Monday, August 28, 2017

ALL SAINTS & Immigrants

When Rev. Michael Spurlock came to All Saints Episcopal Church in Smyrna, Tennessee, his job was to shutter it.

At the time, All Saints was struggling, with 25 members.

The film ALL SAINTS, based on a true story, shows us what happened when 70 ethnic Karen show up one Sunday to worship.

All Saints Church was on the brink of closing. Then in 2007 Ye Win, a refugee from Burma, showed up at the church asking if he and other refugees who had settled near Smyrna, could join them for worship.

Ye Win and about 70 refugees (who are ethnic Karen) had lived in Burma and had been run out of their village by the Burmese military.

Historically, during WWII the Karen, who were in the minority, had aligned themselves with the British. The ethnic Burmese, in the majority, had aligned with the Japanese. So after the war was over there was intense animosity between the two groups.

In fact a civil war has been happening since the early 1950s, making it one of the world's longest-running civil wars.

Ye Win
Currently there are about 140,000 Karen refugees living in about a dozen refugee camps along the Thailand border. Mae La, the largest camp, has 43,000 residents living in it.

People living in the camps are not allowed to leave. In order to be resettled, they need to register with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR). It's estimated that over a third of all refugees in the camps are not registered, and therefore ineligible for resettlement. The vast majority of individuals living in the camps are ethnically Karen.

According to a story in the Washington Post, Ye Win was 16 years old when his mother was threatened at gunpoint by the Burmese military, being accused of treason (because of helping Karen families). She was taken away and Ye Win didn't see his mother again for 10 years.

ALL SAINTS picks up Ye Win's story after his arrival near Smyrna with a group of other Karen households, numbering around 70 in all.

They begin to worship at All Saints Episcopal Church. Rev. Spurlock (played by John Corbett) explains that the church is in financially bad shape - in fact he'd been sent to shutter it so the land could be sold to pay off the mortgage.

Ye Win makes a counter offer. Let the Karen, who are excellent farmers, work the church's 16 acres of prime bottomland. They'll use the vegetables to feed their families and sell the rest to help pay off the building's debt.

ALL SAINTS documents the resulting trials, featuring lack of rain, a gift of a truck and a water pump that breaks down.

Rev. Spurlock's wife, Aimee (played by Cora Buono), worked alongside her husband as they met the various trials head on. Meanwhile, the film shows us Ye Win's own struggle to serve as the Karen group's interpreter/social worker/advocate/pseudo-pastor.

All Saints Church, Smyrna, TN
In real time, All Saints Episcopal Church remains open, paying off its mortgage. (Rev. Spurlock and his family are currently serving at a church in New York City.)

In a Washington Post interview the real Rev. Spurlock noted that he hoped the ALL SAINTS film would inspire other groups to open their doors to refugees.

During a time when the immigration and refugee debate has become increasingly heated, the example of ALL SAINTS and the faith-community of All Saints Episcopal Church in Smyrna stands as a testimony of how love overcomes fear. To the mutual benefit of everyone

Here's the trailer to ALL SAINTS.

Here's a link to the book upon which the film is based.
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John Corbett does a fine job of portraying Rev. Spurlock, but it's Cora Buono who offers the more compelling performance as his wife, Aimee. Nelson Lee (who is actually from Taiwan) is simply riveting as Ye Win. Barry Corbin does a great job as Forrest, a grizzled farmer and original member of the All Saints congregation, initially reluctant to help, but with a heart of pure gold.

Several members of the real All Saints congregation - including ethnic Karen - played themselves in the film. The producers and director of ALL SAINTS are to be commended for this casting decision which lends authenticity.




Monday, August 21, 2017

Is Politics Moral?

Heather Heyer
In all of the reporting coming out of Charlottesville, one point really struck home.

Political left and right is one thing. Moral right and wrong is another.



I came to this conclusion after reading a social media post where someone had shared an article (from a non-news source) making a supposed point that the person who killed Heather Heyer and injured another 19 demonstrators had been, at one time, a democrat. As if this somehow excused their actions. (Heather, by the way, was a remarkable young woman who had a very clear sense of social justice and morality.)



In response to that post ,another person felt compelled to share a similar non-news source story claiming that one of the organizers of the neo-Nazi, white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville had at one time been a liberal. As if to justify people joining together to shout things like: "Blood and Soil,"  (a Nazi slogan), "You will not replace us," and "Jews will not replace us."


What does it say about America when we seek to excuse blatantly immoral behavior by claiming a person's prior political affiliation has anything to do with present action?



It's the same kind of thinking that claims that, since "God is a republican," as long as a candidate tepidly alludes they are pro-life, the rest of their behavior (i.e. lying, cheating and pandering to racist ideology) is somehow ok.

Using this kind of damaged logic, a person could almost understand the point that the 45th made on the campaign trail boasting: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters."



The inability to discern moral behavior results in the 45th's Counselor saying that his (then) Press Secretary offered "alternative facts," while grossly over-estimating the size of the inauguration crowd. (The counselor makes the statement about 1:52 minutes into the video link above.)

You could argue that deliberately over-inflating the size of a crowd is no huge moral issue. But on the other hand, it does stand as a significant marker to the beginning of a slippery slope that the 45th's administration has been headed down ever since.

One that led to the 45th refusing to denounce neo-Nazis and white supremacists after the Charlottesville demonstration. Then, after mounting pressure, correcting his initial statement two days later. Then a day after that, going back to his original remarks.


T
his type of moral ambiguity is resulting in a president who cannot lead us because he seems to be unable to lead himself.


Witness the number of individuals in the 45th's administration who have resigned, been fired, or left since January. They include:


Steve Bannon, Chief Strategist

Anthony Scaramucci, WH Director of Communications
Reince Priebus, Chief of Staff
Michael Flynn, Dir. National Security Council
Sean Spicer, WH Director of Communications
Walter Shaub, Director of Gov't Ethics
Mike Dubke, Dir. of Communications
James Comey, Director, FBI
Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to 45th

And in the wake of the 45th's response to Charlottesville, several members of the White House Manufacturing Council resigned. In fact, Richard Trumka, one of those members, offered to pray for the president. Ultimately the 45th made the decision to disband the group because of the number of members leaving it. The United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racism also weighed in, calling the president's response after Charlottesville "the failure at the highest political level of the United States of America to unequivocally reject and condemn" racist violence. 


Meanwhile the Trump International Hotel (located 5 blocks away from the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue), has earned the Trump Organization over $2 million during the first four months of the 45th's administration. A lawsuit was filed against the Trump Organization in January claiming it has violated the Constitution by allowing its hotels and other businesses to accept payments from foreign governments. Recall that rather than divest himself from the Trump family businesses, the 45th merely handed over leadership of the businesses to his sons. One of whom is under suspicion of trying to collude with the Russians to rig the most recent presidential election. 

As
Hurricane Harvey hit Corpus Christi, the 45th seized the moment to pardon former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona. The infamous "Sheriff Joe" was convicted of routinely profiling and harassing Latinos as part of efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants. Arpaio was also a strong supporter of the 45th's leadership in the "birther" movement, claiming former President Obama was not born in the US. In his pardon, the 45th thanked Arpaio for "years of admirable service to our nation," albeit illegal

It all goes back to being guided by the moral thing to do - not what's politically expedient.



Neo-Nazi Demonstrators in Charlottesville
As you would expect, the Bible is very clear about morality. Numerous times there's mention of not using "false" or rigged scales in conducting transactions. (See Leviticus 19:36, Deuteronomy 25:13 for examples.)

Practically all faith traditions, including Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian, have a high regard for honesty. For instance, in Jewish faith, honesty is equated with truth which is equated with righteousness (meaning actively pursuing the qualities of God's character, like truth, humility, mercy and grace.)

As if to underscore this fact, four rabbinical groups , representing 4,000 rabbis and their congregations across the US, recently joined together to announce they will not be participating in a traditional conference call with the White House in advance of the high holy days. In part, their statement reads: "We have concluded that President Trump’s statements during and after the tragic events in Charlottesville are so lacking in moral leadership and empathy for the victims of racial and religious hatred that we cannot organize such a call this year."

It turns out, God isn't really interested in "alt facts."


Honesty matters.


Truth matters.


And it's not dependent upon a political viewpoint.

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If you're looking for an excellent, comprehensive historical perspective of the white evangelical church's response to racism, please see Dr. Timothy Gombis article via the Cornerstone University website.


Photo Credits:
Top - New York Times
Middle - Intellectual takeout
Lower - Cyprus Weekly

Monday, August 14, 2017

How Did We Get To Charlottesville?

How did we get to Charlottesville?

The most recent symptom of a deep racial and social justice divide in the US.

It might be helpful to begin by looking back eight months ago at the results of the presidential election.

Shortly after the election, Christianity Today, reported that 81% of voters who identified themselves as white Evangelicals/Born Again voted for the current president.

CT reported that "the only demographics that broke for Trump more than white Evangelicals were Republican men (90%), Republican women (89%) and Conservatives (81%).

While the lopsided support the 45th received from non-religious groups would seem understandable, it isn't among those declaring their religious affiliation.

The Pew Research Center also reported back on an exit poll, showing that only 8% of those identifying themselves as black and 29% of voters who identified themselves as Hispanic voted for the 45th. This is significant because our nation is rapidly changing to a "minority" majority. Simply put, the percentage of people of color in our country is growing. According to the US Census Bureau, as of July, 2016, whites made up 61% of the population, Hispanics/Latinos made up 18%, Blacks made up 13% and Asians made up 8%. Already minority children outnumber white children and by 2044 that reality will be mirrored in the population, as a whole. A president who isn't particularly sensitive to this trend is going to have difficulty leading our nation.

In a different report, citing a Gallup poll, the Pew Research Center stated that in January, 2017, the 45th came into office with a 39% approval rating - a historic low. (In fact the next lowest approval rating was gotten by George W. Bush - 50% - in January of 2001). The Center stated the 45th's approval rating was "the worst favorability rating in history."

The 45th's approval rating has been going down ever since. Gallup reported it at 34% as of August 13th.

So, we have a president who isn't especially approved of. Which wouldn't be all that significant, except a leader who doesn't elicit trust can't govern effectively.

And coming into office having lost the general election by about 3 million votes doesn't help. In fact, it can really hamper a president in responding to a situation like Charlottesville that calls for a clear, resounding message that unifies. Something the 45th can't seem to do. (Witness that the strongest and clearest message against racism that initially came from the White House in the wave of Charlottesville was from the 45th's daughter, not the 45th. Two days later the 45th expanded his statement to say that "racism is evil. And those who cause violence are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups." It was only after intense pressure, including the resignation of Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck, from the president's American Manufacturing Council, that the 45th used much more pointed language. But a day later the 45th defended his initial statement, saying "there are bad people on both sides.")

But there's more to the equation of what happened in Charlottesville than an unpopular president. (I am in no way condoning the 45th, or his administration. But the cause of what happened over the weekend does not stop at politics. It's a symptom of something deeper.)

Meanwhile, there seems to have been reluctance on the part of a large segment of the Christian Church, as well as other institutions, to come to grips with the most recent forms of racism. As well as our own fears and insecurities that can easily lead to misguided beliefs.

We can continue to point fingers. Or we can take a hint from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah.

In Chapter 58 of Isaiah, God's people ask why God hasn't heard them. They've even fasted to get his attention. God replies he's calling them to a different kind of fast.

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked you cover them?"

God goes on to say if this kind of "fast" is done, then:

"Your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall break forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you..."

And in the same chapter (vs. 9) God, through Isaiah, really gets to the point of it all:

"If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday." (NKJ)

Jonathan Tremaine Thomas
Back in February my home town hosted a Civil Righteousness Conference. The main message of the weekend was taken right from Isaiah 58:9. I wrote about it afterwards.

Jonathan Tremaine Thomas, the keynote speaker, made a point that we need to respond to the spiritual and moral dimensions of racism with Civil Righteousness. Thomas defined the term as "the pursuit of moral excellence in the face of injustice."

He offered three components to Civil Righteousness:
1. Prepare yourself spiritually, emotionally and mentally to run into the fight. Thomas emphasized the importance of non-violence resistance, pursued by Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement;
2. Be a bridge culturally by cultivating friendships of mutual understanding;
3. Dream with God - lead the change by helping to institute comprehensive solutions and strategies that foster sustainable, spiritual, cultural and economic reformation.

It was an interesting concept then. Even more so after Charlottesville.

Photo Credit. top photo abc-7.com; middle photo, Southern Poverty Law Center
All scriptures quoted are from the New Kings James version.

Monday, August 7, 2017

The Myth of Lifting Yourself Up By Your Own Bootstraps

Author's Note: This was written three years ago. But I feel it continues to bear relevance to our current worldwide situation, especially during the time of Covid-19).

Did you know there are (at least) three sayings that well-meaning Christians often quote as if being from the Bible that actually aren't? Taken together they can form quite a trifecta of mistaking a well-meaning slogan for scripture.

God is my co-pilot.

This classic bumper sticker from recent decades never seems to go out of style.

But, the saying has its origins, according to the Dictionary of Christianese, in the 1940's.
It was the title of a book by Col. Robert L. Scott, that detailed his experience as a fighter pilot during WWII. The book was wildly popular after publication in 1943 and in 1945 it became a film after Warner Brothers snapped up the rights to the story. (The movie featured a young Alan Hale, AKA The Skipper from Gilligan's Island.)

This slogan can lead one to think that God stands ready to help you co-direct your life. Rubberstamping the decisions you've made without much forethought or inclination to determine what God may actually have in mind.

In actuality and by definition, God (if you believe that there is a supreme being) can't be anyone's co-pilot.

The First Commandment reinforces this (the one that states,"I am the Lord your God, you shall not have other gods before me.") That doesn't sound much like a deity that's interested in playing second fiddle to anyone.

The Book of Proverbs offers further details, and suggests "the beginning of wisdom is fear (or reverence) of the Lord."

God helps those who help themselves.

This one can be a natural follow from the co-pilot premise.

After all, if you're in the driver's seat, your destination and how you arrive there is pretty much up to you.

And the first order of life's business, under this mind-set, becomes keeping an eye out for yourself. (Can you imagine the danger inherent in a group of people who believe this individualistic/nationalistic way of life?)

Fortunately, there isn't a single scripture that even remotely reinforces this kind of thinking.

On the other hand, there are tons of scriptures that advise the exact opposite. Take for instance, Luke 10:25, where the writer records a time when Jesus was speaking to a crowd and a young lawyer tested Jesus by asking, "Teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus turns the question around, asking the lawyer, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" The lawyer answers, "You shall lovc the Lord your God with all soul, strength and mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

Jesus tells him, "Do this and you shall live."

But the lawyer (wanting to justify himself) asks Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

Jesus recognizes the lawyer's attempt to find a loophole for what it is. He answers by telling the parable of The Good Samaritan, which describes a person who goes out of his way give aid to a stranger lying on the side of the road, naked and beaten after having been robbed. Every person in the crowd listening to Jesus that day knew Samaritans were considered despicable. So the crowd was being asked to view an enemy as being loving and kind.

This was a radical type of love that Jesus was espousing. In one parable Jesus addresses both the self-help issue and the broader issue of "who is my neighbor?"  It seems as if Jesus is saying that our neighbor includes far more than those individuals who act, look or think like us. In fact, it would include anyone, anywhere. Even extending the definition to include refugees and immigrants. The exact opposite of what the present administration in Washington is proposing by seeking to cut immigration in half.


Pull Yourself Up By Your Own Bootstraps

This is a direct spin-off from God Helps Those Who Help Themselves. But it goes a bit further, implying that we somehow possess the means of "salvation" on our own.

Although this particular saying doesn't sound like a Bible quote, many people who profess to be followers of Jesus seem to act as if it's our own efforts that "save" us.

And, of course, there is nothing in the Bible or Torah for that matter, that would give credence to this idea. We seem to have collectively forgotten Martin Luther's reminder (from one of Paul's epistles) that it is only by grace - unmerited favor - that we are able to be in relationship with God in the first place.

The book of Job (one of the oldest books in the Bible and Torah) deals with a person who experiences a huge reversal of fortune. He loses everything, and a few friends stop by to pin the blame on him. Job questions God, even going as far as to tell God it would have been better if he hadn't been born.

In essence, Job declares his innocence, after enduring a ton of affliction, and asks God, "Do you even know what you're doing?"

Immediately Elihu (one of Job's friends) tells Job to slow down and recognize who he is accusing.

Then, God answers Job directly.

(In case you're not familiar with the book of Job, in the end, it turns out well. In fact, after Job humbles himself and prays for his friends, God blesses Job giving him twice as much as he had before his affliction.)

This is not a God who demands that Job somehow has it within himself to restore his own wealth and health.

In North America today, there are a growing number of Christians who are fans of the "prosperity Gospel." This gospel teaches that God wants us all to be financially/materially prosperous. All we need to do is believe it and then spring into action, putting ourselves first. It's the spiritualization of the American Dream and it's just not true. At its worst, this train of thought can result in extremely selfish and nationalistic thinking (i.e. making America "great again," at the expense of every other nation on earth.)

God never promises us material wealth. Jesus certainly never promised his followers that everything would be easy after he left earth. In fact, he said just the opposite, warning that there would be trials and persecution. Jesus taught that a successful life was one in which a person pursues righteousness (being defined by Merriam-Webster, as "acting in accord with divine or moral law.") And it has never been popular to go after the morally correct thing.

It's important to recognize that God doesn't promise us a stress-free life. But God does promise that we will get through difficulties and spiritually prosper us if we stay humble remain focused on God and each other.

What a relief to know we don't have to go through life alone, pulling ourselves up, relying only on our own resources!

As Mother Teresa said: "The world is lost for want of sweetness and kindness. Do not forget we need each other."

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Pinocchio: Art Credit, Disney If ever there were a time for a national "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" award, it's now. And certai...