Faith Venture

It was common back then to hear white people say, “Some of my good friends are blacks.” But that wasn’t really true most of the time. You hung out with people like you, and other people were not always seen as, well, people.

My moral foundation was laid by the civil rights movement. When I got older, I took a lot of teasing from people in my very small rural town–oh, did I mention all white, almost all of German descent, almost all Lutheran. The first black people and the first Jewish people I ever met became my friends at the University. I was 17.

I just thought of them as people–not objects or abstract groups. I guess I’m still reflecting on the reactions of my small group when we read the first chapter of Romans where Paul is trying to get people to reflect on their sins and acknowledge that we have all sinned, and therefore we are not deserving of grace. But a few jumped on the first words of the list and never read the rest. The first thing mentioned was homosexuality. They said, “There. See. Paul hates homosexuals, so we are justified in doing likewise.”

Similarly, I see the political process–not only in the United States, but worldwide–degenerating into similar ideas. Treat us like people, say the people. But rulers, even democratically elected ones, tend to just see groups to be controlled or groups to be bought off.

The writer Donald Miller (“Blue Like Jazz”) differentiates between people who espouse propositional Christianity versus people who try to live like Christ. I sympathize with that remark. Even though I’m trained in propositional, or theoretical, thinking, I think Christianity is dealing with one person at a time. Trying to understand them. Encouraging where they need encouragement. Healing where they need healing. Reprimanding when they have lost the path.

But not in theory toward a faceless group. Only in person.

During this morning’s meditation the terms insensitivity, courtesy and justice presented themselves firmly into my consciousness. There is so much in the news and in my reading that centers on this topic. Groups of people seem to be totally insensitive to the dreams, desires and reverence of other groups of people. When I think of American politics, the words insensitive and belligerent constantly come to mind. When I do a small act of common courtesy for someone who just needs a little helping hand, they seem surprised that anyone would help.

Researching for an article on leadership I just wrote, over and over the first response about leadership advice was ethics and good character. Gary Hamel has a new “business book” out, “What Matters Now,” in which the first thing that matters are values. I’m about 1/3 through that book, but it is the most important book on business, leadership and professional development I’ll read this year.

Why must the many people I’m reading and talking with emphasize these issues? Maybe because we just aren’t treating people correctly. Do we segment our values on Sunday morning from our values during the rest of our life? Do we take a belligerent attitude toward others–“I’m going to force you to have good character by writing laws” attitude? That law-writing exercise worked so well before–not.

Paul writes to the Romans that the law was written so that we know right from wrong (even though he says earlier that even people who don’t have the law know what’s right and wrong because it’s written on their heart). What you need is the freedom that comes from accepting God’s grace. If you ever look at the fruits of the Spirit and consider them as a description of personality, you’d notice that they point to a way of life where you are sensitive to others, truly listen with concern, where you help them experience the joy and peace you have. What would happen if all of us who say we are Christian exhibited those traits?

That would be cool. Forget the acrimonious debates and just love one another. And treat everyone with courtesy.

Two major universities who are perhaps know more for football than academics among the general public are suffering through scandals right now. Each quickly (when the news became public) dumped successful football coaches–you know, those guys who bring millions of dollars into the institution.

Of course, I’m talking about Jim Tressel at Ohio State and Joe Paterno at Penn State. Both respected individuals until the scandals became public. Interestingly, it wasn’t what they did (although supervision of those under them was perhaps lacking), but it was what they didn’t do. They didn’t speak up when they saw or heard about wrong-doing. They chose to remain silent. They chose not to blemish their institutions and perhaps themselves publicly.

I imagine it was much the same in the Catholic Church where we’ve learned about many abuses and the fact that those in charge at some level chose to keep quiet.

Sometimes, in interpersonal relationships, it is better to maintain silence rather than hurt someone. But when the cases involve doing wrong, abusive or illegal things, silence is not golden. Jesus did not maintain silence confronting the religious leaders who were not following the path of God.

When another Christ-follower is off the path, we need not maintain silence but should gently correct them. But if the issue is serious, we should also tell authorities such that illegal activities are not condoned.

As we can see from these examples, maintaining silence only works in the short term. News eventually breaks out and then you are seen for what you are.