naked, estranged, sick, and imprisoned and he used his words and his actions to bring about change.
Each day, people, personal relationships, religious groups, and nations are being shattered through intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutionalized acts of inhumanity. We are called to be agents of reconciliation; however, it is often hard to know where to begin. In the June newsletter, I offered this quote as a starting place, “If you want a better WORLD, Composed of better NATIONS, Inhabited by better STATES, Filled with better COUNTIES, Made up of better CITIES, Comprised of better NEIGHBORHOODS, Illuminated by better CHURCHES, Populated with better FAMILIES, Then you have to start by becoming a better PERSON.” [1]
For me, one of the most significant aspects of the relationship between religious and spiritual institutions and the public is the intentionality of the interactions. Are our institutions teaching others how to walk the path of least resistance and contributing to the maintenance of the status quo in society? Or are we as spiritual leaders being intentional about creating opportunities for people from diverse groups to build bridges and open lines of communication. Are we intentional about our efforts to expose people to different truths, different realities, and different experiences of life? Are we intentional about speaking out publicly about legislation that privileges one group over another? Are we intentional about letting everything we do be about building monuments of peace, monuments of love, and monuments of justice?
We have a commitment to doing all we can to fight passive and active inhumanity in this world. As a spiritual leader, I can work to create an environment in which people can empower themselves to be more involved publicly in fighting injustice. I can model behaviors that illustrate how we can be working in coalition with others in fighting injustices. I can represent the Infinite in working as an ally with groups that are being marginalized and disempowered by societal norms and regulations. I can write blogs that provide new insights into contemporary social issues and challenge my readers to get involved.
Restoring humanity, involves two steps: a commitment by those in and out of the “church” to working with those who have experienced inhumanity and a commitment to working to dismantle the legacy of the inhumanity. We cannot do anything about the legacy we have inherited, but we can do something about the legacy we pass down to the next generation. The move from humanity in theory to humanity in practice is not easy work. Humanity in practice entails individuals who are willing to do the self-reflective and difficult emotional work internally. It requires groups of individuals who recognize the work and healing, which needs to be done is long term, not short term and it is not going to happen over night. It requires people to not only change themselves but to change the way they actively confront discrimination and inhumanity in daily life. While none of this is easy work, as with all attempts to embrace the Infinite Presence in daily life, the rewards in our lives and the lives of those we are engaged with is great.
[1] Church of the Nazarene, Ideas for building an inclusive church http://www.multiculturalministries.org/creative.html