Reflections of a Jazz Theologian

Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America

What do you do when...

...poverty remains the dividing line between success and failure in this country?

...politicians argue over the causes of poverty--one side blames structures, the other, people?

...the achievement gap between poor and middle-class children is evident before the age of two?

..."by the age, welfare children, have heard 10 million words addressed to them, on average, and [middle-class] children would have heard more than 30 million"

...by the age of three middle class children have heard 500,000 encouragements and 80,000 discourgements, and the ratio is reversed for children of poverty?

What do you do?   You do Whatever It Takes!

"Whatever It Takes:  Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America," is a must read for anyone who wants understand why's behind poverty and the hope that is being discovered in Harlem.  When Canada asked, "What would it take to change the lives of poor children?" The answer:  The Harlem Children's Zone, a ninety-seven-block area of potential and willingness to do what has never been done on behalf of the poor.

 

Click below to hear what President Obama had to say about the Harlem Children's Zone.

Denver Get's Whiter, Suburbs More Diverse

If the church is going to serve its community as Christ would, it means that we need to be as good at reading our cities as we are reading our Bibles.  This means that we are aware of what is taking place sociologically. The Denver Post did a story on the racial shifts that are taking place in the Mile High City:   Denver Get's Whiter, Suburbs More Diverse.  If you live here this is a must read, if not find out what's happening in your neck of the woods.  

News like this give us insight into how we can approach ministry.  For example, this study points to the potential for multi-cultural churches in Denver.  So much of the success of multi-ethnic congregations is dependent upon geography and ethnic living patterns.  But with what's happening in Denver we can hope for more and more brothers and sisters worshipping in unity.

Marginal Christianity

We as Christians need to be comfortable being marginal.  This will require two things:  Surrender and Choice.

Surrender:  We are being marginalized in this country and we can be OK with that.  We live in a pluralistic society that is actively moving us out of power.  I don't think we should fight this, for power is not the goal of the kingdom-obsessed, love is. I like how King said it, 

Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice and justice at it's best is love correcting everything that stands against love. (Martin Luther King Jr. August 16, 1967)

Choice:  Jesus hangs out on the margins, he told us so in Mt. 25.  There is an experience of Christ that can only be found when we choose to meet him on the margins and borders.  King chose this life despite his middle class and educated life.  Listen to this...

I choose to identify with the underprivileged, I choose to identify with the poor.  I choose to give my life to the hungry.  I choose to give my life for those who have been left out of the sunlight of opportunity.  (Martin Luther King Jr. August 16, 1966)

Marginal Christianity

Marginal:  Extremely small, limited; minimal; having to do with edges; lower and outer limits; almost insufficient.

I think we Christians need to be comfortable with and embrace being Marginal.

What do you think?