Culture, language, and race

This will probably sound like quite a rant for first thing on a Monday morning, but this post on Jenny's blog made my blood boil!

Let me perhaps backtrack a bit so as to put things in context.

Part of the richness that is South Africa is the way in which so many different cultures can call this beautiful land home. The fact that we have 11 (yes, eleven!) official languages is a reflection of this diversity. However, the architects of apartheid did their level best to keep the various cultures apart, and we are still reaping this 15 years after democracy.

Sadly, the Church has similarly been split on racial and cultural lines. For this reason, when we are stationed as Phase One probationers, we are placed in cross-cultural settings so that we can gain exposure to other cultures, and (hopefully) an appreciation thereof.

Now I'm not sure if it's the legacy of apartheid, or the arrogance of being English, or both, but unfortunately while most black people are able to speak English, very few whiteys can speak Xhosa, Sesotho, or Zulu (the main indigenous languages, together with Afrikaans). And this can sometimes make communication difficult.

I have mentioned in previous posts how important it is for us to try and understand each other, and (if possible) learn another language. As it turned out, my own station is in a historically coloured area where the main language spoken is Afrikaans - a language that I understand and can speak as well although on a fairly rudimentary level. I struggle with the Afrikaans words for "sanctification", for instance. What am I talking about? I struggle with simpler concepts such as "steward" or "offering", so I usually announce that "die stewards gaan nou die offering opneem" :-).But others (such as Jenny) are placed in a Xhosa context, and although she tries valiantly to say a few sentences, her Xhosa education is very much a "work-in-progrress" and greeting someone in Xhosa is a far cry from being able to conduct a meeting and participate therein.

And herein lies the rub. That the minority of us are unable to communicate with the majority in their own language is a travesty. Having said that, we ARE trying - we really are! And yes - it IS arrogant to expect everyone to communicate with me in MY language if I am not prepared to attempt to communicate in theirs. I remember going to a Local Preachers' Convention about two years ago, and even though the proceedings were conducted largely in Xhosa, I was grateful to those sitting next to me for giving me a basic rundown of the proceedings in English.

I also firmly believe that one needs to respect another's language and culture, and make every effort to understand both. I have on many occasion said that, for the most part, the cultural practices of others are not wrong - they're just different. However, such respect needs to be mutual. It is therefore reasonable to expect others to try to understand my culture as well, and where I am coming from.

Sometimes I get the feeling that the whole thing of "respecting one another's culture" becomes a convenience thing. For instance, it's okay for me to get crapped out if I make a decision (in good faith) on behalf of others, because the predominant cultural norm is one of "consensus" decision-making. But if one of the others goes ahead and makes a similar decision without consulting the others, then it's okay. And if a group of white ministers want to form an exclusive grouping based on skin colour, that would be (quite correctly) be branded as racist, but for a group of black ministers to be part of such a grouping (i.e. the Black Methodist Consultation), that's okay. And if a minister is chairing a meeting in English, heaven help her if there is no-one on hand to interpret, but if she is excluded by the others, then that's okay.

Well, guess what - it's NOT okay! And I'm flipping annoyed that a dear friend and colleague of mine had to be embarrassed in the way that she was.

One of my Phase One colleagues is continually berating the rest of us for wanting to hide or "run away" from issues of race. And that may be true. But if we want to be honest and really tackle race in a sincere manner, then we need to tackle it in ALL directions. Because ALL groups - white, black, coloured, asian, you name it - are capable of being racist. And if racism is wrong, then it's WRONG - REGARDLESS of in which "direction" it's being perpetrated!

Some of the Phase Ones of 2009

See if you can spot the coloured minister!
:-)

Barry Marshall - turning the other cheek

Yesterday morning we had a staff meeting in which we discussed Jesus' instruction to His followers to "turn the other cheek". This instruction is hotly debated, as people often see this as a sign of submission - almost as though christians are expected to roll over and play dead in the face of adversity.

But Baden offered a different take on this concept, indicating that in Jewish custom, if a person struck you across the face with the back of the hand, this was a sign of contempt. Turning the other cheek therefore meant that the person being hit was actually standing up to their attacker, in effect saying that if the person is to strike them, then do so as an equal.

I was immediately taken back to a discussion that we had in one of our Phase One sessions earlier this year, when Barry Marshall (our District Supervisor of Studies) was taking us through an exegetical exercise using this very same subject of turning the other cheek. And I remember Barry's strong statement that turning the other cheek is not an act of weakness, but one of strength - where the person being struck is standing tall with dignity.

Having spoken about Barry in the morning, I felt as though I had been slapped across the face when I heard the sad news that Barry's life had been tragically cut short in a boating accident.

I didn't know Barry that well, and most of my contact with him was through his blog and posts on various discussion groups. He enjoyed a good argument. Brash and arrogant to some, he stood up strongly for what he believed, "turning the other cheek" to his detractors. And, like Jenny, I would have liked to have got to know Barry better as a person. Because if our exegesis classes proved anything about Barry's character, it's that he can have a good ol' ding-dong argument with you and still be friends afterwards. One can learn SO much from a person like that!

So take some time to read through some of the posts on Barry's blog. You may not necessary agree with everything he has written, but one thing's for sure - he makes you think! And that legacy will live on.

"b", you will be sorely missed!

What Methodists believe

People sometimes ask me what the core beliefs of Methodists are. I found this on the World Methodist Council's website, which sums up our core beliefs quite nicely.

Wesleyan Essentials of Christian Faith

THE PEOPLE CALLED METHODISTS
* The "people called Methodists" form a family of churches within the World Methodist Council.
* We claim and cherish our true place in the one holy, catholic and apostolic church.
* Our origins lie in the work of John and Charles Wesley in 18th century England which quickly spread to every comer of the world.
* The purpose of this work and ministry was, and is, to renew the Church and spread scriptural holiness whichincludes social righteousness throughout the whole earth, to the glory of the one God, Father, Son, and HolySpirit.
* We confess that often we have failed to live up to this high calling, and we repent of the times when our witness has distorted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Trusting in the grace of God, we engage ourselves anew in God's service.

OUR BELIEFS
We affirm a vision of the Christian faith, truly evangelical, catholic and reformed, rooted in grace and active in the world.
* Methodists affirm the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the primary rule of faith and practice and the center of theological reflection.
* Methodists profess the ancient ecumenical creeds, the Apostles' and Nicene Creed.
* Methodists seek to confess, to interpret and to live the apostolic faith, the faith once delivered to the saints.
* Methodists acknowledge that scriptural reflection is influenced by the processes of reason, tradition and experience, while aware that Scripture is the primary source and criteria of Christian doctrine.
* Methodists rejoice in the loving purpose of God in creation, redemption and consummation offered through grace to the whole world.
* Methodists believe in the centrality of grace; prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying.
* Methodists believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the sufficiency of His atoning work for all humankind.
* Methodists believe that we "are the friends of all and the enemies of none."

OUR WORSHIP
We worship and give allegiance to the Triune God.
* In worship, we respond in gratitude and praise for God's mighty acts in creation, in history, in our communities, and in our personal lives.
* In worship, we confess our sin against God and one another and receive God's gracious forgiveness.
* In prayer, we wait in God's presence, offer the searchings and longings of our own hearts, for ourselves and in intercession for others, and open ourselves to God's Spirit to comfort, lead, and guide.
* In the celebration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, we participate in the mystery of God's presence, redemption and reconciliation.
* In reading, proclaiming and receiving the Gospel, we affirm God's creating and saving power.
* From worship we go into the world to love and serve others and to be instruments of justice and peace in the establishment of God's reign on earth.
* The language and form of worship emerge from the community through obedience to Jesus Christ and the creative power of the Holy Spirit.
* We inherit the treasury of the Wesley's hymns, with a hymnody now enriched from many other sources.

OUR WITNESS
* We proclaim Jesus Christ to the world through word, deed and sign.
* We seek the realization of God's will for the salvation of humankind.
* We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be signs of Christ's presence in our communities and in the world through our preaching, teaching, and in deeds of justice, peace, mercy, and healing as the outworking of faith.
* We witness to God's reign among us now, as proclaimed by Jesus, and look forward to the full realization of the coming Kingdom when every form of evil will be destroyed.
* We seek to understand and respond to the contexts and situations in which we live, so that our witness will have integrity.

OUR SERVICE
* We serve the world in the name of God, believing that our commitment comes to life in our actions, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
* As followers of Jesus of Nazareth, who came to serve rather than be served, we go into the world as people of God in Christ Jesus, to serve people, regardless of their economic and social status, race, gender, age, physical and mental ability, sexuality, religion or cultural origin.
* Being "filled with the energy of love," we anchor our service and our life and work in love for our neighbors, including those we perceive as our enemies.
* Since all forms of Christian service are influenced by a given context of community and culture, we seek to express our love in appropriate ways.
* The life of holiness holds together conversion and justice, works of piety and works of mercy.
* Empowered by God, authentic Christian service is based on Scripture, tested in community, affirms life and seeks the shalom of God's reign.
* Recalling the story of the Samaritan (Luke 10:25), we express and claim compassion for all people and accept the call in Christ to "suffer with" the least of these in humility and love.

OUR COMMON LIFE
* We share a commitment to Jesus Christ that manifests itself in a common heart and life, binding believers together in a common fellowship and anticipating solidarity within the human family.
* Having experienced the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a liberating power from all oppression, we stand in solidarity with all people who seek freedom, peace and justice.
* Knowing that the love we share in Christ is stronger than our conflicts, broader than our opinions, and deeper than the wounds we inflict on one another, we commit ourselves to participation in our congregations, denominations and the whole Christian family for the purpose of nurture, outreach and witness.
* Remembering our Gospel commitment to "love our neighbors," we will, through dialogue and partnerships for service to the world, endeavor to establish relationships with believers of other religious traditions.

Adopted by the World Methodist Council
Rio de Janeiro, August 13, 1996.

Economics, maps, faith, and ecology

This is the title of a recent post over on Dion Forster's blog. Well, actually, it's main title is "Please Don't Click This Link", which (human nature being what it is), we all immediately click, don't we!

Since the economy, financial management, and stewardship is something I want to do a doctorate on some day, I found the maps representing physical land mass, distribution of wealth, presence of Christians, and HIV prevalence particulary interesting (and sobering).

This quote from Dion's post also provides food for thought: "[I]f we spent just 10% (190bn US$) of the annual world budget for military expenditure (1235bn US$) we could BOTH restore the earth's natural resources (cleaning up our water, replanting trees, creating environmentally friendly and more sustainable energy source), AND meet the basic water, sanitation, education and health care needs of the whole world! Just 10%..."

It's not about resources, but priorities - and we as Christians have much to answer for.

Noise!

This evening I lost it a bit with my fellow Phase Ones, because they were being a bit noisy in their chatter. Curiously, though, I'm not quite sure why the raucousness is bothering me now, when it hasn't been an issue for the past eight months.

Maybe the fact that I'm feeling a little low right now is part of it (see previous post). The other problem is that while some of us are trying to get some work done, others who have different work habits are using the same time slot to blow off some steam.

On the other hand, the thought of being at College next year and having to deal with the noise of campus life - especially if it's after 8:30 on a school night - is bothering me, because I can't see my family and I putting up with two years of that.

I REALLY need to stop feeling so negative about College. If I'm sent, then I'll go, and there is an undoubted opportunity for academic and spiritual formation if I do go.

But then I look in the mirror and see the face of a 40-year-old man looking back at me, and I realise that I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a married man. I have a child of my own. I've also had my own house for 20 years, with nobody telling me what to do or who I can entertain or when I may or may not be away, and nobody yelling and getting raucous at all times of the day.

And that's what I'm going to have to put up with, for two years. All I want to do is to get on with the work of ministry. Campus life was cool 22 years ago - today, you can have it!

I'm getting too old for this!

Mood swings

It suddenly dawned on me that it's nearly two weeks since I posted anything on my blog, although I've been fairly active on the MCSA Yahoo group and Facebook. And one of the possible reasons is an attempt to focus on "issues", rather than what's actually going on with me at the moment.

Right now, I'm really getting a sense that "some days you're the bug, and other days you're the windscreen" - and my mood swings over the last two weeks are giving me cause for concern.

Certainly there's a great deal that I have cause to be thankful to God for:

- Firstly, I spent two amazing weeks with my wife and son. I know that I've missed them something terrible, but I didn't realise just how much. The downside, of course, is that today is (give or take a day or two) exactly three months before i see them again.

- Secondly, the last couple of days has seen a welcome turnaround in my financial situation as a result of my caravan finally being sold. This has resulted in me being able to pay off the final amount owing on my wife's car, which will ease the monthly cashflow a bit. While I've always managed to keep the wolf from the door, and my wife is not in any danger of having the toilet reposessed by the Johannesburg City Council just yet, it's been a tight eight months. Last month was particularly bad, with me having to ride my scooter for five days solid - even in the rain - because I couldn't afford to put petrol in my bakkie.

- Thirdly, even though the question of where I'm going to be stationed next year is still not settled, at least my son has confirmed places at schools in both Uitenhage and Pietermaritzburg.

So by all accounts, today should be a good day for me. Yet as I sat in the Communion service at North End this afternoon, I felt lower than the proverbial shark turd at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

The most disturbing thing is that I can't quite put a finger on any particular reason. Waiting for the Conference decision is certainly part of it, even though I've largely come to terms with the fact that "what will be, will be". And I guess that the thought of being at the Seminary next year, with all its rules and regulations, is somewhat unappealing to me as a married 40-year-old who is used to being able to make his own decisions. And the knowledge that, if I am stationed at the Seminary next year, my Superintendent will be under extreme pressure in the Circuit with one minister short (in the year in which he should be enjoying the "final approach" to retirement) also concerns me, not only for the Circuit, but for Bill personally as well.

But what broke me this afternoon in the service, as I closed my eyes in prayer, was the image of my 11-year-old son James on his knees next to his bed at night, saying, "Lord, please don't send Dad to college".

I know I need to wait for the final decision in three weeks' time. No doubt if Bill reads this post, he will sing another verse of "Abide With Me" when he sees me on Thursday. And if the Church chooses to send me to Seminary next year, God surely has a plan in that as well. But still - in my "balance sheet for 2010", the "Circuit" side is still outweighing the "College" side.

Eish...