Amicus Dei

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?  Well, it’s back and reimagined just in time for the 21st century.  Thanks to Kevin Kelly for the link to the slow movement. Slow is the new fast — as in slow food, slow travel, slow cities, slow schools, slow books, slow living, and slow everything else.  But before you quickly shout, "I don’t have time for slow" — here’s the bottom line:

Slow is about connecting again to people, places, food, and life.  The trend is to simplify your life, focusing on real (hence, slow) experiences.

Here’s help for navigating the world of slow:

• downshifting — "Downshifters are people who adopt long-term voluntary simplicity in their life. They accept less money through fewer hours worked in order to have time for the important things in life."
• connection — "We are searching for connection. We want connection to people – ourselves, our family, ourcommunity, our friends, – to food, to place (where we live), and to life. We want connection to all that it means to live – we want to live a connected life."
• natural rhythms — Slow living means finding the natural rhythms of our lives based on nature’s rhythms.  In other times and cultures, these natural rhythms were celebrated by the community, and slow living seeks to reconnect with the rhythm of life.
• the manual — There’s even a book, In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore, which is the bible of the slow movement.

Which brings me to church.  Church, that classically slowest-of-slow institutions has finally caught up to the world of fast, only to find that people really want slow.  Slow meaning real, face-to-face, high quality, made-by-us, where-everybody-knows-your-name kind of thing.   

Here’s the slow making manifesto, an example of how craftspersons and artisans might become slow:

1.To strive for appropriate excellence in the making process

2. To make objects that enhance the life of the user

3. To know the origins of our materials, ensuring that they respect country; the communities who produced or harvested them and are from sustainable sources

4. To make objects that will last, can be easily repaired when necessary and are made using materials and processes that do not harm the makers, the community or the environment

5. To deal with our co-workers, clients, suppliers and sellers in an ethical and fair manner

6. To foster, utilise and pass on skills that enhance the making process

7. To enjoy and relish the way of slow making

This might be a good approach for a church to adopt.  Especially Number 7: To enjoy and relish the way of slow making.  – Amicus Dei

Item 1:  Fox News reports that a church in Austin, Texas withdrew as host to a community Thanksgiving service because non-Christians would be participating.  The church said, according to Fox –

"The event was cancelled when Hyde Park Baptist Church became aware via a postcard on Monday afternoon, November 12th, that the event was not a Christian oriented event," the statement said. "The postcard promised space for Muslim Maghrib prayer and revealed that the event was co-hosted by the Central Texas Muslimaat, the Forum of Muslims for Unity, and the Institute of Interfaith Dialog … The church cannot provide space for the practice of these non-Christian religions on church property." — Fox News report

Interestingly, the church touts its International Ministry on its website. 

Item 2:  The Evangelical Theological Society is considering a rewrite of its doctrinal statement after the embarassing reversion of its former president, Francis Beckwith, to the faith of his childhood, Roman Catholicism.  ABP reported the story this way –

…two of the society’s members have put forth a proposal to tighten the document into a more specifically evangelical declaration of theology — something a Catholic, say, couldn’t sign in good conscience. But other society members worry it may signal the beginning of an inquisition at an already-turbulent period in the society’s life. — ABP, Hannah Elliott

Item 3:  TED Talks just announced its new winners for this year.  A scientist, Neil Turok, who thinks that the Big Bang was a violent event in an already existing universe; Dave Eggers who, among many other things, teaches children to write; and Karen Armstrong, author of 20 books including A History of God.  Smart people, all three, with great implications for the future of church.

So, what is my point here?  While lots of evangelicals are circling the wagons, popular culture (TED.com) is celebrating people who are exploring creation, art, and faith in ways that bring respect and openness to the conversation.  What are we afraid of?  If we are afraid that someone, somewhere will discover something that calls our faith into question, maybe our faith is misplaced.  Fear is not the stuff of faith. 

After 9/11, NYFD firefighters were hailed as those who ran toward the World Trade Center while others were running away.  Christians, it seems to me, must run toward God’s diverse world in love, not away from it in fear.  – Amicus Dei 

On October 25, we turned off our TV, unplugged the big, black box, and stashed it upstairs behind a sofa.  We kept our cable service and a small 13-incher in the kitchen to ease the pain of media withdrawal.   Almost a month later, we are disconnecting from master control at the cable company and will go completely TV-less today.  Here’s what we have discovered:

1. Real news is scarce.  Not that much really happens in the world.  We have kept up nicely with world events, and even local news.  Most "news" consists of newspeople talking about the news that might happen, could happen, has happened, or will happen.  We have not missed the talking heads. 
2. We have accomplished more.  More writing, more reading, more puttering around the house, more visits to people in the community, more praying, more talking to each other about our life and not about which house the people on HGTV are going to buy. 
3. I am calmer.  Debbie is always calm, but I fidget, click channels incessantly, and get angry at the sorry state the world is in.   I noticed that I am less all of those things.
4. We’re saving energy and money.  TV sets are one of those always-on appliances.  Unplugging ours will save us some money in electrical use, reduce our carbon footprint, and make us feel better.  Plus, we won’t be paying the cable company $57 a month — which is $684 per year.  Real money.
5. We are more involved in our own lives.  I no longer feel like a spectator of my own life.  No more vegging-out in front of the TV.  If I veg now, I have to read, think, sit, or work.  This lifestyle is closer to the work-pray rhythm of monastic life, and I like that.

This may not be for everyone, but we’re doing it for now.  Plus, this is also the future.  NBC just bought Quarterlife, a MySpace program that NBC will air.   Now all content is on the ‘net, on our terms, in the time of our choosing, and totally in our control.  Pretty cool.  – Amicus Dei

Twelve of us sat around two folding tables pushed side-by-side to make an almost square dining table.  Our box suppers had been cleared, and conversations had organized themselves around the corners of the table.   We were equally divided — six musicians, six music lovers — waiting for the concert which would take place a little later.

Debbie and I drifted into a conversation with one of the musicians who was married to another.  Terri — not her name, but you’ll understand if I hold that back — began to tell a story. 

"David was playing with a string quartet in Philadelphia," she began.  "A man who had arrived very early for the concert was helping the musicians stow their instrument cases, and he began to talk to David."

"What will you play tonight?"  he asked.

"Vivaldi," David replied.

"Wonderful!" the helpful man said. "And how long will you be here in Philadelphia?"

"A couple of nights and then we’re off to New York for a concert date there," David offered.

"Wonderful.  Where are you from?" the man asked David.  [David has a distinct Eastern European accent.]

"Virginia," David replied.

"Wonderful," the man chuckled.  "But no, really, where are you from originally."

"I was born in Poland, but my family moved to Israel after the war."

Silence. 

"What?  That’s not wonderful?" David kidded.

"No.  It’s just that I hate Jews," the helpful man said and walked away. 

After the concert, the man was back with nothing but praise for the performance.  He walked over to David. 

"Listen, that thing I said earlier — nothing personal." 

About that time, David returned to the table and heard Terri telling the end of the story.   David then told us another story.  A story of other Jewish musicians and a resort advertised all over Europe in the 1930s.  "If you are an artist, a writer or a musician" the ads read, "come to Terezin and spend the war in safety and security." 

You probably have never heard of Terezin.  A small hamlet near Prague set aside by the Nazis for Jews who were artists, musicians, and writers.  A place, they said, where Jews could spend the war in safety.  A resort for artists.  For children.  For Jews. 

When the war was over 97,297 Jews from Terezin were dead.  Fifteen thousand of them were children.  Now each year around the world, musicians and artists again fill the air with the music of Terezin.  A festival where the songs of the children are heard again.  A gathering where the memories of dead Jews who were musicians and artists and writers are honored again.  Because they died from being Jewish.  It was the Holocaust.  Nothing personal.  – Amicus Dei

Forget everything you know about church.  Specifically that you plant a church, gather a crowd, buy property, build buildings, and plan to stay in business until Jesus comes — or in the case of those whose theology does not include the rapture — longer. 

Enter some reallly innovative retailers who forgot everything they knew about the concept of store.  Everything, as in store always means a permanent building, and a plan to stay in business until Jesus comes so they can sell the T-shirts. 

According to PSFK, trend consultants, stores are now being dropped into New York City in shipping containers.  These pop-up stores are the brainchild of Uniqlo, a very hip retailer, who will drop these shipping container stores into the very trendy NYC… 

"…according to Women’s Wear Daily. As a precursor to the October opening of Uniqlo’s 36,000-sq.-ft. flagship in SoHo, the container stores will operate every weekend until the flagship opens."

Kind of like those banks that have the cheesy trailer location until the real bank is built.  But only cooler.  But wait, there’s more!  illy, the Italian coffee people, created a pop-up store in a park.  The sides drop down to reveal a very nice little coffee bistro kind of thing.  I wish we had one here in Chatham. 

And finally, Comme de Garcons opens guerilla stores…

"Each shop stays open for one year only, and advertising is limited to posters and word-of-mouth. The locations for these CDG hit-and-runs are always in gentrified neighborhoods – the new Williamsburgs or Hoxtons of the world’s emerging cities."

All of this is very much like my post on Opawa Baptist Church in New Zealand where Steve Taylor, author of The Out of Bounds Church, is the pastor.  Opawa and their arts partners dropped shipping containers of Christmas art around their community for a new expression of the Christmas story.  Steve Taylor’s article, When Art Comes To Town:  Reflection on Art As Public Mission is a great resource for reimaging the impact a church can have.    Church doesn’t have to be permanent, or even built.  Any thoughts on other ways to do guerilla church?  – Amicus Dei

I was asked to offer the prayer to open the February, 2005 session of court in Pittsylvania County, Virginia where I live.  I wanted to bring peace to all who entered the historic courtroom that day.  This is the prayer I wrote and prayed.

Our Father,

We come here today, to this hall of justice and judgment,

Seeking your guidance,

asking for your wisdom,

desiring your mercy,

so that we may act wisely and show mercy in all we do.

■

For many who walk through these halls,

This world has become a place of broken dreams,

Where hope has fled and friends are few.

■

Lord, be the gatherer of our dreams.

You who set the stars in place,

And found room for each of them to shine.

Listen to us –

Open our mouths to tell your tales of wonder,

And let us listen with compassion to those who come here.

■

Lord, we hold before you today:

Those whose calling is the law.

Give them wisdom,

Let them be the voice for those who have no voice,

The friend who stands beside them,

Telling their story and pleading their cause. 

■

Lord, we hold before you today:

Those who have difficult decisions to make.

Who weigh in the balance evidence and passion,

And who need your help to do that which is right.

Give them discernment to see and to hear,

And to understand. 

Temper their judgments with mercy,

And their hearts with your love.

■

Lord, we hold before you today:

Those who have failed and fallen.

Those who will stand before this bench,

Undeserving and uncertain.

Give them hope, restore their dreams,

Right their wrongs.

■

Lord, we hold before you today:

Those whose dreams have been stolen by the acts of others,

And we pray that they may see your justice

And that they may know your healing.

■

Lord, we hold before you today:

This nation and our community –

Founded on faith and guarded by law.

Remind us that liberty is your gift to all people,

Make us quick to protect it and slow to take it away.

■

Lord, bless this court,

Its judges and its officers,

Those who come before it seeking justice,

As well as those who seek its mercy.

And from this place,

May justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.  – Amicus Dei

You’ve heard of "blood diamonds" now add bananas to the list. USA Today reports that Chiquita Banana entered a guilty plea in Federal Court to paying right-wing paramilitary organizations in Columbia, organizations that our government has labeled as terrorists.  Chiquita’s fine:  $25-million dollars.  Chiquita’s profit from Columbia bananas:  $49-million.  You do the math.  Cheaper to pay the right-wing paramilitaries and the fine.  How’s $24-million for "blood bananas?" 

See Chiquita’s press release regarding their plea and sentencing here. 

USA Today quotes a former paramilitary leader as saying that every US multi-national banana company — Chiquita, Dole, and Del Monte — paid bribes to right-wing terrorist death squads for protection of the banana companies interests: 

Former AUC leader Salvatore Mancuso in May told the newspaper El Tiempo in Bogota that all banana producers had paid for protection, including Dole and Del Monte. Mancuso, who was jailed after turning himself in as part of an ongoing government-backed demobilization, said his group received 1 cent for every dollar of bananas exported. "All of the banana companies paid us. Every one of them," Mancuso told the newspaper.  — USA Today

God’s Politics summarizes the implications of the actions by Chiquita, as follows: 

• $1.7 million – amount Chiquita paid the Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC), a right-wing paramilitary organziation responsible for the majority of human rights abuses in Colombia’s armed conflict.
• $25 million – amount Chiquita was fined after pleading guilty of paying money to a terrorist organization.
• $49.4 million - profits reaped by Chiquita from its Colombian operations between Sept. 10, 2001, when the AUC was designated a terrorist group, and January 2004, when its payments stopped. That’s a number to keep in mind when Chiquita protests that it was merely trying to protect its workers.
• 173 – Colombians allegedly murdered and in some cases tortured by right-wing militias that received payments from Chiquita, whose families are now suing the company.
• 4,000 - number of people killed in the Uraba banana-growing region during the period when Chiquita admits to paying the AUC.
• 1989 until 1997 – years during which Chiquita paid left-wing guerillas before the region in which they operated was taken over by the AUC.

This is the suicide machine that Brian McLaren writes about in his new book, Everything Must Change.  This is what Paul said that the church as a contrast society struggles against

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.   – Ephesians 6:12

"But, it’s just bananas," they say.  Tell that to the 173 families of those tortured and murdered by the right-wing militias financed by Chiquita.   Blood and bananas — not an appetizing combination.  We’re looking for other brands at our house.  – Amicus Dei