"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Paul to the persecuted at Philippi (2:5-11)

19 November 2012

Black Friday

I am wondering how to redeem the Black Friday phenomenon in our culture. I'd think that such a huge gathering of people lined up in annual pilgrimage to pay homage to the gods of WalMart, China, Apple, and their ilk... that this would be an opportunity to be countercultural, to preach a different message, possibly transcending words. I guess its too late in the season to organize a movement, but there's always next year. Maybe we could band together to give something away. Or to serve folks, push their carts, load their cars for them, bag their baggage. Or maybe we could have a ministry fair in the WalMart parking lot where the masses could see and adopt Compassion children, donate to food banks, pick up a few packages of warm woolies for the homeless ministries. Wouldn't it be cool if WalMart had less of a run on GameBoys and more of a run on scarves, hats and socks?

I am, of course, boycotting China again this Advent. I try to not buy much Chinese plastic during the year, but Advent is an all out ban for me. I'm also considering boycotting chocolate, though that may be just me --not buying chocolate for me or eating any-- and not boycotting it in my gift giving, since I have kids.

As an aside, for those of you who say "why chocolate?" The vast majority of chocolate in the world (Fair Trade offerings being the exception) are made by the labors of exploited and even enslaved children. Every time you enjoy that Hershey bar, you're encouraging slave labor. Not so sweet.

Advent, in the Eastern Church, is seen as a lesser Lent, a time to repent and get ready for the great works that Christ has done for us in the Incarnation and the Resurrection (and all points between, before, and after). Of course in our culture its the opposite, party and buy. A month of gluttony and greed.

How about buying local, giving handmade gifts when you can, keeping Christmas small and meaningful, and saving the party-season for the Twelve Day Festival of the Incarnation, instead of jumping the gun and skipping the real reason for the Advent/Lesser Lent season.

16 November 2012

Secrets to Happiness

The secrets to happiness that occurred to me in the grocery store today, as I dropped by to pick up a gallon of milk on the way home:

1. Take life exactly at the speed it comes to you, never faster.

2. Like everyone unless and until they give you a very good reason not to. My dad always said that "95% of the people in this world are good people."

3. Explore often.

I'm not always good at those things, but there they are. Wondering what secrets to happiness you all might add. I guess its kind of like having a rule of life (Pray, Work, Study) but more Tao (watch the river go by, always changing, always the same.) Oh well, I don't mean to be theological, just "hey, these are good ideas." So there they are.

And I do like most people. I think just about everyone I've ever met is pretty cool, at least in some way or another. And I'm not always good at taking life at the speed it arrives. I get impatient mostly. And I do like to explore, though I get timid when I don't want to be sometimes.

So I guess I'm not good at my own advice.

But my dad had another saying... "Do as I say, not as I do."

08 November 2012

More (probably stupid) thoughts on racism...

A friend (and the youth minister for my teen's youth group) posted an article on facebook today in which a bunch of teens were saying all manner of ignorant, racist, and rather inarticulate things about the re-election of Barack Obama to the White House.  I posted back to her this:

 Americans are so weird about race. We're afraid to mention it. We want to say it doesn't matter. We have "white guilt" and we forget that there are other races than just black and white.... race does matter but not in the ways we want to think it does. It matters in the wonderful scope of human cultures and foods and stories we can enjoy and explore. It matters in the sheer fun of foreignness. It matters in who, statistically, gets what diseases and to my cocky littlest kid who thinks its funny that he doesn't sunburn as easily as his white-boy older brothers. It does not matter in who makes a good president, employee, neighbor or friend. I just fail to see how our country misses that memo.



Most people responded that they were "heartsick" or otherwise saddened by the post.  (To clarify, she posted this to show the state race relations among those who are young enough to know better, rather than having been indoctrinated into the racism of the past.  She was not endorsing the racism, rather she was pointing out that it still exists.)

And the more I got to thinking about her post, the more I want to say: "of course racism still exists!"

Racism in America is no longer cool. 

That's a good thing.

But because racism has gone so rapidly from being a social norm to a social stigma, we've not had a chance as a culture to process out our real thoughts.  We've had institutions, people, society and such all jumping at the chance to re-educate our racist selves, whether or not we actually are racists, without regard to the fact that real racists won't respond to this sort of re-education.  In short, we've not eradicated racism so much as driven it underground.

And so it is no longer kosher to notice race.

And so it is no longer kosher to say "how cool! You're different!"

And so it is no longer kosher to ask "what is it like to be you?"

And it is no longer kosher to wonder "what is out there that is new, exciting, foreign to my worldview?"

Its probably no longer kosher to say "kosher" because it might be offensive to Jews.  Or liberals.  Or the politically correct thought police.

Because we've come to express equality as sameness.

And it becomes scary to wonder about difference.

And because we've made race a no-man's land...

and so thoughts are thought in isolation.

And there is no safe place to ask innocent questions, make mistakes, step unknowingly on toes, and learn something in the process.

And every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and Jane, is subjected to anti-racism training whether they want to grow in this area or not, that feels like an accusation, that requires an investment of time resources that may seem unavailable, that is forced on them from the outside and that, therefore, like it or not, breeds resentment which in turn breeds racism. 

I am thankful that I have a couple of Asian friends who allowed me to safely ask my impertinent questions when we adopted a Korean child.  I know friends who have children of African descent who are thankful for friends who have offered them similar safe havens for questions about culture, language, life, and yes hair (or in the case of my Asian kid, ears... oh, nevermind).  They don't assume I'm some sort of ignorant racist, they assume I'm a white person with white person hair (and ears), who had never eaten kimchi, never tied a hanbok, and never been asked in my own country whether or not I spoke English. 

I'm thankful for the chance to be that safe friend when people ask me stupid, seemingly racist, innocent questions about my Korean child who does happen to be good at math, and martial arts, and is admittedly on the short side, hates his hanbok like most Korean boys... but doesn't like kimchi and doesn't speak Korean and his English is just fine thanks.

Sometimes we have to air our ignorance to grow.  That's called humility.  And sometimes we have to put up wiht others' ignorance and assume the best, that's called relationship.

And the reason the anonymity of the internet causes real racism to bubble up is that so few people have had the chance for humility and relationship where they can process out their thoughts in a healthy way.  

I'm not sure how to cure the problem, except that the society learn to extend to one another a "freedom to fail."  I guess its a start.  I guess.