A few folks have asked if I planned to blog about the Obama Waffles fiasco. I really don’t want to, though I suppose this post will, in effect, constitute me “blogging about it.” Here’s the official website from the folks who are pushing this “satire.” And here’s what Christianity Today.com said about it. And my friend Gina Dalfonzo over at The Point says this (though I wasn’t aware that she and I had been having so many disagreements about the election). 😉
As for me, I’m feeling too weary and cynical to offer anything useful about this. I guess I’m experiencing a relapse of the “Reconciliation Blues.”
In an email, a friend of mine recently confessed that when his faith is weak, he is vulnerable to becoming severely depressed and feeling hopeless about the race issue in America—and in the church. I knew exactly what he meant. My faith has been feeling that weakness lately. Sometimes it seems as though any progress we’ve made on the racial healing front has been forgotten. Cultural ignorance and fear, as well as divisive maneuvering for the sake of political gain, remind me that racism is alive and well.
Sometimes, I too confess, my heart echoes the cry of that desperate father pleading to Jesus: “Lord, I do believe! But help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).
For the record, when I made the crack about Obama-themed waffle irons, I had no idea this product was on the market, though I feel eerily prophetic now. I think I need to take a shower or something.
That’s weird, at the Values Voter Summit? Disturbing. I hadn’t heard about it, but see that it is now across the internet.
I saw a little of this conference on C-span.
Kate O’Beirne spoke about the VP brouhaha; Stephen Baldwin spoke about the moral morass of Hollywood; Ken Blackwell talked about education. I didn’t hear Obama mentioned, that I remember.
Mixed feelings. I agreed with some of the views.
The mix of Christianity and politics was a little unsettling. Is faith informing their political stances, or are their political stances affecting the shape of their faith?
The audience appeared to be homogeneous.
* * * * *
How many people saw the product, recognized it as offensive, and didn’t speak up?
* * * * *
Try not to despair, Ed. Some things just take time.
Our son didn’t walk independently until he was seven years old. He just got a communication device that I started working on getting funding for seven years ago. He’s eleven now.
Sometimes there are many small steps along the path to a goal, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t making progress, or that you won’t reach it.
The FRC can’t avoid the fact they made a mistake. They’ll be socially policed from the outside, if they don’t do it internally. I doubt this will happen again. The teachable members will learn from this. Some will even take the lesson back to their communities.
One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.
Are you kidding me?
I have no real comment on those waffles except to say I about spit my coffee out this morning when I read this. Unreal.
I’m touched by your honesty in this post, Ed. Thanks for keeping it real.
They’ve mostly been quiet disagreements. 🙂 And respectful ones. But I’m with you on this one.
I think I echo Gina’s article almost word for word. And her comment.
I had a very different take on Gina’s post. I want to post it here Ed and hear what you think. Besides I doubt Gina will allow it to go through becasue she approves or disapproves all comments on her blog 🙂
Anyway here is my comment on her blog and I would to hear your thoughts Ed (and anyone else of course).
Here goes…
“Wow! This is saddening for a number of reasons but one of the more troubling statements was in the post.
You said…
“If conservatives want to reach out to minority groups, we’ve got to start understanding their concerns and respecting their dignity, not just thinking of them as some mysterious voting bloc we can or can’t count on or work with for reasons we don’t fully understand. If conservative Christians are going to throw around verses like “There is neither Greek nor Jew . . . slave nor free,” we have to mean it, and live it.”
The troubling things in this comment are…
– The indirect admitting that the Republican party is a bunch of isolated white folks hence the comment about “reaching out to us minorities.”
– The thinking that we need to be reached out to by white conservatives.
I know you are trying to do a good deed and bring up a very real topic that needs to be addressed in the white church but it also points to the isolation and lack of relational exposure with “us” folks who are of color.
I think I need to tell you that white republican Christians are a very small percentage of the Church of Christ. Less than 1% of the global church is white republican christians so this idea that “you guys” need to reach out to those who aren’t in your demographic is just ridiculous and again very isolated.
You mean to tell me that 99% of the Christian population in this world needs the white republicans to reach out to them. By the way I have the stats to back up these statistics if you need them.
I think true reconciliation will begin to happen when the white church begins to realize that they are not the “face’ of Christianity and their place is not to “help” people but rather understand that the church of Christ is made up of folks from every tongue, tribe, and nation and we all have something to offer.
Gina I know you are trying to speak to a serious issue and I appreciate your effort in this. As a pastor of a multicultural church plant I love all efforts to reconcile believers to one another but I think it needs to be more than this. Warning a bunch of white republicans to reach out to minorities I think feeds the problem instead of helps it.
I think the white church needs to stop thinking they are the help and begin to partner with folks in building the Kingdom of God and actually become the “learner” instead of the “giver.”
I know I am being a little forward but I think reconciliation will happen only when we commit to having the hard conversations and committ to staying “at the table” when are feelings or intentions are misinterpreted or aren’t communicated well.
Your intentions were great but your words point to the isolation of your audience and a lack of understanding about the “colorful bride” that is the church.
God help us to “live life” with one another.
Grace and Peace,”
Aaron,
Since I pretty much agreed with Gina word for word, I’ll respond for myself. I never met Gina, but I’ll let you know what I’m thinking.
Some people like myself are Republicans and Christians. For me Christian definitely comes first, but in this specific context we’re talking about Republican conservatives.
It’s obvious that Republicans have a huge problem when it comes to relating to minorities. Republicans whether you believe it to be true or not, are a political party that thinks it has the right ideas and candidates to help the country. But because of events such as Obama Waffles many minorites simply don’t trust conservatives or Republicans and won’t even listen to our ideas. What is especially egregious is that this took place at a Christian event. So Gina was right, stuff like this needs to stop if Republicans have any chance of building any trust with minorities, and it affects the church.
This is obviously just about the United States in this limited context, and a decent percentage of the American Church is white Republican, though I don’t know exactly what that percentage is and am not going to look it up. I don’t think she was talking about the characteristics of the global church; that simply wasn’t the subject of her post.
Another thing that is horribly confusing to white conservatives like me is hearing at one time that minorities are offended that there appeared to be no intentional effort to reach out to them by Republicans, and then when we speak of the need to do so, we’re wrong again because you don’t need us to reach out. We’re wrong and racist no matter which option we choose. What the heck are we supposed to do?
I don’t know if minorities need reached out to, but the Republican party needs to reach out or they won’t survive. Simple demographics.
Remember Aaron, Jesus is like a Mountie, he ALWAYS gets his man, so it’s all gonna be ok.
Judy
Hey, Ed, I definitely understand the weary and cynical feelings… and I’ve gotta tell you that the final chapter in Reconciliation Blues puts a lump in my throat the size of a tennis ball everytime I read it.
I was talking to a pastor friend today who is going through some very rough times, and in the course of the conversation I remembered a message delivered a few years back by Tony Evans. It was one of the most electrifying messages I’ve ever heard. Tony was speaking to those in ministry who were worn-out, burned out, and had “put in their resignation some time ago, but hadn’t yet informed the board”. Tony preached on Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, and his message in a nutshell was this: ministry gets HOT, and when it gets hot, if you don’t have a call from God to hold on to, you have nothing. He told us that night, “You don’t need another pep talk, you don’t need another program. You need a fresh face-to-face encounter with the living God.”
Tony’s message shook me to the core. I can’t count how many times before and after I heard those words I’ve been on the verge of giving up — frustration, despair, weariness. The only thing that’s carried me through is to get past the trappings, past the outward circumstances, and get in touch anew with my Father and the simplicity of His call.
I wish I had the perfect words of encouragement for you… you have been an incredible encouragement to me. Racism is sin, and reconciliation is ministry. Like all true ministry, reconciliation is hard work, and the path is full of discouragement…. but I’m continuing on because that call from God is like “fire in my bones” (to quote Jeremiah)….
Thanks for your honesty and for your continued faithfulness to the call….
Judy,
You know I… Never mind. I am done. No comment. Your right there is nothing you can do… your the victim who cannot win.
Judy (#7),
As long as we’re coming to the defense of people we agree with and/or understand — and being presumptuous in the process — I might as well jump in the fray.
I apologize for Aaron, because even though I don’t know him, I think I MAY know a little of how he feels… when something this egregiously bad happens, it releases a torrent of emotions and the immediacy of internet-based response means those reactions just start tumbling out without proper contextualization.
I don’t think Aaron was trying to say that Gina was WRONG for saying what she did. (At least I hope not, because I don’t think she was wrong.) I agree with what both of you have said so far for the most part (except for being Republican and female).
I think his point, though, is that part of solving the problem that the GOP is having requires stepping away from the place of established power and expertise and intentionally seeking out others of differing ethnicity and nationality in order to gain a fuller picture of the Kingdom of God as it is represented globally.
I think it’s very good for someone like Gina, who is an established voice within the Breakpoint community, to make the statement that Repubs need to reach out to people of color and really be intentional and not just try to meet quotas or fulfill artificial diversity initiatives. I agree with that statement, and I wish more people would make that very statement with more frequency, especially more White people (it means more to White people coming from other White people… see: “To Kill A Mockingbird”).
That being said, I think it still can come off to a Black man like me as being a bit paternalistic and patronizing to see that statement only being made the context of a mea culpa, as if everything would have been all good had someone just had the decency to notice the Obama waffles a little earlier and kicked them out before any press got wind of it. (I’m not saying this is your position, but this is what similar statements can appear to be.)
The fact that someone can, in good conscience, attend the Values Voter Summit and be so reckless with racial stereotypes, in a campaign that has been charged with racial tension since THE BEGINNING, with a group that is supposed to represent Christian spirituality lived out in political activisim… THAT is a problem. It’s not just the EFFECT of the problem that is bad (although that IS bad… good luck getting Ken Blackwell to run again), that’s only the external side of it.
The more ingrained problem is one of power, privilege, and perspective… that of Christians in America, White evangelicals do not constitute an overwhelming majority, numbers wise, but they command a disproportionate amount of political clout, which, for the most part, is wielded by the Republican party like a giant billy club ready to bludgeon its opponents into submission.
The idea of Republicans reaching out to other minorities is laudable in the context of reforming the party, but still a little repugnant in the context of 21st century Christianity.
Why would I make such an audacious claim?
Because the term “reach out” normally carries a connotation of reaching down to pull up. In other words, the unspoken (and probably unintentional) message is that Republicans need to reach out to Blacks, Latinos, Asians and other ethnic minorities so that THEY can become more like US, resulting in a stronger party.
And if you think I’m reaching, answer me this… how many times have you heard that Christians need to “reach out” to the poor, homeless, the alien among us, et cetera. Now, how many times have you heard someone say, “I’d like to reach out to more elite CEOs, since they have something to contribute to this conversation on the economy.”
Which one sounds more likely or natural?
Yes, Republicans do need to reach out if they want to diversify their base.
But as Christians, it’s not just about expanding on your base. It’s about realizing that if you’re serious about preserving a consistent culture of life, your political base should not be a homogenous bulwark of people who live close to you, have similar backgrounds, and similar tax brackets.
It’s realizing that if you’ve been intentionally cocooning yourself in blissful, self-absorbed denial to the exclusion of other Christians whose lives are not as politically expedient to advocate for (as I believe that the Republican party, for the most part, has done) then the proper response for such an egregious disenfranchisement of whole people groups should be more than just an offhand remark of contrition that has all the gravitas of a new year’s resolution.
The proper response is more like the prophet Isaiah, who realized he had unclean lips, and he dwelt among a people of unclean lips.
I know by this point I’ve probably moved way past what Aaron was trying to say, but hopefully I’ve tapped into a little of the frustration that we both probably have in common.
Sorry to jump in so late. I was away from a computer all day. I appreciate all of your comments. I don’t know if I can really say anything else worthwhile.
I hear and appreciate your heart, Judy. Thank you for your encouragement, Kevin. And thanks, Aaron, for honestly articulating that frustration. Jelani, you also eloquently express the heart of the racial reconciliation dilemma in the American church. So much of what we are dealing with is rooted in perceptions and mistrust that may or may not be justified. Yet, that is the reality, and we need to be honest about it if we’re going to move forward. So, thanks for modeling that honesty here, everyone.
Gina and Judy, I pray that you were not hurt or offended by anything said here today. I hope this blog will continue to be a place where we can wrestle with these issues with candor and freedom and respect for each other, even when our perspectives seem in conflict. Because of our common bond in Christ, we can hash out these issues with truthfulness and love. We all bring a unique and needed perspective to the conversation. And, truth is, I think we have more agreement than we realize.
Again, I appreciate all of you and am honored that you come here to discuss these important matters.
I think you did an excellent job Jelani! I feel you 100% and in no way did you go beyond some of the feelings and thoughts I was getting at.
I think in a nut shell this stuff far out weights the political process and points to a much deeper issue, which you have graciously expressed. Thank you for your grace and your ability to say some things that I in no way could have because of the emotional depression that this whole O’bama process has birthed.
Judy,
Sorry for my last comment which essentially said… “I give up, there is no use explaining because you will never understand. ”
This attitude completely contradicts the message of grace and my own statement in my comments about “staying at the table.”
I apologize for my racial exhaustion. Also I brought up the global context to drill home the point that the white church has to get off of it’s “high horse” and see that they are not the authority or the face of evangelicalism. My point was that until the white church begins to see its need to learn instead of “help” then I don’t think these discussions will amount to much except maybe more “soup kitchens” and not any real “mutual” relationships that celebrate God’s design and His church.
That’s it… again I am sorry Judy for writing you off and not “staying at the table.”
Jelani certainly helped me with her response to get back in the fight! Thanks Jelani!
Ed,
Thank you bro for the battle you have been fighting for quite some time. I never told you this here on the blog but “Reconciliation Blues” is a book I point others too when they need fresh perspective and honesty on a very daunting subject. God bless you brother!
hey ed…found ya!
whew. this sounds like CURE staff meeting! ed, i hear ya when you talk about faith and hope and how intertwined they are. truth is, for me, i walk the fence between those two all day, every day. i know to pray for the Kingdom here, as it is in heaven. i know to worship as described in Isaiah 58. i know to pray and work for the peace of the city. i know i am to walk with my God in humility, to do justice, and to love mercy. but sometimes it feels like nothing is different in the whole deal. and i can easily slip into “Elijah” mode, where i start to wonder if anyone is really along on the ride with me (stupid, i know…considering those with whom i work). i’ll pray for you and your faith (which comes from God…Romans 12). and for the faith of anyone who chooses to wrestle with this issue within the confines of the Church in this country.
i love the wrestling over this topic. to me, it jerks at every anchor we have that isn’t Christ. wealth, power, goodness, value, victimization, privilege, race, family, ideology, political standpoint, safety, fairness, hard work, justice, and religion. and just like when Jesus walked this earth, the wrestling over most of these same sorts of issues were between him and religious folks…even his disciples.
the more anchors, the more resistance. i have had to look at anchors over and over. what would i not give up to work for change? my home? family? job? political party? friends? it was a long list for me.
oh…forgot an anchor. fear. what if i really do have to give up those things? but as i started to confront those fears and questions, a whole lot of scripture started to make sense to me. and i realized i didn’t know anyone not like me. i didn’t know different cultures. i didn’t know different economic groups. well, i knew some people who made a lot of money rather than did ok. and a couple of people who had to be careful with their money. but that’s about it.
i realized that i didn’t DO justice. i just tried to not do injustice. i realized how often i walked with God trying to be master rather than servant…i knew what needed to be done to make this world right. and mercy? well, honestly, that’s the one i wrestle with most now. i can be merciless toward the people and places from which i come, easily forgetting that i come from the same place and am only on a journey, and not a master of it. i can be merciless toward those who cause injustice, and those who don’t care what injustice must be done so long as their lives don’t have to change. and i can be merciless to myself…am merciless to myself at times, for living so long with eyes blinded to so much of the visibly expressed word of God.
so, now i talk to the people from which i come…the white, evangelical conservative. and mostly i end up feeling like ed expressed in his entry. but as i am trying to learn to be a good servant, i don’t question the Master, or tell him i think it should be like this. He’s already expressed his heart, in word, and in life, and so i continue. it doesn’t make me better, or worse, or anything. it makes me a fellow traveler.
Aaron,
I’m sorry I frustrated you. I wasn’t trying to disrespect you in any way.
I have a feeling very few here will sympathize with the poor white girl, but I’m feeling fatigue and frustration as well. I’m frustrated at two idiots that want to pass of a racist depiction as ‘satire’ and have no sensitivity or understanding of how hurtful their work is. I’m sorry that these items sold so well to a bunch of self satisfied jerks before the booth was shut down. I hate the ignorance and insensitivity in the white conservative Christian community that allows this stuff to occur.
So, I’m going to ask for something that is never deserved. Grace. Grace for me and the people of my community. Please try, however hard it may be, to not fill in the blanks with the worst assumptions about our thoughts and motivations. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I want to learn and relate to people in the Body that come from different perspectives and backgrounds. Since the RNC, I have heard two opposite perspectives regarding “reaching out” to minorities regarding the Republican party. I get the idea that we’re wrong either way. Is that true? Will we be seen as wrong no matter what we do? I’m not trying to claim any victimhood here. I see conflicting messages and I don’t know what to think of them or what to do.
I realize no one is going to feel sorry for a white woman here, and I’m just attempting to offer my perspective. What I have struggled with as far as reconciliation is that words I write or say, or the words of other white conservatives and/or Christians seem to be interpreted in radically different ways that I don’t know how we could be responsible for. For example, I read some of the responses to Sarah Palin’s speech at the RNC and was very discouraged. I think some of the assumptions made about her from that speech were unfair and uncalled for.
I’m struggling here to put in words what has been frustrating me lately, but I feel that my words and the words of others like me are subject to some sort of hyper criticism. The things we write and say can’t be taken at face value; they’re interpreted and extrapolated through all these filters then the meaning that is heard at the end isn’t related to what we said in the first place. And then we’re held responsible for the altered message. Did that make any sense? I need to quit typing and go to bed.
Jelani and Aaron, I agree with much of what you have to say regarding the issues of power and perspective and the white evangelical church. Honest.
Good night
Judy,
I think you can be just as racially exhausted as Ed can be… This why I apologized for my victim comment earlier. It was completely out of frustration.
Grace is what we all need in this situation. Not just you but all of us! This stuff is so ridiculous… How is it that it has come to this?
The racialialized society in which we live has really put a black eye on the church. I am almost to the point where I all I can do is just turn the tv off, turn the cpu off, and turn the radio off and then maybe I can not here or see something that just breaks my heart when it comes to this whole race thing. I truly am disgusted.
I will just say this about “conflicting” views of reaching out to minorities. Just reach out to have a relationship… Not to gain political votes or somehow ask a bunch of questions. Just make friendships that function at a mutual level where you are not the “giver” but both the giver and receiver.
Have coffee, do dinner, go to “their” house, and steer clear of political conversations. Be genuine in your relationships. And if you have go out of your way to do it and I guarantee you that you will be blessed in many ways.
I know I am making a lot of assmuptions (that you don’t have these relationships all ready) but from everything that you have said this is the conclusion that I have come to. So if this is not true then by all means extend GRACE 🙂
Aaron,
You never really say what you think, do you. (obvious sarcasm) I can always count on you to keep it real.
I appreciate your encouragement in the last post. Build real authentic relationships that aren’t motivated by politics or even Christian outreach. Get to know people. Listen. Ask questions. This is how we find what we have in common. This is also how we better understand why we think differently.
You are a pitbull sometimes, but when it comes down to it I think that you are really a teddy bear. Peace.
KG
Judy (and Gina if you’re still reading),
Please continue to share with us your struggles with this. I echo what Aaron said… grace is what we ALL need, and even though I’m obviously passionate about this and willing to elucidate on all the reasons why I think politics is screwed up, that doesn’t change the fact that the reason why we’re here on this blog — if we’re to go by the name — is to be reconciled, first to God, then to one another.
So I do not regard you with a worldly perspective… or at least, I’m trying not to.
I think you’re right… being in the middle of these crosshairs, politically speaking, means anything you do or say makes you subject to hyper-criticism. It’s okay to voice frustration with that… it’s a frustrating thing. It’s frustrating just as much when you go through it as it is when we go through it.
I hope and pray that more threads like this take place, and more people like you can have the honesty and boldness to take the heat of our frustrated responses (Black people, people on the left, etc.) and still do the difficult work of trying to parse the truth contained therein, even if it’s not articulated accurately or graciously.
Likewise, I hope and pray that more Blacks and Obama supporters (obviously not a mutually exclusive club) can choose to respond with grace and not simply throw more grenades back.
[…] Edward Gilbreath says he’s feeling to weary and cynical to say much about Obama Waffles. […]
Whoops, I was away too long! I missed a lot. Aaron, as you saw, I did let your comment go through. I always do let comments go through unless they violate our comment policy ( http://thepoint.breakpoint.org/comment-policy.html ). You’re welcome back any time!
Jelani,
Sorry about the typo… I wrote…
“Jelani certainly helped me with her response to get back in the fight! Thanks Jelani!”
I meant to put…
“Jelani certainly helped me with HIS response…”
Sorry Homie!
“The underlying philosophies of segregation are diametrically opposed to democracy and Christianity, and all the dialectics of all the logicians in the world cannot make them lie down together.”
* * * *
“No lie can live forever,” he said. “Let us not despair. The universe is with us. Work together, children. Don’t get weary.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., quoted by Taylor Branch, in Parting the Waters.
B”H
Hey Ed and all the rest of the gang,
Sorry I have been silent for much too long. I tend to do a lot of lurking here and there, making occasional comments and infrequent blogs of my own.
This topic has been quite a revelation in several concrete ways. First and foremost I think Jelani is right to remind us all of Ed’s byline, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” Although we may disagree thoroughly on our political viewpoints, we need to focus on the transcendent reality, that each one of us who has been born from above (only GOD knows who is really in this category) is now a new person. All things are made new, old things are passed away. Gina, Judy, KG, Pastor David, Joel, Arloa, Phil S. and all of our other “white” brethren who read this blog, know that you are greatly loved and appreciated, not only by GOD, but also by Ed, Aaron, Jelani, myself and a host of other Afro-Americans believers. We need GOD’s grace for sure, less we grow weary and fail to reap the rice rewards that GOD has invested in us. Race fatigue, in it’s many varied expressions, can strike down even the best among us. Let us pray and be stedfast in faith, believing that what GOD has called us to He is also able to sustain, even against the most formidable odds.
The second observation that I would call attention to is this. Blogging, as well as any form of written communication, has severe limits. A lot is lost in terms of voice tones, timing and pauses, and body language in general. Although this forum is the best we can do considering the vast distances we live from one another, we should always be mindful of the possibility that WHAT a brother or sister has written may not be exactly what they MEAN. Love covers a multitude of sins and a word spoken in season with love will heal a thousand wounds.
Blessings,
Shlomo
B”H
In light of my previous comment I thought that maybe it might be good if there was some sort of conference or gathering where some of us might meet and share our hearts and thoughts in person. Does this sound like a good idea to anybody?
Shlomo
Hey, this is a great thread. Thanks for pointing me over here, Aaron. Lots of good comments here. One thought I have is that we need to be careful about assuming the intentions of “white churches”, so to speak. Do they run soup kitchens to “reach out” to minorities, or do they run soup kitchens to follow the Biblical injunction to care for the poor (no matter what skin they’re wearing, one might add)?
Obama Waffles, huh? I knew I smelled something burning.
To tell the truth, I’ve been feeling burnt out (no pun intended) on my reconcilers’ journey for some time. But I keep pressing.
Keep pressing, Ed. Press into Him. (Gal 6:9)
For we don’t wrestle not against Republicans or Democrats, conservatives or liberals, or those sending missionaries to Ethiopia instead of the inner city …
The war on racism (and all the isms) is bigger than what we see (and feel). And to top it off I’m thinking it requires way different weapons than we are used to wielding.
I’m not suggesting that these weapons are complex. Deep down I think they are simple. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Simple ain’t always easy.
When I first read about the waffles I thought, ‘that’s a hoax. A publicity stunt.’ Not so.
We’re all in a tizzy over this crazy box of waffle mix (as evidenced by the flood of comments on a post Ed didn’t event want to make) but just suppose that this kind of thing is just the tip of the tiniest tip of the entire iceberg that is American black-on-white racism.
We’d better keep pressing. And praying. Real hard.
Joel,
Point well taken homie!
Thanks again, everyone, for this lively discussion. I especially appreciate the way each of you have chimed in with hard-won wisdom on this issue—and how you’ve affirmed one another, even when you’re not exactly on the same page with that brother or sister. Thank you.
I also appreciate your various words of encouragement. Julana and Linda, the reminders from Scripture and quotes from MLK are very inspiring.
Let me just say that I’m not giving up; however, I do find it necessary to occasionally step away from the action to recharge and renew. I recently received an invitation to speak at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, an institution that I respect greatly. Back when I was writing “Reconciliation Blues,” I secretly hoped that someone would one day invite me to TEDS to speak about it. When the invitation finally came, I was grateful for the opportunity. However, I was feeling so burned out talking about race and reconciliation that I procrastinated in responding to the invitation. As a result, they found somebody else. I don’t usually exhibit that kind of passive-aggressive behavior (though my wife may disagree), but lately I’ve been feeling trapped between that call to speak on these issues and that sense of feeling like I’ve got nothing else to offer.
I’m confident that the fire will return at some point, but for now I need to be quiet regarding some of these matters. That’s why I really didn’t feel up to commenting on the whole Obama Waffles thing. Nevertheless, I’m glad I said something, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this current conversation. So, once again, thank you.
Shlomo,
Welcome back to the conversation. I’ve missed you. I appreciate your suggestion about getting together for some sort of conference or gathering. I know that folks are spread out across the nation, so it’s likely impractical for some. But it would be great if we could occasionally connect with those who live in our areas. Also, national events like the upcoming Christian Community Development Association conference (in Miami this year) are great opportunities to connect with folks whom we may only talk to in the blogosphere.
Ed G.
I am sickened by the knowledge that this product is out there. I am a younger voter, and we young people are largely voting for Barack Obama. We are looking forward to the days of his presidency. We are acutely aware of McCain’s archaic approach because it’s worn, and it seems so retroactive. This product is a perfect example of what my generation refuses to stomach. I am not naive, nor do I believe Barack will fix everything in one fell swoop.
It is clear that Obama represents positive change. For some older white people, Obama’s positive change threatens them.
I am a white middle-class outdoors woman. I am voting for Barack Obama in November. It is a direction that I do believe in.
Ed,
I completely hear you with regard to the fatigue thing. It’s a little bit like trying to keep up with all the different reports of natural disasters around the country.
Recently, my old north side neighborhood (North Park/Albany Park) was inundated with flood rains, and I found myself engrossed by the coverage … but only because I used to live there and know a few people still around there.
But those reports and photos impacted me far more than the coverage of Hurricane Ike, even though obviously the danger was far greater for folks in or around the third coast region… because sometimes you just can’t keep up. Sometimes your emotions can’t handle One More Issue to digest, especially without any other personal connection to make it more relevant or meaningful.
Which is hard for people like us (I’m using that term loosely since you are FAR more accomplished and credentialed than I) who have, intentionally or unintentionally, positioned ourselves as go-to resources for commentary, insight and analysis of issues related to faith and reconciliation. It ends up being a case of “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
Sometimes something hits our sweet spot just right and we can go for days and weeks on end… giving talks, blogging, having conversations in person and over the phone, all in a general effort to spread understanding and combat the pernicious infestations of untruth that spread like cockroaches and (to quote Ice-T) die harder than Bruce Willis.
But sometimes the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak.
And it’s not like all of these things follow predictable patterns that you can anticipate and plan accordingly for. For every jury verdict or historic anniversary or political race that has a clearly marked date of culmination, there are incidents and issues that come out of left field… Michael Richards… Don Imus… Curious George for President… the Jena Six… etc.
These are explosive issues that demand response, and often our silence can be interpreted as our response.
Yet… how can we fulfill part of what we feel to be our calling without constantly being on alert and ruining the routines of our lives, sacrificing time with loved one, etc. … I guess that’s just part of the dance we learn to do. Sometimes it’s trusting God that someone else will say something about this because you just can’t.
If any of you are fans of “Sports Night”, I’m thinking of the following quotes (gotta love imdb):
Casey McCall: Didn’t you used to care about these things?
Dan Rydell: Yes.
Casey McCall: And it wasn’t that long ago that you did.
Dan Rydell: No.
Casey McCall: I mean, it was like yesterday.
Dan Rydell: Right.
Casey McCall: Now, when I say “yesterday” I’m not speaking metaphorically. I mean it was *yesterday*. What happened to your values?
Dan Rydell: I find that maintaining them is a lot of work. I take a day off every now and then.
Casey McCall: You take a vacation from doing the right thing?
Dan Rydell: Yeah. I don’t loot storefronts or anything, but once in a while, when I consider the effort it takes to diligently adhere to a moral compass, I take myself out of the lineup and I rest up for the next game.
Casey McCall: I swear, you could run for Congress and win.
and ooohhh… speaking of random stuff… check out my post here:
http://gnatural.blogspot.com/2008/09/help-my-church-has-been-vandalized.html
Just last night I had to take down some posters that someone put up at our church… strange, provocative, borderline-performance-art type things.
Has anybody seen anything like this before? I was a little shocked, but mostly intrigued.
Ah, “Sports Night”—one of the great, short-lived series. Gotta love that fast-paced Aaron Sorkin dialogue. And, yes, you’re exactly right, Jelani; sometimes you just need to sit out a game or two. Nevertheless, God’s grace is sufficient, isn’t it? He tends to give us the wisdom and emotional energy to reenter the game when it’s time.
To everyone – you are all inspiring. Seriously. The dialogue and spirit, the frustration and the eloquence… sounds like a true family having an intense discussion, growing and learning. How it should be!!
Ed, do you realize what you did? Weary or not, all you had to do was be transparent and provide the forum, and all these insightful people dialogued… and even reconciled. Way to go!
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