"How to Save the World"

"What would happen if aid organizations and other philanthropists embraced the dark arts of marketing spin and psychological persuasion used on Madison Avenue? We'd save millions more lives." ~ Nicholas Kristof, Outside Magazine (December 2009), 87

Nicholas Kristof's words elicit a visceral response in most. But before you weigh in on the merits of his remarks let me summarize his brief argument as fairly as I can and then reflect upon our response as Christians.

Kristof, far from being a media exec on Madison Avenue, has spent the bulk of his life on the front lines of disasters as a reporter for the New York Times covering such devastating travesties as the crisis in Darfur, the ravages of AIDS in Swaziland, and crimes against women in Pakistan. He writes as someone with great experiences from the trenches with a credibility in humanitarian circles that is difficult to match. Despite covering these many atrocities, however, Kristof is also quick to acknowledge that the experience of apathy and collective shrugs from people who read his work led him to question his approach: logical arguments about the scale of suffering, withering statistics which promote guilt and expose the opulence of American culture, and consistent descriptions of victimization of countries and peoples through horrific stories. Instead, Kristof turned to the work of social psychologists and came to two simple realizations:
1. "We intervene not because of stories of desperate circumstances but when we can be cheered up with positive stories of success and transformation." He points out that average people find greater pleasure and are therefore more likely to give when we focus our attention on smaller numbers rather than large, full-scale disasters which overwhelm people creating apathy. The higher the number of desperate people, in other words, the less likely people are going to be motivated to do anything about it.
2. The solution, he says, is for storytelling to focus on individuals with personal stories of triumph in the face of disaster, rather than groups. People know that AIDS is devastating and catastrophic, he points out, and depressing stories only leave them with little hope of doing anything. The work of social psychologists reveal that people are much more willing to give when they know that they can change one life than when they might help a large number of people or even a person who represents a suffering group. As we all know, he declares, one death is a tragedy, a million deaths, a statistic. Or, quoting Mother Theresa, "If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will."

The challenge, Kristof acknowledges, is to recognize both the desperate needs and also the very real progress in devastated areas, the prospect of improvement in real people's lives if the help goes forward. We are moved not by statistics, he writes, but by fresh, wet tears, with a bit of hope glistening below. Moreover, he writes, we look for heroes and not victims.

Kristof's argument is quite compelling. Why shouldn't we give hope and utilize the tools of marketing to help people find that helping others is as "every bit as refreshing as, say, drinking a Pepsi?" Of course, the problem for many of us in a media saturated world is that we often equate marketing with false advertising which Kristof is in no way advocating. As a Christian, I am tempted to use Jesus's opening words for his own ministry to explain Kristof's saavy thesis. In the beginning of Mark's Gospel Jesus declares, "repent and believe the Good News." Softened by Kristof's argument and the belief that one should accept the truth from whomever gives it, Jesus words hit me squarely between the eyes. How often I think of "repent" in a moralizing way - a stop doing this now and feel bad about it you filthy, little sinner sort of way - but Jesus' statement, I believe, goes much further. That word repent comes from the Greek word metanoiete. It is based upon two words, meta (beyond) and nous (mind or spirit), and thus, in its simplest form, means something like "go beyond the mind that you have." The Catholic theologian Robert Barron writes, "Jesus is urging his listeners to change their way of knowing, their way of perceiving and grasping reality." What is he asking people to see? "Good news!" The call of Jesus isn't from a life of sin into an eternal life of dreary, eternal guilt. He seeks to heal us by calling us to accept a different reality, a transformation of sight where we jump to action not because of guilt, sadness, disillusionment but because of hope and good news. Now, anyone with a smidgen of knowledge about first century Palestine would know that the facts on the ground were desperate. And yet Jesus declares "good news." Shouldn't we? Isn't Kristof's point of positive stories a parallel that we should readily embrace because of who Jesus is and what he has done? I think so. Moreover, shouldn't we heed Kristof's words about personal stories precisely because the Bible itself is filled with them. Isn't our own spiritual narrative promoted by the Bible a litany of personal tales of disaster and triumph as God works in people lives? Finally, doesn't Jesus tell us that the good shepherd is willing to leave the 99 sheep and look for that one who is lost (Matt. 18:12-13). Kristof is telling us, "write about that one!" Jesus calls us to repent and see the good news. He promises us hope and Kristof reminds us that that's the story we should tell. Can such a story change the world? Yes, it can.

A Magnificat Christmas: A Helpful Guide for Celebrating Christmas Differently

A Perspective for Celebrating Christmas Differently:

Read Luke 1:46-55

Questions: What ideas or phrases in Mary’s song catch your attention? Does her song reflect your understanding of Christmas? Why or why not? What carols or Christmas traditions echo her vision of Jesus’ birth?

A Reason for Celebrating Christmas Differently:

Ipsos-Reid reports that 77% of North Americans said they didn’t need anything for Christmas, while only 36% said there was something in particular they actually wanted.

A 2006 survey done by Leger Marketing reported that when respondents were asked to name their favorite aspect of Christmas – 26% said “gift giving” compared to 8% who said “gift receiving.”

Questions: Are you surprised by these statistics? Why or why not? Apart from gifts, what are your favorite things about the Christmas season? What is your favorite Christmas memory?

A Prayer for Celebrating Christmas Differently:

Dear God,
Christmas is your light breaking into the darkness. We confess that we are sometimes blinded – not by your glory – but by consumerism, greed and the oppression of packed schedules. Help us, this year, to do Christmas differently. Strengthen us to resist the lure of getting more in a world where so many have so little. Equip us to use this time, to set aside moments to remember your birth, to think about how we might do your will here on earth, as it is in Heaven. By breaking into human history, you showed us a different way – the way of reconciliation, redemption and resurrection. As we celebrate how you came, help us remember why you did. And live differently because of it.
Amen

A Way of Celebrating Christmas Differently:

Make a mini-documentary about your parents. Interview them on video about their memories (childhood, adolescence, courtship, marriage and family life), interview other relatives and friends about your parents; include family photographs and heirlooms in the video and use your parents' favorite music as background. Give copies as a gift to your parents, siblings and relatives.

Collect quotes that make you think of someone. If you are feeling more creative, turn it into a small scrapbook, that can easily be carried in a backpack, briefcase, or purse.

Assemble a box of vintage dress-up clothes and accessories from grand-parents’, aunts’ and uncles’ closets. This box of shoes, bow ties, pants, hats, funky bracelets, clip-on earrings guarantees hours of creative fun for girls and boys aged 5 to 10.

Write stories (with illustrations) with your children and/or nephews and nieces as the chain characters and read it to them aloud as you are gathered around the Christmas tree.

Make a scrapbook for your son or daughter (e.g. memories of ages one to 10), which includes photographs, mementos and stories about them.

Bake holiday cookies, pies or cakes and deliver them to family and friends before the Christmas rush.

Make a recipe box, which includes family and personal favorites on note cards and put them in a personally decorated box.

Take your nephews and nieces, elderly relatives, or your harried neighbors' young children out on a special day in December to give their parents and or/caregivers a much-deserved break. A half-hour walk in the park, with a thermos of hot drinks, freshly-baked goodies and good conversation will keep everyone warm. You can also visit a museum or just go for a ride around town at night looking at Christmas lights and eating munchies.

Celebrate an international Christmas by having an afternoon tea with homemade cookies from around the world (you can feature a little flag on each plate). Check out http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/bycountry for recipes. To make it more lively, play a Christmas trivia game by assembling a set of questions about Christmas (the Web has 163 million entries for "Christmas" alone).

Visit the elderly in nursing homes and be prepared to sing some Christmas carols.

Help out at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter on Christmas Eve.

Prepare a Christmas basket for someone who is going through rough times.

Use cartoon pages of newspapers and colorful pages of magazines as gift wrap.

Give a daughter, niece or granddaughter, the pair of earrings or necklace that she has always admired.

Collect tins from relatives and friends and return them as care packages (e.g. stuff them with chocolates, scented candles, baked goodies).

Shop at fair trade stores like the Mennonite-run Ten Thousand Villages (online), which sells products that provide employment to co-operatives in developing countries.

Suggest a spending limit of $10 or less; challenge everyone to stick to it and be creative.

Check out the online catalogues of church and non-profit Organizations which suggest alternative gifts: e.g. www.covchurch.org/cwr, www.unicef.org, www.oxfamamerica.org, www.beyondborders.net, www.worldvision.org, and www.invisiblechildren.com.

To discuss different opportunities or to find out more about how to serve Santa Barbara this Christmas season contact Pastor Jon Lemmond, jonucsb@yahoo.com

Visible Invisibility: How to be the Church in the World

I believe that a big part of the Christian life is the amazing miracle of invisibility. No, I'm not confused by Hollywood sci-fi and those bad movies by Chevy Chase and Kevin Bacon but puzzled, confounded, and stretched by the words of Jesus who advocates for a generous invisibility. He warns

Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ~ Matthew 6:1-5

These words seem clear and I don't feel the need to belabor their point. Jesus is challenging a piety, all too familiar in his day and our own, of those whose main goal in practicing their faith is being seen and congratulated. The desire for such visibility is not to please God or care for others but to achieve some form of celebrity status. Let's be honest - we all know this temptation. In response, Jesus argues, we should practice our faith, particularly caring for the poor and prayer, secretly, without another's knowledge save God's. Apart from the difficulty of living out such a position, however are two related issues that deal directly with my job at the church which involves promoting gospel action and connecting people to to ministries and service organizations. One problem is biblical and the other practical. First, the biblical. Earlier in the sermon on the mount, where our invisible piety warning comes from, Jesus announces

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. ~ Matt. 5:14-16

The obvious question is, "how are we to shine and reveal God's glory like a city on a hill if we must also be secret to the point that our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing?" Second, the practical. If Jesus is advocating for an invisible piety then how can we promote particular ministries of giving and care without mentioning people and their stories? What are we to make of Christian witness and the offering of testimonies or even worship if such acts must only function privately? Yet, how are we to bear such witness while avoiding vain recognition?

These are important pastoral and theological questions which I can only briefly deal with now but here are a few thoughts. First,if we begin with the assumption that Jesus is neither being contradictory nor inconsistent, how might we reconcile these two passages? Well, first and foremost, we need to recognize that we are hampered here by our own language and its inability to differentiate between the second person singular and the second person plural, both indicated by the pronoun "you." The "city on a hill" passage reflects the second person plural while the "giving in secret" passage reflects the second person singular. To be corporately visible while singularly invisible is certainly tricky but hardly insurmountable. Despite its difficulties, surely Jesus is not sanctioning any visible absence of showing the love of God to those in need in the community. Second, if we return to Jesus' initial warning we see that he is not so much challenging visible piety but the practicing of piety "in order to be seen." The notion of intent does not resolve the problem but shifts it to the difficult arena of our inward lives and relationship to our community. Okay, so what practices might we advance to help navigate these two commands.

First, one of the goals of my position is to offer visible opportunities for invisibile service. This does not mean that I am interested in promoting particular personalities, but wanting to introduce members to acts of service that others have found meaningful. One of the ways that I hope to do this is through the sharing of stories by church members who are engaging the gospel in exciting ways and inviting some of us to participate. The point of the story is invitation and not self praise.
Second, my goal is to help us be accountable as a church to the mission of Jesus Christ. This is a mission that includes good news and justice for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty and so forth. Here, a helpful point of similarity is the role of treasurer who does not speak about individual tithing but overall giving. We are the body of Christ, we all have a task to perform and it is the body that should be visible. This means that when I go anywhere I am an emissary for the whole church just as many of you are when you serve others in Jesus' name on behalf of us. To visibly promote such tasks and service opportunities thus serves as a reminder of our desire to follow Jesus and that we do this together. We are accountable to one another as we seek to live out the gospel in the world. When we go into the world as the church then the visibility is about Him and we realize that we are small part in the mosaic of Jesus in the world. Then, we are visibly invisible.

The Greatest Charity by Maimonides

Maimonides, the twelfth century Jewish scholar, wrote a brief but profound mishnah on the Torah concerning charity. Summing up and explaining the vision of charity found in what we consider the Old Testament, he defined and described eight degrees of charity. His words are worth considering as we seek to be faithful to God's vision of compassion, mercy and justice as well as effective in battling poverty and homelessness in our city. He writes:

There are eight levels of tzedaka [often translated as "charity" is the Jewish legal requirement to do rightly with your fellow person -- that is, to support him (or her) when he is in need, Deut. 15:7-8], each greater than the next. The greatest level, above which there is no other, is to strengthen the name of another Jew by giving him a present or loan, or making a partnership with him, or finding him a job in order to strengthen his hand until he needs no longer [beg from] people. For it is said, "You shall strengthen the stranger and the dweller in your midst and live with him," {Leviticus 25:35} that is to say, strengthen him until he needs no longer fall [upon the mercy of the community] or be in need.

Maimonides admonishes us that the true meaning of charity is not the easy gift of a handout or donation but the hard effort of providing meaningful employment and help so that such a person no longer has need. This isn't a claim that those who are homeless or poor simply need "to get a job" but that we must work to create a society that seeks to welcome and strengthen the stranger rather than simply appease him. Such a philosophy would reorient us toward practices of justice that, I would argue, are more in keeping with both the Old and New Testament perspective of caring for the poor.

Below is Maimonides text for you to read:

Eight Degrees of Charity:
Rambam, Hilchot Mat'not Ani'im 10:1,7-14
(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts of [that belong to] the Poor)
Translated and copyright 1990, 2003 by Jonathan J. Baker
[Interpolations] in brackets, {scriptural citations} in braces.

1) We are required to take more care about the mitzva ["command"] of tzedaka [Tzedaka, unlike "charity" (from Gk. karitas, "love"), is the Jewish legal requirement to do rightly with your fellow person -- that is, to support him when he is in need.(Deut. 15:7-8)] than for any other positive mitzva. For the mitzva of tzedaka is the sign of the righteous descendents of Abraham our father, as "[God] has made known to him [Abraham], so that he shall command his sons to do tzedaka." {Genesis XVIII:19} The throne of Israel is not established, nor does true faith stand except through tzedaka), for "through tzedaka will I [God] be established." {Isaiah LIV:14} And Israel will not be redeemed except through tzedaka, for "Zion will be ransomed through judgment and returned through tzedaka." {Isaiah I:27}
7) There are eight levels of tzedaka, each greater than the next. The greatest level, above which there is no other, is to strengthen the name of another Jew by giving him a present or loan, or making a partnership with him, or finding him a job in order to strengthen his hand until he needs no longer [beg from] people. For it is said, "You shall strengthen the stranger and the dweller in your midst and live with him," {Leviticus XXV:35} that is to say, strengthen him until he needs no longer fall [upon the mercy of the community] or be in need.
8) Below this is the one who gives tzedaka to the poor, but does not know to whom he gives, nor does the recipient know his benefactor. For this is performing a mitzva for the sake of Heaven. This is like the Secret [Anonymous] Office in the Temple. There the righteous gave secretly, and the good poor drew sustenance anonymously. This is much like giving tzedaka through a tzedaka box. One should not put into the box unless he knows that the one responsible for the box is faithful and wise and a proper leader like Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon.
9) Below this is one who knows to whom he gives, but the recipient does not know his benefactor. The greatest sages used to walk about in secret and put coins into the doors of the poor. It is worthy and truly good to do this if those who are responsible for collecting tzedaka are not trustworthy.
10) Below this is one who does not know to whom he gives, but the poor person does know his benefactor. The greatest sages used to pack coins into their scarves and roll them up over their backs, and the poor would come and pick [the coins out of the scarves] so that they would not be ashamed.
11) Below this is one who gives to the poor person before being asked.
12) Below this is one who gives to the poor person after being asked.
13) Below this is one who gives to the poor person gladly and with a smile.
14) Below this is one who gives to the poor person unwillingly

"Real Change Not Spare Change"

Dear City Council Member,

“Real Change Not Spare Change”

As people of faith, we are hopeful that the Alternative Giving campaign (beginning March 2010) will provide greater generosity from faith communities, increased awareness about the plight of those who are homeless, and more compassion and dignity for those who are currently living on the streets. We fundamentally believe that permanent housing with services for all those who are chronically homeless remains the most proven, compassionate, and cost effective solution. Until this goal is met, however, we believe that by promoting alternative giving we can provide a wonderful opportunity for a shared sense of responsibility and mutual accountability that meets people’s needs while promoting compassion, mercy and justice that makes the best use of our desperately needed resources.

We encourage you to promote the following goals associated with the campaign that we are communicating to our faith communities:

Give generously to those in need. Each year more than 6,300 people experience homelessness within Santa Barbara County. On any given night, over 4,000 people are homeless. We believe that we can alleviate this problem by being compassionate and strategic in our giving.
Give good gifts that promote real change. A fundamental premise of the Alternative Giving campaign is to encourage everyone in the community to provide gifts that won’t promote a life of dependency on the streets. We are encouraging everyone to give creatively: hygiene related items, clothes, shoes, pre-packaged foods, and bottled water not to mention equally important gifts like time, compassion, and a listening ear.
Redirect giving to helpful hands. We continue to affirm the importance of social service providers who remain on the “front-lines” and an important bridge between the needs of those who are homeless and the resources required to meet those needs. These workers represent the best means of helping people off the streets and into more permanent housing.
Get involved. We are encouraging all of the Santa Barbara faith communities to explore further, ways in which they can personally address the problem of homelessness. In the next few months, we invite you to explore with us the plan in more detail, as well as other related efforts: creating alternative food distribution locations to lessen the impact on particular neighborhoods and the need for greater funding to provide a volunteer coordinator at Casa Esperanza and more outreach staff who can serve the mentally ill on our streets.
Educate and empower yourself and others for systemic change. We truly support the city’s efforts to make a difference. We commit to collaborate with you in this effort and to keep everyone accountable to the purpose of the campaign – “real change.”

We are excited to join you in this new giving campaign. We urge everyone to give – compassionately, generously, and strategically. We promise it will be worth it – people always are.

With Humble Hearts,


CLUE Homeless Sub Committee:
Dr. Jon Lemmond, Pastor for Gospel Action, Montecito Covenant Church
Maureen Earls, Facilitator, Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation, St. Barbara’s Parish
Dr. Wayne Mellinger, Social Worker for WillBridge & CLUE Board Member

Flannery O'Conner and the Sin of Smugness

"The operation of the church is entirely set up for the sake of the sinner, which creates much misunderstanding among the smug." ~ Flannery O'Conner

I believe that "smug" represents not merely a people in the church but an attitude that signals a need for repentance. I often have found that where I am "smug" is where I need to confess and repent. "Smug" represents that place where I believe I am better than most, independent, autonomous and succesful without a need for God's generous grace. My story in these areas of my life are not the gospel, saved by God's grace, but the story of the ant and grasshopper where I can shake my head in amazement at the laziness and lack of others. What's the best way out of "smug"? The recognition of "smugness" is addressed directly by a particular Christian practice. The practice of confession. In his famous little book, Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that the Bible on a number of occasions enjoins us to “confess our sins to one another” (James 5:16). In fact, without such concrete confession between Christians, Bonhoeffer argues, you simply cannot have real Christian fellowship. You can have a country club or reading group but you will not have a church. Bonhoeffer understood that it is confessing your sins to a trusted friend that allows you to move beyond the illusion of your own goodness. A person who confesses her sin in the presence of another can no longer perpetuate such smugness but experiences the truth “I am sinner but God forgives and loves me.” Luther in his Large Catechism said: “Therefore when I admonish you to confession I am admonishing you to be a Christian.”

It’s important to remember that the practice of confession requires three moves. First, there is the confession of how I feel - the honest recognition of faults and feelings apart from trying to sound holy. Second, there is a confession of sin – that deep down we are broken, prone to flee and run from the One who loves us. Third, there is the confession of God’s truth - that we are sinners saved by grace.

Parables of Justice: Angry Jesus

In the Gospel of Mark we find the following story (Mark 1:40-41):

"A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be make clean!"

Recently, I noticed (and my seminary professors would be so proud) that one of the oldest manuscripts of Mark's Gospel does not use the word here translated as "pity" but uses the verb which means "being angry." If "angry" is correct (see Mark 3:5 and 10:14 which suggests Mark's willingness to speak of Jesus being angry) then it's not hard to imagine why a copyists would want to remove it. Most of us, I suspect, are uncomfortable with an "angry" Jesus. We want, as the song goes, a "gentle Jesus meek and mild." What does it mean to say that Jesus was "moved with anger" when approached by someone desperately in need of help? Obviously, Jesus was not mad at the request nor at the person - he "chose" to make him clean. Jesus was, however, mad at the condition. Mad at disease that marred his creation. Mad at pain that dehumanizes. Mad at the things that seek to steal, kill and destroy. Unlike Jesus, I rarely get mad at these things. I find myself often "angry" at people. People who don't share my beliefs or ethics. People who should know better or work harder or act right. Jesus' anger, however, reminds me that I need to reorient myself to love all who are broken with a particular fierceness at the conditions that put them there. That I need to be angry about poverty, exploitation of the environment, abuse, violence, homelessness, even sickness and disease. Jesus' rage at the leprosy that wracked this man's body reminds me of the words of Kaj Munk, a priest and playwright who was killed by the Gestapo for his outspoken beliefs, on holy rage:

"What is, therefore, our task today? Shall I answer: 'Faith, hope, and love'? That sounds beautiful. But I would say-courage. No, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth. Our task today is recklessness. For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature . . . we lack a holy rage - the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity. The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets, and when the lie rages across the face of the earth . . . a holy anger about the things that are wrong in the world. To rage against the ravaging of God's earth, and the destruction of God's world. To rage when little children must die of hunger, when the tables of the rich are sagging with food. To rage at the senseless killing of so many, and against the madness of militaries. To rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction peace. To rage against complancy. To restlessly seek that recklessness that will change and seek to change human history until it conforms to the norms of the Kingdom of God. And rember the signs of the Christian Church have been the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove, and the Fish . . . but never the chameleon."

Join me in being angry with Jesus and then choose, like him, to help others.

Amen, angrily