Advance Conference Keynote
Saturday, August 16, 2008
“Divinity & Diversity…What Now?” Unity In Our Diversity/ Diversity And Beyond”
Allen V. Harris

I. Where Am I?

Divinity & Diversity… What Now? Now that we have explored divinity and diversity in so many different ways, and with such thoughtful friends in such a caring community as Advance Conference, what do we do about it? How do we take what we’ve learned here and make a difference in the world, in our communities, or even, for God’s sake, in our own lives?

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NRSV)
19For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Exercise: “Where Have You Been?”
NOTE: these questions are intended not only to get a snapshot of this camp’s acquaintance with diversity, but SOME are also to give you ideas on how to expand your horizon’s… to dive into diversity in practical ways. It’s all about relationships, and you can’t be in relationship if you’ve never met the person with whom you wish to be in relationship… in their culture! It is also about learning from your own experiences in order to find empathy and solidarity with others.
Note, also: Don’t assume raising a card means anything about the identity of the person. The questions are broad enough that persons may answer for a variety of reasons.

Raise your card if you have ever:
• Been to another country.
• Learned another language fluently.
• Had an illness that lasted a month or more.
• Worshipped in a church with a predominant ethnicity other than your own.
• Has someone in your family adopted a child of another race;
• Dated a person outside your race.
• Watched in the last year a foreign language film completely with English subtitles.
• Had an injury that incapacitated you for more than a week (wheelchair, eye patch, crutch…)
• Read a book by an author of a different race than you?
• Read in the last year a journal or magazine primarily intended for persons of a different race or sexual orientation than your own?
• Been to a cultural institution (ie. theater, museums, community center, etc.) where the audience/customers/actors/ or artists are people of a different race or sexual orientation other than your own.
• Shopped at a store (not counting a restaurant) of an economic class or culture very different from your own.
• Been a volunteer for the Special Olympics or other organization for those with mental or physical challenges.
• Served on a organization’s board with a majority of persons of another religion, race, or nationality other than your own.
• If you are a man, have you ever had full-time responsibilities for taking care of children.
• Been out of work for more than six months – not by your choice nor because of school.
• Worshipped with another denominational or faith tradition.
• Cared for on a regular basis a family member with a significantly limiting mental or physical condition.
• Been to a National Convocation Biennial Assembly, the North American Pacific Asian Disciples Convocation, the Disciples National Hispanic & Bilingual Assembly, or the GLAD Alliance Event.
• If you are a man, have you ever been to a regional or general Christian Women’s Fellowship event.
• If you are a woman, have you ever been to a regional or general Christian Men’s Fellowship event?
• Ridden in a police car as part of a diversity training or community awareness project.
• Attended one of the Disciples’ regional or general Anti-Racism Training Events.
• Lived with another family of a different nationality, race, or economic class.
• Counted as a close friend a person of a race, economic class, or sexual orientation other than your own.
• Have you in the last year had a person of a race different from your own eat in your home (not as a group or organization)?

Notice that none of these are the typical way that we identify how to be diverse, such as: wearing the clothing of a different culture, eating in a restaurant of a different culture, working in a soup kitchen or going to a GLBT Pride Parade, having a diversity class in college, or watching a television show or listening to music from a culture different from your own. Likewise, we should be careful to not count as “multi-cultural” things such as being a tourist in another country when you never move beyond safe and controlled boundaries.

Being “present” means far more than simply token gestures of acceptance of diversity, and more than just appropriating pieces of other cultures. Being “present” means to be in relationship with people different from yourself and realizing that you are not the complete sum of God’s image.

Gordon Cosby, who, along with his wife, Mary, founded the Church of the Saviour community in Washington, DC in the 1940’s. A year ago I sat with him in the midst of thirty other urban pastors to learn about the amazing model of ministry which they had formed in order to share in and transform the lives of the people in desperate poverty in the Adams Morgan section of our nation’s capitol. He began that talk by saying that we may have wasted our time because he had no wisdom to give us. Then he said, “I have nothing to say to you… except, perhaps, be present. Be present with the people with whom you have been called by God to serve. They will tell you what to do.”

I have a friend and colleague in Cleveland, Tim Walters, who is a community organizer. He never plans a meeting unless people who are affected by the issue that may be under discussion are present. If we are talking about utilities, then people who have had their gas or electric service cut off are present. If we are talking about health care, then he has people who have no or minimal health care are present.

If you or your church does an outreach project, then SIT WITH THOSE WHOM YOU ARE SERVING! Never, EVER, allow yourself nor your church to engage in a service to others which has the “volunteers” always separate from those who will benefit from the service. If at all possible, work side-by-side with those whom you serve and, if at all possible, share a meal with them.

Similarly, mission trips and helping projects, whether around the corner or around the world, should always be about building relationships BOTH WAYS, and certainly never about tourism nor reinforcing negative stereotypes of people in need. Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, MN never goes on a Mission Trip without building relationships – before, during, and after – and without being invited. Whether it is to the Sudan or to the Lakota Reservation in South Dakota, the church goes when invited, plans the trip according to the needs of those they will visit, and maintains the relationships long after they have left.

Diversity, What Now? First and foremost, be present. “I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.” And I would add, save myself, also. It’s about power and giving up power, sharing power, in order to do the will of God.


II. Can You Hear Me Now?

Philippians 2:1-8
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.

Fundamental to building strong and healthy diverse, mutli-cultural communities is how we communicate. How we communicate tells how we view power, whether we mean to or not.

Typical ways of communicating in groups, especially in church:
a. Volunteering
b. Going around the circle
c. Commander
Each one assumes a different kind of power dynamic, and many of us have experienced each one of these as lacking in effectiveness.

Exercise: Mutual Invitation ~ Eric F. H. Law (1)

Another way is Mutual Invitation, a process created and perfected by Eric F. H. Law, an Episcopal Priest and writer of a series of excellent books on multiculturalism and diversity in the church.

To begin, let me offer a personal story. One of the finest compliments I’ve ever had in my entire life came from the Day School Director when I was leaving as Pastor the church in New York City where I served when she said, “He really listens to the children!” A very practical suggestion for making diversity real in your life and your church is to always listen to the quietest person as much as you listen to the loudest person.
 

Mutual Invitation Process:
 “I, as the leader, first share without projecting myself as an expert. After I have spoken, I then invite someone to share. I usually do not invite the person next to me because that might set up the precedent of going around in a circle. After the next person has spoken, that person is given the privilege of inviting another to share. The person being invited has the option to “pass” if she does not want to say anything. After a person says, ‘pass,’ he is still given the privilege to invite another to share. This continues until everybody has had a chance to share.” (Law, The Wolf, p. 83)

[It was noted by an Advance Conferee who has been in trainings with Rev. Law, that he has amended this to include the opportunity to pass, with the option of being asked to speak later. In other words, it gives a person who is not quite ready that chance to formulate their thoughts without pressure.]

“In a multicultural group, when someone is silent, how does the rest of the group interpret it?... This is taken care of by the ground rule: say ‘pass’ if you don’t want to say anything. With this ground rule, once an invitation is issued, the person invited to speak is given the time, space, and power to express herself. The person can choose to be in silence first to put her thoughts together to let the whole group know whether she is ready to speak by having the option to pass. In other words, if the person is silent, and he has not said pass, that means the silence is useful and meaningful time for the person and should be respected. Here, there is no need to interpret silence. The group already knows that the silence is meaningful to the person who has the power at the moment.” (Law, The Wolf, p. 85)

Question with which to use the Mutual Invitation process: “The place in my life where I see the fullest and healthiest diversity is…”

“The process of mutual invitation decentralizes the power that is usually held by the designated leader. In this process the facilitator spends some time introducing the process, shares, and then invites the next person. At that point, the facilitator ceases to have power to control because who will speak next is now up to the person to whom he or she has just given the power to speak. This is what giving power away means. It is a practical way of practicing the spirituality of the cross. To many whites who are used to being in control, this process can be very uncomfortable. To some, it is a relieve because anxiety and stress tend to come with having power all the time.” (Law, The Wolf, pp. 83-84)

Mutual invitation gives everyone the experience to exercise power. It also offers the opportunity to use power again and again. The repeated experience of power enables powerless people eventually to claim their share of power with ease and comfort. Sometimes a lamb needs to be told again and again that he or she is not weak but is as strong as the lions and the wolves in the Peaceable Realm. The lamb may not believe it at first, but if the invitation to exercise power is persistently there, the lamb may eventually believe it… Mutual Invitation is by no means perfect.” (Law, The Wolf p. 87)


A fundamental building block to diversity is how we communicate – or don’t communicate – with each other and the power dynamics that are ALWAYS present. We must recommit ourselves to mutual invitation, as well as to the fine (and almost lost art) of vigorous, respectful, discourse. In other words, we must stay at the table, even if we are angry, mad, disinterested, or just plain bored to death. We must rediscover the language of dialogue and discussion.

Diversity… What Now? Move out of the center of things, and listen… listen to the quietest persons as much as you do the loudest. “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself…” It’s about power and giving up power, sharing power, in order to do the will of God.

III. Who’s Missing?

Matthew 9:9-15
9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

The Rev. James Forbes, retired Sr. Pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City, tells a story of his childhood family dining table. Before any food could be served for Sunday Dinner, his father would ask, “Are all the children at the table?” We should be asking at every meal, “Is all the family at the table?” “Are all God’s children at the table?”

We must constantly ask the question every chance you get: “Who is missing at the table?” and then GO OUTSIDE AND FIND THEM – OR – TAKE THE TABLE TO THEM!

Someday, you will serve on a nominating committee or a search committee for someone, in your school, at your work, in your church, in your community, and you will recognize that there is enormous power in the search process. So much energy is given debating the credentials and worthiness of those who are selected. I believe, and obviously the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) leadership understands, that far more important are those who are doing the selecting.

Exercise: Executive Search Model

To read the Executive Search Model in an Adobe (.pdf) format, click HERE

We must recast the definition of quality to include diversity as a necessary and integral element. They are not mutually exclusive concepts, (i.e. diversity drags down quality) but essential qualities of the same goal: doing the right thing. If we have something that we believe is excellent, outstanding, brilliant, but it does not include diversity… THEN IT ISN’T EXCELLENT, OUTSTANDING, AND BRILLIANT. If we have something that we believe is diverse, but is second-rate, of poor quality, and inadequate… THEN WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO! Diversity and excellence should go together!

Divinity & Diversity… Now What? Finally, never forget to ask, to observe who is missing from the table, and go get them… or take the table to them… or go join their table. “Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” It’s about power and giving up power, sharing power, in order to do the will of God.

Conclusion:

→ Where Am I? – Be present
→ Can You Hear Me? – Move yourself out of the center and listen to the quietest as much as you do the loudest.
→ Who’s Missing? – Never forget to observe who’s missing from the table.

Beloved Advance Conference friends and family. from the very first moments of creation in Genesis 1 to the calling of the disciples in Matthew to the City Of God in Revelation 21 God unequivocally desires and commits to creating and sustaining divine diversity. Diversity is an essential part of creation and divinity and as such, is part of our tasks as stewards of creation and seekers of salvation.

Likewise, from the first act of forming the human creature, through your birth and mine and all those who come after us God has chosen to share power. It is, after all, about power and giving up power, sharing power, in order to do the will of God. We give up power because God first gave up power in order to be in relationship with us. And I don’t know about you, I want nothing more passionately and profoundly than to be in relationship with God. Therefore, I must give in order to receive. I must give up a part of myself in order to know, understand, and be a part of other people, who are a part of God that I need in order for me to be whole, in order for GOD to be whole.

Jesus said it best when he reminded us that in order to truly do the will of God, we must not only love God with all that we are, but that we must love our neighbor as surely as we would love ourselves. This is a bald-faced commitment to diversity if I’ve ever heard it.

How do we make it “real?” How do we take all these amazing facets of diversity we have been exploring this week through the incredible gifts of time, energy, talent, and faith of this wild and crazy faculty you’ve pulled together? Love. All we need is love, after all. Love God so much that you have to love your neighbor. Love your neighbor so much that you have to love yourself. Love yourself so much that you have to love God.

Ephesians 2: 19-22
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Amen.




(1) The Wolf Shall Dwell With The Lamb, Eric F. H. Law, (Chalice Press, St. Louis, MO, 1993) pp. 79-88

Order it at: http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=500159
 

Rev. Allen V. Harris
Franklin Circle Christian Church
www.FranklinCircleChurch.org


 

Copyright 2008 -- The Rev. Allen V. Harris

Franklin Circle Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

1688 Fulton Rd., Cleveland, OH 44113-3096