Can a White Person be a Victim of Racism?

Image from: http://www.sbc.net/media/

At the recent Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting, a white man (presumably an SBC pastor) got up to the microphone and said that he had experienced racism personally in his life. He might have even said he had been a "victim of racism" (unfortunately I don't recall his exact words) * (see note at the end).

What brought him to this conclusion?

He told the story of how one time he attempted to worship at an African-American church. He was discouraged from attending by a couple of people there and even asked to leave. One person told him he would be better off worshiping "with his own kind."

On the Importance of Avoiding False Equivalencies

Words are important. This white man may very well have experienced discrimination. He may very well have been the target of bigotry. Or maybe there was another explanation (see below). But one thing is clear: He was not in any way a victim of racism.

Racism is discrimination with systemic, social power behind it. Racism is more than just one individual rejecting another based on superficial criteria. The power of a congregation to discourage a visitor from attending a single church service is not sufficient to merit the term "racism." Racism is the social, political and legal structures that keep one group of people in a second-class position as another. Racism may certainly be expressed by individual incidents like the one above, but it also requires a larger framework.

I totally understand that this man may have been hurt. He may have felt rejected. He thought he was attending in good will, but instead of a wonderful experience of unity he found himself on the outside looking in. But to call this "racism" is to create a false equivalency. One person's one time experience of rejection is not equal to a population of people who live with both historical and ongoing trauma, oppression and marginalization every day of their lives.

Further, calling them "racists" if they don't enthusiastically open their doors to your one-time, unexpected visit is to not take seriously the trauma this group may be acting out of. He needs to work harder than that.

Whether it's intentional or not, claiming that "there is racism on both sides" comes across as an attempt to downplay the experiences of the African American community. As such, it is actually considered a an expression of racism itself. There may certainly be negative experiences felt by both African and Caucasian Americans by the other, but the situation of race in America is anything but equal. Taking one isolated, small incident and acting as it if levels the experiences of both groups is not fair and it is easy to wonder if this SBC man was really acting in good faith.

Maybe it wasn't even discrimination at all

There is another another reason why this man may have been rejected from this church besides racial discrimination.  Both historically and in the present day, life for African Americans has been much more difficult than for white Americans on average. African Americans have found that whenever they have been happy or successful, or whenever they have expressed themselves, talked energetically or laughed loudly, that white people would inevitably do something to sabotage that. They were accused of being too "uppity" and put down harshly. Their leadership was thwarted. When they complain, they are gaslighted and accused of playing the victim, which only exacerbates the trauma. This is the brutal reality of life as second-class citizens.  Many African Americans have had to pretend they were less successful, less happy and less educated than they were for fear of precisely this.

Look at the burning of the black wall street in the Tulsa riot and the murder of hundreds of black people by an angry white mob. America has a long history of brutal lynchings and white supremacist groups which operate as a system of domestic terrorism designed to keep one group of people "in their place"--that means not equal.

In the midst of all that, the black church has been a refuge. It has been a safe haven for black people to more fully express themselves without fear (although given all the church burnings and bombings through the years, this has obviously made the black church a target for white racist terrorists). In milder times, the black church has been a place to simply be yourself. It is a place where others can sympathize with and understand you.

Is it any wonder then that when a white man shows up unexpectedly at an African American congregation that perhaps the congregation might feel invaded?

Emanuel A.ME. Church in Charleston, SC, opened their doors and allowed the young, white Dylan Roof to attend their Bible study on June 17, 2015.  The consequences were that he shot and killed 9 of their members. In light of this, is it even remotely fair for a white man to claim he is a victim when he shows up unexpectedly at a black congregation and finds himself discouraged?

The work of healing racial wounds is going to take a lot more than a random Sunday visit, however well-intentioned it may be. And if you are angry that African Americans don't let you into their space, ask yourself:  Where is this anger coming from? Do you feel entitled to be in their space?  Does it bother you that they have power and are using it? Historically, white people maintained numerous "white only" spaces but back people were often putting themselves at great risk to ever dare say "no" to a white person. Could this anger be an expression of this racism? Look deep within yourself to answer that question. There are many layers of racism buried within each of us, hidden even from ourselves, but the fact that they are hidden does not take away their sting nor their seriousness.

I know this is hard for many white people to hear, because white groups are being asked to open up and become more racially diverse and integrated.  Why is it good for one group and not the other?  The answer is simple:  Experiences in both groups are not the same.  White people do not have anything close to the multi-generational trauma and ongoing systemic racism that African Americans live with every day. There is nothing in theory "wrong" with spaces for white people to be with other white people. However, those opportunities present themselves almost every day for white people. As a white man, I could easily live my life without any contact with other races if I chose to. There is plenty of "white only" time if I actually wanted that. Furthermore, white people have consolidated power and privilege in those white circles, so there is not only value but actually a need to open that up to dividing up power and privilege as well as for education purposes.

Not every black congregation will respond this way, of course. Personally, I have been welcomed to worship services at black churches--although I usually go after receiving an invitation or at least getting to know one of the members and asking first. Some were quite happy I was there. Perhaps some were simply being polite. I should also point out I've been to some very secluded rural white churches where I didn't exactly feel cozy and welcomed, either. They may not have been mean, but perhaps they just weren't used to having visitors. And that's the point here:  Maybe instead of rushing to judgment we can take a deep breath and consider that maybe the story is much bigger than we realize and that the work of unity may take that--a lot more work than just showing up unexpectedly one Sunday and expecting a hero's welcome. Maybe that Southern Baptist man could take time to get to know individual members of this African American congregation and enter into a dialogue where trust can be built so that one day he might very well be welcomed to the church that once asked him to leave.

* NOTE: It is important to point out that this one white man's comments do not represent the SBC as a whole. I just thought his comments were a good case study, because what he said is similar to what I hear elsewhere. I find a wide range of racial perspectives within the SBC. The SBC leadership overall is continuing to work hard to make racial progress.

Why I Need the Religious Right

I would like to think I am difficult to categorize.

I hold some conservative views that would surprise my liberal friends. I have other views that would make not just conservatives but even liberals uneasy. I am probably more traditional than conservative and more radical than liberal. I am strongly Catholic but in a way that forever needs explanation--everyday Catholicism is filled with beauty, but the blasé cultural stereotype falls so far short.

 

Since the internet is not in any dire need of more self-indulgence, why am I taking the time to write all this on a blog about Christian unity?

The reason is this: There are a lot of words and phrases you could use to describe me. Each of those words needs context and qualification before they feel right, but there are many hats that fit and many others I can fit into by degree. However, out of all the categories that I can be associated with, out of all the labels that folks might think apply to me, at least in part, the designation “religious right” is almost certainly not one of them.

That is exactly why I need them.

***

The Southern Baptist Convention.

Some would say this is Ground Zero of the Religious Right. A key partisan figure in our society. A hotbed of intolerance. Some would say they manifest everything that is wrong in America. And they have horns and smoke comes out of their noses, too.

Others would call them the daring voices standing up for what is good and traditional. They manifest the soul of small town America. They dig their heels in and resist with all their might the culture's downward slide. Some might say they represent everything that is right in America.

Another way of saying this is: Welcome to the Culture Wars.

***

I would like to think I can find common ground with just about anybody. I enjoy the company of folks all over the religious and political spectrum. I do not just tolerate but enjoy diversity. I love a vigorous debate of opposing, well-formed, sincere views. I soak up just about all forms of diversity, with one notable exception: The intolerance I find within religious or political fundamentalism.

I wonder about the limits of tolerance--is it okay to be intolerant of intolerance?

Or is that just another form of intolerance itself?

***

Throughout my life I have found myself regularly associating with the religious right.

I keep asking—Why me? Why this? Out of all the groups to be in dialogue with, why have I found myself so consistently face-to-face with them? Is this the Holy Spirit jerking my chain or karma playing games with me?

I would absolutely enjoy sharing company with Buddhist monks or Hindu priests. I have a lot in common with many mainline Protestants. But almost as if it's right on the schedule of some cosmic clockwork, I find myself face-to-face with the religious right--whether it be in friendships, work or joint projects.

Don't get me wrong--I have a lot of good things to say about the Southern Baptists in general and the religious right as a whole. Some have become my friends. I have worked together with them in many circumstances. It is not that they are unfamiliar, it is just that--as a whole--they are difficult. For me.

It may be strange to hear that a person who works full-time in reconciliation between Catholic and Evangelical Christians is someone who is not comfortable with a significant part of that role.

But that is exactly the reason--I believe that is why they are in my life: I need the religious right because they are difficult for me.

***

The work of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue has many facets. It is academic; it is social. It takes places at conferences and in meeting rooms with long tables. It happens in the trenches of community service and neighborhood Bible studies. Representatives meet each other everywhere from the pages of peer-reviewed journals to long discussions over a favorite beverage. They share thoughts, they confront differences and they bring messages back to their respective communities.

However, the work does not truly begin--not really--until the moment you find yourself uncomfortable.

***

I have been an activist for much of my life. The bulk of my work has been trying to persuade people—trying to stir up action, trying to convince people, trying to organize people for the sake of the Gospel.  

Trying, trying, trying . . . to do what, exactly? To change hearts and minds, I would say--to help us imagine the Kingdom and work towards that Kingdom on earth, through God's grace.

I fancy myself like that man in Plato's cave who got a glimpse of something important who is desperately trying to turn the heads of everyone else to see. How to form conscience, open eyes, organize for positive change, preach the Kingdom of God--these are the matters I have brooded over for years.

In doing ecumenical and interfaith work, I have to suspend a lot of that. Or at least, change my approach dramatically. In this work--and perhaps in all work--change comes about in a different way.

It is easy to point to a group of people and start criticizing, saying, this is their fault here and this is their fault there. Whether this method actually works or not is another story, but it is easy to do.

I never wanted to be a judgmental activist. I always found that attitude and those methods counter-productive and disrespectful. In fact, I once led advocacy efforts half-jokingly subtitled "peace activism for the rest of us." It was an attempt to be a voice for social justice causes without the self-righteous egoic posturing common in activism which only ends up marginalizing both itself and the causes it champions.

Still, the urge to get others to be different has always somehow been an underlying, motivating impulse.

 

The prophetic voice has always come easily for me.  What has been harder to come by is the wisdom voice. I describe this as accepting others for who they are--beginning every relationship with this deep respect, interest and fascination for who they are--exactly as they are--at this moment. Coming without an agenda. "Patience" is the word that keeps coming to mind here. Letting go. Calming that all-to-quick autonomic impulse to rush into action, defend my views and resist what I fervently believe needs to be clarified or corrected.

There is still a need to advocate for causes--we are not to be paralyzed into inaction. However, a wisdom figure would do this through friendship and invitation rather than through force of any kind, including manipulation, pressure or even sometimes firm argumentation. The first step is respect: Tell me who you are and I will tell you who I am, and before we do anything else let's just sit with that for a while.

(This section owes a debt to Richard Rohr and Walter Brueggeman. See this piece. Brueggemann suggests that the three sections of Hebrew Scriptures--Torah, Prophets and Wisdom--roughly correspond with the three main stages of human development).
 

***

The paradox is that if change is going to come at all, it will come most readily when you quit trying to change things and simply respect everything as it is right now. That moment of sincere acceptance--and it has to be sincere--creates the space for movement.

***

It is easy to write off the Southern Baptists and say these are narrow minded people who are brimming with intolerance. There is always someone they are opposed to. Anti-gay is the current one. Always anti-someone.  Anti-Catholic is an old favorite and reliable go-to. There are still some rather steamy anti-Catholic blogs you can find, and some folks are more than happy to disseminate them through the SBC's twitter hashtags.

Contemplatives tell us the ego defines itself by being opposed to other things, by grouping: I am this so therefore I am not that. In that scenario, however, the end result is that you always need an enemy. You cannot have an identity until there is someone to compare yourself with who is not like you. When the ego needs a fix to affirm itself, it predictably bashes someone. Conflict is inevitable so long as we are living out of the ego stage.

 

They say this is what Jesus meant when he urged people to look beyond the transient nature of this world to discover that which is eternal. The ego is an overall word for this false self of pride, jealousy, competition and other qualities Christians have long identified as sinful--expressions of our "fallen" nature.

***

The religious right is the group I do not know what to do with.

I often try to ignore them. I pretend they just do not exist. 

At first, this sounds reasonable, and it works for a while--we disagree, so I will live my life as I see fit, and they will do the same and we will muddle through life the best we can. We will simply coexist. It is not bad, and heck, at least we are not killing each other.

Our paths inevitably intersect, however. We do share the same planet, after all.

I think to myself that they are the source of all our problems. I say, subconsciously or otherwise: It would be better if their viewpoint simply did not exist.

I might approach my ecumenical work with the silent agenda that the only way for us to move forward is to convert them all to my way of looking at things. At least get them into the ballpark.

This is not to say that there is not a place for legitimate growth. Perhaps we would all be better off if some things were to change. However, I am talking here about a problem which is my attitude and agenda that I bring to the conversation before it even happens. This is the interior work I need to do. I need the religious right to remind me of this.

***
 

Jesus told us to share the Good News. He did not tell us to homogenize the world into our own image. However, this is what I see the religious right doing which I oppose so strongly. In my opposition, my approach has to be something different.

Even naming my concern in the above paragraph could be my ego's sneaky way of getting a jab in. And even stating that covers it up even more by feigning humility while letting the original comment still stand. It's good cop bad cop, ego style. I get to make my jab and then get the redemption that comes via apologizing for the jab. The ego can hide so well behind many layers.

Better people than me have pointed out that this impulse to convert is actually a sinister form of violence--I want to erase all the things about you that are distinctive, everything that I do not like about you which makes me uncomfortable--which ultimately leads me to say: I just want to erase you.

In doing this, my ego derives its identity in its opposition to another group, and the only solution is obliteration of the other--a goal that may never be possible since I need them for my own identity.

If I go through my life telling myself I am tolerant, except for groups that are hard lined fundamentalists, then am I not doing something very similar? How do I witness the one human family if I choose to ignore or metaphorically eradicate people who are difficult for me?

My intolerance to what I perceive as their intolerance is not good enough.

Jesus pointed out that even sinners love their own friends. How we relate to those we consider "enemy" is pivotal to the Christian witness. The paradox is that those we consider our "enemy" are actually much closer to us that we ever care to imagine. The very fact that they trigger us so strongly demonstrates how personal and visceral their resonance with us actually is.

The surprise that comes is that in order to accept others as they are, I must also accept myself as I am--the two go hand in hand. My intolerance of them might be a signpost of an intolerance I have of myself.

Even these people? Even the Southern Baptists? Are they not the ones who are doing all sorts of things I do not like or support?

Yes, even them. Especially them--especially the group you do not want to be in relationship with, that is who you have to reach out to.

***

It is probably no surprise that contemplative religious monks who are sometimes the ones most drawn to ecumenical and interfaith work. It forces you into an encounter with yourself. It provides the raw material for meditation. Encountering someone different, especially someone who makes you uncomfortable, puts you face-to-face with your own jagged edges.

Contemplatives are invested in finding and overcoming unhealthy attachments, to use a Buddhist word. Coming face-to-face with someone who is different gives you an opportunity to work on yourself. Contemplatives take a proactive stance toward their own fears and often go right toward them.

I have read some Southern Baptist blogs. A number of folks are very sympathetic to Catholics and are very willing to work on common areas. There is also a strong, more old school Baptist mindset of people who are very anti-Catholic and not shy about expressing it. It can be hard to read some of that. My first impulse is to want to write back and engage in a debate. That can be a worthwhile thing to do. But for the sake of my own growth, I sometimes hold back and first try to understand.  Instead of that knee jerk defensive response, I cultivate patience and simply accept--accept the situation, accept what is, accept myself in my triggered state and accept the other people.

The reply may still come--but it may come from a gentler, more humbler plateau, a more informed place, a more self-reflective place, rather than a knee-jerk reaction, and is that not just a healthier way to be in relationship with anybody, including a relationship with myself? It's Newtonian--actions cause reactions, angers leads to anger, and violence continues in an unbroken chain throughout the eons--that is, until grace comes in. Letting my triggers constantly manipulate me is a less happy, less empowered place to be. Always reacting and responding from the place of my own triggers makes me feel like I am dangling on an existential fishing line--but I am the only one holding the rod and reel and I can claim the power to change my reaction.

The presence of these knee-jerk triggers then begins to look different. Instead of something to fight back and immediately oppose, they are a beacon on the road map of my own personal growth and self-awareness. Their presence shows me where my unfinished internal work is.

***

The funny thing you find out when you get in relationship with someone is that they are not as one-dimensional as you may have thought--or even wanted. It would be so much easier to put them all in a box with a single label. However, there are always more than small nuances of difference. Despite the best attempts by SBC President Ronnie Floyd to set the tone of this year's Southern Baptist Convention with themes of "clear agreement, visible union and extraordinary prayer," no group is quite that monolithic. There is a spectrum of ideas and a spectrum of people.

It might have been easy for me to write off a group of people as just one thing, only to find out that there are many tones and timbres present. Everyone has a story to tell. It is so tempting to reduce them to just the religious right or just narrow or just intolerant, but I run a huge risk of being guilty of that same thing by rushing to these conclusions.

I need to discover their humanity in all its depth and nuance--and that requires discovering my own and then responding to them from that place.

Getting together sometimes means resolving differences. First and foremost, it means working on our own selves to be okay with difference--why am I uncomfortable around you? That is my problem and I should not make it your problem.

It is when you are intolerant of intolerance you may be called and driven to be a prophetic voice and say this is not right, something has to change. There is no question about that. You may have to do that as a person of conscience. But you have got to be in relationship with that person and that group. You have got to be self-reflective. And in doing that, the person who changes--first and foremost--is you.

The civility we need will not come from watching our tongues.
It will come from valuing our differences.
-- Parker J. Palmer

Religious Unity Tour in the Spring!

Presence. 

Participation. 

Sharing the Story. 

Representatives from Glenmary's Commission on Ecumenism will be hitting the road shortly to build bridges with various religious groups in many settings. 

We will be reaching out to religious movements, collaborations between faith groups as well as to individual denominations themselves.  Unity happens in many ways in many contexts.  While our focus is the relationship between Catholics and evangelicals, we will be interacting with folks across the Christian spectrum and even going beyond that into interfaith relationship building.  It promises to be a wild ride!

Without further adieu, here is the spring lineup:

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

As the name suggests, Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Alexandria, VA, is a large assembly of faith groups from many denominations that gather to pray, study and act for social justice.  Advocacy work on behalf of the poor and marginalized is one of the most longstanding ways that Christians have joined together in unity.  This gathering starts with weekend worship services and breakout sessions on topics and ends with a Lobby Day on Capitol Hill meeting with Representatives and Senators.  This year's theme is: Breaking the Chains: Mass Incarceration & Systems of Exploitation.  EAD began in 2003 and has since become the most noteworthy event of its kind.

It is powerful indeed when individuals cross denominational lines to meet with the offices of their elected officials.  I attended in years past, and I enjoyed roaming the halls of Congress with about a dozen other folks from my state.  My group included secular Franciscans, Lutheran and Presbyterian ministers, a Quaker, students, clergy and lay people alike.  We were all speaking with a common voice:  That our diverse religious and cultural traditions have all led us to virtually the same conclusion that our common purpose is to build a more just and peaceful world for all. 

National Workshop on Christian Unity

The National Workshop on Christian Unity is one of the largest ecumenical conferences every year.  It is in many ways part of the "official" dialogue between denominations.  It is already in its 41st year and in 2015 it will be in Charlotte, NC.  The groups have traditionally been Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran, but this year promises to have a large evangelical Christian component, as well.  

North Carolina Glenmary Missions

Glenmary has two mission parishes in Windsor and Plymouth, NC.  They are rural parishes a little over an hour from the Atlantic Coast.  They are having a 3-day multi-parish retreat coming up in partnership with non-Catholic parishes, and our Commission is coming to visit.  While this is not a national gathering like the others, it is worth mentioning because it comes up in the middle of all these other events, and it represents the kind of work Glenmary typically does.

One of the five core categories of mission for Glenmary is ecumenism--the unity of all Christians.  Through our "boots on the ground" approach, based out of our mission parishes, we reach out in dialogue, friendship and mutual service with Christians of other denominations.  This ongoing grassroots work is typically the focus of this blog.  The work is slower than we may want it to be, but the results are often solid and longstanding.  The unity of Christians often happens church to church, pastor to pastor and person to person. 

 

Festival of Faiths

The Festival of Faiths is a major national interfaith event in Louisville, KY, with speakers, meditations, tours and art features all week.  This year is the 20th anniversary of the festival itself, and it also dovetails into the 100th birthday of Thomas Merton, with related events.  It unfolds more like a week-long pilgrimage than a typical festival.  As a true interfaith event, it involves all of the world's religions.  There promises to be strong glimpses into Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikh and Native American traditions.

 

While there are differences between ecumenism (the unity of Christians) and interfaith work, I have found that they both require many of the same themes and attitudes for success.  Patience, understanding, true respect and openness to where it may lead are all crucial.  Glenmary has been consistently involved in this festival in years past, and we hope to be in the future, as well!

Southern Baptist Convention

The Southern Baptist Convention is an ideal time to deepen our relationship with the largest denomination in the regions where Glenmary serves.  This is the major national gathering for the SBC, so it is both a privilege and an honor for our group of Catholic missionaries to be invited into the Press box.  Glenmary has generally had someone attend this almost every year since the late 1960s.  We are still the only Catholic group to have this honor.  Our role is to observe and be present.  In the past our members have enjoyed both the warm Southern hospitality and many good conversations throughout the Convention.

Wild Goose Festival

The Wild Goose Festival is our connection to the emerging church movement at a major 4-day outdoor festival in Hot Springs, NC.  They describe themselves this way on their website:

"Wild Goose is a community gathered at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and art . . . “Wild Goose” is a Celtic spirituality metaphor that evokes unpredictability, beauty, and grace."

While there have been Catholic speakers and many attendees in years past, we were the first Catholic group last year to have an official presence as a table sponsor--a small but visible statement that we want to be there and be in touch with this very dynamic, creative group that is doing much to envision--and actually fashion--the future of Christianity.

 

CADEIO Summer Institute

 

CADEIO stands for "Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers."  It is a professional association within the Catholic Church to support personnel as they help foster the commitment of the Church to reach out across denominational and religious lines.  This Summer Institute near Washington, D.C., is a time to train, network and find support in this important work.  While this is mostly a closed group, it is mentioned here to show the seriousness with which Glenmary, and the Catholic Church in general, consider the work of Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.

In Summation

These events are all strategic because they offer a chance to be in dialogue with some of the major groups and movements in ecumenism:  The social justice movement, the Southern Baptists, the emerging church, denominational relationship-building, interfaith dialogue as well as continued grassroots ecumenism at the Glenmary missions. 

In some cases, just having an "official" presence is a form of outreach in and of itself:  Our presence says that we want to be in relationship and that we matter to each other.  Being present can be both simple and profound. 

 

However, we also hope to go beyond that into making connections and advancing the discussion of Christian and religious unity, always on the lookout for visible signs of the Kingdom.  We plan to be present, participate and then share the story widely.

 

Stay tuned as we share stories and insights from these events in the coming weeks!

Zero-Sum Ecumenism

The success or failure of a relationship often has everything to do with the attitudes and assumptions we bring to the table before we even interact.  Relationships between people of different Christian denominations—or between any diverse people—can be doomed to failure if we approach them from a zero-sum mindset. 

What is a zero-sum mindset?

It is when a person subconsciously thinks: If I affirm you and your tradition, then by consequence I reduce me and my tradition by the same amount. 

 

The cartoon below reflects these same sentiments in a different way:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nakedpastor/2009/12/cartoon-can-you-canoe/

It seems like a frustrating scenario for both parties to be paddling against each other.  The net result is that neither party goes anywhere—it would seem that the takeaway message is that each would be better off working independently.  Perhaps this is simply a choice and not an inevitable outcome of ecumenism.  While supporters of Christian unity may be quick to shake their heads at a cartoon like this, it may be worth recognizing that it has value.  It reflects a potential pitfall that we can all fall into.  If nothing else, it reflects a real concern in the minds of many, concerns that deserve to be voiced.

The problem with this zero-sum mindset is inherently expressed in the term itself:  Everything always adds up to a complete zero.  Your differences and my differences cancel each other out when put together.  The resulting logic is that the only way for any interaction between two people to be fruitful, one person needs to change their beliefs, practices and ultimately change who they are to be more in line with the other.  It leaves few options for contact:  People either clash, neutralize each other, conform or simply avoid each other altogether.  Those become the only possible outcomes when diverse groups come together.  Your unique qualities call into question the validity of my unique qualities and we end up either fighting to establish who is right or living at a polite distance in an awkward tension. 

We may not realize all of this consciously, but if we truly carry a zero-sum mindset then that is ultimately what we are saying.  It could be argued that this is a depiction of where many communities today stand—filled with churches of many denominations keeping a quiet distance from each other.  We have agreed on what we can agree on, and we simply do not know what to do with the differences left that we cannot find a way to converge into some kind of agreement.  Some choose to ignore those differences.  Some choose to downplay them or even assimilate with others.  However, acknowledging true differences and still being in some sense united is something that often eludes us.

This is a challenge for Christians who take seriously the missionary call to go out and spread the Good News.  Can they do it in such a way that does not turn interesting, wonderful people who are already reflecting God's wonder as Creator into some kind of carbon copies of themselves?  Dare I say it—is this ethnic cleansing in a different form?  It is often heavy handed to make that kind of a comparison, but it is hard not to ask that question as yesterday marked the 70th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.  The comparison between some traditional forms of missionary conversion and genocide were raised by Katherine Wilson of the Frank Zeidler Center for Public Discussion when I heard her talk at the Wild Goose Festival last summer.  We are at risk of violating one of the deepest revelations of the Christian tradition—the dignity of the human person. 

Relationships, collaborations, joint efforts, and even dialogue can be seen as a complete loss this way.  It is easy to see why people who would avoid ecumenical progress when it seems like the potential for loss is huge and the gains so small.

So is that it—are we just doomed?  Is the quest for Christian unity simply an exercise where the only inevitable outcome is that one side ultimately will assimilate and eradicate the unique aspects of the others?

Are there other options?

In short—yes!

Over and over again, Scripture promises abundance when we cast aside our worries and reach out to God.  Zero-sum ecumenism is fear in disguise.  Remember, it is based on the assumption that nothing good will come out of  ecumenical interactions.  That assumption could be flat out wrong.

It can be valuable to explore the mystical dimensions of the Christian tradition and practice a dose of contemplative non-attachment.  It can be hard to recognize the good in someone else if our identity, self-worth and pride is rooted too heavily on our specific theological conclusions.  We would be better off rooted in the awe and wonder of the Mystery of God.  There is nothing wrong with being a people of conviction as long as those convictions do not turn into false idols keeping us from delving deeper into the Mystery of God and reaching out to others in charity and solidarity. 

The subject of attachment in religious traditions is a tricky thing and deserves at least a post by itself.  It is enough to say here that a tradition by its very nature has a history and a familiarity that goes along with it.  The trick is to honor the tradition without being attached to it and risk missing the God it points to.

For example, I love the old wooden pews in the church where I grew up.  I love the country feel in the yard outside.  I love the way the sun would steam in through the stained glass windows.  All of these can evoke and raise my consciousness to God.  A long tradition has identified these as good qualities for a church to have.  However, it becomes a problem if I were to say that the only legitimate religious experiences are those in old, country churches with wooden pews and stained glass windows.  In that case, I would be making a false idol out of my personal experiences, linking my identity to these fleeting items of this world rather than to what is eternal.  I would be fighting tooth and nail over them as if my life depended on it—and in a sense, it would if I have attached my very identity to these markers—and making it difficult to recognize the Revelation of God elsewhere.  This is the false self that Jesus told us to deny so that we can find the Kingdom within which is eternal.  It is silly actually—an eternal soul not realizing its nature staking its claim on something as fleeting as so much confetti.

Endless liturgical battles play out along these lines, as well.  Some people find a worship service with guitar music difficult to accept compared to other instruments which have been in use for longer periods.  The nastiness of these debates can be astounding.  Are they just attached to something familiar, or are they really cautioning to introduce change slowly so as not to risk losing a tradition that has been refined over a long time?  Some folks are so dug in to their viewpoint that "cautious change" does not seem to be an option for them at all.  If they have attached their false ego self to something like organ music instead of guitar music, then organ-led services will end up affirming them—their group or their viewpoint is being represented so therefore they feel validated.  The problem is that what is being validated is their false self, the very one Jesus told them to deny because it obscures their view of the eternal.

Pope Francis warns against this:

"And when a Christian becomes a disciple of the ideology, he has lost the faith: he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, he is a disciple of this attitude of thought."  He adds:  "Already the Apostle John, in his first Letter, spoke of this. Christians who lose the faith and prefer the ideologies. His attitude is: be rigid, moralistic, ethical, but without kindness."

In Saffron Cross, Baptist minister Rev. J. Dana Trent shows us new calculus—God's math is not our math when our difference enhance rather than diminish us.  Through her interfaith marriage to a Hindu monk, she discovered that her own Baptist faith had been deepened, that is, after a rough period of struggle and discernment. Her marriage forced her to evaluate, dig deeper and see her own tradition from a different perspective.  The view was not always easy but at the end of this turmoil she found herself renewed in her faith on a higher plateau.

Longtime friend of Glenmary, Rev. Carroll Brownlow Hastings was a pioneer in Baptist-Catholic dialogue (pictured at left with Glenmary President Fr. Bob Berson at right).  As an official liaison to Catholics with the Southern Baptist Convention, "he made lasting friendships, from Catholic bishops to the monks at the Conyers, GA, monastery, and helped countless others understand and appreciate the Catholic faith, even as he helped them understand Baptists, who he admitted, "are the confusion and amazement of all the Christian world." Although he garnered a deep affection for what he learned about Catholic faith and practice, he noted that paradoxically the experience profoundly deepened his own commitment to and admiration of Baptist principles. "

In fact, I have heard testimonies like these so many times it is bordering on cliché.  People will say that when they begin dialogue with people from a different faith tradition, at first there may be moments of excitement or skepticism.  Those moments often pass away into an inner roller coaster ride with their own beliefs swinging back and forth like a pendulum.  However, if they hang in there long enough, they often say something uncannily similar to:  I am a better __[my original faith tradition]__ for having gotten to know __[others from a different faith tradition]__ in a meaningful way.

An Exchange of Gifts

An alternative to zero-sum ecumenism begins with a couple of thoughts that seem contradictory at first:  Yes, I am rooted in my own beliefs and tradition.  So are you.  I can assume that both me and my tradition bear some responsibility for the divisions among Christians—divisions which contradict the will of Christ.  This humility may orient me in the right way to begin dialogue.  Perhaps God is sharing gifts with you that I can be better off to learn about.  You may as well benefit from hearing about what God has worked in me and my tradition. 

This "exchange of gifts" that Pope John Paul II referred to is a new standard for ecumenical relationships.  It goes something like this:

I have something to learn from you and you may have something to learn from me.  We both share a full witness of what we believe God has revealed to us and our respective traditions, including all the messiness, confusion and conflicts we may find.  We stand committed to working to fulfill Christ's prayer for Christian unity, even though we do not know where this may lead or what the outcome may be like.  We do not seek to change each other, only to continue to testify until we understand why each of us has arrived at her or his respective beliefs and practices.  We listen in patience and kindness as 1 Corinthians illustrates.  We rely on the Holy Spirit to work in us as we seek that Scriptural ideal of unity in diversity.

Perhaps that is all that can be said right now.

All kidding in the above meme aside, we actually do know that is going to happen.  In his famous address to Copeland Ministries, Pope Francis said it best with the following:

"A famous Italian author named Manzoni, once wrote in his novel, of a simple man amongst the people, who once said this, "I've never seen God begin a miracle without Him finishing it well." He will complete this miracle of unity."

Distinctly Baptist, Distinctly Ecumenical

I had the opportunity this past July to sit down and talk with Southern Baptist minister Dean Anderson.  He is Pastor of Trenton Baptist Church in Trenton, KY, a small town in south, central Kentucky near the Tennessee border.  He is the author of Sacred Trust: Sermons on the Distinctive Beliefs of Baptists.  The book is the fruit of his doctoral work—what does it mean to be Baptist?

Anderson is a long-time collaborator with Glenmary's Fr. Frank Ruff.  To him, it is not ironic to be so invested in reclaiming what is distinctively Baptist and also so open to ecumenism.  Those are not mutually exclusive goals to him.

As I do in most of my interviews with faith leaders, I asked the question which is the guiding mantra for our Commission on Ecumenism: 

How do we enhance understanding... reduce alienation... and foster reconciliation between Catholics, Evangelicals and other Christian denominations?
 
Healing Racial Divisions
 
Anderson started off by saying that the “biggest division is between the races.”  He talked extensively about reconciliation between black and white Baptists in Trenton and shared obvious joy at the changes that have taken place in his community.  Some of those divisions have only begun to be transcended.  As recently as 1999 (before his time as pastor), a black gentleman was discouraged from membership in the white church.  The man was a former soldier, a vocation strongly respected by the community, but that was not enough to melt the ice. 

Twelve years ago, Anderson took a chance and invited the local Baptist minister and choir to his church for preaching, singing and food afterwards.  It was a huge success.  “You can see the walls come down,” he shared.  This was "a small town where everybody knew each other," yet there were strong barriers along racial lines and few interactions in public.  After the churches started coming together, people would greet each other in town and at the grocery store.  “There was a whole different spirit in town.”  Anderson and his choir have also been invited to the black Baptist church in a likewise manner.  Since then, the two churches have kept the tradition going and repeat it at least once a quarter.  They also do ministry projects together, such as a food giveaway, and the pastors substitute for each other when they need a Sunday off. 
 
A Catholic Country Pastor Creates Ripples
 
“It’s been a blessing getting to know Fr. Frank Ruff,” Anderson said.  “I saw his passion for Jesus, leading people to Jesus. Most people [here] have no personal relationships with Catholics."  Anderson sees this as a crucial step in building ecumenical understanding.  "There are so many myths and oversimplifications."  His advice was clear:  “Get to know people like Fr. Frank, that’s what helps.” 

 
"A generation or two ago, there were strong anti-Catholic feelings in this part of Kentucky.  The younger generations are realizing the similarities," he said.
 
Anderson echoed what I have heard other leaders from different denominations say recently:  This is a time for grassroots, local relationship building more than lofty documents from the top-down.  There is no substitute for the direct, personal engagement of people of different faith traditions getting to know each other, seeing each other's passion for the faith and watching their life witness.  "Effective, long-lasting cooperation is [better than] a statement that passes from everybody’s awareness."
 

Fr. Frank participated in an ecumenical Thanksgiving service at Trenton Baptist Church.  "A Catholic priest gave a sermon on gratitude from our pulpit, and it was just wonderful," Anderson recounted.  “I would not hesitate to agree with or 'Amen' everything he said.  This is a giant step toward Christians loving each other."  That ecumenical Thanksgiving service began as a joint effort of the local Methodist, Presbyterian and white Baptist churches.  It has since grown to include Assembly of God, black Baptist and Catholic churches.

Anderson also would not hesitate to say that there are differences between Catholics and Southern Baptists and that the differences do matter.  However, "we have to also remember that we have so much in common, which is greater and more important than differences."  He describes a balance:  "We can run the risk of over-valuing or under-valuing our differences.  Those differences should not hinder Jesus' prayer or keep us from cooperating." 

Anderson cautioned that ecumenical and interfaith collaborations should be discerned on a case-by-case basis.  He cited Revelation 13:18—"This calls for wisdom."  He is conscientious about the impression ministerial collaborations can make.  Working together does not necessitate agreement, but sometimes the disagreements are too strong for a partnership.

"That All May Be One" (John 17:21)

The best way to approach Jesus' prayer for unity, according to Anderson, is to start with the right attitude.  He outlines the following principles:

* "Have an openness to support and understand each other."  This sounds deceptively simple at first.  It does not assume agreement or even support, but it does require a true openness and willingness for that to happen.
 

* "Work toward the kind of spirit where Christians are non-competitive:  It is a gain for all faiths if a new family in town joins the Methodists, Baptists, any denomination, for example."

* "Pray by name for the other churches in town."  He gave an example of how he does this during his own services:  "I pray that the Father will bless them, use them and grow them to build His Kingdom."

* "Do joint ministry projects."  An example he gave was a collaborative effort of local churches which put a VHS tape copy of The Jesus Video Project in every mailbox in Todd County.  While he does not know what concrete gains may have come from this, the effort did spurn a story in the Hopkinsville newspaper about the partnership.

He concluded by saying: "Church history shows us that there are heroes of the faith in every tradition.  Worship in other traditions opens up appreciation.  Differences matter, but they shouldn’t keep us from working together today. [Much in the world is] hostile to the Christian faith—we are going to need to work together, and we are more effective and a stronger witness if we address it together."