A Judge Who Knows That the Dogs Need to Eat Too

"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

This statement was made by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in 2001. The reaction to it reveals how long the road ahead of us is in race relations in this country. 

Whether or not Judge Sotomayor should explain her remarks is up to her. I can tell you however that this is not a racist comment. In order for it to be racist, she must be in a position of social power over others. As a Latina and a woman, this is inherently impossible. Any white man can quickly and easily dehumanize her by using racist or sexist language. She does not have that power and thus cannot be considered racist.

More to the point, and taking her comment in context as opposed to the knee jerk reaction of Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh, she's absolutely right that a person of her life experience cannot possibly come to the same conclusions in all matters as a white man "who hasn't lived [her] life". The lives we lead matter when it comes to our judgment - whether we're sitting on the bench of the Supreme Court or deciding who to sit by on the subway. If we have been privileged to live in ignorance of our race because we're in the dominant culture, we lack a great deal of understanding as to how people of color survive in a racist world. My guess is RNC Chair Michael Steele knows this, and thus is arguing against the Gingriches and Limbaughs of his party because he knows they are coming from a privileged position.

I understand why people might be angry about Sotomayor's comment. I've been there. But if an essential part of my faith is questioning the powers that be, then I have to also question the powers that give me rights and privileges I neither earned nor deserve. I have to open myself up and listen to voices that I may not initially understand. In Mark 7:24-30 and Matthew 15:21-28 a foreign woman approaches Jesus and asks him to heal her daughter. At first, Jesus rudely dismisses her, but after she appeals to his better nature, Jesus changes his mind and the daughter is made well. 

If we claim to be followers of Christ, perhaps we should learn from his example and listen to those who've been traditionally excluded. The ones who are healed might just be ourselves.

Fear Factor

For the past few months, I have been in conversations with churches about how they and I might be in ministry together. So many of our churches in the UCC (and probably outside of the UCC too) are struggling with various levels of anxiety. I myself have had a certain amount of anxiety about my future and the future of my family about our unknown future!

To what extent are we Christian communities willing to be led by our fear? Do we want the most fearful of our members to be in positions of leadership? In my experience, the more anxious someone is, the less capable they are of effective leadership. And yet, anxiety can be as much of a motivator for someone to participate in leadership as avoid it. For an extreme example of this, look at former Vice President Dick Cheney. His fear led him to run off to an 'undisclosed locations', take his home off of google maps, break international laws about torture, and ignore the Constitutional protections around Separation of Powers. His fear is now leading him to the Sunday morning talk shows criticizing the sitting administration, an unprecedented act of disrespect so soon after leaving office.

Again, Dick Cheney is an extreme example, but last fall, American voters said 'no' to being ruled by fear, and 'yes' to hoping for a better future. Christians can draw from 1 John 4, where the letter writer talks about how love, coming from God, has the power to cast out fear. Do we want to be led by fear or by love? Whether that fear is in the world around us, or even if that fear is in the hearts of church members, my hope is that we have the courage to show love in the face of fear, confidence in the face of anxiety, and be a beacon of grace in a world of judgment.

"God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them." 

     -1 John 4:16b

Happy to Disagree

When did it become a sin to disagree with each other? Many Catholics are voicing opposition to President Obama speaking at Notre Dame's Commencement exercises this spring. The opposition is because Obama is pro-choice on the issue of abortion.

According to the NY times, Cardinal George, of Chicago, has said that it is an "extreme embarrassment" for the Catholic university to host the nation's first African American president because he doesn't support the official doctrines of the church. I find this kind of exclusivism deeply troubling. The Cardinal's position is far more embarrassing to the Roman Church than having Obama speak at graduation. His shameless obsession with doctrine over and above the honor of having the President speak to students sounds to me like the Church thinks its people are fickle and stupid. Will a 20 minute speech really reverse everyone's position on abortion? My guess is the President won't even mention it.

The expectation that everyone who sets foot onto a Catholic campus must toe the Roman line on everything is preposterous. Heaven forbid that compassionate, reasonable people, even fellow Christians, might disagree with each other on some issues. 

What Will It Take?

I have a knot in my stomach today. In a small community outside of Tacoma, Washington, a man killed his five children and then himself yesterday. He apparently found his wife with another man on Friday night. Earlier on Friday, in Binghamton, New York, another man shot 13 people dead before turning the gun on himself.

That's 20 people dead, in two incidents, on opposite sides of the country.

This week, Christians celebrate Holy Week. It is the commemoration of the last week of Jesus' life on earth. It is this time of our year, when we recognize the reality of Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. The events we are seeing in our own country this week are painful reminders that violence, suffering and terrible death are as real today as they were in the past.

I'm not sure what the connection is exactly between these events, but I am deeply aware that within the Christian faith, we have a story of a man who faces extraordinary pain, and the certainty of public death, with all the shame, humiliation and fear that involves. It is critical to understanding Christian theology to live into the pain of Good Friday without glossing over it too quickly with the glory of Easter Sunday.

Out of that understanding, perhaps we should reach out to those who are in such distress that they may feel violence is their only recourse. This may be a stretch, but I don't see the crucifixion of Jesus as a call to continue his suffering. Rather, it is an indictment of the ways violence is used to maintain existing power structures. In terms of recent events, so long as our country continues to allow such rampant access to guns, we will continue to sacrifice human lives, not to mention our own sense of security.

Time Off

This week I'm taking what could very well be my last 'Spring Break' ever. Of course, in grad school, we call it 'Reading Week', but everyone knows what it really is.

So far, I've taken the time to catch up on some house work and errands, along with doing a little more editing on my Thesis before I have my oral defense in a couple of weeks. But what's most fun is sitting on the floor, and getting served pretend pancakes that my 2-year-old daughter 'made' for me.

There is a ton of material in the Bible on the importance of Sabbath - taking a day off. It's actually one of the Ten Commandments. I think there's good reason for our traditions on this to be so ancient. I want to take the opportunity this week, while I get some time away from studying, to encourage you to take some time off in your own life. Ministers get a lot of lectures about this kind of thing, but the reality is, we all need a reminder to take time off. It doesn't necessarily have to be resting. Sometimes I can get as much out of doing something out of my ordinary routine as I can avoiding 'work'.

It's also good to remember that the biblical emphasis on Sabbath isn't limited to us humans. The humus too, is included. In Exodus 23:11, we are encouraged to let a filed lie fallow every seven years for it to rest and rejuvenate. 

So take time off. Let the earth take time off. Shut your computer down every now and then, and turn off the TV. Let a toddler serve you pancakes. It'll be good for your soul.

Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI

Your Holiness,

First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog. No doubt you and I would have several differences of opinion on things, but I'm nevertheless flattered that you would go anywhere near a blog called, 'Liberal Believer'.

I'm afraid however, that your recent statement about condoms not preventing AIDS in Africa seems to be misguided. To be sure, I wasn't there, and the articles I found about it do not say whether any reporters asked you to clarify, so I admit that part of my conclusions on this are based on assumption. 

My friend, as head of the Roman Catholic faith, yours is a powerful voice not only for Christianity, but for religion in general. When you say things like, the distribution of condoms "increases the problem" of AIDS, people actually listen to you. So I find it quite troubling that you would utter such irresponsible nonsense knowing people might actually believe you.

Holy Father - I know the Roman Catholic hierarchy has a lot of queasiness around issues of sex and sexuality, in particular around issues of birth control methods. Sexuality is a beautiful and wonderful gift from our Creator. So, however, are our rational minds that realize neither a baby nor a sexually transmitted infection are universally desired as a result of that beautiful act. Two people who are madly, passionately in love with each other may or may not be in a position to care for a child. Moreover, condoms have been scientifically proven to prevent the spread of disease. I fail to see how God provides us with the capability and knowledge to prevent disease, but we're really not supposed to do it.

Your Holiness, the issues around sexuality have been terribly difficult for you and the Roman Church's public image. As Pope, you have the power to speak out on behalf of humanity, to celebrate sexuality as part of God's creation and to end the fear that has oppressed your people for so long.

I know you'll probably curse me as heretical and never change your mind, but thanks again for reading anyway. 

Sincerely,

Mark

How Safe is Your Sanctuary?

A pastor with the last name of Winters was shot and killed this week in Illinois. Aside from a last name, so far as I know, we have nothing else in common.

Fred Winters was a pastor in a Baptist church in a town 'down state', as we say in Illinois. Chances are, his theological approach was vastly different from mine, and yet, as I contemplate the beginning of my ministry in the upcoming months, it gives me pause to think about potential risks; not only to myself, but congregation members as well.

It's not that I anticipate getting shot any time soon, but that said, the world we live in can be a very violent world. We don't yet know why Terry Sedlacek allegedly shot Rev. Winters. It could have had nothing whatsoever to do with Winters' faith, preaching or anything about him personally. It's important to think about where we feel 'safe' and examine why that is. We want the church to be a 'safe' place, but what have we done to ensure that is the case? Before we react out of fear, and put metal detectors in the narthex or Kevlar under our robes, what are some things we can do to address the violence before it happens?

I hope that each of you who is a member of a faith community takes the time to ask these questions in your house of prayer or worship. Safety is something that all of us should think about - hopefully before disaster happens.