In a spirit of modelling honest self criticsim Jason Clark asks is Christianity irrededemly sexist - it is a post that makes me want to apologise for all the harm and hurt that men have caused. More than that thought it brings me to the point of how can we move on together, how can we live a life that is not only maked with repentence/rethinking but where we are reconciled, outsiders reclaimed and remade by THE redeemer par excellence.
"Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out." Jesus
It strikes me that God is passionate about outsiders, he is the God of the misfits and marginalised. It would seem that christianity is not so much getting onto the insider track but an invitation to follow Jesus on to the outsider track, to leave comfort zones, to extend love to the unlovely, to reach out to the unreachable and to realise that we are doing with Christ...
what Christ has done for us and continues to do with us.
Pause for a second with me and consider this - do you consider yourself marginalised? part of a minority? discriminated against? discredited? or just ignored and irrelevant? How much of our daily life in society is about fitting in, not standing out, being accepted and how much pain flows out when our face doesn't fit? As you ponder these things with me, let us just consider these words from someone who knew something about rejection without retribution:
"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." Jesus
Jason talked about how women have been shamefully treated by the church and I know they are only one group that could be highlighted. As a white male I can not easily identify with bias perpetuated against me because of my race or gender - however I do know what it is like to be mocked, to be laughed at, to be written off and even to have physical violence used against me because of my belief in Jesus - in that sense I know what it is to be an outsider looking in.
One of the most powerful reminders of what it is to be an outsider living in an insiders world was brought home powerfully to me by a video presentation that the Disability Rights Commission prepared, in which a white male suddenly wakes up to find that he is an abled bodied minority living in a disabled majority world. You can access the video here (which has been divided into chapters A-F).
I do no think it's enough to say we're all outsiders and we follow a God of outsiders but more than that in Christ we have unity and where we have fractured that I think we have to live out this ministry of reconciliaiton we've all been called to and seek a way in and through Jesus to restore us in his fullness again...
"In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises." St Paul
One Q that strikes me then is ok how do we take this forward? how do we do something different? is there something that needs to be done in terms of repentance and reconcilliation? I personally think that there is mileage in some kind of public recognition, public act of repentence - i.e. a- a rethinking and a redoing/going with Christ.
It reminds me of an event held in 1995 in Europe to recognise 50yrs since the end of WW2 and to extend the hand of reconciliation. At the event this David Ruis song, break_dividing_walls(mp3 download 7mb) had german/dutch/french/english singing the chorus each in their own native tongue. To me not only are the lyrics a powerful commitment to change but singing in the different languages is powerful statement/ moment of reconciliation - all joining together in worship, all recognising each other's voice and praying the same words - we will break dividing walls - whether its race (in the case) or gender, lass, ability, age, first world-third world, denomiation etc
A final thought let this conversationonly be the beginning and let us all commit do finding a common pathway through something symbolic - something that brings us to THE symbol - Christ on the Cross?
Paul,
I appreciate what you say here. One small suggestion for the way forward is that we allow ourselves to be put in situations where we (whoever "we" are as individuals) allow ourselves to be in situations where we are the 'other'--where we are the marginalized.
I also think with women we have to stop thinking we know what the Bible says on this topic because of a few proof texts.
Posted by: John Smulo | 18 September 2006 at 10:00 PM
John
thank you, I really appreciate your thoughts.
I agree that to put myself into the place of the marginalised is a powerful thing, if you get the chance do check out the video I referred to in the post by the DRC - it is so powerful as it does precisely that.
I do recognise particularly in the conversation at Jason Clark's site that I refered to and have participated in that in many ways my position of being a priviledged insider, a man in this case, means that it is hard to fully know all the pain that one sex as inflicted on the other. I have experienced however enough of what it is like to be an outsider because of my beliefs to have some empathy of what it must feel like - i hold my hand up though and say most of the time it is not an issue but I do not want it to continue to be one, i do not choose to participate in a system of silent opression and repression.
The tone of the Jason's post was in many ways a frank way of admitting that men have oppressed women and to start exploring ways this can change - what I was trying to do here was to begin to imagine how we can do this - as christians in Christ - i do not think it is enough to merely empathise I think the work of Christ is not merely understanding but of transformation - so how do we walk this all out together, those guilty of oppression in the past (& present) and those who have been oppressed?
Your point on women and proof texting is welcome, I have been involved in some great conversations, for example, http://www.jasonclark.ws/2006/08/25/exploring-the-role-of-women-in-missional-churches-of-the-western-world/ and http://adventuresinmercy.wordpress.com/2006/09/10/myths-of-submissive-women/ which have been looking to try and get beyond just a proof text understanding (infact that last link its been pretty much the dominant subject for the last month or so - and this is pretty much an all female site where I do feel like the minority :).
Posted by: Paul | 18 September 2006 at 10:54 PM
Paul,
Thank you for your further comments. I strongly connect with your thoughts, and also the difficulty with going past empathy.
Have you ever read David Augsburger's work, Pastoral Counselling Across Cultures? In it he talks about sympathy, empathy, and interpathy. Interpathy seeks to take the next step. I've written on it somewhere a few years back, I'm just trying to remember where.
I'll look at the links you've provided. Thanks for them.
Posted by: John Smulo | 18 September 2006 at 11:03 PM
Thanks John. I haven't read the book, so appreciate the heads up, another one for my amazon wishlist :) If you find your link please do post it!
Posted by: Paul | 18 September 2006 at 11:24 PM
Paul, I like what you wrote about God being God of the marginalized.
I like this passage in Hebrews 13 (The Message):
Hebrews 13:13-15 So let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let's take our place outside with Jesus [...]
Posted by: Helen | 19 September 2006 at 02:42 AM