Community 4:12

My Reaction to Kony 2012

As the Director of the Compassion and Justice ministry at Community Christian Church, a few of our staff have asked me what I think of the viral explosion of the Kony 2012 movement.  (In case you haven't heard of it, you can watch the video here:  http://vimeo.com/37119711).

In response to that explosion, there has also been an explosion of criticism lobbied against International Children and the Kony initiative.  (You can read one such criticism--that is well presented and makes some excellent points that I agree with---here:  http://liferemixed.net/2012/03/08/reflections-on-kony-2012/).

And then, in response to those criticisms, International Children has issued this response:  http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html.

Not that I feel our staff needs my opinion to decide whether or not to support Kony 2012 or not, I love and appreciate that there is a desire to think about this critically and to look at things through a "When Helping Hurts" lens.  So, I shared the following response with them to read IF they were interested.  And I'll share it here for anyone interested in my opinion . . . and it is only that, my opinion.  I don't claim it as the typical "community development" position or as the "right" or "best" opinion.  It is simply my opinion as someone who deeply desires to see long and lasting restoration come to our world, as someone who deeply desires to see people move from apathy to engagement when it comes to issues of poverty and justice, and as a parent of teenagers hungry to make a difference in our world. 

I applaud the intention, the initiative, the call to action, and the inspiration of Kony 2012.  I believe that apathy and ignorance are two of the worst evils and biggest obstacles to overcoming poverty and injustice.  Kony 2012 is trying to blow both of those to smithereens.  Is Kony 2012, if successful, going to end injustice or really impact the horrible situation in Africa?  Even if it is, is it the most effective and helpful way to do so?  I would say possibly, and maybe even probably, not to both of those questions.  Does that mean we shouldn't get involved?  I would say no to that, too.  What I would hope, though, and what I am encouraging my own family to do, is not so much rally around the poster plastering on April 20th, as to use this as an opportunity to enter a passionate debate and dialogue and rally with others around the bigger issue of poverty and injustice and what our role and responsibility as human beings and as Christ followers is in these situations.  So, if people are organizing and planning "poster plastering" rallies and events, I would hope they will also include a time of discussion and reflection and a follow-up "debriefing/what do we do from here?" conversation.

The biggest tragedy to me in all of this will be if millions of people are mobilized and excited about Kony 2012 and April 20th, but then life goes back to "normal" by April 25th.  And the reality is that will probably happen for many if not most people who get involved.  But, if a few dozen or a few hundred or maybe even a few thousand people are inspired to move from apathy to long-term, thoughtful, smart engagement and involvement in poverty and justice issues, I will say it was a job well done.

 

All It Took Was a Team

For the past couple of years, I have received an email every month or so letting me know about the need for volunteers to help at citizenship workshops in the area.  These workshops help immigrants with green cards navigate the complicated process of applying for US citizenship.  In order for volunteers to help at a workshop, they understandably have to go through a training to learn about that complicated process.  Every time I received the email I would think, "I would really like to do this . . . I really should do this . . . it is such an important issue in my community."  But, alas, month after month it felt like I didn't have time to give both a Friday night and a Saturday, so it remained on the "should do" list.

Until this month. 

Last Friday night, most of us on the East Aurora Restore team attended the two hour training and then on Saturday went to East Aurora High School to help residents attending the workship fill out the long and rather confusing application.  It was a fantastic experience, and now that we have been trained, any of us can (and I am sure will) help at future workshops.

So, why was this month different?  What motivated me to take action after all this time?

Having a team to do it with.  And not because I was scared to go alone or felt intimidated by the process.  Doing it with a team was simply more fun and provided more accountability and incentive to move from thinking about doing it to actually doing it.

And that is exactly the reason we needed to form this East Aurora Restore Team.   Not because we need to come up with a grand new vision about how to impact our community.  But because as a Team, I believe we are 100% more likely to do all those things that as individuals we've been thinking we "should do" or "would like to do."  But, I do suspect that as we do those things we will develop a bigger vision for how we can impact our community. 

All it took to move from thinking to doing was having a team. 

Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.--Philippians 2:2

 

My Convenience = Their Oppression

I recently read this book that chronicles the experiences of five Latina immigrant mothers in Oakland, California as they become informed and engaged advocates for their children's education.  It has generated a lot of thought and reflection, but one statement in particular has really stuck with me:  "whites . . . have become so used to speaking for the 'Other' that they are not aware of how their speech silences those who most need to be heard. [There is] deep paternalism underlying many progressive change efforts initiated by whites, where people of color are spoken about, rather than invited to speak as experts of their own experience."

I know and believe in the value and importance of speaking "with" and not just "to" or "for" a community, but if I am really honest, I know this statement is true of me at times.  Not all the time, but there are times when it is easier and more convenient to "speak on their behalf" rather than coordinating challenging work schedules and getting translators when I am involved in meetings and discussions about programs and activities we are doing, or want to do, in the community.

This was a potent reminder that avoiding inconvenience fosters the exact kind of oppression we are working to alleviate.

Avoiding Segregation

A few weeks ago we did a message series at church called "Poverty in My Own Backyard" that was based on the book "When Helping Hurts."  One of the messages was titled, "Poverty of Community," and focused on the topic I blogged about recently . . . the idea that unless we have true friends that are different from us racially, culturally, economically, we are "poor" when it comes to community.  A friend just shared this very interesting exercise that she had to do for a college class that demonstrates that quite literally if each of us chose to be near just one person who is different from us, we could end segregation.  Check it out . . . http://www.understandingprejudice.org/segregation/.

Immigration--the Civil Rights Issue of Today

 
Four years ago my family moved from an upper-middle class, mostly Anglo neighborhood to a low-income, predominantly Hispanic community.  Four years ago, “illegal immigration” was a nameless, faceless issue.   Today, undocumented immigrants are neighbors, friends, and students in the third grade class my husband teaches at a local elementary school.  Enelda, Raul, Jose, and Rosa have made it impossible for me to think of immigration as simply a political and social issue anymore. (Names have been changed)

Enelda is part of a parent mentoring program I lead.  She has lived in America, undocumented, for almost 15 years.  Her children were born and raised here, and she and her husband have worked hard to help them get on a path out of poverty.  She was recently pulled over for driving with a burned out tail-light.  She was arrested on the spot for not having a driver’s license.  She sat in jail for three days and was then released with a court date to come back in three months, at which time she has been told she will most likely be deported back to Mexico.  Enelda & her husband have 3 months to decide whether they will all go back to Mexico, or whether Enelda will leave her children behind to pursue that “better life” for which they have worked so hard.

Raul is a sophomore at our local community college.  A talented artist, musician, and student, he was accepted at several excellent universities.   But, without papers, he is not eligible for financial aid.  So, he lives at home and is working his way through community college.  We all prayed recently that the Dream Act would pass so that Raul could have the opportunity to transfer to a university when he completes his AA this semester.  When Congress killed the Dream Act a few weeks ago, they killed Raul’s dreams of going to college and graduate school.

Jose recently had a friend drive him across the country to one of a couple of states in the nation that allows undocumented immigrants to get a drivers license, because he hated not being able to drive legally and get insurance.  He came to America as a child, and has lived a “secret” life ever since.  As a Christ-follower, he lives with the constant guilt of knowing he is breaking the law by being here.  But, to return to Mexico would be giving up everything and everyone he knows.  So, he prays for a pathway to legal residency while enduring the guilt and shame of knowing he is a “criminal” in the eyes of many.

Rosa was a third grader in my husband’s class last year.  Part way through the year, she started having trouble concentrating and was often teary-eyed.  When Scott approached her, she shared that she was afraid to go home each day because she might find out that her mother had been sent back to Mexico.  Reading and math became irrelevant to her . . . all she could think about was loosing her mom.

I know there are countless Eneldas, Rauls, Joses, and Rosas in my community and around this country.  To many, they are simply illegal immigrants . . . and criminals.  But I just can’t believe that that is how Jesus sees them, or how he wants me to see them. Every day when I look around my neighborhood, I am more convinced that our immigration policies are broken.  Daily I must watch God’s children suffer the consequences for our lack of urgency in addressing this broken system, and I can’t help but think we are not loving our neighbors as Jesus would.

To learn more about the plight of undocumented immigrants, go to http://UnDocumented.tv

An Hour/Week

 

It only takes an hour/week to be a Buddy or a Mentor to kids in East Aurora. One hour that just might impact YOU more than you could ever imagine. That hour will also impact the kids you work with. But, don't do it just for them. Do it for you. Do it for the chance to see the world through the eyes of children whose main meal is the unhealthy lunch they get at school, or who do not have parents who speak English to help them with their homework, or who will be encouraged to spend less time studying and more time working to earn money to help support the family.

So often we serve with the goal of making a difference in the lives of the poor. But what usually ends up happening is that our eyes and hearts begin to see things a little differently. We very well may make a difference to the particular children we work with. But, we make a bigger difference in the lives of the poor in general as we become a voice that speaks out against the unhealthy lunches kids get at school or that speaks out for living wage jobs so parents can support their families and kids can stay in school.

You might read about opportunties Community 4:12 offers and think, "What can an hour/week possibly do?"

I do what I do, because 13 years ago I took my infant son and spent an hour/week with a woman named Millie who lived in a low-income nursing home in Baltimore. Millie opened my eyes to poverty and racism and classism that I had only read about in books. I believe my time with Millie each week helped me to see the world a little more like God sees it. Millie changed the way I thought and the things I cared about.

So, you ask, "What can an hour/week possibly do?"

It can change your life.

 

Harlem Children's Zone

 Over the past few weeks, I've learned about about a few different models for working in under-resourced communities.  The one that keeps rising to the surface is The Harlem Children's Zone.  Obviously the size and scope of what they do is a bit overwhelming, but I love the philosophy and relentless commitment to providing a "safety net" for kids 0 - 18 so there is no way they can "slip through the cracks."  While HCZ attempts to do that themselves, I wonder what it would look like to rally many different organizations and ministries around that common vision, with each of us "owning a piece" of it.  Definitely lots to think about and consider as we continue to evaluate and plan our next steps in Aurora.  Clikc here for an interesting article about the Harlem Children's Zone in the New York Times Magazine.

Random Thoughts from Leadership Summit 2009

Spent the past two days being inspired and challenged at the Willowcreek Leadership Summit.  Some great speakers, and for more details on what some of them had to say, check out Dave Ferguson's blog.  But here are some random thoughts churning around in my head . .  .

• "A leader's main job is to mobilize, connect, and support." --Gary Hamel
• "Relationships trump vision" and "the third culture leader leads from the fringe" and "obedience is more important than passion" --Dave Gibbons
• "How we perceive Africa is how we respond to Africa."  "We need to change the way we portray Africa---look at it as a country of entrepreneurs and opportunity."  "The best kindness you can show is helping Africans help themselves."--Andrew Rugasira
• Wess Stafford's story and how he has used what Satan intended for evil to change the lives of millions of children through Compassion International.
• Bono's praise for how the church has responded to the global crisis of poverty and Aids over the past three years since he first criticized us for doing nothing at a previous Leadership Summit.  We still have a long ways to go, but we are making progress.

Movement towards Diversity

I spent part of this week at the Exponential Conference in Orlando with about 3,000 church planters and leaders.  This was my second year at the conference, and I have to say I walked away feeling quite encouraged this year.  I sensed an emerging desire to make diversity an intentional priority in the predominantly white, male driven culture of church planting.  Granted the majority of church planters attending were still white and almost all male, the speaker line up did have ethnic (but not gender) diversity, and there was a whole tract devoted to multi-ethnic church planting that was quite well attended.  And then today I see this recent post on Dave Ferguson's blog about women church-planters and the buzz emerging around that issue.  What do you think?  Is real change on the horizon?

God is on the Move

Tonight we unveiled this beautiful mural, designed by Angela Malloy and painted by Angela and Obe and Jack Arellano, at the Lighthouse at our Neighborhood Team dinner.  The evening was designed to give CCC attenders an opportunity to hear more about the vision and dreams we have for our work in East Aurora.  About 160 people gathered in our new downtown space.  We ate, we sang worship songs in Spanish and English, we prayed, we talked about our dreams, and then we gave people an opportunity to make a "pre-commitment"--letting us know what they anticipate giving during our annual Celebration Generosity offering that will take place March 14th & 15th.  Last year, through that offering, Community 4:12 raised a little over $75,000.  Tonight, 38 families pledged almost $40,000.  By all objective and worldly standards, our country is in an economic crisis.  But, clearly, God's economy is not measured by worldly standards.  All I can say is, "God is on the move!"  I am so glad I am along for the ride, and especially glad that so many of you are on the ride, too!  And if you aren't, come on and join us---you might find that it's even more fun than Disney World!