John Perkins' story is framed by pain and social injustice. Though many of us reading this history today find it difficult to imagine a society in which racial discrimination was so blatant and wide-spread, in New Hebron this oppression had become accepted as a way of life by many Whites and Blacks.
For many Whites, Perkins writes, "Here on Main Street, a quick, almost casual swipe of the nightstick was a standard reminder of who was boss in New Hebron. So, when in town, blacks had to weigh every word and action. Young blacks especially, even without any particular grudge, could run afoul of the law in the most ordinary situations" (18-19).
In response, many Blacks, also shaped by the oppressive system, had determined that it might be easier to go along with the system rather than to challenge it. "But other blacks just didn't want to talk, and it wasn't just a matter of fear. It's hard to describe, really, but when you've spent your whole lifetime with limited opportunities, spent your whole lifetime being told your place is at the bottom – that entire mixture helps create a low image of yourself. After awhile, assertiveness or anger or whatever it's called just sort of dries up, like a muscle that never gets used" (23).
In Chapter 2 John meets his father, an important moment for a young person faced with the humiliation of being fatherless. "You see, that teasing I had talked about – about fathers, I understood it enough even at my age, to call him "Daddy" instead of "Uncle" – the usual term kids had to use for the man they resembled and who occasionally showed up with their mothers" (29).
As you think about the ministry you're involved in, or the communities in which you've served,
What challenges or pain have shaped your own experience?
What pain do you observe in the communities around you? How have people responded?
How does pain or challenge inform your desire to serve?
I think I have had it fairly easy growing up especially in contrast to Perkins' childhood. But we all experience pain and challenges in life and for me I had particulary sharp pain my senior year of high school. My parents have been having difficulties over the past couple years, and last year I fell into a depression. I really just wanted to give up on everything. Nothing seemed to have value. Even God. Looking back I see how He was guiding me through that entire time, but I sure felt alone. I think loneliness may be one of the greatest problems in America. Especially suburban America. There is little visible suffering: crime and poverty are low, but people are still suffering. For me, one of the greatest things about coming to SPU has been that I don't feel alone. I feel connected; I feel loved at SPU. I would like to spread this connection, to spread this love. Meeting people's tangible needs is great, but I think at the heart of service is making people known, being a friend to them, showing them that they have value in your eyes and that they are not alone.
ReplyDeleteI read a book, "Death by Suburb" (http://www.deathbysuburb.net/) a few years ago, addressing the loneliness problem Scott talks about. It's worth the time if you have a few minutes this summer and don't mind feeling a little like a soccer parent when people see you reading it at Starbucks...
ReplyDeleteI think you've really touched on a pertinent issue Scott. I myself have felt this bi-product of suburban life, and I think that is a result of how the modern family is structured and the different ways in which we isolate ourselves from community. Although it is good to be intimate with our immediate family, we have put far too much emphasis on it to the point that we have closed off the opportunity to fellowship with our neighbors. Whatever happaned to the "neighbor whose got your back" mentality that still exists in rural african villages and other areas around the world? I often wonder what it would be like to live in a place where the community/neighborhood in which you live plays an active role in the protection and nurturing of children, strives for shared purpose while finding strength in diversity, and works collaboratively to solve problems. I know this already happens to a certain extent in churches, schools, towns, organizations, etc all over the nation, but I'm referring to a deeper sense of belonging that can only be had when you share in the hardships and joys of your neighbors and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteReturning to Ethiopia with my mom 7 years ago, I saw that I was very fortunate to have parents that were willing to come to America as God opened the doors for us in 1996. Looking at the lifestyle and struggles of my family members and even the youth of Ethiopia abroad, I realize that my life here is very fortunate and the opportunities that I have now would be drastically different if I didn’t have the years of education here. Out of this the challenges and pain that shape me the most are through the things that I witness that others have to suffer through. When I see the injustices people experience in our community and world, I begin to not feel guilty about the life that I live but I become more conscious of the gifts that God has given me.
ReplyDeleteRecently I went to a MiiR documentary showing and Pastor Cho (from Quest Church) stated that it is okay to have our fancy gadgets, money, etc., but we have to be conscious and aware that we are also called to use our wealth to bring light to many as we see fit in our faith and in our lives. For MiiR and One Days Wages it is to bring clean water to sustain life throughout the remote regions of the world – in my life – I don’t exactly know what that means just yet, but I know it is to help those who are rejected, persecuted, and alone so that they may see who God created them to be so that they may live full lives.
My “conclusion” to pain for now is that it is not normal and I shouldn’t become comfortable with it. But I shouldn’t also become unaware of it that it doesn’t motivate me to act. When there is pain, that means that I have identified a need, I now feel the need, and then I will be moved with compassion to act (feel, see, and act). That is what I personally see as what it means for me to be a compassionate Christian who listens and acts the Word of God. Nothing too complicated, I guess ;)