29 March 2009

Spread power, Give voice , Include

"Re-producing" from Kathy Escobar once again :)

the “power people” were nowhere to be found. i believe this is a huge call to all of us who have some form of power, whether that be as a leader, a benefit of white privilege, because of money or education or a variety of other things that give us leadership & value & voice that some of our friends don’t have. will we use our power on behalf of those who have none? i believe the world, the church, would be a vastly different place if those in power didn’t separate from those without it.

“when we are silent we stand on the side of the oppressor.” strong statement. i know that it is often no one’s direct intention, but i believe that silence is not neutral. ..their silence means that they are agreeing with an oppressive system. when we allow our brothers & sisters to live in substandard housing, be stripped of their dignity and constantly silenced and pushed down because they are victims of race, class, gender and a variety of other discriminations and obstacles against them, standing by and observing their plight instead of doing anything about it means we are actually agreeing with the system that oppresses them. that’s one worth thinking about.

but i do believe that a wild and crazy intentional movement of a spirit of generosity sparked by God’s call to love can (change the world).

as Christ followers i believe we are not supposed to keep a cool, professional, sanitized distance from pain. as God’s heart breaks for his people, ours does, too.

“the kingdom of God isn’t just going to drop out of the sky .” we are Jesus’ hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth. but to love our neighbor tangibly because he deeply loves them; his actual physical hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth are no longer here, but ours (Jesus incarnate in us) are. a spiritual thought does not bring the kingdom of God to earth, but a spiritual action does.

the sum total of lots and lots of hands and feet and hearts and eyes and ears and mouths can change the world.

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