c. scott andreas

St. Petersburg, FL is fighting a battle against the homeless – not against homelessness, as we might expect. The city had agreed to allow homeless individuals and families to set up tents under an overpass. However, the mayor’s office reneged on the deal yesterday, then authorized the police and fire departments to slash and destroy the tent community. The police then took the tents, leaving behind a torn and broken community.

Not only were these tents the legitimate property of their inhabitants, they were also their makeshift homes. The city gave no compensation for the tents. But to the officers’ credit, they were kind enough to dump their meager possessions onto the ground afterward.

“That’s all that’s left of it…They cut it all the way down…I just started crying. I don’t even know what to do about it. I don’t know where to go now. This is sick. This is really sickening, man. Why would people do that?”
- Viola Wilson, St. Petersburg resident.

Please watch the video. This will not be tolerated in the Kingdom of God.

On Thursday, ChurchReport listed the 50 most influential Christians in America. Most of them are the usual suspects, with a few surprises here and there. Joel Osteen takes the win, with Bills Graham and Hybels claiming place and show.

But we’ve got an unlikely trio finishing up the top ten!

Never thought I’d see the three of them next to each other!

You can check out the full list here.

(ht: Tim Challies)

By now, you all know that Steve Jobs brought the world tidings of great joy this morning when he announced the iPhone. iPhone is set to revolutionize human communication come June, and I’ll be drooling until then (though I may not get my hands on one for much longer, depending…). Seriously, the company has cornered genius.

Anyhow, check it out if you haven’t yet, and do watch the Macworld Keynote. Jobs knows how to give a presentation. Amusingly enough, the Cingular guy did not.

I hit my “idolatry” quota hours ago. I need to put that silver half-eaten fruit out of my mind for a bit.

Repentance, redemption, and renewal have been on my mind a lot this summer in a very holistic and communal sense. Today, Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed wrote about who’s groaning in Paul’s letter to the church at Rome.

He settles upon Creation, the Church, and the Spirit. Creation yearns for the redemption of the “Eikons” (we call it the “Imago Dei” / “Image of God” in these parts), while the Church and the Spirit long for liberation.

From McKnight in Embracing Grace:

“The gospel is the work of the triune, interpersonal God to restore cracked Eikons to union with God and communion with others.â€?

Check out his post, and follow this series. Look for more from me on the image of God shortly.

- csa

I came across this quote in Shane Claiborne’s “The Irresistible Revolution.” It represents a beautiful component of the Gospel which too often escapes my mind. Also, a good desktop background. Click for a larger version (1280×1024).

As a college student, I stumble upon many strange recipes in my culinary travels. Here is a recipe for a great summer barbecue salad that I stumbled upon last week while staring at a spotty cupboard.

It’s best features: great taste, dirt cheap, a little spicy, and it takes 5 minutes to make!

• Start with a salad mix, preferably one loaded with vegetables.
• Cut up and add a fresh Roma tomato.
• Slice a few cubes of pepperjack cheese (Tillamook!)
• Grab a handful of corn tortilla chips, mash them up, and drop them in.
  Blue chips add great color.
• Substitute your usual amount of salad dressing with your favorite barbecue sauce and some nice brown mustard.
• Finally, top it off with a bit of salsa.

Enjoy!