June
9, 2014
Pastorgraphs: “Common Ground, Common Good, Common Sense”
I read
three articles over the past week or so that converge to illustrate what is
wrong with our polarized society.
Article
1: When Ideology Trumps Theology
In the
first article, Marv Knox, editor of Common Call, outlined how a leader of a
conservative denomination has painted himself into a bit of a corner by
allowing a Muslim to enroll as a Ph.D. student in his denomination’s largest
seminary.
Before you
read another word, let me say I am not opposed to Christian, Jewish, Muslim,
Hindu or other faith groups studying together. I actually see good news in this
story. But let’s look at the dilemma.
This
leader, who has long supported a litmus test for conservative Christian
orthodoxy, met the Muslim student on an archeological project in Egypt and
developed a bond with him. That’s the good news. The same thing happens when a
person looks beyond “those Hindus”, “those gays”, those Blacks”, “those poor”,
“those ____ (you fill in the blanks)” and discovers they are not who and what
we feared, but actually nice people.
Knox
suggests the problem with us all is that when we find someone who agrees with
our ideology, we may throw our theology and dogma under the bus. It’s the old
“the enemy of my enemy is my friend” syndrome.
For
example, if normally opposing people find “common ground” on such “social
values” as: the role and “place” of women (i.e. uneducated); homosexuality;
abortion, etc., then perhaps they can overlook their theological differences.
When
ideology trumps theology in this manner, irony become hypocrisy.
Why can’t
we, if we are willing to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel on social values,
find common ground for all our common good: politically, economically as well
as socially?
And if our
theology is to love our neighbor as much as ourselves, even our enemies, and to
care for the poor, hungry, homeless, sick, imprisoned, sojourners, widows and
orphans, we will find theology and social values will rarely be in conflict.
It’s just common sense.
Article
2: Cutting Off Your Own Nose
Gail
Collins wrote an Op-Ed in The New York Times last Wednesday that grabbed
my attention.
Collins
points out the irony that a political candidate is calling for “less government
spending” when his state receives more federal dollars than any other state.
She points out that for every $1.00 that state sends to Washington, they get
$3.08 in return. That is true for most “red states”. We in the “blue states”
give more than we get back. She wrote that federal spending accounts for 46
percent of all that state’s revenue: defense contracts, Social Security, farm
aid, highway building, you name it.
I have no
favorite in this particular political race. But the logic of the argument
suggests we might ponder where we will be if we get to where we are headed.
I think we
all can find “common ground” that something must be done to correct our
national deficit. The problem with many in the anti-government,
let’s-cut-spending camp is they are for cutting food programs, education,
health care, and myriads of others, but never mention the grants, tax
loopholes, and subsidies that go to farmers (many of whom say they don’t need
them), military programs (many of which the Pentagon says they don’t want), and
big business (banks, Wall Street, and the 1%).
It is easy
to assume that overspending is just on the poor. We might be shocked to learn
as much, if not more, goes to the rich, the wealthy, the empowered and
institutionalized. And as we should have learned from last year’s “government
shutdown”, you only create more poor when you take away the little they have.
Conversely,
every dollar of government spending turns over seven times within the community
(and congressional district) where it is spent, allowing Mom and Pop shops,
grocery stores, and the local hospital – naming only a few - to stay open.
Collins
concluded that state, like many others, “is way more dependent on Washington
than the average food stamp recipient.”
Article
3: The (Un)Common Good
If either
of those articles upsets you, please read on. There is hope.
The
(Un)Common Good is
the title of Jim Wallis’ latest book, which I am still reading. I hope to meet
him on my trip to Washington next week. As founder and president of Sojourners,
Jim offers a way forward from the polarized world the first two articles
illustrate.
Jim Wallis
says “Christianity is not a religion that gives some people a ticket to heaven
and makes them judgmental of all others. Rather, it's a call to a
relationship that changes all our other relationships. Jesus told us a
new relationship with God also brings us into a new relationship with our
neighbor, especially with the most vulnerable of this world, and even with our
enemies. But we don't always hear that from the churches. This call to love
our neighbor is the foundation for reestablishing and reclaiming the common
good, which has fallen into cultural and political—and even religious—neglect.”
Wallis’
premise is what is good for “the least of us” is good for all of us. “Faith
transcends politics, and Christianity doesn't translate only into right-wing
voting issues, despite what both the conservative and liberal media love to
keep saying. But neither can it be repositioned into left-wing politics. We
don't simply need a Religious Left to counter the Religious Right.”
Wallis
concludes: “The prerequisite for solving the deepest problems this country and
the world now face is a commitment to this very ancient idea whose time has
urgently come: the common good. How do we work together, even with people with
whom we don't agree? How do we treat each other, especially the poorest and
most vulnerable? How do we take care of not just ourselves but also one
another? Only by inspiring a spiritual and practical commitment to
the common good can we help make our personal and public lives better.”
All three
of these articles converge. The way you see the problem IS the problem! And it
is above all a spiritual issue. The way we see our neighbor, our enemy, and the
poor speaks volumes about what is in our heart.
Let’s find
common ground for our common good. It just makes common sense.
Devotedly
yours, Bill Jenkins
From the
Quote Garden:
“Jim Wallis and I
have a variety of differences on domestic and international policy, but there
is no message more timely or urgent than his call to actively consider the
common good.”
~ Michael
Gerson, The Washington Post ~
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
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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