Q & A … about us “old folks”
Steve Knight (who does a tremendous job with the emergentvillage.com blog - thanks, Steve!) passed on this comment/question from the site
Not sure this is the place to say this, but will give it a swing. I am a seventy-two year old Mennonite and am much taught by emergent thinking. Question: Is there any room for "old folks" in the movement? I ask you that, Brian, because I see something that looks like a little gray in your beard...
First, you're quite charitable, as "a little gray" is now a major understatement. (I was buying a fishing license recently and the form asked "hair color" to which I replied ... none.)
Second, as a 52-year-old, I'm right between you and 32-year-olds, so I think there's room for all of us. In my speaking, I frequently encounter people well over 80 who truly "get" what we're about.
Third, there's not only room, but there's a special need for older, seasoned voices.
And fourth, I think there's a special need for folks of an Anabaptist heritage like yourself. Your community has centuries of history practicing what many of us are just beginning to learn. So thanks for this good question!
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something more cheerful …
If bad campaigning has you down, here's something to put a smile back on your face ...
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Truly depressing campaigning …
If you haven't seen this piece by Amy Sullivan on the new low struck in the US presidential campaign, it's worth checking out. I hope that my fellow Evangelical Christians will not be suckered by this kind of manipulative tactic, and I hope that as many of us as possible will speak out against it.
My suggestion: watch to see which Evangelical leaders speak out against this abuse of religious rhetoric. And watch to see which ones defend it - either vocally or tacitly. That will make clear where the constricting borders of the Religious Right of the future will be.
If you want to join me in expressing disgust at this kind of campaign rhetoric, join the Matthew 25 initiative here ...
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It’s a global conversation … “something new is coming”
More and more people here in the U.S. are getting involved in/with the emergent conversation (either "in" it as participants or "with" it as observers or critics). Too few are sufficiently aware of the global nature of the conversation. Some folks still think of what's going on as an exclusively "American" thing, when the truth is that we USAmericans showed up late to a global party already in progress.
People involved in/with the emergent conversation in the US would be encouraged - and humbled, I think - to encounter the depth and vigor of conversation going on in Europe - via gatherings like Greenbelt and various networks like Emergent UK and emergent Germany.
As more people become aware of the postmodern side of the coin and its important conversations about truth, they should also become aware of the postcolonial side of the coin and its important conversations about justice. As they learn about the growing diversity of reflective practitioners talking about the shape and future of the church in the West, they should also learn about the amazing array of women and men leading parallel conversations in the global south.
To get a flavor of the rich African conversation, check out this piece ... and explore the whole site, including this report from a recent gathering in South Africa. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter too.
Consider especially this quote from Sarah Gonski, an American spending the summer in Burundi, East Africa:
One of the friends I met, Hannah Nayoge, is a beautiful young woman who is working on a public health degree in Kampala. After a long few days of deconstructing old theologies, Hannah and I had a conversation in which she told me she was tired. Tired of it all. Tired of a world hurting and a church content to turn its back and make lofty pronunciations on the eternal fate of outsiders. Tired of performing the mental gymnastics of truly wrestling with what it means to follow Jesus. “But”, she said, smiling hopefully at me, “something new is coming. I feel it”.
To get a taste of what's emerging in Latin America, check out what I think is the leading integral mission network in the world ...
Or check out this exciting new network in Malaysia.
It's a global conversation. Hannah Nayoge is right: Something new is coming.
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My Support for Matthew 25 and Barack Obama
If you haven't seen my enthusiastic support letter for the Matthew 25 Network and for Barack Obama, check it out here.
In the coming weeks, I plan to offer the top reasons I've decided to vote for Barack Obama ... stay tuned!
IMPORTANT NOTE: In going public with my support for Senator Obama, I'm acting as a private citizen and not as a representative of any organization. (Just wanted that to be clear.)
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