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The Cart Before the Horse: Movies and Youth

Have you ever heard the statement that music is the soundtrack of our lives? I believe that is true in a media saturated environment like the city. But I also have come to believe that films are the new lingua franca (defacto language) of the world. American movies are made, translated into other languages and exported to other countries. I saw plenty of American movie posters in South Korea. I tried to watch Spongebob one evening on my computer in Seoul and I got the Korean version! Either way, American movies are shaping people’s ideas of who and what America is. I have heard stories of disappointment when foreigners visit the U.S. Some expect it to be like DisneyWorld even though they are in the middle of New York City in the winter. We have the same kinds of stereotypes of other countries.

In my Bible class, I am teaching on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The Thessalonians are being persecuted by local Jews as Apostle Paul was in Acts 17. They also were new to the Christian faith and had lots of questions. Remember, they did not have the written New Testament. All they had were the Gospel stories in oral form and the Torah. So, all they had to go on was what they heard, what they had been told and that was probably the basics. So, they raised questions about the last days and Christian living.

As we discussed the issue and I set the context, I noticed a strange way of thinking through the issues from the students. They really enjoyed talking about their thoughts on the last days and what it would be like. I remember being fascinated (and scared at the same time) when I read this stuff as a teen. But here is often how their question started:

“I saw this movie called [fill in the blank] and it has a scene where [fill in the blank]. Is that how the Bible says it is going to be?”

At first, I was amused. But then an avalanche came. Every student had a movie, a story and a question. I am thinking, all they do is watch movies?

Once the avalanche started, I could not stop it. They started attempting to answer each other’s questions. It became very comical. Eventually I paused everyone. I reminded them that they were starting backwards in their critique. They were putting the cart before the horse. They were assuming the movie images were true (or accurate) and asking the Bible to verify it. I reminded them that the Bible is the standard, not someone’s idea that has not been tested and verified.

It dawned on me how young people are searching for a worldview through their media. There are too many reasons I can cite why starting with movies as a premise for truth is wrong. If you want to extract a truth from a movie, that’s fine. But to absorb the whole worldview of a movie without examining it is dangerous. I did this as a kid when I watched horror movies. They made me extremely superstitious as a pre-teen and teen. I recognized this as an adult and immediately stopped watching them. They were affecting my spirit and my foundation. This is why I limit what my children watch. I recently made a deal with my oldest son. He wants to see The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He has already seen the Narnia series and likes those movies. But he also read the books. I told him if he reads the first Lord of the Rings book, we can watch it. He read the whole trilogy! (Now if he was asking to watch Saw, of course, I would say no. Lord of the Rings has some spiritual value).

Well sounds like young people are still superstitious.

 

Google ‘2012′ and see what you find.

What do you think?

No More Skinny Unhealthy Models!

As someone in the Communications field, I found this short article at the adbusters website insteresting.

As models continue to shrink down to inconceivable sizes, fashion magazines deny perpetuating unhealthy standards of beauty. They claim to be reflections, rather than arbiters, of public taste. But the top women’s magazine in Germany has finally put its foot down: Brigitte announced this week that it is banning professional models from its pages.

“For years we’ve had to use Photoshop to fatten the girls up,” says editor-in-chief Andreas Lebert. “Especially their thighs and décolletage. But this is disturbing and perverse and what has it got to do with our real reader?”

Brigitte, which sells 700,000 copies an issue, will now use real women in its fashion spreads. The magazine plans to feature both prominent and unknown women, paying them the same rate as their emaciated counterparts.

For too long, the fashion industry has packaged and sold an unattainable ideal to generations of vulnerable young women, breeding eating disorders, anxiety and endemic low self-esteem. Finally, Brigitte has taken a bold first step in a long-overdue paradigm shift. Help us demand that the other major culprits follow suit.

I want to know what yall, especially women, think of this idea?

You Lie! Racism Does Exist!

The Huntingdom Valley Swim Club resurfaced in the media…again. The Pa. Human Relations Commission did an investigation and believes that the swim club violated the rights of the campers at Creative Steps. They believe that racial bias was involved:

Here are a few highlights:

1. An email from a Swim Club board member mentioning that the issue is about race since every email complaint they received mentioned race.
2. The club had no African American members in 2008 and 2009 although the club told the media they had black members.
3. When the club recruited through mailings, they ignored areas with a majority African American population.
4. The club hosted other groups of similar size with no apparent uproar.
5. A child recognized one of his teachers at the pool who allegedly made the comment about the number of black kids.
6. The club did not promptly investigate the matter and seemingly dismissed it.
7. The president of the club feared that many of the members would cancel their memberships if they did not cancel Creative Steps contract.

Any thoughts?

A Photoshopped Reality

“The number of transistors that can be inexpensively placed on an integrated circuit is increasing exponentially doubling approximatelyevery two years.

–Moore’s Law

Gordon Moore, one of the co-founders of Intel made this prediction in 1965. I confess, I was not even born yet and neither was

the personal computer or its applications. (The Internet was being birthed but no one knew this except G-men in black suits.). This prediction was groundbreaking because it forsaw the coming digital revolution. The transistors controlled how much information could be stored and how fast it could be processed. As more transistors were placed on a circuit, the memory space and speed of the information increased. If you are a computer science nerd, you probably heard of Moore’s Law. But if you are not a nerd and simply like visual communication, this law is still important to you. It is because of this prediction that updates to software programs happen all the time. But my point is not about Moore’s Law. It is about the impact of technology on people and culture.

The Illusionists

When the camera was invented, it was a technological breakthrough even though it took some time to develop the technology for photo reproduction. During this period, French inventor Louis Daguerre created the Daguerreotype. He was able to transfer a picture onto metal plates. Even though he could not reproduce the picture, this process became very popular during his time with Allan Poe and Abraham Lincoln getting daguerreotypes. But this new technology also presented a sociological dilemma: are there any moral and ethical concerns when we freeze a moment thereby removing it from its context? When a subject is frozen in time in a photo, will the photo be esteemed higher than the real subject? Is the subject in the photo truly real?

Imagine that I have a childhood picture of me and my dog and we are happy. What that picture does not show is that my dog was a holy terror to other kids. Assuming this is true about my dog, would you know it by looking at the picture? Does this mean the picture is not authentic? Also, if my dog was still alive, would I cling to picture of a loving dog or deal with the fact that in real life, my dog is evil? An image can never take the place of real life because, in reality, clues may be available to tip you off to my evil dog: his hungry stare; loud barking; foaming at the mouth; being fidgety and jumpy. A picture can only make an impression and impressions fade quickly.

This issue sounds petty but it has altered human behavior since the invention of the camera. So, you think this is bogus, huh? Well think about these three questions?

How many of us have seen someone’s picture and fallen in love only to meet them in person to find out they don’t fit the ideal you imagined?

How many of us really believed that Mountain Dew would make us naturals at extreme sports? (Maybe you did not but you consumed all that caffeine to identify with all that danger and risky behavior.)

How many of us bought a car based on our personality type only to find out that the latest model fits us better? (Ask the Rolling Stones to sing to you “You can’t always have what you want…”)

Between still and moving pictures, we live in a world that is saturated with images either frozen for us and/or placed in an artificial context. Is this what the Matrix was really about? Where is Morpheus when you need him?

The Rise of the Digital Haircut

I attended the University of the Arts in the late 1980s when the Mac revolution was in full swing. (I was a fan of Steve Jobs even when he was booted from Apple and he started Next Computers. Anyone remember that?) As a graphic design major, I had to take a class called photographic processes. This consisted of learning how to use still images in creative ways using traditional darkroom techniques. It also meant feeling like a vampire because I spent so much time in the dark. Through this process, we separated images from their context, married them with others creating montages. Although creative and sophisticated, it was a couple of steps up above scrap booking. We cut and pasted images but it still looked very artificial. But hey, this was art college.

I graduated in 1990 and landed a job as one of the art directors at an international relief and development organization. I worked closely with the photographer to find good photos for all the publications. But then we ran into that sociological dilemma I mentioned earlier. I was designing a donor appeal letter and brochure and decided to use a photo of a young man with long hair. Majority of our donors were over 50 years old and came from an era where long hair on a male was offensive to them. I shared with the team the wonders of this new software called Photoshop. I suggested we give the young man a haircut…digitally! They did not understand so I took them through an exercise. I opened a picture of me in Photoshop and told them I traveled to the Fiji Islands one year ago pointing to the volcano in the background. They looked at the picture and congratulated me. Then I revealed the bombshell: I never went to Fiji. I scanned both photos into my computer and did some Photoshop magic. I cut myself out of the existing photo and placed it on top of the volcano picture. (By today’s standards, I am sure it would be horrible.) So, we all agreed that I should give the young man a digital haircut, design the donor materials and mail it out. We did not hear from a single donor. But we did hear from someone else: the young man. He saw the picture and was angry. Did we have a right to do this? Since we altered him in the photo, is it still him?

We are now in the digital era where we can seamlessly cross platforms to produce amazing visual designs. But also with this innovation comes the opportunity for trickery and deception. If it serves a commercial purpose, does that make it ethically okay? In 2000, this issue reared its head when the late paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve starred in a television ad to promote a cure for spinal cord injuries. The now infamous Super Bowl ad showed him getting out of his wheelchair and walking. Even when I saw it, I gasped because I thought it was real! Many disabled people were greatly encouraged because they thought he was cured only to find out he was not. A backlash ensued from advocacy groups who felt that he was creating false hope with an artificial image that appeared real. The temptation to alter reality is magnified when you can fool the naked eye. Tabloid magazines know this because they have finally graduated to using image manipulation software to convince us that aliens live in our drain pipes. (Even though it may look real, somehow we all know it’s not true. But does a little kid know?) Less sophisticated image manipulation software has been created to allow anyone to alter images today. I mean, are we really bothered by the accusation that a 2005 Vanity Fair Magazine may have lightened Beyonce’s skin on the front cover? As a society, are we growing accustomed to living life attached to artificial images and changing our values to suit this reality? As Oscar Wilde said: “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”

Welcome to the Real World

It seems like no one likes to talk about morals and ethics in a pluralistic society. But we must if we care about the powerless and the uninformed. I have taught media literacy to grade school students in Delaware, Lancaster, PA and Philadelphia. One thing they all (black, white, urban and suburban) have in common: Many of them have accepted the premise that images are more important than life itself. In a consumer culture where everything is for sale and doctored images become the norm, many young people have become jaded. They often do not appreciate simple beauty in nature, animals and even people. They would rather be distracted with shows like ‘Cheaters’ or ‘When Animals Attack!’

As the digital revolution makes it easier to alter our reality, it tempts us to become someone or something else. That temptation did not begin with the digital revolution or America’s consumer culture but it magnifies the issue. We are always looking through a blurred window where we compare ourselves to others. It is human nature but in the process, it distorts the world’s beauty. We have tremendous technological power in our grasp yet we have to step away from it to find beauty and goodness in this world. Although there is enough ugliness in the world too, we must cling to the notion that there is something good about this world we live in. Some consider this to be a religious notion. Maybe it is but that does not make it untrue. Photoshop gave me the ability to give a digital haircut but, at the same time, it offended a young man’s humanity. The donors were not offended by what I did. But this also shows that I have the power to alter people’s perceptions without them knowing it. And if I can do that, I can possibly affect their values. (Just ask Big Tobacco.) This has huge implications when we begin to look at how the powerless and uninformed in our society are intentionally kept in the dark about things or sold something that is ultimately not good for them.

Has anyone stopped to notice that while we spend energy building virtual identities with artificial images in cyberspace, there has been a decline in communal values, civility, conversation and an interest in the common good? There are some resistors out there and I hope I am one of them. Do I blame visual communicators? No. Software companies? No. Multinational companies? Ummmm…..maybe a little. But ordinary citizens must take responsibility for our unwillingness to recognize the social and psychological impact of technology. People should always come first.

“Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?”

–Morpheus ‘The Matrix’

Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream was real because it prompted change in the real world. Any technology that tries to replace real world engagement is a dream. But it’s a dream that seems to be defining the future for many people.

What do you think?

The United States of Media

 

obamamccain

Since the battle for the presidency is over, I have begun to study the communications used by McCain’s camp and Obama camp to influence voters. It has been 2 years so I will only focus on McCain and Obama. It is pretty obvious that Obama outspent McCain on TV ads.

“From Sept. 30 to Oct. 6, Obama spent more than $20 million on television ads in 17 states including more than $3 million in Pennsylvania and more than $2 million each in Florida, Michigan and Ohio. McCain in that same time frame spent just $7.2 million in 15 states.”

–Chris Cillizza, The Fix, Washingtonpost.com Politics Blog, October 7, 2008

Since this was the most expensive presidential campaign in history, more communications were involved. But with the advent of the internet and mobile phone usage, the outlets to communicate to voters expanded.

McCain Camp

They tended to use traditional media such as TV commercials and radio ads. There was some internet use but it seemed to come from mainly smear tactics aimed at Obama, which I cannot say for sure came from the McCain camp. There was one ad that did not come from the McCain that was very non-traditional. It featured different people talking about Obama’s ‘spread the wealth’ philosophy and promoted the ‘Trickle down economics’ theory. It was a well done ad highlighting the ‘socialist’ label but I think it came to late. I received a couple of emails about Barack that were blatantly false. The McCain camp also relied on the media to talk about some of the issues they sparked through the TV ads such as the Ayers issue and the ‘socialist’ label. This gave their ads a longer shelf life. They also mailed information.

 

TV ads: They tended to portray Obama as an elitist, a tax and spend liberal, a socialist, a rock star and a rookie leader. I would say that these do not coalesce easily under one category. Typically, if you are socialist, you are not a rock star. They like their huge paychecks. There is an argument about whether socialist and elitist can even go together considering that socialism has always tried to maintain a grassroots identity. This, I believe, is what contributed to McCain’s criticism being all over the map. There was not a meta-narrative to string everything together. Actually there is one but it did not stick. Every portrayal could easily fall under the title ‘liberal.’ The problem with this is that the Bush administration has employed what is considered liberal polices for the bail out so it could have been seen as hypocrisy and a self indictment.

 

Obama Camp

They made use of traditional media such as TV commercials and radio ads. But Obama’s ads occasionally went beyond the typical ad. Near the end, he paid for a 30 minute spot on the big networks to simply talk to the voters. His ads blasting McCain near the end came with a chuckle and a smile. There were 2 TV ads that made me laugh: the one showing McCain making strange facial expressions and the one showing McCain and GWB in the rearview mirror. I believe the clear intent was satire considering that these ads seemed like something from the Daily Show. But Obama also set a new standard in utilizing communications that is popular with young adults such as texting and email blasts. They seemed to mail more information and had more foot soldiers and offices open. I heard on the radio that 10 million people registered through his website and 3 million of them gave towards his campaign. Either way, that is a lot of mobile phone numbers and email addresses. All of this amounted to new registered voters…who actually voted!!

 

 

TV ads: They tended to portray McCain as old, out of touch, insider, a GWB clone and with anger management problems. I would say all of these coalesce under the category of ‘unfit’. Obama wanted to demonstrate that McCain, though honorable, is unfit to lead the country.

 

The Obama Effect

Since the Obama camp rewrote electoral maps with their focus on grassroots organizing (lots of volunteers), voter registration drives, new media connectivity and traditional TV ads, I would definitely call this a movement. But can it be sustained through the most powerful leader (President Obama) on earth?

The Rich Young Man Syndrome

I was speaking with a friend of mine who is a budding teacher. We each have the gift of teaching even though I have been teaching longer. He has a 4 year degree in Biblical Studies. We both have worked with youth in ministry in some capacity. We recently had a discussion about the state of Christian youth today. He made an interesting remark. He said:

“Even though university prepares you to teach, it does not prepare you to teach Christians who do not have a Christian worldview.”

Is this even possible?

Sadly I agree. Neither of us grew up in Christian households and we both saw the rough side of life. God sent other people to scoop us up and teach us. Although we know we werent saints either, we do not know the Christian family experience as kids. His comment made me think about my years in ministry and how I was always perplexed at some youth who were proud of their non-Christian worldview. It always came out in the form of ‘you cant tell me what to do’ or ‘thats just how I feel’ or ‘everybodys doing it.’

These weren’t youth like me. These are churched youth. For some of them, their parents attended the church.

The story of the rich young man in Mark 10:17-22 comes to mind because, in his mind, he was doing everything right. But he still asked Jesus how to obtain eternal life. He told Jesus that he kept the commandments since he was a boy. But Jesus called him out on his focus on affluence and told him to  sell everything and give it to the poor. This young man chose his love of money over living the abundant life.

This issue is not restricted to teens. There are adults like this as well. But I focus on teens because our culture really works hard to convince them that the love of money tells others they are successful. This can be seen in rap videos where they are throwing money (fake money we all know) and in soap operas and TV dramas that show what people are willing to do because of their love of money. The ironic part is that even though some youth may come from disadvantaged communities, they aspire to and obtain many of the things that tell people they are successful such as new clothes, technology, etc. As a result, our sin sick culture has defined successful and cool. As they adopt it, they move further and further away from a Christian worldview. Many times, they combine with their Christian faith. Christian theologians call this syncretism, the fusion of different, sometimes contradictory belief systems. Not only that, some of our churches are teaching a Christian version of ‘loving money’ by telling youth that God’s main job is to bless you materially. In the end, churched youth become Biblically illiterate and vulnberable to Satan’s attack. I tell them repeatedly, if Satan cannot destroy you, he will make you ineffective.

This is not a screed on how bad youth are today. I really believe that if they had more Christian role models at home, in their community and in their churches engaging them (and not Christian or non-Christian celebrities), maybe things would be different. I love young people and want the best for them.

This is one reason why I am encouraged by what Jesus did after the rich young man asked the question about eternal life. He says ‘Jesus looked at him and loved him.’

Jesus saw his obedience to the law as bondage and wanted to free him from that. There are many youth who think if they go to church, dont cuss, dont drink or sleep around and look pleassant, then they are okay. Many claim to not like Christianity’s rules but also find it difficult to live a Christ centered life where Jesus is Lord and Savior.

Being a Christian without a Christian worldview produces Christians who don’t value their Christian history, Biblical literacy or creativity expressed from a Christian perspective; they see their faith as a cultural attachment; they need external proof constantly that God is out there (in the same way the Pharisees wanted a sign).

What are Christians known for today?

Lately, I have been reading a lot of church history and just examining how the church has changed over the centuries. I also paid close attention to what the church was doing depending on the era. Some much of modern western culture owes its ideas to the Christian church. But you would not know it depending on the geographic location. The European Union, for instance, downplays the Christian influence on civilizing Europe. Pope Bendict called the EU on the carpet for downplaying Europe’s Christian roots. From the monasteries’ who helped preserve Biblical manuscripts to Christian scientists who challenged the prevailing heliocentric view of the day, the Christian faith contributed heavily in all areas of life and, as a result, influenced the destiny of those who trekked to the New World (as they called it).

So, flash forward to today. Let’s talk about the United States. Within U.S. history, what are/were Christians known for doing?

The Maury Povich Show Displays a Bit of Conventional Wisdom?

This is an excerpt from a chapel message I did recently for high school students where I work:

“There was a time when a student would bring an apple to school to show appreciation for his teacher. This gift was a display of gratitude and respect from the student toward the teacher. Today, an apple is a symbol of knowledge and life. No doubt, this idea probably came from Genesis where it is assumed that Adam and Eve ate the apple. (The Bible actually says it was fruit). An apple associated with education has gained even more credence when an infamous company birthed in the 1970s used an apple as their logo.

Conventional wisdom says that ‘the apple does not fall far from the tree.’

I confess I was watching the Maury Povich Show recently. I usually watch these shows simply to study media techniques. (I teach a Media and Culture elective.) It was one of his signature shows: 14 year old girls who have indiscriminate sex. All of his shows are some variation of deviant teenage behavior. Anyway, after the girls humiliate themselves and their mothers on national TV, the drill sergeant comes out. This is the guy with the military-like swagger who barks in their face about right and wrong. Anyway, they go to boot camp to get ‘reprogrammed’ through harsh encounters with female inmates (remember scared straight?) and incessant challenges from other adults. Most of these girls collapse into a ball of tears apologizing to mommy. But one 8^th grade girl would not budge. She kept walking away telling them she did not want to hear it. The girl eventually walked out. Then the staff turned their sights onto mom. They started peppering mom about her parental skills and highlighting that her own daughter does not respect her.

Guess what mom did? She walked out!!!

Students, the apple does not fall from the tree.

There were many people killed during and after Jesus’ time because they stood for righteousness. Apostle Peter, Paul, James (the brother of Jesus), James (the brother of John), Stephen and many others were martyred for their conviction that Jesus was the Son of God. Many other Christians have been killed since then as well. Emperor Nero supposedly started fires in Rome to blame on Christians. He lit up many of them like torches. In the 1980s, there is evidence to suggest that James Carney, a priest, was kidnapped and thrown from a helicopter into the Honduran jungle…just for helping the poor.

These people who were martyred have one thing in common: they suffered and died for their Christian convictions just like Jesus. Jesus the Christ was the tree and they were the fruit that fell from that tree. People can spot those who have been in God’s presence.

The church was not built on the back of wealthy CEOs or famous entertainers. It was not built on the back of good Christians who don’t make waves or celebrities who choose socially conscious pet projects. The church was built on the blood of martyrs who died because they believed and lived the life changing Gospel message. They believed that their reward was in the next life, not this one.

So, those of us who call ourselves Christians need to act like we inherited a radical legacy. We need to stop being more eager to represent the block than Christ. We need to stop being more eager to represent a celebrity than Christ. We need to stop thinking that material blessings is ALWAYS a sign of God’s blessing because there is nothing in Scripture that says that.

Will you be one of the faithful ones from Psalm 37:28?

When people see us, do they see Jesus?

The young 8^th grade girl mirrored her mother’s behavior when confronted with her behavior. The apple does not fall far from the tree. Pray for them. Because people will know by the fruit we bear if we truly represent Jesus Christ.

Selah!”

Are Churches Supposed to be Multi-racial and Multi-class?

I have been in multiracial churches since I was a teen. Back then, it seemed slightly weird which mirrored my ghetto experience of growing up around only Black people. Even my middle school experience in Kensington (in the early 80s) soured me on the idea (at least with white people because they were chasing Blacks and Latinos home.) It also was weird to me because I had inherited and developed a mistrust of anything different. As I became more involved at the church, I began to see the hearts of the people who cared about my salvation and future. Back then, no one wanted to be caught in North Philly where I lived. Many of these people moved in the community, black and white, when the rest of us were trying to get out.

As I read through the Book of Acts, I have marveled over the years how I have heard many sermons on this book and MOST of them did not touch on the multiracial thrust that is extremely evident. From the challenge to ethnocentrism in Acts 1:6-8 to the power of the Holy Spirit touching down bewildering different cultural groups in Acts 2 to the cultural conflict (widows) in Acts 6 to Peter’s vision in Acts 10, a multiracial future seems to also be evidence of the Spirit filled New Testament church.

As I say this, I am not in any way, shape or form so idealistic that I would say every multiracial church reflects this. But the Book of Acts not only shows the development of a multiracial community, it also reveals the importance of class as well. Apostle Peter heals someone in Acts 3 who lived on the margins of society: a crippled beggar. This was a person who may have been seen as a victim of sin (did his parents sin?) or a participator in sin (did he sin against God?) because of his disability. His very disability meant he was looked down upon and dependent on the charity of others to survive. This beggar was not only healed, he went with Peter and John hanging onto them praising God. The presence of this story does not settle the class issue but it is a powerful representation of God being serious about reaching out to the oppressed and marginalized. You don’t have to be a multiracial church to do this. Many churches are doing this however, very few of us are inviting the disenfranchised into koinonia (intimate connection) like Apostle Peter did.

More powerful evidence for the importance of multiracial Christian community is also shown in many of Paul’s letter. Much of the time, he is responding to cultural conflicts, ignorance and misunderstandings. His responses answers questions such as: Even though I was a pagan, can I still eat food sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8)? If I live an ascetic life (a mixture of Judaism and Gnosticism), will it draw me closer to God (Colossians)? What does proper Christian living look like in an amoral culture (Titus)?

So…

Do you attend a church that is multi-racial and multi-class? If not, does your church work at this in other ways? Is a multi-racial multi-class church the only Biblical model?

(btw, the poster at the top is one I designed for a Christian organization.)

Concerto of a Desperado

I recently caught an episode of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor.’ (Yes, I watched it.) I have glimpsed at this series over the last couple of years. Because I think I have the heart of a sociologist, I watch to study human behavior under the control of entertainment. I must admit, I do find these hook-up shows amusing on so many levels. The cynic inside of me cannot take them seriously even when tears are shed. But it is also the pragmatist in me that never forgets that this is entertainment. Network TV has become so bad these days that I actually prefer movies.

These hook-up shows are called ‘reality’ but it is so obvious they are not. These shows play on powerful stories in the American consciousness such as the Cinderella myth and the Knight in Shining Armor myth among others. One myth that has become prevalent lately is the Underdog myth. This myth involves taking a supposedly ordinary person and placing them in a situation to do extraordinary things. Movies like Transformers, Die Hard, The Happening and even the Narnia series have used this myth well. These are good stories. But the real truth is that although there are people in history who have been the underdog and were successful, they are only a handful. Many people who challenge the status quo are killed (Tiananmen Square). In some cases, they were forgotten (Rosewood Massacre). The other real truth is that it makes perfect sense for ABC to tap into these myths. They are owned by Disney, the main myth producer of our time. (Remember it is Jiminy Cricket that sings ‘when you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires, will come to you…’).

Anyway, these hook-up shows tap into these powerful myths and maintain them throughout the show. The main character is always likeable and handsome (blue collar Knight in Shining Armor) and the suitors range from innocent to bi-polar (think Cinderella and her ugly aggressive step sisters).

But there is one thing you can smell through the TV: desperation. All of the contestants (I don’t call them participants anymore because they are competing for something just like a game show) are paraded in front of the Bachelor on the first episode as if they are floats in the parade. Viewers and the Bachelor get a chance to ogle these women dressed up like they are attending a ball and make basic value judgments. Short snips of their opinions are spliced in such as ‘he’s hot’ and ‘he’s dreamy’ and you get the occasional ‘I can see myself married to him.’ These comments allow ABC to help us form presuppositions about certain contestants before the competition even begins and set the stage for conflict and tension later. Eventually, the women argue over who is authentic and who is trying to advance their own selfish cause…or career. (In actuality, they all are forced to compete which brings out selfish tendencies.) Ironically, women who may see this opportunity as a stepping stone to the image industry are booted off of the show. (Just think, is ABC making moral judgments about whether someone’s motives are pure even though ABC will edit the show to favor contestants who draw the most ratings, whether they are nice or nasty?) I see this as ABC’s version of throwing some contestants under the bus. These contestants sign contracts that allow them to be on camera and live the high life briefly but it doesn’t allow them to talk about their portrayal on the show until it has run its course (in other words, after the network makes its money). By that time, you might have forgotten who the person was. Not only that, the contestants may forfeit their 15 minutes of fame by being negative about the show which normally does not open other D-list celebrity doors. The image industry typically does not work with ‘blow the whistle’ type people unless they are blowing it on another industry.

This Bachelor basically becomes King Solomon for a short period swapping spit with every girl only to break most of their hearts by saying ‘I did not feel a connection.’ How much time is given for a connection? Probably 15 minutes? 10 minutes? Is this courting on steroids? To see grown women cry over a man that they hardly know may be a sign of our times. We give so much energy to what is trivial. Real relationships are not trivial, but desperation trivializes relationships because real time together is not valued. It is all in a fishbowl. Long story short, he whittles them down to a decent number and they fly to amazing destinations to live out their fantasies. In the end, he must choose.

Now, when men do this same thing with women in real life, they are called dogs and pimps. But on TV, he is called a Bachelor, a respectable form of a pimp. I looked up the origin for the word ‘bachelor’ and this is what I found: ‘a young squire in training for knighthood.’ Knights were valiant warriors. But according to ABC’s show, a bachelor is a man who simply kisses lots of women. The mechanical nature of this form of intimacy with so many women is obvious and not very romantic. If he is not careful and keeps his eyes closed, they could substitute a dog for a woman and he may not know the difference. In this whole scenario, the Bachelor has the complete upper hand. Here is why:

1. He is able to elicit feelings and maybe real instances of love from these women but has to make no commitment (even to the very end)
2. If he chooses no one, his stock goes up among other women because the image industry will give him 15 minutes of fame to continue the underdog story.
3. Because of this, he will show up on numerous talkshows while the hosts sings about his ‘hotness’ to their 99.9% audience of women. If he is enterprising, he will write a book, maybe on dating.
4. As he milks his new status and if he is still single, he will also have access to women who may not be marriage material but who look good on his arm.
5. If he chooses a mate off the show, this could prolong his D-list celebrity status drawing on the cinderella myth.

Although the desperation is very apparent on behalf of many of the women, it also shows itself through the Bachelor because he usually has to becomes a media ho’ in order to continue the myth. (Sorry for the colorful language people). But another place where the desperation also shows itself is on the message boards where people talk about the Bachelor and these women as real people they know in a real situation.

What is going on when selfish responses such as lust and desperation becomes more important than commitment itself?

Extreme Contrasts

Two people will loom large in 2009: President Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. Many see similarities between the two from their language to grassroots organizing. But out of respect for President Obama, the comparison should stop there. King lived in a different time and responded to extraordinary circumstances without occupying an official political office or running for one. We know about Obama mainly because of his political campaign platform ‘Change We Can Believe In’ in the last two years. No disrespect to Obama but King forced the system to live up to its ideals while Obama was flush with enough cash to buy a Carribean island. These are different approaches although I believe Obama’s seem to be very effective as well.

Politics is always about selling us an image. It is the other side of the entertainment industry: style and image sells. I saw ways where Obama bucked against that but we still cannot ignore the hefty account he had to do damage control and control his image. King continued to buck his image (and Barack will too) by addressing new concerns one after another and the media was not always kind to him. King displayed unbelievable courage and conviction in his time but many of us are uncomfortable with his prophetic voice. King aimed his words at systemic inequality in American institutions and widespread apathy among minorities. After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, King tackled other issues.

Here is an excerpt from his “Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence’ speech given in 1967 in New York City:

“Perhaps the more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the war (Vietnam) was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population. We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. And so we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. And so we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would hardly live on the same block in Chicago. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor.”

According to my readings, many Christians and other organizations deserted him when he began to speak out about Vietnam. King uniquely saw the connection between inequality here and abroad. Today, many of us still perpetuate this idea right here in the U.S. I am not even going to touch Iraq and Afghanistan. I am talking about the difference between a Philly public education and a suburban one. I am talking about the high amount of homeless people in Philadelphia. I am talking about the way some unions continue to shut minorities out in Philly. We have become comfortable with extreme contrasts and simply say ‘that’s life.’

I have had many conversations, online and in person with people who continue to look at my old neighborhood of North Philadelphia and its residents with contempt. I don’t doubt the enormity of the issues there at all. But I find that many people don’t understand the difference between institutional and individual racism. Many argue from a position to exonerate themselves such as ‘I did not own slaves’ or ‘you should be like the immigrants.’ There seems to be a lack the empathy and understanding that many American institutions continue a legacy of discrimination. We seem to be comfortable with it because it is against a group with little social capital. Although I have met people who seem to be content with living in poverty, most people are not.

King saw the value in people. Even though he was from the South, he traveled north to understand the plight of northern African Americans and the covert racism that kept them from gainful employment and education. He marched with the working class and visited housing projects. When was the last time someone who criticized poor people actually spent time in their community? Usually their ideas about the poor are the result of drive-by opinions and watching too much TV. My newfound respect for King is not simply embodied in his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. I have found it in his many writings and speeches that go ignored year after year. Why? Because they are sharp, poignant, timeless and don’t let anyone off the hook. He calls people to a standard that we know is right.

This reminds me of the Biblical prophets. This is what Isaiah said to rebellious Israel who was forsaking God:

“These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’s instruction.

They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.

Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”

Isaiah 30:9-11

CHANGE WE CANT BELIEVE IN is the kind of change mentioned in the Scripture above: we cannot afford to keep ignoring the truth because of our addiction to comfort. Inspite of this, I really believe something new maybe happening in Philadelphia and hopefully in other cities. In Philly, people are graduating and staying infusing the city with new blood and ideas. I heard Vincent Harding speak at a Peace Conference this past Saturday. (Afterwards, they marched to demonstrate peacefully in front of a gun shop near the Northern Liberties area.) He told an interesting story. I will paraphrase it here: “A public official encountered some young black males who were talking about Obama. They stated that Obama will save them. The public official responded by telling them that Obama cannot save them. He said, as a matter of fact, YOU will need to save Obama!”

The point of the story is that President Obama is not the Savior for African Americans or any other Americans. Many Americans have it in their head that his election renders past grievances from disenfranchised minorities mute. I have heard people say racism is now dead and nonsense like that. Ultimately, these young men are going to have to step up and prove that Obama’s words carries some weight. Americans will be closely watching to see if any change is happening in the attitudes of America’s black youth. In one way, it is a good challenge. At the same time, they still need support, care and encouragement. You cannot have one without the other. That is like asking someone to compete in a race with one arm tied behind their back. The reason why I am here today is because of brave people who took ‘Change We Can Believe In’ seriously before Barack even stepped on the scene.

So who is willing to do this?

Part 1: Some Thoughts on Music

I don’t listen to that much Christian music. There. I said it. I have some but not much. I buy it for my wife and kids. But I don’t find much out there that I like. I was once deep into Christian hip-hop but I feel like I have outgrown it for numerous reasons (although there are still some good artists out there flying under the radar).

I don’t knock the existence of Christian music. I am just not sure of its purpose anymore. The standard line I hear is it can ‘edify believers and reach the unsaved.’ Considering what I have seen in my 20+ years as a Christian, I am not sure I always believe that. Many Christian music styles started out as a way to reach the unsaved and ended up becoming a sanctuary for a rigid form of Christian piety. In other words, Jesus must be said a certain number of times, Jesus must clearly always be the main topic and it must encourage us to simply be good. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem talking about Jesus. I just think he was a lot more complex and interesting than we let on.

Here is something else I don’t believe:

Satan was the minister of music in heaven. Some cite Ezekiel 28:13-17 but there is no evidence especially since the object of this verse is the king of Tyre mentioned in verse 11. Some reference Isaiah 14:11-14 yet we all know that Satan was an angel. Later in the chapter, we find out the writer is referring to a man.

I believe music was given to us by God as a gift to worship him and bring us joy. I don’t believe in the term the ‘devil’s music.’ (I heard that term from my Pentecostal cousins growing up.) But I do believe that music can be tainted with sinfulness because the Bible says we are sinful creatures. The Bible puts a lot of emphasis on the power of words. God sets this in motion by speaking creation into existence with just words. Even humankind has the power to alter reality with words (I now pronounce you husband and wife…ashes to ashes and dust to dust…and your name shall be…and this place shall be called…). We can also use our tongue to build up or cut down as it says in James 3: 9-10. Since speech depends on rhythm, repetition and tones, it probably should be considered a form of music (even though we think of it primarily as communication). Since language helps communicate what is in the mind and heart, sin can easily come forth. Since thought, emotion, and language governs our movements and actions, sin can easily come forth even through instrumental music. But I don’t believe the problem is the music itself or the words itself. The problem is the source. The human heart is corrupt. Human motives will eventually reveal the heart. But I believe human creativity in and of itself points to God. I can marvel at our creativity while still holding us accountable for what we produce.

What am I trying to say?

Music can be enjoyed even if it is not explicitly Christian. There are songs I know that were targeted for non-Christian radio stations that are either influenced by Biblical ideas or are celebrating universal virtues that connect with the Bible. (Go ahead, ask me for a list. You may be surprised and you may disagree.) I play some of these songs because they celebrate the right kind of virtues (marriage, unity, etc). We also play instrumental jazz and occasionally (but not my fav) classical music. But we still do not let our children listen to the radio very much. Why? Even aside from the words and music glorifying distorted forms of sex and vice, there is too much idiocy and immaturity displayed by the personalities.

But guess what?

I have the same issues with some Christian radio stations. Access to media can encourage a certain kind of addiction to image and professionalism. There is nothing wrong with doing things well. But there is something wrong when a Christian personality wants to giving me advice about my marriage (yet cannot stay married) but I am not able to give them advice. There is no accountability whatsoever.

Also, it seems like vapidness is contagious. I don’t see much difference in performance, appearance and hype between some Christian artists and non-Christian artists. Sexuality is used to sell even Christian music although it is not explicitly stated.

If this is also the case with much of the contemporary Christian music, then how can the complexities about the Christian life come through? Who is singing about anything worth paying attention to?

Part 2: Music as a Social Bond

 

What comes to mind when you hear a song from your childhood? Teen years?

What happens to you when a song triggers a positive or negative memory?

Do you relive it? Do you remember what you were wearing? Who was there? What did the air smell like? What was the zeitgeist?

Music has a way of transporting us to another time. It taps our emotions, physical well being, and thought processes. It can make our memories so much more vivid. Have you ever watched how a group of teens respond when they hear a certain song? How about a group of middle age adults? It is fascinating. I actually saw a person dancing in front of a jukebox one time! Music is a strong influence especially in a technological society where music is used for so many different purposes. We don’t even have to learn an instrument anymore to hear music. We can just turn on the radio…or if you live in the city, just sit out on the porch in the summer and listen to the cars ride by.

The entertainment industry utilizes nostalgia from time to time to reach certain demographics. I remember in the early part of this decade when anything associated with 1980s hip-hop culture became the rage. Commercials targeting my generation used Voltron (do you have to ask?), anime, breakdancing and Adidas. Rap/R&B artist Missy Elliott has capitalized hard off of this trend in the last 10 years. Even now, certain 80s fashions are making a comeback for women such as flat shoes, leggings and large belts. (I hope leg warmers stay out of style!) Nostalgia is big business! Cold Case is a TV detective drama that shows flashbacks before the person was murdered complete with language, fashion and music from that particular era to set the plot. The whole show hinges on what people remember about that time, whether their memory was foggy, whether they actually remembered and/or whether they simply don’t want to remember. One episode featured a throwback to the 1980s that triggered even nostalgic emotions in me!

Nothing is sold today without music. Because music is so ubiquitous, it bonds us to people (friends and strangers) whether it comes from the radio, a CD, a movie or a commercial. Nostalgia can identify you with a particular generation. Marketers love this kind of stuff. I remember a story someone told me about a group of Americans who traveled to an international conference. People were there from all over the world. They asked each nationality to agree on a folk song that they could sing to represent their country. Every group did it. What did the Americans come up with? A commercial jingle! Can you believe that? It was probably Oscar Mayer or a Coca-Cola song.

Commercialized music (music made for profit) has become a social bond partly because it is everywhere and it is segmented very tightly so that no demographic is left out. The social institutions (religious, familial, cultural, etc) that once held us together are becoming more marginalized in our lives. Some of these institutions cannot consistently function like they once did especially in urban areas. So, people circle their wagons and connect with those who have shared interests, ideals and attitudes. Unfortunately, the less powerful in our midst have felt the decline of these institutions more. Because they lack the social and political capital to organize effectively, they are preyed upon by any institution, agency or industry with an agenda.

Today, a mammoth entertainment industry directs much of youth culture and creates most of their music. (Occasionally it is the other way around). In some ways I am hopeful with the continued digitization of music and the decline of the traditional music industry. I am hoping that young people will get back to creating music instead of simply consuming it. When you create music, you are using so many different processes (I assume this because I am a visual artist who does the same) compared to just consuming it. (I don’t think there is anything wrong with consumption but young people should be using their youthful energies to create, develop and grow, not consume and stagnate). Hopefully we grow to see that music is important to our lives but it was never meant to totally define who we are.

When commercial music totally define us, it becomes difficult to know when we are influencing the industry and vice versa. When anything other than God totally defines us, we have lost our way. The Pharisees put so much emphasis on the Law that they created additional stipulations that they equated with the Law. They were proud of their ancestral heritage but were hypocritical when it came to dispensing grace. They took more delight in their ability to keep the Law than in God Himself. I would suggest that some of them lost their way and the more fanatical are the ones who sought to kill Jesus.

We forget that the industries that create and dispense commercial music are simply looking to make a profit. They are not interested in our moral, spiritual and emotional development. They simply follow the money. They are so adept at this that researchers and marketers are employed by them to study the groups they wish to reach and influence. MTV has been a major success story in this area. This is why I work hard to keep my children out of reach in their formative years while they develop a Biblical worldview.

The difficulty that can come with keeping them away from this is a sense of loneliness if they are not connected into a community that cares for them. Since physical communities are fragmented today, many of us lean on our religious, family and/or cultural ties to help in this area instead of popular culture. It can be lonely when your peers in school are watching movies that your parents do not allow you to see. My 11 year old son and I are working through some of this now. I am proud to say he loves music but he is not addicted to commercial radio. I am proud to say that even though he has not seen some movies, there are a few we have seen together that spark interesting discussion. My wife and I work hard to make sure that the soundtrack to his life is not initially coming from a commercial song or movie but from God’s far more interesting story.

By the way, can Pavlov’s Theory apply to people’s response to music?

 

Part 1: Truth, Facts, Hearsay and Lies

I have a new group of students for my media and culture class and they seem very interested in the things I am teaching…especially since I make sure I connect it to pop culture. The goal of this class is to help make urban high school youth aware of how the media communicates, the ethical issues inherent in that and how they are affected. Many youth believe they are unaffected by the media because they still make their own choices. Little do they realize how much of those choices are narrowed and guided down certain paths. Rap music is often the vehicle for blatant propaganda of certain values that are very anti-Christian. My job is to highlight them and ask them, what is your response?

 

My topic lately has been pop R&B star Chris Brown and pop star Rihanna. For those that don’t follow them (neither do I but it is what the youth are talking about), Chris Brown is accused of hitting Rihanna. Many are saying this is domestic abuse since they act like girlfriend and boyfriend (although they supposedly never admitted it). People are polarized by this issue with many males taking Brown’s side and many females taking Rihanna’s side. A photo was leaked that allegedly shows the bruises. It looks bad. The LAPD is considering charges against Brown as both quietly cooperate with authorities although neither side has given great detail about what really happened. So the world is buzzing…about WHAT and WHY it happened. Much of the new info is unnamed sources and speculation.

 

But what is really the truth? Does it matter?

 

There are four branches of study I am concerned about in my class:

1. Biblical Theology- The Study of God (What does God say about truth?)
2. Epistemology – The Study of the nature of knowledge  (What do we know and how do we know it?)
3. Ethics – Moral philosophy; how we ought to act and why
4. Philosophy of Language – The nature, origins and usage of words.
5. Communications Theory

Of course, I don’t use the above terms because it would scare the students. Well, I use them occasionally. I do not have any specialized education in any of these areas. But my Masters Degree (Urban Studies) has covered these areas in one form or another. I have also been reading books on these subjects for years.

 

Okay, now that that’s said, let’s move on.

 

The Sliding Scale

There is a scale I developed to help students think through this Brown/Rihanna issue.

 

ß—Truth——————–Facts——————–Hearsay——————–Lies-à

 

The idea is to get them to ask a question and see where the answer fits. As the Brown/Rihanna issue unfolds, we talk about where their information is coming from. Youth are so technologically linked up that information comes not only through the TV, radio and computer but also through mobile phones and even on the street. Because of their high degree of connectivity, they are also constantly communicating with each other. (The school bans mobile phones during the school day). Much of their information is coming from TMZ and MediaTakeOut. Both are Entertainment Tonight style media outlets with a strong tabloid flavor. They send out their own paparazzi to take pictures and video of celebrities. If I am correct, both have websites but TMZ has a daily half hour segment on Fox. TMZ uses outright lies and hearsay to power its stories. On its TV show, it does not put the interest mainly on the subject; the puts it on the so-called TMZ journalist reporting the story. They basically ‘spin’ the story totally to fit their perspective. So if a celebrity trips coming out of the restaurant, the TMZ journalist acts as commentator and would say something like ‘he must have had too much to drink.’ This suggests that the celebrity is an alcoholic or the person may have been struggling with alcoholism. Either way, it is possibly a lie and most likely hearsay because they offer no real credible evidence other than interpreting the video.

 

Because this is where the youth are getting a lot of their main info, their thoughts are swinging wildly from right to left:  Rihanna has herpes, she hit Chris Brown first, they fought over his jump-off, etc. Either of these could be true or false but certain kinds of words are used to buttress their position. Everyone does this, but courtroom language quietly shows itself even though many youth miss this. The word ‘allegedly’ is found everywhere because it absolves them user of any libel. In other words, they cannot be sued by the object of their attention. So when they say ‘Rihanna allegedly has herpes’ they are suggesting that they are not sure. But often what they are saying is meant to prejudice our thoughts. Lawyers do it all the time. ‘Allegedly’ is the ability to suggest something without offering any credible evidence. If they can plant some form of doubt in your mind, that might be enough to get you to believe them. (I will cover this perspective in relation to Adam and Eve in the Garden in the next commentary). So evn though this word is used as a prejudicial element, for many youth, it gives the media outlet credibility and they proceed to show you why…with very little evidence.

 

In a court of law, the opposing lawyer would probably object to the use of the term ‘allegedly’ if they detect it is being used to prejudice the jury in an unfair manner. Youth don’t know to object when TMZ uses the term but it can most likely prejudice their thoughts because they trust the media. So, they are already starting at a disadvantage in the Rihanna/Brown case. Their pursuit of knowledge is also tainted with their own preconceived beliefs. ‘Chris Brown is a nice guy. He would never do this.’ ‘Rihanna is such a talented singer. Why would she want to be in this drama?’

 

What do you think?

 

Coming Soon: Part 2

 

 

Part 2: Truth, Facts, Hearsay and Lies

There is a parable that I have read in various places. It has different versions but I will choose to use this one below:

Six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by touching it. The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch; the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe. A wise man explains to them, “All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently is because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all the features you mentioned.”

This story is often used to demonstrate that all religions are true and it depends on your POV. But does it really? There are some assumptions in this story that we need to unpack.

1.  Touch is the only way to discover truth. The story does not mention any of the other four senses that could have come into play such as smell, taste (God forbid), sight and sound. (Pragmatism)
2. Man should be satisfied with his initial encounter. The blind men make no attempt to touch any other parts of the elephant. (Superstition)
3. Seeing is believing. Their blindness implies an incomplete POV. We can test through our sight which makes it empirical. (Scientism)
4. Different experiences equal valid perspectives. An unexamined tolerance rules the day. (Pluralism)

Crisis Reveals the Truth

I remember having a philosophy class in my undergrad years. My philosophy teacher handed me my head on a platter. It was a good experience because it taught me that there are some valid questions to be asked about the nature of truth and God. Most in my class including my professor believed that truth is basically what you make it and that there is no absolute truth in relation to laws and ethics. They believed that truth in the past has often been enforced by those in power. They were implicating the Christian Church. In some ways, I agree because the church has, at times, wielded its power very corruptly. But I also stated that it was easy for them to say that truth is relative. They asked why. I said because YOU are in a position of power and privilege. I asked them to go to North Philly were I grew up and shout at the top of their lungs ‘there is no absolute right or wrong!!!!’ North Philly, at this time, was very dangerous in some parts with drugs and violence being at epidemic proportions. I suggested it is easy to sit in a university classroom and say this because there are no consequences. Go test your idea in my community and see if it is true. None would do it. I told them that deep down, they expected their position of power (wealthy means) and privilege (education) to protect them in the same way it protected some corrupt Christians. And in spite of this, they still were not willing to take the risk.

“A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.” Proverbs 19:3

Pain Medicine

Today, through our media and universities, subjective truth is the rage. It allows us to live as we want with no accountability. We thumb our nose at God. But when something goes wrong, those who don’t follow or believe in the Biblical God often…blame God. C.S. Lewis said that pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Pain can make us very lucid…and demanding.

Right now, the truth of the Chris Brown/Rihanna situation continues to stir hearts. But more and more, people are entering into their pain by demanding that they respond a certain way. There may be women even reliving their own painful experience with domestic abuse. We don’t want to belittle that. But I am amazed at the interpretations and sense of justice that is being suggested considering that many of us live our lives as if laws and standards don’t matter. The bottom line is that subjective truth applied in their situation looks like this:

1. Rapper Bow Wow: ‘We (Entertainers) are only human.’

2. Donald Trump to Rihanna: ‘Get the hell away from him. These guys don’t change.’

3. 50 Cent: ‘It was more than I could do’ (after seeing Rihanna photo)

4. Whitney Houston to Rihanna: ‘Don’t make the same mistake I did.’

Are all of these statements subjective? Maybe not. That’s not even my point. We still don’t know what happened. Some of these people may even be right. The problem, as I see it, is the climate. We live in a sin sick world bent on corruption. This is what I call the Sin Problem. God gave Adam and Eve the world except for one tree. God, their Creator, cared enough to create a world where they could function as his vice regents. The first thing Satan did was play with language. By playing with language, he insinuated to Eve that God had power (which he did) that he did not want to share for his own selfish reasons (which is false). God is self sufficient. He does not need us to validate Himself. By sowing doubt about God’s intentions, this opened the door for Adam and Eve to make a power play. Ultimately, Satan was able to present a second perspective that was clearly opposite from what God intended. Their power play led to the introduction of Sin into the world. Along with this came spiritual death and separation from God. This means that our close relationship with God that was clear and placed in the proper hierarchical order (in relation to God and creation) was exchanged for the chaos of self preservation and ambition separate from God where we are left to form our own beliefs about our existence. Man being the center of all things makes its entrance. (Some call this Humanism).

A world devoid of any absolute truth means power rules. That is what the Elephant Parable is missing! How does this relate? Well in a world where truth is subjective and whatever we make it, Rihanna and Chris Brown may be pressured to make decisions that are more about power than truth. In other words, what has placed them at the center of everyone’s attention? Their careers. What are most of their fans concerned about? Their careers. What is the record company concerned about? Their careers. What is the media concerned about? Their careers. No careers mean no record company, no media and no fans. Most of the advice given to them is very personal yet some of these stakeholders may be blinded by their own ambitions. There is a whole machine invested in keeping their images bankable. Once that machine stops working properly, you begin to lose power. Subjective truth believes in the goodness of humankind to wield this power the correct way…all the time! The Bible believes that humankind, in its proper place, can make some decisions but some are reserved for God alone. This is suppose to free us from seeing power as the ultimate end and validates our existence. Subjective truth taken to its logical end means there will be a power play. And only the strong will survive in this worldview. God intended a world to protect the oppressed and the weak through his example. In spite of us, He even made it possible through Jesus Christ. Instead, many live in a climate of fear that exerts itself through lawyers, carefully crafted images and money. So is this really about helping Chris Brown and Rihanna as persons? Or is it about the stakeholders maneuvering their careers for a possible jumpstart? If this was about helping them, we would sacrifice our trivial opinions and address the deeper problem: violence as an illegitimate expression of power.

What do you think?

Week 1: Urban Youth Culture (UYC) Class

UYC OVERVIEW & DEFINITION

Class1:

My UYC class is twice a week for 1.5 hours. I have 11 students. All of them are urban youth workers serving in different capacities such as education, advocacy, tutoring, mentoring and criminal justice. They are a passionate bunch.

For the first class, I simply asked them to share about themselves, their work and their passions. Many of them simply responded to a youth crisis and this led them into youth work. Most of them have been working with youth for a while. The class ranges from young adults to students older than me. Some are working with youth in a religious (Christian) context and some are not. Pray for me as I strike a balance between pragmatism (stats and research) and my religious convictions. I plan to come from a Christian worldview but  I must make sure I acknowledge opposing voices and ideas. I dont want to use my authority to browbeat them into my particular corner but I plan to show the strength of it.

I shared my story about growing up in North Philly and the things I saw. Many of them saw the same things. I talked about the fragility of the community in the midst of major transitions in the 1970s and 1980s. We examined what those transitions were: declining morality and authority, intro of cheaper strong drugs, gentrification, decline of resources and the impact of history on communities. I posited to them that when I was a kid, older adults still had respect and authority but this was declining. Today, older adults are afraid to leave their homes in low income communities. We debated about the impact of crack cocaine and the disruption it brought to families. We even went further back to the 1960s riots and how many African American communities never recovered from the loss of businesses. I also included a basic critique of the Civil Rights Movement and segregation.

The class was very attentive and definitely had opinions. We were off to a good start. A few were puzzled at the dates I was citing in my story which led one person to ask , “How old are you because you look like one of my youth.” The class laughed and so did I. I told him my age and they all gasped. I told them it has been God’s grace on my life because I know urban youth workers who have a full head of gray hair. I am getting there but at a much slower pace, thank God!

We went over the syllabus to make sure everyone understood what is expected of them. Our books are M.K. Asante ‘Its Bigger than Hip Hop’ and Bakari Kitwana ‘The Hip Hop Generation.’ I also mentioned to them that we will also look at other youth subcultures from around the world and the impact of American youth culture on the world. I did highlight the impact of gangsta rap on a part of the world that many dont think about: African nations dealing with civil war and using child soldiers. Many were shocked. I shared that the soundtrack for many of these child soldiers is gangsta rap. I suggested while many gangsta rappers exaggerate their stories, these kids are actually living it.

Class 2:

I asked the students to list all of the different areas that are affecting youth today. The list is as follows: education, money, parents, families, entertainment, economics, relationships, sex, media, poverty, public policy, gangs, violence, death, language, deperession, etc.

We talked about how these different areas intersect with youth and how the urban youth workers are trying to do in these areas. This also led into my next discussion about the definition of ‘urban youth culture.’ I asked them what were their first impressions of each word. For ‘urban,’ words like innercity, black and brown popped up. I asked what does innercity mean. Many people gave responses but I kept asking. Part of the reason is because the term innercity is like a misnomer. Geographically innercity would mean Center City Phildelphia because it is supposedly at the center of the city. My main point to them was that maybe other agendas are defining the word ‘innercity.’ I suggested that the growth of the suburbs have helped define this term. I believe it implies that the suburbs are somehow a part of the city. I have no problem with this but Philadelphia’s charter says that Philly is its own county. As a result, Philly has a hard time getting money from suburban counties. Let me contrast this with Willmington, DE where I did ministry for 7 years. Wilmington is located in New Castle County. The county is at least 530,000 people while Wilmigton is approximately 73,000. My main point is that Wilmington receives money from the county for various things. Philly receives nothing from the surrounding counties although they affect and participate a great deal in the city’s culture and politics.

We defined youth and I asked them the demographic range of the youth they serve. They went from  8 years old to young adults. I mentioned to them that there is a study that says that the adolescent brain finishes developing by 22 years for females and 24 years for males. I asked what are the implications for decision making in the face of this information? Should youth be in the position to make certain kinds of adult decisions while they are adolescents? Are they forced into it?

We defined culture as values, traditions and norms that set standards and affect the behavior of those tied to the culture. I mentioned that adolescents are now moving inside a culture that has no adult supervision. I prefaced this by saying there are adults in the culture who are leading them but they are adolescent adults such as celebrities, etc. I asked, if adolescents are only learning from adolescent adults and themselves, where is the age-old wisdom that gets passed from generation to generation?

I suggested to them that youth cultures have become more prevalent since many of the religious and civil institutions that once protected them are declining or breaking down. Technology compounds the issue by wiring them 24 hours, 7 days a week to starve off the loneliness that comes with this kind of existence. Yet a youth can have 1000 facebook friends and still commit suicide.

I also mentioned that advertisers are doing massive studies on urban youth to harness their economic power for companies.  I told them a couple of years ago, I was able to get access to one of these reports and the info was astounding…and frightening. What many urban youth workers know intuitively about urban youth from experience was present in this study in the form of charts, data and conclusions. That report kept me up that night thinking about how so many of them are simply being exploited.

Now, that they know the task ahead, I told them GOD BLESS YOU for choosing to work with youth. Its a daunting task and I hope they get something out of this class.

One of my tasks for next week is…not to talk so much! (I do that when I am either passionate about something or nervous.)

Next week? WEEK 2: YOUTH CULTUE IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

What do you think?

Week 2: UYC Class

YOUTH CULTURE IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

CLASS 3:

Japanese hip-hop youth

This week, my students had to read an article titled ‘Urban Youth Culture: Forging a New Identity’ at http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2007/youth/english/story/angelo_youth.html. It is a part of the United Nations Population Fund website. This article sparked some great discussion about what is youth culture, its purpose and origins. Some disagreed with some aspects especially when referring to the movement of young people from rural to urban settings. Some students missed the fact that this was talking about youth culture in a global context. The movement from rural to urban is still happening in the United States (through immigration) but it has already occurred with the mass migration of African Americans and others from the rural south to the urban north, Midwest and west coast. We primarily focused on the similarities of global youth culture with our own urban youth culture.

Brazil Hip Hop CD

I mentioned to them that you see youth culture come on the scene when the standard of living rises. So after World War II, when prosperity gripped our country, we see the burgeoning of a youth culture. Leisure time begins to rise along with access to resources. Today, marketers bypass parents and go straight to our children who are involved in youth culture where there is little adult oversight.

We also talked about the Civil Rights Movement and its impact on youth culture and ideas. As much as urban youth may not admit it, today’s post Civil Rights generation is fascinated with the symbols from this by-gone era. It creeps up in videos, songs and fashion especially when they want to make conscious statements about their identity. The politics of the Civil Rights Movement is alive and well in Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. But a new politics seems to be emerging with young gifted African American leaders such as President Barack Obama. This disconnect between yesterday’s generation and today’s generation can be seen in their disdain for some civil rights leaders. Many young people feel like things have gotten worse when the civil rights generation seem to be embarrassed with the actions of today’s urban youth. This tension fuels some of the antagonism and apathy toward the church and politics, in general.

The article mentioned the need for adults to understand youth culture and give youth access to the arts to cultivate their culture. What I do disagree with is that the article made no mention of the idea of youth understanding their media rights. It seems to make the assumption that since youth culture is here to stay, we should accommodate it.

My students discussed the negative aspects of youth culture such as greed, materialism and irresponsible health and sexual choices. We also discussed in detail the impact that African American culture has had around the world. The irony is that, although the cultural capital of African American teens is aggressively sought after from Japanese teens darkening their skin and growing locks to the adoption of hip-hop fashions around the world, their economic capital (for the benefit of their communities) is almost non-existent. One student raised this question in relation to the billions made by record companies creating rap music never making it into the distressed communities that some rap artists come from. In the next class, we will go into global youth culture in detail.

CLASS 4:

I listed the names of the top 5 multinational media corporations (Disney, Time Warner, Viacom, Newscorp and Sony) in the world on the right side of the board and the G8 nations (France, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, United States and Russia) on the left side. I also listed the five biggest emerging economies (China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa). I wanted to see if they could name the nations and corporations. They got most of the corporation’s right but half of the nations wrong. This underscores my contention that many urban youth workers in the U.S. know very little about globalization and global youth culture. I believe this is primarily because of U.S. dominance in globalization. This does not mean they are not good at what they do, but as the prominence of other nations grow, we need to know that this conveyer belt will eventually become two-way. (Well it already is in very subtle ways.) About 162 out of 500 of the world’s largest companies are from Japan and 230 are from the United States.

This information is crucial because as the economies of other countries grow, their influence will grow. We already see China’s influence on the coal industry because of its size. We see the United States influence on the environment because of our consumption of a variety of things. Globalization is creating more and faster connections between youth around the world. We know the internet is leading the charge in this area.

We identified various subcultures that we all encountered and tried to identify their origins. This is a very difficult thing sometimes because the influences can come from disparate sources. But as youth become more wired, we will see more hybridity. One example a guest teacher in my class mentioned was how the new hip-hop style combines an Abercrombie & Fitch look with fitted clothes and a touch of Goth (chain connected to belt). What many people don’t realize is that urban youth culture in the U.S. in the last 30 years has taken a hybrid post-modern cut-and-paste approach. After all, Afrika Bambaata who created one of the first hip-hop electro songs was influenced by German performance arts band Kraftwerk. Check You Tube and google ‘Soul Sonic Force’ and then google ‘Trans Europe Express’ by Kraftwerk and you will see the similarities.

We identified that subcultures attach themselves to larger cultures in some way but has its own distinct ethos. Sometimes youth are countercultural in that they embrace ideas that are contrary to societal norms. Sometimes this is forced and sometimes this is freely chosen. Western Europe is having a difficult time assimilating its immigrant populations. The tensions in France got so bad two years ago that riots erupted in their suburbs among Arab/North African youth. They feel that the French treat them like second class citizens even though many of them were born in France.

My class hopefully tuned into the growing homogeny in areas that deal with freedom and prosperity because of global youth culture. For youth around the world, money = freedom = power. Globally, youth in industrialized countries are trying to find ways to assert their identity. But the downside of global youth culture is its co-option by multinational corporations whose bottom line is to make money. Their involvement also threatens to revive racist ideas because their code of morality may not be the same as the host country. (I did not mention that those big 5 multinational corporations own alot of overlapping media outlets from MTV, BET, Nickeolodeon to film studios and newspapers.) This has caused problems already especially in countries with huge muslim populations. In this way, global youth culture heralds the continued uncertainty of adult authority and institutions.

My students must read chapter 5: The Impact of Global Media on Youth Culture of the 2005 UN World Youth Report. They must write a 2 page reflection paper due next week.

Next week? WEEK 3: CHANGES IN CULTURE & MEDIA AND YOUTH

What do you think?

Week 3: UYC Class

CHANGES IN CULTURE

CLASS 5

This class on cultural changes generated lots of discussion on how culture has changed in the last 50 years.

I slightly changed direction in this class because I became mindful of how heavy all of this information is for many people. Mostly we have been discussing history and theory. We have not talked about solutions. For some youth workers, this can be depressing. I lightened the class up by showing a funny video from my Young Life days. I asked each student to take a brief minute and share a success story involving a youth. This allowed us to hear what is close to each other’s hearts. This job, for many, is a thankless job. There are very few people wanting to build relationships with you but there are a lot who want to diagnose and judge them.

Since my class is multi-generational, it was great hearing from those older than me articulate the differences and their responses to these changes over time.

The questions asked were:

What is culture?

What are the changes in culture?

Why did these changes take place?

What effect did these changes have?

We buttressed the differences and similarities between the Civil Rights generation and the post Civil Rights (Hip-Hop) generation. There is obviously a rift between these two generations.

We focused on technology being the main initiator of change. There are three things in history (probably more) that have caused rapid innovation: the printing press (rise of literacy), the telegraph (rise of telecommunications), the computer (rise of digitally enhanced products and services). One that I would also mention is the mechanical clock. This gave rise to the idea of progress because, now, everything is quantifiable. I once had a job where I had to document my time every 15 minutes! It drove me crazy and I eventually quit the job. This is suppose to boost productivity but it also increases our level of stress when taken to extreme levels.

But we also talked about the human spirit and religion being initiators of change. I went through a history of technical advancements from the camera to the internet. We also details social and political changes that accompanied these technological revolutions. We even talked about how the car has beena blessing and a curse. On one hand, it made us more mobile. On the other hand, it disrupted the traditional fabric of communities because of this mobility. No one stays put too long and communities are gentrifying faster than in the past.

MULTIMEDIA & YOUTH

CLASS 6

I showed a commercial called ‘the awareness test.’ I used it to demonstrate the need for youth to learn how to see the truth amid distractions. Watch it for yourself and tell me what you think. Today, we say ’seeing is believing’. Well, in an age of technical wizardry, this motto cannot always be trusted. Youth are getting their worldview through mediums. We referred back to the large multinational companies and I suggested that they are occupying the space where traditional institutions once stood. Yet they are not heavily regulated in the same way traditional institutions are regulated. This raises some difficult questions about accountability, responsible truth telling…and propaganda.

(I am trying to keep my post shorter so bear with me.)

Week 4: UYC class

HIP HOP CULTURE AND OTHER SUBCULTURES

CLASS 5

Most of the students turned in their papers. For the most part, they made very good observations about youth and hip-hop culture. They are beginning to move away from the negative associations that the media have attached to hip hop culture, in general. As their understanding grows, their sense of indignation grows as well. Some confessed they did not want to read M.K. Asante’s book ‘Its Bigger than Hip hop.’ Eventually, they learned to appreciate his gentle sociological approach to understanding the issues. It was a plus that he is young, black and educated. We went through the history of hip-hop culture connecting it to other sociological, cultural and economic forces that have happened. We talked about the rise of the prison industrial complex. (Thanks to Dr. Johnson who did a workshop for them on ‘The Criminalization of Urban Youth.’) As we went through the history, we saw the continuity with the Civil Rights Movement and other developments in African American history. But we also saw the deep divide that has developed between youth and adults. Their in-class assignment was to read Motivational Educational Entertainment’s (MEE) article on ‘Urban Trends.’ MEE is a marketing research firm that helps companies and organizations understand youth connected to hip-hop culture. The student’s task was to design a movie that would appeal to a very specific demographic within hip-hop culture. (Remember that the Hip-Hop Generation spans atleast 3 generations: 1st Generation: 1965-1980; 2nd Generation: 1980-1995; 3rd Generation: 1995-present. I am in the 1st Generation.) So one group had 13-18 males; another group 13-18 females; and another group had 18-30 males. In their groups, they answered these questions based on the article:

1. How would you gather info from this group?
2. What products/services does this group like?
3. Where do they spend their leisure time?
4. Title of their movie
5. What time of the year would the movie debut?
6. How would you get the word out?
7. Product tie-ins?
8. After-market market (DVDs, other demographics, etc)

I did not give them a budget because the time was short and it would have required some prior knowledge of the film industry. They all did very well and revealed they have a good understanding of what youth like. We ended class by discussing how various entertainment companies hire firms like MEE (or have their own internal market research team) to get access to the urban market. We also discussed this from a theological perspective. I noted how it seems that so many Christians are leaving American cities yet the culture shapers (MTV, Madison Ave, media companies, etc) are located in American cities. I am indebted to Tim Keller for this insight.

What are the implications when those who shape image in our country and the world are less regulated than religious institutions? Religious institutions are barred from American public schools in direct and indirect ways yet media companies, advertisers and companies are finding ways to access school students because of their deep pockets. What does it say about our school system and society that they will allow their students to be bombarded with products/services simply to pay for basic expenses?

RELATIONSHIPS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND SEX

Class 6

This class focused on relationships, substance abuse and sex in hip-hop culture. This class created quite a stir. I displayed on the screen some stats about substance abuse, marriage and childrearing in the black community (and the white community as well). One startling stat that encouraged a sigh of relief is that less than 25% of African Americans drink. But this stat was a bomb: But over 80% of alcoholic illnesses are in the African American community. That is a hard stat to swallow.

If you can stomach it, check out P. Diddy and Busta Rhymes ‘Pass the Courvosier’ video. (From what I read, Busta denied that Courvoiser paid him to do the video. Later, it was confirmed that he was paid to do it.)

The info stated how the institution of marriage is on the decline in the U.S. in general but it is even steeper in the Black community. The data cited words like ‘illegitimate’ and ‘out of wedlock.’ A few students protested this labeling of African American youth. Although I agreed with them in principle, I also challenged them to look at why this was happening. Part of their discomfort may be from the fact that the Black community is ALWAYS defined by the pathologies that afflict the community. I can understand their frustration. We talked about the external forces that have caused these issues which are easily identifiable. The internal forces are more difficult and often very personal. For some, it came down to Black men not doing their jobs. For some, it was women. I simply said it was both. But I highlighted how Black women are often blamed unfairly because they are the caretakers of their children and the community. I read a few passages from ‘Promises I Can Keep’, a book by sociologists Edin and Kefalas that details why poor women put motherhood before marriage. This data can be very difficult to look at. However, knowing this data is the first step to understanding how to change it. The church factored into this equation as well. Some felt that the church was not doing enough compared to the past. But I also suggested that many church members do not live in the surrounding Black community anymore. ‘Commuter churches’ are everywhere. Then there are what author Jawanza Kunjufu calls ‘containment churches.’ These are churches that are only concerned with what is going on inside their church, nothing more, nothing less. As the class became more animated, I backed off because I saw steam rising in the air. I really wanted to get into the decline of the prophetic word in the African American church and other things. But it is hard to have this discussion when many of us have so many different understandings of what the church is. Though I wanted to tackle this issue, I realized that I needed a whole semester to do so.

We moved on to the backlash that has been happening in rap music. Spelman College students challenged Nelly in his portrayal of black women in his videos. Although there have been attempts in the past by professional Black women to speak out, it was met with anger and indifference by some rap artists. The climate today is different. The difficulty in this issue is that rap music is still a very male dominated genre driven by testosterone. With the issues affecting relationships between black men and women, how they see each other and the kind of money flowing through the industry, it is hard to see a cultural shift happening…unless more Black men speak out. And guess what? It is actually beginning to happen.

Final Week: UYC Class

The Future

I was impressed with the caliber of student in this class. It confirmed for me something I have been saying for a long time: urban youth workers know intuitively what researchers in the field of adolescent development claim to know through surveying and interviews. The most difficult truth for them to swallow was that it is these researchers who are writing curriculum, policies or whose researched is being used to justify  urban youth programs. I don’t knock this but the problem, in some cases, is that they are disconnected from those they study and therefore have no personal stake in their development. I guess that is what makes it empirical research but we all know that youth need people to care about them first. Programs cannot do what a relationship can but a combination can be very fruitful. These urban youth workers really care about the youth they serve!

Their goal at the end of this course was to dream of new possibilities in urban youth work. Some of them merely expanded on what they are already doing. Some came up with new ideas. The ideas are in the ares of youth advocacy, afterschool programs, safe environments, mentoring, entrepreneurial pursuits, skill building and social capital.

Each had to write a 5-6 paper that included a summary of the class and their new ideas. I was actually surprised to learn through many of their papers that they never thought this deeply about urban youth culture. Many just simply wrote it off as ‘youth being youth.’ This underscores a pertinent issue in our postmodern western world: urban youth are increasingly disconnected from their families and their history. As a result, they are only able to draw off of the one resource they do have that the world wants: their youth. (Would we call this youth capital?) The obvious problem is that youth is fleeting inspite of an extended adolescence we see in the United States. Many with dysfunctional famlies are increasingly learning from their surrogate families: peers and/or gangs. But once their youth is gone, this capital evaporates because they don’t fit the narrow marketable commodity paradigm anymore. This is why many entertainers try to hold on to the fountain of youth botoxing themselves to death.

As a result of this class, many of the urban youth workers are becoming passionate about helping urban youth understand the forces that shape them. What was a negative reaction to hip-hop culture has turned into further empathy for urban youth. Many citied racism as a primary motivator and are committed to understanding it in this globalized era. Racism has not gone away. It is simply assuming new forms…and some are globally marketed.

Each urban youth worker did a 5 minute oral presentation on their paper which was a joy to witness. There are some budding writers in this group and I hope they pursue it. After all, they need to be the ones who are eventually writing curriculums, policies and doing research on urban youth. Also, I also had to tell them another hard truth: you cannot sustain yourself financially as an urban youth worker. You have to graduate to other areas or being a fundraising juggernaut. I pray and hope that they continue to gain training and communicate their knowledge to the next generation of urban youth workers.

I enjoyed this class immensely and hope to find more opportunities. I am looking forward to teaching a media literacy class at Camden Community College in Fall 2009.

Selah!

Workshop: Advocacy and Social Capital

I was asked to do a presentation on advocacy and social capital for the Eastern in the City Program. This program is geared toward helping urban undergraduate students navigate college culture.

 

First here are a few definitions:

 

Advocacy – The pursuit of influencing outcomes — including public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions — that directly affect people’s current lives.
–Cohen, David. Advocacy for Social Justice: A Global Action and Reflection Guide. Kumarian Press, 2001

 

Social Capital – Investment in social relations with expected returns in the marketplace.                                                

–Lin, Nan. Social Capital. Cambridge Press, 2001

 

Nan Lin talks about the three process of influence in social capital:

 

1. Persuasion-The process by which fellow actors are convinced, through communication and interaction, of the merit of the resource, resulting in the internalization of the value of a resource among actors
2. Petition-The appeal or lobbying of an individual or a group of actors and represents normative pressure
3. Coercion-The process by which fellow actors are forced to recognize the merit of a resource or face certain sanctions or punishment.

 

I asked the students to analyze ‘Battle at Kruger’, an 8 minute wildlife video below and identify the 3 processes of influence where applicable.

 

  

 

They definitely did not see influence #1 in the video. We used this to talk about real life situations. However, I reminded them that when you grow up in dysfunctional environments, force and power become instruments to be heard or to silence someone. I reminded them that even though many of our urban environments feel like the wild, there are other alternatives to simply taking a Darwinian approach to life. Animals are governed by pure instinct (eat and sleep). We have a higher consciousness that causes us to act for our own self preservation and others. Although we are conditioned by our environment, at some point, we can choose our responses to different situations. But they did glean some positive aspects out of the video. (Can you figure them out?)

 

Afterwards, the students were given 5 true scenarios without the outcome and asked to formulate their own positive and a negative outcome in groups. They discussed the scenarios for 5 minutes and then spent 3 minutes acting out the scenario. Each time, we talked about the 3 processes of influence and which ones were present. Afterwards, I told them the outcome of the scenario. Some were positive and some were negative.

 

I told them that you cannot always control the situation but you can control how you respond. Sometimes you will do everything right and still not get the outcome you desire. But I suggested to them as they build social capital, others will begin to lend their reputations to give them credibility AND may help change the direction of the outcome. This is how the professional world works.

 

Many seemed to relate to the scenarios of discrimination, education, authority, injustice and perception.

 

I asked them to do three things:

1. Widen your Social Net – Meet new people that will stretch your ideas and become allies in your development; become a part of communities that nurture you in different areas.
2. Value Code Switching – Learn how to move seamlessly across spectrums by learning the language and culture of that spectrum. (This is something that minority youth learn growing up)
3. Developing Healthy Coping Mechanisms – Find those things that keep you from going off the deep end or burning out.

10 things single folk should know about marriage/relationships

Greetings!

I have been married for 16 years and have known my wife for over 25 years. I have learned a few things about marriage that I would like to share. I hope you find it challenging and informative.

1. Contract vs. Covenant
Most people today want a contract with their spouse, not a covenant. A contract means that I will love you IF you love me. A contract does not consolidate power, it keeps things separate from a financial and emotional perspective. A contract is often between two parties with one or more witnesses. A covenant draws in group of people who have a vested interest in seeing the two of you succeed. Covenants often used religious language to make its point. You are not only committing before God but also before a community of people who will hold you accountable to your vows. A contract is an arrangement; a covenant is a public and private commitment.

2. Be what you ask for
Ask God for what you want in a mate with humility. Too many people want what they are NOT themselves. Some things you will achieve together. Being humble does not mean settling. It means recognizing your shortcomings and that you should feel blessed that he/she chose you (assuming this is a person of good character). This person who chooses you chose you over other suitors. Hopefully this means the person thought about children, growing old together and participating in your world.

3. Character triumphs superficiality
Talk to anyone married to a beautiful/handsome scoundrel and you will hear them say they had wished they chose someone with deeper emotional, spiritual and intellectual roots. I know, you want beauty and brains. Fair enough but beauty is such a relative concept today. Not only that, physical beauty and charm will fade (Proverbs 31:30). Understand what is driving your notion of beauty. Then what’s left?

4. The multi-tasking disease
Watch out for the person that are so busy that you never get to observe them in any kind of environment. They juggle relationships like commodities. Relationships are commitments to other people’s well being and yours that require time. Some people are truly busy but I would submit that they may not make great spouses. Ask Hollywood celebs. Some make arrangements (contracts) but they rarely last. If the person cannot sit still, that may be a symptom of something deeper. If they confess it, then maybe you can work with it.

5. Look at the potential you have together
I grew up not having much. Well, okay, I grew up poor. Today, I have two degrees and may get a third. My wife saw our potential to grow together. She did not try to CHANGE me and make me more like her fantasy man. We walked together and rubbed off on each other. Now, she is much more outspoken while I have learned to lay in the cut. Having a lot of degrees may guarantee a living but it does not guarantee a happy home. Keep it in perspective.

6. Watch dem friends
Dont hang with people who dont like your spouse. Now, if every one of your friends dont like him/her, maybe that is a wake up call. Friends should be encouraging you in your marriage even when things are rocky. They should not be the ‘I told you so’ types either. They may just be waiting for you to fail.

7. Put financial emphasis on the marriage, not the wedding and honeymoon
Many folks go into debt trying to achieve some Disney-like adventure. Whats the point if you are coming back after the wedding and honeymoon to massive debt? Be moderate in the beginning so you can live life for real later!

8. Toss out some of your R&B music!
Much of today’s pop, r&b and rap music does not celebrate love. It celebrates sex and misogny. When was the last time someone made a whole album about love? You either have to dip into Neo-Soul or go back 20+ years. Much of today’s music celebrates the extreme autonomy that comes from making a lot of money. Ask yourself why Hugh Hefner cant stay married? He is used to getting what he wants which makes him like an old man forever going through the terrible twos. Many artists say stuff like, lets you and me run off together, just you and me, no one else. Marriage and relationships are to be lived in community, not in a vacuum. Otherwise, by the sheer nature of being human, we can tip the balance and abuse our spouse emotionally, spiritually and even financially.

9. Date your spouse
Me and my wife try to get out twice a month…and we have kids too. We draw on our church/community capital and ask folk to hang with our kids while we…simply just hang out somewhere else. Catch a movie in the crib once in a while but its nice to get out of your own house and just remember how much you actually like each other. We have folks in our lives who ask us, when was the last time yall been out? Many of our bday gifts have been folks offering to childsit our kids so we can get out.

10. Put God first…if you dont believe in God, I dont know what to tell ya.

Feel free to add some more that I may have missed.

Part 1: Power vs. Authority

I have been having some good discussions with a few of my friends lately on power and authority in a Christian and secular context. Christian theologian Walter Wink is a good source for understanding these topics. Recently, I was introducing my kids to real cartoons: The Looney Tunes! Although I do so cautiously (because of gun and physical violence in the cartoons), they seem to think it is funny. Later, I started thinking about the Bugs Bunny episode we watched from a sociological perspective.

 Who has the power in this episode?

 Who has the authority in this episode?

 Definitions

1. Power – Exertion of physical force to enforce an idea/cause through subjugation; might makes right.
2. Authority – Exertion of force to promote an idea/cause through persuasion, petition, coercion and/or sacrifice.

 Which of these does Elmer Fudd embody? Power fits him because he is supposed to be the stereotypical superior species…with a shotgun. The animators do a good job at casting him as a buffoon who does not know how to use his power. He is easily misled and manipulated. Bugs Bunny, on the other hand, mostly uses authority and power to get his way. He conjoles and persuades Elmer using sometimes bad reasoning and masquerades as hilarious characters. He consistently seems to pop up as a flirtatious woman (influenced by burlesque culture) teasing Elmer. (What cartoons do you know of today that show cross dressing? This was radical for its time.) What does Bugs’ recurring characters say about the authority and power he can exercise over his pursuer? What does this say about Elmer Fudd? Bugs uses his authority to fool Elmer Fudd. By fooling him, Elmer’s power becomes less potent (He seems to always forget in these situations that he has a gun). Then Bugs humiliates him through physical force and/or pure mockery. This makes Elmer more mad…and so reckless that he simply just fires his gun in all directions…and the cycle starts all over again.

 I don’t think either is a flattering picture of power and authority but in conclusion, Bugs Bunny has the superior intellect, manipulative ideas and experience while Elmer Fudd is simply slow on the uptake and…has a gun. This shows you how dangerous power and authority can be in the wrong hands.

 So how does this apply today?

 There are Christians who are hellbent on accessing power and authority on our world’s terms. In the process, their witness has become less credible. These are the same ones that appear more ‘Republican’ or ‘Democrat’ than Christian. But we tend to focus on the Republicans because they are more saavy in courting evangelical Christians. (Some say the recent presidential election upended this notion). The sad part is that there are very few well known Christians that command both power and authority. The only two I can think of are Billy Graham and Mother Teresa. Both have demonstrated the ability to shift our culture through their actions (power) and challenge systems and structures (authority). Billy Graham has counseled presidents and heads of state while maintaining a certain political distance. He eventually challenged racism as his crusades (although some say not soon enough). He helped set the stage for evangelicalism to become a recognized force in political and cultural affairs. Mother Teresa has increased her credibility (and that of the Catholic church) through her daring decision to serve the poor most of her life. Her example has inspired thousands of people to rethink their relationship to the less fortunate. This has also opened doors at the finest universities and political establishments for her to challenge the decline of our moral and cultural values in the West. When she speaks, people, young and old, listen.

 Jesus also embodied power and authority!

 Power

Jesus demonstrated his power by revealing his true nature, his fidelity to God’s Word and his connection to God. He performed signs and did miracles. Signs in the Bible were demonstrated through his command over the natural world. One example is when Jesus calmed the storm in Matthew 8:23-27. His disciples were amazed and asked, what kind of man is this? Miracles demonstrated his command over human mortality and illness. One example is when Jesus healed the blind man so that he could see in Matthew 9:27-34. The crowd responded by saying that they had seen nothing like this before. Even though his power was undeniable, there were some who went to great lengths to silence him or misrepresent him. Jesus has been called a demon (Matt. 9: 34), a drunk, a glutton and a friend of sinners (Matt. 11:19), a blasphemer (Matt. 26:65) and other things. The Pharisees stop questioning his power and even started trying to trick him into abusing his power. When that failed, they simply conspired to kill him. The power that Jesus displayed was so jarring that many believed in him and he knew that a spiritually dull people needed to see signs and wonders. But his power was not in a vacuum. Jesus’ power was meant to remind people that he was not of this world and that his authority is rooted in something beyond them.

 “…My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”

John 7:16-18

 Authority

Jesus demonstrated his authority through his divine wisdom, his knowledge of God, his Triune status, his knowledge of the material and spiritual world. He talked about God as if he had intimate knowledge of Him. He taught people things that were reserved for scholars yet he did not receive this type of training. He discerned situations that showed he was in tune with people’s issues and the movements of his day. He also clearly saw how the spiritual world affected people and clearly wanted to set things right. The clearest examples are his encounters with demons. They clearly recognized him and respected his authority because they saw who and what he represents. Jesus willingly sacrificed himself for people who did not deserve it. Demons hate humankind and they inspire humankind to hate itself…yet Jesus loves humankind with a passion that frightens them. He allowed himself to be tested by Satan himself in Matthew 4 strengthening his witness among future believers and revealing his present and future motives.  Jesus met all three temptations with the authority of the Scriptures! Jesus limited himself simply to die a once-and-for-all death for humankind. Yet his victory over death proves that anyone, physical or spiritual, should think twice about questioning his integrity. 

 “…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Jesus).”

Matthew 28:18

 Power and Authority

The power and authority Jesus has is a deadly combination. It gives us a sneak peak of what his Kingdom is actually like. It, in no way, looks like how the world uses power and authority. I would submit that if you have authority, you can eventually gain power. But the opposite is not true. Our world seems to be bent on accessing enormous power because it gratifies the flesh, looks visible and transferable. Adam and Eve demonstrate in the Garden that they wanted to transfer the power of being God illegitimately to themselves. They focused on the outward manifestations of power (their selfish cravings, the lust of the eyes and the ability to boast) that led them to sin. Ultimately, what Satan presented was an illusion. Certain kinds of power and authority are reserved for God alone.

 Biblical examples of power and authority working together in a godly way:

Name	Power	Authority	Consequence
Esther	King Xerxes’ wife (Queen);	Petitioned God through fasting	Protection of Jews under King Xerxes
Nehemiah	Royal (King Artaxerxes) sanctioning	Petitioned God through fasting and mourning	Restoration of Jerusalem and the Israelites
Isaiah	Vision from God	Prophecies	Israel will be remembered

 Biblical examples of power and authority working together in an ungodly way:

Name	Power	Authority	Consequence
Samson	Nazirite from birth; hair	Breaking God’s laws	Death
Saul	Saul offered burnt offering instead of prophet Samuel	Attempting to kill chosen King David	Death
Judas	Jesus disciple	Betrayed Jesus to Pharisees	Death

 But today, we have leaders who thirst for power with no authority. They sometimes acquire power manipulatively and rule using fear and intimidation. Some individuals work hard to achieve power but have no desire to sacrifice to help others achieve their success.

1. Michael Jordan will be remembered as a force on the basketball court (power) but will not be remembered for anything significant beyond extreme consumerism.
2. Pontus Pilate is remembered in history as having the power to release Jesus but cowered in front of the crowd and handed him over to be crucified.
3. Jim Baker drew millions of TV viewers and dollars to his now defunct PTL Club (power) but sacrificed it for a moment of passion. He has never regained his former status (and to his credit, maybe he does not want to).
4. Adolf Hitler inspired fear all over Europe (power) but when faced with defeat, he committed suicide.

 Here’s the catch: you don’t even have to be a good speaker to be respected as an authority. Your experience and sacrifice says it all because you have been tested. You can gain power by illegitimate means but not authority. Power hungry people are too focused on its outward manifestations like Adam and Eve. People with the right kind of authority don’t care if they appear to have power or not. Jesus did not align himself with political or religious leaders to appear powerful. He aligned himself with the Father.

 People with a proper understanding of authority rely on God to prick the conscience and to judge. It is their connection to God that makes them valuable and their authority real. People with power are often judge and jury. Power and authority separated from God is an exercise in the selfishness of humankind.

 As it is written:
   ”There is no one righteous, not even one;
    there is no one who understands,
      no one who seeks God.
 All have turned away,
      they have together become worthless;
   there is no one who does good,
      not even one.”
 ”Their throats are open graves;
      their tongues practice deceit.”
   ”The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
    ”Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
 ”Their feet are swift to shed blood;
    16ruin and misery mark their ways,
 and the way of peace they do not know.”
    ”There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 3:10-18

 Part 2: Power and Authority in a Secular Context

Get Out of Jail Free Card

Based on Romans 3:9-31

(I teach the high school Sunday School class once a month at Oxford Circle Mennonite Church. What you are reading here is an extended version of the class.)

 This day, I had the honor of teaching God’s grace to high school students. Grace is a difficult thing to teach because once you are done, there is usually at least one kid asking this question that is found in Romans 3:8: Should I do evil so that good may result? In other words, if God will forgive us, then doing bad enhances his grace…right? This is very logical thinking but it is based on some faulty presuppositions. It assumes a deistic God who does not intervene in man’s affairs. (I believe that God just might smack you upside your head to get your attention.) It also assumes that all evil is orchestrated by God. Since God does not tempt us, God can allow evil things to happen. But there are things that happen that we may consider evil that God does not. Some youth consider it evil to put restrictions on them. So you see where some of the problem lies.

 Lesson

While we read through the assigned passage, I gave some backstory. I explained that throughout the New Testament, many of the Jews were having a difficult time with Jesus’ presence and message. When it came to God, the Jews considered themselves God’s chosen people, his privileged minority group. This is true but when you read through the Old Testament, abuses, deviations and rebellion shows itself through their covenant with God. But God is faithful. This continues to demonstrate their inability to keep the whole Law and initiates the next phase of God’s plan: the coming Messiah that we hear prophesied in the Psalms and from the Prophets. The Law refers to the first five books (Pentateuch) of the Bible. Many of the Old Testament laws were designed around inhabiting a very specific territory as we see in the Book of Joshua and the building of the Temple. God’s presence inhabits the ark of the covenant. As time went on and wars happened, the Israelites were defeated by other nations. In some cases, the Temple was destroyed and the ark was stolen. They were also exiled and/or mixed the larger pagan population. The Samaritans were the result of this (read John 4 about the Samaritan woman). As the Temple was destroyed and the Israelites scattered, the emphasis became more about the Torah (God’s Laws) and the local gathering place (the synagogue) where the Law could be applied. The result was various interpretations developed since they were isolated from one another and the Jews took on the characteristics of the local culture. This is why Acts 2:9-10, you see a variety of nationalities although they are all Jewish. Before Jesus’ brith, The Maccabbees (the Hammerers) ssparked Jewish nationalism to restore Israel and the Temple cult. The Temple was rebuilt but infighting soon happened. Growing Roman power took advantage of this and eventually the (Idumean) Herodian Dynasty sold out the Jewish people and partnered with the Romans. Diasporic Jews would make pilgrimages for special festivals and events but they hated the Herods because of their complicity with the Romans and the fact that they were descendants of Esau. During their oppression by the Romans, the idea of a military messiah carried a lot of weight. Several people during the 1st century rose up claiming to be somebody only to be crushed by the Romans. (Some are mentioned in the Bible and some are not). To a Jew, anyone who was not Jewish was a Gentile. Gentiles were considered unclean unless they became God-fearers (converts to Judaism).

 In Romans 3, Apostle Paul is talking about the privileged status of the Jews. But he is also saying that Jews are under sin just like Gentiles. This would have been hard for many Jews to swallow. Paul continues this idea by basically saying no one seeks God, not Gentile or even Jew. The Jew would probably respond, ‘but I keep the law. The law makes me righteous.’ Paul counters this by saying a righteousness apart from the Law through Jesus Christ is now available. He locates the center of justification and salvation on Jesus Christ, not the Law. The idea is that if you attempt to keep the Law and you fail, you are a lawbreaker (James 2:11). The Old Testament offerings and sacrifices are not adequate anymore because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.

 Exercise

To explain how God viewed the Law, I had one student stand up in front of the class. I asked him to stand completely still like a statue. The only thing he could do was breathe and blink. That’s it! I asked the students to watch him and count how many times he moves from the slightest tick to an obvious flinch for 2 minutes. Then later, I added something else. I stood within 3 inches of the person looking at him for 30 seconds. The students noticed that he began to flinch more. The students communicated that he must have been uncomfortable with my closeness. This would be true of probably anyone.

 Here is the metaphor.

The student in his stillness represents the Law. The Law is extremely narrow, specific and clear. The student’s movements represent the breaking of the law. The law is meant to make us more conscious of sin (Romans 3:20). Therefore, his movements, no matter how slight reminds us that he is not a statue. My close presence represents the scrutiny that he is under when he attempts to be completely still. This by itself feels like a lot of pressure. Now remember, if the Law were violated according to the Book of Dueteronomy, there were consequences. Depending on how extreme the offense, death could be the result. Jesus renders the old system of repentance and right standing (salvation) unnecessary and takes it a step further: repentence and salvation can only come through Him.

 Back to the Lesson

Jesus justifies us through his death because justice had to be served (Romans 3:25-26). This should remind us that God is concerned with justice and fairness. The problem is that we have the short end of the stick and don’t always want to admit it. Have you noticed how easily we seek grace when we are the accused? We deserve death because of our connection to the first Adam but we are redeemed through the second Adam (Jesus). Paul was not tossing out the Law for Jews. He was simply saying it is not adequate by itself to bring about true repentence and salvation of heart. The Law can be kept by Jews but it is not the means of salvation. God’s grace redeems us through his Son.

In the game of Monopoly, if you land on the jail square, you cannot move unless you are able to pull a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ Card. This is merely by chance because you just keep picking cards during your turn until you get one. But although this is the title of my lesson, I want you to know that God goes further. He not only gets you out of jail free, he provides a substitute to pay the penalty of our offense (Jesus goes to jail and frees himself) and he initiates a relationship to help you build his Kingdom.

Make no mistake, whatever grace God offers, it is  not CHEAP. Recognize that.

Part 2: Power vs. Authority in a Secular Context

I will begin part 2 with a true story. Not too long ago, I was headed to my 11 year old son’s school near downtown Philly to pick him up early for a dental appointment. I was driving leisurely along when I saw police lights flashing behind me. Immediately my blood pressure went up and I am sure I was starting to sweat. I said to myself defensively, I wasn’t speeding…was I? Did I run a red light? NO! Am I dragging someone under my car? Are my tags expired…again?!!! Are my windows tinted too dark?? (Just joking about the windows). Before I stopped, I was already reaching in the glove compartment for my car papers. (This is a necessary habit when you are Black). I pulled over, breathed a deep breath and looked to my left. They pulled up beside me. There was two black officers staring at me. I forced a grin and asked, “How can I help you?” One officer asked, “Where did you get that fish?” I said mystified, “What fish?” They said, “The fish on the back of your van.” I had to think for 10 seconds. Then I responded, “Oh, the Christ fish eating the Darwin animal?” They said, “Yes.” I fumbled badly and said, “Umm, I don’t know…umm I bought it…wait…it was a gift…a gift! A friend gave it to us. Umm…I could get you one…I mean…you can have mine…well…you could order one.” One responded with a smile, “Relax, you did not do anything wrong.” I immediately relaxed but continued embarrassing myself by saying, “Yeah, I wonder why you…well I did not run a red light so…what am I supposed to think when…umm thank you.” They said, “Have a good day.” They left.

 Who has the power in this story?

 Who has the authority in this story?

 After I picked up my son, I was driving along kind of mystified but slowly growing angry. I started asking myself questions like: What if I had an important meeting and they were making me late? Why would this question be so important that they would put on their flashers to stop me? Do people walking by think I am guilty…because the cops stopped me and I am Black?

There is so much to unpack in this encounter but I will leave that to your imagination. But I will say this: here is a clear case of power and authority (although maybe not used wisely) working in concert to achieve a purpose.

 Earthly Rule

It is clear how God feels about man possessing power without limits. We always seek to replace God but he will ultimately bring low those who try to do this. Earthly power has its place but the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 demonstrates that man will continue to thirst after God’s power for his own selfish ends. The true foundation of earthly power is a top-down structure that places man’s being, identity and purpose at the top. But God’s power and authority are synonymous. God cannot lose power and authority although he can limit Himself like he did by becoming flesh and dwelling among us. When a man dies, his power dies with him but if he has authority, he can have influence beyond the grave. In a case where he has no influence beyond the grave, this usually sets off a power struggle. Sometimes the end result is a leader who goes in a completely different direction compared to his predecessor.  But there is a way where a powerful leader with no authority can enshrine himself in his nation’s identity: create myths surrounding his identity and person. Some built monuments to themselves while others allowed tales to be spun about them. This is an attempt to manufacture authority and is what I call propaganda. Lamech, a descendant of Cain’s violence-prone legacy, said to his wives:

 “…I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” Genesis 4:23b-24

 Sounds like gangsta rap, right? Here is Lamech engaging in mythmaking that is so extreme that Jesus referenced this passage when he talked about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-22.

 When you study history, you will see royal houses that passed power through their families. You will also see manufactured authority. I would guess that their primary focus is on power. God’s righteousness, justice and might are where his power flows from. Man’s power flows from a place that ultimately corrupts him if not kept in check. Fast forward to modern times and oligarchies (power concentrated among an elite group) are the descendants of these dynasties. It is rare in human history to see power and authority shared for the benefit of the masses. I would even say people want powerful rulers because this helps them feel protected and this person is a symbol of their strength. This also helps create the mythologies that will be told for generations. In 1 Samuel 8:4-5, the elders of Israel asked for a king because the other nations have one. Over time, manufactured authority is exposed for what it is: insecurity and egoism.

 The leader of a company, institution and/or organization projects the strength and intelligence that is a symbol of the entity they represent. Much of this is an attempt to duplicate what is perceived as the top down power and authority of God. Well, we know through several instances throughout the Bible, Satan attempts to set himself up in God’s place by convincing God’s creation to turn against him. Herod the Great consolidated his power by murdering his wife, his three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle and all Bethlehem males under 2 years old (Matthew 2:16). What a way to secure the throne of Judea! However, the Trinity is a mystery and shows God in perfect relationship to…Himself. This perfect harmony cannot be duplicated by man yet we come close to it in the institution of marriage. This is why we see God throughout the Old Testament talk about Israel using covenant language and why we see the church referred to as the bride in the New Testament.

 Top down governance can also be seen in the GM/Chrysler bankruptcies. The power stays at the top while the unions ultimately do not have much say in the process. The company has very little authority over the unions. But unions are only as powerful as the company. Once the company loses its power and authority to regulate itself, the unions lose as well. Although unions protect its workers, they can be just as selfish as a company. Some Christians believe unions are not biblical. I have no comment but I will offer this tidbit: Old Testament Israel would not have needed unions because there were laws designed to govern excess and exploitation. Gleaning (leaving left over harvest for the poor and alien: Leviticus 19:9-10) and Jubilee (debt forgiveness held every 50 years: Leviticus 25) are good examples. God made provisions for the poor and made sure no one stayed poor.

 Empowerment at Pentecost

A stark contrast to handling power outside of God’s provisions can be gleaned from Jesus and his disciples. Jesus gave his disciples authority over evil spirits and diseases. Jesus had power and authority while God, the Father validated him through his baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. In turn, Jesus validates his disciples. This validation is a form of identification: Jesus allows his believers to exercise authority so that others will identify that they are connected to him. Although God, the Father identifies with Jesus, both already possess power and authority simultaneously and distinctly. Jesus never appeals to humankind for validation. He tells the Pharisees that if they know him, they know the Father (John 8:19-20). He goes even further by telling his disciples that he will always be with them by promising the Holy Spirit. Now, notice that God is so generous with the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 that although it rests on the Apostles, it affects other Jews and God fearers representing different nationalities and cultures. The authority of the apostles’ position is evident in the explanation Peter gives to the crowd after the experience. This is a harbinger of things to come. Make no mistake: authority does not need to be validated by everyone to be effective. Martin Luther King Jr. was not loved by the FBI or the U.S. Government yet he had gained tremendous power and authority. Throughout the Book of Acts, a multicultural and multiethnic thrust is seen in how easily the Holy Spirit is given to others. Now, compare this to the Sanhedrin’s corrupt decisions and elitist mentality. Their oligarchic tendencies are extremely obvious. While God is conferring power to his people freely, the Sanhedrin hoards it making them a feared and corrupt bunch. Throughout Acts, you see the radical hospitality of those who believe in Jesus as a result of this power and authority.

 God’s Economy

In the world’s economy, the first shall be first and the last shall be last. God specializes in providing power and authority to accomplish our tasks. God will open doors that we cannot open and will bring low those who we cannot touch. One thing that the world misses is the importance of authority. When everything is ruled by power, then you always have to protect your neck. Authority gives others an opportunity to see how we will exercise our power and our definition of it. Remember at the Tower of Babel, they said: “…let us build…so that we can make a name for ourselves…”  Even then, they confused power and authority and it seems many American Christians do the same.

I really believe God gives us power and asks us to exercise it wisely so that others will benefit from it. When compared to power, the world does not care about authority simply because it involves subjecting ourselves to scrutiny from others. Think about: if a company had a choice to be the only provider in a particular industry, wouldn’t they take it? Because they would be the monopoly, make huge profits and have lots of power. In this case, the authority can be manufactured because they are the only entity occupying that industry. There is nothing to compare them to.

 As a Christian, my focus should be on what specifically God has called me to that does not allow me to cross into other areas. This brings up the issues of jurisdiction: the extent or range of administrative power. My spiritual gifts are teaching and discernment. You won’t find me being in charge of hospitality (although it is every Christian’s job to be hospitable). The Philadelphia Police have no jurisdiction in Montgomery County although they can work in concert with law enforcement from those areas. I don’t believe that the world, by itself, will limit itself unless threatened with immediate extinction. Even if it does, there has to be some direct financial benefit to someone. There is a movement underway to create green jobs. I think this is great but because capitalism is king, the main motivation for companies is not the well being of the earth but profits. Many Christians move outside their spiritual gifts and talents (jurisdiction) because many of us don’t know what they are. They help establish us as an authority in a particular area. God validates our authority and others (Christian and non-Christian) may validate it as well. But not knowing your gifts can make you desperate and you can begin to grab at things that belong to others or that you weren’t meant to have. Wealth is a good example. Some expect wealth as a byproduct of working hard and will sacrifice their families for it. But many are also sacrificing their families but playing the lottery instead of working hard.  In the end, both mentalities point to a love of money which is actually more about power. Forms of idolatry begin to show themselves. When God gives you authority, he expects you to exercise it for the benefit of others and within limits. But consider power to be a bonus. Authority without earthly power is how the prophets functioned because they were completely dependent upon God.  Earthly power without authority simply makes you a dictator and a perpetual 2 year old who does not want to share but wants what others have.

 We need to be delivered from seeking power without authority and understand that the last shall be first.

What do you think?

My Friend (who pretended to be) Michael Jackson

I am sure everyone is blogging and crying about Michael Jackson. He will occupy a place in history that even Elvis will envy. Michael sang R&B pop at a time when the planets aligned and blessed him with success beyond measure. I mostly liked Michael in his young adult years. When I was a child in the 1970s, I was not a big fan during his childhood years because his voice annoyed me. It was…well just too high! It was like listening to one of my buddies singing at close range in my ear. Nevertheless, my mother played his songs and I learned each one.

During my pre-teen and teen years, he caught my eye with his signature R&B pop sound dancing circles around the 1980s bands who refused to dance or who looked silly doing it. (See the Safety Dance by Men Without Hats. But I actually like this song!) He forced MTV to pay attention to Black Music. (Now, sometimes I wish they would ignore it.)

But one of my buddies transformed overnight on me. He was one of my road dawgs and had a great sense of humor. I would tell you his name but he could be lurking on facebook! He lived with his grandparents. (I never liked going in his house because his grandmom would make me sing hymns while she played the piano.) Anyway, he was an awkward kid: bigger than he realized, stronger than he realized and faster than he realized. When he bumped into you, you felt it but he was a happy-go-lucky type dude. When we played street football, he would play with his Eagles helmet on in the middle of summer. Shorts, t-shirt…and a giant Eagles helmet. I was always afraid he was going to knock my teeth out with that thing. But he scored touchdowns buecause we were afraid to stop him..

But he went from this scrappy dude to…Michael Jackson! He started getting s-curls, wearing those aviator glasses, beat-it jacket, tube socks, penny loafers, high water pants and a sparkling glove. I did not know what to make of it. I just laughed! He made me film him singing, “She Out of My Life.”

Oh, did I mention he had a slight lisp and was light skinned?

Anyway, I started getting concerned about him because he was out in public looking like this. I guess I was trying to look more like a B-boy (sweatsuits with matching sneakers). He was still my friend but I started seeing eyeliner and he started changing his voice to sound…well…sweeter and shy. During this time, Michael Jackson was playing both sides of the fence with this androgynous thing he had going on. I was not sure whether he liked guys, girls or both. (Prince was a whole other story!!). But Michael’s absurdity increased and more impersonators showed up. Let me remind you that in the 1980s, R&B male artists had a slight feminine vibe about them. The same can be said of the 1980s rock bands with their big hair, tight pants, eyeliner and lipstick. Maybe that is why I moved more toward hip hop music.

But I stopped laughing when I saw one thing: I saw my buddy walk down the street…and girls responded to him. They chased him, walked with him and hung all over him. I could not believe it! He is not even Michael Jackson! He is some light skinned dude with a lisp who has a giant football helmet!

The power of celebrity is strong but the power of association is even stronger. The closest some people will ever get to Elvis is through a Las Vegas impersonator. They seem to be okay with that. Michael mania turned the hood upside down. Hardcore guys started wearing s-curls; some wore his thriller jacket; some mimicked his dance moves. It was not unusual to see a white kid doing the moonwalk on some show like Silver Spoons or Punky Brewster. BTW, many don’t know this but Michael borrowed many of his moves and attitude from 1980s hip-hop: moonwalking, grabbing his crotch, popping and locking. Michael associated himself with a growing cutting edge form of dance and attitude that came out of NYC and was spreading around the country.

Today, I think Michael is loved more in Europe than even the United States. I think we tired of him in the 1990s especially when the child molestation allegations surfaced. The sad part is that for the last 10 years before his death, the media has dogged him out. I admit, I did too…but I’ve been wondering about him since the early 1990s. Once he went totally pop, he lost me. Late night TV shows made jokes about him constantly. (David tried that with Oprah and had his head handed to him. He later apologized. Don’t mess with Oprah!) But since he died, revisionist history has already started. But the tragedy of Michael’s life started when he achieved cult status around the world. He began having unnecessary cosmetic surgeries and he was forced to wear disguises in public places. What kind of life is that? His children inherited this life and it shows when he had some mesh like covering over their faces. I understand he wants to protect their privacy but wouldn’t the best way to do that is for Michael not to always travel with them? No one really even knows who his kids are! You only know because they are with him. I guess he should not have to do that but Michael cultivated this cult mentality around himself and people looking for something to believe in responded. It’s a strange symbiotic relationship. I am saddened by the details that are coming out about him because some of it shows he was living a lie. The irony of this is with so much celebrity power and status, you would think he could simply live the truth. But many mistake the truth for living however you want and having the adoration of millions of fans.

It is this celebrity power and status that my friend was associating himself with as he was seeking to become the King of Pop. My buddy was oblivious to the fact that no one was seeing who he really was. I cannot be too hard on him because many of us did this. But only a brave and strange few would dress themselves up like a celebrity and act like that person all the time. Actually that is not an impersonator, that is a person replacing their identity with an image. An impersonator always gives some kind of hint that he/she is not the original usually through over-the-top impersonations. Others dive so deep into the image that you don’t know where the person starts and the image ends.

My only thought back in the 1980s that kept me from dressing like Michael was, someday, we are going to look back on this and laugh. Whatever I did, I wanted people to still see me. Although I am not laughing about Michael’s death, I still laugh at the absurdity and contradictions of stardom that so many aspire to. I am sure my friend does not dress like Michael Jackson anymore. Then again I have not seen him in probably 15 years. I wonder what he is feeling about Michael’s death? I hope he has moved on. Some people move to another idol and some take the cult to another level once the person dies. Michael changed the face of pop music and culture. But am I the only one who wonders, for his sake, was it really worth it?

10 Absurd Things that Happened in My Life that Raised Questions

If you had asked me when I was nine years old if I would know people from different ethnic groups and nationalities, I would have laughed and gave an emphatic NO! My perceptions of different groups came from TV and conversations overheard by adults. I won’t detail the absurd things I heard growing up in North Philly. Right now, I am preparing for a trip to South Korea through my church. The last time I traveled out of the country, my wife and I cruised to the Bahamas. (I know, that does not count, right?) Before that, I traveled to Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya 15 years ago through my job.

 Each time I travel within the United States and overseas, I always found myself experiencing the absurdities of life. This happens when you least expect it or when you are eager to learn something new. The issues that show themselves can be connected to age, ethnicity, geography, culture, class, etc. Either way, the experiences were sometimes painful and sometimes hilarious but I gained considerable wisdom from them. They were usually uncomfortable but it is these situations and other that continue to inform me how to adapt to new situations, appreciate differences and prepare my kids for this kind of future.

 Here are some of those experiences:

1. In Ethiopia in Desi, a northern town, we were there to visit a church. This was a Muslim and they did not like Christians, native or foreign born. We stayed in a hotel that had a huge gate around it. I wanted to go outside the gate so bad. I just sat there is stared outside the gate watching life happen without me. Some Ethiopian youth started looking at me. I looked at them. They started dancing and acting silly. I started laughing at them. Then, I finally realized that they were doing Michael Jackson moves. They I finally caught on: every time they did a move, they pointed at me. They were making fun of me! I stopped laughing and was considering pulling out my North Philly attitude in the middle of a town where I did not speak the language and let them have it. But I had to wonder, how did they know I was American?
2. When touching down in Uganda, the group I was with had to go through customs. This is where they want to know what is in your suitcases and they occasionally look through them asking questions. I had a bunch of t-shirts I designed to give to our hosts. The customs official saw them and said they looked nice. Out of generosity, I offered him one. He thanked me and waved me through. One of my colleagues asked me later if I knew what I had done. I was oblivious. He said, “You just bribed the customs official.” I said I did not. He said laughing, “After you gave him the shirt, he waved the rest of us through without checking our bags.” I wondered, if I can bribe him with a shirt, what can I bribe a bank president with?
3. While in Kenya, my white hosts told us not to wander around Nairobi at night. Seeing how western the city looked, a few of us did not listen. We figured, as long as we did not talk, we would blend in. (We were all Black.) So we walked around like we were in an American city talking to each other. Some Nairobi police heard us and stopped us. I was immediately intimidated because they were carrying rifles. They started interrogating us. We had heard that the police are corrupt and will often extort from foreigners. Somehow we changed the subject and made them laugh and started walking away. They followed us a couple of blocks and I was prepared to run. Fortunately we lost them. I wondered, don’t they know I am a former track star and I have on my sneakers?
4. When I was living in Delaware, I attended a Martin Luther King Jr. Day/Chinese New Year Celebration. Yep, that is what the pastor called it. I was at an event where I was the only black person among a sea of native born Chinese who were studying at University of Delaware and a few white people. The pastor talked about both events. The whole time I was there I was thinking, is he serious? Why am I even here? Do I have anything in common with these folk? Surprisingly a lot of questions came up about MLK. They had heard about him in their schools in China. There was a young Chinese student who did Chinese calligraphy. I told him I learned about it in college and we had a 40 minute conversation about it. I left wondering, what just happened and who would bring these two events together like that?
5. My wife and I were attending a wedding of her Dominican friend. She grew up in the Dominican Republic and was living in the United States. My wife met her when she attended beauty school. They had a meet-and-greet before the wedding and we were invited. This Dominican woman was about my complexion. Almost every Dominican that walked in saw me and spoke to me in Spanish. I told them I was not Dominican, I am African American. Then they would ask my wife’s friend in Spanish, he isn’t Dominican? She would answer, say something else and then they would laugh. Interesting experience. I wondered, if I can pass as a Dominican, what else can I pass for?
6. I was having a conversation with someone in my church. They had known us for at least 3 years. Somehow we got on the topic of race and ethnicity. I made some kind of reference to my wife about her Amish roots. The person look puzzled. They asked, “She is not African American?” I said no. “Is she Spanish?” I said no. “Is she mixed?” I said no. She has Swiss/German ancestry. During that three years, this person thought my wife was a person of color. This is always funny to me and my wife. She has been getting these questions since she was a teen growing up in North Philly. I wondered, when white people live with Black people, do they begin to look like us?
7. Occasionally, my wife and I will take our 4 kids out to eat at a decent restaurant. Our kids will sit there and color, talk quietly, laugh and be very respectful. They range in age from 3-11. It never fails that someone compliments us on how our kids behave. We are gracious enough to say thank you. This happens enough that I wondered, is this really a true compliment or a compliment with veiled racial implications? 
8. My youngest son has international features, whatever that is. He also is very sociable. He is brown skin with straight down brown hair. He has big eyes and is very friendly. When we see pictures of children from all over the world, we always find at least one kid that looks like him whether the kid is from India, Dominican Republic, Cuba or the Middle East. I wondered, will he is this as an advantage or a liability?
9. I was recently part of the conversation with some neighbors who are of Jamaican descent. They were talking about our block and they began debating something very loudly. They shifted to their native tongue patois (English African creole). Somehow I was able to understand some of it and stayed in the conversation. I was surprised. Don’t ask me how. I wondered, do I sound foolish participating in the conversation using just English?
10. When I was doing ministry in a few Delaware public schools, I would spend time interacting with students in the hallway. I often was dressed in jeans and a nice shirt. On more than one occasion, a teacher grabbed me from the back and told me, “Get to class!!!!!!” I turned around and they apologized profusely. As they always said, “I thought you were one of the students.” I wondered, if I had some grey hair, would this still happen to me?

What do you think?

5 American Myths

One of the worst insults hurled at poor and low income people is the ‘Bootstrap Story.’ This story is meant to expose the laziness of this group and the hardworking ethic of the criticizing group. Although hard work is a virtue, critics seem to altogether ignore the history of institutional racism and sexism and its effects. Let’s do a closer examination of this issue.

 Myth #1

You should be more like the immigrants. They come here, work for peanuts and obtain the American dream.

Response: Immigrants come to the United States with systems of social and economic capital embedded in their culture. They often will connect with their ethnic group that is already established here. This insures that they have access to finances to survive and even start businesses. In fairness, they do work hard. But it is also well known that banks discriminate against historically marginalized groups even though there are laws against this on the books. This is also one reason why the underground economy thrives in disadvantaged communities: the mainstream institutions (financial, political, social) that are supposed to be available to invest in the community…are not interested. The main source of collective black economic wealth is the African American Church (with various denominations) formed because whites would not allow African Americans to worship in their churches as equal persons. (Since then, several denominations have issued apologies repudiating their racist past.)

 Myth #2

My (fill in the blank with an European ethnic group) ancestors came here with nothing and worked hard to make sure we could have a decent life.

Most African Americans are descended from Africans who were stripped of their dignity and culture (that includes embedded systems of social, political and economic capital) and forced to come here. Native Americans were forced off of their land and decimated by smallpox brought by the Europeans. Not only that, many of the Irish, Italians and Polish immigrants were looked down upon by nativists. These European ethnic groups were often viewed as in the same social class as African Americans. But as they became upwardly mobile, many of them decided to assimilate into ‘whiteness’ by, in some cases, changing their names, losing their accents, hiding their culture and adopting the prevailing racism towards people of color. The Immigration Act of 1790 where U.S. citizenship was only given to ‘free white persons’ encouraged this kind of thinking.

 Myth #3

If you work hard, you can achieve your dreams.

Everyone needs someone of means and influence to take the risk to believe that they can accomplish something. This is how we get accepted into college, get our first job, etc. The point is, social capital is mostly at work, not simply hard work. If a father has a friend who is an executive at the local bank, he may make a phone call to ensure his son has an edge in the interview. There is nothing wrong with that. But the bottomline is, even if you have degrees, some respected person has to still put their reputation on the line to vouch for your abilities. If this wasn’t true, then reference and recommendation letters would not be needed. If you work hard, you may achieve some semblance of comfort but it is not a guarantee of achieving your dreams. Although there are exceptions , the middle class can attest to this idea.

 Myth #4

People of color are just lazy.

If this were the case, African Americans would not have been used as slaves. Also this ignores the historic prosperous African American communities (sometimes called the Black Wall Streets) along with inventors and entrepreneurs throughout history. This statement is simply a failure of the imagination and investigation.

 Myth #5

You have special interest organizations (NAACP, Urban League, etc) that are racist that look out for only your interest.

These groups exist because of the failure of American institutions to be impartial and fair toward people of color. Also, people naturally organize simply to protect themselves. You cannot fault historically marginalized groups for doing this. Many white people seem to ignore the fact that they also have and have had groups and organizations of this nature from white citizens councils to ethnic specific groups (example: Polish American Lodge) to fraternal orders. The difference today is that many of their groups are connected to political, law enforcement, business and financial institutions providing them with mainstream credibility. (In fairness, let’s also remember that not every organized group that consists of all one ethnic group  is not necessarily a racist organization).

So who is at fault?

I am going to fault one source: The U.S. Public School System. If the school system would educate American children and youth the way it should about the contributions of other American minority groups, you would not see such ignorance and superstition among the general populace. The reason why I hear it is because I am presently middle class but many do not know I grew up poor. I am here because others, black and white, used their social, economic and political capital to help me. There are some of us that do not have this kind of capital in abundance within our families and communities. It is not that I hide it but you must get to know me to know where I have been. I have heard these myths from middle and upper class folks as thinly disguised and blatant beliefs.

The real truth? Everyone looks for an edge when they are in a crisis or competiton. But some go to the extreme and enhance themselves to give the appearance of a solid work ethic and natural talent, when in fact, privilege and a sense of entitlement may be the main enhancement.

We see this in professional sports with steriods, interviewees padding their resumes, people buying degrees, Hugh Hefner, Enron business leaders, legacy scholarships, secret societies, the lack of minority representation in Philly unions, etc.

This…is real American life.

What do you think?

Do Christians and Reality Shows Mix?

I confess. I don’t like reality shows. Well, I like them a lil bit. Ok, maybe a few of them are okay. OKAY! I like reality shows but not for pure entertainment value. I don’t like watching people get bamboozled and hoodwinked. I don’t like seeing hearts broken (assuming its not an act). I don’t enjoy the arguments. They are just juvenile. But as an observer, I watch a few of these shows to see how far people are willing to compromise their values to win some money. I also observe the tactics of the watchmen: the editors and producers who shoot the show and are in charge of creating the story line…or is it the other way around?

There is one thing I know for sure: people like spectacle. Scripted TV shows and movies aren’t spectacles because they are often predictable. They use the standard Greek format: protagonist/antagonist, tension, conflict, victor (protagonist). I had to write about this stuff in my freshman year in college. But a spectacle gives the appearance of being unscripted when it really is. This is one reason why the word spectacle has been used to describe circus acts and magicians. It’s the look of unpredictability in an environment where everything as to work on cue. (WWE anyone?) If one part of the magic trick is off, the whole thing collapses. If a circus act goes off script, it can destroy the whole experience. This is one reason why in plays, if you forget your lines, you are supposed to continue as if you did not.

In Roman times, people went to the coliseum for some serious entertainment. These were reality shows on steroids. People were thrown to wild beasts left to fend for themselves. Folks were tortured to the yell of the crowd. Gladiators fought to the death. But even though this was REAL, the organizers tried to draw out the drama as much as possible. What fun was it to see someone eaten by a lion immediately? No, they would put many people in the ring with two lions and watch them lose their minds as they tried to escape. This kind of entertainment is what early Christians stood against. It is well known that Augustus Caesar distracted the populace with entertainment at the Coliseum. In this way, they would not focus on the fact that he was draining the treasury and that a large part of the populace was unemployed and provided with rations to survive.

Christians have been popping up as participants on reality shows. I, for one am shocked. Well, okay, not really but I am disappointed. At the core of all, reality shows are about competition. I don’t think it is wrong for Christians to compete. Apostle Paul uses sports metaphors to drive home the point of perserverence and accomplishment. But he never endorses unhealthy competition: deception and backbiting.

^“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:1-2

Even though the above Scripture passage is talking about false teachers in Corinth, Apostle Paul makes it clear what should separate the Christian from the false teacher. Deception cannot be a part of our M.O. Yet, reality shows are written with this as a core part of the story. In this way, they mirror scripted TV dramas and movies. But the difference is, the shows claim to be reality with participants who act like it’s reality. Don’t get me wrong, some on these shows are clearly and deceptively opportunistic. Bob Guiney on season 4 of the Bachelor was clearly more interested in promoting his music than finding a bride. (Maybe he just liked kissing on all those women. Guys like that sort of thing.) But I do believe that some of these men/women are truly looking for love on the Bachelor/Bachelorette shows. Sometimes they are the first ones to be voted off. These shows are reality in one sense only: the participants are being filmed living life in real time in a fishbowl although it is clear some parts are edited in for dramatic effect. But there is another disturbing aspect: the editors and producers can change the flow of the show simply by their editing. The contract they signed allows them to do this.  This means that the participants are tossed in a fishbowl that may occasionally have piranhas. The psychologists who work for the show make sure they choose personalities that clash and cause tension.

So how do Christians end up on shows that encourage deception, dishonesty and reduces your ability to challenge the editors (because you signed the contract)?

1. Some probably go with the altruistic attitude of evangelizing other participants or being an example of a real Christian. I have yet to see one show that did not ridicule its Christian participant and make them look fanatical.
2. Some Christians are simply in it for the money
3. Some Christians are simply in it for the entertainment
4. Some Christians are simply in it for the advancement

There are a few shows that, I believe encourage healthy competition from what I have seen. The only one I can think of right now is The Amazing Race, The Biggest Loser and American Idol (although I dont think you need to be able to sing to be a popstar today).

But Christians cast a long shadow when we participate in arenas that we know are dedicated to sensationalism and voyeurism. Also, we distort the true meaning of love, self control and humility. Why would love be sticking your tongue down the throat of total strangers? When I was growing up, there is a reason why we called this Truth or Dare. Talk to any husband and wife and you will find out that kissing does not solve marital issues (although not kissing your spouse could be a symptoms of something deeper.) You also may find out that being a habitual liar eventually catches up to you. Somebody eventually will expose you. On these shows, all that matters is how you look, not how you act. Control your image and you may be able to control how people see you. Politicians and entertainers understand this thoroughly. There is no Christian virtue that encourages us to seek the spotlight at the expense of others and sacrifice our Christian values in the process.

So I don’t blink when I hear of Christians on reality shows. But we need to stop seeing these people as the only representatives of Christ on this earth. God don’t need the media to validate his Word. Keep this in mind: deception and ulterior motives in the New Testament led to the death Judas, Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), the shaming of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts and the embarrassment of the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19). Having sinful ideas is not the problem. That is human nature. Cultivating these ideas, concealing them to appear virtuous while acting on them is the problem.

Our witness is tainted when we agree to live out our values so that we honor what is vile among men.

What do you think?

2009 Oxford Circle Community Festival