Righteous Indignation, Ch. 5 (p 38-44)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 5 (p 38-44)
The Legacy of Abraham Joshua Heschel: Jewish Spirituality and Political Transformation -- Rabbi Michael Lerner, PhD

My chapter is all marked up. How can I choose only a few selections for comment?!

(1) The first two paragraphs give an overview of the life, thoughts and works of Abraham Heschel.

What do I want people to say about me after the dirt covers my casket? What am I doing today that will lead them to those desired conclusions?

(2) "...one of Judaism's central contributions to humanity was precisely its integration of spirituality and the struggle for equality and justice" (p 39).

In your understanding, what is the relationship between spirituality and the struggle for justice (for the oppressed and the advocate)? What does this look like as lived in your life?

(3) Let me just give a shout-out to Tikkun magazine (p 40).

What other magazines encourage you in the work of spiritual and social transformation?

(4) Heschel "understood that the fundamental alienation in our society is not only about the deprivation of material goods and political rights. Without for a moment abandoning the struggle for rights and inclusion, Heschel tried to focus our attention on the deeper spiritual crisis that comes from being alienated from the spiritual core of our being..." (p 42).

In Walking with the Poor, Bryant Myers discusses how spirituality (when distorted or lacking) can be a cause of poverty. But in this chapter we are reminded of the crisis of spiritual poverty itself. What does it take to overcome this alienation? How could this question be better phrased? How can we help others grow in their own spirituality?

(5) "...lasting social change can only be won with building a politics that speaks not only to peace, environmental sanctity, rights, and inclusion but also to the hunger for meaning" (p 43).

If this is true, can the secular government be relied on for "lasting social change"? To me this points out the unique role of the spiritual leader. Or am I jumping to the synagogue/church/mosque too quickly? How can governments work to respect or build citizens' "hunger for meaning"?

(6) "The most urgent task is to destroy the myth that accumulation of wealth and the achievement of comfort are the chief vocations of man" (p 43).

Why are these pursuits problematic? How can these myths be done-away-with? What should our "chief vocations" be?

(7) The Global Marshall Plan goes well beyond the .7% of GDP that I normally hear activists and development professionals discuss (See The End of Poverty, Jeffrey Sachs). Very bold.

Would you support a national tax equal to 1-2% of GDP? What would it take to convince a majority of your country's citizen's to back such a proposal? Until this becomes a reality, are you personally sharing directly with those in need or through something like the Relational Tithe or your local faith organization? Is the Global Marshall Plan an approach you can embrace?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5c (p 136-146)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5b (p 136-146)

Another Way of Doing Life
By Travis, O.R. Conspirator Extraordinaire

(1) "We've been very careful at the Simple Way never to claim that we have the corner on the market for "radical Christianity." Nor have we even tried to spread a brand or model." (p 137) (italics & bold mine).

I'm so glad that I don't see "IR" mouse pads or coffee cups. I'm sorry to offend anyone but give me a break. Just go to Amazon.com come and search Purpose Driven Life or Your Best Life Now and see what comes up. Do we need calendars and planners promoting this stuff? Daily devotions? I tried to find a link to the mouse pads. I know I've seen the Purpose Driven Life mouse pads but I could not find them online. I know that the intentions are good but when someone without a christian background sees this stuff, what does it communicate? Personally it turns me off and makes me feel like I'm being sold another product. Another brand. Another model.

What do I buy into? In a highly consumer driven society how do I determine what is needed and what is junk? How do I vote with my dollars?

(2) "And the incredible thing is that the stories of ordinary radicals are all over the place, stories of everyday people doing small things with great love, with their lives, gifts, and careers." (p 137)

What am I doing? How am I doing small things with great love?
Last week after church myself and some friends went to the hospital to visit an older woman from our congregation. The idea was birthed out of the sermon topic. We have been doing a series about how God interacts with us through our 5 senses and how we use those senses to interact with the world. We wanted to sing songs to this woman (who loves praise and worship time) and be a sweet fragrance in a dying world (we studied the sense of smell at church). She ended up ministering to us and touching us (I think) more profoundly than our ministry to her.

(3) "Some may leave their jobs. Others will redefine them." (p 140) "So not everyone responds in the same way, but we must respond." (p 142) (italics & bold mine)

How are you responding? I love how he gives many examples all throughout the book about people ministering in many different and unique ways. Amazing. Beautiful. Freeing. Inspiring.

I'm constantly reviewing this one. Right now I'm considering taking a job at the church. Is this what God wants? Is this the best use of my talents? Is this where I need to focus? Am I doing it for a paycheck?

(4) Jesus was not simply a missionary to the poor. He was poor -- born a baby refugee from the badlands of Nazareth, wandered the world a homeless rabbi, died the rotten death of insurrectionists and bandits on the cross, executed by an oppressive empire, buried in a borrowed tomb. Jesus was crucified not for helping the poor people but for joining them. That is the Jesus we follow." (p 144) (italics his)

Do you follow this Jesus? Does it make you uncomfortable?

These facts really disturb me. They rail against the Jesus I learned about at church in my little bible class growing up. It's not pretty. It's not clean. It's too real.

But I'm learning more about, and my heart is being moved to follow this Jesus. To see this Jesus. It's hard. It's uncomfortable. It's exciting.

(5) "What the world really needs is not more churches but a Church" (p 146)

I love how he talks about this concept. That we are all the embodiment of Christ on earth. It reminds me of the story about someone asking C.S. Lewis (I think) which church they should attend and he says that you should go to the one closest to your house! Interesting. How many of us drive out of our community in order to be in another community? Just a question. Questions are good.

I still pose the question: What would it look like if a church impacted the community within its mile radius? Imagine every church on every corner.

That's all for me......until next time. Peace be with you.