Ignorance is Bliss

I often wish that I could be ignorant again--at least then, I could say on judgment day that I didn't know any better and I didn't intend mean for my cheap gas, imported fruit and 15$ pants to cause the oppression and pain for someone else.

However, being the curious one that I am, I keep managing to bounce around the web from social justice site to social justice site--wanting to know more how I can live as Christ would in our globalized economy and have a clear conscience, but fearing what I will be called to give up as a result.Thank God for grace.

Even as pathetic as many of these struggles are (do I really have to spend 2 dollars more for a T-shirt produce by fairly-paid workers?) I know that my works are not what saves me.

Still I do want to make sure I take to heart the passage below.Matthew 25:31-46 (ESV)31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”[1][1] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

A glimpse of prejudice

It is hard to not fit in. As junior high as this may be, it still sucks. As you can read in other posts, I have been struggling a lot lately. Most of my struggles, lately, have to do with the church community that I am part of. I am different than most of the people there.

One of the ways that I am different from the rest in my church is that I have some 'postmodern' or 'emergent' tendencies. Although I still value logic, reasoning and truth, I feel like our experience of 'church' is lacking something.--particularly, depth and wholeness in worship and study. I am different in that I feel our church (and the American Church in general) has strayed off the straight path in some ways. I am different in the fact that I am not content to sit in the pew and be fed--I want to see our community become so much more than it is.

Being placed in some leadership positions where my (supposed) job was to speak of these things (particularly in the area of worship) has helped me bring them out in front of others in the church. Also as part of this, I was told to and given the opportunity to dig deeper into some of these issues. The problem is that when I emerged from digging, my ideas had changed and some of our problems started to make sense.

As much as I hoped people would say, "He is really on to something here--that must be why there is no single people under 30 in our church" that isn't what happened. At first I was patronized (in hopes that I would quit rocking the boat). Then I was ignored. Now I am written off as a complainer or a radical (even when I bring up issues that don't affect me)

So many times have I been told that I am valued at Homewood and that we would talk about some of the things that I am thinking and feeling, but with no intention of ever going any further than that. I have said things that were met with a great reception one day but when I said the same thing a year later, I was told to stop being so negative.

I am learning something. I am learning what it is like, in a small way, what it is like to be a minority. I am finding what it is like to not follow the herd (either by choice or by inherent differences). I am learning that it does not matter what I say to people to people who are different from the majority, it matters what my actions are.

Being different has taught me what it is like to be marginalized by the majority (or at least those who make the rules). The thing is, with me, I can be quiet or decide to say something different but someone that is oppressed because of their skin color, disability, age or class can not. This doesn't affect my income or my quality of living, but for someone else it does.

I hope that this gives me a heart to do something about prejudice and help the people that are really oppressed (not just in my petty ways), not just pay lip-service to them.

Ironically, becoming a voice and reaching out in this way will probably make me look like more of a radical to the 'status quo mongers.' Oh well, they are not mine to please.

Mike

First Bike Ride of Year

Yesterday, I finally took my very first bike ride of the year.  I have been wimping out for weeks, but yesterday I did it--and today I followed it up by hitching up BOB  and going out for groceries.  

It was interesting remembering how to be assertive on a bike when surrounded by 1000 pound vehicles.   Happily there were no incidents, just takes some getting used to.

Whoo, hoo!  I finally get to be outside and get some exercise.

Mike