Scripture – By Another Way

Do Something!

It is time to change

What weighs on my heart this week is the racism revealed in yet another death of a black man at the hands of, or under the knee of, a police officer. My heart breaks for George Floyd’s family and for all those who live in fear of police simply because of the color of their skin. I have heard the first-hand stories of so many black mothers and fathers who live in the constant fear that a broken taillight in a car, or for no reason at all their son or daughter may be stopped by police, knowing that such an encounter could have a fatal end.

My white privilege spares me that fear for myself and my children, but care for my brothers and sisters of color still weighs me down. I care deeply that no future generation of people of color will have to live in fear in this land that promises freedom.

As we near the end of the Easter season, the question comes to my mind, “What does being saved by Christ’s death and resurrection mean to a black person in America in the year 2020? How has our faith lived up to the words of St Paul in Galatians “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:27-28 NRSV). To whom does Christ’s post-resurrection greetings of “Peace be with you,” apply? Does living in fear of an unjust and untimely death allow for someone to feel redeemed? I’ve studied the scriptures enough to know that the freedom that comes with “being saved” is for the here and now, not just for the future.

Not all of us in our nations are Christian, but those who profess that faith have a lot of repenting to do. We have allowed this to go on too long. Referencing the time of their oppression after the walk to Montgomery, Dr. King asked many times: “How long?” “Too long” they responded, repeatedly in 1965. Fifty-five years later maybe it is time we all take a knee
together and raise our voices in prayer. Then find a way to work against the racism that lives within us, within our nations and throughout this world.

One concrete way to do that would be to join the Poor People’s Campaign that will be a virtual March on Washington, June 20, 2020. Your participation and perhaps a small donation will help those who want to speak out for themselves
to fight the ongoing racism and poverty in our nation. The stories they are sharing are ones we all need to hear. As a bonus, the virtual march on the capitol will be a peace seeking protest where the scriptures will be opened and
read, not held up for a camera, this protest will not be broken up by the President’s military or the flash-bangs and tear gas they employ.

Maybe the truth we hear will break open our hearts.

Let us come together in justice to find peace.

Resisting…with love

The barbaric disregard for human and civil rights displayed by the current administration in the detention of migrant families and the separation of children from parents has met with swift and strong resistance from those who hold the right to life and the rights of families as sacred to our nation and civilization. This resistance has been, for the most part, completely nonviolent, but full of passion and not without anger.

What could prove to be a significant detrimental distraction to the good resistance that is occurring at the border and at detention centers around the country, is the story of several administration members being heckled at Washington area restaurants, and Sarah Sander’s case being asked to leave.

The incident has sparked a controversy which could threaten to take the heat off the administration’s policies and lies on the border, by allowing them to paint themselves as victims, and could also lead to acts of violence. Rep. Maxine Waters’ urging her constituents to similarly ostracize Trump cabinet members whenever they see them could motivate unwise acts as well.

Admittedly, Sarah Sanders is not a nice persona in her public role. “At the podium” she shows unmasked distain for both those to whom she condescendingly replies in the press and for anyone (especially any democrat) who does not like Trump’s “my way or the highway” solutions, constitutional or not, to problems real or imagined. Her grasp of truth is tangential on the best days. Anyone of her statements can be challenged with facts and evidence and they often are. But attacks should not be personal.

Calling out any member of the administration for their words and actions is fair game and can be helpful if done is a respectful way. But the request for her to leave the restaurant has already led to threatening tweets from Sander’s boss. A restaurant of the same name—but not the one that asked her to leave—was already assaulted with eggs.

We need to keep the discourse civil as much as we can. “When they go low, we go high,” is still good advice.

This is not a sign of weakness but of strength. If we want to be witnesses to the love of Jesus we need to act like Jesus. We have do not have a story about Jesus asking anyone to leave a table. Rather, his table fellowship was radical in that it included people from all sectors of society. We could use those occasions to engage in meaningful dialogue with those with whom we disagree. Until we do so, we will grow our divisions.

Today’s Gospel says:

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.” Mt.7:12

When moved beyond the aspirational, these words are hard. They are even more difficult when you find a person’s actions to be rude, harmful to others, or even destructive.

That is why, in the next verse, the golden rule is referred to as the “narrow gate” that leads to life. (Mt.7:13)

The love that must motivate our resistance is not sentimental, warm-fuzzy love. It is a firm commitment to respect each individual as a human person, doing for them nothing less than what we ask them to do for others.

Letting go

This morning, (Thursday) Richard Rohr’s meditation offers ‘as an absolute statement’: that “all of spirituality is about letting go.” In the first reading for today, Paul tells us to let go of human wisdom and to trust the wisdom of God.

Much of my time is Calais has been about realizing the need to let go of my comforts, my presuppositions and my understanding of the refugee crisis. That crisis has moved from an intellectual one—human wisdom—to a heart-felt one motivated by the simplicity and genuineness of the hospitality shown by Jungle residents. There is no pretense as they invite us into their dwellings for tea or more (if we will accept it.)

Yesterday’s invitation came from Michael, an Eritrean Catholic who attends the Orthodox church with some of his countrymen, but holds firmly to his Catholic faith. Before leaving his home he spent years of his life in government service working on water systems and general plumbing. He invited us into his home where he prepared tea to which he added cloves which he crushed in front of us. He also patiently poured honey out of plastic packets onto pieces of bread for us. He did not waste a drop.

Frank & Donna in Michael's home — Frank & Donna in Michael’s home

Michael is also a lover of nature which he says was created by God for our comfort and sustenance. The modest caravan where he lives with his wife and 8-year-old son had well-watered plants on the tiny counters. When not working his job, he planted over 700 trees in his home town which he had grown from seeds. He was visibly upset as he told of how the new government, a warlord dictator came into the town and closed the schools, ended public services and cut down his trees.

He shared his faith in God, how he hoped God would help him find a permanent home in France where his son could attend school. As he says, “if it is God’s will.” He preached a sermon on today’s first reading: “all belong to you, and you to Christ and Christ to God.” (1 Cor. 3:23) He proudly showed us his well-read bible and pictures of his wife and son. Donna and I shared pictures of our own families.

Donna Taking in the view from Hashemi's deck — Donna taking in the view from Hashemi’s deck

As he shared the difficulty of getting settled, I could not have felt more helpless. So many when they hear I am from the U.S. tell me it is their dream to go there.”If it is God’s will.” I know the doors are closed to them. The Statues of Liberty stands in mockery of her former welcome.

But maybe we can recover our humanity.

I have had to let go of our western notions of civility that have become so many ways to keep ourselves insulated from the marginalized in the world, or from across town. Most Americans, do not care about the refugees, don’t even know the Calais Jungle even exists. “We have our own immigration problems.”

I grieve for us all.

I will also have to let go of my anger, it is too heavy a burden to bring home There is another way… I can carry the stories of the wonderfully simple, truth-filled people I have met, who offered their love to this stranger.

Learning from Fondwa

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Lk. 4:16-19America was founded with a healthy love of independence balanced by a vision of equality among all persons. The rejection of monarchical tyranny was a huge step forward in human development. It becomes dangerous however when independence becomes idealized without the responsibility to maintain relative equality. The swagger of rugged individualism today risks losing that balance.

The ever widening gap in wealth and rhetoric that condemns victims of poverty for their victimhood puts our democracy at risk and does violence to our founding vision. Have we replaced the divine right of kings with the absolute rights of the well to do?

For just over six months a small group of us trying to live by another way, have been meeting the first Tuesday evening of the month to watch a movie about nonviolence. We learn how ignorant we have been about the youthful movement that used humor as a “weapon” in the bloodless overthrow of Milosevic in “Bringing Down the Dictator”, or the peaceful, popular rejection of the rigged election in the Ukraine depicted in the “Orange Revolution”.

This Tuesday evening we were moved by the video “The Road to Fondwa”, a story of self-development in Haiti.

Joseph Philippe is a man born in Fondwa, but educated overseas. He became a priest and returned to his hometown to bring good news to the poor. In 1988 he founded the APF, a peasant’s organization that began the community’s development by digging a new road– by hand– thru the mountains. With less than a nickel, they founded Fonkoze, a bank that when the film was made in 2006 was worth $10 million dollars and served 35,000 Haitians with micro loans. They worked to provide potable water for the town, and a University was founded.

What is so remarkable is the contrast between American ‘rugged individualism’ and the broader, more inclusive vision held by the peasants of Fondwa. They knew they depended on one another. Students from throughout Haiti invited to the University are expected to return to their hometowns to pass on what they’ve learned and to spread the development. The people knew that Fondwa was but a finger of the hand that was Haiti. They were all in it together.

By contrast, our New Jersey towns fight each other for tax ratables and conspire to keep affordable housing isolated in low-income communities. Apparently, our affluent isolation entitles us to be free of the ‘burden’ of low income families.

The earthquake 51 weeks ago devastated the infrastructure of Fondwa, but not the commitment of its people to one another. A December 2010 post on the progress of the people of Fondwa and their needs can be found in an Families Health Ministries update. With each blow they rally to help one another get up and move forward.

It is often stated that Haiti is the poorest nation in the hemisphere. But with commitments to each other as witnessed in the film and the earthquake’s aftermath they prove themselves richer that their wealthy northern neighbors. But outside monetary help is still needed.

Saturday, January 8, 2011 from 10-1, there will be a peaceful protest at the Offices of the Bill Clinton Foundation at 55 West 125th Street in Manhattan, “Give Aid to the Haitian People Now” seeks delivery of the billions of dollars in aid collected for relief of Haiti. The Facebook Event profile will provide details. See you there?

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Coming posts:
Witness Against Torture, Vigil and Fast, Washington, DC Jan 11-22

Getting Started …

“They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.” Mt. 2:10-12

I’ve felt a need to start a blog for a while. The last words of this morning’s gospel gave me the title I’ve been seeking. You might call it an epiphany.

By another way… is about a nonviolent path of seeking peace, not through the avoidance of conflict but by creating right relationships and seeking justice. Nonviolence is not pacifism but the use of moral force to stand up against evil and injustice. Gandhi called it soul force…satyagraha.

I hope to communicate the struggles I have with this path.

I am a first born white male born into the American culture of the late 20^th century raised on the myths of redemptive violence. I was raised in an all white suburb in Bergen County, NJ to be a Goldwater Republican. Our family was an early part of the Irish exodus (white flight) from the South Bronx. I was 2 years old. (Future posts will explain why after so many years of absence I spent two of the last four days in the Bronx again as part of seeking another way.)

An awakening of sorts began as a college freshman and prospective seminarian at Seton Hall University in the fall of 1970. I read some books by the brothers Berrigan and heard the gospel in ways never preached in my home church. I had a whole lot of new theology, some new actions like marching to protest nuclear weapons, but theology alone doesn’t create peace.

I left the seminary in 1977 started a family and worked as a carpenter. I lived the axiom that when you’re a hammer everything looks like a nail. I swung hard, ate and drank hard and worked long hours with no regard for the physical tolls each took.

After some hospitalizations I began to revaluate; call it a mid-life crisis. In 2003 I was offered a fresh start after the kids were all off to college. Out of necessity I began to pray anew. Finding ‘God’s will’ for my life was important and offered some surprises. My bride offered me a sabbatical to get out of the business I was in (by this time a high end kitchen and bath designer) to find more meaningful work. I went to work for Family Promise, as Director of the Just Neighbors program; we spent three intensive years doing and then leading Just Faith and we joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace as Associates. We have a small faith community that meets in our home.

My reawakening to nonviolence was sparked by Fr. John Dear’s challenge to the CSJP community at our Chapter in 2008. “Become prophets, mystics and teachers of peace and nonviolence.” And so my journey continues… this year with a Pace e Bene program to train agents of nonviolent change.

The wise men of this morning’s gospel followed a distant star on a long journey to find the Prince of Peace. This blog will witness to the experiences and people I meet on my own journey to that Peace.It’s not too early to think about bringing my own journey Home. My road has not been a straight one, nor do I expect it to be be. Being a peacemaker does not come naturally. What I share may be counter cultural, or at least it ought to be. (Unfortunately.) But there are lights to follow and I count myself undeserving to have met, worked with, and loved some of them.

I can’t close this first entry without giving a shout out to one of those gentle stars on her birthday. Happy Birthday Mom, rest in the peace you so richly deserve. We miss you.