Righteous Indignation (p ix-xviii)

Righteous Indignation (p ix-xviii)

Welcome back from our short break. Today we'll cover the Foreword and Introduction, and in the future we'll also cover two essays per week.

FOREWORD (Rabbi David Ellenson, PhD)

(1) "...individual spiritual devotion and social justice are partners" (p ix).

Britt Bravo talks about this connection in two Have Fun*Do Good blog posts--Funding Personal and Social Transformation: Paula Sammons, Seasons Fund and Spirituality, Religion and Activism: What's the Connection? Both posts refer to the Seasons Fund which supports organizations that understand and develop this link between personal and social transformation. As a side note, Jewish Funds for Justice was one of the founding partners of Seasons Fund.

What connections between the two have you noticed in your life? How does your personal faith/spirituality/belief system/religious practice affect your attitudes toward social justice issues and your actions for making a better world?

INTRODUCTION

(2) "The creation of a just and sustainable world requires the cooperative efforts of people from all walks of life" (p xiii).

No single organization, political party or religion is powerful enough or humble enough to create a "just and sustainable world." I can do my part. You can do your part. In cooperation we will grow personally and collectively, and then change will come.

(3) "In assembling this anthology, we draw strength from past Jewish activists who sought to meet the justice needs of their times. The biblical prophets take as their primary task to teach people the need to create just communities" (p xiii).

This paragraph is the main reason I chose this book for us to read together. We must learn from the prophets the definition of peace and justice, the principles for action, the goals that are in line with God's priorities. As we learn from them, we gain wisdom for our actions today--what, where and how.

(4) "None of the essays in this book addresses direct service because we feel that the American Jewish community does this work very well. Virtually every synagogue we have entered has a 'social action committee' and provides congregants with ways to serve the needy. Very few social action committees, however, actually empower congregants as political advocates. And without political action, there can be no deep and lasting change" (p xvii).

What a statement! I wish every congregation in my denomination had a social action committe. That would be incredible. I know we try to serve and help, and many churches do this fairly well given their resources, but we are far from organized. We have school committees, budget committees, evangelism committees, etc., but I dare say the number of social action committees is pretty low. Let alone political activism that gets to the root of issues!

Is your local faith community committed to social action to the degree that it organizes around these issues? If not, how can you work to change this? What leadership role are you willing to take?

(5) "Yet our tradition tells us that we can change our ways and transform our world. This is the essence of teshuvah (repentance)" (p xviii).

I'm reminded of the deeply philosophical and intensely political drama, Two Weeks Notice (Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant). I believe it was tofu yogurt or cheese cake that Sandra's father uses to demonstrate that people change. He would have never eaten it before the influence of his wife. I hope that is indeed how the exchange goes. Hmm, I wasn't planning on referencing that less-than-engaging film in this post.

(6) "'It is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it' (Pirkei Avot 2:16)" (p xviii).

It is possible that Thomas Merton had this in mind when he wrote "A Letter to a Young Activist," where he cautions the young man that he may not see results but that the work is still "crucially important." I first read this letter in Faith Works (Jim Wallis, 2002).

Do I have the courage to continue working for change, for justice, for peace, for sustainability even if I don't see results this month, this year, this decade? Do I believe it's still crucial? Do you? And if I do see results, will I remain humble?

There are so many more points that stood out to me in these short sections, but this introductory post is already lengthy.

Shalom,
Jeff

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11b (p 305-314)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11b (p 305-314)
Making Revolution Irresistible

(a) "The transformation begins with the people--with ordinary radicals, courageous mothers and grandmothers like Rizpah.... Nations will not lead us to peace; it is people who will lead the nations to peace as they begin to humanize the nations" (p 307).

If peace and justice are to begin with me (my intentions, attitudes and actions), what's my mustard seed?

(b) "Protesters are everywhere, but I think the world is desperately in need of prophets, those little voices that can point us toward another future" (p 309).

What is a prophet? The esteemed wikipedia explains that in Judaism a prophet is someone God chooses to speak for Him for the purpose of bringing social change, a spokesperson with the goal of transforming society into God's highest ideal. And what did the prophets speak?

Isaiah: "Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

Jeremiah: "'He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?' declares the LORD." Jeremiah 22:16

Ezekiel: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." Ezekiel 16:49

Amos: "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies." "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" Amos 5:21,24

Micah: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Solomon?: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Proverbs 31:8

Here are God's spokesmen declaring in no vague terms His priorities. Are they my priorities? As I raise my "little voice," am I singing in harmony with the prophetic voices of the past? What picture of the future does my song paint?

Last week a Christian leader explained to me that military spending is not a waste of money because we are able to sell the weaponry to other countries for a profit. How/why have we veered so far from the voice of the prophets (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3)?

(c) The story on page 310 of the Camdenhouse crew wading into the demonstrations wearing clothes with the fruits of the Spirit is so great. What a brilliant example of using imagination. We do in fact need more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Which of these do I need to pray most passionately for today? What will it look like lived out in my relationships today?

(d) "I take great courage from the fact that many of us are taking steps toward a gentler revolution. We need more prophets who laugh and dance" (p 313).

How do you react to this? Are you a laughing prophet? Do you know a dancing one? Am I a speaker of only gloom and doom, or is there a positive twist of love, joy and peace with some laughter and dance thrown in?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11a (p 289-305)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11a (p 289-305)
Making Revolution Irresistible

(a) "I got this [burn scar] making stuff for you" (p 292).

Though not Claiborne's main point in this chapter, still you can find fair trade businesses in this pdf (published by the Fair Trade Federation) or at this site (Fair Trade Certified). These related sites may also guide you: Corporate Critic, Ethical Consumer, EthiScore, Ethical Shopping and Get Ethical. Or learn to sew like Shane.

Production and trade aren't necessarily bad, whether local or (maybe even) international. They just need to be done in a fair manner with respect to all parties and the planet. Once every four years, (some) U.S. citizens vote in the presidential election. But we vote for the world of tomorrow with every dollar spent. Will it be fair trade or indifferent? Organic or carcinogenic? Win-win or win-lose?

(b) "There are times when injustice will take us to the streets and might land us in jail, but it is our love for God and our neighbor--not our rage or our arrogance--that counts" (p 293).

What issues take you to the streets? In the midst of protest, are you able to embody love and peace, or do rage and arrogance take over?

From a different perspective, Rob Bell talks about what we do with our anger in Store. Do I use it to make the world a better place like Jesus did (Mark 3:5)? Or do I get destructive?

The words of Kaj Munk on pages 294/5 fit this concept brilliantly.

(c) "Just as 'believers' are a dime a dozen in the church, so are 'activists' in social justice circles nowadays. But lovers are hard to come by. And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of--lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues..." (p 295).

Am I a believer? What do I believe about God and justice? Am I an activist? What actions and what attitudes will achieve the results God desires? Am I a lover? Of whom? Why? Who else needs my love today? How do healthy boundaries help me love more completely?

(d) View the life of Immokalee Workers (p 298-300). That cheap produce in the grocery store suddenly doesn't look so appealing. The answer isn't to stop eating it, but to help those harvesting it for us to get what they need. Our wage scales (both in the U.S. and for multinational corporations) may be legal, but God has a different perspective.

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. (James 5:4-5)

(e) "Degrees of separation allow us to destroy human beings we do not know except as the enemy" (p 304).

Smart bombs keep war de-personalized. "We have guided missiles and misguided men" (Chris Blake, Swimming against the Current, p 109).

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5d (p 146-153)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5d (p 146-153)
Another Way of Doing Life

Thanks, Travis, for posting your thoughts and discussion questions. I trust it won't be the last time.

(a) "For us, belief is only the beginning. What really matters is how we live, how what we believe gets fleshed out, so we also have a statement of orthopraxis (meaning, 'right living, right practices')" (p 147-148).

I think these are what he's referring to: Our Commitments & Our Foundation and Functionality.

The bottom line is action--Matthew 21:28-31, James 1:22, Matthew 7:24. "Talk is cheap."


(b) "What the world needs is people who believe so much in another world that they cannot help but begin enacting it now" (p 149).

• Another World is Possible
• Schools for Conversion (school)
• School(s) for Converstion (book)

How strongly do I believe in another world? In what specific ways can I live as a citizen of that world while walking in this one? What principles guide me?

(c) "We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, but we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself" (p 151). --Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What does this mean for you? What injustice gets you fired up? What solutions do you see? What are you working on? Do you care about so many that it's hard to get traction on dealing with any of them?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 3 (p 69-89)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 3 (p 69-89)
In Search of a Christian

(1) “I wondered what it would look like if we decided to really follow Jesus” (p 71). Pretty basic. Pretty revolutionary. See number 2.

(2) “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly” (Soren Kierkegaard, p 71). I do this.

"Love your enemies." "Sell what you have and give to the poor." "Store up treasure in heaven, not earth." "Forgive 490 times." But it’s all metaphorical, so that’s cool. What’s on TV tonight?

Michael Franti has a great line about “all the freaky people make the beauty of the world” (Stay Human). People like Shane and Andy (p 76) are pretty “freaky,” and talk about some serious beauty. My pride (ego, selfishness, whatever you call it) is so strong. Living the revolution isn’t something you all should do; it’s something I need to live. I want to make beauty of the world, and I want to load up on organic, fair trade Patagonia gear.

To my friends who are on this journey outside of cyberspace: it’s great partnering together as “ordinary radicals just trying to figure out how to love better” (p 76). It’s simple—compassion, forgiveness, generosity, empathy, courage, creativity. It’s only complicated when I’m looking out for me instead of you.

(3) Mother Teresa (p 78): “We are called not to be successful but to be faithful.” “We can do no great things, just small things with great love. It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it.” No discussion questions; just let those sink in.

(4) “We are the body of Christ, not in some figurative sense, but we are the flesh and blood of Jesus alive in the world through the Holy Spirit—God’s hands, feet, ears” (p 79). What is Jesus doing through the hands, feet and ears of your faith community? What’s your story?

(5) “Calcuttas are everywhere if only we have eyes to see. Find your Calcutta” (Mother Teresa, p 89). Where is my Calcutta? Where can I serve those in need? Who needs me today? What do I have to give today? Who needs me to listen today? Who needs my bubbles and sidewalk chalk today?

Check out Shane telling these and other stories at Mars Hill in a talk called Finding Your Calcutta.