Think on These Things

A Parable for Cross-Cultural Ministry

Oliver R. Phillips

An Eastern parable resurfaced in the past few years when Dave Gibbons titled his book “The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church.” The book was written for the inquisitive disciple who yearns to connect with the contemporary culture while at the same time being loyal to the traditional concepts of the institutional church. Gibbons seeks to address the widening gap between the “first culture” church and the “third culture” church, and suggests that our methods of ministry, though well intended, might require a new attempt at realignment.

Listen to the parable:
A typhoon had temporarily stranded a monkey on an island. In a secure, protected place on the shore, while waiting for the raging waters to recede, he spotted a fish swimming against the current. It seemed obvious to the monkey that the fish was struggling and in need of assistance. Being of kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish.

A tree precariously dangled over the spot where the fish seemed to be struggling. At considerable risk to himself, the monkey moved far out on a limb, reached down and snatched the fish from the threatening waters. Immediately scurrying back to the safety of his shelter, he carefully laid the fish on dry ground. For a few moments the fish showed excitement, but soon settled into a peaceful rest.

Joy and satisfaction swelled inside the monkey. He had successfully helped another creature.
–Duane Elmer, in “Cross-Cultural Servanthood”

The landscape of cross-cultural ministry is littered with dead fish and populated with monkeys who were well intentioned in their calculated efforts to rescue fish that they thought would be swept away eternally by the raging tides of secularism, atheism, materialism, agnosticism, and ignorance of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. The metaphors may at first sound crass and irreverent, but the message and motif cannot be easily dismissed.

Ministering cross-culturally poses a real challenge because cultural differences are often downplayed and underestimated. Cultural intelligence (CQ), is the ability of persons to adapt to, adjust, and interpret the values that represent the core underpinnings of a different culture. While a new behavioral and motivational construct, CQ is grounded in extensive research about the historical work done in the field of intelligence. The result of the research has been the development of a pedagogical approach that is formulated through motivational, cognitive, and behavioral designs.

A more detailed article on the monkey and the fish, and how cultural intelligence makes the difference, will be included in the soon to be published Summer Edition of the Cultural Expressions magazine (September 5, 2010). To subscribe to the magazine, CLICK HERE.

There are a few commendable things that could be said about this monkey. The monkey had laudable motivations and zeal to see the fish rescued. He was determined that the fish should enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed. However, monkey failed to take into consideration the cultural context in which the fish was predestined to exist. Salvation to the fish could not be determined by the same characteristics that monkey was presently enjoying. In fact, monkey’s salvation was death to the little fish.

If monkey had taken the time to enhance her cultural intelligence she would have been aware that the deliverance of salvation is contextual. Surely, salvation meant freedom from death, freedom to live the fulfilled life, freedom to procreate, and freedom from premature extinction. Little did monkey realize that salvation could be accomplished on land or in the water. Fish would have appreciated the salvation that monkey had to offer; but fish was created to be in the water, alive.

Every culture is different. We demonstrate monkey behavior when we are not attentive to these differences or peculiarities, and embark on the task of proclaiming the Gospel to a people without regard to the culture in which this Gospel must take root.

Peculiarities of Cultural Values
Among the many areas of cultural disconnect is the frustration many people experience with the approach other cultures take towards value. The Western approach to time is referred to as being time-oriented, while most other cultures are event-oriented. To event-oriented cultures the event takes precedence over the constraints of time. When the job starts or is completed is not as critical as what transpired in the fulfillment of the task. Relationships appear to be relished while the task is being accomplished.

In Western cultures, time is at a premium; wrist watches have almost become a religious litmus test of one’s commitment to punctuality. In other cultures on the other hand, time is elastic, and is partner to a host of variables that affect the importance that is placed on punctuality. For instance, in agrarian societies farmers understand quite well that the weather forecast may vary from year to year or month to month, and even from hour to hour. Flexibility becomes the order of the day.

When ministering among a people with such orientations, clashes and frustration could flourish unless this observation is acted upon.

Read more about CQ in the Summer Edition of Cultural Expressions.

DOING WELL AND DOING GOOD – THE TRUTH ABOUT NUMBERS

Oliver R. Phillips

I observed with much dismay a recent discussion about the importance of numbers when considering the significance of congregations. There seemed to be two camps heartily engaged in the debate, both displaying rhetorical and philosophical competence in advocating the justification for respective positions that were being embraced. Numbers, says one camp, are not solely sufficient to evaluate the contribution that a congregation makes to the district, its members, and its immediate neighborhood. Numbers, says the other camp, are a very significant indicator of whether a congregation is living out its mandate to convince the world of the legitimate claims of the Gospel. If the truth be told, both are correct!

Having concluded a philanthropic transaction with a Christian businessman in my community while I was a pastor in Washington, DC, the benefactor remarked, “I believe it is possible to do well, and also to do good at the same time.” The message that this person was attempting to convey was that he had been very successful in the real estate business, and this financial success gave him the opportunity to do good for the community beset by the results of societal malaise, neglect, and marginalization. He was grateful for being able to boast of an expanding and profitable “bottom line,” and at the same time grateful that it also provided the capacity to translate success to making a difference in the quality of life for residents in the community.

Regardless of the size of a congregation, the most significant measure of health, in my humble opinion, is found in the attribution given to Jesus in Acts 10:38, “God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power… and he went around doing good… because God was with him.” Of course, this could be confirmed by his actions when he was notified about the 5,000 hungry persons who lost all sense of time while listening to the Good News that was being proclaimed. Jesus coupled the proclamation of the Word with deed. However, resources can only be given when there is a reservoir of tangible goodwill that is being granted and garnered from another source, outside of itself. The larger the congregation, the greater should be its capacity to do good.

To be honest, smaller congregations have the capacity to do good. But they are limited, not by the quality of their service, but by the amount of difference they can make in their community. With the increasing failure of institutional mechanisms to deliver adequate health care, quality education, jobs, food security, homes, care for the elderly and children, rehabilitation from addictive behaviors, the church is once more called upon to be more than merely a spiritual social club that caters to its faithful members. The signs of the Kingdom can only be fully realized as the church becomes engaged in affecting the quality of living for others, regardless of their affiliation with the church in question.

Smaller congregations, as well as larger ones can all do their part in making a difference. However, while it is important to recognize the many small groups that are doing significant work, it serves no purpose to malign larger congregations for their success. The conversation that is heard so often is that small congregations are the way they are because of their fidelity to the New Testament observation that “narrow is the way… and few there be that find or accept it.” This statement is descriptive rather that prescriptive! To follow that argument, one would then be hard pressed to explain the 3,000 that were transformed on the Day of Pentecost.

Whether small or large, all congregations should become windows of redemption to signal to the world that the Imago Dei is not a pipe dream, but a living reality in the lives of persons who desperately seek meaning and purpose.

Rather than casting verbal missiles at each other for seeming lack of numerical growth or for expanding growth, maybe the time has come for both large and small congregations to forge partnerships of service to make a difference in their respective communities.

Congratulations to the pastor and congregation who have been blessed by God to grow exponentially, and to find a way to foster healthy discipleship initiatives, as well as make a difference in their community through ministries of mercy and empowerment.

And congratulations to the pastor and congregation, who for many reasons beyond their control, remain small, but are committed to make a difference where God’s Word is honored and the proclamation of the Gospel is translated into serving those who are less fortunate and neglected.

Numbers mean a lot! It is not how many accolades or aspersions that are cast upon you because of the numbers; it ought to be about the difference that your congregation makes in the lives of both members and neighborhood!

God is interested in numbers! He named one on the Hebrew texts NUMBERS!

The Metaphoric Iceberg and Cross-Cultural Ministry

Metaphors are age-old handles by which communication comes alive and the word pictures that are painted help us to more easily associate with the intended message. No one was more skilled in the use of metaphors than Jesus, the master teacher. He referred to the grain of mustard seed, the lost coin, the light under a bushel, the city on a hill, the thief at midnight, the unjust steward, the tax collector, the hidden treasure, the knock at midnight, the barren fig tree, and many more, all designed to arrest the hearers’ attention.

Discussions about culture have also introduced metaphors as a way to elucidate the various motifs that emerge and that hold salient meaning for those who find the topic to be of interest. We are all familiar with the melting pot and the salad bowl metaphors which have found popular usage regarding the assimilation and integration of immigrants into the American culture. Oberg popularized the metaphor of culture shock and Roosevelt Thomas made famous the picture of the diversity of jelly beans in a jar. None has been more vivid in the discourse about culture than that of the iceberg.

The mention of the word immediately brings back memories of that fateful day, April 10, 1912 when the Titanic sank and 1,500 passengers died and 700 were rescued. Oceanographers tell us that only 1/10 of the iceberg is visible above the water, and the real danger lies in the assumption that what you see is what you get.

As our world become flatter, and the need to work across cultures becomes increasingly necessary one would have to become a student of the various cultures that would be encountered. The danger however, is that culture is like an iceberg. It is very easy to consider the tip of the metaphoric iceberg to be the sum total of the whole. When a new culture is encountered what is most obvious are the “artifacts” or behaviors. Very often time is not taken to unearth the values, history, and assumptions that inform these behaviors. These artifacts include such things as food, dress, communication, worship styles, modes of travel, economic practices, and time consciousness.

The greatest challenge for those of us working in cross-cultural situations is to seek answers to the question of the origins of the behaviors that we see exhibited by peoples of other cultures. A better understanding and appreciation of other peoples could be garnered if time is taken to “look below the surface.” How often do we witness a debriefing of a Work & Witness team upon its return from a trip, and we hear comments like “They are so poor!” “They are so contented!” “They always speak with their hands!” “They don’t show respect to their elders!” “They are not reverent during prayer time!”

These are mere artifacts on the surface that are indeed nurtured and shaped by centuries of culture. The task before cross cultural agents is to be curious about the submerged portion of the iceberg. The American and Western cultural ethic have both been shaped by centuries of values, much of which may not be necessarily Judeo-Christian. To many an innocent visitor to these shores we are mischaracterized by what is seen, without a clear understanding of those things that helped shape our culture. Likewise, each culture has its own idiosyncrasies that could be misinterpreted because they are shaped by the unseen. Sherwood Lingenfelter made the observation that Japanese teenagers’ greatest fears are losing their parents; the greatest fears among Singaporean teenagers are academic failure; and the greatest fear among American youth is not fitting in with their peers. These submerged drives inform their behavior.

What’s below your surface? What’s below your family’s surface? What’s below the surface in your church’s culture? And more importantly, what’s below the surface of the people group that you’re attempting to reach with the Good News? To disregard the 9/10 of the iceberg that is beneath the surface is to expose your ship to a catastrophic end that robs the Gospel of its integrity and its authenticity.

A few weeks ago Pentecost was celebrated in Evangelical churches throughout Christian communities scattered around the world. Traditionally, Pentecost hails one of the three major “holy days” of the Christian liturgical year; the others being Christmas and Easter.

Most sermons, homilies, small group motifs, celebratory themes, images, and songs centered on the descent of the Holy Spirit on the followers of the newly resurrected Christ on that memorable day in Jerusalem. In many Christian cultures Pentecost is celebrated as “Whit Sunday” or “White Sunday” because of the custom of baptizing the recent converts in white robes. The emphasis on the empowerment of the church by the Holy Spirit has sustained the church through tough times, and the emphasis on baptism of new converts has served to maintain the evangelistic edge of the movement.

Lost in the celebration of Pentecost however, are two realities, one of no major significance, and the other of greater consequence.

First, the color for Pentecost or Whitsunday, some Early Church historians suggest, is not white, but red. The color red symbolizes the fire and the blood – referring to the fiery descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, as well as the blood of the martyrs so prevalent.

The second lost message of Pentecost is the fact that the Christian feast of Pentecost is actually built upon the Jewish festival of the Feast of First Fruits (Deut. 16:9), which was also called “Pentecost” because the Feast of First Fruit comes fifty days after Passover.  As the Christian Pentecost is one of the Church’s three most important festivals, so the Feast of First Fruits was one of ancient Israel’s three festivals. 

The Feast of First Fruits (Deut. 16:9-12; Lev. 23:15-21) was to be celebrated at the harvest of the spring wheat, seven weeks after its planting close to Passover. All were to gather at the Temple to make their offerings out of the abundance of their harvest and to offer thanksgiving unto God. After the offering was given at the Temple, the family was to gather for a celebratory meal. 

Of giant import was the fact that this meal was not for them alone.  They were to invite to the meal “your male and female slaves, the Levites resident in your towns, the strangers, the orphans and the widows” with whom the family had a relationship in order to share their abundance with them.  And why should each family share its abundance with the poor?  “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt” (Dt. 16:12a); they were once poor and powerless in Egypt, so they were to remember those who are now poor or powerless in their midst.  Thus, the Feast of First Fruits was not only a religious holiday of thanksgiving, of celebration and of feasting; it was also a vehicle to reverse poverty, oppression, and powerlessness in the community.

As the Jewish feast of First Fruits celebrated the liberation and empowerment of the nation’s poor, so the Christian feast of Pentecost is designed to celebrate the liberation and empowerment of God’s people through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Pentecost is popularly called the “Birthday of the Church” (even though the church was birthed at the resurrection of Jesus, and even though its origins lay in the congregation of ancient Israel).  It is so called because on this day, the Holy Spirit fell upon the gathered followers of Jesus with “tongues of fire”, and the church was launched into its mission of bringing the good news of liberation and salvation through Jesus to the world (Acts 2:1-21). [Linthicum]

Pentecost, therefore, is strategically placed in the Christian liturgical year, well positioned between the time of Christ’s Advent at Christmas and the other half of the year that witnesses to the mission of the church. It concludes the church’s celebration of the advent, birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  And it introduces the practical ministry of the “church scattered” from June through November actively and deeply engaged in the world and community, bringing good news in sign, deed and word of God’s work to transform the world into the world as God intended it to be.

May we as God’s presence in the world, demonstrate the essence of Pentecost in being holistic agents of transformation in a hurting world! May the season of Summer and Fall experience a church that remembers the message of Pentecost, empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and committed to be the initiators of true peace, the Shalom of God!

“Salvation’s Salesperson or the Gospel’s Travel Guide”

Oliver R. Phillips

I was recently drawn in to a discussion that took place some 457 miles away from my home in Olathe, KS. The Bible study, as all these events usually fall prey, surreptitiously evolved into a dialogue about the care that is necessary as we counsel Christians about being closely associated with unbelievers. Some in the group were of the persuasion that it is improper and unsafe for Christians to maintain friendship with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14  was cited as justification: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” Therefore, many believe to be Christian means that we lose all association with unbelievers.

The real problem rests with the labels we use to describe other people with whom we associate. Are they non-Christian or pre-Christian? Recent thinking on cultural intelligence posits that there is “bounded-set” thinking in the West and “centered-set” thinking in the East. In the Western world we define things very clearly, such as apple, orange, house, automobile, etc. The bounded-set approach develops taxonomies and logical systems and categories for everything. One is a Democrat or Republican, Black or White, immigrant or citizen, liberal or conservative, pro-life or pro-choice. These clearly determined boundaries separate God’s creation into two and only two camps. “Maintaining boundaries is essential in a bounded set world, otherwise categories begin to disintegrate, and chaos sets in.”

Centered-set way of thinking is not determined by its boundaries, but by its center. This method of defining things or persons include all things or persons that are moving towards the center as “being in.” they are on the journey towards the center. Christians who employ such center-set thinking acknowledge that there is a distinct difference between Christian and non-Christian, but they don’t expend a lot of energy in trying to decide who’s “in” and who is “out.” The emphasis, however, is placed on all those who have entered the journey towards the center. Some may have been moving towards the center for ten years, while others for one month. It makes little difference how long they have joined the journey.

Understanding the nature of the prevenient grace of God that has been indiscriminately dispensed by this generous God to God’s creatures made in the Imago Dei does not allow us the luxury of being “in charge” of who’s in or out. A church or person that is grounded in center-set thinking constantly invites all to be a part of this journey with Christ. And we continue to nurture with passionate friendship ALL those who have agreed to join this trek with us. Some of my friends have been on this journey a very long time, while others have not. One should never grow weary of some friends who are not moving as rapidly as we would like to see them moving. Our task is to ensure that they do not abandon the journey by our intolerance or impatience. It is only God who can save OUR FRIENDS.

Matt. 11:19 – “The Son of man has come feasting, and they say, See… a friend of sinners! And wisdom is judged to be right by her works.”

Luk 19:7, 9 – “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He is gone in to lodge with a man that is a sinner…”

There was a time when Christians could sincerely say, “I’m praying for my friend to be saved.” This is no longer the case. We now say, “I’m praying for someone I know.”

We live lives of boundaries. We label persons by who’s in and who’s out. I believe this is God’s job. Seriously, we should be a travel guide, willing to travel with other travelers who may or may not approach the plan of salvation as we do.

We are all guilty! If we need open heart surgery, it really doesn’t matter what is the religious faith of the surgeon. We want the best surgeon, and God will do the rest. When we enter a plane for a six-hour adventure in space, we never inquire of the pilot’s religious persuasion. We leave that to an all-powerful God. If we urgently need a blood transfusion, we really don’t get preoccupied with the religious affiliation of the benefactor. We leave that to God! I wonder whether we can be friends, I mean really good friends with persons with whom we share some common bond outside of our spiritual affiliation? Or is our spiritual orientation the sole determinant used to gauge friendship?

If we consider ourselves as salespersons primarily, then we become consumed with the idea of “closing the deal.” However, it is my humble opinion that life is much more complicated than that. Travel guides are in it for the long haul. Travel guides understand that the destination is not the only purpose of the tour. It might be the MOST important, but it is by no means the only attraction. As we invite others on this journey of life there will be some who may take years to fully embrace what we consider to be the critical elements of the ride. But we would do others a grand disservice if we become intolerant and judgmental. The question remains, how long are you willing to maintain your friendship with the Other whom is the Imago Dei, as well as the recipient of God’s prevenient grace?

Don’t Build Fences, Dig Wells

Oliver R. Phillips

The rancorous debate that has presently engulfed the residents of Arizona by the newly proposed immigration legislation will convene legal experts of all stripes and shades. Blame for the proposal is pouring in from all corners of the nation, from the Federal government’s inaction, to the voracious appetite of corporate barons. Arizona residents claim that the undocumented population adversely affects the quality of life of its citizenry, as well as contributing to the rise in crime and unwanted social behavior. It most assuredly will take a decision by the Supreme Court of the land to determine the legality and appropriateness of the legislation.

Often overlooked in this delicate discourse however, is the “push and pull” dynamic of migrant patterns globally. On all continents, both voluntary and involuntary displacement of peoples is taking place exponentially. Huge masses of peoples are displaced by tribal wars, ethnic cleansing, agricultural greed, economic insensitivities, historic rivalries, lack of opportunity for human survival, and sometimes misinterpretation of religious creeds and pronouncements. This is the “push” element of migrant patterns.

Conversely, masses of people are drawn to other lands that offer a more equitable system of survival. This is an age-old phenomenon. The narrative of the New World is testament to the attraction presented across the seas amidst the fury of unpleasant tides and treacherous waves. Christopher Columbus and his contemporary explorers would testify to the benefits of this inherent yearning for a better, richer, freer existence. They were “pulled” to the yet undiscovered New World, and ever since, the pattern has become ensconced in human civilization.

Many have suggested that the immigration debacle would be solved by the erection of mammoth walls along the border between Mexico and the US and Canada. This solution is acclaimed by many as the ultimate panacea for all the woes that afflict the nation. In my humble opinion, this does not get to the root of the problem. We must address the “push and pull” factors that are present in all migrant movements.

An old metaphor might provide clues for the future. Farming in the West has largely concentrated on building fences around farms as a way of preventing livestock from straying too far from home, as well as a means to prevent wandering animals of prey from paying an unwelcome visit to the farms. Huge sums of money are expended to erect these fences sometimes for scores of acres, as boundaries define the level of security.

On the contrary, many farming cultures around the world do not possess the luxury of building fences. It is simply too expansive and expensive. To compensate for this deficit farmers resorted to digging wells. The assumption is that though the livestock may stray during the day, they will inevitably return to the wells to quench their thirst. As long as there is an adequate supply of clean water, animals will return. They will be “pulled” to the source of sustenance and replenishment.

Maybe one of the answers to the immigration puzzle is the digging of economic wells in Mexico and elsewhere. The absence of wells of economic opportunities might be the cause of much out-migration from a land in which many who leave would have preferred to remain. Maybe, the greatest investment from the economic superpowers might be through partnerships with the Mexican government and people to increase the opportunities and the prospects for a better quality of life for all its citizens, particularly for those who lack fundamental access to resources such as education, adequate housing, healthcare, food security, wage compensation, etc.

NGO’s and other faith based organizations could play a role in raising the awareness for the need to engage in both community development and organizing so that our brothers and sisters could find adequate wells to provide for their families now and in the future.

As a corollary, congregations are often guilty of building fences rather than digging wells. We are sometimes preoccupied with the fences of culture, dogmas, creeds, and doctrinal boundaries that separate those who are “in” from those who are “out.” Those who are in are those who have learned to walk the walk and talk the talk. Those who are out have not acceded to the religious expectations or complied with the stated norms of initiation. What would happen if our preoccupation became that of digging wells? What would be the result if our churches were wells of spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental reservoirs for those weary travelers who seek refuge and succor?

The result might bring an end to the debate about the differences between attractional and missional congregations. All congregations, farms, nations, people groups, and organizations could embrace the challenge to be the diggers of wells rather than the builders of fences.

May God help us so to be!

Response to Mr. Glenn Beck

Think on These Things

Mr. Glenn Beck went on a rampage in an attempt to discredit social justice as an aberrant position which Christians should oppose. Beck admonishes individuals to abandon congregations that preach social justice, and then declared that social justice is a “perversion of the Gospel.” This declaration by talk show host Beck is one that is disparaging to the Christian community, a misrepresentation of a cornerstone of the Gospel that Jesus enunciated, is a myopic view of the Hebrew texts, and a misinformed knowledge about the historic statements by the Early Church Fathers.

Scripture clearly mandates social concern for the disadvantaged and marginalized of our world (Jeremiah 7:5-7), and it could be concluded that we have a moral obligation to give protection to our brothers and sisters who have been affected by the effects of social and systemic injustices (Proverbs 3:27-28).

While it is true that the term social justice has been maligned by some within the Evangelical community, it does not detract from the fact that God calls us to be a people who seek and practice justice in a world where justice is in short supply. No one doubts that our world is filled with “social injustice.” The responsibility to correct these injustices is not solely that of government and individuals, as commendable as it may be. Therefore, whenever there is a deficit in the response by both these groups, society cannot remain silent. Collaborative, collective, shared, and communal responsibility is a path that brings hope and healing. Social justice is a message to victims of societal neglect and systemic injustices that their society will not neglect them.

To belong to a group is a prized heritage. In the United States persons are promised three fundamental inalienable rights – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. History will testify that these rights have not always come easily to many citizens. Of all groups who may be troubled by such inconsistencies, the Christian community can least afford to shirk the responsibility to ensure that all persons become beneficiaries of these mandates.

Proverbs 31: 8-9 states “Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” The Deuteronomistic texts, as well as Amos and Micah are also replete with mandates to ensure that the community does not abrogate its responsibility to care for the poor. The early New Testament church exemplifies a model of communal responsibility that distributed food to meet others’ needs (Acts 2:43-45; 5:1-11; 6:1-6).

The Christian community should be the vanguard in the fight for justice, as well as continuing to be engaged in acts of mercy and relief to those who fall victim to natural and human-induced tragedies in society. Social justice is not a political act. It is a moral response to injustice meted out to individuals created in God’s image. It is more than political engagement; it is the entrance into the public square armed with a biblical onus to speak truth to power. It is only the Christian community that can offer holistic care to our world. Social justice should not be abandoned because of those who associate it with a more narrow response to injustice. Social justice is a biblical principle that can add legitimacy and authenticity to our witness as the disciples of Christ.

Grenadian Arrogance and the Spice Factory
Oliver R. Phillips

Grenada is a small island in the tropical Caribbean, known as a place frequented by tourists, but also distinguished for the spices (nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and allspice) that are grown and traditionally packaged and stored.

There is a parable about a family that owned a factory that had prepared spices for more than two hundred years. Tourists came from various parts of the world to visit and taste these spices. The large wooden vats that contained these spices produced the best essences one could find anywhere in the world.

The factory was now owned by an elderly family member, and she was doing quite well. One day it was discovered that the product had acquired a strange putrid taste. The workers became concerned and brought this matter to the owner’s attention. Customers began to launch complaints. Sales began to dwindle.

The lady brought in consultants who all came to the same conclusion – the vats had outlived their usefulness, and must be replaced. Outraged by such a prognosis, she refused to part with family tradition. Although she was aware of the need to change from the old ways of doing things, she lacked the courage to be divorced from tradition and move into new vistas of production that could save the very factory that was a result of family pride and tradition. The factory died because the owner refused to change the vats.

Churches and organizations run the same risk. We could be so rigidly anchored to the old, outdated, irrelevant, obsolete, and sometimes useless moorings of the past that the new explorations of technology and paradigm shifts fail to rescue well meaning programs and initiatives. It was Jesus Christ who advised, “neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved” Matt. 9:17.

God is calling the church to find new ways to apply the message to a hostile world. As the United States is proclaimed the new and emerging mission field, we are not permitted the luxury to do ministry as usual. The challenge before us all as the community of faith is to muster the courage to change the old wineskins.

What are some of the wineskins that are no longer relevant?
Do we have the courage to name and claim the old wineskins?
What are some effective strategies to change those wineskins?
What are the outdated cultural wineskins in this the second decade of the 21st century?

Oliver R. Phillips

With the election of the first Black President of the United States, there are some who would submit that it is no longer necessary to celebrate some of the days, weeks, or months that remind us of both the struggle and the liberation of African descendants in these distant shores. Lest we forget, the journey has been chronicled by pain, exclusion, marginalization, oppression, miscegenation, deprivation, and a wholesale robbery of the intrinsic nature of a people who throughout their own history had experienced the heights of cultural achievements.

Black History Month commemorates and celebrates the contributions that people of color have made to this nation. The American historian Carter G, Woodson established Black History Week with the first celebration occurring on February 12, 1926. Subsequent to that occasion, the second week of February was chosen to celebrate the birthdays of abolitionist Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976 the week was expanded to a month as part of the US bicentennial.

Black History should never be viewed as a subversive or separate history. All things being considered, Black history is American History. There can be no authentic American History that excludes the rich tapestry of Black History quilted into the fabric of the American experiment. So the month of February should be a time of reflection on the journey of a people who demonstrated a resilience to co-exist in a society that said they did not belong.

Where are we now?
Population – as of July 1, 2008 it was reported that the Black population was 41.1 million, and represented 13.5 % of the US Population, an increase of 500,000 over the previous year. It is projected that by 2050 the Black population would be 65.7 million.

18 states report a Black population of over 1 million. New York, with 3.5 million, led the way. The other 17 states on the list were Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

38% Percentage of Mississippi’s population that was black in 2008, highest of any state. Blacks also made up more than a quarter of the population in Louisiana in 2008 (32 percent), Georgia (31 percent), Maryland (30 percent), South Carolina (29 percent) and Alabama (27 percent). They comprise 56 percent of the population in the District of Columbia.

67,000 was the increase in Georgia’s Black population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, which led all states. Texas (64,000), North Carolina (45,000) and Florida (41,000) also recorded large increases. 

There were 24 states in which Blacks were the largest minority group in 2008. These included Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Remembering the Historical Contributions
Carter Woodson strongly believed that if Black people were to be successful in the future they had to be aware of their contributions to the American History. Here are a few facts:

• The first Black appointed governor was P.B.S. Pinchback, who served in Louisiana from Dec. 9, 1872, to Jan. 13, 1873.
 
• The first Black elected governor was Joseph Rainey; the first Black female U.S. representative was Shirley Chisholm, congresswoman from New York from 1969 to 1983.
 
• The first Black U.S. Secretary of State was Gen. Colin Powell, 2001-2004. The first Black female Secretary of State was Condoleezza Rice in 2005.

• The first Black editor of the Harvard Law Review was Charles Hamilton Houston, in 1919. Barack Obama became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review.

• The first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall, 1967–1991. Clarence Thomas became the second Black person to serve on the court in 1991.

• The first Black Nobel Peace Prize winner was Ralph J. Bunche, who received the prize in 1950 for mediating the Arab-Israeli truce.

• The first Black casualty of the American Revolutionary War was Crispus Attucks.

• The first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was Colin Powell, from 1989 to 1993.

• The first Black Rhodes Scholar was Alain L. Locke in 1907.

• The first Black person to receive a Ph.D. was Edward A. Bouchet from Yale University.

• The inventor of the blood bank, a Black man, was Charles Drew.

• Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery and organized the first Black hospital, Provident Hospital.
• The first Black male Grammy award winner was Count Basie in 1958 for Best Jazz Performance, Group and Best Performance by a Dance Band for his album “Basie.”

• The first Black tennis champion was Althea Gibson, who was the first Black woman to compete on the world tennis tour and to win a Grand Slam title.

• Thurgood Marshall was the first Black U.S. Supreme Court judge and was a civil-rights lawyer who helped to win the Brown vs. Board of Education case, which integrated public education in the United States.

• The Little Rock Nine, after a strenuous and life-threatening battle, were the first Blacks to attend an all-white high school in Little Rock, Ark. Although racial segregation in the public school system was outlawed by this time, many public schools were not honoring the law.

As other tribes, nations, civilizations, and countries celebrate their history and look towards the future with enthusiastic optimism, so likewise Black history Month is such a time. The tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti brings in close proximity to the history of a people that is often forgotten. If we forget the history of Haiti, the perspective we engender might be fatally flawed, and we would be involved in missions from a paternalistic and condescending worldview.

God bless the people of Haiti! And God bless America!

Oliver R. Phillips

Having dialogued with many sincere believers these past few days with respect to the remarks by Pat Robertson, I thought I would share some of the themes that surfaced. What disturbed many was the possibility that the tragedy in Haiti was a result of a pact that was made between slaves and the Devil. Most uninterested persons are not cognizant of this incident, so I would give a Reader’s Digest account.

In a rather dubious, mythical, and unsubstantiated history it is alleged that on a painfully hopeful night, Sunday, January 14, 1791 at Bois Caiman near Cap- Haïtien, several slaves under the leadership of Dutty Boukman convened to seek divine deliverance from the hands of the oppressive French colonial powers. As the story goes, the slaves entreated the voodoo gods to grant deliverance in exchange for a 200-year allegiance. Pigs were slaughtered and the blood was drunk. This incident coincided with what historians suggest was the genesis of Haiti’s Independence War.

Over time, this oral account was fertilized by many well-meaning anti-voodoo advocates who perpetuated this as a reason to reject indigenous religion.

Be that as it may, it is sad that in the midst of the horrible and unprecedented suffering that is the lot of the Haitian nation and its people that we would suggest that God is vengeful and the earthquake is an honoring of the pact that was made by ancestors 200 years ago. Furthermore, as the story goes, this was a pact for a 200-year period ending in 1991. Surely, this thinking does not represent the sentiment and conviction of the broader evangelical community. If we are to suggest that this is indeed the handiwork of God, then we would have to justifiably explain the earthquakes that took place on January 13 in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Cultural history will attest to the admission that such activities as the alleged Bois Caiman incident have become a survival oral toolkit for slaves throughout the Caribbean and here in the United States.

So where do we go from here? How do we as local theologians explain to the inquiring minds such tragedies? Or to rephrase Rabbi Kushner’s mantra, why do bad things happen to good people? I would suggest that we should begin by resisting the temptation to individuate the Devil as the source of all suffering in our world. There are political and economic systems that often collude to benefit from the oppression of the poor. Isaiah 10:1-2 speak to this, “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees; to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.”

The Psalmist cried “You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge (14:6). I’m sure the Psalmist would remind us today that the easy explanation that God gives people what they deserve and that our misdeeds are the cause of our suffering is shortsighted and insensitive. An old sage reminded us that heresy is not errant dogma, but unbalanced theology.

To be fair to Robertson, he and his organization have been involved in compassionate ministries in Haiti for many decades, and is even now a significant partner in relief efforts. For this he must be commended with the same degree of distaste which is harbored for his seeming insensitivity to the Haitian calamity.

We pray today for the people of Haiti. It would take decades of nation building to bring any semblance of human and national dignity. Yet, we all praise the Haitian people for their spirit of resilience and hope in God that is exhibited by the daily rescues and recoveries that are recorded on television screens globally. Over and over again it seems that Haitian survivors, as well as those who frantically search for loved ones can be heard to echo the Psalmist, “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills; from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth” (121:1-2). They don’t say that their tragedy comes from the Lord, but that their help comes from the Lord.

Let us all, as members of the global community of faith, be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters. God is on their side, and God, through our compassionate involvement will rebuild a nation to be a testament to God’s unfailing faithfulness.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever will be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Thomas Chisolm