The Los Angeles Riots happened twenty years ago on April 29, 1992. I was living in Los Angeles at that time and I remembered not only the non-stop media coverage, but also the sight (the smoke in the sky), the sound (the siren of the police cars and fire trucks) and the smell (burning plastic) of that day and the days after. I remembered most vividly the feeling of being torn between the compassion for the anger that people felt and the dismay at the disturbing destructive behaviors.
In retrospect, I now see that the underlying cause was an unsustainable community. In the United States, we were taught that we are all equal and each individual has inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But for many trying to survive in unsustainable communities, where resources were not flowing, we heard the immediate rebuke: BUT NOT FOR ME. “Look, we got solid proof this time – the video tape of the beating of Rodney King by the four policemen (Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseno) – and yet we still don’t have justice! The system acquitted them!” The anger, for many, translated into: lets take what we can get now because we will never get our share no matter how hard we try.
The destruction and looting by people who lived in the same neighborhood indicated to me that people were not connected. If they had real relationships with their neighbors, they would not be stealing and destroying their properties. Not only were they not connected with one another, they were not connected with the source of sustainism -- the belief in the abundance of creation to provide for all. A sustainist believes that if we share what we have, there will be enough to feed everyone, to shelter everyone and to enable everyone to live a productive, happy life. By not being connected, they were like branches being cut from the vine – dried up and ready to burn when the spark of anger flew.
As I commemorate this tragic event that happened 20 years ago, I am reminded of the danger of disconnection—the deficiency of the currency of relationship. As a sustainist, I must reaffirm that my work and ministry must include creating networks locally and globally so that the people are connected to each other through love and compassion and mutual respect and more importantly, using the currency of relationship they developed, they may tap into the flow of the abundant sources for life by creating a time and place where they speak truth to each other and the system, and foster social, economic, spiritual and ecological wellness.
Invite members of your community to gather and explore ways to develop currency of relationship:
Invite participants to brainstorm on what they can do to create events (a time and a place) in which people in their community can establish meaning respectful relationships among residents, businesses, civic organizations, etc. Here are some ideas to start: a community festival, a community video festival with discussion, a work party to beautify the neighborhood, emergency preparedness seminars, health fair, etc.
As a group, select 3 ideas and divide into 3 small groups; each group takes on one of the ideas and flush out more details and create an action-plan for the event.
Invite each group to report.
Invite participants to consider: As result of this exploration, what am I called to do?
Reflection Questions for 5th Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Acts 8:26-40 What did you learn from this story about being missional?
Psalm 22-24-30 How does this psalm inform you of your of God?
1 John 4:7-21 What did you learn from this text about being part of God’s network?
John 15:1-8 How do we connect with each other and with God?
Eric H. F. Law Kaleidoscope Institute For competent leadership in a diverse changing world www.kscopeinstitute.org
Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist:
May 4-5, 2012 Missional Ministry in the Grace Margin Houston, TX
May 7-11, 2012 Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community Trinity Conference Center, West Cornwall, CT
Psalm 23 is one the most famous piece of Hebrew scripture. It has been used in many funeral and memorial services. Many composers have set this text to music. It begins:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
The image of God as a shepherd might have been a common idea when the psalm was composed. Perhaps, many who sang this psalm were shepherds themselves or they would know a real shepherd in their daily life. But for today, how many of us really know a real shepherd? So, the image of God as the shepherd can be quite foreign for us today.
As I read the psalm trying to capture the relationship between God and her people, I realize that this relationship is quite simple.
He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
A shepherd knows where the green pastures and sources of water are (sustenance for the sheep) and lead the sheep to these sources.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; for you are with me . . .
A shepherd provides a safe environment so that the sheep do not live in fear of scarcity but in the assurance of abundance.
… my cup is running over.
In other words, the shepherd is a sustainist leader.
A sustainist leader knows the needs of people in the community. A sustainist leader knows from where the resources for wellness flow. A sustainist leader enables the people to connect, utilize and benefit from these sources. A sustainist protects the people in the community from harm, assuring them that there is an abundance of resources that can feed everyone spiritually, physically, socially and economically.
Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life . . .
Invite members of your community to gather and explore being sustainist leaders in your community:
Invite participants to form 4 small groups. Each group is given one of the following topics:
Physical Wellness
Spiritual Wellness
Social Wellness
Economic Wellness
Invite each group to explore where in their community are the resources for its topic.
Invite each group to report.
Invite participants to consider: How can they use their influence to enable people to connect, utilize and benefit from these sources of wellness
Reflection Questions for 4th Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Acts 4:5-12 What did you learn from this text about healing and wellness?
Psalm 23 How do goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life?
1 John 3:16-24 What does it mean to love one another in truth and action?
John 10:10-11-18 What does this passage teach you about leadership?
Eric H. F. Law Kaleidoscope Institute For competent leadership in a diverse changing world www.kscopeinstitute.org
Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist:
May 4-5, 2012 Missional Ministry in the Grace Margin Houston, TX
May 7-11, 2012 Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community Trinity Conference Center, West Cornwall, CT
I feel incompetent and fearful every year when April approaches, because the deadline for filing my income tax return is here. As a citizen of the United States of America, I have to report how much I earned in the previous year, and pay taxes that support the U.S. federal, state, and sometimes city governments. You would think that, for someone like me, who got all As in my mathematics classes through high school and college, I would be able to figure out how to fill out the income tax forms. Twenty years ago, I attempted to do my own tax return and gave up. So I hired a tax preparer to file my income tax, and I have been using him ever since.
Just what am I afraid of? The tax dollars I contribute each year are supposed to go to fixing the roads that I travel on each day, supporting the schools that educate our children, helping those who are in need in our community, keeping us safe and secure through the law enforcement agencies, providing healthcare for seniors through Medicare, and many others things. But each year, the forms seem to get more and more complicated. To compound things further, I heard on the radio that if you input the exact same numbers in different computer tax-preparation programs, you can end up with different results. Well, how do I know I have gotten it right? Is my tax-preparer using the right program?
I think these complicated forms are there to evoke fear. File on time, make sure your numbers do not look suspicious and hope to God that you will not get audited. Instead of feeling good about having paid my taxes, thereby supporting my government to keep us safe and secure, I paid my taxes and still felt afraid—not just about not being protected, but fearful of my own government, which would punish me if I did not do my taxes correctly.
Filing my income tax return is an annual reminder that my government does not trust me to do the right thing, so the Internal Revenue Service will randomly pick people to be audited. It also reminds me that I cannot trust my government to use my tax dollars properly. People of my generation are talking pessimistically about the future of Social Security and Medicare. Don’t count on getting your share when you retire. Therefore, I and everyone I know want to pay as little tax as possible without breaking the tax code. Filing my income each year reminds me of the abusive cycle of distrust and fear between me and my government. I do it out of fear instead of love for this country and my trust for our civic leaders. I lose sight of the meaning of paying taxes. I lose connection with my government.
A sustainist thinks about tax-paying as potentially part of the flow of resources – a portion of the money I make go to the city, state and federal governments, which then redistribute the money to support the needs of the nation, states and local communities. Instead of being afraid of the process, we should embrace it but with a critical eye on where the tax money goes. Sustainists ask what percentage of our tax dollar recirculates back to support our local communities. Sustainists would research and find accurate information so that we can challenge our government to take responsibilities with the money that we contribute to the common good.
Invite members of your community to gather and dialogue on the issue of paying taxes:
Invite participants to brainstorm a list of feelings they have about filing income tax returns.
Invite participants reflect on the question: What caused me to have these feelings about taxes?
Form small groups and invite each group to write down answers to the following question: What is the purpose of paying taxes?
City?
State?
Federal?
Invite each group to report.
Invite participants to consider the following question: As a result of today’s dialogue, how can I/we foster a more constructive attitude toward paying taxes?
Reflection Questions for 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Acts 4:12-19 What does it mean to repent?
Psalm 4 What helps you fall asleep in peace each night?
1 John 3:1-7 What does it mean for us to be called children of God?
John 24:36b-48 What might cause you to be frightened of the risen Jesus?
Eric H. F. Law Kaleidoscope Institute For competent leadership in a diverse changing world www.kscopeinstitute.org
Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist:
May 4-5, 2012 Missional Ministry in the Grace Margin Houston, TX
May 7-11, 2012 Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community Trinity Conference Center, West Cornwall, CT
While preparing for this weekend’s video-making workshop called WePrayers for the youth of the Diocese of Los Angeles, I joking said, “If we don’t give the youth a specific topic, they would most likely make a vampire movie.” We decided to give each team a Psalm on which to create a video. My offhanded comment moved me toward further reflection on how young people today probably know more about vampirism than Christianity!
So I did a little research on the internet and discovered the following: There were over 300 movies made about vampires, and over 160 of them featured Dracula, making him one of the most frequently portrayed characters in films, second only to Sherlock Holmes. There has been over 19 TV shows that feature vampirism. Over 1000 vampire novels were published, most within the past 25 years. When I googled the words “vampire” and “resurrection” together, I got over 7 million results!
In contrast, there were only about 37 movies made about the life of Jesus. I don’t remember any TV shows offered by the mainstream media that featured Jesus explicitly except for a few documentaries. Of course there were many books about Jesus, the most popular of which is the Bible. But in terms of popularity, Jesus doesn’t seem to measure up to vampires even though both the Jesus story and the vampire myth feature resurrection.
In this Easter season, Christians need to reclaim and tell the story of the life-sustaining resurrection of Jesus. Vampires’ resurrection is about the continuation and spreading of death. Jesus’ resurrection is about giving life to all who believe. Vampires return to their coffins everyday and walk by night eternally - still dead. Jesus left the tomb on Easter day forever and challenges believers to arrive at a new understanding of eternal life—to live in the light in spite of death. Vampires heal very fast presenting a beautiful seductive façade covering up the reality of pain and injuries. Jesus’ resurrection did not erase his wounds from his crucification. Vampires consume human blood, draining life and when infecting others with their bites and blood, more are turned into blood-thirsty life-depleting beings. Jesus offers his body and blood symbolically through the blessings of wine and bread so that those who consume it will continue the life-giving ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection inspires his followers to share everything they owned creating sustainable communities.
Invite members of your community to explore “vampire” as a symbol of unsustainability:
Invite participants to brainstorm a list of characteristics of vampires based on their knowledge through books and media.
Invite participants to form small groups. Each group is given one of the following topics:
Economy
Environment
Community resources
Invite each group to explore how the characteristics of vampires can be applied to the current state of their topic.
Invite each group to report.
Invite participants to consider alternative images/characters for a sustainable economy, environment and community.
Invite participants to consider the question: As a result of today’s dialogue, what am I called to do?
Reflection Questions for 2nd Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Acts 4:32-35 How does the text challenge your understanding of community?
Psalm 133 How does God ordain the blessing of life in your community?
1 John 1:1-2:2 What word of life will pass on to the next generation?
John 20:19-31 What did you learn from this text about faith?
Eric H. F. Law Kaleidoscope Institute For competent leadership in a diverse changing world www.kscopeinstitute.org
Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist:
May 4-5, 2012 Missional Ministry in the Grace Margin Houston, TX
May 7-11, 2012 Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community Trinity Conference Center, West Cornwall, CT
Last Friday, people from 44 states in the U.S. spent nearly $1.5 billion on Mega Millions tickets. This is equivalent to nearly $5 for every man, woman and child in the USA. In Maryland alone, a record $11.8 million was spent on lottery tickets Friday. In some places where lottery tickets were sold, there were up to 3 hours wait with lines of people wrapping around the blocks. Each person dreamt of winning the jackpot of $640 million. But they have only a one in 176 million chance of winning.
About a month early in Sanford, Florida, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an African American, was walking from a convenience store to the home of is father’s girlfriend. He was shot and killed by, 28-year-old, George Zimmerman, a man of mixed ethnicity (Peruvian and White American). Zimmerman was a community watch coordinator of the neighborhood. He was arrested and questioned and then released without charges.
Through the network of social media, this little known case gained national attention precipitating the “Million Hoodies March” in Union Square in New York City, on March 21 and over 2 million people demanded Zimmerman’s arrest via a Change.org petition by Martin’s mother. By Friday, the day of the Mega Million Mania, CNN and all the major newsletter networks were running stories on the case.
We witnessed 2 ways of mobilizing resources: one has to do with the flow of billions of dollars converging at liquor stores, convenience stores, mini-markets, newsstands, etc. for a very slim chance of financial return, and the other has to do the flow of information and relationships energized by the passion for justice and truth for one young man walking from a convenience store. One depended on chance with the vast majority disappointed on Monday; the other was planned for the result of concrete actions for justice and truth – the arrest of Zimmerman and reopening the case.
These two events prove to me that there is an abundance of resources – relationship, truth and even money. We just need to have a plan to mobilize them. What if we combine the ability for people to come up with $1.5 billion a day with the networking ability fueled by the passion for truth and wellness for our local communities? How many jobs can we create? How many homes can we save from foreclosure? How many scholarships can we offer young men and women for greater education? How many job-training centers can we establish? How many community gardens can we plant? How many homes can we power with clean energy such as solar? How many community organizations can we create that will sustain the people in our community socially, physically and spiritually?
As we move toward Easter and Passover this week, don't leave your resources up to chance. The children of Israel did not leave slavery in Egypt by chance; they planned their exodus toward freedom with God through Moses. Jesus did not die on the cross on Good Friday by chance; he planned it with God so that his followers would learn what it meant to be children of God on Easter day. So, be a sustainist, and plan how you use your resources through networking with others, investing them into the flow of resources that will sustain you, your families and your communities.
P.S. Don’t forget to comment on this post by scrolling down and click “Comments.”
Also, on Saturday, check out my video: Easter Meditation
Invite members of your community to gather and explore the connections between their passion and resources:
Invite participants to offer up to $20 and put the money in a basket.
Count up the resulting amount of money and put that number on a wall-chart.
Invite participants to form small groups and explore what they can do with that amount of money for the benefit of their community.
Invite each group to share their ideas.
Invite participants to consider how they can network with others to further support some of the ideas that emerged in this dialogue.
Conclude by gathering with participants to consider completing the sentence: As a result of this dialogue, I am called to . . .
Reflection Questions for Easter (Year B)
Isaiah 25:6-9 What would it be like for God to swallow death forever?
Psalm 118:1-2,14-24 What does it mean for the rejected stone to become the cornerstone?
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 How has Christ appeared to you?
John 20:1-18 What can you learn from Mary about staying in the empty tomb? (Watch the video: Easter Meditation)
Mark 16:1-8 How might you be afraid of Easter?
Eric H. F. Law Kaleidoscope Institute For competent leadership in a diverse changing world www.kscopeinstitute.org
Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist:
May 4-5, 2012 Missional Ministry in the Grace Margin Houston, TX
May 7-11, 2012 Fundamental Skills for Building Inclusive Community Trinity Conference Center, West Cornwall, CT