No hate zone--the way church should be

Possibly you read Jacquielynn Floyd's provocative column in The Dallas Morning News on hatred among members of faith communities in Dallas.  In the essay she mentions the recent sermon delivered at St. Rita Catholic Church by Fr. Joshua Whitfield, St. Rita’s Director of Faith Formation and Education. 

The message moved out into the deep and necessary waters of courage and faithfulness.  Fr. Whitfield personifies the role and work of the faithful pastor.  His message is worth reading.  Repentance is not something we talk about much these days. 

Here's how the good Father begins:

2 Advent C (12.6.15)

Luke 3:1-6

 

1



I feel I need to tell this story again. It’s a remarkable story. In the summer of 1966 James

Meredith was shot walking along old Highway 51 near Hernando, Mississippi. He had begun what

he called his “walk against fear,” a risky endeavor, when we was shot by Aubrey James Norvell from

Memphis. Meredith survived, and as he lay recovering in a Memphis hospital, the whole civil rights

movement descended upon Memphis—Dr. King and many others. They were determined to

continue the march into northern Mississippi, and so they set out along that hot asphalt that had

been so dangerous for Meredith just a few days earlier.
 

It was a tumultuous and unharmonious band of civil rights activists however—there was by

that time considerable disagreement about the character and future of the movement, and it was in

the summer of 1966, there in northern Mississippi, that these differences began to boil. On the

march with Dr. King was a young man named Stokely Carmichael, then chair of the Student

Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. But he had seen enough, he had had enough, and it was at a

rally on an elementary school playground that Carmichael introduced as a chant the words, “Black

Power!” He said in his speech that night that “every courthouse in Mississippi should be burnt down

tomorrow.” This bright young man had had enough.
 

King obviously was troubled by this—“Immediately I had reservations,” he said. The next

week King took a detour to lead a small march of Baptists in Philadelphia, Mississippi. There, in

1964 three civil rights workers had been abducted and killed, but no one as had yet been brought

to justice. There, in Philadelphia, King led marchers along the road into town, cars speeding past

the people, inches away. One man drove down the road with a club in his hand, taking swings as he

raced by. At the courthouse, King met the deputy sheriff, Cecil Ray Price (he would be convicted for

those 1964 murders the next year—the movie Mississippi Burning tells the story). “You’re the one
who…had those fellows in jail?” King asked him. “Yes, sir,” he said as he kept King and the other

marchers off the courthouse lawn.

So King turned around and. . . .

Read the entire, amazing sermon here.  The rest of the message takes a most relevant turn to today.

The danger of demagoguery

demagogue--a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices.

demagoguery-- an appeal to people that plays on their emotions and prejudices rather than on their rational side;  a manipulative approach — often associated with dictators and sleazy politicians — that appeals to the worst nature of people; demagoguery isn't based on reason, issues, and doing the right thing; it's based on stirring up fear and hatred to control people; for example, a politician who stirs up a fear of immigrants to distract from other issues is using demagoguery; one of the most negative aspects of politics, but it's also one that's all too common.

Think just here Donald Trump.

Trump is much, much more than a clown.  He is a dangerous man.

His statements on Mexico, on immigrants from Mexico and his harsh, hateful judgmental spirit appears to be working with some voters, as he fans the fire of xenophobia and the worst of our heritage as a nation. 

Possibly the irony of all ironies has to do with the fact that the United States, a nation of immigrants, has always witnessed vociferous, anti-immigrant spokespersons, usually self-appointed, voices like that of Mr. Trump. 

He is short-sighted and inexperienced at best.  I won't speak to the "at worst" here.

Simply put, he is dead wrong.

Try doing Dallas without immigrants from Mexico.  We all benefit from the labor of hard working Mexican immigrants.  We exploit them and their legal status to our benefit.  This ugly truth is why we have not achieved comprehensive immigration reform:  it is not in the self-interest of people like Mr. Trump to pursue a fair, enlightened immigration policy.  So, he makes speeches that appeal to crowds of angry people.

Check his "facts" and you'll find nothing to back up his outlandish statements.

To be honest, he is talking about friends of mine.  I find him most offensive and vulgar.

Young and old, rich and poor, the folks "the Donald" refers to have as much right to be in this nation as any of the rest of us.  In fact, a stronger case can be made that their claim to the rights to be here, (especially in Texas) go all the way back to the Treaty of Hidalgo 1848 and its almost immediate violation by the United States. 

My thoughts today are more in line with Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ):  "Take your seat, sir, and close your mouth." 

You know, it really is about my dear friends. 

Racism and forming children

The broadcast of a recent video of Oklahoma University fraternity students singing racially charged lyrics (including a refrain that speaks of lynching black people and uses the "N" word with clearly casual ease) shocked many people.

Frankly, I wasn't too surprised. I run into such attitudes frequently.

What troubled me most was the light-hearted, nonchalance of those involved.

Where does one learn the "values" of such an insensitive, thoughtless, hateful, racist frame on life?

On the other hand, where does one learn truth, the sort of truth that resists evil when it's encountered.

Here's the horrific video.

Watch it again.

Let it soak in.

As you watch, try to put yourself in the shoes of your African American neighbors.



If you are a parent, use this shameful display of hate to teach your children the truth they will need to be a force of transformation and unity that stands resolutely over against the darkness of this latest example of the spirit of racism that remains alive and thriving in our society.

Over 60 years ago, Ms. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. She stayed on the bus and she didn't get up or off.

Today we face a similar choice as white people.

When we face moments of hatred and racism, we must be brave enough to deal with the bus we may be riding.

In our case the challenge will be to stand up, speak out and get off any bus going into the terrible darkness defined by our nation's past in this country.

Form your children in love, acceptance and celebration of the beauty of all of God's children.

And, by all means, never tolerate expressions of hateful racism.

Hate speech gets us nowhere

The Fort Worth Star Telegram published a story on November 8, 2012 that disturbed me deeply.  As a matter of fact, it just takes the cake! Under the headline, "Hardin GOP official: 'Maggots' elected Obama,"  Bud Kennedy reported the amazingly hateful comments of Hardin County Republican treasurer Peter Morrison.

Here's just a snippet of Kennedy's story:

Texas Republicans are already using the s-word.

One party official from Southeast Texas calls for -- not secession -- separation.

"Why should Vermont and Texas live under the same government?" writes Hardin County Republican treasurer Peter Morrison, a Ron Paul supporter and author of a race-heavy Tea Party newsletter.

"Let each go her own way," he writes, demanding an "amicable divorce" from the U.S. and from the "maggots" who re-elected President Obama.

"Maggots who re-elected President Obama"?

Seriously?  

Let me just say this sort of conversation destroys community, offends millions and has no place in a serious discussion about how to make the nation work.  Furthermore, this language hurts so many of my friends, people I love and respect.  How dare anyone speak of a fellow American in such a course, demeaning manner.  

Mr. Morrison, who do you think you are, sir?  

Enough

I'm really liking what Todd Bouldin writes in a recent blog entry.

Here's a taste of how he begins:

Over the past two days, I’ve seen numerous Tweets and Facebook messages vilifying Pat Robertson for his comments about the disaster in Haiti that he alleged was the result of a pact Haiti made with the devil. Of course, Pat also must have made some deal with the devil to even espouse such comments in the wake of enormous human suffering. These posts were right to point out his evil ways, but is anyone really paying attention to Pat Robertson anyway? Some of my more progressive Christian friends were outraged, but in all fairness, I hope they understand that most evangelicals are not even listening to Pat anymore. Katrina put the nail in his coffin when he blamed the hurricane on voodoo, homosexuals and feminists.

Pat Robertson is not the problem. Rush Limbaugh is.

To read on click here.