Where Are Your Wounds?

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference held their annual meeting in Dallas Texas this year where we were hosted by the Friendship West Baptist Church and Pastor Frederick Douglas Haynes. The Proctor Conference, as it has come to be known, is the brain child of Dr. Haynes and Dr. Jeremiah Wright who was a student of Dr. Proctor at Virginia Union Theological Seminary. This year marked the 10^th anniversary of the conference which is spearheaded by the General Secretary, Dr. Iva Carruthers.

“The mission of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (SDPC) is to nurture, sustain, and mobilize the African American faith community in collaboration with civic, corporate, and philanthropic leaders to address critical needs of human and social justice within local, national, and global communities. SDPC seeks to strengthen the individual and collective capacity of thought leaders and activists in the church, academy, and community through education, advocacy, and activism.” [1]

With Dr. Boesak

This year’s theme was “Living Waters: Unearthing Global Power for Justice”. The session was kicked off on Monday evening with a challenging sermon from Rev. Dr. Alan Boesak entitled, “Where Are Your Wounds?” Dr. Boesak is a veteran of the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa and challenged conference attendees to understand that the life in Christ is a life characterized by struggle. In that struggle there will be wounds. In fact the absence of wounds suggests that one did not find anything worth fighting for. Where are your wounds?

The question is a twofold question, not only “Where are you wounds?” but if you have no wounds then, “<![if !vml]><![endif]>Was there nothing to fight for?” Dr. Boesak said this was the question that God is asking the Black Church today. I would suggest that this is the question for the whole church. Not only the church collectively but for each of us who profess to be followers of the Christ by who’s wounds we are healed!! This is the challenge to every one of us. Are we content to sit in relative ease and comfort while millions of men and women struggle to find the means to “get by” even from day to day. Where are your wounds? Is it enough to hand out sandwiches and blankets and not challenge the systems that create poverty and homelessness? Is there nothing to fight for?

Yes it is easier to blame the “other”, the drug addicted, the old, the poor. It is the popular thing to demonize those who are the most vulnerable in our society today. The challenge of the question is having the courage to speak truth to power. To say that there is something inherently wrong with making a health problem, like drug addiction, into a legal problem. The challenge is fighting a system of mass incarceration that denies the “inalienable rights” of citizenship and creates a social caste of second class citizens in a new system of Jim Crow. Where are your wounds? The challenge is speaking truth to a system of poverty governance that simply makes poverty less harsh while funneling people into low wage, dead end jobs. Is there nothing to fight for? The challenge is defending senior citizens, who have worked all their lives, from a government that wants to privatize their retirement while spending billions of dollars on military aide to foreign countries. “Where are your wounds? Was there nothing to fight for?”

This is the challenge to the church today, and the challenge of theological education, training faith leaders to know the right people, to ask the right questions, and to have the courage to do so!

Where are your wounds? There is much to fight for!

Make A Difference  . . . . . . . For Life!

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[1] (Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference n.d.)

The Seminary

“URGENT NOTICE” Those were the words printed in bright red letters at the top of the sheet of paper that was slipped under my dormitory room door. In the paragraph that followed the words “registered sex offender”, printed in bold red letters, stuck out from the rest of the text. This was an attention grabber to be sure. The brief note that was distributed to every dorm room and every office was to inform us that one of our own (we’ll call him Andre) had been found to be a registered sex offender, and had summarily been fired from his position, escorted from campus, and instructed never to return. At first glance one might commend the school for taking swift action to ensure the welfare and security of the staff and students of the seminary. To be sure the school does bear some responsibility for the well-being for the staff, the students, and their families; some of whom are in residence here at the seminary as well. A more than cursory consideration of the situation however reveals some troubling concerns for the seminary, the students, and the example being set by those who are training up the church’s next generation of leaders.

Prompted by a conversation with another seminarian, and because I had personally had several conversations with Andre that involved more than just “hello” and “goodbye”; I decided to do just a little research. This is what I was able to uncover in about thirty minutes on the computer. Whenever a person is convicted of certain sexually based crimes they are automatically placed on a registry of known sex offenders. Depending on the severity and frequency of the act, the registration requirement can last for anywhere from ten years to a lifetime. In this case the offense occurred over ten years ago, Andre has complied with the registry requirements, there have been no other incidents, this is only a ten year registration requirement which began over nine years ago and should be over in just nine months. Additionally the Metropolitan Police Department Sex Offender Information Bulletin’s entry for Andre states, in bold letters, “he is not wanted by the police at this time.” The ostensible purpose of the registry is to protect the public from sexual predators, particularly violent ones like the one who killed a friend of mine in Florida shortly after serving over twenty years in prison for a brutal attack on a young girl in California. That man (he was executed by the state of Florida) was indeed a sexual predator. Tracking his whereabouts unfortunately was not enough to save my friend’s life. What might have saved her life (and his life as well), is rehabilitation, and reconciliation. The same may have saved Andre his job.

This last thought is the unfortunate paradox of this incident. In the one place, and among the primary people among whom Andre should have been given the opportunity at a second chance to be a productive, respectable member of society he was instead judged, rejected, and stigmatized. If in no other place, the reign of God preached by Jesus should extend its healing, life affirming power on and over the campus of the seminary. This is the place and we are the people who claim to be different from the world. The seminary is the place where we learn to stand in faith and walk on the rough waters of forgiveness and reconciliation. This is the place where future leaders should learn to refute the fear that is so prevalent in this world and by which wars are declared, foreigners declared “illegal”, and prisoners are held in a state of perpetual social and economic captivity. This is the place where future leaders should learn to live lives that seek first the reign of God, and that are truly intentional in living the beloved community. It is unfortunate that in this case we were simply satisfied to conform to the standards of vindictive and unforgiving culture. Nevertheless, I still have hope. For even in this God is still, in all things, working for our good. Like Paul I am not ashamed of the gospel for it does have power to transform those of us who are willing to live by it.

The gospel that Jesus preached, of this blessed reign of God, this year of Jubilee, this “beloved community” has the power to transform us even in the face of this unfortunate event. The good news of the release of the captives can make this a “teachable moment” for those of us who want to let the light of justice, freedom, and righteousness shine brightly as high and lifted on the lamp stand of forgiveness and reconciliation. This can be an opportunity for us to examine how it is that we are truly different from the world. How do we keep ourselves “without spot from the world”? How do we show ourselves to be a people who forgive others even as we ourselves are forgiven? How do we recognize and heal the brokenness of our communities that perpetuates the downward spiraling cycle of violence? How, in this place and time, do we become an example of God’s wide love for all persons? How do we, in this place,

Make A Difference . . . For Life!

At Least He Told The Truth

I read a report online at Tennessean.com about a meeting at a church in Madison, TN last week. The report (entitled Alter Call Confronts Worries of Christian Conservatives) described the meeting as an "old-fashioned God and country revival". The report goes on to note that there was an alter call at this meeting. "But", the article says, "the 600 or so Christian conservatives gathered for "A Call to Arms," organized by talk show host Ralph Bristol, weren't asked to give their heart to Jesus. Instead, they were asked to sign up for conservative causes like the Tea Party Nation and the Eagle Forum, and to donate to charities like the Nashville Rescue Mission. The report quote's one attendee as saying, ""Tonight we are doing a different kind of altar call," he said. "Tonight's altar call is not for God. It's for country."

Now, before we begin to wag our heads and recall the words of the old school hip-hop song, "things that make you say hmmm", I would like to recognize that at least this man told the truth. For once someone from the fear mongering, exclusionary, radically reactionary, anti-Christ, right wing told the truth. It is not about God, it's about country. The agenda of the organizers of this meeting where not at all concerned with the principles of justice, equality, and true peace. Their interests are in maintaining the status quo, and in today's political climate that means continuing the regression toward a society as divided as it was before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Nashville sit-ins, and the march on Washington. Their agenda was not for the dismantling of unjust laws and sentencing guidelines that inequitably target poor and minority populations. No, that would be God saying, "Make sure that the poor receive equal justice in court" (Ex. 23:6, CEV). Their agenda is one of fear and antagonism towards non-citizens of this country using half truths and innuendo. God's agenda on the other hand is, "Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners . . .." (Ex. 22:21, CEV). So when this person said it's, "not for God. It's for country." If nothing else, the first part was true.

Unfortunately in all too many pulpits in the Bible Belt including here in Nashville not enough is being said to combat this erroneous teaching. Too many Christians are being fooled into believing that because someone throws out a word about "family values", or ties someone or group with another religion that that person is on the side of right and righteousness. Just as "freedom is not free", so too truly serving Jesus, and being yoked up with him is not simple. It is a challenge. If we are to be truly on the side of right and righteousness, then we cannot simply turn our backs on individuals or groups. Jesus challenges us to be proactive, "Treat others as you want them to treat you." (Mt. 7:12, CEV) This present tense proactive, this is not a statement of reaction, but of action! The challenge for those who would be on the side of right and righteousness is to apply this 'Golden Rule' as it was given; without qualification.

The command to "treat others the way you want them to treat you" is not limited. It is not limited to just the people you like, or just the people who like you. It is not limited to the people who go to your church, or those in your denomination. Notice that Jesus just left it open like that. He gave us this very simple rule to live by yet we find it so hard to do. Before we throw our energy into any "cause", or support any political position, maybe we should take a moment to hold it up to that measure, 'does this reflect treating others the way I want to be treated?'

Honest answers to this question will enable us to move in a more Christ-centered direction and

Make A Difference . . . . . . . For Life

May I Suggest A Different Jesus?

So I read in the news the other day that the Southern Baptist Convention is "refocusing". The article (Southern Baptists Refocusing Membership) points to a decline in the membership numbers as the primary reason for the "refocusing". The article says that one of the things currently being considered is the conventions vocal stance on what it calls divisive political issues. The suggestion seems to be that the convention not be quite so vocal. I would like to suggest a different approach to the issue. I would like to suggest to the convention, not that it be any less vocal, but that it would just as vocally promote a different Jesus.

Whereas the Jesus of the convention has traditionally been exclusionary, condemnatory, and complicit with the culture of domination, oppression, and injustice; I suggest the Jesus of the Gospels. I suggest the Jesus who Himself says, "God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!" (John 3:16-17, CEV) I suggest a Jesus who is just that inclusive! EVERYONE inclusive! I suggest a Jesus whose very purpose is salvation and NOT condemnation.

I would suggest a Jesus that is vocal and involved in affirming the full humanity of all persons. A Jesus that would not have anyone's rights denied, or abridged regardless of their race, social standing, national origin, economic status, or even whom they choose to be their mate. I would suggest a Jesus who is not only welcoming, but who is comfortable with those who have long been considered unworthy, and "other", just as they are. I suggest a Jesus that is not afraid to break with tradition when is comes to traditional roles of women in society (including the church).

This Jesus, this inclusive, life affirming, and vocal Jesus, is the Jesus of the Gospels. This is the Jesus of John 3:16-17, and of the Great Commission. This is the Jesus that challenges us to take His yoke and,

Make A Difference . . . . For Life!!