Christian Racism and Presidential Frustations

So recently we received what could only be called a public spanking for the actions of an isolated few. Apparently when we had a forum consisting of bulletin boards on which we were supposed to post our opinions on the election and events surrounding it, certain people posted racist or inappropriate comments and neglected to sign their name to them. And I realize perfectly that this needs to be addressed in some way. But I could not help but to feel that the manner in which it was done was not only condescending, but inappropriate.
It was done at the beginning of chapel. Which in itself is bad enough in my opinion, but it was not the only factor that made me cringe. We had a guest speaker who was, guess what? Latino.Great idea. Let our guest know that there are people, probably in that crowd, who are racist and will say so. And apparently are racist to the point that a public lashing in the manner that a high school principle at an assembly would do, was in her mind the best action.
Now I am not saying that we should hide our problems from the world. I don't think Messiah is perfect, and I don't think that we should pretend that it is. Certainly not. But racism is something that is a flaw in character, a flaw in upbringing, a flaw in the Christian organized Church. Sunday mornings are the most segregated times in America. We have to make a conscious effort to promote equality in church because when most people look around at the representatives of the body of Christ in there pews they don't see anything but their own race. I know of very few that consciously seek diversity, or even ever address it at all. Certainly I never heard it in mine.
When everything in our upbringing either ignores or blatantly promotes the reality of racism, is it really that surprising to notice racist Christians? A public chastisement by our president that tells us that she is not proud and does not approve of the racism displayed is going to do nothing about the underlying problem. It will let everyone know our position on racism, which is certainly good, but it will change nothing.
Until we start to think about salvation as a new social order, a mosaic of people and a radical change in how we think of ourselves and the world, we won't be perceived by the world as anything but hypocrites. People won't see that prejudice is a serious injustice, and no one is going to make an effort to change the way they think about race and other types of prejudice. If we care in principle but not in reality we are perverting Christianity and crippling the body of Christ.

Now a word about the president and the ideas that I personally have gotten. The most common criticism I have heard is that she lives in a mansion on the outskirts of campus. The biggest thing about that is that it has a name. Orchard Hill. But for me, that is insubstantial next to the intense sense of disrespect for the student body that I feel coming from her. For example, below are two emails that are directly copied and pasted. These are from last year, and I don't think that my opinion of Kim will change very easily given the way we were treated. The first is from my friends and I, the second is the response from the president who claims to value "discourse with students."

From: "Rebecca... "
Sent: Sat, April 12, 2008 6:14 PM
To: "Kim ..."
Subject: Compassion Forum Concerns for college standards


President ...,
My friends and I were having a picnic by the breeches on this lovely Saturday afternoon, April 12th. While we on our way back to our resident hall we decided to check our mail due to the upcoming compassion forum. We were all rather shocked to see cigarette disposals outside Eisenhower Campus Center. Messiah College is a smoke free campus, this is announced at sporting events, plays, and concerts. We are concerned that the college has lessoned its values, which we all pride ourselves in, during the time of a nationally broadcasted event. We believe that this is a time when Messiah should be standing proud and not loosening its convictions. The compassion forum is a great opportunity for the nation to see what an upstanding college Messiah is, however will this be possible if we are lowering our standards in the presence of the nation. We are greatly disappointed in the college and we ask that you understand our concerns.
Thank you for your time and understanding.
Rebecca
Renae
Gina


Here is the response received:

I have just returned from Calif and I will check into this. We have not changed our policy and will ask people not to smoke biut do need aplace to deposit the trash when we ask them not to smoke

Those typos and the misuse of grammar are in the hastily sent email exactly as they appear here. And now, every time I hear her express her opinions I feel this sense that she holds of superiority over students. She may love the college and the ideals that it represents, but I think she values her students much less than she would have us to believe. And for me, there is nothing more frustrating than getting that sense that there is nothing that I could do to be heard except through student government. And my friend who ranks fairly highly in SGA feels that there is a definite limitation to conversation as well, even in SGA.
In a Christian College, and between believers who are supposed to respect one another, there should be mutual respect. At least pretend that you care and proofread your emails. When we get an email back from SGA that is more articulate and APOLOGIZES on behalf of the President for the poor quality response we received, I think we have a symptom of a larger problem.

Self Pity

I have a legitimate reason to cry today. And that is why I am right now. I failed a test for which I honestly did study. And so in a melodramatic gesture I punched my concrete wall with a right-left one-two punch. And now all I have to show for that is swollen knuckles and pain. And then, my amazing lovely friend Emily came over to get her guitar from beneath my bed. I have a lot of extra space, so naturally I offer storage for random items in here. I now have Amelia's bike in my room, Emily's extra quantities of popcorn, and so on.
I found out about my test grade and had just punched the wall when she knocked. She knew something was wrong, and after I told her she hugged me for a really long time. And then said some amazing words of comfort. Normally I offer other people these kind words, but this semester I have far oftener been the recipient. I feel very fortunate to know now that there are people in front of whom I have no fear of crying.
But I so rarely cry for myself. And when I do, I always feel like I shouldn't be allowed to, like I am being selfish and arrogant when I do. I always try to stave it off. And today I am really upset, because of a culmination of personal things, not just the test grade. That just opened the flood gates. But after she offered support she said I could hang out in her room. Then her face changed a little and said, by way of warning me, that Abbie was there and one of the members of her youth group just experienced a tragedy. Last night this young person's mom was killed on the way to pick them up.
Immediately I felt like an insensitive ass. I feel like this moment just reinforces the fact that I should not pity myself. I know I am made for empathy and I totally disallow myself to use this gift when I am sad on my own behalf. This sounds frightfully unbalanced of me, I realize that. But really, every time I pity myself, someone actually presents something that actually matters.
When I am sad on behalf of my friends and agonizing for them, it feels much more like a productive use of my time. Like, sure I did cry and spill all my emotions, but now I have come out of it much more ready to help the person about whom I am crying. And there are specific people who know exactly what to say to me and read my mind. And If you've seen me cry and I continue a conversation that makes me cry, then I trust you with my vulnerability. But the problem is that whenever I talk to someone about my own problems I feel like I am unnecessarily burdening people who are, by way of their personalities, always burdened. I am one of these people, and I never resent it, in fact I thrive on helping people and would be uncertain of what to do if people never trusted me, were never open. They probably feel the same way, but I don't know.
What the hell good is it for me to be concerned for myself? It's not like I can't make it, sure it hurts, and sure maybe there is a lot more going on in my head. But I just want to focus on others not on me.

Wow, that was really personal. But I needed some outlet to work things out...

Experience makes the best teacher

So I have to write a speech to memorize for tomorrow, and I am none too thrilled with that, given that I was told about this on Friday, and I am splendidly swamped this weekend. But here goes.

Last semester, a group of us went on a service trip to Pittsburgh to serve with the Pittsburgh Project. We were going to help the elderly, inner city poor repair their homes so that they could afford to keep their homes. We were all expectant, hoping that we would be able to make a difference. Most of us had no carpentry or plumbing experience at all, but we were all hoping that the age old adage "Experience is the best Teacher" would hold true for us. The Staff at the project understood that we were nervous and anxious about the work we would have in the coming days, so on our first day they made every effort to make a safe environment where candor about our experiences would help us to process everything that was going through our minds.
They split us up into three groups, with whom we would be working for the duration of that week. My group consisted of two other people who I had met only a week previous. We were working with a man named Pastor Ed, and he could sense that we were uncertain if we were able to complete the tasks which we were assigned. He had Matt and Karli tearing down the roof of the porch, and he had me help him replace a window. Both Karli and I conquered our fear of heights that day and that built our confidence. In this new found confidence we made the observation that the porch stairs were looking a bit sickly. We asked if we could take this on as our project, while the other two were on the roof.
Pastor Ed told us that we could do so on only one condition. We were allowed to ask questions but he would not instruct us, he wanted us to do this ourselves. He kept teasing us with joking questions about if we were up to the challenge, but he did it in such a way that we were more certain that we were able every time he asked. We made all the measurements, and we made a few mistakes. But we were able to fix them. When we had finished them, they were by no means the most beautiful and artfully constructed stairs, but they were sturdy, and they were functional. And as sopping wet and dirty as those stairs were, and in fact as we were, we knew that we had done something good for someone else. We learned how to do these things by simply doing them.
When we returned and the whole group reconvened to eat dinner and talk about what we had done, the looks on people's faces were unforgettable. Everyone was glowing with self confidence, and lauding each other for their accomplishments and ability to overcome fears. We were alternately astonished by each other's newfound skills and talents, and proud of each other for learning what we learned.

Politics

I know that because I am voting absentee, that my vote will not be counted unless there is a tie among regular pollsters. But that has not yet succeeded in making me feel less concerned at all about my choice for President.

Obama is smart, and he is a clever orator, though less quick on his feet than some in debate situations. He doesn't seem to be the kind of hold your own type of person that will resist manipulation and I feel that his lack of experience may indeed be his downfall. Many foreign policy situations will have him being the least qualified person in the room and also the one that has to make the call. When it comes down to it, he will be heavily dependent on his staff of advisers, who, I might add, we do not get to choose.
Biden has tons of experience, but he does tend to say things that get him into trouble. Should anything or anyone happen to Obama, then this is the guy. He is gruff, and a harsh man, one who would be beneficial in some circumstances, but far from delicate in others where strength is not the way to approach it.

I get that McCain is a war hero, and I understand that he has served in the military and in government and that for us, warlike culture that we are, that is the kind of leader we want. But increasingly I have been leaning towards pacifism as a defining ideal of my life. That is not to say that I am naive enough to believe that we can resist entangling ourselves so precariously in conflicts, as we have done almost since the day of our country's inception. Within 20 years of the ratification of the constitution we were duking it out with the French in the Caribbean. Truthfully I expect that if McCain takes the helm, war will be much oftener in his subconscious and we may end up paying dearly in the blood of our soldiers if we elect him.
Palin has one really strong point going for her, and that is that in a state as corrupt as Alaska, she has made a stand for integrity of political office. However, that may be one of those things that reflects more on the other politicians than on her, but that does not discredit her morals. But she has no qualifications when it comes to foreign policy, and the fact that McCain is likely to have future health problems which may result in his death, does not make that lack of experience a comforting thought.

What has happened to the days of high political thought and theories? Today the debate is not over actual issues, and the fissures are smaller between parties now than they were then. Why oh why must this lack of heartfelt communication and debate accompanied by civility exist today? Why can we not see the similarities and actually try to reach across the aisle in an age where we need, more than ever, to talk to each other?

Judge not lest ye be judged? Remember when God said it?
When did he give you permission to edit his command
until all of your stereotypes and hate you can conveniently fit
outside the bounds of this rule. Why don't you understand?

I stand in the shadows, never dreaming to seek out
your help for the silent pain I carry on my soul,
and you term yourselves to be God's devout!
On Christ your hypocrisy takes a grave toll.

And those who last would trumpet themselves as pious Christians
are the very ones whose sufferings can help to mend mine.
But with you who turn disdainfully from them, where can I begin?
Does it even matter? I fall outside of your lines.

Because apparently you've had no problems, no struggles.
And though you've read God's word cover to cover,
you live in your own perfect, private bubble
and hate her, when you ought to love her.

When you live to edify yourself, ignoring social justice
and that Jesus told us we ought to love the poor
you've copped out to the devil and called an armistice.
And while you do that, Satan ushers thousands through Hell's door.

How dare you take the name of Christ to wear like a decoration
while claiming that your life is pristine, and assuming mine is too!
To me, your passive attitude, full of ignorance, is instigation!
Will Jesus Christ look at your love and works and really affirm you?

Don't tell anyone you're a Christian until you can take in
the homosexual, the whore, the needy, and the destitute
tell them you're not perfect: you are smudged and blemished by Sin.
Stop slamming doors in their faces and hating, preventing them from finding the Truth!

I've heard hateful things come out of your mouths, and I wonder
if you've ever heard that all people were created in God's image?
But you would lay bare their souls and their faults you would plunder
forgetting that once you ached in your bondage.

After all, God loved YOU, and if your soul were opened for us to see
your thoughts and deeds, all things kept hidden in shame
we'd see that you're a liar, and that you are filthy.
Good thing that God knows that you, me, and those you call "THEM" are all the same.