May
26, 2014
Pastorgraphs: “The Heart of a Sojourner”
I shared
with many of you last week that I was honored to be selected by Sojourners
as one of 50 “Greatest Social Justice Leaders We've Never Heard Of”. Sojourners
has invited me to attend their inaugural Summit, “World Change Through Faith
and Justice” to be held at Georgetown University in Washington DC
next month.
I have long
been an admirer of Sojourners, a community started in the early 1970s by a
group of students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School whose motto is
“Faith in Action for Social Justice”.
In our
polarized world, no organization is as well-respected as Sojourners by liberals
and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans,
Protestants-Catholics-Evangelicals and most major faith groups. Jim Wallis,
founder of Sojourners and a New York Times best-selling author, often appears
on national talk shows when a word of wisdom is needed to cut through the banal
“talking points” of the left and right. Sojourners is “an influential voice at
the intersection of faith, politics and culture”.
Unfortunately
“social justice” has become a bad word for some. Not for me.
Social
justice is caring for the hungry, spiritually thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned
(in jails or bondages of their own making) and strangers (i.e., “sojourners”).
It is caring for the rights of women, widows and orphans. It is racial justice
and economic justice and environmental stewardship. It is understanding that
God is no discriminator of persons, so neither should we be. Social justice
means all men and women are created equally in the image of God. It means no
one should be cheated, segregated, disadvantaged or despised because of race,
color, creed, gender, national origin or any other artificial lines of
demarcation we draw to keep “us in” and “them out”.
A sojourner
is a stranger in a foreign land, an alien, or immigrant. The Lord God reminded
the children of Israel they were once sojourners in Egypt. At first, Pharaoh
welcomed Joseph and his family. But soon a new Pharaoh arose who knew not
Joseph. The Israelites were exploited, despised and enslaved. When God led the
Israelites out of Egypt into the land He promised would be theirs alone, He
instructed them to never lose “the heart of a sojourner”. “You shall not
oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners
in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9) It was an early version of The Golden
Rule.
My
ancestors have been in America since shortly after the Mayflower arrived.
George Washington’s city plan for the nation’s capital included using a plot of
ground then known as “Jenkins’ Hill” where the U.S. Capitol Building now stands
(“Capitol Hill”). I was born a sixth-generation Mississippi Jenkins. Although
my roots run deep in the soil of America, I’m a pilgrim; a wayfaring stranger.
I am a
sojourner in this land and life.
The invitation
from Sojourners affirms my life-long quest for social justice. It’s a tired old
story, but please suffer me one last recap. Growing up in Mississippi during
the Civil Rights Movement, my first impressions for social justice came when,
as a teenager, I tagged along with my father on his dry cleaning routes. That
provided some amazing father-son quality time. Since 90% of our customers were
Delta sharecroppers, I saw first-hand the disparity of opportunities. Pop and I
formed genuine friendships that transcended the racial tension of that time and
place. That prepared me to later accept the challenge of being the first white
student-teacher at an all-African American high school in the Mississippi
Delta. It changed the trajectory of my life and ministry.
When I
entered the ministry, it became apparent that the most segregated hour in
America was 11:00 AM on Sunday. (It still is!) Then there was that matter of
women being prevented from serving as deacons or ministers. (They did serve, we
just didn’t ordain them!) [Sidebar: Don’t start quoting me Bible verses to
prove your racial, sexist, economic or sojourner discrimination unless you
include the verse about plucking out your lustful eye or chopping off your
offending hand!]
There are
thousands of people engaged in urban ministry and social justice who are on the
front lines, heads down, who never seek nor receive any recognition. Sojourners
knows there are “hundreds of leaders across the globe on issues affecting
poverty, immigration, racial justice, women and girls, and the environment.
They are academics, activists, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, local pastors,
and denominational leaders — but all of them care about changing the world
through faith and justice.”
To be
nominated and selected for this inaugural Summit class is a validation of our
efforts through Christ Ministry Center, The Fount of Blessings Project and the
emerging Exodus Cooperative Parish. What better way for me to close out my
ministry than as lead pastor of a multi-ethnic parish! And our urban experiment
in bringing Christ incarnate in the Concrete City is focused upon ministries
for hunger, spiritual thirst, clothing, prison, health and wellness, and
sojourners, whether from Haiti, Ethiopia, Mexico, Eritrea, the Marshall Islands,
Mississippi, or orphans in Russia.
I’m excited
the invitation stated Sojourners is “in particular looking forward to hearing
more about your use of technology for social change”. My dissertation on using
technology in ministry was laughable in the early 1980s, but I’m gratified to
see that vision come to fruition in The Fount of Blessings (www.MyFount.com ). Attending the Summit will
allow me to share our story with others and hear their stories as well so we
might learn from and support each other in our efforts to bring God’s love
incarnate within our communities.
I am a bit
uncomfortable with the label “great” and “leader”. I’m use to “never being
heard of”. But thank you for calling me a person of “social justice”. For that,
I am genuinely proud.
Devotedly
yours, Bill Jenkins
From the
Quote Garden:
“When did we trade the idea of
public servants for the false idols of power and privilege? When did
we trade governing for campaigning? And when did we trade valuing those with
the best ideas for rewarding those with the most money? We’ve lost something as
a nation when we can no longer look at one another as people, as Americans, and
— for people of faith — as brothers and sisters.”
~ Jim Wallis, Sojourners founder
~
Christ United Methodist Ministry
Center
“Christ
in the Heart of San Diego”
3295
Meade Avenue - San Diego, CA 92116 - (619) 284-9205
Home of
Exodus Parish
News from Around Christ
Ministry Center:
“EVERY GOOD FRIDAY”
Events
Community
Youth Drug Awareness Program
SDPD
NARCOTICS SPEAKERS BUREAU
THIS
FRIDAY, May 30, 6:00 PM
ATTENTION
ALL PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND STUDENTS!!!!!
STOP CRIME
IN OUR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY
Representatives
from the Mid-City San Diego Police station will present an awareness
session parents, students and adults need to know regarding the new forms of drugs
our youth are being introduced to. A recent incident involved a teenage girl
who became ill after simply taking a piece of candy from a friend. Fortunately,
she is ok. Parents and adults need to help make our youth aware of these
dangers. Help us get the word out regarding this meeting!
And a bit
further out,
Lifeline
Stroke Prevention Screening
Thursday,
September 4, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tentative
date for Lifeline Screening to set up at Christ Ministry Center for screening
to prevent stroke with early detection. More on this as we get closer to
September 4. (This “Every Good Friday” event will be on Thursday because they
will need the whole first floor of our facilities for this health screening
opportunity.)
For more information on these events, call our office 8:00-11:00 or
12:-3:30, Monday through Friday. Thanks in advance for helping get the word
out!
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