16T16:33:41.003-04:00THE MAGICAL THINGS ABOUT LIFE STILL EXIST IN HER<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/Sg8iilt_eBI/AAAAAAAAAeM/yZrF1F-mnZw/s1600-h/Mantegna1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/Sg8iilt_eBI/AAAAAAAAAeM/yZrF1F-mnZw/s320/Mantegna1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336522061093238802" /></a> Joe Mantegna is one of the most versatile actors working today. He is a star on the stage, in film, and most recently, on television series like “Joan of Arcadia” and “Criminal Minds.” But Joe’s role as an actor is secondary to his role as a parent in real life – specifically, as the father of two daughters, one of whom – Mia - has autism. <br /><br />Twenty-one years ago when Joe’s wife Arlene was pregnant with their first child, all had been going well until one Friday afternoon when she got concerned because the baby hadn’t been moving much. Arlene had gotten a good prognosis the day before so the doctor wasn’t sure if he needed to see her again. Luckily the nurse said, “Since it’s Friday, come in otherwise you’re not going to feel right all weekend.” <br /><br />A half-hour later, Joe got the call to rush to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, California. The doctor had discovered the baby was in distress and needed to be delivered instantly or she would die. While Arlene was getting an emergency caesarean, Joe headed to the chapel.<br /><br />On the radio program “<a href="http://www.usccb.org/ccc/psradio.shtml">Personally Speaking</a>,” Joe recalled, “I went to the chapel. There was nobody else in there. I kneeled and – I haven’t been the most devout Catholic in my life I’ll be the first to admit, but we all tap into that which we know. And that is my spiritual connection to God, that’s the channel it runs through – Catholicism. But I went in there and said, ‘Look, I know I’m not on the A Team. I’m not one of the starters; I’ve been on the bench for a while. But please, if there’s something that can be done for this child to live, I’m prepared to do whatever I must do.’”<br /><br />Born three months premature and weighing only 1 pound, 13 ounces, Mia was successfully delivered. Though she spent several months in intensive care, her health improved and she went home. Joe and Arlene thought they had dodged every bullet but, at age three, it became obvious that something was wrong with Mia’s development. She was then diagnosed as being autistic. <br /><br />Recalling that period, Joe says, “I think everybody goes through shock and anger…It’s human nature to go through that, but the trick is you have to move past it because you’re not doing anybody any good by staying in a state of anger. There’s nothing productive about that. So rather than yell at the wind, you try to use the wind you have to fill a sail…(My) prayer was granted, but there were obviously some stipulations that came with it. And you know what - it’s okay. I look around me and I look at the world and at the suffering that goes on – and I think, “Why not me?” If this is that thing that we as a family have to deal with, we’ll do it. I still feel blessed that we’re able to deal with it as best as we can. So I think back on that moment of prayer and I’m convinced that it worked.”<br /><br />Mia is now twenty-one years old, lives with her parents, and is “fairly high functioning.” While the autism has brought challenges, it’s also brought blessings. Joe says, ““My daughter has this purity about her. (Kids with special needs may be) lacking in terms of the things we wish they had – communication, speech, all the behavior that we call normal. The other things they are lacking is - my daughter doesn’t understand hate, she doesn’t understand jealousy. These abstract kind of emotions aren’t on her radar. So she’s pure in spirit. She gets frustrated about things, but she never has a moment of vindictiveness or anger or hatred because it’s just not part of her psyche. The magical things about life still exist in her and always will.”<br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-60583992746343453392009-04-17T10:32:00.008-04:002009-04-17T10:45:41.076-04:00ME AND OSCAR THE GROUCHAt last night's <a href="http://www.christophers.org/Page.aspx?pid=217">Christopher Awards</a> ceremony, we honored "Sesame Street" for its 40th anniversary of educating children about counting, spelling, and values. Many of the cast members attended including Caroll Spinney who is the puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Happily, Oscar wasn't so grouchy that he refused my request for a picture. Other photos from the cast's performance of the "Sesame Street" classic "Sing a Song" are also posted below. <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiTzxJFGFI/AAAAAAAAAdk/d3caZ27cua0/s1600-h/IMG_0729alt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 342px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiTzxJFGFI/AAAAAAAAAdk/d3caZ27cua0/s400/IMG_0729alt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325669076939642962" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiUS2QISiI/AAAAAAAAAds/Oq5ZMqAwZ0Q/s1600-h/IMG_0726.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiUS2QISiI/AAAAAAAAAds/Oq5ZMqAwZ0Q/s400/IMG_0726.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325669610887334434" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiUq6Z5i7I/AAAAAAAAAd0/0aAbcoNH1DE/s1600-h/IMG_0727.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiUq6Z5i7I/AAAAAAAAAd0/0aAbcoNH1DE/s400/IMG_0727.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325670024318913458" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiVHXkK8FI/AAAAAAAAAd8/WZgFrvo0x-s/s1600-h/IMG_0728.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiVHXkK8FI/AAAAAAAAAd8/WZgFrvo0x-s/s400/IMG_0728.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325670513182961746" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiVmiAh8qI/AAAAAAAAAeE/EXdVozf1pZo/s1600-h/IMG_0724.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SeiVmiAh8qI/AAAAAAAAAeE/EXdVozf1pZo/s400/IMG_0724.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325671048562209442" /></a><br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2782513534220184292.post-44404774289095621862009-04-05T15:51:00.003-04:002009-04-05T16:08:09.604-04:00THE GRACE TO FORGIVE IS AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SdkNvecE8_I/AAAAAAAAAdU/tUzITM-5X6g/s1600-h/Immaculee1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SdkNvecE8_I/AAAAAAAAAdU/tUzITM-5X6g/s320/Immaculee1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321299543990793202" /></a> <a href="http://www.immaculee.com/">Immaculée Ilibagiza</a> was a university student in Rwanda during the 1994 government-sanctioned genocide that killed hundreds of thousands of people. As a member of the Tutsi tribe that was being slaughtered by the Hutus, Immaculée endured a harrowing effort to survive. She and seven other women hid in the cramped bathroom of a pastor’s house for 91 days. Prayer helped Immaculée get through that experience physically, emotionally and spiritually. It also helped her forgive the man who murdered her mother and brother. Immaculée joined me recently on “Christopher Closeup” (<a href="http://www.christophers.org/Page.aspx?pid=797">full podcast here</a>) to discuss these matters. Here’s an excerpt: <br /><br />TR: When you got out and you found out your family had been murdered in the genocide, was your faith challenged?<br /><br />Immaculée Ilibagiza: No, it wasn’t challenged. The time that I was in the bathroom especially, I thought a lot about the passion of Christ and His suffering. It somehow taught me that pain will always exist and does not take away the power of God. It does not take away the existence of God or His love. Because that was so confirmed in my heart, it was painful (missing) my parents but I was so sure there was heaven after that. I was so sure that my parents, my brothers, are not lost. They must be in a better place. <br /><br />TR: Your story has many miraculous aspects but one of the most notable is the fact that you were able to forgive the man who killed your mother and brother. How did you get to that point where you could forgive this person?<br /><br />Immaculée Ilibagiza: I can say it is a grace to forgive such a thing, but I also know that grace is available to anybody. It happened (for me) when I was still in the bathroom conversing with God about what is going on and why are they killing us…I remember one time especially - I was praying the rosary which I prayed 27 times a day. I got stuck on the words, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” All of a sudden I realized that I am lying to God. I am not saying words that I mean. That is when I remember going almost on my knees and begging God, “Help me…to forgive so that I can continue to say this prayer from my heart sincerely. Please help me out. Let me know how to do it.” After I went on my knees, I felt so happy just from wanting to ask God for help.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SdkNknHT2pI/AAAAAAAAAdM/iXZ3o9SPPFQ/s1600-h/Immaculee2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RFNO8QEiH8E/SdkNknHT2pI/AAAAAAAAAdM/iXZ3o9SPPFQ/s320/Immaculee2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321299357341047442" /></a> One time when I was meditating on when Jesus was dying, (I thought of) when He said, “Forgive them, Father. They don’t know what they do.” Those words became almost like mine. It was at that moment when I (realized) that the people who were killing us, they don’t really understand the consequences that will come to them, to their families, to the whole country – they don’t get it that we’re innocent here. In their hearts, because we are Tutsi, we are evil. I realized my anger is not helping to change anything…When I understood that in my heart, I felt like the killers became my brothers who have chosen this evil way. I could cry for them looking at what they have chosen. Forgiving (wasn’t) condoning the wrongdoing, but in my mind and my heart, I knew that the evil being done was separate from the person that was doing it. And that same person can change anytime; can choose to love more than hate. That’s what I wished to happen – for them to choose to love more than hate.<br /><br />When I met the killer of my family after, I wasn’t scared that maybe I’m going to jump on him and start hitting him. I saw this man and I cried before he even came to sit down. I really felt compassion towards him. (I wondered) “How do you choose this? How do you go from having a beautiful family to choosing to kill people and ending up in prison?” It was because he blinded himself to the truth.<br /><br />TR: In that act of forgiveness, did you find that it brought him healing too?<br /><br />Immaculée Ilibagiza: Oh yeah. He didn’t say much about that, but I could feel it in his actions and body language. I remember when he came in, he didn’t have any remorse. When he sat down and I reached out to him, I said, “I forgive you.” I was in tears. The guy couldn’t even face me anymore. He looked down when I told him I forgave him, and he covered his eyes with his hand. Then he told me –I could feel he was trying to reach out and say, “Thank you,” but he couldn’t say it. He said, “I took stuff from your home because I wanted to keep it for you.” Of course he didn’t want to keep it for me. He was just taking stuff from my home. But I could feel that he was trying to reach out to me. He was trying to tell me, “Thank you.” But that was his way of saying, “I’m sorry.”<br /><br />The man who was standing there – he was the head of the jail – he was so mad at me, (and said) “How dare you forgive a killer?” He had lost his children and his wife. I said to him, “Well I am just one Tutsi anyway. Even if I forgive, I’m only one person while the rest seem to hate (the Hutus). I’m sure this will not have any impact.” A year later, that man came to look for me. He said, “I want to thank you for saving my life.” I said, “What do you mean ‘saving your life’?” He said, “The day you forgave that killer was the first time I even thought there was another possibility than hatred.” The man told me how he had dedicated his life to hating the (killers) and doing bad things to them – and all of a sudden he saw that I forgave, and I had gone through the same thing as him. He was able to find a way in his heart to think of them as human beings again, not animals. He stopped hating them and he started to teach them to be better people...And he told me that if I hadn’t been able to forgive that time (in the jail), it wouldn’t have happened. <br /><br />(To hear Immaculée discuss how she found new hope by working with orphans, and why she wrote the book “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Led-Faith-Rising-Rwandan-Genocide/dp/1401918875/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238961506&sr=8-2">Led By Faith</a>: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide,” download the full <a href="http://www.christophers.org/Page.aspx?pid=797">“Christopher Closeup” podcast here</a>.) <br /><br />TonyRossiBlogger@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://tonyrossi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default</div>Tony Rossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09762535159589721891noreply@blogger.com0