More Thought; Less Shouting

Interesting ideas tend to show up in odd clusters. I’ve recently encountered two unrelated items, each of which gives the other a little more weight. The first comes from UCC minister Tony Robinson, writing in Call & Response - a blog run by the Divinity School at Duke University. In a post entitled “David Brooks as Public Theologian,” Robinson comments on the current lack of great theological leaders whose influence extends beyond theology and into the worlds of politicians and civic leaders. He asks the rhetorical question, “Where have all the Niebuhrs gone?” You can read it here.

The second item is an op-ed from the New York Times by Timothy Egan entitled, “Building a nation of Know-Nothings.” It’s a lament about the ability of certain “media” figures to perpetuate utter falsehoods merely by use of innuendo and repetition. He points out that, however incredible it sounds, huge numbers of people believe this stuff just because they keep hearing it. You can read the sordid details here.

So where is the church in all this? It’s not an easy question, because Christ’s call to love all people by definition includes some unsavory characters. But that need not leave us fumbling. First off, we have an obligation to speak the truth, to advocate that others must do the same, and to call them on it when they do not. That’s a role that theological leaders have often filled in the past; today... not so much.

Second, we need to realize that neither religion nor politics is a zero-sum game. It’s not about who wins; it’s about the greater good. In the case of the church, this means building God’s kingdom for all people. In politics, it means focusing not on who’s to blame for a problem, or why you should fear it, but on how to fix the problem. In both cases, it’s about getting things done and persuading people that having their own way isn’t always in their best interest.

Leadership is about motivation, to be sure. But more importantly, it’s about getting people to focus on what’s really, truly important, then motivating them to work on that. Everything else is just a seductive diversion.

Godly Play to the Max

It's great news to hear that attendance at next week's Godly Play Core Training will be full to overflowing. Those attending are in for a treat. There's more available about the weekend-long event here.

Kudos to the organizers for what promises to be a great experience for all.