Recently, while I was working with a group of graduate theological students, the question was raised within the context of a discussion on social justice and civil rights, as to whether anyone in the group had recently heard a sermon dealing with the current health-care crisis facing our nation. In the room there was silence – none could point to having heard- or having preached - such a sermon. This is particularly interesting in light of the constant news coverage focusing on the struggles facing President Barack Obama and his administration in moving forward with a comprehensive plan to reform our nation’s health-care system and provide access to coverage for the more than 45 million Americans who do not now have adequate coverage – most of whom are women and children – and the majority of whom are brown and black persons living in urban areas.
The response of this group of students led me to wonder what God has to say about the current health-care crisis facing us. In the 7th century B.C.E., the Prophet Jeremiah posed a series of questions to the Israelites: “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?” (Jeremiah 8:22)
Jeremiah's questions were raised in light of the experience of exile and pain among the people of Israel. The region of Gilead was known for producing a healing balm. This balm was known for its medicinal powers. When people were hurting, they would seek out the balm from Gilead, for it was like no other in its ability to facilitate healing. The balm from Gilead was considered to be a miracle cure, and if it couldn’t heal one’s wounds, there was perhaps nothing that would.
Jeremiah spoke to the Israelites who found themselves dealing with brokenness and alienation from God, brokenness and alienation from their land, brokenness and alienation from their possessions, and brokenness and alienation from one another. And the questions that the prophet poses in light of this serve as a reminder of God’s will of mercy and justice among God’s people.
Later in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet again offers a reminder of God’s will. Jeremiah says “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare…” “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Jeremiah 29:7, 11(NRSV)
Jeremiah’s reminder of God’s will for the welfare of those in the city (and the suburbs and rural areas) has significance for the church and society today. For “welfare” in the context in which Jeremiah speaks on behalf of God, has broader connotations. It speaks to wholeness, wellness, peace (shalom), health and healing (and by extension health-care). Indeed, it is clear that God wills for the health(care) of God’s people.
Today, a number of coalitions of faith-based groups have begun to organize their efforts in attempts to speak to concerns around the health-care crisis among those in the religious community. The Washington Post reports (July 25, 2009) that one coalition has been organized by Sojourners and has provided a guide for leaders and members of congregations, which uses biblical teachings to make the point that the nation’s health-care system is un urgent need of repair. “A Guide to the Health Care Reform Debate” shares that “The Bible does not outline specific policies around the provision of health-care, but it does make clear that protecting the health of each human being is a profoundly important personal and communal responsibility for people of faith… Physical healing was a part of the salvation Jesus brought … Healings represent a sign of the breaking of God’s reign into the present reality. "
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us that “true peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. May God inspire us to speak and act with justice in light of those who are broken, hurt and in need of healing among us.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
High Hopes - Global Connections
Michael Parker, a member of Ames Memorial UMC in Baltimore and Minister to Youth at John Wesley UMC in Baltimore, is currently a part of a student delegation traveling to several cities in South Africa. Here some of his reflections sent to me from South Africa on Friday, July 10, 2009.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice EVERYWHERE!" - The Late Rev. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
I decided to also send this to my District Superintendant to give him an idea of what we are doing over here. I know he will enjoy this because he is HUGE on Social Justice and Inner City Ministry. So, today was quite the adventure and experience. I have about 5 pages of notes from today's visitations, which were the Central Methodist Church and the Apartheid Museum. I will write about them each separately.Our first site visit was to the Central Methodist Church in the inner city of Joburg. The church is pastored by Bishop Paul Verryn, who also serves as Episcopal Leader (or Presiding Bishop) for the area. Bishop Verryn is the man!!! He has opened the doors of his church to over 3000 refugees from Zimbabwe. When I say "opened his doors" I don't mean that he welcomes them or greeted them. I mean he has literally opened the doors of the church to them to live inside the actual building. Yes!!! 3000+ individuals live in the actual church building, occupying EVERY room in the church as living quarters, Main Sanctuary included. Those that can't fit in the church sleep outside the church on the sidewalks. Now, Bishop has not received accolades or commendations for his action. In fact, he has received TOTAL opposite. A few months ago the South African Police Department raided the church and arrested over 300 of the refugees, including two pregnant women and a blind man. As we entered this church building, it was apparent that the building is in bad shape. There was trash everywhere. Bags and bags of clothes lined every hallway, closet, window ledge, and many landings. Those that weren't occupied by bags and personal items were being occupied by people, adults, children, the elderly, and even children. My heart melted as we stepped over people asleep on steps and balled up in corners. As we climbed the steps to the fifth floor office, I clearly heard God say, "Could you and would you trust and serve me if I sent you here?" I literally had to fight back the tears. We had the honor of meeting Bishop, who spent about 20 minutes talking to us about what's going on there. He started by saying, "violence is an infection." He went on to tell us that the refugees are there because they fled from the upheaval which is occurring in Zimbabwe. No one else would assist or take them in, so he felt called to be prophetic and do so, at a MAJOR cost. He was been threatened. The police have come by and sprayed these people with sewage water and human waste products. They have and continue to be beaten. The children are being rapped because the president here has made a public statement that to rid oneself of HIV/AIDS, have sexual intercourse with a virgin and take a shower!!! Needless to say, these people have limited resources and next to no income. Healthcare is a major problem for them. Bishop has partnerships with a few medical agencies, but the increase in disease and illness rise. Since their arrival, they have had four deaths, three of which were babies!!! Bishop has instituted a full-time school right in the church to educate the refugees, children and adults. In addition, he holds service DAILY at 7pm, which draws a crowd of over 1000 each night. And, he presides over a whole slab of churches. Talk about faith. We walked into a nursery which had babies literally laying on the dirty, cold floor. We walked into a chapel turned classroom which had two grades occupying the space. There were also two classes being held in the Main Sanctuary. The most disheartening stop was in the kitchen. When we walked in it was totally dark, and mothers were struggling to change diapers, feed babies (many of them newborns), and prepare food for the entire group. They were able to fix the light problem, and we were then enabled to look at the faces of these people. One of our group members was asked, "Why didn't you bring any clothes? We really need clothes." I watched a mom try to console her baby and just wanted to grab the baby and walk him around. I was stunned to the point that I felt empty inside. We were then led to a classroom where children were being taught the fundamentals of typing. That was sigh of relief. So often we think our problems and set back are the worse the world has ever seen, but God has an interesting way of showing us otherwise. In comparison to the current situation of these folk, we have dream lives. It's funny because when we first went to Diesploot and saw the conditions there I thought that was the worse. Even that is a palace compared to what I saw today, and most of you saw the pictures of Diesploot (the shacks and children walking around). I left there with so many emotions running through me, from being sad, to being angry, to being repentant, to being confused. As I tried to reflect spiritually about it, God brought to me Galatians 6:7, "you shall reap what you sow." If we sow love, generosity, compassion, we can expect to reap the same. However, if we sow anger, violence, disrespect, and violence, we can expect to reap that. The reality is that at any moment South Africans (and the rest of the world) could be in the situation that the Zimbabweans find themselves. It's only God's grace that they and we are not. I don't care what we think of anyone, they still deserve to be treated with respect and love. At the end of the day, we are all connected through the bonds of humanity. These are humans I am talking about not animals. The even sadder thing is that the Church (universally speaking) has not stepped up and made a prophetic (comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable) stand and declaration against this. There is no reason that Bishop Verryn should have to stand alone, but as Dr. King said, "in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends." It makes me think of the injustices I see going on at home that I have not spoken out against, such as homelessness and the fact that there are people who will be sleeping across from City Hall tonight, such as hate crimes towards certain races, genderism, and those that live alternative lifestyles, such as the fact that Baltimore City is closing schools faster than they are opening them. Like the three babies that have died at Central Church, who will cry out for these people? Who will break their silence and be the voice in the wilderness?
So, we left there and headed towards the Apartheid Museum. We saw a great exhibit on Nelson Mandela and many interesting facts and artifacts about the Apartheid. When we arrived, we were issued ID badges. Some said "WHITE," and others said "NON-WHITE." We had to enter the museum according to the classification you were given. Each classification had its own entrance. Sound familiar? This was done to give us the sense of how people lived just 15 years ago here. We saw photos of people hanging from trees. We saw people being beaten and attacked. We saw employment inequality. We saw racism at its highest point. I had no choice but to consider the fact that if I lived here, I would have had to endure 10 years of this. There were many powerful images here. The most powerful thing for me at the museum were the hundreds of quotes we saw. A lot of them hit me at the core. I will list a few for you to chew on...
"To be free is not merely to cast off ones chains but to live in a way that enhances and respects the freedom of others."(Nelson Mandela)
"I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds there are many more hills to climb."(Nelson Mandela)
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice EVERYWHERE!" - The Late Rev. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
I decided to also send this to my District Superintendant to give him an idea of what we are doing over here. I know he will enjoy this because he is HUGE on Social Justice and Inner City Ministry. So, today was quite the adventure and experience. I have about 5 pages of notes from today's visitations, which were the Central Methodist Church and the Apartheid Museum. I will write about them each separately.Our first site visit was to the Central Methodist Church in the inner city of Joburg. The church is pastored by Bishop Paul Verryn, who also serves as Episcopal Leader (or Presiding Bishop) for the area. Bishop Verryn is the man!!! He has opened the doors of his church to over 3000 refugees from Zimbabwe. When I say "opened his doors" I don't mean that he welcomes them or greeted them. I mean he has literally opened the doors of the church to them to live inside the actual building. Yes!!! 3000+ individuals live in the actual church building, occupying EVERY room in the church as living quarters, Main Sanctuary included. Those that can't fit in the church sleep outside the church on the sidewalks. Now, Bishop has not received accolades or commendations for his action. In fact, he has received TOTAL opposite. A few months ago the South African Police Department raided the church and arrested over 300 of the refugees, including two pregnant women and a blind man. As we entered this church building, it was apparent that the building is in bad shape. There was trash everywhere. Bags and bags of clothes lined every hallway, closet, window ledge, and many landings. Those that weren't occupied by bags and personal items were being occupied by people, adults, children, the elderly, and even children. My heart melted as we stepped over people asleep on steps and balled up in corners. As we climbed the steps to the fifth floor office, I clearly heard God say, "Could you and would you trust and serve me if I sent you here?" I literally had to fight back the tears. We had the honor of meeting Bishop, who spent about 20 minutes talking to us about what's going on there. He started by saying, "violence is an infection." He went on to tell us that the refugees are there because they fled from the upheaval which is occurring in Zimbabwe. No one else would assist or take them in, so he felt called to be prophetic and do so, at a MAJOR cost. He was been threatened. The police have come by and sprayed these people with sewage water and human waste products. They have and continue to be beaten. The children are being rapped because the president here has made a public statement that to rid oneself of HIV/AIDS, have sexual intercourse with a virgin and take a shower!!! Needless to say, these people have limited resources and next to no income. Healthcare is a major problem for them. Bishop has partnerships with a few medical agencies, but the increase in disease and illness rise. Since their arrival, they have had four deaths, three of which were babies!!! Bishop has instituted a full-time school right in the church to educate the refugees, children and adults. In addition, he holds service DAILY at 7pm, which draws a crowd of over 1000 each night. And, he presides over a whole slab of churches. Talk about faith. We walked into a nursery which had babies literally laying on the dirty, cold floor. We walked into a chapel turned classroom which had two grades occupying the space. There were also two classes being held in the Main Sanctuary. The most disheartening stop was in the kitchen. When we walked in it was totally dark, and mothers were struggling to change diapers, feed babies (many of them newborns), and prepare food for the entire group. They were able to fix the light problem, and we were then enabled to look at the faces of these people. One of our group members was asked, "Why didn't you bring any clothes? We really need clothes." I watched a mom try to console her baby and just wanted to grab the baby and walk him around. I was stunned to the point that I felt empty inside. We were then led to a classroom where children were being taught the fundamentals of typing. That was sigh of relief. So often we think our problems and set back are the worse the world has ever seen, but God has an interesting way of showing us otherwise. In comparison to the current situation of these folk, we have dream lives. It's funny because when we first went to Diesploot and saw the conditions there I thought that was the worse. Even that is a palace compared to what I saw today, and most of you saw the pictures of Diesploot (the shacks and children walking around). I left there with so many emotions running through me, from being sad, to being angry, to being repentant, to being confused. As I tried to reflect spiritually about it, God brought to me Galatians 6:7, "you shall reap what you sow." If we sow love, generosity, compassion, we can expect to reap the same. However, if we sow anger, violence, disrespect, and violence, we can expect to reap that. The reality is that at any moment South Africans (and the rest of the world) could be in the situation that the Zimbabweans find themselves. It's only God's grace that they and we are not. I don't care what we think of anyone, they still deserve to be treated with respect and love. At the end of the day, we are all connected through the bonds of humanity. These are humans I am talking about not animals. The even sadder thing is that the Church (universally speaking) has not stepped up and made a prophetic (comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable) stand and declaration against this. There is no reason that Bishop Verryn should have to stand alone, but as Dr. King said, "in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends." It makes me think of the injustices I see going on at home that I have not spoken out against, such as homelessness and the fact that there are people who will be sleeping across from City Hall tonight, such as hate crimes towards certain races, genderism, and those that live alternative lifestyles, such as the fact that Baltimore City is closing schools faster than they are opening them. Like the three babies that have died at Central Church, who will cry out for these people? Who will break their silence and be the voice in the wilderness?
So, we left there and headed towards the Apartheid Museum. We saw a great exhibit on Nelson Mandela and many interesting facts and artifacts about the Apartheid. When we arrived, we were issued ID badges. Some said "WHITE," and others said "NON-WHITE." We had to enter the museum according to the classification you were given. Each classification had its own entrance. Sound familiar? This was done to give us the sense of how people lived just 15 years ago here. We saw photos of people hanging from trees. We saw people being beaten and attacked. We saw employment inequality. We saw racism at its highest point. I had no choice but to consider the fact that if I lived here, I would have had to endure 10 years of this. There were many powerful images here. The most powerful thing for me at the museum were the hundreds of quotes we saw. A lot of them hit me at the core. I will list a few for you to chew on...
"To be free is not merely to cast off ones chains but to live in a way that enhances and respects the freedom of others."(Nelson Mandela)
"I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds there are many more hills to climb."(Nelson Mandela)
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