love your neighbor news

THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
FRIDAY MAY 20, 2016
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR NEWS
Photo by Dave Jerde.
Une Mère Coréene qui Changé
sa Opinion
Uma Mãe Coreana que Mudou
de Opinião
A Korean Mother’s Changed
Heart
par Rev. Dr. In-Yong Lee
por Rev. Dr. In-Yong Lee
by Rev. Dr. In-Yong Lee
Qui aurait su? Je suis allé à Tampa, en Floride
en 2012 pour la première fois à la Conférence
générale comme clergé délégué avec un état
d’esprit sur la question de la sexualité humaine ...
et je suis revenu à la maison avec une autre.
Quem poderia imaginar? Em 2012, eu fui pela
primeira vez para a Conferência Geral em Tampa
na Flórida, como delegada do clero. Fui com uma
mentalidade sobre a questão da sexualidade
humana ... e voltei para casa com outra.
Who would have known? I went to Tampa, Florida
in 2012 as a first-time General Conference clergy
delegate with one mindset on the issue of human
sexuality... and came back home with another.
Avant la Conférence Générale, j’ai entendu des
histoires de personnes LGBTQI - Une DS avec
femme et des enfants qui s’était tué parce qu’il ne
pouvait pas vivre avec en conflit entre son identité
sexuelle et l’attente de l’église, les adolescents qui
ne pouvaient plus s’en prendre dans une société
où ils ont été mis à l’écart, rejetés, et attaqué et ils
se sont tué, et plus d’autres chose. Je pensais : «
Si ça conduit à une situation de vie et de la mort,
c’est sérieux.”
Antes da Conferência Geral, ouvi histórias de
pessoas LGBTQI – com o por exemplo a estória de
um SD com esposa e filhos que se matou porque
não podia viver com o conflito entre a sua identidade sexual e as expectativas da igreja, adolescentes que não aguentavam mais viver em uma
sociedade onde eles eram condenados, rejeitados,
ignorados, banidos, atacados, assassinados, e muito
mais. Pensei: “Se isso leva a uma situação de vida
ou morte, então isso é sério.
continued on page 2
continued on page 2
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
Prior to the General Conference, I heard stories of
the LGBTQI people - a DS with wife and children
who killed himself because he couldn’t live with
the conflict between his sexual identity and the
church’s expectation, teenagers who couldn’t
take it any more in a society where they were
ostracized, shunned, and attacked and who killed
themselves, and more. I thought, “If it leads to a
life and death situation, it is serious.”
There came an eye-opening moment at the
continued on page 2
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
1
Il y eut de moment dont l’œil s’est ouvert à la Conférence Générale. Un clergé blanc, délégué dans
le même comité législatif que moi tout d’un coup
change son attitude envers moi après un vote
sur une pétition qui avait à faire avec le mariage
de même sexe et l’ordination des homosexuels.
Je m’étais trouvais la seule personne dans le
sous-comité qui a voté pour la pétition. Immédiatement après, sa gentillesse et son amabilité
avait disparu et il cessé de me regarder dans
les yeux. Je ne pouvais plus le comprendre, et je
pensais : « salut ! qu’est-il arrivé ? Je pensais que
nous étions amis. Si vous faites cela pour moi a
cause que d’un seul vote, que feriez-vous pour les
homosexuels eux-mêmes ? “
Durante a Conferência Geral, houve um momento
de abrir os olhos. Um homem branco, delegado clero que fazia parte da mesma comissão
legislativa, de repente mudou seu comportamento
em relação a mim, depois de uma votação sobre
uma petição que tinha a ver com casamentos de
pessoas do mesmo sexo e sobre a ordenação de
pessoas homossexuais. Aconteceu de eu ser a
única pessoa na subcomissão que votou a favor da
petição. Imediatamente, sua bondade e simpatia
desapareceram e ele parou de me olhar nos olhos.
Eu não pude compreendê-lo, e pensei: “Olá, o que
aconteceu? Eu pensei que éramos amigos. Se você
faz isso comigo por causa de um voto, o que você
faz com as pessoas homossexuais?
Puis il y a eu les manifestations silencieuses par
la communauté LGBTQI, qui m’a frappé avec des
aperçus de leur douleur et de la souffrance. Je fus
obligé d’embrasser un jeune homme asiatique
avec ses yeux fermés et criant alors qu’il était
parmi ceux qui s’était aligné en dehors de la salle
plénière. Je me suis assis à côté d’un délégué
jeune adulte qui avait été dévastée et pleuré tout
au long d’une longue pause, lorsque la pétition
pour se débarrasser de l’expression, « L’homosexualité est incompatible avec l’enseignement
chrétien ...” avait été vaincu, et je l’ai réconforté.
Em seguida, a comunidade LGBTQI fez protestos
em silêncio, o que me surpreendeu com sinais
da sua dor e sofrimento. Eu fui levada a abraçar
um jovem asiático com os olhos fechados e
chorando enquanto ele estava entre aqueles que
se alinharam fora do plenário. Me sentei ao lado
de um jovem delegado que estava devastado e
chorando durante uma longa pausa, quando a
petição para remover a frase, “A homossexualidade
é incompatível com o ensinamento cristão ...” foi
derrotada, e eu o confortei.
Un après-midi lors d’une pause déjeuner après
discussion animée sur cette pétition même et
avant le vote, un professeur du séminaire et son
collègue délégué m’a demandé : « Quelle est
votre opinion sur cette pétition ?” Il savait que
je venais de défendre avec succès mon doctorat
dissertation en éthique chrétienne à Duke. Je
pensais que pendant un certain temps et répondu
: « L’homosexualité pourrait être incompatible
avec l’enseignement chrétien, mais je préfère être
théologiquement mal que de ne pas aimer.”
Un après-midi au début Août, mon mari et moi
avons parlé dans notre chambre à la maison. Nos
fils sont venus et nous ont rejoints. Notre fils aîné,
21 à l’époque, dit calmement, « Maman, papa, j’ai
quelque chose à vous dire.” Nous avons dit, “OK.
Qu’est-ce ? » Il dit :« Je suis gay. “... Gosh, je ne
l’avais pas été préparé pour ce moment-là ? Je dis
: « Cela ne change rien, bébé. Vous êtes une personne merveilleuse, un fils merveilleux. Nous vous
aimons. “Il a versé des larmes de soulagement, et
nous l’étreignit. Louez Dieu, qui avait préparé mon
cœur dans le temps ! Louez le Seigneur, qui avait
aidé moi d’être là pour mon fils dans le temps !
Uma tarde, durante uma pausa para o almoço,
após a discussão incendiada sobre este mesmo
pedido e antes da sua votação, um professor
seminarista e companheiro de delegação me perguntou: “Qual é a sua opinião sobre esta petição?”
Ele sabia que eu tinha acabado de defender com
sucesso o meu Ph.D. sobre dissertação na ética
cristã em Duke. Pensei por um tempo e respondi:
“A homossexualidade pode ser incompatível com
o ensino cristão, mas eu preferiria estar teologicamente errada do que não amar.
Uma tarde no início de agosto, meu marido e
eu estávamos conversando casualmente no
nosso quarto em casa. Nossos filhos vieram e se
juntaram a nós. Nosso filho mais velho, de 21 na
época, disse calmamente: “Mamãe, papai, eu tenho
algo para dizer.” Nós dissemos: “OK. O que é? “Ele
disse:” Eu sou gay. “... Nossa, não estava eu sendo
preparada para esse momento? Eu disse: “Isso não
muda nada, bebe. Você é uma pessoa maravilhosa,
um filho maravilhoso. Nós amamos você. “Ele derramou lágrimas de alívio, e nós o abraçamos. Louvado seja Deus, que havia preparado meu coração
no tempo certo! Louvado seja o Senhor, que me
ajudou a estar lá em tempo para o meu filho!
General Conference. A white, male clergy delegate
in the same legislative committee all of a sudden
changed his attitude towards me after a vote on
a petition that had to do with same-sex wedding
and ordination of gay people. I happened to be the
only person in the subcommittee who voted for
the petition. Immediately after that, his kindness
and friendliness was all gone and he stopped
looking me in the eye. I couldn’t understand it,
and I thought, “Hello, what happened? I thought
we were friends. If you do that to me because of
just one vote, what would you do to gay people
themselves?”
Then there were the silent demonstrations by the
LGBTQI community, which struck me with glimpses
of their pain and suffering. I was compelled to
hug an Asian young man with his eyes closed and
crying while he stood among those who lined up
outside the plenary room. I sat beside a young
adult delegate who was devastated and cried
throughout a long break, when the petition to
get rid of the phrase, “Homosexuality is incompatible to Christian teaching” was defeated, and I
comforted him.
One afternoon during a lunch break after heated
discussion on this very petition and before its
vote, a seminary professor and fellow delegate
asked me, “What is your opinion on this petition?”
He knew that I had just defended successfully my
Ph.D. dissertation in Christian Ethics at Duke. I
thought for a while and answered, “Homosexuality
might be incompatible to Christian teaching, BUT
I would rather be theologically wrong than not
loving.”
One afternoon in early August, my husband and
I were talking casually in our room at home. Our
sons came in and joined us. Our older son, 21 back
then, said calmly, “Mom, Dad, I have something to
tell you.” We said, “OK. What is it?” He said, “I’m gay.”
…Gosh, hadn’t I been prepared for that moment?
I said, “It doesn’t change anything, baby. You are a
wonderful person, a wonderful son. We love you.”
He shed tears of relief, and we hugged him. Praise
God, who had prepared my heart in time! Praise
the Lord, who had helped me to be there for my
son in time!
In-Yong with Joey Lopez, the young adult delegate
whom she comforted in 2012.
2
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
Désinvestir ! Un Midrash clima- E Noé Escutou
por Rev. Richenda Fairhurst
tique
Divest! A Climate Midrash
by Rev. Richenda Fairhurst
par Rev. Richenda Fairhurst
La crise du changement climatique est présente
et réelle dans notre monde en ce moment. En tant
que chrétien, je recours à la Bible pour m’aider et
me guider. La Parole qui nous est donnée comprend les histoires de persévérance et de repentance que nous en tant que peuple de Dieu avons
partagé ensemble pendant des milliers d’années.
Et aujourd’hui que je réfléchis sur l’histoires de
Noé et Jonas, je vois en eux une nouvelle aventure.
Un midrash climatique. Je vous invite à entendre
cette histoire.
Ceci est l’histoire de Noé qui a écouté et Jonas
qui ne l’a pas. Pendant la vie de Noé, Noé a eu le
courage d’écouter Dieu. Sous l’instruction de Dieu,
Noah a mis en garde ses compatriotes humains
qu’un changement de climat apporterait inondation catastrophique. Mais, incapable de bouger les
cœurs rebelles des êtres humains, Noah a fait ce
qu’il pouvait. Il a construit une arche, un canot de
sauvetage. Et comme les niveaux de la mer ont
augmenté, Noah a travaillé et a prié pour sauver
autant que possible.
Noah avait écouté Dieu, mais un autre homme de
mer, Jonas, ne l’avait pas. Quand Dieu a montré
jusqu’à dire Jonas avertir les Ninivites d’arrêter
leurs voies pécheresses et destructrices, Jonas a
refusé. Quand Dieu a exprimé sa préoccupation
pour le peuple et tous les animaux dans la direction de la dirigés pour la destruction, Jonas doublé
vers le bas sur les combustibles fossiles. Jonas
a sauté dans le bateau le plus proche, coudés le
moteur à deux temps, et se dirige dans la direction
opposée. Une nappe huileuse traînait derrière lui.
Jonas ne voulait pas suivre le mandat de Dieu
“aime ton prochain.” Jonas était prêt à porter
malheur à sa propre vie, maudissant lui-même et
les générations futures, plutôt que de suivre la
dure réalité Dieu avait planifie. Jonas a choisi de
mépriser ses voisins. « Qu’ils périssent !» Il déclare
obstinément. « Je préfère mourir que de me voir
ces gens sauvés.
En ce jour, le mouvement de changement climatique est devenu publique suite à la publication
du livre de Methodiste Unie par Bill McKibben
intitule La Fin de la Nature. Aux fins de ce midrash,
qui le rend notre Noé. La teinte et cri de catastrophe climatique c’est à partir de là que se construit.
Notre ère industrielle, un âge que nous espérions
pourrait bénir même nos voisins les plus pauvres,
avec la promesse de la mobilité et l’occasion vers
le haut avait un côté sombre. Comme les champs
pétrolifères se multiplient, les fumées suintent
dans les cieux. Algues fleuries dans les lacs et
les cours d’eau. Neurotoxines suintait à partir des
bouteilles en plastique que nous avons utilisé
pour nourrir nos bébés. Un nuage d’étouffement
balayé sur la promesse de la prospérité à l’échelle
industrielle. Les glaciers ont commencé à fondre.
Les tornades ont touché le sol. Et il a commencé
à pleuvoir.
A crise da mudança climática está realmente
presente em nosso mundo atual. Como cristão, eu
olho para as Escrituras para ajudar a me orientar.
A Palavra que nos foi dada inclui as histórias de
perseverança e arrependimento que nós, como
povo de Deus temos compartilhado por milhares
de anos. E hoje, como eu refleti sobre as histórias
de Noé e Jonas, vejo neles uma nova revelação.
Um midrash climático. Convido vocês para ouvir
esta história.
Esta é a história de Noé, que ouviu e Jonas que
não ouviu. Durante sua vida, Noé teve a coragem
de ouvir a Deus. Sob a instrução de Deus, Noé
avisou os seus companheiros que uma mudança
de clima traria uma inundação catastrófica. Mas,
incapaz de mover os corações teimosos dos seres
humanos, Noé fez o que pôde. Ele construiu uma
arca, um barco salva-vidas. E com o aumento do
nível do mar, Noé trabalhou e orou para salvar
todos que ele podia.
Noé ouviu a Deus, mas um outro homem do mar,
Jonas, não fez o mesmo. Quando Deus apareceu
para dizer a Jonas para advertir os ninivitas para
parar suas práticas pecaminosas e destrutivas,
Jonas se recusou. Quando Deus manifestou
preocupação com o povo e com todos os animais
que seriam destruídos, Jonas dobrou para baixo os
combustíveis fósseis. Jonas pulou no barco mais
próximo, acionou o motor de dois tempos, e foi
na direção oposta. Uma mancha oleosa arrastou
atrás dele.
Jonas não queria seguir o mandato de Deus “ama
o teu próximo. ‘Jonas estava disposto a trazer
destruição para a sua própria vida, amaldiçoando a
si mesmo e as gerações futuras, ao invés de seguir
a dura realidade que Deus havia estabelecido.
Jonas escolheu desprezar seus vizinhos. “Deixe-os
perecer!”, Ele teimosamente declara. “Eu prefiro
morrer a ver o Senhor salvar esse povo.”
Hoje veio a público o movimento de mudança do
clima com a publicação do livro do Metodista Unido Bill McKibben, “O fim da Natureza.” Para os fins
deste Midrash, que faz dele o nosso Noé. O clamor
da catástrofe climática só é construído a partir daí.
A nossa era industrial, uma idade que esperava
que pudesse abençoar mesmo os nossos vizinhos
mais pobres com a promessa de mobilidade
ascendente e oportunidade tinha um lado escuro.
Como a multiplicação dos campos de petróleo,
fumos escorriam para os céus. Algas floresciam em
lagos e riachos. Neurotoxina escoavam das garrafas de plástico que usamos para alimentar nossos
bebês. Uma nuvem de asfixia varreu a promessa
de prosperidade em escala industrial. As geleiras
começaram a derreter. Os tornados. E começou a
chover.
Il a plu et plu. L’or noir jaillissait aussi haut que les
Choveu e choveu. Ouro negro jorro ao alto como
campos marrons penetrou em terra outrora
verde. Rios pegaram fogo e peixes morreram. A
inundação petroquímica foi inestancável. Rachel
Carson alertou para a vinda da primavera silenci-
continued on page 4
continued on page 4
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
The crisis of climate change is present and real
in our world right now. As a Christian, I look to
Scripture to help and guide me. The Word given
to us includes the stories of perseverance and
repentance that we as God’s people have shared
together for thousands of years. And today as I
reflect on the stories of Noah and Jonah, I see in
them a new telling. A climate midrash. I invite you
to hear this story.
This is the story of Noah who listened and Jonah
who did not. During Noah’s lifetime, Noah had the
courage to listen to God. Under God’s instruction,
Noah warned his fellow humans that a change
of climate would bring catastrophic flood. But,
unable to budge the stubborn hearts of human
beings, Noah did what he could. He built an ark, a
lifeboat. And as the sea levels rose, Noah worked
and prayed to save as many as he could.
Noah listened to God, but another seafaring man,
Jonah, did not. When God showed up to tell Jonah
to warn the Ninevites to stop their sinful and destructive ways, Jonah refused. When God expressed
concern for the people and all the animals headed
for destruction, Jonah doubled down on fossil
fuels. Jonah hopped the closest boat, cranked the
two stroke engine, and headed in the opposite
direction. An oily slick trailed behind him.
Jonah did not want to follow God’s mandate
‘love your neighbor.’ Jonah was willing to bring
calamity to his own life, cursing both himself and
future generations, rather than follow the tough
reality God had set down. Jonah chose to despise
his neighbors. ‘Let them perish!’ he stubbornly
declares. ‘I’d rather die myself than see those
people saved.’
Today’s climate change movement went public
with the publication of United Methodist Bill
McKibben’s book The End of Nature. For the purposes of this midrash, that makes him our Noah.
The hue and cry of climate catastrophe only built
from there. Our industrial age, an age we hoped
might bless even our poorest neighbors with
the promise of upward mobility and opportunity
had a dark side. As the oilfields multiplied, fumes
oozed into the heavens. Algae bloomed in lakes
and streams. Neurotoxins seeped from the plastic
bottles that we used to feed our babies. A choking
cloud swept over the promise of prosperity on an
industrial scale. The glaciers began to melt. The
tornadoes touched down. And it began to rain.
It rained and rained. Black gold spouted on high
as brown fields crept across once-green earth.
Rivers caught fire and fish died. The petrochemical
flood was unstaunchable. Rachel Carson warned
of the coming Silent Spring, of mass extinction. We
see now a wet, warming earth. And the Jonahs will
not look. The Johahs cry: drill, baby, drill!
Under Jonah’s watch, the oceans filled with
plastics—millions of metric tons each year. Under
Jonah’s watch, the refineries and extraction apparatus of Nineveh continued to pump and churn
continued on page 4
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
3
champs bruns se glissaient à travers la terre une
fois vert. Les rivières ont pris feu et les poissons
sont morts. L’inondation de la pétrochimie était
unstaunchable. Rachel Carson a mis en garde le
la venue de Silence Printemps, de l’extinction de
masse. Nous voyons maintenant un humide, le
réchauffement de la terre. Et le Jonah ne cherchera pas. Bébé Le Johan, percer!
Sous la surveillance de Jonas, les océans remplis
de plastique - des millions de tonnes chaque
année. Sous la surveillance de Jonas, les raffineries
et l’extraction appareil de Ninive a continué à
pomper et baratter et brûler. Sous la surveillance
de Jonas, les rivières sont mortes et les trains
de charbon roulées et les pétroliers renversé
leur nappe de pétrol, qui fait malades et tuer les
oiseaux, les plantes, les poissons et les gens de la
même manière. Sous la surveillance de Jonas, Ninive serait laissé à cracher et à pomper et à mourir.
Jonah tourné le dos à ses voisins. Non seulement
ses voisins, mais aux générations futures. Jonas
tourné le dos à Dieu.
Tu peux courir mais tu ne peux pas te cacher. Les
tempêtes climatiques continuent d’augmenter.
Jonas a sauté dans un navire pour échapper aux
vagues de l’océan, mais il ne pouvait pas échapper
à la honte de sa vérité, son entement ne pouvait
pas l’aider. Il ne serait pas agi. Il préférerait mourir.
Dans une manœuvre qui en dit long sur qui et ce
que Dieu aime, quand Jonas ne veut pas écouter,
Dieu appelle la baleine. C’est par puissance de la
baleine que Dieu appelle Jonas à se repentir. Dieu
dit à Jonas, va avertir la ville. Dieu dit, donc, allez !
Car il y a des enfants en jeu, il y a des générations
en jeu, si vous n’agissez pas les gens vont mourir,
et leurs animaux, aussi bien. Et dans le ventre de
la baleine, Jonas radoucit finalement. Il est vomi
sur le rivage et il a saisi de mentir à bout, non pas
sur, sable doré baignée ou baigner le soleil, mais
sur les tas d’ordures en plastique rejetés sur la
plage. Ne soyez pas comme Jonas. Soyez comme
Noé.
Jonas a couru, mais Noah écoutait. Parce qu’il y
avait Noé il y avait un Daniel pour voir l’écriture
sur le mur. Noah agit pour préserver la vie. Noah
départit de combustibles fossiles. Il construit une
arche. Il travaille pour sauver tous les animaux
qu’il peut. Il travaille pour préserver un avenir
pour les êtres humains. Il établit une nouvelle
et durable alliance avec Dieu. À moins que nous
écoutassions et tournons vers Dieu, à moins
que nous aimions assez notre voisin d’agir pour
préserver leurs maisons et leurs moyens de subsistance et un avenir pour leurs enfants, à moins
que nous trouvions un moyen de se départir
des combustibles fossiles, pour construire cette
embarcation de sauvetage et de sauver autant
de personnes et les animaux que nous pouvons,
si nous le faisons, nous ne pouvons pas marcher
sur le chemin de la vie que Dieu nous appelle à.
Nous allons plutôt marcher dans celui de la mort.
La pluie tombe. Les côtes sont inondes. Tourner, ô
peuple de Ninive, et soyer sauvé.
osa, da extinção em massa. Vemos agora molhada,
o aquecimento da terra. E o Jonas não vai olhar. O
choro de Jonas grito, broca, bebê, broca!
Sob o olhar de Jonas, os oceanos preenchidos com
plásticos de milhões de toneladas métricas por
ano. Sob o olhar de Jonas, o aparelho de refinarias
e de extração de Nínive continuou a bombear e
produzir e queimar. Sob o olhar de Jonas, os rios
morreram e os trens de carvão rolaram e os petroleiros derramaram sua mancha a adoecer e matar
pássaros, plantas, peixes e as pessoas da mesma
forma. No relógio de Jonas, Nínive seria deixado
para vomitar e morrer. Jonas virou as costas para
seus vizinhos. Não apenas seus vizinhos, mas para
as gerações futuras. Jonas virou as costas para
Deus.
Você pode correr, mas você não pode se esconder.
As tempestades climáticas vão continuar a subir.
Jonas pulou de um navio para escapar das ondas
do mar, mas ele não poderia escapar da vergonha
de sua verdade, que ele teimosamente não cedeu,
que teimosamente não quis olhar. Ele não agiu.
Ele preferiu morrer.
Em uma manobra que fala sobre volumes e sobre
quem, e o que Deus ama, quando Jonas não vai
ouvir, Deus chama a baleia. É por baleia-poder que
Deus chama Jonas ao arrependimento. Deus diz a
Jonas, ir e avisar a cidade. Deus diz: Por isso, vá!
Pois existem crianças que estão em jogo, se você
não agir as pessoas morrerão, e os seus animais,
também.
E no ventre da baleia, Jonas finalmente cede. Ele
foi vomitado na praia e deixado lá, não sobre a
areia dourada, mas sobre os montes de lixo plástico lavados para cima da praia.
Não seja como Jonas. Seja como Noé.
Jonas fugiu, mas Noé ouviu. Porque houve uma
Noé, havia um Daniel para ver a escrituras na
parede. Noé agiu para preservar a vida. Noé se
despojou de combustíveis fósseis. Ele construiu
uma arca. Ele trabalhou para salvar todos os
animais que pode. Ele trabalhou para preservar
o futuro para os seres humanos. Ele estabeleceu
uma aliança nova e duradoura com Deus.
Se ao menos nós ouvirmos e nos voltarmos para
Deus, se ao menos nos amarmos o nosso próximo
o suficiente para agir, para preservar seus lares e
meios de vida e um futuro para os seus filhos, se
não encontrarmos uma maneira de desfazer os
estragos causados pelos combustíveis fósseis, para
construir esse barco salva-vidas e salvar tantas
pessoas e animais como nós podemos, se não fizermos isso, não podemos trilhar o caminho da vida
que Deus nos chama. Nós, ao contrário, estaremos
caminhando para a morte.
and frack and burn. Under Jonah’s watch, the rivers
died and the coal trains rolled and the oil tankers
spilled their slick to sicken and kill birds, plants,
fish, and people alike. On Jonah’s watch, Nineveh
would be left to spew and pump and die. Jonah
turned his back on his neighbors. Not just his
neighbors, but on future generations. Jonah turned
his back on God.
You can run but you cannot hide. The climate
storms continue rising. Jonah jumped a ship to
escape the ocean waves, but he could not escape
the shame of his truth, that he stubbornly would
not relent, that he stubbornly would not look. He
would not act. He would rather die.
In a maneuver that speaks volumes about who
and what God loves, when Jonah will not listen,
God calls the whale. It is by whale-power that
God calls Jonah to repent. God says to Jonah, go
and warn the city. God says, Therefore, go! For
there are children at stake, there are generations
at stake, if you do not act the people will die, and
their animals, as well.
And in the belly of the whale, Jonah finally relents.
He is vomited out onto the shore and left there to
lie gasping, not on golden, sun-kissed sand, but on
the heaps of plastic garbage washed up onto the
beach.
Don’t be like Jonah. Be like Noah.
Jonah ran, but Noah listened. Because there was
a Noah there was a Daniel to see the writing on
the wall. Noah acts to preserve life. Noah divests
of fossil fuels. He builds an ark. He works to save
every animal he can. He works to preserve a future
for human beings. He establishes a new and lasting covenant with God.
Unless we listen and turn to God, unless we love
our neighbor enough to act to preserve their
homes and livelihoods and a future for their
children, unless we find a way to divest from fossil
fuels, to build that lifeboat and save as many people and animals as we can, unless we do that, we
cannot walk the path of life that God calls us into.
We will instead be walking into death.
The rain is falling. The coastlines are flooding.
Turn, O ye of Nineveh, and be saved.
A chuva está caindo. Os litorais estão inundando.
Vire seus olhos para Nínive, e seja salvo.
Photo by Erica West.
4
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
Chanter, Danser et Crier dans
l’Oppression
Passando Pela Opressão Cantando, Dançando e Gritando
Singing, Dancing and Shouting
through Oppression
par Rev. Dr. Derrick Spiva
por Rev. Dr. Derrick Spiva
by Rev. Dr. Derrick Spiva
Depuis des générations, les indigènes des tous
continents ont la coutume de dépasser la tragédie,
l’injustice et l ‘oppression avec de la musique, de la
danse, et du chant.
Por gerações, os povos indígenas de todos os
continente tiveram uma prática de seguir em
frente depois várias tragédias, como a injustiça e a
opressão, através da música, dança e canto.
For generations, indigenous peoples on each
continent have had a practice of pushing through
various forms of tragedy, injustice and oppression
with music, dance, and chant.
Cela c’est vrai de ma chère amie et camarade de
l’UMC, Dr. T. (pas son nom complet parce qu’elle
travaille encore pour les droits des femmes
dans le Moyen Est). Elle a été recrutée par un
université saoudienne comme professeur et chef
du département pour des femmes royales qui
avaient récemment reçu l’accès a l’éducation
universitaire et qui étaient en train de trouver
leurs voix au milieu d’une société très oppressive.
C’est encore illégal dans le pays qu’une femme
conduise, soit élue á un poste gouvernemental,
ou même sorte en publique sans leur mari. Ce
m’est quand même difficile á imaginer une femme
plus indépendante, puissante, ou professionnelle
que Dr. T. Elle donne de l’éducation, de la lumière
et de l’encouragement aux femmes dans un des
pays le plus oppressive du monde, mais á grande
sacrifice. Le secret de survivre dans une ambiance
si hostile est d’émuler David dans la Bible : elle se
soutient l’esprit dans son temps libre en dansant
et chantant avec l’énergie. Elle m’a dit qu’écouter
et bouger aux chansons de ses artistes préférés
du rythme et blues lui aidaient á traverser les
périodes les plus éprouvantes de sa vie. Avec les
habitudes de la prière tranquille et la méditation,
elle croit que cela a été son outil le plus efficace
pour survivre les époques difficiles.
Isto é uma verdade para o minha querida amiga
e companheira Metodista Unida, Dr. T. (não é seu
nome completo, porque ela ainda está trabalhando pelos direitos das mulheres no Oriente Médio).
Ela foi contratada por uma grande universidade
na Arábia Saudita para servir como professora e
chefe do departamento das mulheres de famílias
reais que recentemente ganharam acesso ao ensino superior, tentando encontrar as vozes destas
mulheres em meio a uma sociedade extremamente opressiva. Ainda é ilegal para as mulheres
no país dirigir, ocupar cargos públicos, ou mesmo
sair em público sem seus maridos. No entanto,
é difícil para mim imaginar uma mulher, mais
independente, poderosa, e profissional do que Dr.
T. Com grande sacrifício, ela consegue contribuir
com educação, luz, amor e encorajamento para as
mulheres de um dos países mais opressivos do
planeta. O segredo para a sua sobrevivência, dado
um ambiente tão hostil, é se igualar a David na
Bíblia: ela encoraja-se no espírito com o tempo
pessoal, completa com sessões de dança e canto
selvagens. Ela me disse que ouvir e mover-se
como seus artistas favoritos de R & B a sustentou
por um dos períodos mais difíceis de sua vida.
Junto com oração silenciosa e meditação, ela
acredita que esta tem sido sua ferramenta mais
eficaz para sobreviver nestes tempos de provação
e tribulação.
This is true for my dear friend and fellow United
Methodist, Dr. T. (not her full name because she is
still working towards women’s rights in the Middle
East). She was recruited by a major University in
Saudi Arabia to serve as a professor and department chair for women of royal families who
recently gained access to higher education, finding
their voice in the midst of an extremely oppressive
society. It is still illegal for women in that country
to drive, hold public office, or even be out in public
without their husbands. Yet it is hard for me to
imagine a more independent, powerful, professional women than Dr. T. At great sacrifice, she
manages to contribute education, light, love, and
encouragement to the women of one of the most
oppressive countries on the planet. The secret to
her survival, given such a hostile environment, is to
emulate David in the bible: she encourages herself
in the spirit with personal time, complete with wild
dancing and singing sessions. She has told me that
listening and moving to her favorite R&B artists
carried her through the most challenging times of
her life. Along with quiet prayer and meditation, she
believes this has been her most effective tool in
surviving these times of trial and tribulation.
Le travail des frères Wesley a joué un rôle important dans le développement du mouvement de la
« Sainteté » et du Pentecôtisme. Ce mouvement
était basé sur le pouvoir libérant de chanter,
danser et crier dans l’esprit. Cette pratique a aidé
les gens å traverser les circonstances les plus
exigeantes.
Beaucoup plus tôt, les esclaves africains chantaient, faisait l’art de « appel et réponse » et criait
pour coordonner leur travail, se communiquer d’un
champ á l’autre, soutenir leurs esprits fatigués,
et faire des commentaires dur leurs maitres. Au
même temps, une autre forme de chanter (qui
avait une influence sur le développement du jazz)
était pratiqué dans le contexte de la glorification
et de la prière. Dans le « cri du cercle », une danse
inspirée des danses africaines, les danseurs chantaient, taper dans ses mains, et bougeaient dans
un cercle au moment où ils s’étaient parvenus à un
état de l’ectasie spirituelle. Les « spirituals », les
chansons de l’adoration exprimaient l’endurance
et aussi les croyances religieuses des esclaves.
Pendant ce temps présent de la réflexion, de la
transition et du changement, il y a quelques uns
que se sentent appelés à vivre la méditation tranquille et réflective. Ils vont jouer un rôle important
dans le résultat éventuel. Mais d’autres auront
besoin d’une expression plus émotionnel, une qui
va venir de la créativité et va les aider á laisser
tomber le stress en chantant, dansant et criant!
O trabalho e os textos dos irmãos Wesley desempenharam um papel de liderança no desenvolvimento do movimento de Santidade e Pentecostalismo. Este movimento foi baseado no poder
libertador do canto, dança e gritos no espírito. Ele
ajudou as pessoas a seguir em frente nas mais
difíceis circunstâncias.
Muitos anos antes, os escravos africanos cantaram,
exerceram chamadas e respostas, gritando para
coordenar seu trabalho e se comunicar uns com
os outros através dos campos adjacentes, reforçar
espíritos cansados, e comentar sobre a opressão
de seus senhores. Enquanto isso, outra forma de
“grito,” (que mais tarde influenciou o desenvolvimento do jazz) era praticado no contexto de
louvor e oração. Uma dança Africana de inspiração,
o “ring shout”, que consiste em dançarinos cantando, batendo palmas, e movendo-se em círculos
até chegar a um estado de êxtase espiritual. Para
os espiritualistas, a música de adoração, expressa
tanto a resistência escrava, quanto a crença religiosa. Escravos freqüentemente alteravam as letras dos cânticos espirituais para levar a esperança
de liberdade, ou para comemorar resistência...
The Wesley brothers’ work and writings played a
leading role in the development of the Holiness
movement and Pentecostalism. This movement was
based on the liberating power of singing, dancing
and shouting in the spirit. It helped people press
through the most difficult of circumstances.
Many years earlier, African slaves sang, practiced
call and response and hollering to coordinate
their labor, communicate with one another across
adjacent fields, bolster weary spirits, and comment
on the oppressiveness of their masters. Meanwhile,
another form of the “shout,” (which later influenced
the development of jazz) was practiced within the
context of praise and prayer. An African-inspired
dance, the “ring shout”, consisted of dancers singing,
clapping, and moving in a circular fashion until
reaching a state of spiritual ecstasy. Spirituals, the
music of worship, expressed both slave endurance
and religious belief. Slaves frequently altered the
lyrics of spirituals to carry the hope of freedom, or
to celebrate resistance.
During this time of church reflection, transition and
change, there are some who are called to live in
the world of quiet, reflective meditation. They will
play an important role in the outcome. But others
will need a livelier outlet for emotional expression
-- one that taps into creativity and reduces stress by
singing, dancing and shouting!
Durante este tempo de reflexão da igreja, de transição e mudança, há alguns que são chamados para viver no
mundo de calma e reflexiva meditação. Eles desempenharão um papel importante no resultado final. Mas outros
precisarão de uma experiência mais intensa e animada para expressão emocional - uma dose de criatividade que
reduz o estresse, cantando, dançando e gritando!
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
5
Photo by Ben Roe.
Are We There Yet?
by Ben Roe and Ann Craig
As we prepare to leave General Conference, we are exhausted. It is
difficult to say if we “won” or “lost.” Like four years ago, we feel like we
narrowly avoided a total splintering of the denomination. People on
both ends of the spectrum expected the church to melt down. In the end,
we learned a bit more about who our friends are.
After a series of marches and actions by the Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC), the General Conference voted to have the Council of Bishops
lead the church by bringing in a recommendation for action.
The next day, they presented a report with a recommendation to create
a Commission to examine all paragraphs in the United Methodist Book
of Discipline that relate to human sexuality. The Commission is to bring
in recommendations to a special General Conference to be held in two
or three years.
The bishops will appoint members of the Commission. In the press
conference immediately after the recommendation was presented to
the conference, Bishop Ough, the incoming President of the Council of
Bishops said, “This commission that we would form will be sure that all
voices are present.”
Despite efforts to call the vote out of order because it was a report, not
a motion, and another effort to say that we didn’t follow the rules for
actions with financial implications, the vote stood.
In Bishop Ough’s first address to the General Conference where he
said, “collectively we have a broken heart...This brokenness is centered
on matters of human sexuality, the interpretation of scripture, and the
inclusion of our LGBT brothers and sisters...The Council of Bishops is
committed to the unity of The United Methodist Church… a unity that
is not afraid of the church and is respectful of all. At the same time, we
remain open to new and innovative ways to be in unity.”
In a follow up press conference after presenting the bishop’s report and
recommdation, Bishop Ough called for deep conversations in spaces that
do not carry with them the possibility of recrimination and punishment.
He said, “The fear is that you can’t be honest with one another for fear
that someone will try to get you.”
For LGBTQI persons, those spaces don’t exist in this denomination and
can’t as long as the present rules are enforced. Gay, lesbian, bisexual,
queer, or even transgender or intersex clergy who come out in this
climate risk losing their credentials and their livelihoods. That is the
6
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
very definition of oppression. And LGBTQI persons are the only persons
who are singled out by the language of “incompatible with Christian
teaching.” Transgender pastors may be accepted at first but they are
often assigned toxic congregations—and if they make something of the
congregation, they are not encouraged.
Openly LGBTQI clergy voices can only be heard if there is a moratorium
on the “gotchas” for LGBTQI clergy built into the current language that
is condemning, restrictive, and punitive. Otherwise the conversations
about LGBTQI people and human sexuality cannot have integrity, depth,
and honesty. The Commission could model a more true, honest and even
holy dialogue about human sexuality. These conversations shared with
humility and honesty about fears, vulnerabilities, and experiences could
provide a new path where the Holy Spirit can break through.
ACTION: Please write to Bishop Ough as President of the Council of
Bishops to urge him to:
Appoint an Affirmation leader to the Commission
Appoint an African LGBTQI person of faith
Appoint an openly gay clergy
Appoint an openly transgender clergyperson
So, the answer to the question, “Are we there yet?” is “no,” but we on our
way. We will go together with newfound friends and perhaps a deeper
faith.
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
How Criticizing Tactics can be a
Form of Privilege
by Erica West, undergraduate at William and Mary, and Rev. Kelly Turney,
New England Annual Conference
The call for those who are oppressed to apologize when
they offend those in power is a familiar one. As in, “I’m
with you in theory but your lack of civility is hurting your
cause.” Or “I think you should apologize for interrupting
the proceedings.” It can be uncomfortable to acknowledge how systems of power (and those who act unconsciously as part of these systems) suppress the efforts of
the minority to be heard.
For those who benefit from these systems, it can be
difficult to understand the oppression of those outside
of them, how the actions of those in power might be
perceived differently, or how those without power can
access these systems.
It is the work of those who want to ally their actions
with the minority to listen and learn and to stand behind
those speaking out for justice. Those who would support
the cause of the oppressed should caution themselves
against immediately questioning tactics of those who
challenge dominant worldviews.
As a general rule, those who are oppressed do not
need to apologize to those in power for they way the
oppressed point out a misuse of power.
If you feel yourself bristling at the strategies
of people on the margin who are calling attention to their oppression, pause to consider
how the systems they are protesting have
benefitted you. If you hear yourself using
phrases like these to describe direct actions
: “rude,” “inappropriate,” “hurting the cause,”
“disrespectful to authority,” “dishonors the process,” you might want to ask yourself how your
position of privilege within the system affects
your perception.
To aid in your understanding, you could attend a
non-violence, anti-racism or other ally training event
designed to help you recognize your privilege. You could
also research the history of oppressed people and how
their efforts to assert power have historically been
labeled “impolite,” “offensive,” “out of order,” “not nice,” and
“untimely” as a way of shutting them down. As a starting
point, you could re-read the “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. which
calls attention to the complacency of progressive white
clergy and self-avowed allies in the movement: “We
know through painful experience that freedom is never
voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” As you may also recall, in this the
same letter the quote “injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere” appears.
Criticizing the oppressed for their tactics makes you part
of the system oppressing them. If you feel yourself getting defensive when someone points out the way your
actions serve to support the system, you might breathe,
count to ten (or 20), offer gratitude for this new awareness of privilege, and recommit yourself to act as an ally.
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
7
Getting Played for the Okey-Doke
by Dr. Julie Todd
I learned this phrase from our Soulforce nonviolence trainer Haven Herrin.
“Getting played for the okey-doke” means that when you are on the brink
of real possibility for resistance and transformation, institutional power
responds by poking a hole in the fully drawn sail that is catching the winds
of change and building momentum. The wind comes out of the sail and the
momentum for change is lost. That is what happened to us yesterday. We got
played for the okey-doke.
The passage of the bishops’ not-unanimous proposal, “An Offering For a Way
Forward,” surprised our movement for LGBTQ justice and inclusion. It poked a
hole in the sail. It was disorienting because we never win any votes.
Some claimed it as a victory, a step in the right direction. I didn’t see it that
way. To me, in that moment, we lost some of our collective outrage at the
pain of so many years of exclusion and struggle. We ate the crumbs thrown
on the floor of GC.
This is not to say that what happened was not important. Certainly our pressure before and during GC has prevented worse legislation for LGBTQ United
Methodists and their allies from coming before the General Conference for a
vote. Votes we would have lost. The collective resistance of our entire movement brought us to this moment. It is good to celebrate that we are a force
to be reckoned with. But we need to be clear that we have not won.
The status quo of categorical discrimination against LGBTQ persons remains
in The Book of Discipline. Nothing has changed. The last paragraph of the
bishops’ Offering read, “We will continue to explore options to help the
church live in grace with one another – including ways to avoid further
complaints, trials and harm while we uphold the Discipline.
Our movement seems to be focusing on the first part of this sentence and ignoring the second part. The original draft of this statement from the bishops
did not include these last words. Early in the morning, these words entered
this document as an official part of this statement. Bishops who choose to
pursue complaints and charges against LGBTQ folks and their allies will continue to do so. Bishops who choose to avoid charges and complaints instead
of taking a risk to challenge the status quo will continue to do so.
The report was received by the General Conference, but was not approved.
So here we are again. The events of yesterday caused us to believe that some
positive change took place. Yet The Book of Discipline remains the same.
The perceived yet delusional feeling of victory poked a hole in the winds of
creative tension and resistance that were mounting in the plenary yesterday.
We could have pushed for more. We could have rejected their crumbs. We got
played for the okey-doke.
Now we hear progressive voices believing there is a real shift in the
institution, signaling hope that justice for LGBTQ folks is possible through
this Commission. We hear that our bishops should be applauded for their
leadership. We hear that the acceptance of LGBTQ candidates and the end of
church trials is on the way.
Having traveled around the country with Love Prevails these last four years
to Disrupt the Council of Bishops’ and Connectional Table meetings, I can
report that the dysfunction, fear and lack of leadership on display at General
Conference is replicated at these meetings.
The problem is the failure of moral courage of progressive United Methodists, bishops and others, to challenge the status quo. The Council of Bishops
is a disaster. They are neither willing nor able to act quickly or decisively
on mundane matters, much less the matters of justice. This will not change
with this Commission. The assumption of personal and collective integrity is
mistaken.
Simply speaking, the order and peace of the institution is prioritized over justice for LGBTQ people. The painful truth of the matter is that they just don’t
care that much. When they demonstrate care, it is because we have cajoled
and forced them to do so. That is my testimony.
I am angry with myself because in the moment that the bishops’ proposal
passed, I got played for the okey-doke. The wind came out of my own sails.
I did not know how to feel or to act. I temporarily gave away my power and
outrage. Now I have repaired the tear in my own sail.
I have heard many liberals say that they are prepared to force the issue for
the next four years. They say they are ready create continued pressure, commit to hold our bishops accountable, and disrupt the ongoing unjust status
quo. I hope to see people in this movement repairing and raising their sails.
Otherwise, we will have truly and lastingly been played for the okey-doke.
We have been played for the okey-doke. Our belief in the system, that those
entrusted with power have integrity and will act for good over against the
maintenance of the institution, poked a hole in the sails of change. Our progressive movement is delusional if we believe that either this Commission or
our Bishops will function to serve the well-being of LGBTQ people, much less
serve that which makes for justice.
Recall that in 1988, the General Conference created the Committee to Study
Homosexuality, which made very strong suggestions for LGBTQ justice and
inclusion to the 1992 General Conference. This history can be found at http://
www.religioustolerance.org/hom_umc6.htm. The committee reached consensus on a number of items related to Scripture, the health and wholeness of
both same-gender sexual orientation, and same-gender marriage. A majority
report recommended the following:
“The present state of knowledge and insight in the biblical, theological,
ethical, biological, psychological, and sociological fields does not provide
a satisfactory basis upon which the church can responsibly maintain the
condemnation of all homosexual practice.”
8
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
How Biblical Obedience is Helping
LGBTQ Persons Reclaim the Bible
by Matt Berryman
The struggle to end discrimination in The UMC has now reached a critical
moment as more and more United Methodists are responding to the call for
Biblical Obedience—a powerful LGBTQ reclaiming of the Bible and a call for
faithful United Methodists to ordain queer clergy, marry same-sex couples,
and stand in strong solidarity on behalf of the vulnerable and outcast.
Since the last General Conference in 2012, Biblical Obedience has repeatedly
affirmed LGBTQ dignity and inclusion. As the great retired United Methodist bishop Mel Talbert has boldly proclaimed: “God has already settled this
matter.” As a result, Biblical Obedience demands that we take action, that our
movement become the church’s version of civil disobedience.
In truth, the Bible has been fundamentally misread, mistreated, and misused
to oppress minorities instead of lifting up disenfranchised members of our
church. We see that, in spite of the beauty of Christ and of Christianity, Christian history is dominated by a single interpretation of scripture established
by those in power that excludes, dehumanizes, and is often violent toward
those who do not fit the mold. We lament that well-meaning people often
internalize these storylines and unwittingly become part of the injustice.
United Methodist clergy are marrying qualified persons of the same-sex even
when at risk. More and more LGBTQ persons are being passed through the
ordination process demonstrating a new and increasing commitment on the
part of many to do the right thing in spite of un-Christian church policies
and attitudes.
Finally, we believe that the Bible, not unlike the great literary and narrative
achievements of human history, deserves every bit as much study, attention,
care, and caution even, in order to probe the depths of so great a mystery as
God. Today, even in the face of ongoing discrimination, many of us find that
our deepening faith, our deepening commitment, and our deepening discipleship is informed, strengthened, and founded upon the great story of God’s
unfailing love for all that is, and in particular, LGBTQ people.
Because of the strong faithful response of Biblical Obedience, the discriminatory policies and practices of The UMC are breaking-down by the grace of
loving God who cannot abide injustice. Let us remember that no matter what
the institution says or does, that God always has the final word—God always
wins.
Biblical Obedience calls us more deeply into God’s word and therefore more
deeply into the beauty of our own authenticity, our own sense of queer pride
and confidence as children of God, and toward a greater resolve to oppose
any so-called Christian perspectives that cannot behold and celebrate LGBTQ
persons.
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
9
Les Dîners
Festas de Jantar
Dinner Parties
par Anne Kayser
por Anne Kayser
by Anne Kayser
“Jour après jour, comme ils ont passé beaucoup de
temps ensemble dans le temple, ils rompaient le
pain de maison en maison et mangeaient leur nourriture avec joie et généreux, louant Dieu, et ayant la
bonne volonté de toutes les personnes.» (Actes 2:46,
TOB)
Todos os dias, continuavam a reunir-se no pátio do
templo. Partiam o pão em suas casas, e juntos participavam das refeições, com alegria e sinceridade
de coração. (Atos 2:46 NVI-PT)
“Day by day, as they spent much time together
in the temple, they broke bread from house
to house and ate their food with glad and
generous hearts, praising God and having the
goodwill of all the people.” (Acts 2:46, NRSV)
Dans ma famille, quand vous voulez apprendre à
connaître les gens et comment ils pensent, vous vous
asseyez et mangez ensemble. Voilà exactement ce
que nous faisons.
Alors, quand révérend Richard Bentley, le pasteur
responsable de l’hospitalité internationale pour La
Coalition Aimez Votre Voisin (LYNC), a déclaré que
les délégués internationaux ont jamais été invités
à des dîners dans les maisons des gens pendant
la Conférence Générale avant, j’ai demandé ...
sérieusement? Pourquoi pas? Pourquoi ne pas vous
asseoir et manger ensemble afin que nous puissions
commencer à apprendre à se connaître les uns les
autres - comme les gens?
Bien, pour une chose, il est compliqué. Il y a de nombreux hôtes disposés ici à Portland, et de nombreux
délégués internationaux désireux d’aller à un dîner
dans la maison de quelqu’un. Mais la communication
avec chacun d’eux - et en organisant des interprètes
pour les aider à communiquer les uns avec les autres
- a été une grande tâche. Volontaires Anne Mund et
Fran Smith ont mené l’effort de faire correspondre
les invités, les hôtes et les traducteurs pour les
dîners tout au long de la Conférence Générale.
Il y a beaucoup de travail, mais les fruits du travail
ont été doux. 68 délégués internationaux ont été à
des dîners avec des familles d’accueil autour de la
région métropolitaine de Portland. Voilà près de 20%
de tous les délégués internationaux à la Conférence
générale!
Formateurs de compétence culturelle Kristina Gonzales et le révérend Dr Derrick Spiva avaient conseillé
aux hôtes de se concentrer sur l’établissement de
relations, le partage de la foi, et l’apprentissage sur
les questions qui sont importantes pour nos frères et
sœurs de loin. Le point de ces dîners n’a pas été pour
faire le lobbying – en fait, nous avons été conseillé
de ne pas discuter des préoccupations controversées
telles que les droits LGBTQI. Au lieu de cela, notre
objectif était d’établir des relations. Il se trouve que
beaucoup de nos invités ont été marginalisés historiquement, et peuvent se rapporter de cette façon à
la mission de LYNC d’inclusion.
Un groupe de délégués du Mozambique est arrivé
à notre maison il y a quelques nuits pour le dîner,
et ils nous ont accueillis avec des chants. Mon fils
autiste, Tom, allumé alors qu’il regardait et écoutait
nos visiteurs, et il a commencé à danser à leur
chanson. Beaucoup de rires accompagnaient le repas
à l’extérieur sur notre terrasse. Comme nous l’avons
fini de manger nos invités me fit signe de se lever
et permute mon tablier pour une belle “capulana”
(enveloppe traditionnelle de leur pays). La bonté et
la bonne volonté passé entre nous tous au cours de
notre soirée ensemble.
Na minha família, quando você quer conhecer uma
pessoa e saber como elas pensam, nos sentamos e
comem juntos. Isso é o que fazemos.
Então, quando Rev. Richard Bentley, o pastor
encarregado de hospitalidade internacional da
Coligação Ame o Próximo (LYNC), disse que os
delegados internacionais nunca tinham sido convidados para jantarem nas casas das pessoas durante a Conferência Geral, eu perguntei ...é sério?
Por que não? Por que não sentarmos e comermos
juntos para que possamos começar a conhecer uns
aos outros - como pessoas?
Bom, primeira coisa, é complicado. Há muitos
anfitriões dispostos aqui em Portland, e muitos
delegados internacionais ansiosos para ir a um
jantar na casa de alguém. Mas a comunicação com
todos eles - e organizar intérpretes para ajudálos a se comunicar uns com os outros - tem sido
uma grande tarefa. Os voluntários Anne Mund e
Fran Smith lideraram esforços para combinar os
hóspedes com os hospedeiros e tradutores para
jantares ao longo da Conferência Geral.
É muito trabalho, mas os frutos do trabalho tem
sido doce. 68 delegados internacionais foram para
jantares em casas de famílias ao redor da área do
metropolitana de Portland. Isso é quase 20% de
todos os delegados internacionais na Conferência
Geral!
Os educadores de Competência Cultural Kristina
Gonzales e Rev. Dr. Derrick Spiva tinham aconselhado os anfitriões para se concentrarem na
formação de relacionamentos através do compartilho de fé, e aprendizado sobre as questões
que são importantes para os nossos irmãos e
irmãs de longe. O objetivo destes jantares não era
lobbying-- na verdade, fomos aconselhados a não
discutir assuntos controversos, tais como direitos
LGBTQI. Ao invés disso, nosso objetivo era formar
relacionamentos. Acontece que muitos dos nossos
hóspedes foram marginalizados historicamente, e
por isso podem se relacionar a missão de inclusão
da LYNC.
Algumas noites atrás, um grupo de delegados
de Moçambique chegaram em nossa casa para o
jantar, eles nos cumprimentaram cantando. Tom,
meu filho autista, se iluminou quando viu e ouviu
os nossos visitantes e começou a dançar a música
que eles fizeram. Muitos risos e alegria acompanhou a refeição que fizemos no pátio de fora.
Quando acabamos de comer, os nossos hóspedes
fizeram um sinal para eu levantar e trocar o meu
avental para uma linda capulana [saia tradicional
do seu país]. Bondade e boa vontade passaram
entre todos durante a nossa noite.
Un des délégués internationaux avec lesquels je dîné
plus tard dans la semaine partagée avec moi que
Um dos delegados internacionais com quem eu
jantei no final da semana, compartilhou comigo
que quatro de seus cinco filhos haviam morrido.
Sentada ao lado do meu filho Tom, eu só podia
começar a imaginar a magnitude de tais perdas.
continued on page 11
continued on page 11
10
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
In my family, when you want to get to know
people and how they think, you sit down and
eat together. That’s just what we do.
So when Rev. Richard Bentley, the pastor in
charge of international hospitality for the
Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC), said
that international delegates had never been
invited to dinner parties in people’s homes
during General Conference before, I asked…
seriously? Why not? Why not sit down and
eat together so we can start to get to know
each other – as people?
Well, for one thing, it’s complicated. There
are many willing hosts here in Portland, and
many international delegates eager to go to
a dinner party in someone’s home. But communicating with all of them – and arranging
for interpreters to help them communicate
with each other – has been a big task. Volunteers Anne Mund and Fran Smith have been
leading the effort to match up guests, hosts
and translators for dinner parties throughout
General Conference.
It’s a lot of work, but the fruits of the labor
have been sweet. 68 international delegates have been to dinner parties with host
families around the Portland Metro Area.
That’s almost 20% of all the international
delegates to General Conference!
Cultural Competency trainers Kristina Gonzales and Rev. Dr. Derrick Spiva had advised
hosts to focus on building relationships,
sharing faith, and learning about the issues
that are important to our brothers and
sisters from afar. The point of these dinners
was not lobbying-- in fact, we were advised
not to discuss controversial issues such as
LGBTQI rights. Instead, our goal was to build
relationships. It turns out that many of our
guests have been marginalized historically,
and can relate in that way to LYNC’s mission
of inclusivity.
A bunch of delegates from Mozambique
arrived at our home a few nights ago for
dinner, and they greeted us with singing.
My autistic son, Tom, lit up as he watched
and listened to our visitors, and he began to
dance to their song. Much laughter accompanied the meal outside on our deck. As we
finished eating our guests motioned for me
to stand up and swap my apron for a lovely
traditional wrap from their country. Kindness
and goodwill passed between us all during
our evening together.
One of the international delegates with
whom I dined later in the week shared with
me that four of her five sons had died. Sitting next to my son Tom, I could only begin
continued on page 11
quatre de ses cinq fils étaient morts. Assis à côté de
mon fils Tom, je ne pouvais commencer à imaginer
l’ampleur de cette perte. Mes yeux piquaient comme
je l’ai essayé de le prendre. Je compris à un niveau
plus profond que j’avais avant pourquoi les questions
qui semblent au cœur de ceux d’entre nous dans
le Nord-Ouest ne sont pas le même poids et de
l’urgence à ceux dont les terres sont ravagées par la
guerre et maladie. Mais à la base, je pense que chacun d’entre nous sont à la recherche de compassion
les uns des autres, et que je lui ai offert ce que je
pouvais à cette mère en deuil, je sentais son réfléchir
de nouveau à moi et mon propre fils.
Manger ensemble ne résout pas les désaccords
profonds; en fait, beaucoup d’entre nous savent de
première main qu’il est souvent plus difficile à obtenir avec les gens que nous vivons et manger avec
régulièrement! Mais il y a quelque chose de sacré assis intentionnellement vers le bas pour un repas avec
des gens qui voient le monde à travers des lentilles
très différentes de la nôtre. Je pense à lui comme un
petit pas vers l’unité.
Meus olhos ardiam enquanto eu tentava ouvi-la.
Eu percebi em um nível mais profundo, que
as questões que parecem central para nós do
noroeste não têm o mesmo peso e urgência para
aqueles cujas terras são devastadas pela guerra
e doença. Mas no fundo, eu acho que todos nós
estamos buscando compaixão uns dos outros, e
enquanto eu ofereci o que pude para esta mãe de
luto, senti que ela refletiu de volta para mim e a
meu próprio filho.
Comermos juntos não resolve desacordos
profundos; na verdade, muitos de nós sabemos
por experiência própria que muitas vezes é mais
difícil se dar bem com as pessoas que vivemos
e comemos juntos regularmente! Mas há algo
intencionalmente sagrado em sentar para uma
refeição com pessoas que enxergam o mundo com
outros olhos. Penso que isso é um pequeno passo
em direção à nossa união.
A Big Thanks!
Affirmation
Black Methodists for Church Renewal
Fossil Free UMC
Love Prevails
MARCHA: Metodistas Asociados Representando la Causa Hispano-Americanos
Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA)
Methodists in New Directions (MIND)
National Federation of Asian American United Methodists (NFAAUM)
Native American International Caucus (NAIC)
Pacific Islanders Caucus of United Methodists (PINCUM)
Reconciling Ministries Network
United Methodist Association of Ministers with Disabilities
Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM)
The Love Your Neighbor Coalition also thanks its 350+ volunteers who donated
their time and talent to the movement during General Conference 2016. This
coalition would not exist without you.
Special thanks to the communications team for creating our magazine!
Regular contributors: Rev. Dr. Derrick Spiva, Rev. Bea Fraser-Soots, Rev. Kelly
Turney, Erica West, Ben Roe, Anne Kayser, Elyse Ambrose, Jarell Wilson, Rev. Jeremy
Smith, Joshua Culbertson, and Kevin Raines
Web/Social Media: Jennifer Southworth, Rev. Bruce Lamb, Scott Spencer, Trina
Bose, and Michael Cobb
Mission Control: Susan Stouffer, Sharon Tool
Translators: Alex de Silva Souto, Daniel Viana, Ivan Milosi, and Caleb Mbaz
Editors: Ben Roe, Anne Kayser
Layout and Design: Lindi Lewis, Ben Weger, Liz Donovan
Media Consultant: Ann Craig
Eating together doesn’t resolve deep disagreements; in fact, many of us know firsthand that it’s often hardest to get along with
the people we live and eat with regularly!
But there is something sacred about intentionally sitting down to a meal with people
who see the world through very different
lenses from our own. I think of it as a small
step toward unity.
Letter from the Editor
The Love Your Neighbor Coalition would like to thank its 13 partner organizations and their representatives who sit on LYNC’s leadership team. Thank you for
your support of the coalition and of each other. Over the course of General Conference, we have become more intersectional in our work. We still have a long
way to go, but it’s been a beautiful thing to see! Thank you for not running away
from tough conversations. Thank you for being honest and building trust.
Photographers: Dave Jerde, Erica West, Dan Vock, Jim Quinn, and Ed Hoar
to imagine the magnitude of such loss. My
eyes stung as I tried to take it in. I realized
at a deeper level than I had before why
issues that seem central to those of us in
the Northwest do not have the same weight
and urgency to those whose homelands are
ravaged by war and disease. But at the core,
I think all of us are seeking compassion from
one another, and as I offered what I could to
this grieving mother, I felt her reflect it back
to me and my own son.
Dear Readers,
I had a dinner conversation last week with a defense attorney who’s spent
her entire career advocating for people threatened with the death penalty.
She described one man who, during a bad cocaine trip, had murdered his own
mother. The attorney’s work had spared his life, and if he’d been able to admit
to the crime, he would have gotten a twenty-year sentence. The evidence was
overwhelmingly clear. But he couldn’t do it. He got up on the witness stand
and could not say the words, “I killed my mother.” So his sentence became life
in prison.
When we can’t admit what we’ve done wrong, it makes everything worse.
That’s part of why we, as a coalition, are here: to be truth tellers. We stand in
the courtroom of public opinion and declare that our church is complicit in a
great deal of harm to a great number of people.
I asked my attorney friend if it was hard to advocate for dangerous criminals to
have shorter sentences. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “We’re all
better than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”
I hope that the UMC is better than the worst thing it’s ever done. Our church
has done some pretty terrible things-- from the theological imperialism of our
early missionaries, to schism over slavery in 1844, to complicity in the Sand
Creek Massacre in 1864, to prohibiting women’s ordination until 1968, to the
way we still discriminate against LGBTQI people.
“We’re all better than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” Is this as true for
institutions as it is for people? Are groups of people worse together, or better
together? Results are mixed, and I’m not sure what the secret sauce is. I’ll go
out on a limb and say that I think our delegates to General Conference are
often worse together. But our amazing volunteers who packed the Tabernacle
each night, singing for their lives, seemed better together.
Thank you for being truth tellers and hope bringers.
Sincerely,
Julia Frisbie
Editor-in-Chief
More photos at djerde.smugmug.com
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
11
The many faces of
General Conference!
Photos by Dan Vock, Erica West and Jim Quinn.
12
WWW.LYNCOALITION.ORG
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR COALITION
100% recycled paper.