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DECEMBER 2006 SOULFUL INSIGHTS FOR THE SAINTS
“Just keep talking!”
“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” – Jeremiah 17:9a
“The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.”– Luke 6:45
Many if not most of us have heard by now, Michael Richards’ (Seinfeld’s Kramer) ranting and outlandish racial epithets while performing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. The stories surrounding this inexcusable act say that Richards responded to heckling. Well, for one, it is a comedy club and any professional comedian knows that the risk of the art is being the target of hecklers. But according to other accounts, Richards wasn’t heckled but instead responded to a group of people, some of which were African-American, which had come into the club late. Now, truthfully, I haven’t been to a show of any sorts, where there wasn’t a group of us who happened to forget what time the show started. But that’s beside the point. The bottom line is Richards was completely out of line, something shared even by some of his white colleagues. It’s not a surprise that Jerry Seinfeld ran to the aid of his friend and co-star for nine seasons and he was probably trying to be helpful when he invited Richards to make an apology on the David Letterman show. But, Seinfeld who was “sick over this horrible, horrible mistake,” should probably count on one hand how many African-Americans have been cast in any of his episodes. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not insinuating that Jerry Seinfeld is racist for I have no proof of that. But I do question his artistic decision making, as I would the writers and producers of “Friends.” Richards wasn’t the first and I’m sure he won’t be the last to peal back the “I’m not a racist” veneer. Frank Carlton Ferrano a.k.a. Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue, after allegedly directing racial slurs and pouring alcohol on the head of an African-American security guard, provoked a crowd to attack the guard. Omar Sharif, while drunk, was accused of beating a Beverly Hills parking attendant for refusing to accept euros as payment and then called him a “stupid Mexican.” Mel Gibson, after being arrested for drunk driving, hurled anti-Semitic words at a Sheriff’s Deputy. The late Marlon Brando in his outspoken manner talked about “Jews” running Hollywood. And, even the ever so angelic Paris Hilton had been exposed on tape using the n-word. This is just what has been reported. Who knows what remains unreported. But for any of us who care, we are reminded in the word of God that “it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” So if we want to find out how someone really is feeling, tell them, “just keep talking!” Given the right trigger(s) it will come out.
Now, regarding Michael Richards, there are some who think that African-Americans are going overboard and using Richards as an example. There are some who think that what Richards did was a form of poetic license given to all stand-up comedians. There are some who think those who go to comedy shows should anticipate racial overtures, overtones and undertones. Well my answer to that is this. Where comedians have and do take poetic license to single out various ethnic groups in their routines, even an idiot can sense when something is downright off color. Certainly Michael Richards stepped out of stage character and into what he is denying is the real him. “I’m not a racist, that’s what’s so insane about this,” the comedian said. Sinbad, who was backstage that night, and who also is a comedian, said, "He just went off [Michael Richards]... [I thought] he must be going somewhere ... he went nuts!" I don’t think Sinbad was being prejudicial in his assessment but is one who should know when something is or isn’t staged. Now, I would not have us to be ignorant, brothers and sisters; other than a White Supremacist, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, or the Aryan Nation, who would public admit they’re a racist? To Richards’ credit, he may not be in denial; he just might be ignorant. His racism may have just been laying dormant, waiting to be invoked or provoked and this I think is true for many in this country. They don’t realize how racist they are because it hasn’t been triggered. They live in exclusive neighborhoods, their inner circles are all white, and their country club members are all white. As for major media coverage, I am asking myself, How was it that Matt Lauer and the Today Show, so fair in their journalism, could bring into New York the two gentlemen who were the targets of Richards’ tirade, setup a video conference with Gloria Allred who is trying to stage a mock trial with a retired judge, and not bring in credible voices of National Black leadership? Why wasn’t Rev. Jesse Jackson interviewed and asked how this situation might resonate in the African-Americans community? Where was Rev. Al Sharpton, who’s just a cab ride away? What about Kwame Mfume? Bruce Gordon? Julian Bond? Even Sinbad could have been contacted. If an attempt was made yet unsuccessfully, then fair journalism would have indicated that. But my guess is that there was no attempt made whatsoever. Despite the fact the two gentlemen were the direct targets, their opinion and Gloria Allred’s photo op, did not make for a good balanced story.
As for the sympathizers of Michael Richards, comedian Ray Hanania says, “Most people choose to go to a comedy club and they expect to hear offensive commentary that often relies not only on off-colored language but also racism. In fact, racism seems to be a popular common-denominator in the routines of many mainstream American comedians…This incident of racism does not parallel the incident involving Hollywood actor Mel Gibson who engaged in anti-Semitism, a form of religious racism, during an encounter with a Hollywood sheriff’s officer when he was pulled over for drunk driving. But Richards isn’t a racist. His act doesn’t feature racist attacks against other races and ethnic groups.” Ray, I just want to thank you for clarifying and exemplifying the apparent ignorance and denial that is pervasive in this country. So to that I say, just keep talking. But, I am still waiting for that voice that matters to speak and acknowledge that this is a racist country. A Latino wouldn’t matter, an African wouldn’t matter, an Asian wouldn’t matter, an Indian wouldn’t matter, and certainly not an African-American. We are all victims and the one who is both instigator and perpetrator is White America. But here’s an idea. President Bush could really earn some brownie points in his last years in office, after the Iraq fiasco, by standing on his Evangelical soap box and actually admit the wrong this country has committed over the last two-hundred years. You want real reconciliation? Admit the real problem that no one of the majority wants to acknowledge. It is impossible to reconcile something that was never in right relationship from the beginning. If we would just be honest about who we are then we won’t have grooms dead before they can say “I do” at the hands of renegade police personnel and their 50 shell casings in New York City. If we would just be honest about who we are we won’t have 90 year old women shot to death because of botched police intelligence in Atlanta. If we would just be honest about who we are, then we won’t have instructional videos on police brutality starring the LAPD. If we would just be honest about who we are, guns and drugs won’t just happen to show up in the streets and neighborhoods of predominantly African-Americans or Latinos. If we would just be honest about who we are, then exclusionary zoning policies would be an illegal housing practice. If we would just be honest about who we are then there would be more than just Barack Obama in the US Senate. If we would just be honest about who we are, 10% of the African American male population in this country between the ages of 25-29 wouldn’t be in prison compared to 1% of their white counterparts. If we would just be honest about who we are, then the prestigious Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles will open its doors to low income patients. Somewhere, somehow we have to begin the honest conversation about racism. Hmmm, let’s see. December is the month of Advent and Christmas isn’t far away. Being it is the season of giving and the time we celebrate the utmost gift in Jesus Christ, I think it would be nice to finally receive a gift from Washington. If President Jacque Chirac of France can acknowledge the wrongdoing and the ensuing profits his country gained from slavery, certainly the President of the United States can. How about it George! Do it for Jesus! Do it for the good of America! Hmmm, then again, that would just give us too much power. But we too can do ourselves a favor in contributing to the good of this country. Support of the efforts of the African-American leaders in this country, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. Maxine Waters, and others, to eliminate the n-word from our vocabulary! Let’s launch a moratorium on the vile lyrics of Rap music. Let’s not give those who do not like us, the ammunition to assail us anymore. Bruce Gordon and the National NAACP are you with me? Marc Morial and the National Urban League are you with me? Remember, “The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good.” Merry Christmas!
Send all comments on this article to rev@thesoulpitt.com
NOVEMBER 2006 SOULFUL INSIGHTS FOR THE SAINTS
HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
"How Bad Do You Want It?"
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" 7 The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me." 8 Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. - John 5:5-9
November 7, 2006 is an important day for America, especially Black America. It is Election Day; it's the mid-term elections. What is at stake in the minds of the politicians is which party will gain control in the Legislature. Will the Republicans retain control in both branches or will the Democrats obtain control in either. According to many polls, all Republican incumbents are in danger of losing their seats to their Democratic opponent, believed to be due to the impatience and displeasure with how President George Bush has handled domestic and international affairs. Here's an example of guilt by association. But regardless of what the polls may indicate, it's the votes that determines who wins and who loses. It's public record now that the 2004 election, as close as it was, was hijacked in Florida and Ohio even after a large nationwide turnout. Many people were convinced that the agenda of George Bush with his faith-based initiatives and his family values platform was right for this country and so many religious conservative and moderates voted against Senator John Kerry, that also due in part to an opaque Democratic agenda. But I think it is clear to most that all of that faith and family values talk was a smoke screen to setup another term and open up avenues to declare a war of revenge and jack up gasoline prices. Certainly under the current administration there have been continued tax cuts for the rich, reduced welfare programs for the poor, and billions spent on the war in Iraq, while the Gulf region tries to rebuild from the greatest devastation in American history.
But this article is not about the current administration; it's about us. The socio-economic conditions of African-Americans continue to worsen in this country. The education achievement gap continues to widen between African-Americans, Whites and Asians. More young African-American males are either dead or incarcerated. Many young African-American women are having babies with no means of self sufficiency, relying on welfare and disability checks (after having their young boys falsely labeled with mental and behavior disorders). And so, just like the man by the pool of Bethesda we as a people have become lame. In the 50's and 60's we were trying to climb; we were trying to come together for a better Black America despite ideological difference. In the 21st century, we have become fractious, complacent, apathetic and pathetic. Many pastors are so busy trying to achieve mega-church status that it has become an every man or woman of God for himself or herself. We can't work together because no one wants to be the servant of the other.
In this story, the Bible doesn't state whether this man was born ill or not. It also doesn't state that he was completely paralyzed. It says he was ill for thirty-eight years. Now, was he thirty-eight years old and born with this condition? In other instances the Bible is explicit in identifying someone inflicted from birth (Matt. 19:12, John 9:1, Acts 3:2, Acts 14:8). Here it is not. Given the fact that we find it elsewhere in John almost gives us reason to believe that this man was not born this way. Also, total paralysis seems unlikely since the man himself states that others have stepped down into the waters ahead of him while he was "making [his] way". So if I may, let me surmise that this condition came upon him after birth and the condition was that he was lame and not paralyzed. Making that assumption then, we can conclude that the man had the ability to make it to the water. However when questioned by Jesus, his excuse was "I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up." Let me then ask, how long are we going to keep making excuses? With over 12 million undocumented Latinos in this country, we have set ourselves as African-Americans against them and their situation rather than uniting as one people of color. We use the excuse that when we try to get jobs, they jump in ahead of us. Please! Now that we are no longer the largest minority group, it's time for us to realize that nothing is going to be handed to us anymore. Affirmative action is under assault and soon, there will be no more doors opened for us. The bottom line is, if we want something, we're going to have to take it. If we want to go somewhere, we're going to have to open our own doors.
A week ago, I sat in a room and listened to Senator Barack Obama speak and the thing he emphasized was that we have to register to vote, go to the polls, and cast our vote if we want change. He then asked, "How bad do you want it?" That same question I ask of you. How bad to you want it? The time has come for us to put aside partisan politics and become a bi-partisan intelligentsia. What do I mean by this? What I mean is that we have to stop voting straight Democrat or Republican, become cognizant of the issues and vote intelligently. We need to vote with our heads and not our hearts. If a politician, Democrat or Republican, is not representing our values or is not addressing our needs, then they need to be relieved of their duties. Now, I don't want you to be ignorant brothers and sisters (using a Pauline idiom). The Republicans are riding high on the agenda of the Religious Right and they are coming with a Bible based, families first platform. For Christians, it makes a lot of sense and many African-Americans are biblically conservative. The Religious Right is against abortion and gay rights, all soundly founded in scripture. But don't let that continue to be used as a smoke screen for what they really want to accomplish once they get in office. Conversely, the Democrats know they blew it in 2004 and they don't want to repeat their mistakes. So, it's quite likely, the Democratic candidates will align on the opposite pole with liberals - the pro-abortionists and pro-gay rights, playing on Christian compassion. It can make for difficult decisions come Election Day.
The bottom line is we can pray and seek God's guidance and direction but nonetheless He will still tell us we need to take up our mats and walk. There is no excuse for not registering to vote. There is no excuse for not voting. Whichever way we vote, we need to take ownership of our situation, work to change our conditions, crawl to the pool, I mean polls, and lay aside the excuses. Do you want to be made whole? "How bad do you want it?" VOTE on November 7th.
Send all comments on this article to rev@thesoulpitt.com
October 2006 Soulful Insights for the Saints
Who Are We?
For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. 2 Timothy 3:2-4
The answer to the title question should be, the Church. But I wonder if we really know who we are. The Church consists of all believers, past, present and future; the church consists of the children of God. In 1 John 3:1 it is recorded, See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. As God s children we ought to know our place in our surroundings. We are different; we have been called out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Christ. We are no longer to be led by our own desires, we are no longer to be led by the world (or the culture around us for the purpose of this article), but we are to be led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). Unfortunately, we have allowed ourselves to be hamstrung in this country. The Church in the rest of the world is fine. This is not to say they are not facing their own challenges for that is to be expected. But, it s how they have handled their challenges that allows me to say they are fine. In my opinion, the negative image this country has as a result of its ridiculous foreign policy is paralleled by the negative image the Church in the United States has in the eyes of our sisters and brothers throughout the rest of the world.
Africa, Latin America and the Far East have been the defined mission fields for years by us who have in our own estimation, had the formula for evangelism, and the key to the mystery of the Gospel. But I contend that we are or should be the new mission field. We no longer hold the theological patent on effective witnessing. The Church in Africa and China are growing, the Church here is declining. Even in the midst of its own struggles in Europe, the Anglican Church is looking at the Episcopal Church here and wondering if they ve lost their minds. Methodism is struggling, the Presbyterians are struggling, the Catholics are struggling and upsetting the Muslim world. What was mainline denominationalism is slowly becoming less mainline. They are losing their memberships to non-denominational and inter-denominational churches or no church at all. Secularization is on the rise. In addition to the common everyday atheist, this group includes people who say they believe in God but do not think religion is important in regards to how their lives are shaped or how they may influence the life of other. We, the Church, have allowed ourselves to modify our standards in accordance with shifting cultural norms because of the pluralism around us. Who are we? We re supposed to be the light of the world. Are we the Church of Jesus Christ or are we just another organization obsessed with size and money? Out of perceived desperation we have resorted to almost anything just to recruit more people in our pews. We have Saturday night services and three or four Sunday services. I guess this is church a la carte. We have casual or dress down services so as to create a more inviting environment for those who are unchurched. This is just another form of accommodationalism. The unchurched apparently don t own suits. But if they had to wear suits for their jobs they d certainly go out and buy one. Why can t we dress up for God? Isn t He worth it? Doesn t He deserve it? Hasn t He done enough for us to want to show our best to him? Drop the argument that God looks at the heart. Our casual attire may also indicate a casual heart. Thanks to critical methods religious scholars have transformed the Word of God into the commandments of men (and women), a book of words no longer offensive. We can t refer to God as He, and in updating translations we intentionally try to water down the efficacy with vague interpretations.
When sitting and watching the BET awards (for the last time) I was through after asking myself, what message are we sending as a Black Church, when our Gospel singers are sharing the stage with singers and songwriters (excuse me, rappers) who promote and perpetuate a message of woman hating, slinging, and blinging. What do we have to gain by receiving worldly recognition? We are told to love not the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15) We ought to be challenging them instead of shaking hands and embracing them. Too many lives have been lost because of the ill effects of Hip-Hop music. (The Source, July 2006)
We re debating over acceptable language or nomenclature that define the Trinity; we re debating over whether self affirming homosexuals should be ordained into ministry. What s there to debate? There are over 45 million people in this country suffering from lack of healthcare of which 12,000 die every year. We have the homeless. We have people in this country who still think that the Katrina aftermath was not race related. We have a government that wants to feed the greedy monster by taking from the poor and that have created a war on suspicious pretenses. The military is not made up of children of MIT, Harvard, Yale and Princeton grads. Despite the fact that some of our Senators or House members are vets, not many if any of their children are over in Iraq. The military is made up of the sons and daughters of the poor and in the name of Patriotism are losing their lives. Who are we? At this point I wonder. But I m reminded of the words God shared with Zephaniah, I will punish the officials and the king s sons and all who dress themselves in foreign attire. (Zephaniah 1:8) Subsequent to the reign of Josiah and enroute to their Babylonian captivity, Judah was in the midst of spiritual decline and the term dressing themselves in foreign attire refers to their idolatry and their adoption of foreign culture. In other words, Judah, just as Israel had earlier, was losing its identity. My fear is that we are studying from the same playbook. We need to stop trying to blend in. We need to drop our chameleonic Christianity. Choose this day whom you will serve. For the real children of God, it s a no brainer.
September 2006 Soulful Insights for the Saints
The Choice is NOT Yours
When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2and there was a leper who knelt before him, saying, Lord if you choose, you can make me clean. He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, I do choose. Be made clean!
Matthew 8:1-3
I will for the moment depart from what has been a series of articles tinged with a tenor of social justice, and, attempt to wax theological for a moment and spend a short time talking about temptations, trials, tribulations and blessings. I think I would be safe in assuming that everyone wants to be prosperous in some way or another and that no one yearns for trouble. I don t believe any of us will find one person who will honestly admit that he or she desires trials and tribulations. Again, I m quite confident to say that there isn t anyone who has not gone through some degree of adversity, times of testing, trials and tribulations. And so what do we make of it? There are some who say that if we have enough faith we can overcome everything; we can live in prosperity. They say that if we are sick, by faith we can be healed for He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) They say if we are financially challenged or broke by faith we can be financially secure because our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) and the earth is the Lord s. (Psalm 24:1) So conversely, if we pray and are not delivered from our affliction(s) then our faith must be weak. I personally do not subscribe to this way of thinking and I hope you do not as well. Faith or not, there are some things we just may not be delivered from. God does not owe us all out deliverance just because we have faith in Him. He does owe us salvation and eternal life because this is what He promised. Being that God does not lie, and that He honors his word, if every child of God were to be delivered from poverty then we all would be rich but we re not. If God owed us good health then all of us would be freed of AIDS, cancer, and any other health malady. I m sure that not everyone was healed during Jesus 3 ½ years of public ministry. I m sure that there were some broke folk during Jesus 3 ½ years of public ministry and they remained broke after he died and ascended. So why was that? Well according to God himself, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy to whom I show mercy. (Exodus 33:19) God is who God is in spite of and despite us. God does not have to heal us or deliver us from our problems just because we are his children.
In the story of Matthew 8:1-3, a leper came to Jesus and in a state of humility, expressed the reality of our relationship with the divine. He said, If you choose, you can make me clean. In this instance, Jesus chose to heal this man. But know that there were probably many other lepers who died in their condition. I don t think it s fair to say it s because they didn t have faith. God just did not choose to heal them. Just as we know according to the Apostle John in his gospel, there are many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world could not contain the books that would be written (John 21:25); there are probably many things that He did not do. So where are we in this? First of all, we need to remember that whatever we go through, good or bad, it is with God s full blessing and that He is there with us through it all. But He just may not deliver us from what we are dealing with. Why not? Our Christian experience is an experience of wrestling. I think it s explained clearly in Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Who are the sons of Levi today? It is the children of God? Peter says that we all are a royal priesthood and a holy nation. The things we go through are for our purification so that we may be an offering of righteousness to the Lord. I once heard the explanation of the work of a silversmith. It was said that the silversmith puts the silver in the hottest point in the flame and holds it there. All the while he watches it. If he holds it too long the silver is ruined. If he does not hold it long enough the dross is not fully burned off. So he holds it until he can see his own reflection in the ingot, not too long, but long enough. That s how God is with us. He says, I ll never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) While we are going through whatever, God is there with us making sure that we are not overwhelmed by the situation or circumstance.
Now, the thing for us to realize is that if God chooses to deliver us He will, but if He doesn t, we must serve and worship Him anyhow. Daniel chose to not give in to eating the king s food, believing that if he was faithful to God, God would sustain Him. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, chose not to bow down and worship king Nebuchadnezzar. In their case, they said, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not sever your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. (Daniel 3:17-18) Paul prayed three times for God to remove his thorn in the flesh but God said to him, my grace is sufficient. Paul did not give up his ministry because God did not answer his prayer. He pressed on. Our position ought to be one in which we believe that God is able, more so than God will. And if we wait and wait and wait and we find our self still struggling and wrestling, we are to serve Him anyhow. It is through this persevering, this struggle and fighting as we await deliverance that may or may not come, that God proves us and is able to see Himself in us. We may die having never married. We may die struggling with our homosexuality. We may die broke. We may die struggling with thievery and promiscuity. We may die struggling with various addictions. The operative word is struggle. As long as in our heart we desire not to embrace that which our spirit struggles against, God will work in us and with us. The struggle won t last forever. But know this: we can t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure just as Christ is pure (1 John 3:2-3). Our struggling someday will be over. So in closing, we may not have the choice as to when and how we are healed or delivered but the one choice we do have is our choice to surrender and let God do what God does. Are you willing to make that choice today?
August 2006 Soulful Insights for the Saints
Rev. John C. Welch
Playing the Field
It is better to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud. Proverbs 16:19
These are words that transcend the hands of time, words provided by the King of wisdom and the king of Israel, Solomon. Just take a sniff. Smell the air around you and you will notice that there is a stench of filthy lucre in the air. On Thursday, July 20, 2006, the President of the United States, George W. Bush spoke at the NAACP national convention in Washington D. C. On Thursday, July 20, 2006, the US Senate passed, with a vote of 98-0, the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Was this a coincidence? I don t think so. After refusing to meet with the nation s oldest and most prominent Civil Rights organization after he won the election in 2000, Mr. Bush found it a moment of opportunity to welcome the invitation and show up; after all, he didn t have to go far to do it. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, found it in his best interest to make sure that the VRA was early on the agenda, timed nearly simultaneously with the President s speech. I can imagine all the phone calls it took, day and night, to make that plan happen.
On a good note, it was quite historic as well as noteworthy for the Senate to pass VRA without amendment, mirroring the House, so that it would be possible for the President to sign the legislation on its 41st anniversary. Many people were organizing, pushing and fighting on the ground to make sure that it would play out in this manner. The last thing activist and advocacy groups wanted was for the House and Senate to pass different versions thus forcing a compromise and dragging this measure way into the mid-term elections in November. The amendments that had been proposed by various members of the House, mainly from southern states, were designed to weaken the power of the VRA, some of which aimed at either expanding oversight responsibilities of the Justice Department thereby making it nearly impossible to monitor all subversive activities throughout the country, or, aimed at the argument of increased voter turnout in order to loosen the restrictions on districts that may have been historically discriminatory. The bottom line here is that the authors of these amendments tend to think that conditions in this country are not as bad as they were in 1965 therefore making the renewable provisions of Voting Rights Act obsolete.
The day before the bill came before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I participated in a nationwide conference call with Senator Ted Kennedy D-Mass. He recalled how hard it was to get the original act passed in 1965 and the struggles since every time someone wanted to challenge its relevancy or efficacy. In his own words he reminded those of us on the call, African-American pastors and other leaders, that we can not sit by and assume that every intelligent politician, well meaning or not, will have the welfare of African-Americans in mind and that we need to be more aware of the players in the game. For example one of the biggest opponents to VRA, in addition to former president Ronald Reagan, was the current Chief Justice John Roberts during his days as Special Assistant to the US Attorney General during the Reagan administration. During Justice Roberts Senate confirmation hearing Senator Kennedy questioned him vigorously on this matter because if any amendments to the VRA are passed, challenges that make their way to the Supreme Court could be won or lost based on his interpretation of the amended law and his personal opinion.
What does all of this mean to us and why am I bringing this up? Well, for one, we have a Republican majority in Congress, a majority whose self interest is more in favor of placating the rich rather than helping the poor and middle class. If it were up to them, there would be no labor unions and no middle class, just the extremely rich and the extremely poor. If it were up to them, every poor in this country would have to find a way to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps because entitlement programs would have sunset periods which would render them unfunded or the program recipients would become ineligible. For those, mainly African-Americans, it would be either sink or swim. The Republican majority is masquerading their intentions with a faith-based laced agenda from the Religious Right as if only Republicans have religion. The other reason I am bringing this up is because these same Republicans realize they do not have a strong black constituency. In 2000, Mr. Bush garnered 9% of the Black vote. In 2004 it increased to 10%. In that election, it wasn t so much that Mr. Bush won the election as it was John Kerry lost it. He lost it not only because of the ballot trickery in Florida, but also because the Democratic agenda was out of touch with the needs of Americans.
On Thursday, July 27, 2006 President Bush signed the twenty-five year extension for the VRA. It wasn t on the anniversary date, but early is better than no signature at all. Now again, since the year 2000, Blacks weren t significant enough to warrant Mr. Bush s attendance at the NAACP conventions. But as part of the Republican recruitment strategy, he showed up, VRA found its way on the Senate docket, and he signed it a week later. Sounds like playing the field to me. The question remains are we smart enough to not be played? Recently, I was contacted by a former Harrisburg Councilman who switched to the Republican Party. This gentleman wanted me to consider organizing African-American pastors all over Western Pennsylvania, from Allegheny County to Erie County. He had already acquired a pastor to organize in South-central Pennsylvania and another in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I was promised that I would be flown to Washington D.C. to meet the top brass and to be trained in how to begin organizing this potential constituency base for the good of the party. For the record, I m a Democrat and I just could not bring myself around to enjoining this movement. I vehemently opposed to anything that fosters the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Mr. Bush s decision to attend the NAACP convention was all part of the overall Republican agenda to build their Black voter base and Senator Frist s setting of the Senate docket so that the VRA would come up for debate when it did, was just as calculating. Despite Mr. Bush s speech, and Senator Frist s intentions, there is still no evidence that they and their Republican colleagues are willing to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud.
Now, despite the fact I am a Democrat, I am in no way convinced the Democrats have a comparable or even better strategy or agenda for America. With that said, African-Americans need to be informed and vigilant with regards to who we elect to represent us whether Democrat or Republican. Bringing it closer to home, Pittsburgh is a predominantly Democratic region and has been for decades, some even say to our detriment. It is never good when there is no competition and only one voice speaks. Just because those in office are Democrats does not mean they are holding the welfare of African-Americans in this city in their best interest. Recently, there have been discussions about reducing the number of seats on Pittsburgh City Council from 9 to 5. Currently there are only 2 African-American members on City Council. Any reduction will sharply hamper African-American representation in city government regardless of what arguments are presented. To reduce the number of members on Council the city would have to redistrict. If any district in this city has more than a 50% White population, no Black would ever be elected in that district. It s for these kinds of intentions that VRA was enacted, so that everyone s right and ability to vote is not hampered, but particularly African-Americans. If I can only vote for someone who does not care about my interests, that is an indirect way canceling my vote. Every Black person in this city, whether African-American, African or some other nationality, whether you live in Homewood, the Hill or elsewhere, should make sure that this action does not gain ground in City Council. We have 9 members on City Council and that s where it needs to remain - 9. For this city, even two African-Americans out of nine is not sufficient representation but I ll settle for 2/9 rather than 1 or 0/5. Anyone who votes only along party lines so that a fascist regime can continue to suppress opportunities for Blacks shares in the stolen property of the proud. We need to pay attention to the issues; we need to use our right to vote wisely and effectively; we need to hold those in office accountable and remember their political history. Chances are their positions haven t changed. For more fuel or fodder read God s Politics by Jim Wallis, and The Left Hand of God, by Michael Lerner.
Send all comments on this article to rev@thesoulpitt.com
May 2006 Soulful Insights for the Saints
Rev. John C. Welch
It's not worth the gamble
9 For these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay any attention to the Lord s instructions. 10 They tell the prophets, Shut up! We don t want any more of your reports. They say, Don t tell us the truth. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. 11 Forget all this gloom. We have heard more than enough about your Holy One of Israel. We are tired of listening to what he has to say. Isaiah 30:9-11
These words in Isaiah are spoken about a people who had made up their minds about what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it and how they wanted to do it. Against any counsel or advice from the prophet of God and God as well, and regardless of consequences presaged, they were tired of listening to what he [had] to say. Needless to say, that attitude did not deter Isaiah from preaching concerning the immanent destruction that would not only come upon the Assyrians, the current enemy of Israel and Judah, but also the destruction that would fall upon God s people who in their denunciation were a reproach to God.
For several months we have been informed of the approved legislation and the parties interested in bringing casino gambling to Pittsburgh , including the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is good news for people who are tired of traveling to Atlantic City and Wheeling but horrendous news for the city of Pittsburgh , particularly the marginalized residents. Several things disturb me about the proposals, none exempt. The Penguins are going to get a new arena if the Isle of Capri is awarded a license. Along with that is the promise of commmunity redevelopment in the Hill District. First of all, the Penguins are as bad as, if not worse than, the Pirates, the tenant of the beautiful and taxpayer leveraged PNC Park . Secondly, the Hill District is already being developed most likely as part of a covert gentrification plan to further crowd out poor Blacks. Thirdly, there are plenty of other low income communities that need development. Any idea how Homewood would benefit? Another disturbance for me is that Don Bardon, a rich Black man, Detroit native and slots license applicant, is using another rich Black man and city favorite, Jerome Bettis, to grease the skids for his plan to be accepted by the Pittsburgh residents. Who s going to benefit from this deal? Don and Jerome will benefit. Now, their idea of locating the casino on the North Shore does not help poor Blacks in Manchester, California-Kirkbride, Central North Side, Fineview and Spring Hill just as the Isle of Capri will not benefit Hill residents. Introducing slot machines in this Pittsburgh market will be like introducing a new drug that controls diabetes but is highly carcinogenic. Such a drug would hardly get FDA approval. The expected yet unproven financial benefits for Pittsburgh from the gaming industry cannot outweigh the pathological and ethological consequences. It is a documented fact that gambling addictions increase, bankruptcies increase, gambling related litigations increase and crime increases. Do we really need more crime in this city? Do we need more people losing their homes in this city? Absolutely not! A further disturbance for me is that I see people, Black and White, aligning themselves to get a piece of the pie for their own self interest. I m particularly disturbed by the Black selfish interests. For me, if there isn t a solution that will improve conditions for most if not all Blacks in this city, it is not a viable solution. I do not want to see well to do Blacks getting richer at the expense of other Blacks and I certainly do not want to see well to do Whites improving their financial posture while the economic gap continues to widen in this city.
Many people that I have spoken to or that have spoken to me seem to have taken the position that there is nothing that will prevent the slots from coming so we have to try and get what we can from the deal(s). The problem that I see with that argument, being a native Pittsburgher, is that for far too long we have settled for what others have given us and we become affected by others plans and initiatives rather than creating our own plans and implementing our own initiatives. But what disturbs me the most is the collective silence of the church and the isolated supportive vocalism of one church leader! You have got to be kidding! What other way to give people validation and to sanction wrongdoing than to have a spiritual leader leading the charge. This is similar to the asinine move T.D. Jakes made at Superfest in Atlanta , by giving a stage to secular spiritualists who have a counterfeit Christianity. There should be a demonstrative outcry here in Pittsburgh from the church! The operative question is who is the church? Is it the Pittsburgh Baptist Ministers Conference and Vicinity? Is it the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh? Is it the Pittsburgh Presbytery? Is it Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania? Is it all of the above? Whoever, whatever, there s not much being said. If the question is where is the Black Christian collective the answer is simply there isn t one and that s fatally unfortunate! The Pennsylvania legislators seem to have the same attitude reflected in Isaiah s time, repelling truth and moral integrity. That was evident through the 1% allowance they wrote into the gaming bill that would allow them the ability to own 1% in any casino venture. A simple roll call on this vote should tell us who should stay and who should lose their seats at election time. City and County Council seem to have this same attitude evidently displayed by their reticence. Over time there will be more people in need of social services when it s all said and done and the main question is, will the funding be there to support these different agencies? I still think that as far as casinos in Pittsburgh , it s not worth the gamble. But, who am I?
Send all comments on this article to rev@thesoulpitt.com
April 2006 Soulful Insights for the Saints
Rev. John C. Welch
Bound Despite Borders
33Do not exploit the foreigners who live in your land. 34 They should be treated like everyone else, and you must love them as you love yourself .
Leviticus 19:33-34
In these past few weeks we have seen and heard a flurry of bantering regarding the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country. The halls of Congress have been the battleground of debate. What has been the debated issue? What to do with the undocumented immigrants that are currently living here in the states and how to secure our borders against further illegal entry. The opinions range from total deportation and a 700 mile extension to a security wall, to, complete amnesty and open borders. In December 2005 the House of Representatives approved a bill authored by Judiciary Committee chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) which called for the jailing of immigration violators, upgrading these violations from misdemeanors to felonies. It would also provide for the jailing of any honest citizen who assists illegal immigrants in any way. This would include many church employees that provide social services. Contributing to the harshness, this bill also omitted any provisions for a guest worker program. Passage of this bill caused many groups in this country to organize around this issue and to put pressure on the Senate to pass a less restrictive bill thus potentially forcing a conference between representatives from both branches.
On March 27, 2006 a rally was formed on the west lawn of the Capitol. Over 40 organizations were represented along with people as far as California, there to show their support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the Senate. This was an interfaith gathering: Christians, Muslims, and Jews. This was a multicultural gathering: blacks, whites, African immigrants, Latinos, etc. That afternoon I led a delegation of 100 clergy from across the country on a march from the Capitol to the Dirksen building where the Senate Judiciary Committee was in session and immigration reform on the agenda. We gathered outside the doors of the Judiciary. All of the Senators on the committee knew we were there and why. Senator Arlen Specter vowed to convene through the evening until a bill could be produced. While driving home that night, I received a phone call telling me that the committee did reach an agreement and was preparing to bring a comprehensive bill to the floor of the Senate. A feeling of success came over me and my trip was worth the while.
Why did I feel the need to do this? Why did I feel the need to drive down Sunday evening after a long day of preaching and worship, stay up into the late hours planning and writing and spending all day Monday in Washington D. C.? It was because I felt compelled in my spirit to stand alongside the foreigner. I m not disagreeing that many came here illegally. But let it be known that included in the 11 million are those who came illegally but for one reason or another have expired status. Some came on student and worker visas but have fallen into the misfortune of being stuck in the system. Now, I am certainly not advocating for open borders, for, with the growing threat of terrorism, this would be quite imprudent. But I am convinced that God would not have us mistreat any immigrant despite their illegal status. Leviticus 19:33-34 tells us not to exploit foreigners and to love them as we would love ourselves. I feel we are bound by God s law despite the borders or lack thereof. Many have worked here in this country for years, illegally obtained fake social security numbers and illegally contributed to a social security system they cannot benefit from. They have raised families in a place they felt offered opportunity. There obviously must be something wrong in Mexico for people to take such high risks to earn a living. Well we do not have to look far; it s in NAFTA, an agreement that was supposed to improve employment opportunities through free trade. But such is not the case.
On a twist of irony what I find appalling is how many lawmakers have championed the Sensenbrenner bill for strict enforcement while employing undocumented workers and avoiding paying their share of the social security tax. How widespread is this? It took two Presidents and their potential appointments to force some bureaucrats to come clean and admit their evasive practice. While in a television interview by Mike Pintek on the Fred Honsberger show earlier this week, I raised this very point after being challenged for my position by the host and by several phone in callers. How quickly it was dismissed.
What I also do not appreciate is hearing from my fellow African-Americans how these illegals are taking jobs away from us. Let me just say that before these illegals were an issue we weren t even trying to get a job. Now all of a sudden, they re taking our jobs away from us? We must be careful to not allow this to become a divisive issue among people of color. Last time I checked, this still is a country of have and have-nots and most of the have-nots seem to be people of color.
In another year, the Voting Rights Act provision for African-Americans will expire and Congress will be voting its reallocation. At the same time, a bi-lingual provision will be voted on as well. Hispanics, in their ability to swiftly organize, have already been considering not accepting the bi-lingual provision apart from the African-American provision thus an attempt to unify themselves with African-Americans. In this push for immigration reform 1 million people gathered in California, tens of thousands in various other cities across the country. We have not been able to amass a large gathering in protest since the Million Man March despite the high unemployment rates of African-Americans, the huge health disparities among African-Americans, and the disproportionate number of African-Americans in our prison systems. Can you imagine the impact that would be made on this country if Hispanics, African-Americans and African immigrants came together, organized and rallied? It would be a modern day Trojan horse.
In closing, we are bound despite borders by a power higher than ours God, and I would hope that we would be a little more sensitive to the needs of those around us. Who knows, we may find ourselves needing them sooner than we think.
Send all comments on this article to rev@thesoulpitt.com
March 2006 Soulful Insights for the Saints
Rev. John C. Welch
Twisted Priorities
The Sovereign Lord Almighty was calling you then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth. Instead, you laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat, and you drank wine. You said, We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we ll be dead. Isaiah 22:12-13
This month I thought I would share with you my experiences from a post Katrina trip to Mississippi , along with my thoughts on what has since been happening in the Louisiana-Mississippi region. I, like many of you, have watched countless news stories and talk shows and read a number of articles on the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Katrina and the fiasco of a U.S. governmental response. The pictures and news clippings were quite telling but, I must say, do a tremendous injustice when one is able to see the disastrous region up close and in person. I know that pictures ordinarily fall short as they only capture a glimpse of reality, but, I was truly overwhelmed by what I saw up close and must say created and affect more than 10 times worse than what any pictures evoked. I was in the city of Pearlington , Mississippi with a group comprised of church members and seminarians. We were there to help in clean-up and rebuilding efforts. To see homes actually moved 100 ft off their foundations, uprooted trees the width of cars, miles of once green forestry fallen or weathered like an over-watered garden, other homes completely leveled, abandoned cars that look like they ve been displaced from a junk yard is quite a sight to see. It felt like walking into a valley of death.
Pearlington is a small town of 2200 people in Southwest Mississippi, 40 miles east of New Orleans , 30 miles west of Biloxi . When the flood waters roared through, 3 people drowned and 897 of the 900 homes were damaged if not destroyed. Route 604, the main road through the town was like the three rivers (Allegheny, Monongahela , Ohio ) with 21 feet of water at the time of the storm. There was the story of a 75 year old man we had met who spent quite a bit of time surviving in a tree and having a peace negotiating meeting water moccasin on an adjacent branch. While all attention fell on New Orleans and Biloxi , Pearlington was that last to receive any kind of aid. I spoke with a 72 year old woman who informed me that she and her family of five lived on what was left of a porch for 2 months until FEMA arrived with trailers for them. As I worked on her daughter s home, my colleagues and I peered through the rear window only to see a 71 year old man, this same 72 year old woman and her 40+ year old daughter with chains, jacks and a winch lifting a 50ft trailer that had been dislocated by the hurricane. In 5 hours they had that trailer jacked up and mounted on concrete blocks! Elsewhere in the town, Rev. W. T. Rawls, an African-American pastor of First Baptist Church of Pearlington who was standing with the few remaining members of his congregation who were serving hot lunches to volunteer workers in their newly constructed fellowship hall, talked about their desire to rebuild their church even after the Army Corp of Engineers had slated it for demolition. In fact, the Army Corp of Engineers had slated to demolish the entire city! But church groups and volunteer laborers from Milton Florida have crusaded to restore the houses of worship in that city so that residents could at least have a place to gather for meeting and fellowship, including the 100+ year old First Baptist Church .
However, as I reflect on what I have read and what I have personally witnessed, several things disturb me. For one, it is now six months after the hurricane and the region looks like it hasn t been touched. I didn t visit New Orleans with the others who were on my trip, but according to their accounts, New Orleans , particularly the ninth ward, looks like not much has been accomplished. Billions of dollars have been donated, billions spent and six months later the results look marginal if not non-existent. The second thing that disturbs me is the reports that FEMA and the Red Cross have pulled themselves from the distressed area and many residents are caught in governmental red tape. The third thing that disturbs me is how residents of New Orleans thought that the most important thing during this disastrous period was to continue to plan and celebrate Mardi Gras, a traditional celebration of decadence kicking off the season of Lent. It seems to me to be a case of twisted priorities. But then again, such was also the case in Isaiah s time. Destruction was predicted yet rather than seeing it as an opportunity to repent and turn back to God, they feasted and drank! Now certainly there are many who clearly deny that Hurricane Katrina was a punitive act of God and I m not here to question that one way or another. But what I will say is that clearly it should have been a time for introspective reflection, mourning and repentance. It s funny that many people across the nation all of a sudden found God or found it necessary to make end of life preparations after the September 11th attacks, an orchestrated yet preventable act of men bent on evil. But there was no such response reported from the people of New Orleans even after such a tremendous loss of life from the torrent of nature s wrath. That I believe would have been a more appropriate response than beads and booze. No one knows what the new New Orleans is going to look like, who will own it and who will make up the residency.
Lastly and probably most disturbing was the timing of the FEMA pullout and the withdrawal of FEMA support for Katrina victims taking refuge in hotels coincidentally two weeks before Mardi Gras and conveniently making room for travelers, enthusiasts, and curiosity seekers. I find it difficult to not find a connection here between U.S. officials and New Orleans city officials. It was bad enough watching the insensitive lackadaisical relief response to the victims, but watching this orchestrated pullout seemed immoral and unethical. I could think of a better place for a governmental pullout IRAQ ! What haunts me now as well as other residents I spoke with in Mississippi is that the water temperature in the Gulf is already registered to be 10º higher than normal at this time of year, projecting another storm earlier than anticipated, probably in less than six months. If another hurricane should come, my question is who will be partying then?
Rev. John C. Welch
Soulful Insights for the Saints
January 2006 Article
Rev. John C. Welch
It All Starts With God?
Chapter One of The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, as part of a 40-week sermon series by Rev. John C. Welch
Genesis 1:1, 26-27
John 1:1-4
Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? What am I supposed to be doing with my life? Why did this happen to me? Why didn t what I expected to happen, happen at all? These are all some of the questions we ask or have asked about ourselves. Am I going to be successful? Am I going to get married? Am I going to have children? These latter questions, though not too different from the ones I opened with, are expressions of our personal desires, desires that are shaped by both our culture and our ethos. In this case, I m separating culture from ethos because in our westernized society there is a diversion at play. In Eastern, oriental, African societies, still untainted by western values, culture and ethos form a closed loop, one feeding the other. But in this hemisphere, we question the probability, possibility and plausibility of our success because, the opposite of success is failure and no one wants to be labeled a failure. No one wants that label despite the fact that determining success is just as relative as determining happiness. What is successful in your eyes may not be the same in mine and vice versa. We ponder whether or not we ll marry due to the status of those people we frequently socialize with and the value they place on one marital status over the other. If all of my friends are getting picked off one by one and I m still bouncing through boyfriends or girlfriends like a frog on a lily pad, or getting bounced by them, then it most likely will become a question for me. We question whether or not we ll have children based on the same premise as marriage, not to mention the pressure from our parents who are watching the clock and asking whether they will see death before they see a grandchild. Now if you consider all of these examples, all of these questions, you will see that they all have one thing in common. Everything seems to be centered on me. From the time we are born we want to be the center of attention. When we re wet, we cry we want to get changed. When we re hungry, we cry we want someone to feed us. When we re being ignored, we cry we want someone to pick us up. And, it doesn t change much for some who become adults. Some of us are the biggest babies walking the earth. (They just don t make Pampers and Huggies for wide bodies.) But everyone, I mean everyone wants to be the center of attention. You can classify people all you want. You can label them as being introverted, extroverted, shy, sociable, or just plain anti-social, we all still want to be the center of attention because that is how we have been sinfully conditioned. It is natural; it characterizes the natural man, the fleshly man, that scripture references. What substantiates these various characterizations is that some of us can handle the attention better than others. It s a disorder when you don t like people; it s a disorder when you don t like to be in a crowd; it s a disorder when you stay to yourself all the time; it s a disorder being shy; it s a disorder to lack confidence. They re disorders because they typify psychological suppressions of the desire for attention.
So, we find ways, whether through medicine, psychotherapy, or self help books, to reorient ourselves to our more normal and naturally sinful condition. For example, people who are shy and who take Prozac discover this new burst of confidence, a shift from introversion to extroversion. But, let me just re-emphasize for a moment that these questions and the desire for attention stem from sin. It s identified in our selfishness and self-indulgence.
In chapter one, it says, It All Starts With God. Although this is the logical starting point, we can easily come to the wrong conclusion even by starting at the same point if we don t also consider Rick Warren s Point to Ponder at the end of the chapter which says, It s not about me. Why isn t it about me? It s not about me because, that is what got us in trouble in the first place. Why does it all start with God? Because in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; in the beginning God said, Let there be light and called the light day and the darkness night; in the beginning God separated the sky above from the waters beneath and made dry land to form; in the beginning God made the birds of the air, the fish in the sea and everything that crept upon the land; in the beginning God said, let us make man in our own image and after our likeness; and, as God said to Job, where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? It was God who looked, observed the situation and said, It is not good for man to be alone. There was no self-actualization on Adam s part. Adam didn t cry out about being lonely, it was God who determined Adam should have a helper. But we see a change of events in the Garden of Eden for the serpent through his shrewd and crafty distorting of the truth drew Adam and Eve s attention away from God and toward themselves. You will not surely die , he said. Your eyes will be open and you will be like God Adam and Eve, at that point when through self discovery. They looked at themselves, saw that they were naked, clothed themselves and hid. The shift went from pleasing God to pleasing oneself and as a result of that one act, we, to this day have been obsessed with self-indulgence Rick Warren says in this chapter that, It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our identity. Every other path leads to a dead end. Since God is the creator, how best can we come to find out about ourselves but through the one who created us in the first place?
Three things I want to consider: (1) God made everything and everything has a purpose whether it is known or not. (2) Not knowing your purpose does not prevent you from fulfilling your purpose. (3) Your purpose is for God; meaning is for you. A life without knowledge of purpose is a life without meaning. According to Warren there are three insights into our purpose as revealed to us in Ephesians 1:11 which says, It s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. This translation coming from Eugene Peterson s the Message. The three insights therefore are: (1) you discover your purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ, (2) God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him, (3) the purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity. Knowing our God given purpose allows us to live a life of meaning. As I said at the beginning we have resorted to a variety of means to try to find our purpose all of which were speculative. But the only way to find your purpose is to through revelation. God reveals our purpose to us through his word but you must first be connected to the Word to understand the word revealed.
Soulful Insights for the Saints
December 2005 Article
by Rev. John C. Welch
"Meeting God"
'I was in the spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.'
(Rev. 1:10)
Advent is one of the high liturgical seasons in the church s calendar. The other is Lent. Advent is the celebration of the first coming of the Messiah with a steady anticipation of His second. So for the month of December I wanted us to think about the magnificence of this significant event, namely, what the coming of Christ has done for us. One of my parishioners approached me for help with an assignment she had to work on for a seminary course. I agreed to meet with her at my home. When she came over, she set her books in front of her as she made herself comfortable. I hadn t quite prepared myself for her visit and so her arrival caught me off guard. So, trying to warm myself up for what I needed to respond to, I proceeded to ask what she was working on in school. She told me that she was taking a course called The Ministry of Worship in which she was assigned to write a paper on worship. For the paper she had to answer three questions: (1) what is worship, (2) what is the focus of worship, and (3) what are the elements used in worship? I must admit, I was silenced by the first question, not because I didn t know the answer, but because I was never asked the question. So, I paused, thought and offered a reply, all of which took about 10-seconds. In those 10-seconds, so many things raced through my mind. I thought about how we use this word worship so freely in our sanctified vocabulary and yet never really give much thought to defining what it is.
We frequently couple the word with Praise. Most contemporary services specifically lead the congregation in a moment of Praise & Worship. What is that? Back in the day in our typical Baptist churches this was called devotions where the deacons would proudly lead us in hymn singing and testimonies. But we ve outgrown that. These contemporary styles stand over and against, and sometimes in conflict with traditional services often creating two separate cultures in one church. One church in our area actually has two separate buildings, one for a contemporary service and the other for a traditional service.
But let me return to the question I posed earlier, What is worship? Well, let me not belittle its importance with an oversimplification of the word, but if I may answer simply, worship is meeting God. Some authors say that worship is a response to how gracious God is. I believe that we worship in spite of how gracious God is. In fact, it s because of God s grace that we are able to worship. It s the advent of the Messiah, the first coming of Christ that we now have access to God the Father, having once been separated and afar off, beforehand. Therefore, in worship we meet God. We meet God as God meets us where we are. The other beauty is that in our meeting God, God can take us to where God is. In a moment of worship we can be, like the Apostle John, in the spirit on the Lord s day (Rev. 1:10). But worship is more than just a meeting. Worship includes the spiritual, conscientious, and sometimes physical disposition in which we meet God. In worship, we wrap ourselves in an envelope of humility in recognition of our unworthiness, as we enter into the presence of God.
To give you an idea of the type of disposition God expects, we need to look at the etymology of the word worship. In the Greek, the language of the New Testament, the word for worship is a word that means to bow down, to kiss the hand or the ground, like a dog licks the hand of its master proskunew (proskuneo). If we break up this word we have a pseudo compound of two words: pro" (pros) which is a preposition meaning to or towards, and kunarion (kunarion) which means dog. Simplified even further we may be able to paraphrase, to God or oriented towards God like a dog is oriented to its master. There is nothing an obedient dog wants to do more than to please its master. Now before anyone things they re being called a dog, let me see if I can provide an example for your consideration. When I was in my early teens, my neighbor had a little gray terrier named Misty (like Toto from the Wizard of Oz.) Remember, this was not my dog, but my neighbor s dog. Misty and I became very close. I played with her almost every day as if she was my dog. She was very well trained. If you said go, she would go. If you said come, she would come. If you said rollover, she would rollover. If you said sit, she would sit. My own dog wasn t this good and I had two. One thing I noticed about Misty was, during the school year if the weather permitted, she would sit on the curb, across from my house, and wait for me to come home like clockwork. As I would come up the hill and she caught me in her sight, she would wag her tail and she would slowly work her way toward me as I approached. She was hesitant because she didn t know if I would receive her or not. Of course there were days when I was tired. If that were the case I would say to Misty, go home. She would then turn around, walk back to her home, glancing back at me hoping I would change my mind, but steadily walking toward her house. Sometimes I would play with her, change my mind and say come here girl and she would run to me in excitement, tail wagging, jumping all over the place. If I refused her and went into my house, I would look out the window and she would be sitting there thinking or hoping I would have a change of heart and come out and play.
The point that I am making is that Misty would anticipate and eagerly await my arrival. I wasn t even her owner, but there was a relationship as if I was. She couldn t wait to meet me and when she did, she would submit to anything I said. She would approach me reticently yet with humility. This is what worship is for us. It is the anticipation and the reality of meeting God. We re not reticent because we can come boldly before his throne of grace. But we submit because God is our master. In that meeting we can talk with God through prayer. In that meeting we can exalt God through our praise. In that meeting we can glorify God through our testimony to others. Unlike me, God will not refuse us if we diligently seek Him. It s a joy to know that we don t have to wait for a certain time of day; we don t have to wait for a certain day of the week nor do we have to be in a particular location to worship because we can meet God anywhere and at anytime.
So the next time you have a chance this Advent season, don t go to church; go to worship. Go to meet God and allow God to take you to where God is on the Lord s day.
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Soulful Insights for the Saints
November 2005 Article
Taking it to the Streets
But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream Amos 5:24
For quite some time now, on and off, I preached sermons on the issue of social justice. Hopefully, you can tell by now that this is my passion. I have lived in Pittsburgh all of my life. I remember the rioting and fire bombings of the 60 s, the National Guard patrolling the streets in our neighborhoods. I was just an 8 year old boy then but the images are still fresh in my mind. I remember the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert Kennedy. Those were times full of tension and the tensions were released through acts of unified violence. While the violence may be worth celebrating, the unification is. People banded together. They may not have gathered around the same ideology, but they banded together nonetheless. All throughout the 50 s, and 60 s, there was this need to act. Some were in favor of the non-violence resistance platform, others were not. Although there may have been disagreement on the method of mobilization, most agreed that something needed to be done. The issues were equal access to education, jobs, housing and transportation. The nation was polarized on racial lines. Fifty years later the issues are equal access to education, jobs, housing and transportation. But what s problematic today is that there is very little unity among the African-American community and the polarization is along race as well as class. Jobs are moving out of the cities into the suburbs. Suburban developments are being developed further away from the city. Resources are being vacuumed out of the city, leaving dilapidation, decay and despondency. With what little gentrification there may be in revitalizing the city, unaffordable communities are being developed where Blacks can t afford to live or shop, and are unqualified to work. Drugs and guns are more accessible than supermarkets. So what are we to do now? Organize!
The great ends of the church or the purpose of the church are: the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social justice, and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. What does this mean? It means we must act. We must unify. We must build power. We build power to confront power. The power we are to build is the power of the many against the power of the few. It s the power of the poor against the power of the rich. It s the power of the people against the power of government. Through congregational-based community organizing this is possible.
Some of you may be aware and others of you may not, that Bidwell Church has a Social Action Ministry (SAM). I would encourage as many of our African-American congregations as possible to start a Social Action Ministry. The purpose of this ministry is to gather a core group of people in the church and in the community that will identify issues/problems, develop winnable strategies, identify targets and confront the targets, and hold them accountable for change. Our SAM working alongside core teams from other congregations can begin to build a base of people willing to act and confront. Once this becomes contagious we ll have an informed and mobilized voter base that can confront the powers of the administrations in the city, state and even federal levels. Bidwell is a member of PIIN (Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network), a city-wide ecumenical, grassroots and community-organizing body of 32 congregations. We are purposed to build power. On November 3, 2005 here at Bidwell, members of all 32 congregations and the communities they serve will be gathering public action to pin issues from violence, immigration rights, to community re-investment and will challenge government officials and businesses to do what s right for all, in our efforts to support regional equity. Create a SAM, join the SAM, come out to the public action meeting; take action, and let s do ministry together!
Send all comments on this article to rev@thesoulpitt.com
Soulful Insights for the Saints
October 2005 Article
Love is what love does before the storm
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend. Which of these do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? He said, The one who showed him mercy Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise. Luke 10:29-37
A few weeks ago, a category 5 hurricane slammed along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and left human destruction unseen in this country in quite some time. Loved ones were separated; children couldn t find their parents, parents couldn t find their children. Bodies were still being discovered weeks later. The story that hit the world was that the world s richest nation, the nation that overthrows dictators and promotes democracy through modern day imperialistic techniques, the nation that is on this concentrated bandwagon to fight international terrorism, was unable to respond to a horrendous disaster in its own backyard. Surprisingly, four years after the attack of September 11th when this nation commended itself on its heroism and resiliency, it somehow forgot how to respond in a time of crisis. Thousands of people were stranded, in their homes, in hospitals and nursing homes, the convention center and the Superdome. People were being raped and murdered. Days had passed and people were still without food or water. In describing this fiasco, one person stated that the underbelly of this country had finally been exposed. In my opinion, the United States hadn t received such a black eye since Jim Crow, when the whole nation watched as blacks were being fire-hosed by police, bitten by dogs and beaten with night sticks.
As a result of the nationwide coverage of hurricane Katrina there is now this uncontrolled race to see who can help the most. Everyone has a fundraising campaign. The two former presidents have been re-commissioned. Millions of dollars, food, clothing, and other items are being poured in from everywhere into collection agencies throughout the country and into shelters where many of the displaced New Orleans residents are being housed. Some displaced residents are in the homes of strangers while others are in the homes of relatives. Many people have given up their own bare necessities in order to help someone whose condition is worse than their own. With how quickly the catastrophe came upon this nation and with the degree of devastation, there was hardly time for anyone to worry about if and when they would see any returns on their charitable investments.
Just as in this story of the Good Samaritan, many people came to the aid of those beaten down by flood waters and left for dead. There are countless stories untold that capture the efforts of this nation s angels of mercy. But let me ask this question. Why did it take a category 5 hurricane to invoke such kindness? There were problems in New Orleans long before Katrina just as there were problems along the Jericho road long before the encounter of the Samaritan man. The road between Jerusalem and Jericho was problematic long before this famous story but no one took interest in securing the route, not the Jews, not the priests, not the Levites, and not the Romans. Well, who was paying attention to the weak levies in New Orleans 9th Ward, a place with a heavy concentration of poor African-Americans? The Army Corp of Engineers had warned about the weak infrastructure years ago and no one did anything about it. Where were black power brokers in New Orleans before Katrina? Where was the Governor? Where were the other elected officials? Where were the great churches of New Orleans? Where was the federal government? After 9/11 why didn t anyone think of including the elderly and infirmed in modified evacuation plans? Did someone think that everyone in New Orleans had access to automobiles? My point is this. We shouldn t pat ourselves on the back for our response you those in need. How much money we contributed to the Red Cross and other disaster relief organizations matters not. Who or how many we took into our homes matters not. The act of the Good Samaritan was an act of charity. Monetary donations from those with much to those without are acts of charity. Don t confuse charity with love although some biblical translations make this substitution in 1 Corinthians 13.
Love will cause you to hurt based on the knowledge that there are people living in squalor. Love will cause you to sacrifice out of your abundance to help improve the quality of life of others. Love will stir you to fight against any forms of injustice that surface. I think that it is important at this point to note that Jesus response to the lawyer was not an answer to the question How do I love my neighbor but, Who is my neighbor. The illustration is there to remind us that skin color, socio-economic condition, ethnicity, sex, or sexual orientation is not a factor by which we discriminate. Who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is anyone we happen to come in contact with.
John Perkins, author of the book Beyond Charity makes an excellent distinction between what is love and what is charity in his push for Christian community development. It is absurd to expect the society in general to be sympathetic to the disenfranchised. However, this is the chief end of the church, regardless of denomination. Government entitlement programs, money set aside for foreign mission, public housing projects are examples of different forms of charity. Love will push for the implementation of systems where people are taxed in proportion to what they have the rich should pay more and the poor should pay less. Love will push for legislation to limit sprawl and the siphoning of resources from our urban cities. Love will integrate our schools so that there is an equal distribution of resources among all children in a metropolitan area. It is almost a given that all attention and resources will go into the rebirth of New Orleans, creating a greater tourist magnet than previously existed. As the city planners work to make a better New Orleans, where will the poor reside? As the political mongers drool over the opportunity to build the first city since the 19th century, what kind of jobs will African-Americans have access to? Will the city be a place where only the affluent and tourist can afford to frequent and the poor live in the outer rims like the Hampton/Virginia Beach area or like in Soweto/Johannesburg South Africa? Or will we truly have a model city with integrated housing, integrated schools, full service transportation systems and jobs? New Orleans is not the only devastated city. Every place in this country where there is a large percentage of persons of color has its share of Jericho roads and victims left half dead. Apathy will promote the status quo; lethargy will wait for someone else to act; charity will send money into these depressed areas; love will send us into these depressed areas. Love will make sure that the Jericho road is no longer hazardous for anyone and that New Orleans will be the model city for integration and regional equity.
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