Life seems to be full of transitions and evolutions as of late. The economy, nation, communities, even our religious lives are having to develop a new kind of social demarcation. For many Americans, even given the income they felt they earned, the freedoms they used to think of as rights, their natural altruism, and the faith they considered their own; they’ve had to seek a new humility and cooperation.
At the social service I run, my employees are dealing with cut hours and layoffs while at the same time seeing a deeper level of community need. The numbers of families and children dealing with homelessness is growing exponentially with the rise in cost of electricity and rent as well as foreclosures. The sad truth is that staffs can no longer focus on one aspect of need; each program and member must use their gifts to play several roles simply to make the agency run. Community social services who once fought for the same funds –all trying to do the same services better than the another–now have to partner and seek to not create the wheel, but specialize in one piece of the car.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
As I write about this truth, I am taken back to a lesson I learned working in an Episcopal Church in Chicago. While going to Seminary I worked as a Youth Director for a very large Episcopal Church. To give you a little background, I was always more of a people person than an academic. For most of my life, school was not something that came easy. When I think back to school, I think a great deal of my challenges came from my ego which refused to ask for help. I always had this –pull yourself up by your bootstraps–mentality that made me feel like I needed to justify myself.
I will never forget the first staff meeting I went to with the new Rector of the church I was serving. His first piece of business was to call a meeting of all the departments–the secretaries, choir directors and such–and set us down to explain to us his philosophy. The once army sergeant now Rector basically set us down and admitted to us his strengths and weaknesses. He laid out for each of us how we could help him do his job. In this first meeting where most CEO’s would want to build confidence and show strength, this Rector shared about his dyslexia! At the end of the meeting, as everyone else was exiting, I pulled the Rector to the side and asked him how he had the humility to share his weaknesses. He simply smiled and said, “I give people the gift of helping me.”
What he said seemed confusing then, but over time I learned from him that if he shared his gift and struggles freely, people were more likely to offer the truth of who they are with him. He used to tell me that working in a team, based in love, should mean members should be able to contribute their truth for the betterment of the whole.
The capitalistic lie that most Americans are born with is if they work harder than their competitor and live more morally than their neighbor, life will shield them from harm. Just like Jesus’ response to the disciples outside Capernaum when they were fighting about who was the greatest and closest to his right hand, our churches need to remind their communities: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)
The Gospel challenge is breaking through the barrier of — US verses THEM — to build unity. Acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses, how are each of us contributing our gifts to the betterment of the whole?
Bio: Chris Craig received his Master’s in Social Work from Tulane University and his Master’s in Pastoral Care & Counseling from Garrett Seminary. Chris guest preaches, leads spirituality classes, and works in social services in Lakeland. Chris is not ordained in any church, and his columns do not speak for any churches or organizations where he might be affiliated.
Gordon Craig
1 week ago
Nice article, Chris. It reminds me of how I often find myself thinking about such things too. And the immoral (the expanded extent of the word) and the ever increasing narcicism (sp?) our society follows and engages in. I think there is a close link between all of this and the manner in which our big business and financial CEO’s and exec’s and self serving polititians all operate in (an aloof vacuum of greed and self indulgence). They blow in what ever direction the winds of self preservation and indulgence are blowing, all too often voting in accordance with the lobbyists and special interests group that contribute large amounts of money and gifts to them to gain their loyalty to their cause and their vote/s. A current example of this is the Healthcare Reform. Our Indiana senator, Bayh (sp?), a democrat, will not support the Dem’s Healthcare reform bill because his wife is a VP or in a high position with a health insurance co. that pays her $130,000/year. Think she and/or her company doesn’t have some influence as to how he votes? And yet, it blows my mind how so many people (voters) are so blind and/or brainwashed to the GOP conservative mentality. What’s that old saying, “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”. Yet the business execs, the GOP, the insurance Co., Pharmeceuticals, etc. use the scare tatics to scare the heck out of the people and they continue to fall for it. Wake up people!!!! Pull your heads up out of the sand and look around, and even more importantly, open your minds and THINK. But we fail to do that. That’s too hard, causes too much energy. It’s so much easier just to let others do our thinking (and speaking) for us. So we keep voting in the same long term yahoos that keep voting the same way and maintain the status quo, while the political gridlock only continues to get worse. I think this current Healthcare Reform Bill is an example of how pathetic our government is. The GOP will do anything to keep it from passing so Oboma won’t have a big success story, and the conservative (Rep.’s) want to support their big business brotheren, and the more liberal Dems want complete socialism, yet 2/3’s of the populace wants it, and not to mention, needs it. Solution? Tell the people it’s going to cost them trillions of dollars, and will be paid for by taxing them and their children into the 25th century. I’m sure our founding forefathers are turning over in their graves, covering their eyes, in horror with what we’ve done to our constitution that they created for a better life for all. Gov’t of the people, by the people, and for the people is a bunch of crap these days. It’s more of the big business’s, by the big business’s, and for the big business’s through their lobbyists and special interest groups buying the polititians! In order for any real change to occur, which everyone thought they were getting from Obama, the circle must be broken and new, young, idealistic polititians, who are not obligated or “sold” to anyone, must be voted in to replace them. But with our brain washed soceity, that’ll probably never happen. And so it goes, reaching far and wide into every juncture of our society, daily lives, church, our work, etc. Not sure if I’m making myself clear or linking these things all together, but I know that it is happening and getting worse. Hey, what the heck was your article about again? lol, I think I’ve regressed just a tad from that. But that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!! Ok, I’m done, stepping down from my soap box. Have a nice day everyone!
Gordon
Gordon Craig
1 week ago
Also, how many women today are thinking of that Capitolistic (?) myth of the white picket fence and nice house and family? If they work hard, use sound moral judgement, etc., etc., they’ll live that dream. Yet how many women out there are actually living that dream? Also reminds me of our church. We belong to a middle class Lutheran Church that is largely made up of older white people living (and moving away from) in a town just south of Gary, In. that is rapidly becoming minority and most of that black. The church, which a number of years ago was settled into a residential neighborhood of mostly if not all white people, is slowly dying. Our excellent minister, who was only here for a few years, left to go to another church. Now, after several months under an interim, older, uninspiring, female pastor, during which fewer and fewer people attended church, we are losing even her, with no replacement in sight. Will our church survive?
Ok, that’s all! Talk amongst yourselves…..
Gordon