Faithful Philly Forum

I just saw Sicko and found it funny and sad, provocative and enraging! It is a strong case for national health care. Just like we have a safety net for senior citizens with social security (unless Bush has his way and dismantles it) and a “socialized” free public library system, police force, fire protection, etc this would provide the safety net that other western countries already have in place. The highly successful programs in England, Canada, France are all documented in this film. So now President Bush has announced that he will veto a bipartisan US Senate plan to expand the health care coverage for children! Any thinking person would ask what has he got against the children? Sick ones at that? Why?         

Because according to his spokesperson, he suspects that people may drop their (read: expensive) coverage and “go on the government-subsidized program.” (NYTimes 7/15) In other words, this is an admission that they know people are desperate for health care, low cost health care. And since, we know that the cultural mandate of the elite is to give away nothing free, (unless it is to large corporations!), then he is against more money for the children!

   “And when you do it to the least of these my children, you have done it to me.”

I’m currently sitting in the press section at the ACORN Presidential Candidate Forum at the Bright Hope Baptist Church at 12th and Cecil B. Moore.  It’s an event that showcases a beautiful marriage of faith and politics.

Rev. Kevin Johnson, the senior pastor of Bright Hope, opened the forum with a prayer that walked the line between religious doctrine and protest rhetoric graciously.

We’ve heard from the presumed mayor-elect Michael Nutter, as well as Representative Chaka Fattah, both of whom spoke out again predatory lending, endorsed funds for neighborhood repair and full funding of public schools.

Later, we’ll be hearing from Sen. Hillary Clinton, Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Sen. John Edwards (who will be announcing his plan to increase minimum wage).
ACORN is streaming the forum live, which you can watch here.  There’s also a forum in which you can participate if you feel the need to respond to the things you are seeing and hearing.

I’ve got a heck of a busy day–along with a nagging idea I read this morning from a past issue of Tikkun–so let me put it out here and come back later. The idea is how do we deal with privelege? I mean REALLY deal with it in our own selves if we want to be change agents? We need to own it–but I think there are many alluring ways for us to deny it and keep the attention to ourselves. I’ll check in with some more thinking when I’ve got more time to stew about it. –j

Can’t recall how I ended up there, but the opening quote on this website, which I don’t know enough about to either endorse or not, is interesting. Perhaps others have heard it before, but for me its new.

 ”As long as I assume that the world is something I discover by turning on the radio… I am deceived from the start.” –Thomas Merton

Its the opening quote for a blog–perhaps todays equivalent of turning ont he radio. Would Merton have blogged?  

Man, that Father Louis was one great soul.

–JD

Well, Jerry Falwell has gone to his great reward. What a figure in our recent history–such a product of his time and place. I remember as a kid going to Lynchburg for shoes (there was a shoe factory there with an outlet). Little did I know then that salvation was just around the corner. I’m inspired by the response of Soulforce, a non-violent movment among GLBT Christians born literally across the street from Jerry Falwell’s church. They both recognize the loss experienced by Fallwell’s family and church, while also lamenting his own loss of never recognizing the enormity of God’s fully embracing love. Thank God for Soulforce.

I wonder what folks are reading along the lines of spirituality. What’s helping or pushing or frustrating you in reading contained between actual book covers (though the daily check on a couple blogs, including this one, also help). What do you read that motivates action? My recent selections have been more introspective. I’ve just started Thomas Moore Care of the Soul, and I’m not into that enough to have anything to say other than he writes beautifully. The last thing I finished was Interior Castle, the classic of St. Teresa of Avila. A quirky thing to say the least–but very rooted in the wisdom of every day spritual searching. Its interesting to see many contemplative themes coming with a 16th century voice–and what a voice!

Lets not forget, in the wake of the events in Blacksburg, pray for the shooter. Work through the God in you to see the God in him. A lesson we might learn could be in that act. After all the Nancy Grace and Paula Zahn and Wolf BLitzer (yes, I looked too)–Pray for Cho and his family.

This last Sunday on Speaking of Faith, the NPR show on ‘religion, ethics, and ideas’–there was a discussion of the Truth and Reconciliation process in South Africa. The full confessions we have heard about were premised on the idea that reconciliation comes in the context of human relationships, where people are honest. So, the state still held the power to prosecute–and to withold prosecution–once the truth was out. Since, I have heard of attempts to create truth and reconcilitation processes in other realms–such as poverty in the US. I wonder if it really is the same idea if there is no state power in play–holding the power of prosecution?

Its good to see our Episcopal friends standing up to some to the bullying they are getting from the more ‘global’ Anglican communion. Always living in the shadow of colonialism, perhaps having a new leader who identifies with being an outsider will help this church to develop the strength to move on to more pressing issues than preserving a rather clubby connection to the past.   

Update on March 28–more evidence of spine in this quote from a conservative church member in Colorado–quoted in todays NYT:  “There was a lot of scrambling over the weekend. We thought that the House of Bishops would delay and obfuscate like they usually do. Everyone here was just shocked that they were so decisive in spurning the rest of the communion.”

West Philadelphia careens out of control this week with the violent behavior of some students wanting attention or wanting to express disrespect or rage at the organization. Yet, I sit here on an Ivy League campus and can’t find anyone who knows if anyone is teaching our college students conflict mediation and negotiation skills. (I think I might have found one professor. I am following up on that.) And when I ask “Who in the city is teaching children about how to address bullying and teaching peacemaking skills?” I can’t find anyone who knows of a curriculum or a program! I have located an incredible principal, Dr. Bob Lewis, who has taken one of the worst middle schools in the city, Shoemaker, and turned it around in one year. (It was highlighted by the Inquirer on Monday.) It would appear however that he has done it with his personality, enforcement of rules, support of good teachers, consistent discipline, and lots of praise. So I guess the next question is “Is anyone teaching other principals to do this?” And are there denominations or churches who are teaching peacemaking to the children? And, if not, why not??!!

Bev