Today I visited another church to share about my new school. When the choir belted out "He reigns forever!" and "All hail King Jesus!" at the top of their lungs, and I saw a choir full of folks (male and female, young and old, light-skinned and dark, casually dressed and dressed up) worshipping the LORD without abandon, I tell you, my heart was full. I declare, I began to smile with joy at the thought that in heaven we will be worshipping our God corporately, in unison and on one accord, possibly like this. So it was with glee that I stood up and added my voice to the resounding chorus.
But almost as quickly as the heaven thought flashed through my mind, another one popped up. I recalled the passage in Revelation that talks about a multitude praising God in heaven, and I couldn't help but remember that the chorus there will be comprised of people from every nation. So I felt a twinge of sadness mixed in with joyful praise. Kind of like the mixed feelings we get when we experience the 'already/not yet' aspects of the Kingdom (salvation from sin's penalty -- already; salvation from sin's presence -- not yet; touches of God's physical healing -- already; complete healing to come in heaven -- not yet).
I also began to think if I'll ever be a part of a non-diverse church again. Not likely. Though I didn't select my current home church because it was racially/ethnically diverse, I must say that I have grown to enjoy it and, thanks to Pastor's teachings, to see that it represents God's heart. And, the thought of that Revelation passage is so appealing that I want to ever move towards it -- not away from it. In fact, it's got me thinking about my friendships and my work relationships, and how I can be more intentional in creating cross-cultural friendships.
Just got me wondering....
"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 7:9-12)
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
IN MEMORIAM: Maryann Whitt
"As day comes, and night falls/
For the rest of our lives we'll miss y'all/
And even though life must go on /
We still mourn /
While wishin' y'all were home"
-- Nas feat. Quan ("Just A Moment")
I met Ms. Whitt about 24 years ago when I was about 14 years old, and for two years in high school, she took my best friend Gwen and me under her wing. Together the three of us worshipped at New Hope and visited many other churches, and Ms. Whitt let us tag along with her wherever she went. She talked about the Word with us, prayed with us, let us hang out at her apartment -- she shared her life with us, in all of its trials and triumphs. Ms. Whitt was real, transparent, down-to-earth, funny, spiritual, and she loved life. And she encouraged all of these things in Gwen and me. She took two 'know-it-all' teenage girls who were short on humility and she put up with us. She let us bug her on the phone, listened to our problems, hopes, fears. That meant a lot to us. To me. Especially since the adults in my home were dealing with their own demons of addiction. And Ms. Whitt never said anything bad about my parents. She was just there for me. She was like a mother to me. A spiritual mother.
Ms. Whitt encouraged us to be all we could be for God. So when we went off to college -- one to Harvard, the other to Yale -- she cheered us on. And when, after two years of college, I came home pregnant, Ms. Whitt still accepted me. I'm sure she was disappointed, but she didn't scold me. That was not her way. She was forgiving. She even shared her own struggles in this area with me, and encouraged me to keep going. She visited me in the hospital right after the birth of my daughter, calling her an angel and her deformed arms 'wings'. And when I went back to Yale with my daughter and graduated two years later, Ms. Whitt set up a City Hall honoring of me, which led to a newspaper article and my first teaching job and a monetary show of support for my daughter from the Whighams.
None of this was asked for. It was just Ms. Whitt's way. She was giving. And even when my relationship with my best friend Gwen became strained and ended, Ms. Whit always asked me, whenever I talked to her, "When was the last time you heard from Gwen?"
I'm under no illusions about Ms. Whitt's shortcomings. She was human. She liked men, and she liked to smoke. One of the funniest memories I have of her is the three of us being on the phone, and Ms. Whitt talking to us about God through puffs of a cigarette. Which was always followed by Gwen and I reprimanding her about her smoking, and her telling us she was asking the Lord to remove the taste of cigarettes from her mouth. Flawed as she was, I am confident Ms. Whitt knew and loved God. She never justified anything that was not right in her lifestyle. In fact, for a period, she pushed Gwen and me away because she did not want to be a bad influence on us. It's undeniable Ms. Whitt loved God and she loved people. No matter how many mistakes she made in life, she clung to God, held on to her Savior.
I'm going to miss you, Ms. Whitt. Maverick. Evangelist. Prophetess. You wrote in my high school yearbook that we'd build many churches in Jesus' name. Well, I haven't planted any churches, but I am starting a high school from scratch. If I can touch the lives of teenagers the way you touched my life, if I can build their confidence and put wind under their wings so they can soar past their troubled environments to unseen heights, then I'll be satisfied. See you in heaven, Ms. Whitt.
Ms. Whitt encouraged us to be all we could be for God. So when we went off to college -- one to Harvard, the other to Yale -- she cheered us on. And when, after two years of college, I came home pregnant, Ms. Whitt still accepted me. I'm sure she was disappointed, but she didn't scold me. That was not her way. She was forgiving. She even shared her own struggles in this area with me, and encouraged me to keep going. She visited me in the hospital right after the birth of my daughter, calling her an angel and her deformed arms 'wings'. And when I went back to Yale with my daughter and graduated two years later, Ms. Whitt set up a City Hall honoring of me, which led to a newspaper article and my first teaching job and a monetary show of support for my daughter from the Whighams.
None of this was asked for. It was just Ms. Whitt's way. She was giving. And even when my relationship with my best friend Gwen became strained and ended, Ms. Whit always asked me, whenever I talked to her, "When was the last time you heard from Gwen?"
I'm under no illusions about Ms. Whitt's shortcomings. She was human. She liked men, and she liked to smoke. One of the funniest memories I have of her is the three of us being on the phone, and Ms. Whitt talking to us about God through puffs of a cigarette. Which was always followed by Gwen and I reprimanding her about her smoking, and her telling us she was asking the Lord to remove the taste of cigarettes from her mouth. Flawed as she was, I am confident Ms. Whitt knew and loved God. She never justified anything that was not right in her lifestyle. In fact, for a period, she pushed Gwen and me away because she did not want to be a bad influence on us. It's undeniable Ms. Whitt loved God and she loved people. No matter how many mistakes she made in life, she clung to God, held on to her Savior.
I'm going to miss you, Ms. Whitt. Maverick. Evangelist. Prophetess. You wrote in my high school yearbook that we'd build many churches in Jesus' name. Well, I haven't planted any churches, but I am starting a high school from scratch. If I can touch the lives of teenagers the way you touched my life, if I can build their confidence and put wind under their wings so they can soar past their troubled environments to unseen heights, then I'll be satisfied. See you in heaven, Ms. Whitt.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Someone Else's Eyes
Starting a school from scratch is becoming just almost as much about my own growth and development as it is about that of the students I hope to serve.
In recruiting students and families for this start-up high school that I'm opening in the fall, I was asked on a number of occasions about how diverse the school would be (thanks Tiffany, Michael, and board member). Each time I brushed off the question, thinking that my Black face as a school leader would likely turn off many Hispanic families, along with the history and reputation of the school we're replacing (99.5% Black). Additionally, since four new small schools opened up in the mainly Hispanic section of our community, I figured that would be the natural place where families with Hispanic students would go. Finally, I felt there were already quality schools in the city targeting that population, but comparatively few quality ones for African-American high schoolers.
Wanting to make sure I stuck with my passion of offering quality education for all urban youth, I did not limit my visits to elementary schools. What I found at one school amazed me! Though I don't speak a word of Spanish, the students there took to me (especially the fellas) and I took to them. They listened to what I had to say about the new school, they asked great questions, and their concerns were the same as those at the mainly Black schools I visited (Will there be sports? How will three schools share one building? What will the teachers be like? And so on.) So began my lesson on what it's like to be a different minority in the U.S.
I realized that for many Hispanic families (and I know that's the wrong term), an obstacle to access is basic communication. So I worked hard to get materials in Spanish and to get a translator. The best I could do was get some of the materials translated, and a student served as translator. Wanting to make all families feel welcomed (another priority of mine), I realized I need to serve various kinds of food -- not just the regular chicken and fish. That took more money and more effort. And I had to make sure I did not ignore parents just because they don't speak English (I don't like it when people ignore my daughter, who's non-verbal).
Wow, what a lesson! I went home wondering what it is like to navigate a public school system without the basic tool of language easily at your disposal. I wondered what it is like to entrust your child to a school whose culture is so different from yours. I wondered what our school will need to make sure we build bridges with all our parents. Exciting, but tough. And humbling. I attend a multi-cultural church where decisions about staffing, worship style, and so on are made all the time. I'm just now starting to get a glimpse as to how sensitive one has to be when the environment is diverse.
But man, it would be so great to have a diverse body of students! Everyone will be enriched by the culture, background, talents, and personalities of the other. Our students will be exposed to a glimpse of the big wide world out there as they learn to interact peacefully with those both similar to and different from themselves.
Lord, forgive my protective provincialism! And continue to teach me to look at life through someone else's eyes.
In recruiting students and families for this start-up high school that I'm opening in the fall, I was asked on a number of occasions about how diverse the school would be (thanks Tiffany, Michael, and board member). Each time I brushed off the question, thinking that my Black face as a school leader would likely turn off many Hispanic families, along with the history and reputation of the school we're replacing (99.5% Black). Additionally, since four new small schools opened up in the mainly Hispanic section of our community, I figured that would be the natural place where families with Hispanic students would go. Finally, I felt there were already quality schools in the city targeting that population, but comparatively few quality ones for African-American high schoolers.
Wanting to make sure I stuck with my passion of offering quality education for all urban youth, I did not limit my visits to elementary schools. What I found at one school amazed me! Though I don't speak a word of Spanish, the students there took to me (especially the fellas) and I took to them. They listened to what I had to say about the new school, they asked great questions, and their concerns were the same as those at the mainly Black schools I visited (Will there be sports? How will three schools share one building? What will the teachers be like? And so on.) So began my lesson on what it's like to be a different minority in the U.S.
I realized that for many Hispanic families (and I know that's the wrong term), an obstacle to access is basic communication. So I worked hard to get materials in Spanish and to get a translator. The best I could do was get some of the materials translated, and a student served as translator. Wanting to make all families feel welcomed (another priority of mine), I realized I need to serve various kinds of food -- not just the regular chicken and fish. That took more money and more effort. And I had to make sure I did not ignore parents just because they don't speak English (I don't like it when people ignore my daughter, who's non-verbal).
Wow, what a lesson! I went home wondering what it is like to navigate a public school system without the basic tool of language easily at your disposal. I wondered what it is like to entrust your child to a school whose culture is so different from yours. I wondered what our school will need to make sure we build bridges with all our parents. Exciting, but tough. And humbling. I attend a multi-cultural church where decisions about staffing, worship style, and so on are made all the time. I'm just now starting to get a glimpse as to how sensitive one has to be when the environment is diverse.
But man, it would be so great to have a diverse body of students! Everyone will be enriched by the culture, background, talents, and personalities of the other. Our students will be exposed to a glimpse of the big wide world out there as they learn to interact peacefully with those both similar to and different from themselves.
Lord, forgive my protective provincialism! And continue to teach me to look at life through someone else's eyes.
Monday, January 15, 2007
HANNAH
“She [Hannah], greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.”
– I Samuel 1:10
This O.T. record of a godly woman’s struggles speaks to us today in at least two ways.
Hannah’s trials show us that believers are not exempt from the everyday troubles of life. Hannah’s heart was broken because of situations God allowed and because of circumstances sinful man caused. Hannah was barren (and we are told twice in back-to-back verses – five and six – that Yahweh had closed her womb). So this God-fearing woman lacked the ability to conceive – the very thing that virtually defined what it meant to be a woman in her time. Our Sovereign Lord could have altered the situation, but He chose not to at the time, so this woman endured pain as a result of a condition that God permitted. In addition, Hannah had human-caused trouble. She was “bitterly provoked” and “irritated” by her “rival” – her husband’s second wife. For whatever reason, Hannah’s husband succumbed to the culture of the day and took two wives, contrary to God’s vision for marriage and His explicit commands. The result? The wife with children (Peninnah) constantly mocked the wife without children (Hannah). Both barrenness and ridicule left Hannah “oppressed in spirit”, “afflicted”, and weeping so much she could barely eat. To make matters worse, when Hannah went to “church” (the Temple), she was falsely accused of being drunk and sharply rebuked by the priest! Yes, God’s people do go through severe trials at times. So, what are we to do?
Well, Hannah’s response to her struggles shows us that our troubles should motivate us to draw near to God. What I love about this whole situation is Hannah’s unashamed, honest prayers to God. She put aside her self-reliance and pride and inhibitions and “poured out her soul before the LORD” (verse 15). What an encouragement for us to do the same! Oh, how tempting it is either to try to figure out on our own the answers to the problems that plague us, or to wallow in self-pity – both of which keep us from the very God who cares for us and who can provide the guidance and comfort we need for the situations we encounter.
So today, I encourage you not to neglect communing with your wonderful Father. If you’re having a ‘valley’ experience right now, do like your sister Hannah and take your burdens to the Lord. If you’re having a ‘mountaintop’ experience today, then let your thanks and praises to God ring from that height! But be sure to remember a brother or sister (or even an unsaved friend or family member) who is ‘going through’, and intercede for them right now. Stand in the gap in prayer and petition God on their behalf.
– I Samuel 1:10
This O.T. record of a godly woman’s struggles speaks to us today in at least two ways.
Hannah’s trials show us that believers are not exempt from the everyday troubles of life. Hannah’s heart was broken because of situations God allowed and because of circumstances sinful man caused. Hannah was barren (and we are told twice in back-to-back verses – five and six – that Yahweh had closed her womb). So this God-fearing woman lacked the ability to conceive – the very thing that virtually defined what it meant to be a woman in her time. Our Sovereign Lord could have altered the situation, but He chose not to at the time, so this woman endured pain as a result of a condition that God permitted. In addition, Hannah had human-caused trouble. She was “bitterly provoked” and “irritated” by her “rival” – her husband’s second wife. For whatever reason, Hannah’s husband succumbed to the culture of the day and took two wives, contrary to God’s vision for marriage and His explicit commands. The result? The wife with children (Peninnah) constantly mocked the wife without children (Hannah). Both barrenness and ridicule left Hannah “oppressed in spirit”, “afflicted”, and weeping so much she could barely eat. To make matters worse, when Hannah went to “church” (the Temple), she was falsely accused of being drunk and sharply rebuked by the priest! Yes, God’s people do go through severe trials at times. So, what are we to do?
Well, Hannah’s response to her struggles shows us that our troubles should motivate us to draw near to God. What I love about this whole situation is Hannah’s unashamed, honest prayers to God. She put aside her self-reliance and pride and inhibitions and “poured out her soul before the LORD” (verse 15). What an encouragement for us to do the same! Oh, how tempting it is either to try to figure out on our own the answers to the problems that plague us, or to wallow in self-pity – both of which keep us from the very God who cares for us and who can provide the guidance and comfort we need for the situations we encounter.
So today, I encourage you not to neglect communing with your wonderful Father. If you’re having a ‘valley’ experience right now, do like your sister Hannah and take your burdens to the Lord. If you’re having a ‘mountaintop’ experience today, then let your thanks and praises to God ring from that height! But be sure to remember a brother or sister (or even an unsaved friend or family member) who is ‘going through’, and intercede for them right now. Stand in the gap in prayer and petition God on their behalf.
“For whatever was written in earlier times
was written for our instruction, so that through
perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.”
-- Romans 15:4
JUST A WORD
JUST A WORD
Recently I have been reminded of the numerous times in Scripture when Jesus was teaching His disciples, using words or actions, and they just ‘did not get it’. Recalling the many occasions where the Twelve did not grasp the full meaning, missed the point altogether, or were just ‘clueless’ about a matter of great importance to the Savior, I found myself first snickering at their bumbling, then convicted by my own ignorance and arrogant impatience with others.
Here’s a sampling of what I’m talking about (all texts NIV— emphasis mine):
1) After Jesus dropped the ‘bomb’ on His followers that He was going to be betrayed, this is what Scriptures say was their response: “But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.” – Luke 9:45
2) Maybe it was the topic, but again Jesus took the Twelve aside to tell them of His impending fate, this time being more explicit, perhaps because His crucifixion date was getting closer. Jesus told His boys He was going to be mocked, insulted, spit on, flogged, and killed, but then resurrected on the third day, just as the prophets wrote about. What was their reaction? “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about.” – Luke 18:34
3) Now I can see how the Twelve would be confused by this next chain of events. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and quoted some Old Testament passages that predicted his entry (something about a King coming). True to form, here’s what’s said about His crew: “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” – John 12:16
4) Here’s one of the most stunningly stark realities of the Twelve thus far: Jesus had been crucified, and we all know it was women who first learned of and then shared with others that Jesus was no longer dead but had risen (yeah!). Well, Peter and John, Jesus’ closest disciples, ran to the tomb to see for themselves if what the women said was true (did not sound like they believed Jesus would rise, right?). Here’s what’s said of John, the disciple Jesus loved: “So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb [John] then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” – John 20:9
Whoa!
I’ve cited just a few instances that prove there was a great deal about Jesus – His mission and purposes – that His followers did not understand while He walked this earth. There are many, many other cases where the disciples’ words or actions showed a serious lack of understanding.*
What can we take away from all this? Was Jesus just such a ‘deep’ Teacher that He had a hard time translating His knowledge to His pupils? I don’t think so. The struggle that Jesus’ followers had with getting the meaning behind some of His words and actions has several applications for us today. Wanna hear them, hear they go…
1) With respect to others’ salvation and spiritual growth, have patience. A teacher by calling and profession, I know first-hand the frustration that comes when you try to teach a student something and, even after many tries, they ‘still don’t get it’. Imagine how Jesus, the greatest Teacher of all time, felt when He tried to communicate serious biblical truths to His disciples, only to find ‘they did not understand ANY of it’ – they didn’t even know what He was talking about! (Luke 18:34 above) And there did seem to be times when Jesus got a little frustrated, like when He chided the Twelve for not grasping the meaning behind His a miracle, proven by the fact that they still had unbelief when they were faced with the need for a similar miracle. But by and large, Jesus was extremely patient with the boys. How do I know? He did not give up trying to teach them. He repeated His messages over and over again, sometimes through hands-on lessons, other times through Old Testament references, still other times through real-life illustrations. As we seek to communicate the truths of the Gospel and of God’s Word to others, we’d do well to follow our Lord’s example. Whether it is a child or teenager we’re raising, a friend we’re discipling, or a co-worker we’re witnessing to, let’s not become discouraged when we share the truths of God’s word, only to have them bounce off the person’s heart and head like a basketball on a concrete court. Remember what Paul said: some of us plant, and others water (I Cor. 3:5-7). This nature comparison emphasizes many facts, one of which is that a person’s grasp of the truth is often a process. So don’t let exasperation hinder the process. (Think: How many times did you hear the Gospel before you got saved? How many times have you studied a passage/heard sermons on a topic before you let God change you in that area? How many people do you know who initially rejected God’s Word but later yielded to it and are standing strong for God to this day?)
2) With respect to others’ salvation and spiritual growth, remember God’s sovereignty. I can’t help but notice that in many of the passages describing the disciples’ ignorance, that ignorance was only temporary. In fact, in some cases the Bible says full understanding was ‘hidden’ from them at the time, and it was later that they understood and believed. Going back to Paul’s plant analogy, he said ultimately it is “God who gives the increase”. No matter how eloquent we are, no matter how knowledgeable we are or how skillful we are in sharing knowledge, our ability alone is insufficient to give a person understanding. God in His sovereignty has to move on a person’s heart and illuminate his/her mind so they can grasp the truth. So remember the role of God’s sovereign revealing – in His sovereign time – as you seek to see people’s lives changed through their understanding and acceptance of God’s truth.
3) With respect to the questions and problems of life, don’t be so quick to have all the answers. If Jesus’ own followers, who walked with Him closely on this earth in the flesh, did not understand some things, then surely there will be some matters that we just do not have understanding of as well. I remember shortly after 9/11 occurred a preacher stated that he knew why 9/11 happened. He went on to give some bogus reason, but I was struck by how certain this dude was that he knew why such a tragic event occurred. Knowing this person, I think he felt a need to have an explanation, maybe for unbelievers, as to why his God would allow such a horrible situation. I would like an answer, too, but the truth of the matter is, I don’t know why God chose to allow such a level of tragedy, in that case or in the case of the tsunami or the Holocaust or American slavery. The difference is that I am not going to pretend I have answers when I don’t. I realize that there is a limit to my knowledge and understanding, and there is a degree of mystery to God and His purposes that I will have as long as I’m on this earth. And as knowledge-loving as I am, by faith I have to rest in God’s character (as revealed in His word) even when I can’t explain this world. I believe it was Bro. Paul who said right now we see through a glass darkly, but when we see Jesus we’ll see more clearly (I Cor. something).
4) Last but not least, with respect to your own growth (in matters both spiritual and temporal), have patience. Sometimes the same frustration we feel towards others who don’t grow at the pace we’d like, we also have with ourselves. At times that feeling’s valid, but at other times it’s more a manifestation of impatience and arrogance than trust in God. Sometimes this frustration comes from a desire to be perfect, to have success (even spiritually), and to have a measure of ease. But one thing I’m learning in life is that true growth takes time. In Jesus’ parable about the seed and the sower, the seed that sprouted overnight didn’t last because it lacked depth. The seed that was genuine and lasting went deep and took time to grow. The same is true in Jesus’ parable about building your house on rock (which is harder and takes longer) versus building your house on sand. It took time for the leader of the disciples to go from being the ‘reed’ to the ‘rock’. It took experiences over time for the disciples to go from trusting Jesus in general to understanding and believing in Him as Messiah and Savior. And it’s going to take time and experience, orchestrated of course by God’s grace, to go from one level to the next in our obedience to Christ in whatever area(s) we are struggling with. Wanting perfection overnight is not realistic – though some growth should be evident over time.
One final point: Even though a certain lack of understanding is ‘understandable’ J, there is a lack of understanding that should be avoided at all costs. There is a failure to ‘grasp’ spiritual truths that comes from a hardened heart and a blindness to God’s Word because we’re rejecting or resisting God’s will. That’s not the kind that I’m talking about. What’s the difference? Well, it’s the difference between the student who doesn’t understand the lesson because they cannot, even though they try hard, and the student who doesn’t understand because they don’t want to (they cut class, they don’t do homework, they goof off through class – pattern of resistance). May God reveal to you where that difference lies.
Well, I’ve used too much of your time.
Peace,
*John 10:6-- the disciples and the crowds didn’t understand the shepherd-sheep figure of speech Jesus was using to describe His salvific role
John 13:7 -- Peter didn’t understand why Jesus would stoop so low as to wash his feet; Jesus seems resigned to this reality, and just tells Peter he’ll understand later
Matthew 15:15-16; 16:9, 11-12; Mark 4:10-13; Mark 8:15-21 -- the disciples didn’t understand the parables Jesus spoke – so they often took Him aside and asked Him to explain what they meant; the disciples didn’t understand the miracles Jesus did or the figure of speech He used to describe the religious leaders – at first, all resulting in Jesus repeatedly asking questions like: “You still don’t understand?”
Recently I have been reminded of the numerous times in Scripture when Jesus was teaching His disciples, using words or actions, and they just ‘did not get it’. Recalling the many occasions where the Twelve did not grasp the full meaning, missed the point altogether, or were just ‘clueless’ about a matter of great importance to the Savior, I found myself first snickering at their bumbling, then convicted by my own ignorance and arrogant impatience with others.
Here’s a sampling of what I’m talking about (all texts NIV— emphasis mine):
1) After Jesus dropped the ‘bomb’ on His followers that He was going to be betrayed, this is what Scriptures say was their response: “But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.” – Luke 9:45
2) Maybe it was the topic, but again Jesus took the Twelve aside to tell them of His impending fate, this time being more explicit, perhaps because His crucifixion date was getting closer. Jesus told His boys He was going to be mocked, insulted, spit on, flogged, and killed, but then resurrected on the third day, just as the prophets wrote about. What was their reaction? “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about.” – Luke 18:34
3) Now I can see how the Twelve would be confused by this next chain of events. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and quoted some Old Testament passages that predicted his entry (something about a King coming). True to form, here’s what’s said about His crew: “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” – John 12:16
4) Here’s one of the most stunningly stark realities of the Twelve thus far: Jesus had been crucified, and we all know it was women who first learned of and then shared with others that Jesus was no longer dead but had risen (yeah!). Well, Peter and John, Jesus’ closest disciples, ran to the tomb to see for themselves if what the women said was true (did not sound like they believed Jesus would rise, right?). Here’s what’s said of John, the disciple Jesus loved: “So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb [John] then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” – John 20:9
Whoa!
I’ve cited just a few instances that prove there was a great deal about Jesus – His mission and purposes – that His followers did not understand while He walked this earth. There are many, many other cases where the disciples’ words or actions showed a serious lack of understanding.*
What can we take away from all this? Was Jesus just such a ‘deep’ Teacher that He had a hard time translating His knowledge to His pupils? I don’t think so. The struggle that Jesus’ followers had with getting the meaning behind some of His words and actions has several applications for us today. Wanna hear them, hear they go…
1) With respect to others’ salvation and spiritual growth, have patience. A teacher by calling and profession, I know first-hand the frustration that comes when you try to teach a student something and, even after many tries, they ‘still don’t get it’. Imagine how Jesus, the greatest Teacher of all time, felt when He tried to communicate serious biblical truths to His disciples, only to find ‘they did not understand ANY of it’ – they didn’t even know what He was talking about! (Luke 18:34 above) And there did seem to be times when Jesus got a little frustrated, like when He chided the Twelve for not grasping the meaning behind His a miracle, proven by the fact that they still had unbelief when they were faced with the need for a similar miracle. But by and large, Jesus was extremely patient with the boys. How do I know? He did not give up trying to teach them. He repeated His messages over and over again, sometimes through hands-on lessons, other times through Old Testament references, still other times through real-life illustrations. As we seek to communicate the truths of the Gospel and of God’s Word to others, we’d do well to follow our Lord’s example. Whether it is a child or teenager we’re raising, a friend we’re discipling, or a co-worker we’re witnessing to, let’s not become discouraged when we share the truths of God’s word, only to have them bounce off the person’s heart and head like a basketball on a concrete court. Remember what Paul said: some of us plant, and others water (I Cor. 3:5-7). This nature comparison emphasizes many facts, one of which is that a person’s grasp of the truth is often a process. So don’t let exasperation hinder the process. (Think: How many times did you hear the Gospel before you got saved? How many times have you studied a passage/heard sermons on a topic before you let God change you in that area? How many people do you know who initially rejected God’s Word but later yielded to it and are standing strong for God to this day?)
2) With respect to others’ salvation and spiritual growth, remember God’s sovereignty. I can’t help but notice that in many of the passages describing the disciples’ ignorance, that ignorance was only temporary. In fact, in some cases the Bible says full understanding was ‘hidden’ from them at the time, and it was later that they understood and believed. Going back to Paul’s plant analogy, he said ultimately it is “God who gives the increase”. No matter how eloquent we are, no matter how knowledgeable we are or how skillful we are in sharing knowledge, our ability alone is insufficient to give a person understanding. God in His sovereignty has to move on a person’s heart and illuminate his/her mind so they can grasp the truth. So remember the role of God’s sovereign revealing – in His sovereign time – as you seek to see people’s lives changed through their understanding and acceptance of God’s truth.
3) With respect to the questions and problems of life, don’t be so quick to have all the answers. If Jesus’ own followers, who walked with Him closely on this earth in the flesh, did not understand some things, then surely there will be some matters that we just do not have understanding of as well. I remember shortly after 9/11 occurred a preacher stated that he knew why 9/11 happened. He went on to give some bogus reason, but I was struck by how certain this dude was that he knew why such a tragic event occurred. Knowing this person, I think he felt a need to have an explanation, maybe for unbelievers, as to why his God would allow such a horrible situation. I would like an answer, too, but the truth of the matter is, I don’t know why God chose to allow such a level of tragedy, in that case or in the case of the tsunami or the Holocaust or American slavery. The difference is that I am not going to pretend I have answers when I don’t. I realize that there is a limit to my knowledge and understanding, and there is a degree of mystery to God and His purposes that I will have as long as I’m on this earth. And as knowledge-loving as I am, by faith I have to rest in God’s character (as revealed in His word) even when I can’t explain this world. I believe it was Bro. Paul who said right now we see through a glass darkly, but when we see Jesus we’ll see more clearly (I Cor. something).
4) Last but not least, with respect to your own growth (in matters both spiritual and temporal), have patience. Sometimes the same frustration we feel towards others who don’t grow at the pace we’d like, we also have with ourselves. At times that feeling’s valid, but at other times it’s more a manifestation of impatience and arrogance than trust in God. Sometimes this frustration comes from a desire to be perfect, to have success (even spiritually), and to have a measure of ease. But one thing I’m learning in life is that true growth takes time. In Jesus’ parable about the seed and the sower, the seed that sprouted overnight didn’t last because it lacked depth. The seed that was genuine and lasting went deep and took time to grow. The same is true in Jesus’ parable about building your house on rock (which is harder and takes longer) versus building your house on sand. It took time for the leader of the disciples to go from being the ‘reed’ to the ‘rock’. It took experiences over time for the disciples to go from trusting Jesus in general to understanding and believing in Him as Messiah and Savior. And it’s going to take time and experience, orchestrated of course by God’s grace, to go from one level to the next in our obedience to Christ in whatever area(s) we are struggling with. Wanting perfection overnight is not realistic – though some growth should be evident over time.
One final point: Even though a certain lack of understanding is ‘understandable’ J, there is a lack of understanding that should be avoided at all costs. There is a failure to ‘grasp’ spiritual truths that comes from a hardened heart and a blindness to God’s Word because we’re rejecting or resisting God’s will. That’s not the kind that I’m talking about. What’s the difference? Well, it’s the difference between the student who doesn’t understand the lesson because they cannot, even though they try hard, and the student who doesn’t understand because they don’t want to (they cut class, they don’t do homework, they goof off through class – pattern of resistance). May God reveal to you where that difference lies.
Well, I’ve used too much of your time.
Peace,
*John 10:6-- the disciples and the crowds didn’t understand the shepherd-sheep figure of speech Jesus was using to describe His salvific role
John 13:7 -- Peter didn’t understand why Jesus would stoop so low as to wash his feet; Jesus seems resigned to this reality, and just tells Peter he’ll understand later
Matthew 15:15-16; 16:9, 11-12; Mark 4:10-13; Mark 8:15-21 -- the disciples didn’t understand the parables Jesus spoke – so they often took Him aside and asked Him to explain what they meant; the disciples didn’t understand the miracles Jesus did or the figure of speech He used to describe the religious leaders – at first, all resulting in Jesus repeatedly asking questions like: “You still don’t understand?”
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Quality Education -- A Moral Imperative
"I shall create! If not a note, a hole.
If not an overture, a desecration."
These lines from the Gwendolyn Brooks poem "boy breaking glass" speak volumes to the need of all people, children and youth included, to realize their dreams and live up to their God-given potential. And these lines also speak to the tragedy that happens when the cries for self- actualization within us are muted by the circumstances of life. All too often, the violence, crime, and self-destruction that we see in our urban areas is a cry to be heard, to make one's mark, to exert one's influence over something, even if that influence is more harmful than constructive.
It's what gives the young men in our ghettos a sick sense of power by committing crimes
it's what makes my daughter love Bisou....
If not an overture, a desecration."
These lines from the Gwendolyn Brooks poem "boy breaking glass" speak volumes to the need of all people, children and youth included, to realize their dreams and live up to their God-given potential. And these lines also speak to the tragedy that happens when the cries for self- actualization within us are muted by the circumstances of life. All too often, the violence, crime, and self-destruction that we see in our urban areas is a cry to be heard, to make one's mark, to exert one's influence over something, even if that influence is more harmful than constructive.
It's what gives the young men in our ghettos a sick sense of power by committing crimes
it's what makes my daughter love Bisou....
"To Be Of Use", by Marge Piercy
This is one of my favorite poems. My department chair gave it to us English teachers as she resigned her position to start her own school. It's stayed in my heart ever since, and I shared it with family and friends when I left NJ for seminary in TX. (Don't quite know if they understood or appreciated it, though.)
Recently, I've seen this poem shared two or three times, so thought I'd post it, as it's always been a source of inspiration to me.
Wanna hear it, here it go....
To Be of Use by Marge Piercy
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.
The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.
Recently, I've seen this poem shared two or three times, so thought I'd post it, as it's always been a source of inspiration to me.
Wanna hear it, here it go....
To Be of Use by Marge Piercy
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.
The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
More on BUILD
Okay, so we're in our, um, 6th week or so of BUILD. I regret I missed the past two weeks b.c. the group visited some cool places -- CURE and Bethel New Life, I think. This past week we went to the local precinct and learned about the average crimes that are committed and the rise in juvenile and female offenders. The officer who gave us a guided tour was very knowledgeable about the police and justice system, as well as about human and social problems. 'Speaking for himself' and not the dept., he had wonderful words of wisdom about the tendency of legal system to harshly penalize all drug-related crimes and the dearth of social services to help addicts get clean and ex-cons to get jobs and get back on the right track. Even exposing such institutional ills that make city life tough for all, this officer also gently berated residents for letting our families and educational system and spiritual base erode. These structures and forces used to be stronger and now they are sorely suffering. So there was some talk of personal responsibility, though it wasn't worded as such.
What left me thinking from the meeting were a couple of things:
1) The main thing was whether or not there is really hope to change the status quo. At times when you take a tough, 'realistic' look, you end up depressed and hopeless, which I don't think is what God wants and I don't think is very useful. How do you really change people's lives holistically (spiritually and naturally, both their hearts and their circumstances), let alone whole communities of folks or whole institutional structures that are so oppressive, racist, and even classist? I know the cliches that talk about making change one person at a time, but, as one sister in the group mentioned, when change is so slow, it's easy to get discouraged. I can honestly see why some folks turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the plight of those in the inner city. On one level, it's like what I did with the Tsunami tragedy and others like it that are so catastrophic: closed my eyes, turned the TV off, and tried to put it out of mind b.c. it was so overwhelming. But Lord, that's not what our Savior did. The masses, who were like sheep w.o a shepherd, caused Jesus to be moved w. compassion. He didn't draw away from them, like so many people do when they look at TT, my daughter who has an unusual disability. No, Jesus was drawn TO them -- even to the dreaded outcast lepers. Lord, I pray that you make my heart tender again and that you soften me w.in so that my reaction is not to run and put my head in the sand but to FEEL, b.c. feeling leads to action....
2) How do you measure progress? How do you know that you are really making a difference? Yeah, yeah, we can say all the things we're supposed to say, like God just requires that we are faithful, and that our Western society has programmed us to think that if we're not seeing 'results', then the endeavor isn't worthwhile. I am certainly the first person to decry the mindset that measures success by numbers of people or other superficial things. However, I have also seen Christian groups that operate so loosely and seriously reflect (objectively, w. an outside view) so lamely that a healthy dose of "Are you carrying out your mission?" is needed. Steve, I think you're right. The answer is in re-defining success, but I think success has to be defined. Even if we concede that some of it will be undefinable. Okay, I'm starting to not make sense, so I must be tired...
The third and last thing I'm thinking about as a result of the last (and every) BUILD mtg is the whole personal responsibility vs. institiutional blame thing. No easy answer there. Just a caution to include both and not to swing to either extreme. I think conservatives foolishly over-emphasize personal responsibility, which keeps them from seeing (and therefore dismantling) institutional racism. On the other hand, I think liberals just as foolishly over-emphasize institutional factors, which keeps them from seeing (and therefore dismantling) factors within the culture and mindset of the poor and others that contribute to the problem. Need to say a quick prayer for balance....
Peace.
What left me thinking from the meeting were a couple of things:
1) The main thing was whether or not there is really hope to change the status quo. At times when you take a tough, 'realistic' look, you end up depressed and hopeless, which I don't think is what God wants and I don't think is very useful. How do you really change people's lives holistically (spiritually and naturally, both their hearts and their circumstances), let alone whole communities of folks or whole institutional structures that are so oppressive, racist, and even classist? I know the cliches that talk about making change one person at a time, but, as one sister in the group mentioned, when change is so slow, it's easy to get discouraged. I can honestly see why some folks turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the plight of those in the inner city. On one level, it's like what I did with the Tsunami tragedy and others like it that are so catastrophic: closed my eyes, turned the TV off, and tried to put it out of mind b.c. it was so overwhelming. But Lord, that's not what our Savior did. The masses, who were like sheep w.o a shepherd, caused Jesus to be moved w. compassion. He didn't draw away from them, like so many people do when they look at TT, my daughter who has an unusual disability. No, Jesus was drawn TO them -- even to the dreaded outcast lepers. Lord, I pray that you make my heart tender again and that you soften me w.in so that my reaction is not to run and put my head in the sand but to FEEL, b.c. feeling leads to action....
2) How do you measure progress? How do you know that you are really making a difference? Yeah, yeah, we can say all the things we're supposed to say, like God just requires that we are faithful, and that our Western society has programmed us to think that if we're not seeing 'results', then the endeavor isn't worthwhile. I am certainly the first person to decry the mindset that measures success by numbers of people or other superficial things. However, I have also seen Christian groups that operate so loosely and seriously reflect (objectively, w. an outside view) so lamely that a healthy dose of "Are you carrying out your mission?" is needed. Steve, I think you're right. The answer is in re-defining success, but I think success has to be defined. Even if we concede that some of it will be undefinable. Okay, I'm starting to not make sense, so I must be tired...
The third and last thing I'm thinking about as a result of the last (and every) BUILD mtg is the whole personal responsibility vs. institiutional blame thing. No easy answer there. Just a caution to include both and not to swing to either extreme. I think conservatives foolishly over-emphasize personal responsibility, which keeps them from seeing (and therefore dismantling) institutional racism. On the other hand, I think liberals just as foolishly over-emphasize institutional factors, which keeps them from seeing (and therefore dismantling) factors within the culture and mindset of the poor and others that contribute to the problem. Need to say a quick prayer for balance....
Peace.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
The Great Equalizer
Let's see..... Who's right?
Horace Mann (U.S. educator, the first great American advocate of public education, 1796-1859):
"Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery." OR
William Osler (Canadian physician, 1849-1919):
"Work is the open sesame of every portal, the great equalizer in the world, the true philosopher's stone which transmutes all the base metal of humanity into gold."
Booker T. Washington: "The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts...At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence... Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top." OR
W.E.B. DuBois:
"The purpose of education is not to make men carpenters, but to make carpenters men...It is the trained, living human soul, cultivated and strengthened by long study and thought, that breathes the real breath of life into boys and girls and makes them human, whether they be black or white, Greek, Russian or American...All men cannot go to college but some men must; every isolated group or nation must have its yeast, must have for the talented few centers of training where men are not so mystified and befuddled by the hard and necessary toil of earning a living, as to have no aims higher than their bellies, and no God greater than Gold."
Seems like we've been having this debate for years, ever since the distinction was made between Cain (who was a hunter, a man of the field, Daddy's dude) and Abel (who was a 'Momma's boy', a good cook). But this issue has great import for Black inner city youth today, whose futures are being decided in part by schools that are being created in their neighborhoods. Some folks have given up hope that teens from the 'ghetto' have what it takes to go to college, so they posit a career-focused education, pushing schools that will teach these youth a trade and give them skills to earn a 'living'. Still others see the disadvantage of telling Black kids they don't have to go to college: when 90% of the fastest-growing jobs in this country require some post-secondary education, when factory jobs that could once be relied on to 'pay a good wage' are now either overseas or no longer needed in a hyper-techno age, it seems kinda sick to push something that these same folks wouldn't want for their own kids. Yet, the reality of the ghetto is hard. If kids historically have been dropping out of school because they're unprepared for the academic rigor and social demands, might it not be wise to tap into a possible desire for a hands-on kinda education, in order to motivate the youth to stay in school and then give them something for their time in high school? I dunno. Would love to hear what others think.
Feel like the Queen of Quotes today, but I haveta share this W.E.B. Du Bois one (Bill Cosby wasn't the first to utter such statements):
"A little less complaint and whining, and a little more dogged work and manly striving, would do us more credit than a thousand civil rights bills."
Horace Mann (U.S. educator, the first great American advocate of public education, 1796-1859):
"Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery." OR
William Osler (Canadian physician, 1849-1919):
"Work is the open sesame of every portal, the great equalizer in the world, the true philosopher's stone which transmutes all the base metal of humanity into gold."
Booker T. Washington: "The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts...At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence... Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top." OR
W.E.B. DuBois:
"The purpose of education is not to make men carpenters, but to make carpenters men...It is the trained, living human soul, cultivated and strengthened by long study and thought, that breathes the real breath of life into boys and girls and makes them human, whether they be black or white, Greek, Russian or American...All men cannot go to college but some men must; every isolated group or nation must have its yeast, must have for the talented few centers of training where men are not so mystified and befuddled by the hard and necessary toil of earning a living, as to have no aims higher than their bellies, and no God greater than Gold."
Seems like we've been having this debate for years, ever since the distinction was made between Cain (who was a hunter, a man of the field, Daddy's dude) and Abel (who was a 'Momma's boy', a good cook). But this issue has great import for Black inner city youth today, whose futures are being decided in part by schools that are being created in their neighborhoods. Some folks have given up hope that teens from the 'ghetto' have what it takes to go to college, so they posit a career-focused education, pushing schools that will teach these youth a trade and give them skills to earn a 'living'. Still others see the disadvantage of telling Black kids they don't have to go to college: when 90% of the fastest-growing jobs in this country require some post-secondary education, when factory jobs that could once be relied on to 'pay a good wage' are now either overseas or no longer needed in a hyper-techno age, it seems kinda sick to push something that these same folks wouldn't want for their own kids. Yet, the reality of the ghetto is hard. If kids historically have been dropping out of school because they're unprepared for the academic rigor and social demands, might it not be wise to tap into a possible desire for a hands-on kinda education, in order to motivate the youth to stay in school and then give them something for their time in high school? I dunno. Would love to hear what others think.
Feel like the Queen of Quotes today, but I haveta share this W.E.B. Du Bois one (Bill Cosby wasn't the first to utter such statements):
"A little less complaint and whining, and a little more dogged work and manly striving, would do us more credit than a thousand civil rights bills."
Saturday, September 23, 2006
BUILD - Week Two
Um, today was the second session of this very interesting, thought-provoking discussion of race and class issues. There was much more discussion than last week (though last week's dialogue was normal for a first gathering), but I'll be glad when the white folks in the group become comfortable enough to speak up more and, yes, to even debate a little more than they are doing now. This is not to say that there weren't some comments made by non-Blacks in the group. However, the talk time was overwhelmingly dominated by us African-Americans. Now, I understand a little of the why. It's difficult to speak immediately about a reality that isn't yours. So it stands to reason that Sheretta (?), Cherice, Keith, and I will have a lot of insight to shed since we've lived life in the 'ghetto'. And, there's the element (blessing and curse) that white folks don't want to say anything 'stupid' or insensitive that will give the impression that they are racist or uncaring. However, in order for I think true understanding to take place and honest dialogue to occur, there has to be the freedom to open up and to bear one's soul, no matter the risk of being misunderstood. I'm wondering whether or not we'll get to this depth of discussion during the next two months. I doubt it. It's rare for me to get to this level of sharing even w. my Christian friends who are white. (Gina is probably the exception) What a shame! But, again, another dreadful residual of horrible race relations in this country. Maybe some sort of social situation outside of these meetings will help break down some barriers.......
Another thought from today's session: I'm not comfortable being one of the (unoffiicially) designated 'spokespeople' for our race. Just when I've shared some 'insight' on inner city behavior, I start to think about the members of my race, even in the ghetto, who don't fit that stereotyped behavior, and I begin to fear I've given the impression that the Black race is a monolith and I've set up white folks unfairly for thinking they now 'understand' the why behind some things my people do. For instance, today we talked about how many Black mothers may appear not-so-nurturing because they push their children towards independence early on (i.e., encouraging them not to cry and having them take the lead in 'mature' situations like going to the doctors alone or dropping them off on a college campus alone and leaving them). On my way home, and later in the day, I thought about two caveats. One is that part of some Black mothers' insistence on their children taking on 'adult' responsibilities (like my doctor's office example) is a lack of comfort dealing w. mainstream culture. This is seen more clearly in Hispanic or Latino cultures when you have children paying bills and talking to school personnel and landlords and other authority figures -- things parents should be doing but cannot due to a language barrier. Well, the same is true in African-American poor 'hoods b.c. some adults are not comfortable engaging w. doctors and school officials, etc., so they put off that duty to children/youth (unfair, but a reality). Another thought around this issue is that there is an irony in some Black mothers' parenting of boys. Despite efforts early on to make sons 'tough' and make them into a 'man', many Black mothers paradoxically fail to hold their sons to the same standard of accountability that they hold their daughters to. For this reason, it is not uncommon to find in many homes daughters who manage to finish high school (and even go on to college), hold jobs, etc., while the sons in the same family lounge around, do nothing, make babies out of wedlock, and live off their mothers (who go to work everyday to support them). There's a saying that we Black mothers raise our daughters and spoil our sons. So this I think is another factor that plays into the problem of single-parenthood in our communities.
One final note: I noticed a tendency on the part of one person in our group (white) to dodge discussions that geared towards pointing out flaws in Black inner city culture. When we Black folks started talking, for instance, about how in many Black churches personal godliness is compromised while social justice is highlighted (the opposite of what was said to be true of white evangelical churches), the conversation was cut short w. a comment that all cultures have their pet sins (that's not the right word, maybe common manifestations of sin). This is true. But, this was one of maybe two or three times today where I think the person wanted to stay away from any criticism of the Black community. Again, I can understand why. When the tendency has been to blame the victim, which leads to no solutions, there is wisdom in shying away from any talk of personal responsibility. But, if personal responsibility is at all a part of the solution, and I believe it is, then neglecting this piece is actually detrimental to the Black community. Case in point: A Christian school w. a strong social justice bent consistently made excuses as to why parents could not do things like get their kids to school on time, or return schoolbooks in their kids' bookbags (both of which were paid for by the school), or make sure their kids came to school in their uniforms daily. And help w. homework (talking about for third graders) was out of the question. Why? Because the socio-economic situation was so terrible that these basics were thought to be impossible. Knowing the parents well, this was the case for about three families out of a school of a couple of hundred. The result? Kids' education suffered, even in a private and Christian setting (small class size, caring teachers, Christ-centered and safe culture), because parents were 'excused' from taking any responsibility. Yet some of those same parents, who later took their kids to a charter school down the street, miraculously displayed behavior needed to give their children a little more success educationally. My point? Balance is needed. No, personal accountability is not the SOLE answer to issues of race and class. Those problems are too complex for a single solution and too historically caused and instititutionally maintained to just urge people to change their own behaviors and 'things'll be alright'. Yet, structural causes are not the SOLE answer, either. So, if there are multiple causes, there must be multiple solutions, all of which are pursued w. the same level of vehemence and integrity and diligence. It is paternalistic to think Black folks can't do basic stuff just because they're poor. And you hurt the very poor folks you're trying to serve when you excuse their behavior that perpetuates their condition. Just my thoughts....
"The hood can be a beautiful thing/
But with no Christ in the city/It ain't pretty/
What the future will bring/
We need more than Malcolm X and Martin Luther the King/
We need Davids walking the pavement with Truth in their sling/
We see a chance to give people a reason for the hope of believers/
Cause though they're breathin' these hopeless people are grievin'/
In the streets some are numb but others are still bothered/
At the unfit mothers and the unskilled fathers/
That's why we plug Christ like an unskilled barber/
Rap artists who harvest, some plant and some will water/
But God'll make it grow and it won't stop/
If He's the center like the gum in a blow pop/
Remember you're eternal but your dough's not/
Your rims, your Timbs, your brims and your clothes rot"
-- Cross Movement, Higher Definition, "Hey, Y'all"
Another thought from today's session: I'm not comfortable being one of the (unoffiicially) designated 'spokespeople' for our race. Just when I've shared some 'insight' on inner city behavior, I start to think about the members of my race, even in the ghetto, who don't fit that stereotyped behavior, and I begin to fear I've given the impression that the Black race is a monolith and I've set up white folks unfairly for thinking they now 'understand' the why behind some things my people do. For instance, today we talked about how many Black mothers may appear not-so-nurturing because they push their children towards independence early on (i.e., encouraging them not to cry and having them take the lead in 'mature' situations like going to the doctors alone or dropping them off on a college campus alone and leaving them). On my way home, and later in the day, I thought about two caveats. One is that part of some Black mothers' insistence on their children taking on 'adult' responsibilities (like my doctor's office example) is a lack of comfort dealing w. mainstream culture. This is seen more clearly in Hispanic or Latino cultures when you have children paying bills and talking to school personnel and landlords and other authority figures -- things parents should be doing but cannot due to a language barrier. Well, the same is true in African-American poor 'hoods b.c. some adults are not comfortable engaging w. doctors and school officials, etc., so they put off that duty to children/youth (unfair, but a reality). Another thought around this issue is that there is an irony in some Black mothers' parenting of boys. Despite efforts early on to make sons 'tough' and make them into a 'man', many Black mothers paradoxically fail to hold their sons to the same standard of accountability that they hold their daughters to. For this reason, it is not uncommon to find in many homes daughters who manage to finish high school (and even go on to college), hold jobs, etc., while the sons in the same family lounge around, do nothing, make babies out of wedlock, and live off their mothers (who go to work everyday to support them). There's a saying that we Black mothers raise our daughters and spoil our sons. So this I think is another factor that plays into the problem of single-parenthood in our communities.
One final note: I noticed a tendency on the part of one person in our group (white) to dodge discussions that geared towards pointing out flaws in Black inner city culture. When we Black folks started talking, for instance, about how in many Black churches personal godliness is compromised while social justice is highlighted (the opposite of what was said to be true of white evangelical churches), the conversation was cut short w. a comment that all cultures have their pet sins (that's not the right word, maybe common manifestations of sin). This is true. But, this was one of maybe two or three times today where I think the person wanted to stay away from any criticism of the Black community. Again, I can understand why. When the tendency has been to blame the victim, which leads to no solutions, there is wisdom in shying away from any talk of personal responsibility. But, if personal responsibility is at all a part of the solution, and I believe it is, then neglecting this piece is actually detrimental to the Black community. Case in point: A Christian school w. a strong social justice bent consistently made excuses as to why parents could not do things like get their kids to school on time, or return schoolbooks in their kids' bookbags (both of which were paid for by the school), or make sure their kids came to school in their uniforms daily. And help w. homework (talking about for third graders) was out of the question. Why? Because the socio-economic situation was so terrible that these basics were thought to be impossible. Knowing the parents well, this was the case for about three families out of a school of a couple of hundred. The result? Kids' education suffered, even in a private and Christian setting (small class size, caring teachers, Christ-centered and safe culture), because parents were 'excused' from taking any responsibility. Yet some of those same parents, who later took their kids to a charter school down the street, miraculously displayed behavior needed to give their children a little more success educationally. My point? Balance is needed. No, personal accountability is not the SOLE answer to issues of race and class. Those problems are too complex for a single solution and too historically caused and instititutionally maintained to just urge people to change their own behaviors and 'things'll be alright'. Yet, structural causes are not the SOLE answer, either. So, if there are multiple causes, there must be multiple solutions, all of which are pursued w. the same level of vehemence and integrity and diligence. It is paternalistic to think Black folks can't do basic stuff just because they're poor. And you hurt the very poor folks you're trying to serve when you excuse their behavior that perpetuates their condition. Just my thoughts....
"The hood can be a beautiful thing/
But with no Christ in the city/It ain't pretty/
What the future will bring/
We need more than Malcolm X and Martin Luther the King/
We need Davids walking the pavement with Truth in their sling/
We see a chance to give people a reason for the hope of believers/
Cause though they're breathin' these hopeless people are grievin'/
In the streets some are numb but others are still bothered/
At the unfit mothers and the unskilled fathers/
That's why we plug Christ like an unskilled barber/
Rap artists who harvest, some plant and some will water/
But God'll make it grow and it won't stop/
If He's the center like the gum in a blow pop/
Remember you're eternal but your dough's not/
Your rims, your Timbs, your brims and your clothes rot"
-- Cross Movement, Higher Definition, "Hey, Y'all"
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Example of what I'm talking about
Below is a quote from Marcus Garvey that demonstrates how some black leaders of old had no problem stressing personal responsibility alongside critiquing the white racist power structure. (Note: This quote is not meant to be a support of Garvey's philosophy or tactics, especially his emphasis on segregation and his KKK connection. It's simply one example of how many respected Black leaders back in the day, of which he was one, had a strong self-reliant bent.)
From “Self-Reliance and Respect”:
“The Universal Negro Improvement Association teaches our race self-help and self-reliance, not only in one essential, but in all those things that contribute to human happiness and well-being. The disposition of the many to depend upon the other races for a kindly and sympathetic consideration of their needs, without making the effort to do for themselves, has been the race's standing disgrace by which we have been judged and through which we have created the strongest prejudice against ourselves...
The Negro must be up and doing if he will break down the prejudice of the rest of the world. Prayer alone is not going to improve our condition, nor the policy of watchful waiting. We must strike out for ourselves in the course of material achievement, and by our own effort and energy present to the world those forces by which the progress of man is judged.”
- The Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey -
From “Self-Reliance and Respect”:
“The Universal Negro Improvement Association teaches our race self-help and self-reliance, not only in one essential, but in all those things that contribute to human happiness and well-being. The disposition of the many to depend upon the other races for a kindly and sympathetic consideration of their needs, without making the effort to do for themselves, has been the race's standing disgrace by which we have been judged and through which we have created the strongest prejudice against ourselves...
The Negro must be up and doing if he will break down the prejudice of the rest of the world. Prayer alone is not going to improve our condition, nor the policy of watchful waiting. We must strike out for ourselves in the course of material achievement, and by our own effort and energy present to the world those forces by which the progress of man is judged.”
- The Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey -
BUILD First Impressions
Today was the first meeting of a group of Christians interested in social justice issues and committed to reading about and discussing them openly for the next two months. First impressions? Not bad. My main concern was that I'd be the only African-American in the group and, therefore, would be seen as the object of pity and/or as the authority on all things inner city. Pleased to find the group pretty diverse (I did the racial/ethnic & gender count -- wish it wasn't so instinctive!), and for a first meeting, I thought some folks were appropriately vulnerable. Interesting (though not shocking) that some African-Americans in the group honestly voiced frustrations with members of our race in the neighborhood who display stereotypical behaviors... One guy knows quite a few folks I know -- the Wests, the Bergs -- which is kewl. Good people. Main take-away from today's time: Michael's comments. Specifically, his admonition that the next two months will be worthless if we don't put into practice whatever it is we learn. Kinda jolting. Sobering. His words really resonated with me because they are true, yet they scared me a bit because truth revealed must be followed out by truth applied and, as Tae said, I don't know what that looks like or even if I want to. Though the inner city has been my life from birth almost, that does not necessarily translate into my doing all I can to share in God's love for folks in the city and that love translating into action....
First impressions of the reading? Well, I'm about halfway thru Hilfiker's article on poverty in urban America, but I'm struck by how much of it I didn't know (I knew a good deal of it, but not some major points). Wasn't familiar with the origin of public housing; just assumed projects were started by some altruistic motive. Was aware that domestic workers didn't qualify for social security or unemployment compensation. My grandmother was a day worker for Jewish folks her whole life and, though she worked hard, never had social security, a pension, etc. But I wasn't aware that the federal programs during the depression specifically excluded these folks, which translated into lack of relief during a very rough time in America that other groups were afforded.
Since my time in seminary, my views on the causes of poverty and the inner city problems have slowly changed from almost totally blaming the victim (the whole family breakdown / single-parent homes thing) to seeing both personal and structural/institutional causes. Lupton's article further reinforced my moderate position. Yet, I still grapple with how to move people out of poverty if too much emphasis is placed on external causes. My fear is that while work is done to alleviate the effects of external conditions, folks in poverty will perpetuate their condition if a heavy dose of personal responsibility is not given as well. My mind goes back to Black leaders even who were clear about structural causes for poverty and other problems and who spoke out against them vehemently, yet who were just as passionate when they stressed personal responsibility to folks in their own community. Yet today, any Black person who brings up personal responsibility is seen as a sell out (like Bill Cosby). Folks would do well to read some speeches and writings of our leaders of the past who said the same things. I'm interested in what next week's discussion will be like and whether or not people will be honest and risk airing differences of viewpoints. Actually, I think it would be a good idea to set up some group norms before more controversial discussions begin.
One final thing: We're supposed to note anything of interest regarding race and class. Well, I have two things. One is the fact that this season on "Survivor", the tribes will be divided by race as they compete against each other. I'm curious as to what people think about that. Second, in the laundromat today washing clothes, I did the usual: read the newspapers. In the Wednesday Journal (a local newspaper for Oak Park and other west suburbs), there was a commentary on the achievement gap at Oak Park-River Forest High School. The writer acknowledged multiple causes of the fact that Blacks consistently underperform whites and others, even in an affluent and diverse community like O.P. However, the writer was concerned about the persistent refusal of O.P.-R.F. H.S. staff to even consider the possibility of teacher and faculty bias (intentional or not) as one of the many causes of this gap. Again, I'd like to know folks' thoughts on this matter.
Well, that's all for now. I'm tired.
First impressions of the reading? Well, I'm about halfway thru Hilfiker's article on poverty in urban America, but I'm struck by how much of it I didn't know (I knew a good deal of it, but not some major points). Wasn't familiar with the origin of public housing; just assumed projects were started by some altruistic motive. Was aware that domestic workers didn't qualify for social security or unemployment compensation. My grandmother was a day worker for Jewish folks her whole life and, though she worked hard, never had social security, a pension, etc. But I wasn't aware that the federal programs during the depression specifically excluded these folks, which translated into lack of relief during a very rough time in America that other groups were afforded.
Since my time in seminary, my views on the causes of poverty and the inner city problems have slowly changed from almost totally blaming the victim (the whole family breakdown / single-parent homes thing) to seeing both personal and structural/institutional causes. Lupton's article further reinforced my moderate position. Yet, I still grapple with how to move people out of poverty if too much emphasis is placed on external causes. My fear is that while work is done to alleviate the effects of external conditions, folks in poverty will perpetuate their condition if a heavy dose of personal responsibility is not given as well. My mind goes back to Black leaders even who were clear about structural causes for poverty and other problems and who spoke out against them vehemently, yet who were just as passionate when they stressed personal responsibility to folks in their own community. Yet today, any Black person who brings up personal responsibility is seen as a sell out (like Bill Cosby). Folks would do well to read some speeches and writings of our leaders of the past who said the same things. I'm interested in what next week's discussion will be like and whether or not people will be honest and risk airing differences of viewpoints. Actually, I think it would be a good idea to set up some group norms before more controversial discussions begin.
One final thing: We're supposed to note anything of interest regarding race and class. Well, I have two things. One is the fact that this season on "Survivor", the tribes will be divided by race as they compete against each other. I'm curious as to what people think about that. Second, in the laundromat today washing clothes, I did the usual: read the newspapers. In the Wednesday Journal (a local newspaper for Oak Park and other west suburbs), there was a commentary on the achievement gap at Oak Park-River Forest High School. The writer acknowledged multiple causes of the fact that Blacks consistently underperform whites and others, even in an affluent and diverse community like O.P. However, the writer was concerned about the persistent refusal of O.P.-R.F. H.S. staff to even consider the possibility of teacher and faculty bias (intentional or not) as one of the many causes of this gap. Again, I'd like to know folks' thoughts on this matter.
Well, that's all for now. I'm tired.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Valaida Snow
I get mixed emotions whenever I learn something new that I feel should've been taught to me as a youngster. I'm excited about the new knowledge, curiosity piqued and then satisfied as part of the previously unknown is unveiled. But I'm also frustrated by the fact that, esp. when it comes to African-American history, all too often the story of our people has been grossly ignored and neglected. Here's someone very interesting that I learned about last year. This woman often returns to my thoughts -- find myself wondering what her life was like, what motivated her and inspired her and irritated her. Think she should be included in the annals of American music history. Here goes (taken from various sources on the Internet):
"'Queen of the Trumpet', Valaida Snow was born on June 2nd in 1905. She was an African-American musician and entertainer. From Cleveland City, Tennessee she was raised in an intensely musical family. Snow was taught by her mother Etta Washington Snow to play cello, bass, violin, banjo, mandolin, harp, accordion, clarinet, saxophone and trumpet. She also sang and danced. By the time she was 15 years old she was entertaining professionally and had decided to concentrate on trumpet and vocals. She had two sisters and three brothers. Both her sisters and one brother were also professional singers. A third brother and a half-brother never sang professionally or played an instrument of any kind.
Feisty, flamboyant and beautiful, Snow managed her own career, played half a dozen instruments, and spoke several languages. Snow was also gifted with an uncannily perfect pitch. The story is told of how she told pianist Eubie Blake that his regular tuning fork was flat simply after hearing him strike while they were together on a train. When they got to the next stop, Blake rushed her to the nearest music shop where the music dealer confirmed Snow's assessment.
Her truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story takes us from her Vaudeville youth in the Jim Crow South to stardom in black musical theatre. By the 1930s, she was an international headliner, and like her more well-known contemporary Josephine Baker, had caused a sensation in Europe.
A review of one of her engagements in the London Express of 1934 proclaimed: "She has a big personality, wails your tear ducts dry, blows a mean trumpet, and conducts as Toscannini never could." Along with Baker, she was a daring pioneer in an expatriation movement of Black entertainers that made both international stars and helped to eventually turn the tide of acceptance back in the US. In the Netherlands, Queen Wilhelmina was so impressed with Snow's talent and flair that she presented the American with a gilded trumpet.
In 1924 Snow attracted attention in the Sissle and Blake show. Then she was in London with Blackbirds, recording with Johnny Claes, Derek Neville, Freddy Gardner and others. She also worked in China and after her return to the USA she headlined in Chicago and Los Angeles before rejoining the Blackbirds in Paris. Snow also played across Europe and in Russia.
In the early 30s she was performing in the Ethel Waters show, Rhapsody In Black, in New York. In the mid-30s she returned to London and then to Hollywood, where she made films with her husband Ananais Berry of the Berry Brothers dancing troupe. After playing New York's Apollo Theater she revisited Europe and the Far East for more shows and films.
Flamboyant, Snow dressed in elegant gowns, traveled in an orchid-colored Mercedes limousine, and outfitted her chauffer and pet monkey in orchid-colored clothes. She became the toast of Paris and London, and was courted by French superstar Maurice Chevalier and American bandleader Earl Hines . She was a savvy businesswoman and spoke seven languages. While her beauty attracted audiences, it was Snow's incredible talent as a jazz trumpeter which truly captivated them. She obtained the nickname "Little Louis" due to her Louis Armstrong-like playing style.
In 1939 while in Scandinavia, Snow was arrested by the invading Germans and interned in a concentration camp at Wester-Faengle. After 18 months she was released as an exchange prisoner and returned to New York. After her return from prison, Snow married Earle Edwards. Damaged both physically and psychologically, she began performing again. Sadly, the spark and vitality that had made her one of the outstanding American entertainers of the 30s had begun to dim.
In her prime, Snow had perfect pitch and was also a skilled transcriber and arranger. Snow played and sang the blues with deep feeling and could more than hold her own on up-tempo swingers. As a phenomenal musician, because she was a woman in the jazz world of the 30s and 40s, she was regarded as something of a curiosity. Valaida Snow died May 30, 1956 in New York City. Strangely enough, she was buried three days later, on her birthday, June 2.
Even today, many jazz fans have difficulty accepting women as anything other than vocalists despite an increasing number of excellent female soloists now recording and performing.
Valaida Snow, almost universally unknown or forgotten today, forged a multiple-threat career - trumpeter and singer, bandleader, dancer, choreographer and arranger. With three strikes against her (she was Black; she was a woman and she was a bandleader), Valaida Snow still managed to hit home runs and she did it by most accounts, with a sly smile. The great American pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines (who also romanced Snow) said of her "She was just a beautiful and exceptionally talented woman.""
"'Queen of the Trumpet', Valaida Snow was born on June 2nd in 1905. She was an African-American musician and entertainer. From Cleveland City, Tennessee she was raised in an intensely musical family. Snow was taught by her mother Etta Washington Snow to play cello, bass, violin, banjo, mandolin, harp, accordion, clarinet, saxophone and trumpet. She also sang and danced. By the time she was 15 years old she was entertaining professionally and had decided to concentrate on trumpet and vocals. She had two sisters and three brothers. Both her sisters and one brother were also professional singers. A third brother and a half-brother never sang professionally or played an instrument of any kind.
Feisty, flamboyant and beautiful, Snow managed her own career, played half a dozen instruments, and spoke several languages. Snow was also gifted with an uncannily perfect pitch. The story is told of how she told pianist Eubie Blake that his regular tuning fork was flat simply after hearing him strike while they were together on a train. When they got to the next stop, Blake rushed her to the nearest music shop where the music dealer confirmed Snow's assessment.
Her truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story takes us from her Vaudeville youth in the Jim Crow South to stardom in black musical theatre. By the 1930s, she was an international headliner, and like her more well-known contemporary Josephine Baker, had caused a sensation in Europe.
A review of one of her engagements in the London Express of 1934 proclaimed: "She has a big personality, wails your tear ducts dry, blows a mean trumpet, and conducts as Toscannini never could." Along with Baker, she was a daring pioneer in an expatriation movement of Black entertainers that made both international stars and helped to eventually turn the tide of acceptance back in the US. In the Netherlands, Queen Wilhelmina was so impressed with Snow's talent and flair that she presented the American with a gilded trumpet.
In 1924 Snow attracted attention in the Sissle and Blake show. Then she was in London with Blackbirds, recording with Johnny Claes, Derek Neville, Freddy Gardner and others. She also worked in China and after her return to the USA she headlined in Chicago and Los Angeles before rejoining the Blackbirds in Paris. Snow also played across Europe and in Russia.
In the early 30s she was performing in the Ethel Waters show, Rhapsody In Black, in New York. In the mid-30s she returned to London and then to Hollywood, where she made films with her husband Ananais Berry of the Berry Brothers dancing troupe. After playing New York's Apollo Theater she revisited Europe and the Far East for more shows and films.
Flamboyant, Snow dressed in elegant gowns, traveled in an orchid-colored Mercedes limousine, and outfitted her chauffer and pet monkey in orchid-colored clothes. She became the toast of Paris and London, and was courted by French superstar Maurice Chevalier and American bandleader Earl Hines . She was a savvy businesswoman and spoke seven languages. While her beauty attracted audiences, it was Snow's incredible talent as a jazz trumpeter which truly captivated them. She obtained the nickname "Little Louis" due to her Louis Armstrong-like playing style.
In 1939 while in Scandinavia, Snow was arrested by the invading Germans and interned in a concentration camp at Wester-Faengle. After 18 months she was released as an exchange prisoner and returned to New York. After her return from prison, Snow married Earle Edwards. Damaged both physically and psychologically, she began performing again. Sadly, the spark and vitality that had made her one of the outstanding American entertainers of the 30s had begun to dim.
In her prime, Snow had perfect pitch and was also a skilled transcriber and arranger. Snow played and sang the blues with deep feeling and could more than hold her own on up-tempo swingers. As a phenomenal musician, because she was a woman in the jazz world of the 30s and 40s, she was regarded as something of a curiosity. Valaida Snow died May 30, 1956 in New York City. Strangely enough, she was buried three days later, on her birthday, June 2.
Even today, many jazz fans have difficulty accepting women as anything other than vocalists despite an increasing number of excellent female soloists now recording and performing.
Valaida Snow, almost universally unknown or forgotten today, forged a multiple-threat career - trumpeter and singer, bandleader, dancer, choreographer and arranger. With three strikes against her (she was Black; she was a woman and she was a bandleader), Valaida Snow still managed to hit home runs and she did it by most accounts, with a sly smile. The great American pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines (who also romanced Snow) said of her "She was just a beautiful and exceptionally talented woman.""
Ginny Owens
Looking for some quality Christian music to satisfy your listening pleasure? Then check out contemporary Christian artist Ginny Owens. Tho' she has about 6 albums out, my favorite is Without Condition. Whether singing her own rendition of the traditional hymn "Be Thou My Vision" or belting out the lyrics to a gritty "Symbol of a Lost Cause", you're sure to love every track on this record. I'm known for having 'remote control' tendencies when it comes to listening to music; never listen to an entire CD -- skip around so much sometimes I don't even finish one song. But this record is different. Here's what one reviewer said:
"Ginny Owens is a rare find in the Christian Music industry. Blinded since a very young age, Owens could have taken a bitter view of God*, yet she didn't, and am I thankful for that. Owens is one of those artists who can dig deep into my soul and say exactly what I am thinking without having ever met her. Taking on the piano as her major tool for writing, Owens sings with such simplicity and ease, like she knows what she's talking about. The CD starts off with an accapella version of "Be Thou My Vision", which is beautiful yet haunting at the same time. The next track on the CD..."I Wanna Be Moved" is one of those songs I was talking about earlier, one that says exactly what I am thinking at the right time. The song is an edgy rock-influenced song speaking of how Owens doesn't "want to be a flame", but rather she wants to be a "raging fire". This is just a small taste of what is to come. While Ginny does a great job on the edgy stuff, she really shows her songwriting muscles on her ballads. Songs like "I Am Nothing", "Someone Searching" and "If You Want Me To" truly show her desire to live a life that is holy and blameless before Christ... "Own Me"...[is a] beautiful, subtle song about how she prays God will take complete control of her life, mold her, break her, and heal her. I highly recommend this album..."
My sentiments exactly.
*Ginny went to college to become a music teacher, only to be frustrated by potential employers who saw only her blindness rather than her gifts. While playing the piano alone, someone walked in unbeknownedst to her, heard her, was blown away, and offered her a record deal. Ginny then shifted her aspirations, and I'm so glad she did.
"Ginny Owens is a rare find in the Christian Music industry. Blinded since a very young age, Owens could have taken a bitter view of God*, yet she didn't, and am I thankful for that. Owens is one of those artists who can dig deep into my soul and say exactly what I am thinking without having ever met her. Taking on the piano as her major tool for writing, Owens sings with such simplicity and ease, like she knows what she's talking about. The CD starts off with an accapella version of "Be Thou My Vision", which is beautiful yet haunting at the same time. The next track on the CD..."I Wanna Be Moved" is one of those songs I was talking about earlier, one that says exactly what I am thinking at the right time. The song is an edgy rock-influenced song speaking of how Owens doesn't "want to be a flame", but rather she wants to be a "raging fire". This is just a small taste of what is to come. While Ginny does a great job on the edgy stuff, she really shows her songwriting muscles on her ballads. Songs like "I Am Nothing", "Someone Searching" and "If You Want Me To" truly show her desire to live a life that is holy and blameless before Christ... "Own Me"...[is a] beautiful, subtle song about how she prays God will take complete control of her life, mold her, break her, and heal her. I highly recommend this album..."
My sentiments exactly.
*Ginny went to college to become a music teacher, only to be frustrated by potential employers who saw only her blindness rather than her gifts. While playing the piano alone, someone walked in unbeknownedst to her, heard her, was blown away, and offered her a record deal. Ginny then shifted her aspirations, and I'm so glad she did.
More Recommended Reading
Eh, folks, here's what I'm reading right now -- both of which are awesome:
1) John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. For those not familiar w. Piper, he writes a lot about living to glorify God and loving it. True to his M.O., Piper builds a case for gaining joy or getting pleasure out of living to bring God glory. He raves about 'being glad' in God and 'making others glad' in God. Refreshing! Takes the ritual and the staleness out of our walk with the Lord. Like a shot in the arm to examine where our heart is concerning Christ -- to see if He is indeed the Lover of our soul. And the not wasting your life part is woven into this recurring theme of Piper's with his poignant pleas for us to spend our lives doing what matters and what has eternal significance, so that we'll have no regrets.
2) Dallas Willard's The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship. Wonderful book simply about following Jesus -- about being a disciple of Christ. Challenges the notion that separates 'accepting Christ' from 'following Christ'. Paints excellent picture of how it looks to imitate Christ.
1) John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. For those not familiar w. Piper, he writes a lot about living to glorify God and loving it. True to his M.O., Piper builds a case for gaining joy or getting pleasure out of living to bring God glory. He raves about 'being glad' in God and 'making others glad' in God. Refreshing! Takes the ritual and the staleness out of our walk with the Lord. Like a shot in the arm to examine where our heart is concerning Christ -- to see if He is indeed the Lover of our soul. And the not wasting your life part is woven into this recurring theme of Piper's with his poignant pleas for us to spend our lives doing what matters and what has eternal significance, so that we'll have no regrets.
2) Dallas Willard's The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship. Wonderful book simply about following Jesus -- about being a disciple of Christ. Challenges the notion that separates 'accepting Christ' from 'following Christ'. Paints excellent picture of how it looks to imitate Christ.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Poem
I'm not much of a poet -- only written a handful of halfway decent poems in my life, and this is one. Wanna hear it? Here it go........
PROVERBS 32
The next one
Will be the best one
Nothing like the ones before
Sold out
Able to hold out
Not just looking for a cheap ‘score’
Not simply knowing
But also growing
True in his thoughts, words, and his deeds
Faithful in keeping
All that he’s speaking
Meek enough to follow
Strong enough to lead
Inspiring reverence
Just by his presence
Known for his heart, more than head or hand
Balanced in his living
Caring and forgiving
A truly godly kind of man
Not drenched with pride
Secure on the inside
But also solid in his outer affairs
Yet not chasing the ‘dream’
Focusing on what’s unseen
Not choked by fleeting, worldly cares
Forever serving
Never swerving
In his goal to reach the lost
Lavish risk-taking
In his disciple-making
Pouring out his soul, no matter the cost
Yet always working
To keep from hurting
The fragile ties to family
Showing his love
Placing home far above
Even the noblest ministry
At peace in his skin
With who he is, where he’s been
Learning from – not living in – times past
Fully embracing
Not afraid of facing
Today and tomorrow with strength to last
Yep, the next one
Will be the best one
Nothing like the ones before
Loving me sweetly
Loving me deeply
But loving his God
So very much more.
PROVERBS 32
The next one
Will be the best one
Nothing like the ones before
Sold out
Able to hold out
Not just looking for a cheap ‘score’
Not simply knowing
But also growing
True in his thoughts, words, and his deeds
Faithful in keeping
All that he’s speaking
Meek enough to follow
Strong enough to lead
Inspiring reverence
Just by his presence
Known for his heart, more than head or hand
Balanced in his living
Caring and forgiving
A truly godly kind of man
Not drenched with pride
Secure on the inside
But also solid in his outer affairs
Yet not chasing the ‘dream’
Focusing on what’s unseen
Not choked by fleeting, worldly cares
Forever serving
Never swerving
In his goal to reach the lost
Lavish risk-taking
In his disciple-making
Pouring out his soul, no matter the cost
Yet always working
To keep from hurting
The fragile ties to family
Showing his love
Placing home far above
Even the noblest ministry
At peace in his skin
With who he is, where he’s been
Learning from – not living in – times past
Fully embracing
Not afraid of facing
Today and tomorrow with strength to last
Yep, the next one
Will be the best one
Nothing like the ones before
Loving me sweetly
Loving me deeply
But loving his God
So very much more.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Making of a Man (or Woman)
A wise man in the faith once told me, "God is interested in making men -- not ministries." Now I'm sure Elder Taurel borrowed that saying from someone else, but God certainly used him to speak it into my spirit that day. And the meaning of those words has never left me. Rather than concern ourselves with God making a name for us -- with using God for our own glory, for our own agenda -- it's better to concern ourselves with God making US -- with His molding us and shaping us into His Son's likeness. After all, that's what Romans 8 says God's all about. That famous "all things works together for good" passage has less to do with God guaranteeing us a happy ending (on our terms) and more with God guaranteeing us His ending, which seems to be forming a people who reflect His nature and character to the world, so that then the world can be drawn to Him and more folks can join in worship of Him. And to accomplish this purpose, God will leave no stone unturned (in the words of another wise man in the faith, Pastor Reeves).
When I search the Scriptures to find someone who was formed by the Master's hand, molded into a man displaying God's character, my man Moses comes to mind. From Moses' birth it was obvious that God's hand was on the brother, protecting him from the vicious decrees of a fearful Pharoah and securing his physical and spiritual safety by paradoxically arranging for his earthly upbringing in Pharoah's house and for his moral training by his nurse who happened to be his mother.
The first picture we get of Moses himself shows a man in whom resided a strong sense of compassion and justice. Moses, who obviously has been told he is a Hebrew, sets out to learn of the condition of his people. Acts 7 says at age 40 "it entered his mind to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel" (nothing but God's Sovereignty at work). Incensed at an Egyptian overseer who is beating a fellow Hebrew, Moses intervenes, almost like he can't help himself. (Acts 7:24 says, "And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.") He ends up killing the Egyptian and burying him in the sand, in order to help rescue his fellow Hebrew. The next day, this same streak of fairness and compassion comes oozing out of Moses again, this time spreading to his own people in the form of a rebuke (sign of a God-implanted trait -- it doesn't discriminate). Moses spies two Hebrews fighting and makes an effort to solve the problem (Acts 7:26 says he "tried to reconcile them in peace"), only to get his first taste in Disappointment 101: his own people reject his efforts to help, and even cast a stinging false accusation about his motives (trying to be prince and judge over us), rather than admit their own fault and reconcile with one another. One of these Hebrews even lets Moses know he's aware of the murder Moses committed the day before, a comment that, along with the disillusionment of trying to help and seemingly not making a difference, sends this man reeling into the desert far away from the powers that be who wanted to retaliate and away from the realization that his efforts to rescue were spurned by the very ones he wanted to help. (Acts 7:25 says, "And he supposed that his brothers understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.")
But Moses cannot escape the ingrained tendency to rescue -- even while away from Egypt, we see him rescuing Jethro's daughters from men who bothered them when they were at the well. In fact, that's what these sisters tell their daddy -- that 'an Egyptian' helped (literally, delivered) them that day. Again, Moses' sense of compassion and justice could not bear the thought of defenseless women being bothered. ("Then the shepherds came and drove them [the sisters] away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock." -- Exodus 2:17)
Reading about Moses' sense of inadequacy, so much so that God seemingly gets frustrated trying to convince Moses to take the job of leading Israel, is a testament to the power of God to 'make a man'. And so is seeing how God developed Moses, from the firebrand murderer in
Egypt to the shepherd on the backside of the mountain (plus being an alien and a father), even to being a long-suffering leader of millions of Hebrews. Far from Moses being the star of this narrrative, though, God is the Hero. He shines through as the True Deliverer (He tells Moses HE'S going down to deliver Israel, in the same conversation where He commissions Moses to go, so it's clear who's in control), as the One who is moved by the cries of His oppressed people, as the powerful One who decimates one of the greatest civilizations of all time in order that they may know that He is God. Even though Acts 7:35 tells us that "this Moses whom they disowned, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer...", we are also told that Moses did this "with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush" (same verse), and we hear God's words to Moses about Himself saying, "I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt." The beauty of all this is that the spirit of a deliverer or rescuer that resided in Moses actually came from God -- Moses could have such compassion on folks and have such a strong desire for fair treatment of all because that's what His heavenly Father had. And, His heavenly Father enabled Him to act on that spirit and bless others.
When I search the Scriptures to find someone who was formed by the Master's hand, molded into a man displaying God's character, my man Moses comes to mind. From Moses' birth it was obvious that God's hand was on the brother, protecting him from the vicious decrees of a fearful Pharoah and securing his physical and spiritual safety by paradoxically arranging for his earthly upbringing in Pharoah's house and for his moral training by his nurse who happened to be his mother.
The first picture we get of Moses himself shows a man in whom resided a strong sense of compassion and justice. Moses, who obviously has been told he is a Hebrew, sets out to learn of the condition of his people. Acts 7 says at age 40 "it entered his mind to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel" (nothing but God's Sovereignty at work). Incensed at an Egyptian overseer who is beating a fellow Hebrew, Moses intervenes, almost like he can't help himself. (Acts 7:24 says, "And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.") He ends up killing the Egyptian and burying him in the sand, in order to help rescue his fellow Hebrew. The next day, this same streak of fairness and compassion comes oozing out of Moses again, this time spreading to his own people in the form of a rebuke (sign of a God-implanted trait -- it doesn't discriminate). Moses spies two Hebrews fighting and makes an effort to solve the problem (Acts 7:26 says he "tried to reconcile them in peace"), only to get his first taste in Disappointment 101: his own people reject his efforts to help, and even cast a stinging false accusation about his motives (trying to be prince and judge over us), rather than admit their own fault and reconcile with one another. One of these Hebrews even lets Moses know he's aware of the murder Moses committed the day before, a comment that, along with the disillusionment of trying to help and seemingly not making a difference, sends this man reeling into the desert far away from the powers that be who wanted to retaliate and away from the realization that his efforts to rescue were spurned by the very ones he wanted to help. (Acts 7:25 says, "And he supposed that his brothers understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.")
But Moses cannot escape the ingrained tendency to rescue -- even while away from Egypt, we see him rescuing Jethro's daughters from men who bothered them when they were at the well. In fact, that's what these sisters tell their daddy -- that 'an Egyptian' helped (literally, delivered) them that day. Again, Moses' sense of compassion and justice could not bear the thought of defenseless women being bothered. ("Then the shepherds came and drove them [the sisters] away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock." -- Exodus 2:17)
Reading about Moses' sense of inadequacy, so much so that God seemingly gets frustrated trying to convince Moses to take the job of leading Israel, is a testament to the power of God to 'make a man'. And so is seeing how God developed Moses, from the firebrand murderer in
Egypt to the shepherd on the backside of the mountain (plus being an alien and a father), even to being a long-suffering leader of millions of Hebrews. Far from Moses being the star of this narrrative, though, God is the Hero. He shines through as the True Deliverer (He tells Moses HE'S going down to deliver Israel, in the same conversation where He commissions Moses to go, so it's clear who's in control), as the One who is moved by the cries of His oppressed people, as the powerful One who decimates one of the greatest civilizations of all time in order that they may know that He is God. Even though Acts 7:35 tells us that "this Moses whom they disowned, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer...", we are also told that Moses did this "with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush" (same verse), and we hear God's words to Moses about Himself saying, "I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt." The beauty of all this is that the spirit of a deliverer or rescuer that resided in Moses actually came from God -- Moses could have such compassion on folks and have such a strong desire for fair treatment of all because that's what His heavenly Father had. And, His heavenly Father enabled Him to act on that spirit and bless others.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Another Claude McKay Creation
Here is another tight sonnet by this thorough Harlem Renaissance brothuh:
The White House
Your door is shut against my tightened face,
And I am sharp as steel with discontent;
But I possess the courage and the grace
To bear my anger proudly and unbent.
The pavement slabs burn loose beneath my feet,
A chafing savage, down the decent street;
And passion rends my vitals as I pass,
Where boldly shines your shuttered door of glass.
Oh, I must search for wisdom every hour,
Deep in my wrathful bosom sore and raw,
And find in it the superhuman power
To hold me to the letter of your law!
Oh, I must keep my heart inviolate
Against the potent poison of your hate.
The White House
Your door is shut against my tightened face,
And I am sharp as steel with discontent;
But I possess the courage and the grace
To bear my anger proudly and unbent.
The pavement slabs burn loose beneath my feet,
A chafing savage, down the decent street;
And passion rends my vitals as I pass,
Where boldly shines your shuttered door of glass.
Oh, I must search for wisdom every hour,
Deep in my wrathful bosom sore and raw,
And find in it the superhuman power
To hold me to the letter of your law!
Oh, I must keep my heart inviolate
Against the potent poison of your hate.
My Luv, Tha Verse
Okay, so I'm in love w. words. Just the way I'm wired, I guess. But words on a page speak to me and enthrall me. Maybe that's why I'm such a hip hop head. Words seem to jump from the page into my head and fill it w. fanciful images. I'm such a 'linguistic learner' that I can hardly imagine what it's like for those who don't share this learning mode. I guess there are those as excited about numbers and patterns as I am about language.
Proof of my love: Tho' poetry's far from my favorite genre, these dudes speak to me: Paul Laurence Dunbar (he's one of the people I'd like to meet one day, but it'll have to be in eternity now), Claude McKay, and then there are poets of our time like Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Elton John, and just about any balladeer (whether it's Ghostface Killa dedicating a song to his moms or it's No Doubt or Linkin' Park screamin' out a ballad, I actually feel the words). Well, 'nuf said.
Time to close w. one of my favorites, this tight Shakespearean / Elizabethan sonnet by Jamaican - American poet Claude McKay:
The Harlem Dancer
Applauding youths laughed with young prostitutes
And watched her perfect, half-clothed body sway;
Her voice was like the sound of blended flutes
Blown by black players upon a picnic day.
She sang and danced on gracefully and calm,
The light gauze hanging loose about her form;
To me she seemed a proudly-swaying palm
Grown lovelier for passing through a storm.
Upon her swarthy neck black shiny curls
Luxuriant fell; and tossing coins in praise,
The wine-flushed, bold-eyed boys, and even the girls,
Devoured her shape with eager, passionate gaze;
But looking at her falsely-smiling face,
I knew her self was not in that strange place.
I'm out!
Proof of my love: Tho' poetry's far from my favorite genre, these dudes speak to me: Paul Laurence Dunbar (he's one of the people I'd like to meet one day, but it'll have to be in eternity now), Claude McKay, and then there are poets of our time like Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Elton John, and just about any balladeer (whether it's Ghostface Killa dedicating a song to his moms or it's No Doubt or Linkin' Park screamin' out a ballad, I actually feel the words). Well, 'nuf said.
Time to close w. one of my favorites, this tight Shakespearean / Elizabethan sonnet by Jamaican - American poet Claude McKay:
The Harlem Dancer
Applauding youths laughed with young prostitutes
And watched her perfect, half-clothed body sway;
Her voice was like the sound of blended flutes
Blown by black players upon a picnic day.
She sang and danced on gracefully and calm,
The light gauze hanging loose about her form;
To me she seemed a proudly-swaying palm
Grown lovelier for passing through a storm.
Upon her swarthy neck black shiny curls
Luxuriant fell; and tossing coins in praise,
The wine-flushed, bold-eyed boys, and even the girls,
Devoured her shape with eager, passionate gaze;
But looking at her falsely-smiling face,
I knew her self was not in that strange place.
I'm out!
Friday, April 21, 2006
Two More Good Books
Eh, here are the latest good books I'm reading:
1) Jim Collins' Good To Great. This book was recommended to me by so many people in the past and finally I'm getting to it. Well, it's definitely worth the wait! This Collins dude led a team of over twenty heads who researched businesses for five years. Their goal was to find traits that took companies from 'good to great'. Very surprising results for them, but not for me. The celebrity, cult-like business leader w. the savior complex who comes from the outside and rescues the company? NOT! Big myth, in terms of companies that have sustained productivity. Instead, these good to great companies are led by shy, self-effacing, almost nerdy yet focused and diligent folks who have a combo of personal humility and professional will. Tho' they are 'more workhorse than showhorse' (love that dang quote!), they fiercely, courageously make tough decisions and sacrifice their fame for the company's success and longevity. This is just a taste of the findings!
2) Stephen Ambrose's Eisenhower: Soldier and President. Good, readable, tho' long as heck look at our 34th Prez -- brief details of his upbringing and then tons of stuff on his leadership. Good read for non-history buffs like myself -- interesting enough to hold your attention and give you insight on this man and the situations he governed in this country and in the world.
1) Jim Collins' Good To Great. This book was recommended to me by so many people in the past and finally I'm getting to it. Well, it's definitely worth the wait! This Collins dude led a team of over twenty heads who researched businesses for five years. Their goal was to find traits that took companies from 'good to great'. Very surprising results for them, but not for me. The celebrity, cult-like business leader w. the savior complex who comes from the outside and rescues the company? NOT! Big myth, in terms of companies that have sustained productivity. Instead, these good to great companies are led by shy, self-effacing, almost nerdy yet focused and diligent folks who have a combo of personal humility and professional will. Tho' they are 'more workhorse than showhorse' (love that dang quote!), they fiercely, courageously make tough decisions and sacrifice their fame for the company's success and longevity. This is just a taste of the findings!
2) Stephen Ambrose's Eisenhower: Soldier and President. Good, readable, tho' long as heck look at our 34th Prez -- brief details of his upbringing and then tons of stuff on his leadership. Good read for non-history buffs like myself -- interesting enough to hold your attention and give you insight on this man and the situations he governed in this country and in the world.
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