My Response to Charlottesville

The following response to the Charlottesville tragedy stems from conversations with two friends.  One who is far right and another who is far left.  I am thankful for both of them in my life!

I am someone who has come to have great empathy for minorities.  However, I believe I also need to develop empathy for the KKK as well. In their own way they are oppressed. Their behavior is irrational and that stems from fear. Until I begin to try and understand that fear, I will just continue to revolve in the same cycle. Moreover, I believe that I am not the only one with this problem.

How do we use our moral imagination to find creative solutions rather than dig our heels into "our side"? Questions to the protesters maybe: What is your favorite hobby? What is your favorite sport? Or perhaps offer them something cold to drink.  Find some kind of common ground somehow which will allow each side to humanize the other--I seriously doubt that the anti-protesters in Charlottesville were able to see past the hate from those they were protesting.  Therefore, they were incapable of recognizing the humanity of those they came to protest against and, if we are honest, that really makes them not that far removed from what it was that they were protesting—they see the hate, which causes fear. Then that fear is transformed into their own anger which is then transformed into their own hate which makes dehumanization the logical next step.

When I went to the protest on immigration earlier this year outside of the Supreme Court building in Washington DC I was frustrated. There were all of these jokes at the expense of 45. I was frustrated with myself because I felt a nudge inside me that wanted to be part of the crowd response to dehumanize 45. I did not participate in those chants but there was a strong part of me that wanted to and disgustingly I did laugh at a few. I was also frustrated with those that did choose to participate; for them failing to recognize that they really were not any different from what they were protesting--As Dr. King states "an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." And the dehumanizing of any human is an injustice. That protest became more about what we were against rather than what we were for—In essence we became exactly what it was that we were protesting against. That mob mentality is counterproductive and dangerous as it stems out of fear and anger rather than love.

One of the many things I and admire, respect and love about Dr. King was that his actions and organizing always came from a place of love and humanizing the other. He said, the ends never justify the means, because ends are found in the means. Our means must always begin from a place that resemble what we want our ends to be.

If Two Heads Are Better Than One What about More Than Thirty?

Several weeks ago my wife and I were riding in the car discussing the books that we had recently read when my wife made the observation that she believed it was foolish and even a bit arrogant not to spend a good chunk of our time reading.  She stated that a book is an amazing gift; that a writer has done all of this research on a topic and then we get to be the beneficiary of this research in a compact package.  I, of course, agree with this.  Shortly after this conversation “A Land Full of God” arrived in the mail.  With this book we get to be the beneficiary of the research and life experiences of not just one writer, but more than thirty.  Paradoxically, while nearly all of the writers are Christian diversity abounds in “A Land Full of God.”  “Some are Catholics, most are Protestant, several self-identify as evangelicals.  Some profess to be Christian Zionists and others are more ardent advocates of the Palestinians.  The authors are theologians, historians, world politicians, Middle East experts, religious leaders, and pastors of local congregations.”  Moreover, these writers come from multiple continents and countries adding to the diversity.

Besides the contributors being Christian each contributor has their own unique connection to the Holy Land and a passion to see a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Aziz Abu Sarah writes in the preface:

We do not know of a mass movement with people like Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon who are able to try and border-cross between different groups and break down barriers while seeking to help others to also cross that border.  Instead, we see people strengthening each side of the border, building up taller and stronger walls of division.

By definition, American Christians are already engaged in the conflict of the Holy Land because they have so much at stake in the land.  The question is, how can Americans most helpfully engage?

Sarah’s observation is sadly too often true.  However, what you will find in “A Land Full of God” is essays more focused on seeking to understand the other side and in the process breaking down walls rather than building them.

One of the most helpful ways for Americans, particularly the Christian Church in America, to engage is to listen.  Famous peacemaker and Notre Dame Professor John Paul Lederach writes in his “The Moral Imagination:"

Stillness is the prerequisite to observation and the development of a capacity to see what exists.  Seeing what exists is the prerequisite of transcendent imagination…The paradox is this: Stillness is not inactivity.  It is the presence of disciplined activity without movement.  Stillness is activism with a twist.  It is the platform that generates authenticity of engagement, for it is the state that makes true listening and seeing possible.

Here we have more than thirty narratives— thirty opportunities to be still, thirty opportunities to observe, thirty opportunities to see what exists, thirty opportunities to authentically engage, thirty opportunities to imagine, thirty opportunities to listen.  This is a book I will highly recommend to friends and peers.