Rough Personalities and Situations in the New Testament

One thing that continues to strike me about the Bible is how it does not hide personality conflicts and opportunism. In the New Testament, Jesus has to move in, around and beyond human affairs and communicate a message. But the issues jump off the page. But when you study Medieval and Renaissance art, you would never know this.

As someone who attended art college, I had to study European art. Much of artwork I saw of the church and Jesus was to cast both in the most positive light. In the process, the Jesus and the church of the New Testament seem to lose some of the grittiness you see in the stories. Although some of the artwork is incredible, it can amount to propaganda. At the time, the church was in bed with the state so artists were commissioned to serve the church. Some masterpieces came out of this like the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo.

As Christendom began to decline during the age of the Enlightenment, you see nobles and kings replacing priests and biblical figures in paintings. Occasionally, there was  a painting on the Book of Revelation depicting the end times. But much of the paintings of those times was pretty tame and respected the attitude of the times.

But why?

Consider that the New Testament is full of conflicts not just between Jesus and the establishment but also with his disciples. They sometimes were a dull bunch but we often do not note their opportunism and insecurities. This is what makes them so appealingly human (atleast to me).

In light of Anabaptist Theology, consider these questions…

1. In John 18 when Jesus was being arrested by some soldiers and Jewish officials, Peter got gangsta and caught off a servant’s ear. Why was he even carrying a sword?

2. In Luke 9, Jesus was rejected by the Samaritans. Why would James and John asked if Jesus wanted to burn them and make them extra crispy?

3. In Matthew 11, while in prison, John the Baptist sends his disciples to ask Jesus, are you the one we are waiting for or should we expect some other dude?

4. in Matthew 10, one of Jesus’ disciples is Simon the Zealot. This either points to his extreme religious devotion or his membership in a militant group that wanted to see the overthrow of the Roman Empire by force. If it is the latter, why would Jesus associate with a group who were known to be assassins (sacarii)?

5. Apostle Paul calls Apostle Peter out  and the Jews from Jerusalem publicly for their hyporcisy in Galatians 2. Why didn’t he call them to the side and rebuke them?

6. In 1 Corinthians 5, Apostle Paul writes about a particular sexual immorality in the Corinthian church does not seem to challenge. Paul tells them to expel the immoral (unrepetent) brother. When was the last time you saw church discipline like this?

7. Why does Jesus call the Pharisees names? Is it appropriate for us to do this today?

8. Jesus does not have pure Jewish ancestry because we know that Ruth was Moabite. Is there a message in here for us today about ancestry and community?

9. Apostle Peter continues to exhibit prejudicial behavior even after Pentecost. It takes a vision from God for Peter in Acts 10 to realize that Gentiles are now welcome into the Kingdom. But he still exhibits this behavior in Galatians. (See #5). How can someone like this be a respected leader?

10. Along with people coming to Christ in the Book of the Acts, the Holy Spirit also did some frightening things. Because of Ananias and Saphirra’s deceit towards Apostle Peter, they literally dropped dead. It has that fear gripped the church and the region. How do we reconcile this with our idea of the Holy Spirit is only the bringer of good things?

What do you think?

 

It Only Takes A Spark: New Strategies in Conflict Resolution

Jung Joo is from Seoul South Korea and participates in the International Visitors Exchange Program (IVEP) through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). She is spending a year in Philadelphia working with Oxford Circle Mennonite Church (OCMC) and its partners in local ministry efforts. She brings extensive experience as a peace activist in volatile regions such as East Timor, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Malaysia. Even with her international resume, she sees something new and different here.

“I take English classes twice a week and get to know a diversity of people. In other countries, I was seen as a foreigner. Here in the U.S., I am seen as Asian and it does not seem to matter. This challenges me to adapt in new ways especially when my ethnicity and culture do not matter so much,” says Jung Joo. She comes from a homogenous culture that has to adapt to a multicultural future as foreigners arrive in South Korea to work. This comes with a great deal of concern and conflict in her country. “Having friends from many backgrounds frees me to accomplish God’s purposes. Once I go home, I hope to introduce a deeper understanding of diversity to South Korea.”

Anita Lyndaker Studer is the Executive Director of the Oxford Circle Community Development Association (OCCCDA). “She will work in our afterschool program with youth in the Oxford Circle area,” says Anita. “We have also partnered with Philadelphia Mennonite High School, A Christian private school, to use her and its students to teach weekly conflict resolution classes at a local public school.” Her involvement allows her to continue using her peace education experience and participate in intentional community through Philadelphia area Anabaptists churches, ministries and organizations.

More and more schools are adopting conflict resolution (or prevention) programs to reduce violence in the schools. At one time, conflict resolution meant herding students into an assembly to listen to someone talk. If you go back 30 years, it meant watching Sacred Straight, a 1970s documentary.

(Caution. Profanity is used in this video)

It showed a group of prison inmates known as the ‘lifers’ berate and terrify a group of young hoodlums by showing an ugly, harsh presentation of the realities of prison life. (The documentary was so effective that it spawned programs in various states.)

 I believe this weekly conflict resolution class is a radical idea and a good start.

Has anyone seen other similar ideas like this that are connected to Christian churches, ministries, and/or organizations? (Can someone call James Dobson?)

Cloudy with a Chance of Violence

         

I have been watching superhero movies since I was a kid. From Japanese-inspired animation such as Giant Robot and Ultraman to the very pro-American Superman. I even watched the 1950s Superman simply to see…Superman! Although everything looked fake and old, I just wanted to see his regal power and authority cast a shadow over criminals. Superheroes tend to show up in film…well…when we need them. During a time when it seems like our politicians are lost and our weapons seem powerless to stop an opposing threat, super human people in films are our drug of choice designed to relieve our stress about a world doomed for oblivion. I don’t think its any accident that superhero movies have proliferated in the last 10 years. (Anyone remember September 11?) The first Superman movies showed up in the late 70s and early 80s along with Star Wars. What were the issues then? A growing nuclear contention between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1981. Although Rocky Balboa is not a superhero, he defeated Ivan Drago the Russian in Rocky 4 in 1985. Come on, we know that this boxing movie was symbolic of the frosty relations of the USA and Russia. (So was the US vs. Russia hockey games. I don’t even like hockey but I watched these games because I wanted to see the Russians lose).

There are two enduring myths in American culture: the superhero and the outlaw. The superhero represents our desire to be selfless and sacrificial and create a perfect world free from fear and anxiety. (Men, we get the girl. Just remember, many women consider this to be sexist.) The outlaw represents the antithesis of the superhero: selfish, needy and greedy. Both are symbolized in Superman and Jesse James: the good guy and the bad boy motifs. By the way, who killed Jesse James? Most of us don’t even know but we know who Jesse James is. In 2007, a movie was made about Jesse James’ assassin, Robert Ford, but it cast him as a coward. Sometimes these two myths combine in trilogies like Rocky, The Matrix and the X-Men. It’s the outsider who moves toward mainstream acceptance (except for Wolverine. He is just a perpetual outsider.)

 Most of these superhero movies present an idyllic world where most humans don’t die…well, except for a few. Even in the two Transformers movies, no matter how much the robots fight, humans were always in the exact right place when one of those huge chunks of alien metal fell to the ground. What a world to live in!! Although this world seems to save a superhero to fix everything, there is one thing they never fix: the buildings, vehicles and roads they tear up while fighting. I wonder what a bill to Optimus Prime would look like after all the damage they did fighting the Deceptacons? What would our taxes be like because of cleaning up their mess? But aren’t the violent on our behalf? I guess it’s a small price to pay to save the world, right?

 Violence as a Lifestyle

 One of the presuppositions that are implicit in all these action movies is the acceptance of violence as the ONLY solution. I see this play itself out among American youth and adults. Recently, my wife and I were coming home from dinner at night and we saw two teen girls fighting on our block. I thought they were playing. But as I heard the squeals and shouts of the other kids, I knew it was real. I jumped out my van and headed towards the conflict. There were other adults there to stop the melee so I did not get involved. Based on what I heard, it was all over words. As we know the tongue has the power to bless or curse. On the one end, you have Christians who believe in the power of words so much that they can ask God for any material blessing and receive it. On the opposite end, you have young people who also believe in the power of words so much that they will hurt you if they don’t like what you have to say. Tell me, is there really a difference between the two?

 Anyway, the Bible is not devoid of conflict. Neither is life. So how does one navigate around the idolatry of materialism and violence?

 First of all, these sins are not new. The Old Testament reveals them both through the gods of the pagan nations that surrounded the Israelites. There was child sacrifice (Leviticus 8:21) and religious prostitution (Rahab). I would call these forms of violence that are begat by a lifestyle and spiritual acceptance of violence. When you research many near Eastern gods, you will find that the creation of the world was a violent act. Something had to die in order for something to live. But it all seems petty, vengeful and self-perpetual: this becomes the example for others to follow. Although Jesus Christ did die for the sins of the world, it was not a selfish act. We enter into his sufferings but we do not have to die on the cross. Jesus willingly died to fulfill his destiny. This is in stark contrast between the struggle between Tiamat and Marduk in Babylonian mythology. Only the strong will survive. God constantly steered Israel clear of this kind of spiritual acceptance of violence. In Genesis, Ccreation represents the creative genius of Yahweh intentionally creating the world for humans, animals and vegetation to thrive. Although God made order out of chaos, chaos is not represented as an entity that challenged God’s sovereignty. Chaos is simply the absence of hierarchical order.

 The end result of this kind of lifestyle violence is God’s judgment. God judged the people of Noah’s day because of their wickedness (Genesis 6:5-6) and brought on the Flood. God judged the Canaanites for their wickedness (Leviticus 18:24-30) as well. But why did God spare the Israelites? Well, he didn’t. God gave very clear laws that spelled out the penalty for becoming like the surrounding nations: death. In Psalm 11, God says he hates those who love violence. In the Book of Proverbs, a fool is also depicted as violent and the righteous man is self controlled and not quick to quarrel. The judgement that comes down may sound harsh but a close look shows that God had the same standard for his chosen people. God made good on his promises when the Israelites did not keep the covenant such as the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram  in Numbers 16:1-50 (more than 14,000 died), Achan’s sin in Joshua 7 (Achan and his whole family died), the men of Beth Shemesh in 1 Samuel 6:19 (70 of them died) and many more. Wickedness is a form of extreme rebellion that basically thumbs its nose at God’s sacred creation and at God Himself. So, although man is sinful by nature, we are all still made in God’s image. But when we begin to live a life that is a total disrespect for what God created, we offend God. The body and soul are sacred because God created it and breathed his essence into it. This is where a lifestyle of violence thrives: first, believe that the other is not human. Second, treat them like they are not human. Third, make decisions that remind this person they are not human. This is one reason why I believe slavery in the Bible is different from American slavery. Although I am not justifying the former, American slavery did not view Africans as human. Therefore, they were at the mercy of their slave master and this produced rape, maiming, castration and death. Slaves in the Bible had some rights.

 Although these Old Testament stories still cause some consternation in me, we can also conclude that God is serious about his covenant and the holiness of his people.

 What Would Dirk Willems Do?

We all know the famous drawing of Anabaptist Dirk Willems rescuing his pursuer. Dirk was escaping from prison where he was confined on the charge of his Anabaptist beliefs, rebaptism of himself and others. The established Catholic and Protestant churches believed in infant baptism. This drawing is the shot (no pun intended) heard around the Anabaptist world. This drawing serves as a historical visual symbol of the Anabaptist focus on ‘loving your enemy’ and peace education efforts. However, here are a few questions I am going to raise in relation to Anabaptist theology from an urban perspective:

1. Absence of Conflict

Much of the Mennonite example of peace education I saw was to avoid and abstain from conflict. Although this has some merit especially on trivial matters, it carries little weight in more complex matters. If Dirk wanted to avoid conflict, shouldn’t he have stayed in prison?

2. Loving Your Enemies

American Christians find this a tough concept to follow and I would submit to say we do not do this very well. But does loving your enemies mean liking them? I don’t get the impression that Jesus liked the Pharisees (for what they represented) very much or that Apostle Paul liked the ‘super apostles.’ If Dirk knew that his pursuer had the possibility of living, would he have returned?

3. Self Defense?

I have not heard much talk about the ethic of Self-Defense in Mennonite circles. (If I missed out on this discussion, please enlighten me.) But I live in a place where many forms of violence are common. I have a difficult time listening to people tell me about physical confrontation who do not live with the risk of it (in an American urban context). Can self-defense be separate from a lifestyle and spiritual acceptance of violence? If we look at it in verbal terms, Peter, John and Paul provided some form of defense of what they represented. Although they did not use physical confrontation to advance their cause, sometimes they asked God to respond to physical confrontation. The Holy Spirit through the early disciples confronted supernatural powers that were manifesting in the physical and spiritual realms through exorcisms and healings.  But there were times where wisdom and discernment came into play. One example is when Jesus hid because the Jews tried to stone him for blasphemy (John 8:58-59). Much of the violence experienced by Jesus and the apostles was mob violence and violence sanctioned by the prevailing laws of their day. This is the kind of violence that fits with my idea of a lifestyle and spiritual acceptance of violence. Although individuals can hold this view, it can lose power when exercised by persons because there is a higher risk of force being matched with equal or greater force. This is one reason why those who are fans of this type of violence tend to target those who cannot counterbalance their physical force: big vs. small (bully), man vs. woman (rape), rich vs. poor (class), loud vs. soft (culture), adults vs. children (abduction), etc. It’s an intentional pre-meditated kind of physical confrontation. As a result, this means that those of us who fall in this category must be wise as serprents and harmless as doves. Although this can cause anxiety, developing a sense of God’s presence and care of us gives us courage even when it means we may be physically hurt.

I am not making the case to use self-defense as the first and only option. We can call on to the Holy Spirit to intervene in our confrontations. Jesus, Peter and Paul’s defense of their actions was a response to hostility, confusion, apathy and spiritual dullness. They experienced physical confrontation BUT did not let that stop them from what God called them to. Can a Christian understanding of self-defense (physical and verbal confrontation) produce a righteous response?

 What are your thoughts?

From Seoul to Philadelphia: Heavyweight Urban Church Perspectives Part 3

As the trip was coming to an end, we had to deal with how to continue our connection. Not only that, we had to dialogue more about the purpose of the trip. Our host spoke to the group and gave us a good historical backdrop of Anabaptism in South Korea. Here are a few things he highlighted along with the addition of other Korean voices:

1. There were no Anabaptist/Mennonite churches in South Korea.
2. Jesus Village Church (JVC) started as the first Anabaptist Church (located in Chuncheon, Korea outside of Seoul) after the leaders read numerous books that included Anabaptist authors. (this is also a contested issue)
3. JVC started Korea Anabaptist Center (KAC) in Seoul to educate Koreans about Anabaptist beliefs and as a platform for peace education efforts in the Asian region.
4. KAC started the Korea Anabaptist Press (KAP) to translate Anabaptist books into the Korean language.
5. Grace and Peace Mennonite Church (GPMC) is started in Seoul by a Korean who graduated from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
6. KAC staff attend JVC and GPMC. This trip was billed as a city to city tour but as we continued to talk, we encountered misunderstandings about our positions.

Jeff Wright’s workshop ‘Theology of Place’ helped articulate our view in the United States of Anabaptism in the city. The Koreans shared that our use of the term ‘city’ seemed rather exclusive because they saw our efforts as limited to the city. Because of this, they had a hard time understanding how we would connect with them because they do not necessarily feel the same way about the city. They see the city is just one more place to advance their cause but they believe their cause is greater than Seoul and South Korea.

Comparable Stats

	Seoul, South Korea	Philadelphia
Population	11 million	1.5 million
Country Age	1948	1776
City Age	1394 (made capital; rebuilt after Korean War)	1682 (chartered)
Median income	$24,000/year	$35,000/year
Literacy rate	99%	78%
Grade school education	Over 97% of Koreans graduate from high school	Only 50% of Philadelphians graduate from high school
Ethnicity and Culture	Homogeneous (Koreans)	Heterogeneous(Caucasians, African Americans, Latinos and Asians
Legal Immigrants	Chinese, Filipino, Southeast Asians, African (10% of country)	Latino/Hispanic, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, etc(12% of country)
Age Structure	0-14 years: 18.3%15-64 years: 72.1%65 years and over: 9.6%	0-14 years: 20.6%15-64 years: 66.5%65 years and over: 13%
Religion(s)	No religion, Christian, Buddhist and Islam	Catholic, Christian, Islam
Top industries	Electronics, Car manufacturing,  Telecommunications	Healthcare & Education, Financial Services, Leisure & Hospitality
Unemployment	3.7%	6% (2007)

  The stats are similar in most areas on the chart but there are some glaring contrasts: median income, grade school education, ethnicity and culture. I don’t know the exact stats but most Koreans who enter college graduate compared to 22% in Philadelphia. Compared to Seoul, Philadelphia’s strengths is its diversity and slightly higher income. The Korea Times recently ran an August 2009 article titled Anti-Racism Law Proposed. When reading the article, you would be struck by how new this issue is for South Korea but how old the issue is for Philadelphia and the United States. These kinds of laws were passed in the U.S. in the 196os. As immigration for jobs continues to increase in South Korea, this has become more of an issue. In this way, those of us in Philadelphia can model and showcase this aspect of America to the South Koreans.

But let us remember what the South Koreans can share with us. Their focus on literacy and education is impressive and bears itself out in their stats. It may make sense to study Korean culture and understand why the intense focus on these areas. Is it possible to import some of these ideas? Is it possible for the South Koreans to work among Philadelphians who receive inferior grade school education to help them increase their chances of accessing higher education? Is it possible to combine this with peace education as well?

We listened intently to each other and realized that we assumed that our definitions of the city were the same simply because we are in large metropolitan areas. We also shared that our position does not limit our efforts and highlighted the many partners we have that are not urban who support our cause and are an integral to our development. We assured them that our goal was not to exclude but to focus our efforts on the densely populated areas with its systems and structures that God can use to build his Kingdom. As a result, our focus on the city is not an exclusive effort but an inclusive one. The other dilemma is how we should relate to each other. We would like our relationships to be rooted in our commitment to the Church. So, we mentioned that KAC can relate to Kingdom Builders in Philadelphia (KB), a mixture of Anabaptist churches and organizations in Philadelphia. Both organizations are an extension of the local church. But the goal is to exchange ideas, build relationships and care for one another. As the Koreans spoke, many of us began to understand the similarities and differences in our position. We concluded that we really aren’t that different in our focus on spreading God’s love through our churches and our ministries.

Here are 2 ways where our worlds intersect but our circumstances are different.

Seoul – 11 million	Philadelphia – 1.5 million
Seoul is growing at a phenomenal rate yet has very low incidences of crime. This demands that Seoul must continue to expand its infrastructure (as evidenced by the many construction cranes in the city) to attract and provide jobs and to meet housing demands. It also allows the country to focus on continued economic growth and preparation for reunification between North and South Korea. (They have been in the peninsula for over 5000 years. Their separation of North and South Korea [50 years] is a blip on the screen.) The South Korean government encourages North Koreans to defect while the church provides direct contact and spiritual support for them. Korea also has a growing immigrant population attempting to assimilate into their homogeneous culture.Pursuing peace is a local issue (ethnic, class and economic).	Philadelphia’s neighborhoods continue to change at a rapid rate. Some improve while others decline. Gentrification has allowed young professionals, usually white, to move into communities improving their tax base while displacing poorer residents, usually black and brown, to other communities. For example, the Oxford Circle community was majority white 20 years ago. When people of color began moving in, tensions increased and white people began moving out. Now, the majority are people of color (Latinos, African Americans, Asians, etc). Oxford Circle Mennonite Church is a growing multiethnic congregation grappling with how to address these issues. Philadelphia has a growing immigrant population attempting to assimilate into a diversified city.Pursuing peace is a local issue (ethnic, class and economic).
Koreans are concerned more about the geopolitics of the Asia region than Seoul itself. They have had to deal with the Japanese, Chinese, Russians and Americans through different wars and conflicts. The United States has maintained a permanent presence at the 38th parallel (DMZ) since 1953. (The impact if this has also been a thriving prostitution industry and environmental racism). Because of Korea’s small size, history and the emerging power of surrounding countries, it has to continue to find ways to engage its neighbor on peace issues and the United States.Pursuing peace is a regional (Asia) and international issue.	The United States have no real threats to its physical borders. Some say Mexican immigration is a threat. Other threats are ideological: Muslim extremists (Al-Qaeda), regional conflicts (North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East) and cyber attacks. Because of the last Presidential administration’s policies on U.S. military presence around the world, hard questions are asked about our motives by Americans and others. Along with increased legal and illegal immigration, a national pessimism (fear) may be arising that is manifesting itself in local politics (gun control issue, prison industrial complex, death penalty, etc)Pursuing peace is a regional (northeast), national and international issue.

 As we are beginning to understand the strengths that we bring to the table, there is one principle we must never forget: our strengths flows from our relationships.

Coming next: Action steps on how we can continue to build each other up and build our relationships.

From Seoul to Philadelphia: Heavyweight Urban Church Perspectives, Part 2

POWER AND THE CITY

We visited 2 churches and 2 ministries.

1. Jesus Village Church is located in Chuncheon outside Seoul and was started by two professors who started reading books andstumbled across writings about  Anabaptism. They consider themselves the only Anabaptist church in South Korea (but don’t consider themselves Mennonite). They have Sunday worship, their own school and each member receives a new scripture everyday. They are the ones who birthed the Korea Anabaptist Center in Seoul. One KAC member attends this church.
2. Korea Anabaptist Center (KAC) is located in Seoul and exists to educate South Koreans about Anabaptist beliefs and seeks to be a participant in peacebuilding efforts in the geographical region. They travel throughout Asia teaching about restorative justice and peace. They have a printing press.
3. Grace and Peace Church is located in Seoul and meets on the 2^nd and 3^rd floor of a Greek restaurant. Their pastor was trained at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. They have Sunday worship and communion every Sunday. His members are spread out around and outside Seoul. They find it difficult to sometimes get together because of the distance. Two KAC workers attend this church.
4. Frontiers is located in Seoul and meets at a local school. They are a radical ministry that believes deeply in peacebuilding and have sent young people to Afghanistan, Pakistan and other hot spots around the world. The young Korean lady who is serving as an IVEPer in Philadelphia right now is from this group.

In all of these encounters, we are hearing about the city differently from our current context. We are starting to believe that the rural Mennonite theological framework that is a natural part of most Mennonite institutions is the model the South Koreans are adopting.

Babylon: The City of Sin

Jeremiah and Apostle John (Book of Revelation) write very negative and scathing ideas about Babylon. Babylon in Mesopotamia was the political, commercial, and religious empire of its day also known for its moral decadence. Jeremiah experienced God using Babylon to crush Judah because of her disobedience (Isaiah 50:7). Apostle John spoke of Babylon as a metaphor for worldly systems in opposition to God and symbolically applied it to the Roman empire of his day. 20^th century American evangelicalism has largely painted U.S. cities in the same way. They are to be abandoned for the suburban and rural promised land. This ethos is still strong and you can even see it in the arts especially TV and films. The cities are places of chaos, unpredictability, a lack of social order, foreigners and other religions. The suburbs and rural areas are places of quiet, family values, homogeneity and the Christian faith. Many fail to see that the cities are drivers of cultures and places of refuge. This view does not seek to love the city (people and the systems and structures that can help people) but sees them as a necessary evil. Here in Seoul, I rarely heard a comment that saw the city as a place to engage new people, ideas and put the Christian faith on display for Christians and non-Christians. This could be because Asians and many others around the world experience cities differently than Americans. Many Asian cities are megacities and represent this concept of Imperial power. It is where the seat of the government is located but this may also be a source of fear. Many times, the governments do not work on behalf of the people and are not set up to give redress to citizens. There is a layer of bureaucracy that exists that discourages equal opportunity and access and encourages mistrust and despondency. Does a poor peasant in China really have a strong chance of having his issue solved by the city government because the local official is corrupt? Probably not. This fosters a negative view of cities and its systems and structures have been used to crush the opposition even its own people.

My best guess is that many Mennonite organizations, universities, colleges and seminaries do not display or teach an adequate theology of the city…which is where many Mennonite leaders from other countries are receiving some of their ideas.

Zion/Jerusalem: The City of Promise

Through the Scriptures, Zion/Jerusalem is mentioned as a place where God will dwell (Psalms 9:11) and a place of refuge. It is the heavenly city that is the eternal dwelling place for God and his people and comes down to the new earth. King David, the Book of Hebrews, Apostle John and many of the prophets spoke of Zion in favorable terms. Interestingly, the Bible ends (in the Book of Revelation) with the Fall of Babylon (Rev. 18) and the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21). As my colleague said, the Bible starts in the garden and ends in the city! The city as a place of refuge is why many American cities were founded. William Penn wanted Philadelphia to be a place where all religions could co-exist hence ‘The City of Brotherly Love’ which is one of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. The American colonists’ reaction to the consolidated power of the church and state was to create places that reflected self governance and determination while still expressing their Christian virtues. Here is where my sermon at Frontiers hopefully took on new meaning for the South Koreans. My main scripture was:

“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” Psalm 82:3

From here, I spoke of my status in American society as a part of a historically marginalized ethnic group (African Americans): I was weak, fatherless, poor and oppressed. Most people, at the time were trying to get out of my neighborhood while a small church down the street was coming in. I spoke of how Diamond Street Mennonite Church came in my neighborhood and displayed radical community while the concept of community was slowly dying. This radical nature, through God’s Spirit, spoke to me and I have embraced it ever since. Even when I needed a place to stay as a high school student, they came through. I was able to receive an education because of the people of this church. I told them that today, I work with groups who have very little social, economic and political capital and have been for the last 15 years. In order for this to happen, these Mennonites who moved into my community had to jettison the negative widely held beliefs about the city from American Christians and trust God to do a good work. I am sure many of them had their families question the wisdom of living in the city. In this way, these Christians brought their gifts and talents to help make the city a place of refuge. Who knows this better than immigrants? Immigrants go to where people are for anonymity and opportunity.

After talking with different leaders from Seoul, some are thinking about this particular theological way of viewing the city. But it will mean that a network will need to develop to encourage more interaction between urban Mennonites in other countries and American Mennonites living in cities.

From Seoul to Philadelphia: Heavyweight Urban Church Perspectives, Part 1

These thoughts I am about to share are the core of this trip. As a developing urban sociologist (whatever that is) and committed Christian, I am interested in the similarities and differences between Seoul and Philadelphia. Our debriefing times and meetings with church leaders have been very informative. Here are some of my thoughts based on observations, listening, my education and experience.

As we travel around Seoul, it is very modern, clean and heavily commercialized. This is a reflection of it being rebuilt after the Korean War (19150-53) whereas Philadelphia is over 300 years old and has not seen a war since the Civil War (1861-1865). Philadelphia’s infrastructure is at least a century old: Subway (1907), City Hall (1901), etc. In short, Seoul’s infrastructure is newer and reflects the latest design trends. In this way, it is a very appealing city because of its newness. But the Korean people have been in the Korean Peninsula for centuries which is why their collective consciousness involves language that just ‘pure blood’ or ‘pure race.’ The Lenape Native American tribe was in Pennsylvania before Columbus arrived so Philadelphia is a city with old history in a foreign land. Seoul is a city with new history in an old land. The fierce pride that comes through Korean culture is pretty obvious in their laws and way of thinking. One example is the Korean Basketball League (KBL). They are only allowed to draft a small percentage of foreigners into their league to preserve the way Koreans play the game. Even a Korean born in America is considered a foreigner in South Korea. Even their immigration laws reflect this idea of keeping foreigners from mixing with Korean blood. Although this is slowly changing, the stigma is still present. According to my research, children who are half Korean have a difficult time succeeding in Korean society. They are despised and looked down upon by the general populace. Hines Ward, Pittsburg Steelers football player who is African American and Korean drew attention to this issue when he traveled to South Korea with his mother in 2004. He was welcomed with opened arms and hopes that South Korea will be more tolerate of Amerasian people in Korea. He started a foundation to assist American children in South Korea.

Philadelphia is a working class city that has always been a city of neighborhoods which influences its politics, culture, commerce and education. Although racial tension is a staple of Philadelphia, the neighborhoods co-exist as best they can. Seoul is technology advanced and education is extremely important. Most Seoul youth go to college. The same cannot be said about Philadelphia youth.

Theology of Place the whole experience: the way we (the visitors) view the city is different from the South Koreans we encounter. Jeff Wright, pastor of Madison St. Church and an urban missiologist is one the trip and did a workshop called ‘A Theology of Place.’ The concept seemed very new to the South Koreans. A theology of place insists on the importance of Christians communing together in an intentional community as a symbol of God’s Kingdom. The South Koreans believed this as well but there was one fundamental difference: they saw the city as a place where rent is expensive and your identity

We visited various churches and ministries and there is one thread of consistency through the whole experience: the way we (the visitors) view the city is different from the South Koreans we encounter. Jeff Wright, pastor of Madison St. Church and an urban missiologist is one the trip and did a workshop called ‘A Theology of Place.’ The concept seemed very new to the South Koreans. A theology of place insists on the importance of Christians communing together in an intentional community as a symbol of God’s Kingdom. The South Koreans believed this as well but there was one fundamental difference: they saw the city as a place where rent is expensive and your identity somewhat disappear. This militates against the communal culture they have known for so long and the importance of hierarchical social order inspired by Confucianism. In short, there seems to be little understanding of engaging the dynamic energy of the city as a theological construct yet some were open to idea. Oxford Circle Mennonite Church (where I go) is growing in its understanding of a theology of place. We understand that it includes Christians…and non-Christians. This is a model we believe we see in the Scriptures. We have had a good time learning from the South Koreans as well. The establishment of the Korea Anabaptist Center to educated the populace about Anabaptist beliefs and peacebuilding is an amazing ministry. They partner with other people (Christians and non-Christians) and travel around Asia doing workshops and building relationships. They also have a printing press to put forth materials consistent with their beliefs. They are located in Seoul and many of their brightest minds are young and educated.

This is a good start for something very dynamic. Right now, one of their friends is serving with my church for a year through MCC. Hopefully through these relationships, we can see each other as a resource especially as cities continue to grow around the world.

More later…

Experiencing South Korea…Philly Style

Experiencing South Korea…Philly Style
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South Korean Underground Railroad

We met with three North Korean defectors on Monday. They were being looked after by a local Presbyterian pastor and one of his members. There safe houses all over the city for them. This pastor can only help with one. We went to the safe house to meet these defectors and they were actually…young ladies. There were three of them ranging from 16-20. That was shocking to me. I expected to see some gray haired fisherman or seamstress.

Escaping from North Korea is extremely difficult and dangerous. The route to South Korea can take them through 2 countries or maybe 5 countries. One young lady got to South Korea after a long journey. Her mother divorced and remarried and told her she could not afford to take care of her anymore. She gave her an address to her Korean relatives living in China. The young lady left and found her grandmother in China. But then she was told to go to South Korea. This young lady traveled from China to Vietnam, then Cambodia and then Thailand. She got to the South Korean Embassy in Bangkok and she was flown to South Korea. She has been in Seoul for 5 years and left North Korea in 1996. Guess how old she was when she left? You do the math.

It was hard for her to travel as a young girl but herself. She occasionally traveled with other young girls. Because she had no adults protecting her, she was bullied and taken advantage of by adults. One adult helped her but told her she needed to get rid of the addresses of her Korean relatives in China. If North Korea captures her and they find the list, they will punish her family. She got rid of it but over time, she forgot the addresses and to this day, does not remember when her grandmother lives. There are shelters set up by in North Korea by South Korean churches they are supposed to help North Koreans escape. There are also brokers who agree to show them where the shelters and provide fake documents IF they pay them. This is risky because they lie and it leaves them without money.

If she is caught, she would get sent to a concentration camp. But North Korea’s president changed the law and extended grace: the fourth time you are caught, you go to jail. This is because there are too many trying to escape and when they are caught, the government cannot afford to feed them all.

Culture Shock

Once North Koreans make it to South Korea, it actually gets harder. Their expectations clash with the reality along with experiencing some many new things. Although the North and South Korean languages are basically the same, they use some slightly different words and their intonations are different. As a result, even though they look like the South Koreans, they sound and talk different. If would be equivalent to me go to South Carolina to be with southern African Americans. I would have a different accent, different expressions and culture. This singled them out among South Koreans and made this girl feel extremely alone. The South Korean kids would tease her and ostracize her. Over 70% of North Koreans kids don’t go to school because of this kind of treatment. A group of 150 North Koreans were discriminated against so badly that they left South Korea to go to Manchester England. The divorce rate among North Koreans is also high (67%) after they arrive in South Korea. The reason is gender roles are different in South Korea and they have a hard time adjusting. North Korean women have fewer rights so when they arrive in South Korea, they want more rights and this causes problems with the men. Also sometimes the North Korean women are forced to prostitute themselves to get to certain shelters leaving them vulnerable to STDs.

The pastor who is helping them says that not enough South Korean churches are involved in helping them adjust to South Korean society. The South Korean government supports them for 7 months. This is not enough time to help them adjust to their new environment.

This was a hard story for all of us to hear. The upside is that this young lady wants to go back to North Korea as a missionary. She has tremendous courage at such a young age even though she cried periodically as she recounted her story.

Please pray for the North Korean refugees.

Korean market culture

Korean market culture
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Seeking the Shalom of the City: Strengthening a Global Anabaptist Perspective

 The prophet Jeremiah calls on the exiles of Judah that have been relocated in Babylonian cities across the Empire to engage their cities with hope, not despair. His letter calls on the exiles to sink their economic, social, and familial roots into the cities of the Empire and to increase, not decrease. Jeremiah writes:

“Seek the Shalom of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to Lord for it, for when it experiences Shalom, you too experience Shalom.” (Jeremiah 29.7)

Urbanization is now a global reality. Today, more than 50% of all people living on our planet do so as inhabitants of urban centers whose populations total more than 1 million. Most of these urban centers are in the global south.

Anabaptists, particularly in North America, have increasingly favored rural centers of mission and rural metaphors for the faith, since the beginning of the 17th century. While much of the Earth is still inhabited by persons who live in villages and rural areas, these places are increasingly integrated economically, socially, and politically, to urban centers. We must face the possibility, even the probability, that the 21st century will be the century of the city.

Anabaptist-Mennonite perspectives on the Christian faith were originally forged in the cities of Continental Europe. In Zurich, Amsterdam, and Strasbourg, among other centers, the unique intersection of whole-life discipleship, authentic community, and active peacemaking that represent the Anabaptist-Mennonite contribution to the wider Christian experience were formed by city dwellers and by refugee/immigrant communities in those cities.

In Conrad Kanagy’s book, Road Signs for the Journey: A Profile of Mennonite Church USA (2007), he states, “Nearly 18% of Mennonite congregations are Racial/Ethnic…In the past five years, one out of every four (25%) new members was Racial/Ethnic…As the number of Racial/Ethnic congregations grow, it will mean a geographic shift in Mennonite population…from rural to urban areas…” (p. 52-53). For those of us who want to participate in the growing edge of the church, this should encourage us to pay attention to what is going on among Anabaptists in the urban areas.

With the recent recognition that more Anabaptists now live in the global south than in Europe and North America, the time is ripe to consider how holistic mission and peacebuilding is carried out in the emerging Latin American, African, and Asian metropolises of the 21st century.

Urbanization creates significant challenges for the church and her mission of holistic reconciliation. Urbanization increases the potential for criminal activity (organized and otherwise), as well as sectarian and inter-communal violence. Urbanization increases the economic disparities between classes and represents a challenge for nations struggling to employ and feed growing populations, while providing a ready, low-wage, easily exploitable workforce. Urbanization places new stress on family and clan systems. Urbanization provides authoritarian régimes with ways to exercise stronger command and control over their citizens. In all these areas, and more, contemporary Anabaptists have sought to respond with the good news of peacebuilding and restorative justice.

A starting point for this engagement with the emerging urban world begins with an assessment of the state of the Anabaptist global family in cities. Grassroots urban mission efforts are known to exist among Mennonites in Managua, Ascension and Los Angeles. Significant Anabaptist efforts are also underway in London and Seoul. Efforts should be undertaken to identify the urban face of the global Anabaptist family and work to uncover its assets, especially those related to peacebuilding in the urban context.

One way to start this “conversation” among Anabaptist urban leaders is to provide the opportunity for city-to-city conversation and exchange of ideas on how to address urban issues of peacemaking from an Anabaptist perspective. This kind of opportunity for learning exchange has been requested of MCC by some Anabaptist urban leaders in Philadelphia and Toronto. This learning exchange could involve these leaders, in conversation with Anabaptist urban leaders in Seoul (Korea Anabaptist Center). This would be the beginning step to link existing Anabaptist grassroots urban peacebuilding efforts (as opposed to national office initiatives) for relationship building and best-practice sharing in an on-going conversation.

A possible long-term outcome would be to establish a network of global urban-based community workers/organizers to assist Anabaptists in urban centers to form ecumenical and inter-faith coalitions to work at local, indigenous, and holistic peacebuilding strategies.

In a ten-year horizon, the following key deliverables could be generated:

1. A global Anabaptist community asset map would be created, and updated in an on-going way.
2. A regular gathering of global urban Anabaptist leaders would be convened for mutual consultation and best-practice sharing, perhaps in consultation with Mennonite World Conference.
3. 8-10 major urban centers (cities with total population of 1 million-plus) with a relatively large Anabaptist population center (several churches of one or more Mennonite World Conference member conferences with combined membership of at least 2,000) would be identified, and community workers/organizers equipped and deployed to assist the local Anabaptist population to organize, implement, evaluate, and sustain local strategies of peacebuilding and restorative justice within their context, utilizing both local and global assets of the Anabaptist family.

As the global Anabaptist family becomes more urban, our strategies from North America, grounded in a rural experience, will need to diversify. This proposal outlines one possibility for such diversity of strategy to further the good news of peace and justice in our urbanizing world.

South Korea trip: August 18-31, 2009

Seoul Power!

We flew from Washington D.C. to Toyko, Japan in 7 hours. Then we flew to South Korea which took 2 hours. I did not sleep on the plane and did not sleep last night. My jet lag is really bad right now. Right now in Korea, it is 5pm, Thursday August 20 but in Philadelphia, it is Wednesday, August 19 around 6am.

What have I noticed?

1. There are churches everywhere in South Korea. They all have a neon cross lit up at night. South Korea has a very solid Christian history.

2. When we stopped at a gas station, I heard a car booming Korean rap.

3. Seoul is about 12-13 million people. The city looks very western, modern and new. It’s apartment style living to accomodate all the people moving to the city.

4. Most of the cars are Korean made: Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo.

5. The buildings are compact, colorful and different sizes. It reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture: simple and modern.

6. We visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) today. I will tell you about that later.

7. I thought I saw a swastika but it is actually a Buddhist symbol. (I did a class on symbols using this one in my Media and Culture course)

More later.

Seoul Power!

Seoul Power!
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The Almighty Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

When I first heard the acronym DMZ, I thought of the Dept. of Motor Vehicles. I heard it on the news but I was perplexed. I asked, why are they talking about the DMV in another country?

Well now I know what the DMZ is. Just a quick reminder. Korea was divided during World War II by the Russians (North) and the United States. The North, encouraged by the Soviets invaded the South and so began the Korean War Since the end of that war, American troops have been stationed along the DMZ ever since. There is barbed wire and guard outposts that tells you where you are: a heavily guarded and policed border.

We drove an hour north to visit the DMZ. It was odd for two reasons. The closer we got to the DMZ, the less traffic we saw. Also, it has been developed into a tourist attraction by the South complete with amusement park, observation towers, markets and souvenirs. I even saw shirts that said ‘Welcome to the DMZ!’ I thought this was odd and well, kind of crass. But then again, one of my colleagues asked what is the difference between this and Gettysburg? I thought he made a good point but there is one difference. The hostility between the North and the South in the U.S. is over. North and South Korean still maintains and fortifies the 38th parallel (where the DMZ is located).

We boarded a bus to cross the the Freedom bridge. We had to make sure we took our passports. I wanted to snap a shot of the South Korean military but someone told me that was not a good idea. I dont have many photos so I can added some from the internet.

Stops:

1. Dorasan Train Station

The station was built by the North Koreans as a goodwill gesture to encourage interaction between the two countries. The idea was to build a railway that would connect North and South Korean. It is a nice train station and even its artwork points to the spirit of cooperation…but it never happened. It is not just a tourist stop. I believe the North Koreans backed out of the idea.

2. The 3rd Tunnel

A series of tunnels were discovered underneath the DMZ built but the North Koreans. They claim it was for coal but the South Koreans said there is no coal beneath the land, only granite. The South Koreans believed that these tunnels were to go all the way to Seoul to prepare for a future attack. It is said that id they had succeeded, 30,000 troops could pass through these tunnels in one hour. We boarded a slow moving train that takes you to the bottom of the tunnel and then you can walk through it. The South Koreans walled up the tunnels once you get to the DMZ and have security cameras in that area. There is a small window you can look through to see that the tunnel continues.

3. The Dora Observatory

This place allows you to look through telescopes and see North Korea. Inside is a physical map that shows you the layout of the demarcation line and the locations of both Koreas.

4. the DMZ

You should know that the DMZ is a swath of land between North and South Korea that keeps them separated. This avoids clashes and unnecessary incidents. So there is one gate on one side for the North Koreans and another gate on the other side for South Koreans. In the middle is the DMZ.

There were interactive exhibits and movies that seemed like something Time Life made. (You know how they sell World War II footage with that aggressive military style voice). Through the info, I heard two consistent themes: who was at fault (North Korea) and the hope of reunification. In both countries, they have families on both sides. Although there are South Koreans who work across the border in North Korea, the reverse is not true. North Korea is a communist country valued for its physical labor and manufacturing while South Korea is a democracy valued for its education and technology.

(I did take a picture standing between two South Korean soldiers that I will put up later. I was a little bit uneasy but I tried to smile.)

As we talk with our Korean hosts, we find out this is their first trip to the DMZ. I guess it is too dangerous to take children to see it. I get very nervous visiting these kinds of places because one wrong move can cause an international incident. We really werent allowed to take hardly any pictures but we learned alot about the relationship between North and South Korea.

Later that night, we walked around downtown just to get a sense of things. Seoul is a very clean city with coffee shops everywhere. We have an italian restaurant and bakery and bought some really good pastries. We just sat out on the curb, laughed and enjoyed ourselves. I have noticed that I haven’t seen too many teens. I wonder where they spend their time? The  food is good and healthy for you. A lot of vegetables and very spicy.

Sightseeing and Observations

National Museum of Seoul

We visited the museum to learn about Korea’s and Northeast Asia’s contribution to the arts. We learned about Korea forming from three kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. They eventually became the nation of Korea. We had a guided tour that took us through the history. We also learned about Korea’s exposure to Buddhism.

Seoul War Memorial Museum

We visited a museum where we learned about the reasons for the Korean War and the split between North and South Korea. We saw a lot of military footage. Everywhere we traveled in South Korea, we saw symbols of an intense desire for reuinification. Yet at the same time, it seems like each country wants it on its own terms. It was clear that South Korea views North Korea as the aggressor. According to history, they are correct. However, the language expressed in the museum seems to border on propaganda. Just an outsiders opinion.

Party

We had a party at the guesthouse where we met young Koreans who participated in MCC’s IVEP (International Visitor Exchange Program) over the years. We also met young Americans and Canadians who were serving a term in the SALT (Serving and Learning Together) program. Jesus Village Church in Chuncheon helped start KAC (Korea Anabaptist Center) in Seoul to educate Koreans on Anabaptist beliefs. They have a publishing house and they put on peacebuilding workshops for other churches. They  also run a Peace Camp in Beijing, China and bring together Japanese, Korean and Chinese students to build relationships. Each of these groups has a history together as aggressors and victims. There were atleast 40 people at the party. We had a chance to make new friends and just laugh together.

Culture

I have been seeing small groups of different types of people in Korea. I saw Hasidic Jews, Middle Easterners, Indians and white people. On the subway, I saw two black people and wanted to reach out and hug them so bad. I am certain that they saw me. I am not sure they were African American. They may have been African. I did encounter one African American male. As we were crossing the street passing each other, we gave the cultural nod that told the other that we are from the same place. That felt good. So far, Koreans stare, it seems out of curiousity. In Seoul, the young people seem very westernized and into technology. Little children sneak hellos to me from time to time.

Visual Architecture

South Korea is a very modern city. It was rebuilt probably 30-40 years ago. Rapid industrialization has increased their competitiveness and their literacy rate is one of the highest in the world. The average Korean makes about $25K/year. I was shocked because it looks like they make more than that. The Korean Alphabet (Hangul) is interesting to study. It is very visual with interlocking shapes that are placed in vertical, horizontal and curved positions. Each syllabic blocks forms two letters in their alphabet. Although I cannot read it, it is interesting to examine in advertising. When the letters are placed next to each other, they look like they form blocky pictoral symbols like Chinese lettering. But actually Hangul is a phonemic alphabet where the letters correspond to spoken sounds in the language.

The architecture in Korea is very modern. The city looks like Ikea designers designed some of their buildings. They are often simple, functional yet masterfully colorful. I don’t see many traditional buildings in the city.

Everywhere I have been so far, I have seen some form of construction. Seoul is growing at a very rapid pace.

Race

Since Koreans see themselves as a homogenuous group, race has to be an issue. If someone were half Korean and half black, they may be shunned and their prospects for a normal life would be limited.  Hines Ward plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is half Black and half Korean. His parents left Korea for the U.S. to give him a better life but the marriage did not work out. At one point, he lived with his father, then his mother. Doing well in the NFL has thrown him and South Korea in the spotlight. At the same time, I saw ads featuring young people who looked half Korean and half White. This may be the result of western culture creeping into Korean society via the media and American companies. I did notice people looking at me while I was on the subway although it was not all the time. My guess is that Seoul residents seeing more foreigners in their city on a regular basis. The stares get a little uncomfortable but, after a while, I got accustomed to it.

2009 Oxford Circle Community Festival