As Steve Taylor of the Rio Grande Guardian captures, “Under SB 1070, if an undocumented immigrant is identified by law enforcement in Arizona, he or she can be prosecuted and deported. The bill makes failure to carry immigration documents a misdemeanor. It also gives the police broad powers to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.” It was interesting to watch CNN last evening capturing some of the “training sessions” of the Arizona Sherriff Department. I would love to get my hands on the tape, the training manual or better yet sit in on these “sessions” to see what “criteria” will be in use to ascertain who needs to be “enforced.”

Such a law is obviously problematic and will lead to scenarios of racial profiling, inhumane detention and persecution. The fear that this law has created within the community is astronomical. Families are separating, persons have gone into hiding, others  have returned home and I know that there are others who are those still here – praying that they will be “spared ~ passed over.”

Although Judge Susan Bolton put “most of the measure/law on hold and agreed with the Obama administration’s core argument that immigration enforcement is the role of the federal government (Associated Press)” – the sheer fact that Arizona could reason even as I write why they are allowed to “clear the state of undocumented persons” is frightening. For the Governor of Arizona or even the Sheriff, Bolton’s “hold” as the Governor put it is “just a bump in the road.” An indication that in their minds that this will come to pass. They are prepared to “make room in a vast outdoor jail and are determined to round up illegal immigrants to fill it.”

This law as my friends from La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) put it is one that is “bad, immoral” and perpetuates the stigma that those entering the US without papers aren’t honest, aren’t tax payers, aren’t hard-working. If anything they are prptrayed as criminals, milking the systerm, taking advantage of the “American systerm.” But, there is always two (2) sides to every story. We perhaps don’t consider that some come to seek asylum, safety from religious, political or economic persecuction. Or that without their labor, sweat the “essential work” of this nation would not happen. Think about the grapes on your table or the person who washes the dishes at your favorite restaurant. Or consider who is building and cleaning the nation or taking care of the nation’s children and elderly. It’s as if we are talking out of our faces.

This law if it realizes what it seeks to do will be a law that will undermine not only the authority and soverignty of the federal government, but will further  notions of privilege, separation, us vs them, legal vs illegal, papers vs no papers and the list goes on and on. This is troubling to say the least , I stand and write in solidarity with the men, women, boys, girls, families whose lives have now been placed in jeopardy by this law. I guess I would be a little at ease if I knew there was a “record” of treating persons no matter their ethnicity, language, background, occupation with pride, respect, dignity and honor. But, unfortunately the record of such is few and far between.

On this day I charge people of faith, who have been called to “loosen the chains of injustice” and to “not let surface things delude us” – to be united in prayer asking that we and our country “be freed from the things that hold us back” and treat all persons with papers or without with dignity, integrity and graciousness.

I think about the “Passover Lamb story” of Exodus 12 where the Israelites are told to get a lamb, slaughter it and take some of the blood and put it on the sides and top of door frames of the houses. The Lord tells them that when he passes through Egypt in order to bring about judgment on the gods of Egypt that the blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when the Lord sees the blood he will pass over you.”

My prayer for immigrants of this nation – with and without papers – that the blood, sweat and tears that they have woven into the tapestry of this country will cover them in these days ahead. That they will be covered, protected and most importantly shielded from hurt, harm and danger. That the Lord of the Passover will deal appropriately with the “gods of the United States” who use fear, intimidation, violence as a means of establishing who is deserving and who is not. May the Lord of the  Passover be with these families as they drive to work or school, sleep in their homes or go to the grocery store as border patrol agents, sheriff deputies, police personnel seek to “protect our borders” and “keep the criminals” away. May the Lord of the Passover make clear to our world that in fact all of us are part of the Lord’s creation and we do not have the power to inflict harm, danger on others. May the power of the Passover Lamb of Exodus be at work in Arizona, Texas, California, Florida ………… in the United States of America. May the power of the passover lamb be the “only paper” they need and provide them hope, faith and assurance that God is with them even in the face of “many gods.”

Tell Somebody!

ARISE

Ramona directs the van driver, Martin, through the pot-holed streets of Colonia Muniz in south Texas, guiding us to a bright pink building at the community’s center.  ARISE (A Resource in Serving Equality) is painted in bold letters on a sign outside, signifying the presence of the 23 year old non-profit. In their own words:

“ARISE is a grassroots organization of women for women. It is about building on strengths and respecting the dignity of each individual. It’s about spirituality, cultural values and personal growth. It’s about connecting women with each other and strengthening the fabric of their communities. It’s about teamwork and putting personal ambition aside in favor of common goals. It’s about inspiring hope and a sense of a possibility.”

Ramona, who has been involved with ARISE since its inception, leads our group into the building to show us where the magic takes place.  The humble, un-airconditioned converted house has colorful inspirational posters, a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe, photos of neighborhood residents, shelves filled with children’s books and arts supplies for classes with area children, and the crowning jewel—a huge patio with tables for hosting community events, neighborhood birthday parties, dances and BBQs.  As Ramona and her co-worker Andrea tell us about the organization, hard rain begins to pour down and the patio feels like it has curtains of water enclosing us in as we learn about this sacred work.

Ramona explains that when families arrive to this country they come with big dreams.  After a few years of struggling to make ends meet, of scraping for work, of being treated like a nobody, those dreams begin to dissolve.  For many depression sets in and they forget, or are unable to raise their children with any dreams.  Ramona thinks that many of the community’s problems are born from young people who have no sense of hope.  Frustrated, stuck, unable to imagine a better future, they get involved in gangs, drop out of school, and at worst, begin to see themselves as nobody. Ramona says that the biggest job of ARISE is to give  the community hope—to remind them to dream and  raise their children as dreamers.

Ramona Casas at ARISE Office in Colonia La Muniz

When the sky clears we begin to walk toward the house of a local family whose story we have been invited to hear.  Their yard has only this week been emptied from the water left by last month’s hurricane. Today’s rain makes the yard refill with mud, further burying the cans, wrappers, and fruit strewn across the “lawn”.  The heat and humidity are stifling as we make our way into the small living room area, crowding around the single air conditioning unit as the family gathers to talk.

The mother, “Maria Louisa” stands against the wall, with her muscular arms folded across her chest.  She is a powerful woman with a strong square jaw line and deep, almost black, eyes. She and her husband make a living harvesting grapefruit for $7.25 a case.  On a good day, if they work together, they can fill 2 cases an hour.  Using this money they have put a $5,000 down payment on their house and are working to pay the remaining mortgage. They had saved up $3,000 over the last few years to pay for their daughters’ college education.  But that money is gone now, after what the family went through last month…

Maria Louisa proudly introduces her two eldest daughters, Elizabeth (19) and Veronica (17), who are as striking as their mother and both studying at the local University.  Elizabeth is studying to be an RN but one day hopes to be a doctor.  Veronica will be starting college this fall and plans to become a teacher, a vocation inspired by the wonderful teacher who taught her English when she first arrived to this country.  Both of these young women immigrated with Maria Louisa and her husband to the U.S. 10 years ago and are un-documented.  The family’s younger daughters and son who are 5, 7, and 9 years old respectively, were all born here in the United States.  The 7 year-old daughter wanted to become a border patrol agent, but that too changed after last month…

Last month, while driving her mother to work, Elizabeth saw the flashing lights of the border patrol in her rear-view mirror.  When the agent approached the car Elizabeth asked him why she had been pulled over.  The officer did not answer.  Elizabeth repeated the question and the border patrol agent responded (I am paraphrasing) that he knew what to do when he saw a car full of people who looked like them.  He told them to get out of the car.  He did not wait for Maria Louisa to grab her younger daughter’s papers from her bag.  Maria Louisa and her four daughters were taken in for “processing” by the border patrol.

Once in custody Maria Louisa and her elder daughters were asked to sign “voluntary departure” forms stating that they were being “voluntarily” deported to Mexico.  Maria Louisa instead signed the part of the form that said she could request a hearing with a judge.  This was taken as an act of defiance—an affront to the arresting officer who began to yell at Maria Louisa. “Do you think you are special because you have been here for 10 years, do you think the judge cares?  Do you think you are special because your little girls are citizens?  Do you think you are special because your older girls are in college?  Do you think owning a house makes you special? None of this matters to the judge.”  In the retelling of the story she said that his tone was “muy golpeada” or abrupt—literally like being hit with words. He asked Elizabeth to help him convince the mother to sign but she instead told her mother not to sign the form—to hold out for a judge.  Maria Louisa continued to insist that she could not leave her young daughters, who are citizens, alone in this country—she wanted a chance to talk to the judge.

Maria Louisa held out for four more hours without signing the form, until they took her to a separate room without her daughters.  There the agent told her that if she didn’t sign the form he would call child protective services to pick up her youngest daughters.  He promised that she would never find them again.  He told her that Elizabeth would go to a women’s prison and that Victoria would end up in a juvenile detention center.  He told her that she would spend months in an immigration center awaiting processing and that in the mean time her family would be separated and it would take forever to find them all again. He told her again to sign the form and out of fear she finally complied.  Even then, after the form was signed, another officer saw the paper with her original request to see a judge along with the “voluntary departure” waiver.  This officer spoke to Maria Louisa’s detaining officer and told him that the form was no good if it had her request for a judge on it.  He tore the paper up and told her to do a new one.  She signed the form again.

The officer now asked Maria Louisa again if she had anyone for the little kids to go home with.  She knew she could not call her husband and risk his arrest too, so she decided to call ARISE to pick up her daughters.  Once the little girls had left tearfully, Maria Louisa and her daughters were deported to Mexico.  There, through a contact from ARISE, the family found a place to stay for a few days as they formulated a plan to come back.  Elizabeth recalls that she was not afraid, she knew they would get back “home”—she was pissed that it would set the family back financially, but this would not ruin her chances to become a doctor.  Maria Louisa felt more fear as she imagined crossing the border with her two beautiful teenage daughters.  She had heard stories of what happens to young women crossing the border in the hands of corrupt coyotes or at the hands of border bandits.  With this in mind she found a reputable coyote to cross the three back to the United States.  The midnight trip across the river in a little raft cost the family $2,700– almost everything she had saved for her daughters’ education.

Although this all took place six weeks ago, the after shocks are still wearing off. Maria Louisa says that her younger daughters cry each time she tries to leave the house, even to buy groceries, “They grab my legs and tell me ‘no mami, no te vayas, te agaran la migra’”(no mommy, don’t go, border patrol will get you).   The youngest, who sleeps with Victoria, wakes up almost every night with nightmares that her family is being taken away.  The 7 year-old no longer wants to become a border patrol agent.  When we asked her why she shyly answers, “hablan muy feo” (they speak in a very ugly way).  The family will have to work for years to rebuild their savings, and everyone wonders what they will do if they are caught again—but Elizabeth and Victoria must continue to take classes and Maria Louisa and her husband must take whatever work they can find.  Whenever anyone is running late, they are all thinking of the worst possible scenario, that they may not see that person again.

We ask the girls about their involvement with ARISE.  How has the organization affected their lives.  Elizabeth and Victoria have both spent dozens, possibly hundreds, of hours volunteering.   They teach classes for the little kids and help to put on events in the community.  They have participated in the myriad trainings  offered by ARISE and this connection has helped them to dream big.  These young women have no doubt that they will succeed—no matter the obstacles set before them.  Maria Louisa says that her children “van a ser alguien” (are going to be somebody).  It is clear that they already are, and that they take after their mother.

There is a hope that the family clings to, that the “Dream Act” will become law.  Both Elizabeth and Victoria are the “dreamers” that the act would cover.  They arrived here young, they were schooled in this system (this country invested many years in their education and they excelled), they have great career potential, and they want an opportunity to work, live and serve this country.  They are the embodiment of the American Dream—hard working, persistent, eyes set on a brighter future for themselves and for their family—all they need is a chance.

As we leave the house I lift my eyes to the clouded sky above Colonia Muniz.  The sun is pressing against the clouds and giving the sky a hazy brightness.  I begin to pray—for these women, for this country, for ARISE and the inspiring work they are doing here. I pray that God will continue  to bless us each with the ability to continue dreaming—imagining something better—transforming our world with grace and hope against the greatest of odds.

Tell Somebody!

The author in 2004

I have taken some pretty good punches this week on YouTube directly and indirectly regarding our Union’s response to Glenn Beck video:

• “I think that first chick missed the part about gluttony maybe? Kinda hypocritical.”

• “This vid is full of fail. The only reason a person who thumbs this up is if they hate GB.
You got a fat white b*tch telling that a class changed her life? Please, do mankind a service and stop consuming so much of our natural resources.”

• “This was very helpful. I now know of one school that my child will NOT be attending. Looks to me to be filled with wombats, freaks, losers, and asexuals.”

• “’You’re actually in a famous room where I took his class 70lbs ago. I want to invite you into this iconic room and just show it to you. Here’s a door. And wood. And oh look a chair. Is it lunch yet’ A lot of winners there at Union”

• “Why don’t you people dress a little better?”

• “Why are Americans fat?”

• “Is she pregnant?”

We have taken hits about our looks, our education, even clear concerns about our sexual orientation… to get straight to the point… some people have still very much missed the boat. I am fine if someone criticizes me or even disagrees with me when it comes to my opinion on issues. I am not fine when attacks are made based on straight-up appearance. This just underscores the heart of the Liberation Theology debate. This is one of the many underpinnings of the problems in our current world, especially here in the United States that clearly needs to continue to be addressed. People judging people based on what they look like. This has been going on for so long and people have been abused, killed, lynched and attacked because of it. Enough already.

Yes, as Mr. Beck clearly states, Liberation Theology has much to do with the two categories of the Oppressor and the Oppressed… but there is so much more to it than just that. And, no, it is not about Communism or even Socialism and Marxism. For me, it is about an attitude of compassion for each other and for the opportunity to allow God’s law to break into the world… not the law of humanity, which in the current state of our world, people are denied their humanity and existence based on externals such as race, skin color, sexual orientation, religion or even what country they originate from – not to mention what they might weigh. No, this is about granting basic human rights to our fellow humans at all costs, no matter what, because all humans deserve their dignity. This country has a poor track record in this department no matter how you decide to twist the historical records, and we white people have quite a lot to still answer for. Including you, Mr. Beck. Including me.

Union has changed my life, and it was not just Dr. Cone’s class – it was an intense, three year, grueling process of insane reading, junk food and New York City pizza eating, intense paper writing, all night-ers, discussions – even arguments and the breaking down of all of the preconceived, unknown and arrogant notions that I walked into this program with. In short, these past three years, although extremely difficult, have forever changed my life on my view of the world, how I view and treat other people, and mostly, how I now view myself as a small part of a greater community of many different types of people.

The term “othering” is seen in two ways. One has a negative quality in which we base a human’s worth on qualitative means such as skin color and “race,” along with other factors such as citizenship, sexual orientation, gender, religion, etc. In this way, we “otherize” another in order to, for lack of a more academic phrase; simply feel better about our own selves, which denies them their humanity and dignity. This is polarizing and divisive.

A more positive view comes from Fred Craddock when he gives a nuanced idea of what it means to come into the space of the “Other” in his aptly titled homely, “Othering.” In this light, we break down such barriers, and remove the boundaries caused by fear that keeps us from really coming to know the real humanity of those we deem “our neighbors” but whom we find different or other than us in one form or another. Especially those who might seem just so frighteningly different from who we tend to think we are.

It is sad that people like Glenn Beck make a living off of instilling these fears into the hearts of our nation and then plays off of them to make a buck, or to promote a form of clever-racism that has the obnoxious lead out of “folks, I am not a racist.” People like him are divisive. He is not one who falls on the side of compassion for others. Instead, he is preaching the poison of fear and the negative connotation of “Othering” that continues to feed a systematic machine in this nation, which only leads to more suffering, poverty, injustice, abuse and a climate of people who refuse to look out for the widow and the orphan in our very own communities – which is in fact what the New Testament teaches us primarily. It is not the widow or orphan that might look like us or think like us that is the only concern. What about those who are totally different from us, believe differently, look differently, and might have a different life style than we do? Do they not deserve humanity and dignity too? It is those others who also, if not more so, deserve compassion from each and every one of us if we are able to extend a helping hand, or at least an acknowledgment of their humanity if we are to truly “love our neighbor as our self.”

These are the things that I have learned at Union Theological Seminary. My belief today in justice for all of my neighbors exceeds race, borders, class, skin color, sexual orientation, gender and religious beliefs… just to name a few.
Today, if there is someone that I can help, I hope to be able to extend that hand. I hope to make it my life’s work.

My fellow students and I have taken some real hits this week, and that is okay. Most had little to do with what we actually said, and were, instead, focused on our external qualities.

For me, it had to do with my current weight.

Being healthy is a very important priority and it should be for all of us.

Well, there are a few things people might want to know about me. You might be surprised to now that I moved to New York City fifteen years ago to be an actress and a model, which I was relatively successful at for ten years. At least my husband is quite impressed with my CV.

I was a member of all of the Unions, and had a pretty extensive and impressive theatre, film, TV and commercial resume as well as a nicely put together modeling composite. Although I was consistently a size 6, and believe me, I worked hard to be that size, I was constantly told by my agents that I was always a borderline “plus size” model… and those are killer words in the modeling business. I have done my fair share of intense exercise, dieting, no carbs, crazy-healthy lifestyle and internal self discipline, self loathing and scolding just so that other people thought I looked “good enough” and let me tell you… I am tired of hearing about what people think I should look like.

I probably could have done pretty well as an actress. I worked hard and seemed to be relatively talented. I left the field of acting of my own accord, however. Though I am sure the business is great for others, I was never happy, regardless of how low my weight was, or what exciting new jobs I had coming up. For me, I had a constant feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction with my life, despite some exciting successes.

Although I have always been a person of faith, over the years my connection to my Presbyterian faith was reawakening, and I was only finding myself truly ever happy when I was volunteering and being of service in my community through a relationship with God, which I very much believe God initiated within me. For me, helping others through my life of faith became the only true happiness that I have ever known. My career as an actress and model offered me no outlet to be of service to my community and I learned in time that I was just in the wrong career. I was always too busy running around completely self-absorbed and worrying what people thought of me to stop and help anyone else out for a change. Obviously, God had other plans for me.

Over the years, I have been able to find some real joy and contentment in my life, just being me, knowing that I am okay exactly how I am today. This faith based initiative I took on personally finally lead me to Seminary, and thank God, I was lead to Union because this institution is a place that instills the idea of service and justice into its students’ lives of faith in a most remarkable and life changing way. It not only changes our lives, it will change the lives of all of the people we help in our lifetimes. Coming here is an amazing experience.

I know first hand that our nation struggles with an obesity problem, but society is not completely responsible, with all of the chemicals we are being force-fed through advertisements. Hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, enriched flour, manufactured wheat, processed sugars, all at cheap costs that undercut any type of organic or non-chemical based product on the shelf, making piles of money for distributors who care nothing about what goes into products and its consumers; only the bottom line. It is hard not to buy the cheap stuff when you are on a budget. Fortunately, it seems like our selections and our consciousness is slowly transforming into a nation that cares about what we eat more than we ever have.

I know from first hand experience. Fast food is cheap… and I am a broke Seminarian pledging a life of service that walked away from a very lucrative career. I will probably just break even monthly once I start paying back my student loans. It is hard to eat healthy and exercise when you are broke, on a budget and on six deadlines. When I do have the time, I am so fried that watching TV with my husband just seems like the better choice. Clearly, there are things that I personally need to work on now that I have graduated.

For me, coming to Seminary and exercising my brain, for a change, these last three years straight, might have caused me to add on several pounds, but the weight I can lose with a healthier lifestyle… what I have learned in the process of getting this degree, I plan to hold onto for dear life. It is incredible for me to read comments about my weight today, so many years after retiring from a career where my weight was what engulfed nearly every waking moment of my self-centered life. I actually really used to care what other people thought and to a fault.

These last few years have been liberating for me. For the first time in my life, I am entirely happy with the person that I am becoming because, in this vocation, I know that I will be spending the rest of my life getting fantastic sleep, knowing that I spent my day helping my neighbor as best I can, whatever my neighbor might “look” like. I may not make my actress salary any more, but my internal joy and satisfaction is well worth the sacrifice. And now that I have my Master’s of Divinity degree… maybe I’ll have some free time to take up jogging again… but this time, only as a way to feel good, staying healthy and sharing a long life with my amazing husband who likes me just how I am.

So, being attacked about my weight might be the catalyst for this response, but my answer is that I might be fat today, but God knows I am finally happy. So for all of you who think that judging people based on what they look like is okay instead of airing on the side of compassion, I say to you… you really need to get a life. I have.

Tell Somebody!

We are happy that Yvette offered to share one of her blog postings with us. Enjoy!

The Pharr Literacy Project has just recently collaborated with a local group called “Los Caminos Del Rio” by inviting this organization’s Ameri-Corps Vistas to work at the center. According to loscaminos.org, “Los Caminos Del Rio offers kayak trips virtually every weekend at Anzalduas Park. Participants will explore sections of the Rio Grande, and can experience a safe and exciting introduction to kayaking along the Rio Grande River savoring historical and environmental details with the assisance of friendly and trained adventure guides.”

My day with Los Caminos Del Rio personally introduced me to the “historical details” of immigrant women crossing into the United States.

On Saturday, June 26, 2010, I journeyed with my coworkers Chuy and Reyna (*who speaks little English*) to the Anzalduas Park which extends to the Rio Grande River. As we came closer to the river, near the edge of the park the family friendly atmosphere abruptly ended. The armed border patrol station, barbed wire, and yellow (government access) gates signified that everyone is not welcome. Especially not illegal immigrants crossing the Rio Grande River into the United States.

While we waited for our turn to kayak down the Rio Grande, Chuy, Reyna and I decided to find our own adventure and walk along the grassy river bank in hopes of getting close to the dam. Reyna and I were afraid of the snakes that Frank our guide warned of. We tip toes along the rocks in the high grass holding hands. Soon we would grasp hands in recognition of a more sinister fear, something that rocked us to our cores. Just a few steps in front of us I noticed a pile of black “stuff.” “Snaaaake Skinnnnnn!” I screamed. Reyna and I jumped back squealing like little girls. Chuy the grave man stepped forward and picked up the “snake skin.” Reyna yelled at him not to as he flung the skin towards us.

All at once we realized this “snake skin” was not what it appeared. The “snake skin” was actually a torn pair of black women’s panties. Reyna and I weren’t scared anymore, WE were safe. No snake skin to signify the impending approach of danger. No snake skin. Chuy held the underwear up and said “Ooooh someone couldn’t wait to get things going” with a laugh.

It was as if some light bulb went off in Reyna’s face because it lit up and then darkened. The same light bulb went off in my head too. We looked at one another and said “No Rape.” And then I remembered where I really was. The Rio Grande River isn’t just some adventure zone. It’s a place where the sweat and tears of an oppressed people rage between two worlds.

I was on the banks of the Rio Grande River where thousands of poor immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries a month cross in the United States. Many of these travelers are poor defenseless women depending on coyotes to make their way across the river into the United States. Those torn black underwear belonged to a woman, someone’s daughter, mother, sister, cousin  - a child of God. I didn’t know if her left behind undergarments signified that she had been abused. I didn’t know if she was an immigrant coming to the United States to find work to feed her children. I don’t know if she was a young pretty girl manipulated by the Mexican Drug Cartel to carry drugs inside her body across the border. I didn’t know anything about her except for what she left behind.

I thought of all this as Reyna whispered the word “rape” in an erie echo. She knew just as  I did what those underwear meant. We had a “sister moment” that defied out language barriers. My grasp on her hand got a little tighter as we walked further up the bank. Chuy didn’t make nay more comments as he walked ahead of us. A group of adventurers joined us in our “nature walk” and we all jumped in the river and free floated with the current until we reached the shore again. A few people remarked that they felt they were “doing what their ancestors did years ago.” They laughed as they said these things. It wasn’t funny to me in light of finding Blank Panties.

After stumbling upon the Blank Panties, the Rio Grande River didn’t look the same. The sand on the bank near the dam looked scattered as if a struggle had just taken place. The water looked cloudy, murky, and dangerous. I got in it anyway. I kayaked. All for adventure, right? No, I was in sacred water and will thus act accordingly from now on.

Watching news coverage of the new immigration law in Arizona hit home.

I’ve been on the border. I’ve seen and felt some things. It’s real here. There are snakes in the grass in the Arizona state senate.

“Jesus be a lawnmower, in the Rio Grande Valley Everyday”

to be sung to the tune of the Fred Hammond’s “Jesus Be a Fence All Around Me Everday”

Rio Grande River

Rio Grande River

Tell Somebody!

If you actually listened to Beck you would know that he does not stand for any type of violence.  Also, I like how all of the posts i’ve read from your seminary criticize Beck without referencing any scripture to contradict him.  The simple fact of the mater is that Black Liberation Theology is dangerous and that he bible does not advocate government redistribution of wealth but places the responsibility with individuals.  Perhaps your seminary should stop spending so much time demonizing a good person and actually reading the bible.

And here is my response:

Ashby,

Thank you for your defense of Glenn Beck’s statements about Liberation/Black/Theology and this engaging conversation.  Once again I lump them together because that is how they were discussed in Mr. Beck’s the initial presentation.  I don’t think you quite understand my point; it is not necessary for Mr. Beck to advocate any type of violence.  By taking statements out of context (for example all of his clips of Dr. Cone’s interview were taken from a separate interview on a completely different topic about which he was writing 30+ years after his initial writings on Black Theology) and using them to provoke fear and anger, Beck has not taken seriously his role in the media and the responsibility that said role carries.  History has proven that a leader does not have to explicitly tell his or her followers what to do in order for mayhem to ensue.  And Mr. Beck is one of our social leaders.

As for the bible verses about those who should care for those who do not have…please don’t assume that a verse quoted here and a verse quoted there tells the whole story of Jesus’ words to us about social justice.  Please read Matthew 23, all of it, to see how Jesus responds to the government that he recognizes as spiritually legitimate for his time and place—those who are in charge of his people and the synagogue.  (Of course Jesus doesn’t speak of government redistribution—he is not Roman nor of the power structure in the Roman Empire that has any say over that.)  Jesus spends most of the Gospels showing people how they have gotten away from the laws of the Torah, which made it a societal sin not to take care of those less fortunate and the alien.

“If there is among you a poor man, one of your brethren, in any of your towns within your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.” (Deuteronomy 15:7).

Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.” (Deuteronomy 27:19) New Revised Standard Version

And please don’t take just my quotation of these passages, but take a look at other passages that Jesus upholds from his nation’s book of Law, the Torah.

But I know that as “Christians” we tend to hold what Jesus says more important than what he practices.  So, again, please closely read Matthew 23 (the whole chapter), the warnings or “Woes” that Jesus speaks to those in power.  And then take a look at the following on your own, and study the teachings of Jesus through this parable as it is written (not my interpretation):

Matthew 25:31-46

“31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,

33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

37 Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?

38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?

39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”

40 And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

41Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;

42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.”

44 Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45 Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’              New Revised Standard Version

I understand that you might be afraid of the language of Black Liberation Theology agitation it seems to cause in this country.  I find it an odd juxtaposition that even with all of the angst over Black Liberation Theology, many people still don’t find it odd that most of Western Christian society is based on taking over other people’s lands and telling them that their gods are insufficient for its purposes and therefore must be done away with.  And if you are worried about what Dr. Cone’s influences are then check his resume and see that it was pre-eminent White scholars that shaped his thought.  He validated his own experience through the academically sanctioned pathway of study.  It is why his work is still so volatile today, because his work is in the mainstream academy.  But I don’t have to justify Dr. Cone’s works, to you or anyone else, because they speak very clearly for themselves.

I am sure that the works of Dr. Cone from 1969 will never prove as disastrous as some may think, for any race.  They will certainly never justify the subjugation of any people into slavery nor will they delineate humanity by races that humiliate and condemn there very existence, like a certain Western Enlightenment scientists of the 17^th and 18^th centuries which “scientifically” fueled biblical justification of slavery and the declassification as anyone of African descent as a human being.

“In 1684, French physician François Bernier attempted to classify human bodies by skin color.  He divided the races into four distinct groups.  But it was not until 1735 that race became a theoretical scientific assumption with the work of Carolus Linnaeus, the founder of binomial nomenclature, the naming in Latin of species.  “For Linnaeus there were four races, Homo Europaeus, Homo Asiaticus, Homo Afer and Homo Americanus.”  (An original source for this information can be found here: William Bingley, Natural History of Animals: Illustrated by Short Histories and Anecdotes and Intended to Afford a Popular View of the Linnaean System of Arrangement, (Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing), 2008.) And this is a short excerpt written for a Systematic Theology course, not taught by Dr. Cone but by Dr. Morse, that I took in 2008.”

And just as Mr. Beck spoke to in the introduction of his piece, please don’t lump us all together in the seminary.  As you can see from all responses, we are a diverse group of people with different interests and issues we support and don’t support.  I also take exception for those of us who consider ourselves conservative, evangelical and even fundamental.  Your assumption that our “seminary” demonizes good people is just that, an assumption.  By the way, I took great pains in my response to speak from my own personal experience and the reaction to the ramifications I see in my life and for those I care about.  How my personal reaction to issues raised becomes turned around to an attack on a good person is just the kind of “telephone” game  that worries me when it comes to lack of clarity and compassion for one another.

And so, I wish you God’s speed.  The following is meant in all sincerity—I have a few more bible verses for you that speak way better than I can.

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”  II Corinthians 9:8

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

(King James Version)

Or add your own comment to Derrick’s post below.

Dear President Jones:

I write with sadness over your response to Mr. Glenn Beck. I understand that you were trying to counter his hateful speech with humor, however by taking such a tone you made his words something to be laughed at instead of  something to be taken seriously.

You insinuated in your response that Mr. Beck hasn’t read the Bible. I know it was an attempt to be funny but as someone who grew up in a conservative and fundamentalist church I assure you the one thing we did was read the Bible. In fact, I would say that in coming to Union I knew the Bible better than many of my classmates. I say that not to
brag, but to drive home the point that just because there is someone you don’t agree with doesn’t mean they haven’t read the Bible. What I needed from Union was Professors to put the content of what I knew into perspective and practice. I needed someone to explain Liberation Theology, to drive home the historical background of the Scripture, to make me aware of issues outside of my privileged, white upbringing. I got that education at Union and I am thankful for it.

Your response to Mr. Beck doesn’t provide any of that background. It doesn’t explain where he got it wrong. Instead it just sends humorous jabs his way as if Mr. Beck isn’t to be taken seriously. And this is the most dangerous attitude of all. I live in the midwest. Out here everyone knows who Glenn Beck is but no one has ever heard of Union Theological Seminary. When Mr. Beck mentions a book on his show it sells out at the bookstore where I work. He holds sway with many people that Union will never reach. By taking a tone that sounds as if Union is better than Mr. Beck we feed into our own arrogance; an arrogance that assumes that the world should listen to us simply because we are Union. When in reality, outside of elite and educated circles no one really knows who Union is or what we stand for.

As a graduate of Union I beg a better response to Mr. Beck. One that takes seriously the power that he has in the current political climate. One that counters his argument with intelligence, humility and grace. One that moves past poking fun and talks about why his comments are hurtful and harmful. A response that knows that words manifest into actions and that his vitriolic speech can translate into real violence. That is the kind of response that Union needs to be
presenting.

Sincerely,
Shannon T.L. Kearns M.Div. ’09

Tell Somebody!

Paulina's Briefcase - Mexican Labor Law Book on the left; AVON catalog on the right

Last week I had the opportunity to preach at the First Presbyterian Church of Edinburgh, Texas. The Gospel selection was a familiar one “The Good Samaritan” – Luke 10. This passage seemed so appropriate given the work Tamara and I were blessed to witness with the maquiladora workers in Reynosa and Rio Bravo, Mexico. The focus of our gathering was not only to say “hello”,  catch up with what is going on in the world, or even to explain why we are here from NYC, but to join in their “lucha” (struggle) for fair, safe and healthy working conditions.

Helping women become their own “lawyers” and understanding the power of negotiation is a conversation that I can not recall every being a part of before.  I am accustomed to Bible Study groups where I come as a leader or as a participant with my Bible, notebook and highlighter – ready to learn, discuss and share. The gatherings that we have witnessed with the women in Reynoso and Rio Bravo were carried out in the same spirit of inspiration, and motivation but the central text of these discussions was not the Bible or the daily newspaper but rather “La Ley Federal Trabajo del Mexico” – Mexican Labor Law.

On the way back last Saturday Ed asked Tamara and I if we have ever encountered the United States Labor “Law Book.” Our response was “No” – in fact it never crossed our minds to go buy one, search for it online or even borrow it from the library. The difference in how one works for justice, respect and equity became quite apparent. For these women having a clear, succinct knowledge of the “law” is a bedrock and necessity for their struggle. This has been one of the concrete “things” that Ed’s work has given them. Ed has inspired and enabled these special women to pick up a “law book” and be empowered by it NOT intimidated by it.  This “law book” for these women has become in some ways their “Bible” providing a sense of direction, hope and new expectations for how their working lives, careers should be crafted and sustained with dignity. This “book” sets the rules and makes it clear that although their jobs are at the bottom of the totem pole they still have rights – they too are people.

I was particularly struck by Paulina, one of the promotoras. She carries a pink and black AVON briefcase. In the front pockets of her “briefcase” is the Mexican Labor Law book on the left and her AVON sales catalog to the right. If what we carry is an indication was is true and dear to us, I am happy to make the assertion that for Paulina Mexican Labor Law (worker’s rights) and AVON (women’s empowerment and beauty) are central to her being and provide her the drive and income to stay in the “lucha.” What sorts of books do you carry in your “bag” or sit on your nightstand, desk or bookshelf? What words, laws, phrases give you hope, provide promise or have helped to ground your being – your sense of personhood?

For these women the Mexican Labor Law book is the book that clearly dictates what they deserve as workers. They will not give up until the “law” manifests itself in their workplace.  The “law” as these women see it is their lasting hope for equal, fair and just treatment. The challenge that these workers left me with is how do I understand the “law?”  How have I used the “law” to help in my struggle for justice and equity? How can “knowing” the law help in bringing down an deeply entrenched and often unjust system? How can I/we as I/we do justice work be a part of the process that creates laws that empower and uphold dignity? How do I speak against “laws” such as the Arizona “SB1070: show me  your papers law” that seeks to polarize and essentially shame those with proof and those without? How does one rise up “against” laws that do more harm than good? How do we organize, negotiate, sit at the table with lawmakers, CEOs and managers as these women do and bring to their attention their “breaking” of the law? How can/does the “law” hurt or bless the enterprise of believing that we are all a part of God’s creation, which means that we all deserve a chance to live, survive and prosper?

In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus arrives at this story by way of a question being asked by a lawyer. The lawyer wants to know “how do I inherit eternal life?” Jesus doesn’t answer the question, but rather does a Jesus “typical” thing – he answers the question with another question – “What does it say in the law?” The lawyer I can imagine just blurts out verbatim what the “law” says – “you should love the love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, body and strength and love  your neighbor as yourself.” After answering the question, Jesus responds “do this and you will live.” This question prompts the lawyer to ask “well who is my neighbor?” And there Jesus responds to the question using an illustration of the Good Samaritan who cared for an injured man while the priest and the Levite “stepped over him.”

The “law” was very clear as to how one can inherit eternal life – how one can live free – how one can live in a world of justice, community, hope and love. But, the implementation or execution appeared to be a bit problematic, challenging. It challenged this lawyer to not only think about his vertical relationships, but his horizontal ones as well. The “law” if fulfilled correctly was not only concerned about keeping things in balance with God, but also with one’s neighbors, community. The “law” that Jesus has called us to follow, plant and blossom in our hearts is one that does not cut or put off, but rather expands and embraces all those whom we come along with.

Jesus sets the record straight about the “law” and what it really means and what it has the capacity to be and do if we make an earnest attempt to learn it and use  it in our lives. The maquiladora workers in Mexico, through the help and gentleness of Ed, have come to know the “law” for themselves.  In their coming to know “the law,” these women have given life to their families and communities; they have ensured that their bodies are not exploited and are given the proper rest and nourishment; they have shown that the “law” is just not applicable to some but applies to everybody. I am convinced that these women will inherit eternal life not only because of their spiritual discipline, confidence, values but because they see the hope in how the “law” when used for good is a pathway to life and love.

Paulina and her briefcase

Mexican Labor Law Books

Tell Somebody!

You see this is the time when no one knew how or why little black boys and black teenagers were disappearing and turning up dead in Atlanta, GA. Those five white men in that car have no idea how much they scarred me that day. And even if they were to ever apologize, I’m sure they would say, “It was just a joke.”  You see they had the privilege to joke about things like that. That was their reality.

One person’s idea of reality can be so hurtful and damaging to another. And I must say, Mr. Beck, listening to your take on Liberation/Black/Theology (I lump them together because you did) I felt sucker punched. You have single handedly given millions of people permission to hate and distrust Black me simply because you seem to enjoy wanting the world to live in your reality.

I feel very much like that scared fifteen year old again. I can’t get the image out of my head of vitriolic hate speeches coming my way again. I can’t get the image out of my head of people in the name of democracy stepping on others dreams just to get ahead. And yes, Mr. Beck, it is this serious to me, I can’t get the image of dead black bodies turning up in swamps and city alleys out of my head. You give permission for hate, Mr. Beck. And whether or not you know it, I am the one who suffers for it. Me, this Black man, this African American, this Same Gender Loving human being who, as tired as I am, must keep fighting for survival because with each word you speak you unleash the hounds of hatred–against me.

I applaud my fellow seminarians and seminary President, Serene Jones for responding to your diatribe of intentional misinformation regarding Liberation/Black/Theology. I couldn’t watch more than ten minutes before my eyes streamed with tears for what you are doing to this country.

Please do come to Union, Mr. Beck. At least then you will have at least three years to try to digest the information we study, the Bible we try to live, the love we try to spew. If your staff can digest Black Theology in one day with the help of one person then you all deserve a theological scholarship to Union.

By the way, let’s clear up a couple of things. Mr. Beck, the Good Samaritan is a parable…Jesus’ teaching tool. Stick to Jesus’ script if you are going to use it and don’t add your take. It’s stood this long without your take on highway maintenance in the Roman world. The other thing, while we’re on the Romans. Be careful the way you spit out how the Jews killed Jesus and he would have come back to get ‘em. That’s the way you think, don’t put that on Jesus. And the last time I looked, it was the Romans that stripped Jesus, beat him, nailed him to the cross and pierced him in the side! No Jewish person had that much power under Caesar.

And one last thing, while my stomach is still in knots, while I still fear for the safety of those I call my own, and while I know that your work hurts me more than you will ever know…this one thing I can say:
I have nothing but the love of Jesus Christ for you and hope the Holy Spirit will crack your heart wide open so that you see the simplest words of social justice that Jesus ever spoke, ‘Love God, Love your neighbor as yourself’. If you can do this one thing for Christ, Mr. Beck, then you will see that everyone deserves to live in the bounty of God’s creation.

That was painfully clear in the latest Vatican publication of “Substantive Norms” on how it is going to get tough on priest pedophiles.

As reported in the New York Times and in the National Catholic Reporter,  the document, in one sense, doesn’t say that much. Basically, it is a collection of past directives on how to more expeditiously remove offending priests from office and eventually kick them out of the priesthood. (It’s called laicization, which among other things, dispenses the priestly sexual offenders from the obligation of celibacy. Hmmm….).

But what would have been new, and what would have helped the standing of the Vatican and the Catholic Church throughout the world, was glaringly missing: directives on how to call to task bishops who deliberately covered up the offenses or didn’t follow the law and report the offending Fathers to the local authorities.

Nor do these official “norms” say a word about obliging bishops to alert authorities when they have a sexual offender in their midst. Not a word about any of the responsibilities and culpabilities that so many bishops bear in this whole mess. Again, hmmm…. (One can only wonder about possible responsibility and culpability that the present Bishop of Rome might bear in the cover-ups and neglect when he was Bishop of Munich back in the 80s.)

But if this latest statement from the Pope and his staff can be faulted for what it doesn’t say, it can be absolutely deplored for what it does say. Alongside priestly sexual abuse of children and of people with mental disabilities, alongside child pornography, the Vatican statement lists as grievous “delicts” and offenses to the well-being of the church: the ordination of women!

The suggestion here is that God, like the Pope, is equally offended by a woman presenting herself to be a priest as by a priest raping a child!

This is simply beyond the comprehension of most people. And it arouses the consternation of most people: how in the world can the Vatican equate such claimed “dangers” to the church? Why, in a document aimed at dealing with the bewildering and scandalous problem of priests taking sexual advantage of children must the Holy Father and his advisers mention the “problem” of women wanting equal status in the Catholic church?

The New York Times opined that the Vatican inserted mention of women’s ordination in order to send a clear message that it wasn’t buying the suggestion that if there were “Mothers” besides the “Fathers” in the Catholic clergy, there would have been greater concern to protect and then stand up for the rights of children. The Vatican wanted to make perfectly clear that in addressing the problem of abusive priests in the church, it was not addressing the problem of abused women in the church.

If that was the internal motive, it is no justification for the public relations disaster. The fact that the Pope and his fellow-clerics had no inkling of how this juxtaposing of priestly pedophilia and women’s ordination would be perceived, how it would register on the minds and especially in the feelings of people “out in the world,” both inside and outside the Catholic Church, is itself an indication of how much these old, celibate, woman-less and childless men are out of touch with the people they say they are serving.

Tell Somebody!

Works of James Cone

There are those on the political right that make rational, consistent arguments; Glenn Beck is not one of them. If there is anything consistent about him, it is that he consistently preys on the worst fears of humanity – a consistency that certainly cannot be applauded.

This last week he took aim at Union’s own James Cone and the tradition of Liberation Theology. It was a surreal moment for those of us that saw it and are close to Dr. Cone. I respect and admire the influence of Liberation Theology, but most of us that study Liberation Theology recognize that it is not as prominent as it once was. It’s emphasis was destabilized by neo-liberal and post-modern theological critiques. Liberation theology was born out of the liberal school, pointing up the importance of experience and particularity as sources of spirituality that remain relevant to Christianity. After that, particularity continued on and on ’til metaphysical normativity became a passe thought of the Western world. All was finally contextual (as it always was), and universal truths had to be written in the ink of their historical, cultural and personal particularity. Most of us understand that Christianity and any religious expression comes into contact with historical contexts. Glenn Beck doesn’t.

I won’t spend this time arguing with his simplified, antiquated form of Christianity he learned from the Acton Institue and its Anthony Bradly. What I will say, as I have before to Mr. Beck, is THANK YOU. Thank you for introducing Dr. James Cone to his widest audience ever. Dr. Cone is an amazing theologian, and there is a sadness that he had to be introduced to such a wide audience by the likes of Glenn Beck in such a crude fashion; but what’s done is done. We can’t go back or shove the misguided, vitriolic words back in Beck’s mouth.

We can only hope and pray that Beck lives [some of] the words he spoke. Chrisitanity is about a change of heart, he said. “Works are a demonstration of our faith…” Then he stopped, realizing what he was saying, his polemic falling to pieces around him. You could see the wheels turning. “Does that mean I should change my heart about poverty, immigration or health care? Should I work toward the well-being of all God’s creatures rather than simply my vested interests?…” Time stood still for a moment. His heart beat grew faster, but not larger. That was only reserved for the Grinch’s redemption. Unfortunately, Beck’s remained ice cold and two sizes too small.

“We want to concentrate on Liberation Theology…” he started over, regaining his composure. I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe God’s grace and intervention. God was probably too busy weeping, though – as many of us were. Not for Beck’s sewage. I don’t know about you, but I’ve grown accustomed to it popping up in news feeds here and there. What we cried for was for the number of people that listen to his opinions for direction. His words are fingers pointing toward dead-ends, which only lead to anger and more polemic. Those that know the heart of the Gospel, like James Cone, know about compassion and grace. May Beck also have that conversion.

Tell Somebody!