What is your calling? by Philip Newell: a review

2/14

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The memorial service for my friend Philip Newell was now a few  weeks ago. I am thankful that he left for us his memoir, What is your calling? (https://www.amazon.com/What-Your-Calling-Philip-Newell/dp/1504371259). His own unique voice is very present in the pages of this book and it sounds very much like an extended conversation with him. What comes through very clearly is his intelligence, his faith, and his ability to communicate clearly with anyone.   

For Philip, the question What is your calling? is not just a spiritual question but one with primary existential moral content. In his world view, informed by his love  of Plato and Calvinist reformed theology, all of creation is interrelated and we as human beings have a shared  responsibility for the  overall health of creation. And because we are part of that whole, our own self interest is best served by working for the best for all. For Philip, "True spirituality and religious commitment are about adherence to a transcendent order of things, an order that manifests itself through our own transformation into an increasingly loving person who then supports the well-being, growth, and transformation of others."

The book takes us through the various parts of Philip's life beginning with his childhood and his endearing fascination with turtles. We learn of the impact of his Biblical scholar father on his life as  well as the effect of his father's own spiritual journey. His post World War II service in Japan as well his education at Harvard as well as his student friendship with Martin Luther King, Jr. had their own impact.

More than anything, it was his encounter with  George McLeod and  his time at the Scottish community of Iona that shaped his view of Christian life, beginning with the importance of one on one relationships the power of mutually accountable community and and an absolute commitment to social and economic justice. One can clearly see the connections between the Iona experience and Philip's later advocacy for Alinsky stye community organizing as the best means for social transformation.

Although his years in West Virginia with his closest school friends were rewarding it was in urban ministry, in Washington, DC that he truly discovered his calling. His forging ecumenical and interfaith relationships and the importance of weekly meetings with his colleagues are helpful models for us. 

It is also valuable to read inside stories of both the logistical and strategic planning for Civil Rights Movement actions from Selma to the March on Washington to see what is involved in actually creating change. It is often forgotten for example, that the March on Washington was primarily a Labor Movement action in its inception. Most of the marchers  were from the UAW which also footed most of the bill.The Civil Rights Movement was never separable from the call for economic justice and fair labor practices as in Dr. King's support for the sanitation workers in Memphis and the move towards a Poor Peoples Campaign.

From Washington, Philip worked creatively at the national level the Presbyterian Church forging alliances with working people and community organizers. The efforts to create a worker owned and managed steel mill in Youngstown in the face of industrial collapse was but one example. 

Philip shares  with us both the sorrows and joys of his personal life as well, from the tragic death of his oldest son Philip to his ultimate marriage to Madelyne Tramm. In describing his personal faith, Philip argues (as has Marilynne Robinson) that Calvin and the reformers were the first humanists. He challenges those of that tradition today to seek to reclaim its original  passion to reshape the social order so that human beings could  live as God intended. 

Philip's short but incisive book is a clarion call to faithful witness by faith communities:
"Religious institutions of all kinds, but certainly those for which the Hebrew and Christian scriptures provide inspiration and direction, have a particular vocation: to address the needs of the poor, the outcast, and all disadvantaged people, not only for their sakes, but also for the preservation and welfare of the common life of all humanity, even to the uttermost parts of the earth. And in a world where people increasingly see themselves as spiritual, though without affiliation with a particular denomination, it can only serve each of us individually to think of our own lives in terms of ministry."

For those of us who struggle with these issues, with our own call, this book is not only inspirational but instructive. 

Justice (still) being served

2/21

We are gathered to meet with the New York Foundation. Our Sweatshop Free Upper Westside campaign workers. The National Movement Against Sweat Shops. And Justice Will Be Served. And the NYF’s staff person.

The campaign has begun to pick up support from a new contingent of Columbia students. Organizing happening at multiple locations. And New Jersey. And Binghamton, as students continue to spread the word to thei colleagues. In multiple languages. Success in the Domino’s boycott campaign in moving form local to national corporation. The small victories, accomplished without pickets or boycotts, like Columbia favorite V&T Pizza, Gabriela’s (one of my favorites: cocina Oaxacana) and Land Thai and Grand Sechuan.   There’s a need for their work to be  better publicized.  There is also the win in the Domino’s case with the court holding not only the local franchise but the international corporation culpable. What is needed is to spread the word of the Domino's boycott wider. 

Hope speaks of how workers from around the city have learned that the picket lines are places where workers can gain information form other workers and gain resources  from other struggles for their own. New alliances develop. More outreach has begun with fast food workers around the city. 

I continue to be impressed at what is a true community based organizing model.  Undocumented immigrant workers, workers with papers, union workers, faith community, neighborhood residents,  politicians and perhaps most significantly, now79 small businesses. (And I’m honored that West-Park can be the base for the weekly outreach efforts.)  

The Foundation is impressed. Will renew its support. And extend an offer for a grant to help improve communications capacity. 

Economic justice happens in more than policy decisions in Albany and City Hall. It’s part of every consumer decision we make: where we buy our food, where we eat, what services we choose. Part of what the foundation wants is a list of the small businesses that have signed on to the campaign. It’s more than choosing not to, choosing to boycott. It’s also about positive choices, choosing for  those businesses that support justice. 

The list of Upper West Side businesses supporting the campaign can be found here: http://sweatshopfreeny.twalloffameumblr.com/

God's economy, Shakespeare and Sikhs

9/18

The Nurse's Scene in Romeo and Juliet as a parody of the Annunciation to Mary


Andre is waiting for me at the side door as I arrive.  I need him to open the doors, since I can’t reach there right now. Amy texts to say that she can’t make it.  Andre and I will need to go it alone.  I ask him to keep an eye on things while I go to the  copy shop to pick up the bulletins.

I’m happy to see that Elder Maria who had left New York to return to Puerto Rico is here in the congregation this morning. P______ is here. During prayers, she sings in her high little voice. Says that last week she had prayed that God would be with her and that God had protected her and touched the three judges.

As the economy gets worse, not just here but gobally, as unemployment soars, I’m thinking about these things.   There are some interesting statistics in today’s New York Times. 46.2 million  Americans are now living in poverty. To put that in perspective:

25.2  million women and girls, more than the population of Texas. 

13.2 million  Hispanics, more than  Illinois

31.7 million whites, more than Pennsylvania and  Florida combined.

16.4 million under 17 years of age, more than New Jersey and Virginia combined

3.5 million over 65, equal to the population of Connecticut

10.7 million blacks, more than Michigan

1.7 million Asians, more than Idaho

21 million men and boys , more than  NewYork state

The poverty line is  now $22,314 for a family of four, about the cost of a Ford Focus.

Median household income is now  $49445 , down 8% from 1999. That’s about equal to cost of a year at Princeton, or an average  kitchen remodeling

49.9 million Americans are without health insurance. That’s equal to South Africa or South Korea. (The bill for just the surgeon in my recent surgery was $29,900. Where would I be without insurance?)

As for unemployment, there are now: 

14 million  unemployed

6.6 million women,that is more than Arizona

2.6 million Hispanics,  equal to  Nevada

3.1 million blacks,more than Iowa

.5 million  Asians, equal to Wyoming

7.4 million men, more than the state of  Washington

 The total of 14 million is equal to Illinois and Rhode Isaland combined

( Statistics from “The Impoverished States of America”, Tom Kuntz and Bill Marsh, New York Times, 9/18/11)

In our city, unemployment is now 8.7% . For Manhattan 7.1 %. The  Bronx 12.3%, highest unemployment of any county in the state of New York. The Bronx never has  less than 3 % points higher than the city as a whole.   Brooklyn’s rate has been higher than 9% every month.

For blacks the rate is 12.8 %, and for Hispanics it is 4% higher than whites. The average household income of Manhattanites in the top 5% of income bracket is $837,668, or 81 times that of lowest 20% ($10,328). Not surprisingly, the Bronx even worse at $ 6692.)

(“Steps Away but Worlds Apart”, Gina Bellafonte, NewYork Times,  9/18/11) 

So what does this have to do with scripture? Let’s take a look at what we might call  God’s economics. In Exodus16, the people are in the wilderness.They are grumbling against Moses and Aaron. Why did you lead us out of Egypt?  they ask, we may have been slaves but at least there we had 3 square meals a day...

So God sends quail at night and in the morning? Manna...a fine flaky substance that covered the ground. Literally, in Hebrew, ma na. What’s this?

So here’s the the point...there was  enough for everyone, including slackers. And even more, you couldn’t hoard it.  If you try to stash it away, it only goes bad on you.

Then in Matthew 20, the land owner and his day laborers. What kind of way to run a business is this? Everyone who works, regardless of the number of hours, gets paid the same...Obviously, those who worked the longest, all day long, through the heat of the day, are most upset. Still,they got what they had contracted for. There are feelings are not unlike those of the older brother  in the prodigal son story. What’s going on? Why so unfair? 

Consider this: If God is God, then God is radically free to do what God wants when God wants to do it and with or for whomever God wishes. God does not serve  at our command, comform to our expectations.  As it is written, the last shall be first, first shall be last...

Shelly Douglass has said  in God’s economy there is (always) enough. I loved that the Comfort ye! concert we did every year with opera singers from the Metropolitan and City Operas was based on the idea that we give from our enoughness, not our surplus, but our enoughness.

When we look at what others have, it’s easy to be resentful, envious. And God forgives our resentment, our greed.

In all fariness, Matthew’s story is also a parable about salvation. About how Gentiles, ie, you and me, we may get there late, but we still get there, by God’s grace. Not by merit, not by our works, but by grace.

Neverhteless, we can’t avoid the real world implications of God’s economy. It runs against all simple ideologies and policies. I’m not sure what was worse :  when a question was raised of what should happen to someone with a life threatening illness and no insurance. The  response by Presidential candidate  Ron Paul to  “let them die...” or the cheering of the audience that followed. I find that scary. What happened to us?

You read this story and you see them, the day workers, immmigrants, bicycle delivery people, laid off workers of every color collar, those who “wait by the phone”,  women who want to work to support their children but can’t find enough work or sufficient work to be able to afford child care and health insurance...

Does God's economy have anything to do with our economy? In a world where, as Julie  Polter says, we “sort and rank each other acording to employment status and  income?” Where  even churches are given value according to their number of members and money in the bank?

What do you think? What do you say? What do we do?  But to bear witness, to bring critical response to a culture of consumption, to seek to build, to be, a visible presence of the kindom of God, the beloved community....that’s where we begin.

After the service, the session meets to discuss an agreement with Presbytery over an old legal bill and also different options related to the boiler. That work must begin, has to begin soon.

                                                    * * *

The Dark Lady Players’ production of Shakespeare’s Gospel Parodies: A Medieval Mystery Tour is performed in several of the set rooms from Woodshed’s the Tenant. It’s built on the medieval mystery play tradition of different scenes on different carts. Only here, it's dfferent rooms.It also takes the form of museum theatre.  You are led by docents into different galleries where you are met with a tableau vivant, which then comes to life as the players act out different scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. The docents then explain the scholarly analysis of each scene connecting underlying Biblical backgrounds for each scene. The docents make what could be dry and boring entertaining and engaging.These exhibits, then are not only like museum exhibits, but also like legal exhibits, building up evidence for the argument about authorship that John Hudson and the Dark Lady Players are making. Namely, that Amelia Bassano, the dark lady of Shakepeare’s sonnet, was actually the author of these plays. Whether the argument is ultimately convincing or not, the prentation of the connection between the Bible and Shakespeare is the kind of program that represents what our Center is becoming. The challenge to traditional assumptions, the kind of questioning and dialogue that comes from experiencing the play is way of stretching, of growing.

                                     * * * * 

The day ends with the Center’s screening of Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath by Valarie Kaur and Sharat Raju. This is the first of the Center’s film series on hard questions. The film details the experiences of the Sikh community after 9-11. It’s a story most if us were unfamiliar with. It was a surprise to learn that within hours, before anything was even known about the attackers, bearded men in turbans and even women were already targeted. Among other issues raised:

• How we assume that any attack must come from radical Muslims. EG, how until Timothy McVeigh was found to be the perpertrator of the Oklahoma City bombing, it was assumed to be  a Muslim attack. And with the tragic attack in Norway, radical Islam again was  blamed until it turned out to be a fundamentalist Christian.
• The connection back to the removal of Japanese from the Pacific coast during Workd War II.
• How long it took President Bush to condemn the murder of a Sikh in Mesa, Arizona
• How those murdered across the country included Arab Muslims, An Egyptian Christian, a Latino and a Creek Indian
• How the government’s profiling gives permission to the general public to profile. 
• How stories help understand reality and how we need to chane those stories
• The quote by one interviewee that Americans don’t wear turbans. 
• Our need to have an other.
• How we need to keep expanding our vision of who is American, of our understanding of who we are.

Katherine conceived of this idea for our first film. Sarah and Danielle produced it.  I led the discussion following. 

As one of the Center’s first non-musical, non-theatrical events, this opened another door to the kind of dialogue we want the Center to create. The discussion was good, sharp, focused. Each successive event defimes who we are and are becoming.

photos for the show in a few days.

Ophelia tells Polonius how she was interrupted in her closet by Hamlet; A parody of the Annunciation

The 3 murderers (one black) with gifts wrapped in a carol, and following a star to a new born babe. From Titus Andronicus.

The Conception of Virgo or Astrea in Heaven by an arrow. From Titus Andronicus

The Trial of Shylock as a parody of the Trials of Jesus

The Death of Bottom/Pyramus from Midsummer Night's Dream

The Last Supper from AYLI

The Tomb scene/death of the pregnant Virgin Mary from Othello

Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday 2011: We shall overcome someday

1/16

This is the Sunday we commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Jim and Holly are the first to arrive to help set up, as usual. Then our musicians. Juan has brought a small space heater. There’s  Philip and then Amy.  As cold as it is, I joke that later that afternoon, over 60,000 people will sit outside in colder weather watching  a football game. (Of course a few beers help.)

During the time with children, Deacon Pat asks what would Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. think of today? She recalled her pride, her tears when Obama was elected. There has been change, but...

That indeed is the question before us today.  

There is much on my mind as I think about that question:

*  The shock waves that continue to flow out from the shooting in Tucson. How the President's words reminded us of the HOPE he inspired as he ran his campaign. Would these words touch anybody, change anybody not already committed to civility in the public arena?  I wrestle with the current level of divisiveness, our continuing  fascination with guns. And how we deal with the mentally ill. And the fact that families of victims and accused need support and prayer.

• Our clergy meeting in Wednesday when we talked about the new shelter for 200 men.  The city’s need to find shelter for burgeoning numbers of homeless. The new profit opportunity for the illegal hotel owners to sign shelter contracts with the city. Yes, shelter is needed in this cold. But what we really need are permanent affordable housing apartments to better weave the fabric of our community. 

Hope asks: so if they’re paying $100 a night for shelter, why not let the men stay there permanently? Have enough services available to help the residents  transition back to work? Back to neighborhood life? Wouldn’t that make sense?

• And i ‘m thinking about the city wide rally for the Living Wage we went to Thursday night at Convent Avenue Baptist Church.  Reminding us that Dr. KIng’s last mission was to join the fight  for a living wage for sanitation workers in Memphis. The statistics are disturbing: the citywide unemployment rate is 9.1% and the unemployment rate for people of color is three times that, around 28%. Only 2.3% of city contracts go to companies owned by people of color.  And worst of all, 30% of the children in this city live in poverty.  What would Dr. KIng say?

What’s being asked for is pretty small:  $10 an hour with benefits, $11.50 without. As I overheard at the bar at Gabriela’s while waiting for my take out pollo con mole poblano, “In New York City you have to be middle class just to be poor.” And its inappropriate for a billionaire mayor to talk about letting  the market decide when these companies receive subsidies  from city taxes. Certainly the Los Angeles experience seems to show that employment actually increases with a living wage, not decrease it.

In the words of Dr. James Forbes, Pastor Emeritus of the Riverside Church and Director of the Healing  of the Nations Foundation, we have to learn how to tangibilitize our  values. From the verb tangibilitate : to  make tangible, real, concrete our values.

* And it was one year ago that the Landmarks Commission voted to designate West-Park as a landmark. The commissoner said he would do “everything in his power.” That was a year ago. Councilmember Brewer said that she could  and would raise $20 million. Subcommittee Chair Landner was convinced help would come. Committee Chair Comrie promised we would  “be all right.” That was eight months ago. So what do we do now? What do we have  to do to make our story public? Hold these offocials accountable? 

* And two wars that seem to go on with n en din sight wit mainly children  the poor and people of color dying. 

Dr. King had,as spoken by the prophet Isaiah, a mouth “like a sharp sword.” We need like he did, that experience of precision, disappointment, failure that comes with the prophetic call. The feeling that all our work has been in vain. Dr. King knew depression a swell. How do we move beyond that? 

Part of it comes in understanding that Isaiah makes clear that this call is universal, not just for “Jacob” and certainly not just for Christians. Imam Talib reminded us that Dr. King called us to set aside our prejudices and join together in a truly ecumenical movement, in sense of worldwide household. That means full acceptance of all, even those whose experiences lead them to question or reject faith, all who join together in good will. To that we have the challenge of being  universal without being unitarian. To maintain the uniqueness of our witness even as we reject triumphalism. 

The Psalmist speaks from a place of depression as well. Many of us have been there. Even Dr. King. What doe it mean to sing a new song? What is new? Are we ready to embrace it? Brave enough to sing it?  God gave us “an open ear.”  To hear what? The voice of God? The voice of those around us? Is there a difference? Yes, Dr. King was rooted in the African-American Christian experience, but he grew to a universal vision.

On Saturday, I saw the movie “Red Shirley.” His interviews with his 100 year old aunt, a refugee from Poland who became a union organizer in the garment workers Union. How as a Yiddish speaker she had to speak to Italians. How today its Latinos and African-Americans but still the same union. She was at the theatre in person after the movie. Spoke of  her sadness at the passing of the day when society, young people had a shared sense of social right and wrong. What realities were simply unacceptable. What does it take to live a life of commitment? To raise our children so they will have that innate sense?

I show the congregation my bracelet. the one with basta! on it. I say, 'Basta de que? Basta de todo...de guerra, injusticio, politicos que dice muco y hace nada....si, basta de todo...enough of it all..."

When asked where he was staying, Jesus told his disciples “come and see.” Yes, come and see. He is staying with the immigrants, the mournng in Arizona, the unemployed, the children in poverty...he is staying there....Walter Breuggeman said that the “Jesus event”shows God “eagerly invested” in the world. We are inheritors not of certainty, but a continuing struggle to know God and follow Jesus and to seek to understand what that might mean.  How our seemingly small witness can move from ineffectiveness to global impact. We are called to a deep openess to what might happen. 

We cannot live in 1968 or any other era or time than our own. We must resist the appropriation of Martin Luther King, Jr for any self-serving purpose, the ritualization, the holidayzation of the day. We must begin  by being ultimately present in this moment with everything we have. 

That’s what we talked about.  Philip sang “How Great Thou Art,” recalling the Thursday night service. P____came to the candle, praying for her case. We spoke of the next day’s march. of the week ahead. And held hands as we  sang our Halle, halle, halle, hallelujah and “We shall overcome...” with everything that lies ahead, inside and outside our doors...

Deep in our hearts, we do believe, that we shall overcome some day.