Righteous Indignation, Ch. 12 (p 87-93)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 12 (p 85-93)
Redemption for Radicals: Jewish Congregation-Based Community Organizing -- Rabbi Jonah Pesner

(1) While the two primary examples in this chapter relate to health care (general access/coverage and nursing home care), the two over-lapping themes of community organizing and story-telling can be applied to any social justice issue.

The first example of community and stories was especially powerful for me because my wife and I personally struggle with health care access and cost. If there is a time for organizing on this issue, it is now as Daschle begins tackling this issue anew. What is your health care story?

(2) "Though the story of the recent Massachusetts health reform is powerful, it is not unique. It is but one example of Jewish participation in the emerging movement called Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO)" (p 88).

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation website lists three CBCO characteristics:

1. Congregants engage in one-to-one conversations within their synagogue, and often with other congregations, about their social justice passions.
2. Leaders engage in extensive clergy and lay leadership training and development.
3. Synagogue leaders work side-by-side with dozens of faith institutions and progressive organizations in their community, across lines of race, class, and faith.
   

Would your local congregation be open to telling their stories? What social justice passions would you want to discuss? What would it take to get the spiritual leaders of your faith community to engage in this conversation? How open is your community to working with people of other faiths? How open are you?

[More resources at/by Interfaith Funders, Unitarians, DART and YouTube.]

(3) "For people of faith, the first step toward justice is when we cry out" (p 89). The examples given of people who listened to the cry are Pharaoh's daughter, Moses and God.

I once prayed that God would open my ears to the cry of the oppressed. It wasn't long before I was overwhelmed. Cries from every direction were disorienting. Where to start? What to do? What was the first priority? "Okay, God. There is too much. Your kingdom come; your will be done. And how can I be a part of that right here, right now?"

What was the first cry for justice that you remember hearing? When have you cried out? Did anyone listen and respond?

(4) Since this blog is for "ordinary radicals," let's look at the definition of radical given on page 90.

"The radical is that unique person to whom the common good is the greatest personal value.... The radical is so completely identified with mankind that he personally shares the pain, the injustices, and the sufferings of all his fellow men" (p 90; quoted from Reveille for Radicals by Saul Alinksy).

How radical am I? In what ways do I share in the pain, injustice and suffering of others? How does this lead to their redemption? And to my own? If the common good is not my greatest personal value, what is?

(5) "First and foremost, [the Exodus story] teaches that in every time and place, redemption is possible. It begins with a cry... It continues with rage at the injustice, and a willingness to act. It requires leadership and relationships.... The people must begin to articulate their story..." (p 91).

Crying, rage, willingness to act, leadership, relationships and story-telling. Where am I at on these themes? Am I crying or hearing some else's cries (or both)? Do I have rage? At what? Am I willing to act? Am I acting? Am I offering leadership? Am I follow others who are more experienced than I? What condition and quality are my relationships? Are there key relationships I need to focus on to bolster community change? I am telling my story, listening intently on other's stories, providing an environment what words can be shared and heard?

(6) "In the globalized twenty-first century, justice transcends categories of race, class, and faith. Today, standing together for redemption means discovering our shared suffering and being challenged by each other's divergent traditions" (p 91).

What groups do I still not listen to? Why? What barriers am I allowing to stop their story? What stories am I telling myself about these groups? What suffering might I share in common with them? Am I open to hearing anything from this group's faith tradition?

(7) "The power for systemic change emanates from the Divine, but it comes only from authentic relationships both inside the Jewish family and beyond, with other communities who share a vision of a world redeemed. We can harness the power of our relationships and engage together in bold, public action, across lines of faith, class, and race, and address the structural sources of economic and social injustice" (p 93).

"Redemption isn't just for radicals. Redemption is for everyone" (p 93).

May we build relationships across barriers of faith, socio-economic class, age, ethnicity, political party, and every other characteristic we use to describe "them" and "us." And in these relationships, may we find divine power to build a more just world.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6c (p 180-189)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6c (p 180-189)
Economics of Rebirth

(a) “The reality of divine multiplication is realized only when we allow ourselves to be dependent on God and live in radical interdependence with one another” (p 180).

What am I depending on for security, happiness and fulfillment? How well is it working? What is God depending on me to do? Why do so many of us crave independence? Given that independence is a complete myth, what can I do to embrace interdependence today? How can I play my part well?

Some of my favorite stories in the whole book are in this chapter—Jubilee on Wall Street, Indian kids sharing ice cream, Mother Teresa’s feet, neighbors who trade cars for food, and the family who takes in the pregnant lady. Classics.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6b (p 169-180)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6b (p 169-180)
Economics of Rebirth

(a) “…God did not mess up and make too many people and not enough stuff. Poverty was created not by God but by you and me, because we have not learned to love our neighbors as ourselves” (p 169-170).

Am I willing to take some responsibility for the poverty in the world, or do I just blame corrupt business men, politicians and the systems they create? Could it be that my apathy has been one cause? Could my voting, spending and eating habits be perpetuating and intensifying poverty for some people in some places? How long am I willing to sit still and contemplate the ramifications for my decisions and lifestyle before I start justifying and excusing and explaining?

(b) “The Jubilee… aimed to dismantle structures of social-economic inequality by releasing each community member from debt…, returning encumbered or forfeited land to its original owners…, and freeing slaves…” (p 171).

Who could use a Jubilee from their credit cards? We had always kept our cards paid off until I got hurt two years ago. It’s amazing how fast things can change. "But if people could get out of debt like that, how could industrialists get rich?" Yes, good question. Maybe God has other priorities.

(c) “It is miraculous how the abundance of God and the gifts of the children of God are able to provide mystically for people’s needs” (p 179).

When have others provided for you? How have you shared your abundance with others recently?

One of the biggest gifts I’ve received from a community member was a home. An elderly lady had to leave her home and enter an assisted living center. Her daughter allowed us to live in the vacant home with very low rent for a year while she prepared to sell the house. I’m sure I’ll never be able to repay them for the gift that meant so much while we were in the middle of a rough stretch.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6a (p 155-169)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6a (p 155-169)

Economics of Rebirth

I've been on the road for the past 5 weekends plus a number of days in between, so please be patient with my problem of tardiness. I should have asked Travis to write again. But here I am now.

(a) "Faith-based nonprofits.... can too easily merely facilitate the exchange of goods and services, putting plenty of professionals in the middle to guarantee that the rich do not have to face the poor and that power does not shift." The reign of God "did not spread through organizational establishments or structural systems. It spread like disease--through touch, through breath, through life. It spreads through people infected by love" (p 159).

This totally reminds me of a quote by another revolutionary a few years ago, Ellen White. In The Ministry of Healing, she said:

"Everywhere there is a tendency to substitute the work of organizations for individual effort. Human wisdom tends to consolidation, to centralization, to the building up of great churches and institutions. Multitudes leave to institutions and organizations the work of benevolence; they excuse themselves from contact with the world, and their hearts grow cold. They become self-absorbed and unimpressible. Love for God and man dies out of the soul.

"Christ commits to His followers an individual work--a work that cannot be done by proxy. Ministry to the sick and the poor, the giving of the gospel to the lost, is not to be left to committees or organized charities. Individual responsibility, individual effort, personal sacrifice, is the requirement of the gospel.

"'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in,' is Christ's command, 'that my house may be filled' (Luke 14:23). He brings men into touch with those whom they seek to benefit. 'Bring the poor that are cast out to thy house,' He says. 'When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him' (Isa. 58:7). 'They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover' (Mark 16:18). Through direct contact, through personal ministry, the blessings of the gospel are to be communicated" (p 146-148).

How have I been relying on organizations? What can I do personally today? When might collective efforts (i.e., organizations) be able to deal with issues that individuals cannot?

(b) "The poor will always be among you" (p 16).

A pastor friend of mine even used this verse with me. "Jeff, don't waste all your energy fighting poverty. It will never be eradicated. Jesus said there will always be poor people."

But this conclusion is the opposite of Jesus' teaching. He said we would always have the opportunity to help the poor, so it was acceptable for this lady in this instance to do something generous personally for him. He wasn't saying, "You'll never overcome this entirely, so don't even try." The empire, bad decisions and bad luck will always make people poor, and we get to lend a hand, to demonstrate God's love for them.

Being poor is a fairly normal stage in life. We help people in need, and someone helps us when we have needs, and they help someone else when they get on their feet and have extra to share. And the more interdependent we become, the more often we can meet each other's needs.

Are there poor people in your faith community? Do they have truly equal status with those with bank accounts?

(c) "Simplicity is meaningful only inasmuch as it is grounded in love, authentic relationships, and interdependence" (p 163).

I friend helped us move recently, and he called me out. "You talk big about living simply, but you have boxes full of books, CDs and clothes." I'm blessed to share an authentic relationship with him.

(d) "True generosity is measured not by how much we give away but by how much we have left, especially when we look at the needs of our neighbors" (p 164). And to me, this is why the widow's might was a more amazing gift than all the others. Do I need to pray for more love so I can freely share with my neighbors?

And that quote about murdering the hungry child... Hraugh! (good luck pronouncing that)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5a (p 115-126)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5a (p 115-126)
Another Way of Doing Life

(1) “…what people are really wondering is whether there is life before death” (p 117).

Does my life show the world another, a better, way to live?

(2) “And the kingdom that Jesus speaks so much about is not just something we hope for after we die but is something we are to incarnate now” (p 117).

Sometimes I’ve heard or read people express the idea that Jesus’ teachings sound good, but they just don’t work here on this planet—love your neighbor, forgive, turn the other cheek*. But Shane brings up a good point in the quoted paragraph. These teachings don’t fit heaven; they were expressed specifically for planet Earth with its sin problem. We don’t need the teaching “turn the other cheek” in heaven because no one will slap the right cheek to begin with. Jesus’ hard words might not sound like actions we can live here, but clearly he wasn’t giving us advice on how to live later. It is meant for here and now.

(3) “We knew that the world cannot afford the American dream and that the good news is that there is another dream” (p 119).

This is so true. Already the world is feeling the pinch of limited resources with growing demand. Prices from steel to corn are rising as countries grow their economies in ways patterned after the United States. Demand for oil, food, water and all value-added resources will continue to rise. It has been estimated that for the entire population of the planet to live like North Americans, we would need seven more planets of resources. The U.S. style of life and production is simply not sustainable on a world-wide scale (or even within our borders, but that’s another discussion).

(4) “We narrowed our vision to this: love God, love people, and follow Jesus” (p 121).

That about covers it. What is my mission statement? What guides my decision-making process? How do I decide what to say yes and no to?

(5) “We share life with our neighbors and try to take care of each other” (p123).

What a great statement; reminds me of Galatians 6:2. This line is in the fun description of The Simple Way on pages 122 - 126. I want to quote the whole section here. It’s like the Sermon on the Mount to me.

Our upstairs neighbor is a retired gentleman who likes to garden. He knocked on the door the other day to see if we wanted another tomato plant. He had a couple extra and wanted to share because Charissa’s tomato hadn’t made the move so well. It’s a little thing, but it was really kind of him.

Neighbors can build community with the smallest of kindnesses. Charissa had taken him a plate of homemade cinnamon roles when we moved in, and that had opened the way to more conversations. How can I build community with people around me today?

*As explained by Walter Wink in Jesus and Nonviolence: The Third Way.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 2 (p 53-67)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 2 (p 53-67)
Resurrecting Church

Here are five quotes that stood out to me. What caught your attention, moved you, or connected with you?

(1) “They reminded us that we all need each other and assured us that if we all shared with one another, there would be enough for everyone” (p 57).

This is something Charissa and I are trying to live. It’s easy to lend some things; for me it’s books and documentaries. Other items, the Vitamix for example, reveal a streak of selfishness. We could live with so much less by learning to share. How many lawn mowers does one neighborhood or one church community really need? Or cars?

(2) “My second instinct was to cry because of how far the church had become removed from the poor” (p 63).

When we came to this new church, we joined a study class that does try to serve. They’ve built a Habitat for Humanity house. They get names of pregnant women with financial problems and donate dressers to them full of baby supplies and clothes. Plus they regularly help people in the community with dollars and cents. It’s really beautiful, and now we’re leaving again. What are you doing along with your local faith community? What’s your story?

(3) “At that moment, we decided to stop complaining about the church we saw, and we set our hearts on becoming the church we dreamed of” (p 64). What is your dream for your faith community?

(4) “Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, “You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet” (p 65).

I had an experience just like this a few years ago. It went something like this, “God, why don’t you do something about this.” “Jeff, why don’t you?” You can read about it in a talk I gave in South Korea—I don’t know why. It was eerie to read this story.

(5) “We do indeed have a God of resurrection, a God who can create beauty from the messes we make of our world” (p 67). What “beauty from the messes” have you seen? What have you been a part of?

As always, feel free to address these questions and quotes or anything else that you'd like. Consider the general questions.