Richard Dahlstrom - The Colors of Hope: Becoming People of Mercy, Justice, and Love

The Colors of Hope

Copyright 2011

Richard Dahlstrom

Published in association with MacGregor Literary Agency

Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations identified ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified GW are from Gods Word, 1995 by Gods Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations identified The Message are from The Message . Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations identified NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

www.bakerbooks.com

E-book edition created 2011

ISBN 978-1-4412-3211-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

In The Colors of Hope, Richard Dahlstrom brings a welcome call to a biblical faith that calls us beyond ourselves and the polarized debates in our society. He invites us to discover the unique ways God can use our lives and paintbrushes to bring the colors of compassion, justice, and celebration to a world hungry to find a little hope. We in Seattle are glad to share Richard Dahlstroms prophetic voice with Christians throughout our society who want to take Scripture seriously in their lives, churches, and in our troubled world.

Tom Sine (www.msainfo.org)
Author, The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time

Revolutions begin among artistsour poets, painters, storytellers, and musicians. The Colors of Hope marks Richard Dahlstrom as a revolutionary. Passionately, deftly, Dahlstrom urges us to embrace our calling as artisans of hope. This is the soothing voice and the relevant message that this noisy, weary world needs.

Karen Spears Zacharias
Author, Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide? cause I need more room for my plasma TV (Zondervan)

If we truly believe in the resurrection of Christ, we believe in this good news not only for the annual Easter weekend, but we believe that God has risen and is at work every day. But more important, we choose not to be bystanders but to be active participants in Gods redemptive work. This is what this compelling book is all about. Richard Dahlstrom reminds us that cynicism and hopelessness are not going to change the world. But neither will nebulous idealism. We have to become people of mercy, justice, and love. In short, we have to be artisans of hope.

Eugene Cho
Pastor and Founder, One Days Wages

Anyone whos followed Jesus for a while has seen gray areas, when vibrant faith fades into the drudgery of religion. Richard Dahlstrom, one of the brightest and best communicators Christianity has to offer right now, calls us out into fulfilling our role as creators; artists sent to splash the world with meaningful, gorgeous color. Its a lot better than moping around waiting for Armageddon.

Jordan Green
Director, Burnside Writers Collective (www.burnsidewriters.com)

Dedication

Our world is filled with people who are, anonymously and without accolade, bringing food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, hospitality and shelter to the stranger, education to the ignorant, healing to the sick, justice to the oppressed, protection to the vulnerable, clothing to the naked, hope to the hopeless, all in Jesus name. Thank you for painting the colors of hope so lavishly, vividly, faithfully. This book is dedicated to you.

Acknowledgments

This work wouldnt be possible without my artist friends. They shake me awake, opening my eyes to beauty, tragedy, and possibilities in Gods world. Thanks to Bryan Gough and Juliette Aristides for the studio tours, manuscript feedback, and discussions about beauty, hope, meaning, and faith. If souls are fed by friendship, Ive known moments of feasting with each of you.

Because my writing happens in lifes margins, my wife is behind every word. Shes the one who expands my margins by absorbing lifes details so that I can write. Donna, Im blessed beyond words by the treasure of your love and friendship. Thank you.

Contents

Introduction

On Becoming Artisans of Hope

Have you ever seen Schindlers List ? Steven Spielbergs masterful film about the holocaust and the role Oskar Schindler played in saving the lives of Jews is forever etched in my mind as one of the great films of modern time. I say this because of the power of its message, the skill of its cast, and the artistry of its cinematography. Regarding the latter, one scene stands out as remarkably powerful.

Perhaps you remember it. The whole film is shot in black and white, in stark contrast to the few seconds near the middle of the movie where our eye is drawn to a small child, an individual, walking with the mass of humanity as theyre forced from the Warsaw ghetto. Shes in color; wearing red, she highlights the reality that though were talking about the Jews, were really talking about people, because what are the masses other than gathered individual lives, each with a story, longings, desires, and fears? She stands out against all the shades of grey that are the rest of the world: grey streets, grey buildings, grey people, grey sky. Without any words being spoken, she embodies innocence, beauty, simplicity, and all that is good and right. She, the incarnation of hope, is where your eye is drawn.

Thats as it should be. Were looking, all of us are, for hope, because God knows despair is easy enough to find without any looking at all. We run into it everywhere. We wake up to the morning news and hear about the price of oil and the threat of terrorism, pandemic, or financial scandal. Soon were off to work, if we still have a job in the midst of the economic insanity that marks our time, wondering if our company or product is helping to make the world a better place, wondering if were going to remain competitive what with the latest outsourcing to some farther corner of the world, because its become too expensive to do business in China. Well arrive home and there too, for many, grey might still prevail. Relational struggles, addictions, loneliness, weariness, physical afflictions, and boredom are all on the listvarious shades of grey that dampen hope.