Overcoming Hatred - Building Community

In the context of the current public debates on health care reform, immigration reform, economic recovery, war and terror (among others), it seems that one of the risks that we face is that of objectifying these debates to the point where they become impersonal and dehumanizing. In fact, these are issues that affect the lives of real people. Among the potential by-products of such impersonalization and de-humanization is a breeding of hatred among us that will serve to hinder real compassion, shared concern and true community.

Howard Thurman, in his 1953 book "Jesus and the Disinherited," wrote of the need to overcome hatred as a prerequisite for building community. His construct for understanding hatred begins in a situation where there is contact without fellowship. This is contact that is devoid of any of the primary overtures of warmth and fellow-feelings and genuineness. Secondly, Thurman points out that contacts without fellowship tend to express themselves in the kind of understanding that is strikingly unsympathetic. There is understanding of a kind, but it is without healing and reinforcement of personality. Thirdly, Thurman points out that unsympathetic understanding tends to express itself in the active functioning of ill-will.

To make this point, Thurman shared the story of once traveling from Chicago to Memphis, Tennessee. He found his seat on the train across from an elderly lady, who took immediate cognizance of his presence. When the conductor came along for the tickets, she said to him, pointing in Thurman’s direction, “What is that doing in this car?”

The conductor answered, with a touch of creative humor, “That has a ticket.”

For the next fifty miles, this lady talked for five or ten minutes to all who were seated in that coach, setting forth her philosophy of human relationships and the basis of her objection to Thurman’s presence in the car. Thurman said that he was able to see the atmosphere of the entire car shift from common indifference to active recognition of and, to some extent positive resentment of his presence in the car. He said, “An ill will spreading is like a contagious virus.”

Fourth, Thurman suggests that active ill-will, when dramatized in a human being, becomes hatred walking on earth.

Palm Sunday - March Madness

(I preached this sermon today during the Palm Sunday worship celebration at Old Otterein UMC in Baltimore, MD)

Luke 19:28-40

I am an unapologetic sports fan. Football, track and field and basketball are my favorites, although just about any sport will satisfy my appetite. I love the excitement of competition and the cheering of crowds. This is one of my favorite times of year because of what has come to be known as “March Madness” – the annual spring college basketball tournament where there seems to be a never-ending string of games leading to the championship in just a few days.

One of the key characteristics of “March Madness” is that it seems that the excitement builds as the number of teams that remain in the tournament dwindles – from 64 teams at the beginning, down to 32, to the sweet sixteen, to the elite eight, down to the final four, and finally the two that will play to be champions – the excitement builds.

My favorite team – Maryland – and my second favorite – Georgetown – have been eliminated from the tournament this year, but I still love March Madness.

Although there has been debate by scholars as to the exact time of the year that Jesus and the disciples went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival that we know to be the Lord’s last Passover festival – surely the atmosphere was one that was filled with excitement and anticipation as was always the case. It was customary for large numbers of believers to converge on the holy city – and a certain madness filled the air.

Jesus and his disciples were pressing their way to the holy festival, and at the same time pressing toward the Lord’s inevitable time of reckoning which would ultimately lead to his agonizing torture, crucifixion and death. Madness was in the air as Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem and the people in the crowd cut “branches from the trees and spread them in his path,” (Matthew 21:8) and laid down their cloaks (Luke 19:35), and the crowds cheered on the Lord’s arrival – praising God joyfully with shouts of “Hosanna – blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The madness of what we know as Palm Sunday in some respects can be found in paradox of those who would cheer the Lord on this day – and then jeer and cry crucify him in just a few days. Madness is seen in how so many could not understand the work of God in Christ who came not condemn the world – but that through him the world would be saved. Madness is evident in those who were considered his friends – his disciples – who would deny that they had any association with Christ.

These are days when we witness similar madness – and not just in the context of college basketball. We witness the madness of division around health care reform, and immigration reform – the madness of continued racism, classism and other “isms” that divide us – the madness of economic crisis and recession - the madness of abject poverty and too many murders in our city and others (there were 238 murders in Baltimore last year)- the madness of the wars in which our nation continues to engage.

If anything, Palm Sunday affords each of us an opportunity to reflect upon our own discipleship – the ways that we as Christians choose to follow Christ. How is our faith in Christ shaping the way we deal with the madness around us?

Amidst the madness of Palm Sunday, Jesus prepared in just a few days to share one last meal with his disciples – those he had spent many intimate and often dangerous moments with him over the past several years. As they would break bread and share wine together, they would be invited to remember their time together, and God’s mighty acts in Jesus.

What Christ beckons us to is a consistent acknowledgement of the power of his presence in our lives – not just for a season, not merely for the spring-time, but for a lifetime. Indeed it is easy for us to become consumed by the hoopla of the season, and even to be swept up by the madness around us – but what God reminds us of in Christ is that God’s grace abounds through all of life. Through passion, Passover, Palms – God’s grace abounds. With cheers and jeers – indeed God’s grace abounds. With betrayal, disappointment and denial – God’s grace abounds. Even in death on a cross – God’s grace abounds.

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the lamb was spilt.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

A Day of Triumph and a Time of Tragedy

Sunday, March 21, 2010 will go down in American history as a day of triumph, and the days that have followed as a time of tragedy. It was a triumphant day as the House of Representatives passed a comprehensive health care bill that will afford access to health care to millions of Americans who have heretofore lacked access. This will have a profound impact on the poor in our cities and rural communities across the nation – the young and the old, children, women and men, black, brown, and white. It was an act of tremendous courage for those congresspersons who voted for the legislation in the face of the venomous, vicious verbal attacks and threats directed toward many. On Saturday, at the dawning of the historic vote, I was in Washington, DC and as I walked the city's streets near the Capitol, I witnessed those carrying signs espousing their support of the Tea Party and labeling President Barack Obama a “communist, socialist, Marxist, or all the above.” Again, in the tragic aftermath of the vote, in the face of the racial slurs reportedly directed toward members of congress, and of Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, a fellow United Methodist clergyman, being spat upon, it leads us to wonder when the day will come when we are truly the “United” States of America, one nation under God. For as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, the day must come when we will either live together as sisters and brothers, or die together as fools.

Doing Justice

This week, as a member of the Board of Directors of the General Commission on Religion and Race, I had a chance to attend the joint spring meeting of GCORR and the General Board of Church and Society in Crystal City, Virginia. These two agencies continue to be a prophetic voice for the United Methodist Church in helping us as people of faith engage in acts of racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice, among others. I am encouraged that each of us can be prophetic voices for the people in our churches and communities. I invite you and those of your congregation to visit the web sites of GCORR at www.gcorr.org, and GBSC at www.umc-gbcs.org, as together we heed the words of the prophet Micah and seek to “do justice, and love kindness and walk humbly with God.”

Live Simply

"Let us live simply so that others may simply live." (Mohandas K. Gandhi)

What we do to the "Least of These"

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist." (the late Dom Hélder Câmara)

Gandhi's Seven Deadly Social Sins

1. Politics without principle
2. Wealth without work
3. Commerce without morality
4. Pleasure without conscience
5. Education without character
6. Science without humanity
7. Worship without sacrifice

Compton Cookout

Yesterday, while listening to NPR, I heard of the troubling events surrounding the so-called “Compton Cookout” at the University of California, San Diego this past February. The invitation, posted on Facebook, notes that February, typically observed as Black History Month, is very important. Members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity who hosted the event invited guests to celebrate Black History Month by wearing their favorite urban clothing (such as white T’s, FUBU, Ecko, Rockawear and “stunner shades”), to speak loudly and to eat foods such as watermelon and chicken and drink Malt Liquor. The invitation goes on to describe “ghetto chicks” as those who “usually have gold teeth, start fights and drama and wear cheap clothes...” as well as people with very limited vocabulary. There is evidence that this event at UC San Diego is not an isolated incident as UC San Diego and other college campuses have recently experienced other incidents of racial intolerance and bigotry. Such bigoted, hate-filled and divisive rhetoric and behavior point to our common need to continue to teach and practice tolerance and deeper understanding across cultures. Perhaps all of our nation’s colleges and universities should find the opportunity to use the tragedy of the “Compton Cookout” as a way of teaching such tolerance and understanding among our young.