intersections

Fear, Freedom and the Problem with Certainty

Cross-posted at the Spectrum Blog.

I am increasingly aware that behind so many of the debates that happen on this blog (and most others) and behind most of the theological and administrative hand-wringing that is, I guess, an irreducible part of Adventist life, is fear. Fear of the other, fear of a loss of identity, fear of a loss of “ground” that has been gained over many years through difficult debates. This fear is not the exclusive provenance of the conservative part of the church, though, by definition, conservatives are “conserving” the past and by their own admission are fearful or anxious that the traditional ways are being lost. Believe it or not, I am sympathetic with their concern. Liberals or progressives or [insert favorite euphemism here] are also fearful; fearful of a new inquisition or retrenching, or being excluded or whatever. Suffice it to say, there is enough fear to go around.

NEW BOOK: The Promise of Peace

There's a new book out from Pacific Press that I highly recommend. I had the chance to review the manuscript before it was published and write a blurb for it. Here's what I wrote:

Charles Scriven's The Promise of Peace will give hope to a new generation of Adventists who desperately long to re-appropriate their faith and traditions in a way that gives meaning to their lives and helps them shape a more peaceful and just world. I will be using this book with all my new members.

I just got my copy in the mail, but I plan to order a bunch more. After all, I have to make good on my promise!

Order yours here!

Pray for Baha'i Prisoners of Conscience

On Wednesday night I had the privilege of representing the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the Interreligious Council (IRC), along with 4 other IRC members at a special prayer gathering at the Los Angeles Baha'i Center. The purpose of this gathering was to raise awareness about and pray for the seven leaders of the Baha'i Faith in Iran (pictured above). These individuals have been held in prison for 9 months without being charged and without access to legal council. Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Laureate, is serving as legal council for the accused but she has not been allow access to her clients.

Just last week they were finally charged with "espionage for Israel, insulting sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic." The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom stated in their February 13 report, "The accusation of "spying" against these five men and two women is contrived, and has been used as a pretext to persecute Baha'is for more than three quarters of a century."

In my brief comments to the large crowd that assembled at the Los Angeles Baha'i Center I read an excerpt from an Official Statement of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists entitled, "Religious Minorities and Religious Freedom: A Statement of Commitment and Concern"

Throughout history religious minorities have often been subject to discrimination and outright persecution. Today religious intolerance and prejudice are again on the rise. Notwithstanding the affirmation of the freedom of everyone to hold and disseminate religious views and to change one's religion--an affirmation sustained in the United Nations instruments and documents comprising an "International Bill of Rights"--many countries deny this right to their citizens....

In support of Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments, and in harmony with its beliefs and its history, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is fully committed to promote, defend, and protect religious freedom for everyone, everywhere. To that end, we will continue to cooperate with the United Nations Human Rights Commission and other international agencies and religious organizations to encourage every nation to implement the fundamental right of religious freedom. In addition, we will continue to promote dialogue and better understanding between governmental authorities and people who belong to religious minorities.

I was proud to stand with my colleague, Randy Dobbs, in support of his community at this time of crisis and to know that my religious community, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has a rich tradition of religious liberty. After the jump you can read an incredible Baha'i prayer that was read at the service.

Please consider taking some action on behalf of these Baha'i in Iran who are being held unjustly and face execution if convicted.

Click here to learn how you can help and please spread the word!

The Ordinary Radicals

To learn more about The Ordinary Radicals, click here. h/t - Kori Galvan

Calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Southern Israel

I have been privileged to be a part of the Abrahamic Faiths Peacemaking Initiative for the past year or so. Recently the group met to discuss our response to the violence that is destroying the lives of thousands of people in Southern Israel and the Gaza Strip. These are difficult conversations. Imagine religious leaders from the Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities in the Los Angeles area talking face-to-face about this. The conversation got intense at times, but was always repectful because of the relationships that have been forged over the years. We are not playing at the edges of interfaith conversation. This is really work!

Below is a portion of the statement we drafted that was released at a press conference this morning. I am honored to be a signor.

“We have inherited a big house, a great ‘world house’ in which we have to live together - black and white, Easterners and Westerners, Gentiles and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Moslem and Hindu, a family unduly separated in ideas, culture, and interests who, because we can never again live without each other, must learn, somehow, in this one big world, to live with each other.

– Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Peace Prize Lecture 1964

As Christians, Jews, and Muslims, heirs to the great legacy of Abraham, we affirm that all human beings are created in the image of God. We do not discriminate when violence is directed against innocents or when rage, fear and recrimination disturb the quiet of our streets.

As a multireligious community concerned about the security of Israel and the Palestinians, we join with those who seek not only an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire but also a commitment to find new avenues of reconciliation rooted in our shared values of healing, justice, and mercy.

Let us be clear about our immediate priority: the dire human suffering in Gaza and southern Israel must be brought to a swift end.

Read the whole thing here.

Israel and Gaza, part 2

With the ground invasion that began just after the end of the Sabbath (Jan 3), the situation in Gaza is worsening (see video after the jump).

Here are a few more links that will help to inform you about the crisis that is unfolding in Israel and Gaza. My first post on this issue is here.

Parents Circle - Families Forum (official statement)
You might recall that a few weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting Robi Damelin, who is Israeli, and Ali Abu Awwad, who is Palestinian. They both work with PCFF. You can also learn about their work from the documentary Encounter Point or Speaking of Faith episode, "No More Taking Sides." In fact, this interview, between Krista Tippett, Robi and Ali should be REQUIRED listening right now.

Once again the South is caught in the carnage of war, creating a new wave of families to join the dreadful club of bereavement.  Hundreds of dead and wounded.  These people will never be the same, not only physically, but also trauma will leave its ugly mark.

 

The Parents Circle - Families  Forum for peace an reconciliation is convinced that:

1. The solution to the conflict will not come from violence, but rather from dialog and negotiation.
2. Only a true and durable peace will be the cure for the pains of our two societies, and end bereavement which is the consequence of war.
3. Reconciliation between the two peoples is the only guarantee for a lasting peace.
4. Reconciliation is possible,  we prove this in the daily work of the Parents Circle - Families Forum, and we offer our work as an example to all with the motto: "If we can, everybody can".

New Israel Fund
Members of the NIF family...have placed an ad in Haaretz with the headline: “Civilians are Not Cannon Fodder. Not in Gaza. Not in Sderot.” The ad lists the number of dead and wounded in Gaza and Israel.

Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Check out their action alert here.

J Street
J Street is the political art of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement." (from the website - read more).
Check out their action campaign here.

Muslim Public Affairs Council
I have many dear friends from the interfaith work at MPAC. I think their statement is very important, from the Muslim side of things (here).

If the video fails to load, click here.

24: To watch or not to watch?

I've been watching the TV series, 24, since it started 6 years ago. But now, with season 7 starting in one week, and after hearing an increasing chorus of criticism that 24 amounts to "torture on TV," I'm wondering, should Christians be watching 24?

What does it mean to watch it? Is it necessarily an endorsement? What does it mean to not watch it? Also, in my possession, from Blockbuster.com, are two films I'm planning to watch this month: Paradise Now (seems like a good time to watch this) and Taxi to the Dark Side.

So, with one week to go before the start of season 7, I'm inviting you to weigh in. Do you plan to watch? Why or why not? Have you had a similar concern about 24?

Please leave your comments below and vote on the right sidebar.

Wading Into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

As you know, Elysabeth and I were in Israel earlier this month. We never went anywhere near the Gaza Strip, but we did drive up and down the Jordan River and right up next the border between Israel and Lebanon and Syria. The only time we entered the Occupied Palestinian Territories was to visit Bethlehem (O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie?) Our guide gave us quite the lesson in modern Israeli history. Needless to say, the violence between Israel and the Palestinians that we have been hearing about for the last 5 days or so has been deeply disturbing to me and I've been trying to read anything I can get my hands on.

While I am terribly unqualifed to speak with any authority on Middle East politics, I want to share with you what I am reading that I have found helpful in the hopes that you will also find these resources helpful.

What's Next on Gaza/Israel and Why Americans Should Care, by Daniel Levy
I've read a lot of articles and blog posts on this issue in the past few days but this is the single best piece I've read on the recent conflict and many of the historical and political reasons behind it. Yes, I realize it's from the Huffington Post and that some of you will be turned off by this fact alone, but consider for a minue that Daniel Levy has worked under several Israeli Prime Ministers. His bio is here.

Anti-Semites and Israel's assault on Gaza
I found this piece through Bill Cork's blog. This comes from a strongly pro-Israel source but strikes me a pretty balanced piece.

Brian McLaren shares a couple emails he's received from an Israeli friend in Palestine
Here and here.

The Christian Century on the blockade of Gaza.

Here's two sides (here and here) of the argument from The Chrisitan Science Monitor.

Ressurrecting Empire, by Rashid Khalidi
This is a book I'm reading right now, at the recommendation of my friend Doug Morgan. It is a great overview and history of the West's "involvement" (interference would be a better word) in the Middle East. It's craming a lot of history into a small space, so I'm not sure I'm retaining all the fine points, but it's a good primer on Mid-east politics and history.

My Analysis
This is my very simplistic and amateur analysis.
1. Hamas is an enormous problem. Right now they seem to be the present cause of the violence. Their persistent firing of rockets into Israel over the past several years is terrorizing and provocative and Israel feels duty bound to respond.

2. The Israeli government has been maintaining what amounts to a siege on Gaza, prohibiting the flow of basic resources such as food, medical supplies and electricity and sanitation, which has created a serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

3. Hamas places is military establishments in residential areas, however what occurs to me is this (and I haven't read this in any article up until now). There are 1.5 million people who live on the 139 square mile piece of land known as the Gaza Strip, which makes it one of the most densely populated places in the world. No matter where you locate military establishments, you our bound to be nearby civilian neighborhoods.

4. Why are the Israelis targeting police stations and police graduation ceremonies if their target is Hamas? (This is an actual question).

5. Here's the bottom line for me: Israel's response is not making Israel more secure, which is ostensibly their goal. On the left sidebar of this blog, just under my picture, is a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that I believe with all by being.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.... The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

The Israeli government has the 5th strongest military in the world, backed by the single strongest military in the world. The world needs Israel to be a leader in the Middle East, not a retaliatory sibling. Yes, Israel is being bullied. Yes, Hamas is a destructive regime bent on destroying Israel. But we need Israel to show restraint and most of all, leadership, in creating a new reality in the region. I know this sounds naive, and maybe it is, but the Prince of Peace who we Christians claim to follow, calls us to nothing less. And it seems to me that the survival of the planet demands that someone stand up and be the leader.

So, I hope that you will join me in first of all praying for an end to this insane conflict. As of today 390 Palestinians have died, 60 of them civilians (according to the LA Times). Israel has rejected a call for a truce and seems prepared to engage a ground conflict any day now. Nothing good can come from this. Nothing!

Second, support organizations like CARE who are trying to save people's lives.

Third, learn all you can about the history of the Middle East and understand the problems on all sides.

Take Action
Abrahamic Faiths Peacemaking Initiative
This is an organization I am very proud to say I am a part of. The organizing committee for this group just met to lay plans Memorial Day 2009. Stay tuned!

Churches for Middle East Peace
I haven't worked with this group before, but it seems like a something good you might want to check out.

Dear Mr. President - P!nk

My friend Kori told me about this song this afternoon. Yeah, I apparently live a sheltered life. Take a listen (and a look).

Obviously one man is not responsible for all the problems in the world, but he sure bears a great deal of the responsibility. I heard one speaker recently say that George Bush should be remembered as the president who revoked generations of law protecting prisoners, suspended habeas corpus and authorized the use of torture. How can he sleep at night?

Frankly, I think this is a song for any president. Just because we have a new president taking office in just a few days, the same questions must be asked. Hopefully the answers we get in future will be more humane.

Finally, we all need to hear this song addressed to us. We are culpable by the choices we make. How can we sleep at night?

Talking with Robi Damelin and Ali Abu Awwad

Yesterday I had the incredible privilege to sit with two modern-day heroes, Robi Damelin and Ali Abu Awwad (pictured above). Robi's son, David, was killed by a Palestinian sniper. Ali's brother was shot by an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint at the edge of his village in the occupied Palestinian territories. They are featured in the 2006 documentary, Encounter Point, which tells the story of the Parents Circle-Families Forum, where they are active leaders.

Before the meeting started I approached Robi and extended my hand. She greeted me warmly and said, "I'm Robi." I said something like, "Yes I recognize you," which seemed to surprise her (I'm not sure why. She's become quite famous). She asked me who I was and what Seventh-day Adventists were. After an awkward and stumbling explanation she smiled and said words I'll never forget, "I don't care what religion you are as long at it makes you into a human being." This seems exactly right to me. But I also realize that this is not an uncomplicated statement. Many would be quick to point out that it is naive in it's liberal idealism. This remark from Robi was juxtaposed against my recent reading of Carl Raschke's latest book, GloboChrist. I read more than half the book when it first came out at the beginning of the summer and then put it down for a variety of reasons. I just finished it a few minutes before heading over to Stephen S. Wise Temple for this meeting. Still ringing in my ears were these works of Raschke:

The only way Christianity can hope to succeed against Islam in today's global context is to put aside the secularist project altogether.... Christianity today must become far more radial than it has ever imagined (114).

Though we do not need to conceive of a Christian jihad, mainly because it would be instantly misconstrued, Augustine's point is something of which Christians need to remind themselves. The fulfillment of the Great Commission will not be without struggle. The struggle is ultimately a spiritual one, but it is real, it is contemporary, and it will become more intense as the years wear on. Through dialogue, Muslims and Christians may come come to agree on common points of their mutual Abrahamic faiths, but the differences will always outweigh the similarities. The differences make the difference. Islam is founded on an absolutely objectivist revelation that we either accept or reject. Christianity is founded on a revelation in the person of Jesus, to whom we give the whole of our life and being.... We are engaged not so much in a struggle for the doctrinal truth of our faith as in a struggle to manifest the presence of Christ in what we know as the radical relationality that is at the heart of our commitment to the One who gave his life for each of us and for others (115).

In these statements, and in the next chapter, Raschke depicts an inevitable "collision of eschatologies." I am troubled by these things. Why does Christianity have to succeed AGAINST Islam? Why must religion be a zero-sum game? I am not suggesting a relativism in which every belief and every practice is equally valid. There are genuine problems with both the Christian Bible and the Qur'an. But Raschke himself admits that the Mahdist tradition upon which much of militant Islamism is based is not even a part of the Qur'an.

As I sat with Robi and Ali in a small, intimate setting with 20 other religious leaders from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and B'ahai faiths, talking about religious and political conflict, and as I thought about Robi's definition of good religion as that which makes you into a human being, I wondered again about the value of our various exclusive truth claims. Must the other "lose" in order for me to "win?" Why do we persist in talking about our faith in terms of winning and losing?

Toward the end of our time together Ali said, "It's so easy to be right. Everyone is right. What is difficult is to be honest." The Parents Circle believes that honesty and conversation is the way to peace in their war torn country. Even for me, their honesty was shocking and refreshing.

Huge thanks to my friend, Rabbi Ron Stern, for making this possible and hosting this conversation at his congregation, Stephen S. Wise Temple.

MORE:

• I first heard of Robi and Ali and the Parents Circle from the amazing radio show, Speaking of Faith, with Krista Tippett. You can hear that remarkable interview for yourself and read more about their story here. THIS IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO UNDERSTAND THEIR STORY!
• Check out the website for the documentary, Encounter Point, and watch the trailer. The doc is available on Netflix.com.