Mrs. Garcia Block 6 Jesus, an Upstander, and Me
Jesus, an Upstander, and Me!
By Chelsea Barajas
Jesus
Reign of God
Jesus 
&
the
The Parable of the Mustard Seed 
 Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." Mark 4: 30-32
The Reign of God is a Mustard Seed?
No, the Reign of God is not a mustard seed literally. Okay, well kind of. Jesus used this parable so people would understand that the Kingdom or Reign of God, begins small, like a mustard seed. It starts as seemingly insignificant actions. Yes, actions, this is not a place it is an experience. The idea of the mustard seed parable is so we can see how small actions can grow into a larger scale of greatness, the Kingdom of God.  
Okay, so what does this have to do with Jesus being an upstander?
Well, because Jesus wanted to stand up to make a change in the way people thought about the Kingdom. He didn't want people to continue thinking the Kingdom of God was a materialistic reward one recieved from their own relationship with God. Jesus wanted the people to know that experiencing the Kingdom of God was more than just about having a good relationship with God, but that it was also about having a good relationships with other people as well.  He put an end to solitude and told the people the way to “feed” the seed of the Kingdom of God is by loving each other unconditionally. He changed society positively with his revolutionary new message of bringing the people together. 
(Reign of God, 10/3/08)  

Upstander
"I want the last face you see in this world to be the face of love, so you look at me when they do this thing. I'll be the face of love for you." 
- Sister Helen Prejean

This year as we learned about Reverence for Human Life we wrestled with the issue of capital punishment. During our Death Penalty Case Study we learned about the major role upstander Sister Helen Prejean played in the matter.
What she taught us as an upstander...
Sister Helen Prejean definitely stood up to defend the Catholic Social Teaching that all life has dignity and worth even criminals. This was a significant topic because it really challenged my thinking. She reminded society what is important is not to get even but to acknowledge that we are all human despite our worst actions.
"Mr. Percy, I'm just trying to follow the example of Jesus, who said that a person is not as bad as his worst deed." - Sister Helen Prejean
Me
Virtues
FAITH
HOPE
LOVE
WHOLENESS
JUSTICE
COURAGE
WISE JUDGEMENT

HONESTY 
RESPECT FOR PERSONS 
COMPASSION 
RESPECT FOR CREATION 
REVERENCE FOR LIFE 
PEACEMAKING

FAITH:  trust in God’s power to bestow new life, illumination to grasp God’s truth, and surrender to accept it 

HOPE:  responsibility for the future in expectation that God’s Reign will come   (for Christians the Resurrection) 

LOVE:  considered the heart of all virtues (1 Corinthians). 

WISE JUDGEMENT – the ability to figure out what is right in a practical situation and act on it

JUSTICE – striving to ensure the well-being of others and ourselves

COURAGE – ability to do what is right in the face of harm

WHOLENESS – balancing all parts of self to create a dynamic and harmonious order

(Virtues Overview, 3/23/09)
This year we learned about Christian Virtues.  This was a major topic because there are so many virtues and they are an important factor to the Christian faith. 
Virtues are memorable because...
In addition to learning the meaning of the virtues we also learned the meaning virtues play in the stages of life. This was definitely a deep way of thinking. In class we discussed how on our path through moral maturity we encounter these virtues. I thought this was a interesting new concept. 
How this has affected me
Learning about virtues has taught me that we don’t have to be super heroes and have super powers in order to be courageous and be an upstander.  By being compassionate, using wise judgment, being peacemaking people, and applying other virtues, we can be just as powerful and have as big of an impact as well. However, it is difficult at times to find it within ourselves to fulfill these virtues in tough situations. As we develop our moral maturity we see that we can all be upstanders by using virtues. 
This was memorable because...
Jesus illustrated that being an upstander means challenging the way people think and changing the way they think positively. He changed society so that it would be more communal which brought  more peace and love.  
All you need is love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzJ2NKp23WU
Love, Love, Love. Love, Love, Love. Love, Love, Love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy.
Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time. It's easy.

All you need is love. All you need is love.
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
All you need is love. All you need is love.
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.

Nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. It's easy.

All you need is love. All you need is love.
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
All you need is love (All together, now!) All you need is love. (Everybody!)
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need (love is all you need).

Yee-hai!
Oh yeah!
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah.
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah.
Lyrics...
Love is all you need to experience the Reign of God. 
Here Comes the Sun
This song illustrates the comfort Sister Helen Prejean provided for the people who were on death row. She was optimistic which is seen throughout the movie, but it is most evident when she tells Matthew that he is a child of God. Here you can see how she is being an upstander she is speaking to someone no one would normally call a child of God and telling him he is forgiven and God loves him. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTKzdCX-Nyc
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, 
and I say it's all right 

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter 
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here 
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun 
and I say it's all right 

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces 
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here 
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun 
and I say it's all right 

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... 
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... 
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... 
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... 
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... 

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting 
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear 
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, 
and I say it's all right 
It's all right 

Lyrics...
What Jesus did was difficult it is not easy to change people's lives so sinificantly. But he had to do it because he knew it would bring harmony to the world. But it shows as an upstander you need to take the risk to express your ideas if one wants to bring about change. 
   Sr.Helen Prejean has shown me that we don’t have to agree with what most people think is okay. We need to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong and standup against it. This is hard because people might get angry, like the parents of the victims got at Sister Prejean. It is hard to face the people who disagree with you, but it is sometimes part of being an upstander. 

These are complicated callings...