It's been years since I have used this forum to write about what is happening with me. In fact about 6 years. And today's post has nothing really to do with my new life in Africa, except for my reflection on life in the US from a distance and what I have been wrestling with. I want to invite you to help me consider something, to teach me, and to listen to one another. I do much better working in groups so I hope you will pipe in with your thoughts.
The Trump era has fanned to flame the pockets of discontent in our American society. It is now easy to see that this strife was already there bubbling below the surface and in some places spilling over. I'll admit to being pretty ignorant of all that percolated here and there and for how long and why. My own bubble was, and to a large degree still is, pretty small. I can't speak for all Americans but I have been pretty surprised at the language and treatment Americans are willing to dole out on one another. I've been surprised that there is such vitriol spewing everywhere one looks.
My own political and social leanings are informed by a number of things including a fairly monochromatic life in the U.S. Interestingly, I traveled internationally quite a bit. It is possible that I paid more attention to the cultures of other places than I did to my own. Of course, my life in Africa has become much more colorful on a number of levels. I realized recently that I don't really think about my neighbors here as black but as Kenyans. That is not a bragging point but just a reality. It also means that I am more aware of my minority status here. But interestingly while I know I stand out in a crowd, get stared at by children, and the contents of my shopping cart get a once-over, I also am beginning to recognize that privilege has followed me here. It is something I am wrestling with. I don't think my experience here informs me about what it is like to be a racial minority in the US. Granted I have only been here a short time. Maybe I will write more about that odd tension at some point.
I also live in the reality of a deeply broken world where even my church family had to separate because we could not get along. That is also another story that I am still wrestling deeply with. But it has created a lot of middle of the night angst-which continues to this day. I feel deeply hurt, embarrassed, and so very sad. I feel rejected and I feel like I was not worth enough for folks to hang in there with me and those who believe like I do. It has been shattering to my confidence and the whole framework that a lot of my reality was built on.
On to my invitation to you.
I am interested in helping our country find a way forward-probably just a portion of it to start with. I am interested in the possibility of our Quaker Church being a vessel of peace with our nation(I've seen a bit of that happening here in Kenya). While I am willing to strive and work for a new way forward, I am not willing to kill for it. I am realistic enough to know that not everyone wants the way of peace nor does everyone want the "kind" of peace I want. I don't want peace so that "we will just stop fighting". The peace that I long for and that I think exists is a peace that is transformative, redemptive, restorative, and life-giving.
While I long for that transformation to happen, I want to begin with learning or re-learning a framework on which to build. I need a renewed way to view the issue of our country's discontent, hatred, and fear. Then I know I need to practice, rehearse, and repeat.
I feel paralyzed at even knowing how to talk about these issues we face. I feel tossed back and forth by my desire to be right and my desire to see people transformed out of their fear. Between being so drawn to a way of thinking and seeing the world and being able to really listen to what others believe and think. I fear that I am going to have a hard time giving up some things that seem so important yet are barriers to my own transformation and ability to speak into these huge problems we face.
So here are some questions I want to ponder and I hope you will offer your own input (or help me know if I am even asking the right questions). I really hope that you will not just offer oversimplified answers. I also hope my non-religious friends will chime in. I also won't tolerate unkindness, name calling, and reserve the right to delete comments that I think are harmful.
1. I am a Christ follower. I think the healing we need is centered in Christ. But what does that mean? What is at the center of that? What is just religious baggage?
2. What is at the heart of the discontent of our nation? What has divided us and can you see anything (political, spiritual, etc) that might move us forward? What good signs, if any, do you see? What would be good first steps?
3. What question should I/We be asking?
The Trump era has fanned to flame the pockets of discontent in our American society. It is now easy to see that this strife was already there bubbling below the surface and in some places spilling over. I'll admit to being pretty ignorant of all that percolated here and there and for how long and why. My own bubble was, and to a large degree still is, pretty small. I can't speak for all Americans but I have been pretty surprised at the language and treatment Americans are willing to dole out on one another. I've been surprised that there is such vitriol spewing everywhere one looks.
My own political and social leanings are informed by a number of things including a fairly monochromatic life in the U.S. Interestingly, I traveled internationally quite a bit. It is possible that I paid more attention to the cultures of other places than I did to my own. Of course, my life in Africa has become much more colorful on a number of levels. I realized recently that I don't really think about my neighbors here as black but as Kenyans. That is not a bragging point but just a reality. It also means that I am more aware of my minority status here. But interestingly while I know I stand out in a crowd, get stared at by children, and the contents of my shopping cart get a once-over, I also am beginning to recognize that privilege has followed me here. It is something I am wrestling with. I don't think my experience here informs me about what it is like to be a racial minority in the US. Granted I have only been here a short time. Maybe I will write more about that odd tension at some point.
I also live in the reality of a deeply broken world where even my church family had to separate because we could not get along. That is also another story that I am still wrestling deeply with. But it has created a lot of middle of the night angst-which continues to this day. I feel deeply hurt, embarrassed, and so very sad. I feel rejected and I feel like I was not worth enough for folks to hang in there with me and those who believe like I do. It has been shattering to my confidence and the whole framework that a lot of my reality was built on.
On to my invitation to you.
I am interested in helping our country find a way forward-probably just a portion of it to start with. I am interested in the possibility of our Quaker Church being a vessel of peace with our nation(I've seen a bit of that happening here in Kenya). While I am willing to strive and work for a new way forward, I am not willing to kill for it. I am realistic enough to know that not everyone wants the way of peace nor does everyone want the "kind" of peace I want. I don't want peace so that "we will just stop fighting". The peace that I long for and that I think exists is a peace that is transformative, redemptive, restorative, and life-giving.
While I long for that transformation to happen, I want to begin with learning or re-learning a framework on which to build. I need a renewed way to view the issue of our country's discontent, hatred, and fear. Then I know I need to practice, rehearse, and repeat.
I feel paralyzed at even knowing how to talk about these issues we face. I feel tossed back and forth by my desire to be right and my desire to see people transformed out of their fear. Between being so drawn to a way of thinking and seeing the world and being able to really listen to what others believe and think. I fear that I am going to have a hard time giving up some things that seem so important yet are barriers to my own transformation and ability to speak into these huge problems we face.
So here are some questions I want to ponder and I hope you will offer your own input (or help me know if I am even asking the right questions). I really hope that you will not just offer oversimplified answers. I also hope my non-religious friends will chime in. I also won't tolerate unkindness, name calling, and reserve the right to delete comments that I think are harmful.
1. I am a Christ follower. I think the healing we need is centered in Christ. But what does that mean? What is at the center of that? What is just religious baggage?
2. What is at the heart of the discontent of our nation? What has divided us and can you see anything (political, spiritual, etc) that might move us forward? What good signs, if any, do you see? What would be good first steps?
3. What question should I/We be asking?
I think narcissism has a great deal to do with the problems we are going through. We’ve come to a place where “I” am right, “You” are wrong and if you don’t agree with me then you must be bad. We’ve forgotten that reasonable people can disagree and it’s ok. We Call people names like “Nazi” and accuse them of the vilest of intentions without taking the time to listen to what others are saying. By doing this we have cheapened our language and the lives and beliefs of our “enemies”. We did this during the McCarthy era and we seem to have learned nothing. Why? I believe it’s because WE MUST BE RIGHT. Perhaps when we can learn not to insist the world be run the way we want it to be run, when we learn to be tolerant of so many more things than the outward. When we begin to realize that those we disagree with also have valid points, shoot...that they have valid existences. Maybe then we can start to make progress, and not the political idea of progress. Truly believe it comes down to narcissism and feeling better about ourselves based on our beliefs our actions. We need to lose ourselves to that beliefs and lose ourselves in Christ, and not our false view of Christ but the authentic version of Christ. The Christ that came to die so humanity could be forgiven of its sins. Even that most egregious sin of being a Nazi, or (gasp) disagreeing with you or me. Thanks Shawn, Major.
ReplyDeleteThanks Major. Some good thoughts here. I'll chew on this a bit. Thanks for bravely being the first commenter. How does one become "tolerant of so many things than the outward" ? Tolerant is a word many Christians don't feel very comfortable with. Say more if you can.
DeleteThanks so much Shawn for this blog. I hope we can have some time to talk together about it when I get to Kenya soon.
ReplyDeleteI have been very embarrassed at the actions of my country as well. Marian
Marian, I'll look forward to some chai and conversation with you.
ReplyDeleteHere is a comment from Friend Nate Macy:
ReplyDeleteIt’s pry oversimplified, but I believe our political situation has it’s Genesis (or at least the ground out of the mysterious void which clearly existed from the beginning of our country and before) in the 90’s with Newt Gingrich and the contract with America. It was a no-holds barred, no quarter given political understanding that was intentionally divisive and dismissive of the other side. Rather than democracy through compromise, it was intentional burn and pillage. And the Republican Party has essentially existed by that means ever since…steal elections, obstruct when Democrats are in office, and without shame, but self proclaimed. Now that may seem political, I’m not saying the Dems are without responsibility, it’s a paradigm that they have accepted and played into. Combine this kind of political discourse (if we can call it that) with the growth of Social Media, and Cable News catering, resulting in easier dehumanization and less shared understanding of what is objectively happening, it’s easy to so see why and how we ended up here. LIke the Cold War, who blinks first becomes the problem, because this is a model built on domination rather than problem solving. We’ve boiled down almost very complicated issue to a power struggle, and in doing so, made it impossible to come up with solutions. I’m sure there are corporate interests and powers behind all of this, primarily concerned I suppose, with their own greed and ends….
But all that said, I believe the solution has to do with undoing the dehumanization and vilifying of each other. We have to be able to listen, to hear what’s motivating our fear and anger and love each other despise our perspectives….That may seem like a well, duh. But we’re not doing it. We don’t co-exist because, at least on a surface level, we don’t have to. So, finding ways to connect with our community where we live and re-humanize each other seems important. If the scorched earth policy defines our current politics, perhaps there is no listening to the “other” on a political level. But perhaps, if we can re-humanize one another, then within the parties (or beyond?) There can be a rebellion against this kind of damaging rhetoric and by republicans demanding civility within the GOP and Dems demanding it within the DNP, perhaps progress can made there too.
However, I think it’s important to remember life isn’t primarily about what politicians are doing, where our real civil discussion and lives happen are right in the midst of our communities (as our YM experience proves) I think that YM stuff shows the effects of dehumanization as clearly as any other example I can think of. And all we can do is be faithful, love as best we can, be true to what God is working in us. The results can be terrible, but I’m coming to the conclusion that maybe that’s part of the call to release my life, our life. It’s turning the other cheek and letting go of my entitlement, accepting that persecution might just be real - not in the sense of jail time or getting physically beaten, but in all the other ways that having integrity to my (and our) discernment leads, while remembering that our discernment can never mean that we don’t act in love.
I am convinced that Jesus call in our lives is utter sacrifice of ourselves, including our fears and anger and despair, that we have to give that stuff over if, as Jesus prayed, “not my will but yours be done” is to happen in the world. If I don’t believe that, what am I playing at?
I’m learning that showing up matters, listening to the other matters, not trying to solve it, but to sit with it…