Is Violent Racism Making a Comeback or Has it Ever Gone Away? by Randy Woodley

May 23, 2012 By randywoodley 4 Comments

Many White people thought we had racism almost licked in America. We would all at the least, like to believe racism has become more subtle than it was in former days. I don’t see it.  It was shameful to hear how the entire stock of “Trayvon Martin Targets” sold out in just two days. The targets did not have Trayvon’s face but were of a young man in a hoodie holding Skittles and an Arizona Ice Tea. The target was on the heart, where Trayvon was shot. What is especially frightening about this is imagining those many thousands of targets and what the people who are shooting at them are thinking as they pull the trigger.

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Filed Under: emerging church, Personal, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , 4 Comments

Faith and Politics: ‘What’s Fair is Fair’ is not Fair Anymore by Randy S. Woodley

May 9, 2012 By randywoodley 5 Comments

Ok, I have to admit I’m a history nerd. I read it, I watch it and I teach it professionally. Given the constant intersection of history and politics, I’m also quite interested in socio-political movements, trends and events. And I should say right up front, politically, I’m “all of the above”  on different issues, having voted on both sides and also for independents. But, in full disclosure, and this is a big ‘ol “but” for some of you; because of my experiences and my faith, at this time in my life I’m currently tracking with the Dems. I know, some folks coming from other places will chide me for this, but I’m pretty sure I’m old enough and mature enough in my faith to make up my own mind.

So what do I think about those of you who are rooting for those on the other side of the aisle, or even for those whose party doesn’t even get to sit near the aisle? I think that most of you are old enough, and mature enough in your faith to make up your mind as well. This is not really a post about conservative and progressive views on various issues. This is not even a post about which party is best for us at this time in our history–I’ve got my views–you’ve got yours–fine… This post is about how Christians have come to think about politics these days. Many people believe, (’cause I get the emails and comments all the time), that if a person makes a case for one side of an issue, they are  obligated to find fault with the other side. In other words, the issues are so politically charged these days that people won’t allow anyone to critique an issue without making the charge of partisanship. I do understand that almost every issue has partisan contexts, but please understand that sometimes the issue, is just the issue!

As followers of Jesus, we should not allow either party to dictate to us whether or not we can comment on an issue without it being considered partisan. We all sense the current political passion, things have gotten really crazy. I know both sides lie, both have their own problems, no one is perfect, yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s politics. But, does that mean we don’t engage in one side of an issue just because it is currently “owned” by one party or the other? Can you imagine Jesus not addressing the resurrection because the Pharisees and Sadducees had different views on it? How about trying to imagine Charles Finney not preaching abolition in the pre-Civil War period? or Angelina Grimke keeping silent on the Women’s Movement? or Sojourner Truth staying clear of both issues because she might be accused of partisan politics? Can you imagine in an effort not to seem partisan, MLK Jr. not addressing poverty or racism just because one party might include these issues as a part of their platform and another might not? As followers of Jesus, we need to be aware of the political implications but not allow them to silence us.

Today, something quite historic has changed in politics. The Dems are pretty much the same group as always, confused part of the time, both on and off message at different times. But, the big change since around 2008 has surfaced from within the current group of Republicans. If you’ve been observant, you know that there is no place left for moderates in the GOP. I could name about 10 examples of this off the top of my head but I realize, I’d just get some of you really mad. But then lately, even fairly neutral studies are affirming the far right swing in the GOP. This current polarization in politics has not been as great since perhaps the Civil War. Personally, I don’t believe that it is good for the country. A terrible atmosphere of intolerance seems to be re-surfacing that is moving race relations and how we think about the poor back to the 50s or 60s.

Christians are supposed to be the peacemakers of the world. That can only happen by first facing hard realities. As followers of Jesus, we should be concerned, share our views and take action. As citizens, we should demand that our politicians talk about their differences and learn to compromise–that has been the reality of politics in this country since the first Continental Congress. So how do we interpret the reality of this great divide?

In a recent Op. Ed. appearing in the Washington Post, Thomas E. Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Norman J. Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute brought this to our attention,

…political scientists Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal, who have long tracked historical trends in political polarization, said their studies of congressional votes found that Republicans are now more conservative than they have been in more than a century. Their data show a dramatic uptick in polarization, mostly caused by the sharp rightward move of the GOP. If our democracy is to regain its health and vitality, the culture and ideological center of the Republican Party must change. In the short run, without a massive (and unlikely) across-the-board rejection of the GOP at the polls, that will not     happen. If anything, Washington’s ideological divide will probably grow after the 2012 elections.*

Now, what did they just say? They stated a simple fact that the GOP is moving to the right. Note, there are many long-time conservatives who would wholeheartedly agree–and they don’t like it. This is not necessarily a partisan issue, it’s just a matter of fact. I know someone will stop reading at this point and feel the need to tell me that the Democrats are just as bad-Please don’t! No need, I admit it. As I said earlier, they all lie, they are all both good and bad…but, the issue here is about the Republican Party’s swing to the right–stick with me for one more quote.

We understand the values of mainstream journalists, including the effort to report both sides of a story. But a balanced treatment of an unbalanced phenomenon distorts reality. If the political dynamics of Washington are unlikely to change anytime soon, at least we should change the way that reality is portrayed to the public.*

Did you see those words? “…a balanced treatment of an unbalanced phenomenon distorts reality.” Everyone wants to be fair, right? Especially Christians. We are so eager to be fair sometimes that we get confused about issues, historical movements and politics. We would like to think that when one side goes radical, both sides are equally radical but that is just not the reality of this season. Right now, history is taking place and it’s directly tied to politics. Whether or not you feel a swing to the far right is a good thing or perhaps you believe it is a bad thing, it is happening. This means that when we talk about issues, our tendency is going to be to speak from those polarized positions. This kind of debate almost always end up in a yelling match. Let’s not do that. Instead, lets look at the facts, and as hard as it is, let’s refrain from denigrating one another and commit to finding some compromises among ourselves. Who knows, maybe we can start a trend.

* http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story_3.html

Filed Under: emerging church, Kingdom, Theology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

A Seat at The Table: Negative Space, Part II, The Art of Doing Nothing

March 21, 2012 By Mike Stavlund 2 Comments

I wrote last month about the value of ‘negative space’ in worship settings, but the same principle has similar effects in the life of the larger organization.  Of course most reasonable people would look at flat churches, offer an exasperated sigh, and say, “Organization?  What organization? I don’t see any!”  And while it is true that there is a lack of top-down structure, even grassroots emergence churches will often naturally employ the use of negative space to get certain jobs done.

At Common Table, it tends to work this way:  individuals see a need for something, and say so.  As these voices start to harmonize, the leadership team– whose main purpose is to be attentive to the church and to protect its heart– will take notice and begin to clarify the need.  They will work to define it; to understand its parameters.  There might be a need for a different format for organizing the Sunday workflow, or a new way of doing service projects, or a financial concern, or an entirely new program of ministry.  But instead of leading some kind of charge, the leadership team will pull back a bit and simply organize the conversation that is brewing about the new thing or the reform that is needed.  At some point, the team will communicate, “We are seeing the need for a kids program,” or “It is becoming clear that our financial situation is untenable,” or whatever.  The need is made clear, though the solution to the problem is not.  Instead, there is simply space made for a solution to come to the fore, organically.  This might happen quickly, or it might take months or years.  It might require lots of collaboration, or there might be one person who quietly makes it happen.  It might be painfully difficult, or all of the pieces might fall effortlessly into place.

This negative space is created when the need is identified.  The expectation then is that an individual or group will take ownership of the problem and begin working toward a solution.  Which process will invariably involve ongoing feedback from the larger group, but it is feedback that is tempered and respectful and deferential, since everyone else realizes the need for the folks taking action to be granted some freedom and empowerment to creatively resolve the situation.

Of course, in the case of extremely urgent needs, an ad hoc group will be convened, or an especially dutiful person will jump into the fray and find a solution.  But in the case of each of these top-down and/or forced fixes, the solution is only temporary– the structure erected will need to be torn down at some point (or left to crumble) so that a more enduring solution can be established.

It is a lot of work, and a lot of mess.  But it also generates a lot of creativity and ownership.  Supplying solutions in this way organically integrates the best people in the right places.  The people who step up are almost invariably the right ones for the jobs, and the solutions they find are amazingly exciting and durable. The hardest lesson for those of us with worrying tendencies or those who feel some sense of responsibility for all organizational systems to work flawlessly is that we need to sit with our discomfort and simply wait.  We’re learning that in church, sometimes the best thing to do when faced with an important need is to do nothing.

 

Filed Under: church, emerging church, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , 2 Comments

Why We Can’t Win In Afghanistan by Randy Woodley

March 14, 2012 By randywoodley 1 Comment

(Note: I am interrupting my own series on Strange Religion: American Dualism because of the urgency of this situation. Life interrupts perceived reality. A recent ABC News – Washington Post poll (http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Americans-Believe-Afghan-War-Not-Worth-Costs-New-Poll-Finds–142296305.html) shows that 60 percent of U.S. citizens believe the war in Afghanistan is not worth its costs. These cost are both monetary and counted in the loss of human life. Although the slaying of Afghan innocents are not wholesale actions, and some good is being done in Afghanistan, there are way too many of these “incidents” for us to ignore them. The most recent massacre of 16 innocent civilians, including 9 children asleep in their beds, reminds us once again (after the death squads, urinating on dead bodies, “video game” kills, body part collectors, drone strikes, etc.), that the many incidents of murders of civilians by members of our own troops are not isolated and they will continue. We must now face the worst of what we have become, and how we appear to the Afghan people. We are part helpers/part monsters. It is time for both sides to heal. Bin Laden is dead. Al Qaeda is disrupted. Unless the plan for the “war on terror” is to be perpetual, it is time to bring our troops home).

I consider myself a peacemaker and a patriot. I come from a long line of warriors and military servicemen. But, along with other Americans in my generation, the idea of blind patriotism died for me during the Vietnam War. Then, after my conversion to Jesus in 1975, I found he had much more to say about making peace than making war. I now understand peacemaking to be the first, the wisest and the most critical act of courage, patriotism and a non-negotiable of my Christian faith. With all that said, I can say without hesitation that I consider the continuation of a war in Afghanistan to be pure foolishness. It is a war that we cannot win.

What qualifies me to make such a statement? Certainly the history of our involvement in the Middle East is complicated since our Government has been covertly active in the politics of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, etc. for many decades. We have sided with both “progressive” and “fundamentalist” despotic régimes in this ancient part of the world.

As a person of Native American heritage, I have made it a point to become a student of the 500 plus years of history between Native Americans and Euro-Americans. My ancestors suffered genocide, displacement, assimilation to colonialism and now the inhumanity of modernism at the hands of Euro-Americans and in particular, at the hands of the United States Government. One needs only to see the other (often untold) side of history, such as from a Native American viewpoint, to understand how imperialism works. The principals of conquest and exploitation still held by the United States, cannot gain anything but a demoralizing loss in Afghanistan. Here are just a few of the reasons: [Read more...]

Filed Under: church, Culture, emerging church, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
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