My Name Is Nehemiah

My name is Nehemiah and I have heard the plight of my people I am a Metro-Nashville government custodial worker:

During the month of Chislev ^[a] in the twentieth year that Artaxerxes ^[b] ruled Persia, I was in his fortress city of Susa, ^[c] 2when my brother Hanani came with some men from Judah. So I asked them about the Jews who had escaped ^[d] from being captives in Babylonia. I also asked them about the city of Jerusalem. (Neh. 1:1-3, CEV)

During the month of March in the third year that Karl Dean ruled Nashville, I was in City Hall and some of my colleagues came from the schools in the district. So I asked them about those who had escaped from being laid off, the ones who have worked without a pay increase for the last four years, who have had to deal with increases in electricity, gas, food, and housing prices without a single increase or adjustment in pay.

 ³They told me, " Those captives who have come back are having all kinds of troubles. They are terribly disgraced, Jerusalem's walls are broken down, and its gates have been burned."(Neh. 1:3, CEV)

They told me, "The custodial workers who have stayed are having all kinds of troubles. The Director of Schools has written them out of the budget, and the school board has approved that budget to go before the Mayor and the council. The custodians have no protection from losing their benefits, getting lower pay, or even losing their jobs altogether."

⁴When I heard this, I sat down and cried. . . . and I prayed:

⁵LORD God of heaven . . . please have mercy on me and answer the prayer that I make day and night for these people of Israel . . . ¹⁰Our LORD, I am praying for your servants--those you rescued by your great strength and mighty power. ¹¹Please answer my prayer and the prayer of your other servants who gladly honor your name. When I serve the king his wine today, make him pleased with me and have him do what I ask. (Neh. 1:4-5)

When I heard this, I sat down and cried and I prayed: "Lord God of heaven, please hear my prayer for these custodial workers, who are considered the least. As I go about my duties for the Metro-Government let the Mayor appreciate, and value the work of custodians, and have him do what we ask.

⁷Then I asked, " Your Majesty, would you be willing to give me letters to the governors of the provinces west of the Euphrates River, so that I can travel safely to Judah?  "⁸I will need timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress near the temple and more timber to construct the city wall and to build a place for me to live. And so, I would appreciate a letter to Asaph, who is in charge of the royal forest." God was good to me, and the king did everything I asked. (Neh 2:8, CEV)

So we ask, "Mr. Mayor, would you be willing to give direction to the School Board so that the jobs and welfare of the custodial workers will make it safely through this budget process? The schools will need enough appropriation to make this a reality, so we would appreciate that you would make this plain in the budget that you send to the council for their approval.

Nehemiah was willing to get out of his comfort zone, stand up, and make a determination that, regardless of personal consequences, he was not just going to let things go on without speaking up, and speaking out.

The question for those of us who preach "good news to the poor" is, "Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone? Can you speak up, and speak out without regard to personal consequences?

Will you be a Nehemiah?"

Make A Difference . . . For Life ! ! !

True(ly Just) Preaching

I attended the Garnett-Nabritt Lecture Series at American Baptist College last week. The theme of the series this year was, "Between Faith and Freedom, a College in the Middle of a Movement". This year's series commemorated the 50^th anniversary of the Nashville Sit-ins of 1960 that desegregated the lunch counters of downtown Nashville, and began the process of non-violent peaceful protest that ostensibly ended "Jim Crow" in all of Nashville. I say ostensibly because, though there is the appearance of integration, it is only a fascade, and even worse equality has still not been achieved. Inequality exists on several levels not only in Nashville, but through out the entire nation as well.

The idea that we truly have an integrated society is a fallacy. A truly integrated society would be one in which differences would be accepted, not just tolerated, but truly accepted as equal parts of the society and the conversation. What we have today is a society which accepts people to the extent that they are willing to become a part of the dominant culture. Differences in religion, lifestyle, styles of dress, even language, are tolerated, but they are not generally accepted as equal partners in the society. When the Muslim U.S. Representative from the state of Minnesota wanted to be sworn into office using the text which he holds sacred, the Quran, there was a huge public outcry. In those very same halls of congress are several "closet" homosexuals who fear exposure. Most of these people are stalwart, productive, valuable members and leaders in their communities. If it became public knowledge that they where homosexual however, it would be as if they no longer had any value, or voice in the community. Of course some might point to Harvey Milk and Barney Frank, but they are exceptions rather than the rule. Consider the baggy pants wearing rappers, like Tupak, and Biggie, or even Eminem, whose voices and message are pushed to the margins and considered good only for "entertainment". The proliferation of "English Only" and "English First" initiatives seeks to further marginalize those who for one reason or another, in one way or another, do not assimilate into the dominant culture.

In 1954 the majority opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States in "Brown v. The Board of Education" stated that separate is inherently unequal. While this may be true, our experience over the last 56 years has been that the opposite is not necessarily true. Integrated is not inherently equal. Ten years into a new century and there are still major disparities in the education of minority children and white children. Dropout rates among children of color, especially males, continues to outpace their ratio of the population. There are still disparities in the quality of teachers, and resources between schools in the same school district but in different sections of town. Minority children are still treated differently than white children, in the same school, as regards suspension, and other forms of discipline.

It is against this backdrop that American Baptist College used the 53^rd Annual GNL Series to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Nashville sit-ins. Many of the leaders of that movement, and the Civil Rights Movement of which the sit-ins where but a part, where students at American Baptist College . John Lewis, the late Dr. James Bevel, Dr. Bernard Lafayette, and Dr. C.T. Vivian were all students. These young men had responded to the call of God on their lives to the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As they learned more about that Gospel, and that call they became aware that there was an inescapable connection between service to God, and service to humanity. They came to understand afresh the real meaning of Jesus' words in response to the question of which was the greatest commandment:

Jesus answered:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. ³⁸This is the first and most important commandment. ³⁹The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, "Love others as much as you love yourself." ⁴⁰All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets ^[a] are based on these two commandments. (Matt. 22.37-40, CEV)

For them there is a reality to the words we learned to pray as children; "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven". These young preachers learned that how we live in relationship to one another right here, and now cannot be separated from how much we say we love and honor God. They learned this, not apart from the gospel of Jesus, but in the context of that Gospel. In the light of the words of Jesus himself as quoted above, and also Jesus' own theme scripture for his ministry and work among us as recorded in Luke chapter 4:

¹⁸"The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, ¹⁹and to say, `This is the year the Lord has chosen.' " (Luke 4:18-19, CEV)

These young preachers realized that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is necessarily a social gospel, it cannot be anything other. They further realized that ministers of this Gospel cannot be content to simply go along with a status quo that is in direct opposition to the principles of this gospel that is social in nature. This is the reason they marched, sat-in, rode busses, went to jail, and yes, preached. They preached, and still preach, the same Gospel that Jesus preached. They preach a gospel that challenges the status quo. They preach a gospel that said then that things, as they are, have to change. Inequality, and injustice are not of God and we cannot stand idly by , saying and doing nothing.

The circumstances of their time and ours are not dissimilar. Today we face inequality, and injustice in our communities, on our jobs, and in our schools. We are given the choice to assimilate or be pushed to the margins and silenced. This is not loving "your neighbor as much as you love yourself". Just as the social climate of inequality and injustice has not changed over the last fifty plus years, neither has the nature of this Gospel to which a new generation of young men and women have been called. Now, as then, the challenge for ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this clearly "social" gospel, is to stand up, speak out, and say that things, as they are, have to change. We may have to march, we may have to demonstrate, we may have to go to jail, and we will definitely have to preach, not only in our words, but in our living and action as well. "The Lord's Spirit has come to me . . ."

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

Non-Violent Resistance: Standing Fast and Going the Extra Mile

: You have knowledge that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say to you, Do not make use of force against an evil man; but to him who gives you a blow on the right side of your face let the left be turned. And if any man goes to law with you and takes away your coat, do not keep back your robe from him. And whoever makes you go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who comes with a request, and keep not your property from him who would for a time make use of it. (Matt. 5:38-42; Bible in Basic English)

I have had the privilege over the past few weeks, along with a group of others, to spend time with Dr. James Lawson, one of the great minds and heroes of the world. Recently Dr. Lawson challenged each of us to come up with a definition of Non-Violence for ourselves. He used as a text the words of Jesus found written in Matthew noted above. Here is my feeble attempt.

First of all when I look at this text I see, what seems to me, a great amount of strength is required to be non-violent. I say this because the goal of non-violence, as Dr. Lawson has explained it, is not simply the absence of violence but the transformation of the one committing the violence. The goal is a transformation in outlook, and attitude. The practitioner of non-violence must see him/herself as being the catalyst for the antagonist's conversion. The Apostle Paul articulated it this way:

"Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, ¹⁸and do your best to live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says, 'I am the one to take revenge and pay them back.' The Scriptures also say, 'If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty,  give them something to drink. This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads.' Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good." (Rom. 12:20-21, CEV)

Having the ability to not retaliate in kind, to not try to get even, takes a great amount of strength in and of itself. It requires a degree of restraint that we do not often see or possess. What Jesus, Paul, and Dr. Lawson are talking about here is more than restraint, more than just passivism, or even pacifism. These men are challenging us to see our oppressor, that person or group that mistreats us, as needing redemption just as we do, and to see ourselves as the vehicle through which the epiphany takes place.

Non-violence has, at it's core, a genuine concern for the well-being of all persons. It sees all people as created by God, all possessing the "imago dei", and failing to perfectly reflect the image of God in which they are created. Non-violence stubbornly refuses to relinquish compassion, refuses to allow itself to become inhuman by acting in inhumane ways on inhumane thoughts.

This is how the practitioner of non-violence becomes the catalyst for change. When an individual or system imposes it's will in an attempt to force you to be complicit in acts of inhumanity non-violence takes the advantage, refusing to be moved, not striking back when struck, going the extra mile, caring for the needs of it's enemies, eventually, over time, "defeating the evil with the good".

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

 

I’m Excited!

 
 

"asking all those who believe that pray can change things to pray for the exceeding unemployment rate. people are losing their jobs on a consistent bases but God is still Jehovah-jireh and he still has the ability to provide so for those who are unemployed don't give up God is still in control there is nothing to hard for God. "all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called to his purpose'" – Facebook status for Brian Cash

 

Brian posted this on facebook several weeks ago and I told him that I would be blogging about it. Brian is a colleague of mine at American Baptist College in Nashville Tennessee. An interesting phenomenon has been taking place on the campus this semester. More and more of the new "pastors" at the school are waking up to the reality that what is required in ministry is both prayer and action. By action I mean social action.

It is exciting to see this young pastor already grasping the connection between the God of heaven and the pain and suffering of God's creation here on earth. It is encouraging to see that he, along with others of my colleagues at ABC are understanding that, while God is concerned with your eternal security, He is not happy with the injustice, greed, cruelty, selfishness, inhumanity, and violence we inflict on each other on a daily basis. Not only is He not pleased He is taking action. The exciting change that is taking place is that we are recognizing that God acts with and through us!

It is us who must stand up for what is just and fair. It is us who must decide to call Presidents, senators, and congressional representatives, to account. It is us who must be the conscience of our society, and speak truth to power. It is us who must challenge the Sunday school classes, Bible study classes, and congregations we pastor to be vocal and active partners with God. Brian has been out there, battling for healthcare reform. He understands that a person's health is not a commodity to be bought and sold; valued by a number on the bottom line. He is not alone. There are others. A transformation is taking shape.

And I, for one, am excited!

 

Read the Dang Book!

A few weeks ago, I found myself standing on the steps of the Municipal Courthouse here in Nashville Tennessee. Inside the Nashville Davidson metro council meeting was about to begin. As it happened I was standing next to one of the council members, (who shall remain nameless) and he was approached by a gentleman who introduced himself as the pastor of a church belonging to a Christian denomination in Davidson County.

One of the issues on the agenda was a vote on a bill that would prevent the metro government from firing anyone based on their sexual orientation. First, let us be clear about the bill. The bill is a protection of the right to work for all, including those who are in same sex relationships or who prefer, for whatever reason, same sex relationships. The pastor wanted the council member to join in opposition to, and vote against passage of that bill. To his credit, the council member calmly and firmly let the pastor know that he would indeed vote in favor of the bill. Seeing that the council member was not going to waiver in his support of the bill, the pastor finally asked the council member if he would agree that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for homosexuality. I do not know if the council member is a theologian, a serious Bible student, or just someone with a keen sense of justice but he did not fall for the old Sunday school cliché. Out of respect for the fact that I was not an invited part of the conversation, I held my peace.

Nothing is more egregious to me than when someone uses the Bible as the basis for a position that is exactly the opposite of what the book is about! It pains me when people try to use God's Word, as I believe the Bible is, to justify oppression, bigotry, intolerance, and discrimination. Today, in pulpits throughout Metro-Davidson County, this kind of message is being preached and taught. It was not long ago that some of these same pulpits preached that Blacks "bore the mark of Cain", and not long before that, "slaves obey your masters". The problem is that all too many just do not read the dang Book!

So what does the book say? The Book says, "The LORD said, "Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things." (Gen. 18:20) Note the book says ALL kinds of evil things, not specific evil things but ALL kinds. What this means is that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was not because of any one specific thing, but all kinds of evil things. Now I know that Jude writes, "We should also be warned by what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the nearby towns. Their people became immoral and did all sorts of sexual sins." However, Jude's words do not single out homosexuality. Rape is a sexual sin. The only indication of homosexuality in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is in the account of the men who visited Lot. If we say that this account is what proved they were homosexuals and thus were destroyed by God, then what if they had accepted Lot's offer of his daughters? If they had gone ahead and raped Lot's daughters, would that have been ok? Would God have not destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah still?

When you read the Book you understand that what really pissed God off was a cowardly pack of people trying to use intimidation and fear to take advantage of someone they perceived to be powerless. That is why later on in the Book God says to his own people in Jeremiah, "And you prophets in Jerusalem are even worse. You're unfaithful in marriage and never tell the truth. You even lead others to sin instead of helping them turn back to me. You and the people of Jerusalem are evil like Sodom and Gomorrah."(Jer. 23:14) Again in Ezekiel " As surely as I am the living LORD God, the people of Sodom and its nearby villages were never as sinful as you. They were arrogant and spoiled; they had everything they needed and still refused to help the poor and needy." (Ezek. 16:48, 49)

What I really wish, however, is that my so-called Christian brothers and sisters, especially those who lead congregations, would just take a moment or two just to think through what they are saying. Take the time to read the Book with a heart of compassion, and not eyes of condemnation. Stand for the truth of the Book. Stand for integrity, honor. Build people up not tear them down. Have the courage to stand for right, and righteousness alone if necessary. Don't settle for being a part of the Sodomite mob.

Make A Difference . . . . . For Life.

History, Who’s Story, Our Story

Facts are not history. History is the events that occur with relation to the facts. This is why we can speak of different "versions" of history. Facts are highly subjective. What becomes, or is established as, fact is based solely on what can be agreed upon. History then is subject to the facts, which is in turn subject to agreement, which is in turn subject to a whole host of variables, not the least of which is, who is doing the agreeing.

In a jury trial, the facts may lead a jury to conclude that someone committed a crime and thus convict that person. Once convicted that person is said to have a criminal history. The facts of the case became "facts" because, for whatever reason, the jury agreed with the prosecution. If the jury finds the person not guilty it is because they did not agree with what was presented as "fact" by the prosecution, or they agreed with a different set of facts presented by the defense. In either case, so much of history is personal.

In 1960 in Nashville, and across the nation, Jim Crow in one form or another was the status quo. Students from what are now American Baptist College and Fisk University, under the training Rev. James Lawson and Rev. Kelly Miller Smith, lead the struggle to change the status quo. The facts can be agreed upon because they are provable. The history, however, can be entirely different depending on who is telling the story. Conservative, oppressive, supporters of the status quo of the time would tell a story of rabble-rousers, impatient negroes who insisted on change now rather than being patient and allowing change to come in its own time. Some, who would profess a knowledge of, and a relationship with the Christ of Christendom would tell a version of history that portrays a group of theology students who, though perhaps well intended, had lost their way spiritually and become overcome by the "cares of this world". "It was not the place of religion to get involved in political affairs," they would say. Progressive, supporters of justice and equality would tell a story of courageous young men and women who joined together and offered their very bodies for the cause of progress and justice.

Today there is almost unanimous agreement in this country that the current healthcare system does not work (fact). Nearly 50 years after these young students, future religious, community, business, and political leaders decided that is was not only their time, but their responsibility to act; people of faith still struggle with the question of whether or not to get involved. Too many of our religious leaders are content to emphasize the vertical relationship between God and man. They want to make sure that we know that "I" am blessed and highly favored; God's got my back; if my breakthrough hasn't come yet . . . it is coming! Enlarge my territory, bless me indeed! This malady afflicts not only popular, well-known prosperity preachers. All too many of our local churches, and aspiring young ministers are afflicted by the "not my place, not my fight" theology that attempts to separate the sacred from the secular.

Those of us who profess faith in the God of the Judeo-Christian tradition must ask the question, "Do I believe in the creation story?" If we believe in the creation story, then we have to believe that the secular cannot be separated from the sacred because from the very start, the secular is created by the sacred! If we believe in the God of the Judeo-Christian tradition then we believe that everything (including the government) exists by His power and permission. Thus, not only can the secular not be separated from the sacred, but also it is in fact subject to the sacred. If then we truly believe we are who we say we are; if we really believe we are each the imago dei; if we truly believe that we are corporately the Corpus Christi; then it is not only right for us to act, it is our responsibility to act. This is our place. This is our struggle. "
We live in this world, but we don't act like its people ⁴or fight our battles with the weapons of this world. Instead, we use God's power that can destroy fortresses. We destroy arguments ⁵and every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God. . ." (2 Cor. 10:3-5, CEV)

That is the history of those students in 1960 Nashville. The question of our day is, "what history will we make?" Will we stand by and do nothing, say this is not our concern, not our struggle? On the other hand, will we act; will we get involved and make our voices heard? We make history everyday. The question is what history will we choose to make today? To not decide is to decide.

 

Make Difference . . . For Life!!

Know Your Role!

I spent last week in Maine organizing in support of healthcare reform. If you have been following this blog you know that healthcare is an issue I am particularly interested in. This week I want to talk a bit about something else. I want to talk about something that happened to two of my friends. I had a great time in Maine and met some wonderful people, all of whom I am not ashamed to call friends, and I hope they feel the same way.

One night at dinner one of my new found friends told us that she had a problem with the church because they had rejected her because she had gotten a divorce. I was reminded of a friend of my parents who was a great teacher in a "Christian" school. She too was rejected and was fired when she got a divorce. What pains me about these instances is the fact that both of these women are really wonderful, caring, individuals, who love the people of God just the way Jesus loves them; and yet someone chose to use "religiosity" to reject and exclude.

Those of us who put on the mantle of "Christian" must be very careful not to use the Bible as a tool to hurt and abuse. Far too often we take on responsibilities that have clearly not been given to us, and for good reason. Jesus says clearly that it is not for us to decide sheep or goat status, wheat or tares. We are not adequate judges. The people of Jesus' time illustrate for us why we are not fit to judge who is approved or who is not. Time and time again Jesus had to point out that the religious leaders of the day were so focused on the letter of the law that they missed entirely, the spirit of the law. That is why Jesus could say to the woman whom the self-righteous religionists tried to shame and embarrass, "go your way".

Jesus uses the Sermon on the Mount to highlight the contrast between just superficially keeping the letter of the law, and actually living in the spirit of the law. Jesus is more concerned that we build real lasting loving relationships, especially in our marriages. Legalists (keepers of the letter of the law) somehow think that because you get a divorce you are a bad person; but if you stay married to your spouse and abuse or neglect them physically, verbally, or emotionally that's ok. You can stay as long as you are not "divorced".

When we use the scriptures to accuse, and exclude it is anti-Christ. Christ breaks down the whole law and the prophets for us in a nutshell; LOVE! Does our treatment of others, especially those inside the church, reflect love? Jesus says that following the Law can be broken down into to simple commands, 1) Love God with all you've got, and 2) Love your neighbor (that's everybody else) as you do yourself. Everything else rests on these. Love, then, is the law's fulfillment.

Knowing these two women as I do, I can say that in this they are more "Christian" than the so-called "Christians" who tried to reject and exclude them. I have seen first hand how these women love God and put into action their love for neighbor as self. These are the true Christians regardless of what "the church" might say. One who could have stayed at her desk job, she did not have to leave the comfort of her surroundings to go walk miles knocking on doors, running errands, making signs, all to help others get healthcare that she already has. She didn't have to but the love of God and for neighbor would not let her NOT do it. The other a well qualified teacher, who could easily have landed a teaching position anywhere, and at better pay, made a conscious choice and sacrifice to teach in a "Christian" school. Her primary interest was not in self but in helping others. These are the marks of true Christianity.

We love God when we keep his commandments, his commandments are summed up in, and rest on love. Let us love not in word only, but in deed and truth.

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