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"I don’t want to talk about how Christianity is changing, and who is happy about it and who is not. I want to sing about how wonderful he is, how grace is the most beautiful thing, how following him is what life is all about."
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Merry Christmas
A Postcolonial Advent Meditation
The Jews of Jesus’ day were waiting for the coming Messiah. Like the Jews of Jesus’ day we are waiting as well. We are also remembering the coming of baby Jesus and the anticipation surrounding his advent. Along with waiting we are asking for both a personal and communal advent. During this season we are longing to be renewed and reminded of the old, old Story. We ask God to trouble the stagnant waters of our souls.
Re-posted from Musings of a Postmodern Negro
As we meditate on this story we may hear a call to participate in this Story:
And Mary said:
”My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”
Mary gives expression to a hope shared by many Jews of her day: a deliverer will come to defeat and plunder the powerful while simultaneously lifting up the poor, the humble, and the tortured victims of Empire. In my experience such a reading is not commonplace in our North American Churches. Usually the advent is rehearsed as a celebration of the mechanical fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. There will be many sentimental performances of the Nativity scene throughout the country this week. There will be readings from the prophet Isaiah and the Gospels pointing out how Jesus ‘fulfilled’ prophecy. There will be little mention of the very real historical situation of Mary and Joseph’s world. A world ruled by the Roman Empire. A world where 5% of the inhabitants owned 95% of the land and resources leaving the scraps to the other 95%. Where the Romans reigned victoriously over its colonies. The news of victory called the gospel.
Are we being called to participate in the story laid out by Mary?
In our meditation maybe we will remember that Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were numbered among that 95%. That these were folks who lived in the forgotten places of Empire. In a word, baby Jesus was born in what would be a historical parallel to the ghetto. It would take a book to lay out the development of ghetto life in connection to North America’s imperial reality. The story of Jesus’ birth tells us that Mary gave birth to him in a manger. A manger was the last place a person would want to have a baby. It would have been extremely unsanitary for a new born child. We have heard this all before. We get it. Jesus was born of low estate. What of today? What are the parallels today? If Jesus were to be born in our time and place locus imperiium where would he be?
He would have been born in the cut.
What is the cut you may ask? The cut is a space between houses in the projects (i.e. the ghetto). It is a space where all kinds of inhumane illegal activities take place. It is also a space where the homeless sleep. A landscape of broken crack pipes, heroine needles, nihilism, despair, and many other domestic symptoms of Empire. It is a space in the urban imagination, at least mine, where you are reminded that this is a forgotten place. A place at the bottom. But even in the midst of the bottom and despair resides hope and community. It is not completely overtaken by nihilism and the many other leftovers of Empire.
I believe Jesus would have been born in the cut. The Word of God, God Incarnate, King of Kings, Lord of lords, Emmanuel would have been born in a space we drive by everyday in our gentrifying communities. Those spaces we either know nothing about or care little for.
Is this where your imagination takes you when you celebrate Advent? If not, then I am afraid your imagination has been disciplined more by the story of Empire than that of the Advent. It is truly a subversive thought: the salvation of the world came from the cut!
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The Bible does have a few things to say about it:
1 Timothy 2:1-6, 8
1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing..
1 Peter 2:15-17
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of the foolish. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love your fellow believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Romans 13:1-7
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
In some ways, it's really simple. Keep being the church. Continue living out our missional call as the people of God. Worship God, preach the gospel, feed the hungry, provide for the widows and orphans, protect the weak, love one another. Same as yesterday, really. Let's get right back to it.
(picture above by Patrick Moberg)
(blog from ben's blog)
Some great new friends of ours just arrived home from Uganda with their son Perez. For a brief photo history, click here.
Jonathan Brink just came back from The Great Emergence National Event took place last week, December 5-6, in Memphis, Tennessee. While there he posted daily updates from the event, and followed-up with a intriguing recap post entitled "Children of Divorce," which is definitely worth reading!
A few years back, Emily Sagor’s extended family got bored with the practice of drawing names from a hat and giving a token gift to that aunt or this cousin. “It was somewhat unfulfilling because you would ask what they wanted, then buy that thing,” says Emily.
The new ritual is much more popular. In September or October, nominations are collected for charities about which family members care deeply. Each person who nominates a charity explains what it does. Then the family votes and the winning charity is announced. Checks flow to Emily’s aunt, who writes one big check to the organization in the name of the whole family.
Emily says the “winning” charities have included a hospice that sent a volunteer “to help my grandmother’s last few months of life.” This new holiday gift-giving strategy has produced some unexpected rewards: “Each year, we end up not only learning about organizations that are worth our attention, but we also learn more about each other and what matters to each of us,” explains Emily.
Cox, M. (2008). New Strategy for Charitable Gifts. Whose Birthday is it, Anyway? Ideas for a Christ-Centered Holiday 2008, 25.