Leadership Confessions

Canadian Battling Systemic Murder, Mutilation Of African Albinos

Note: This article is a re-post of an informative and compelling article by Kim Hughes from http://samaritanmag.com/1163/canadian-battling-systemic-murder-mutilation-african-albinos

"It is no exaggeration to say that being born "albino" in the East African nation of Tanzania is one of the unluckiest fates life can hand you. It's also fair to say that Canadian activist and philanthropist Peter Ash has done more to assist Tanzanians with albinism though advocacy, education, funding and sheer resolve than anyone else on the planet. 

In most parts of the world, albinism is seen for what it is: a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to the absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin.

People with albinism ("albino" is considered derogatory, Ash says, and is slowly being replaced by this new term) are highly sensitive to sun, classified as legally blind (development of the optical system is highly dependent on the presence of melanin), but are otherwise correctly perceived as ordinary if striking-looking people with white hair and fair skin.

In Tanzania — thought to be the albinism's physiological ground zero where the rate of incidence is 10-times higher than in other countries, occurring in roughly one out of every 2,000 people — people with albinism (PWA) are perceived as inhuman: ghosts or the evil spawn of an African woman and a white man.

Often, a best-case scenario for a Tanzanian with albinism is discrimination or being ostracized, denied an education and treated as a freak. Worst case scenario? Murder or savage mutilation; the guerilla taking of body parts which command a dizzyingly high price (by African standards) on the black market.

Influential witch doctors, who hold powerful sway over the populace, claim that an "albino" arm or leg can be used to create a powerful potion that serves as a gateway to wealth and success. Against this malevolent backdrop, Tanzanians with albinism are sitting ducks for persecution unless they're lucky enough to find themselves in the crosshairs of Vancouver's Peter Ash and his Under the Same Sun (UTSS) charitable foundation, which he founded and serves as CEO.

The mission of UTSS is summed up thusly on its website: "Under the Same Sun is passionately committed to ending the deadly discrimination against albinos in Tanzania. Through education and advocacy we envision a day when the genetic condition of albinism will be understood, and people with albinism will take their rightful place in all aspects of Tanzanian society."

Explains Ash, "In a few cases, we deliberately chose [to use the word] 'albino' only because the public gives us a blank stare when we use 'person with albinism.'  They get 'albino' — so we have to start there."

Himself born with albinism, Ash first learned with horror of the harassment and abuse raining down on his Tanzanian brethren in 2008 through a BBC World Service report. Since then, the onetime preacher has dedicated himself to stopping the violence while promoting education.

If the work at times seems insurmountable, the forthright and determined Ash, who spoke to Samaritanmag on the eve of yet another trip to Tanzania (he averages two to three a year) seems like the man for the job.

Samaritanmag: So the BBC brought this issue to your attention?

Peter Ash: Yes. Being albino, I was well aware of the discrimination that was out there, how Hollywood characterizes albinos as evil.  What was news to me was the sale of body parts, the human trade in albinism. Through a lot of digging, I managed to track down the BBC correspondent who filed the report, Vicky Ntetema (who now serves as UTSS' executive director in Tanzania where the foundation maintains an office and a staff of about 20, half with albinism).  I'd never been to Africa before, but I bought a ticket to Tanzania, went over and just started exploring. I was at a point on my life where I had been very successful and had had a few careers -- including commercial real estate -- so I had more time on my hands and wanted to do something meaningful.

People with albinism are particularly sensitive to the sun
Photo credit: UTTS

Samaritanmag: How did African albinos react to seeing you -- a Caucasian with the same condition?

Peter Ash: They thought I was Swedish or Scandinavian or something, just another white man. They thought albinism only existed in their country.

Samaritanmag: Why is the incidence of albinism so high in Tanzania?

Peter Ash: Every genetic mutation began at a point in time somewhere in the world. An American geneticist who is a specialist in this area theorizes it began about 2,000 years ago in Tanzania or quite near there. If it's true, it's ironic: the genesis of albinism -- the Garden of Eden in you will -- has now become the exact opposite. The gene pool is more concentrated where it began. Remember, in that part of the world, people are living in poverty and they don't move around much. So there is high incidence of inter-marriage and the introduction of new gene pools is limited. So it gets passed on from family to family. But both father and mother have to carry the gene for it to manifest in a child.

Samaritanmag: How did Tanzanian albinos come to be so demonized?

Peter Ash: Depending on the study you read, between 50 and 90 percent of the Tanzanian population believe in witchcraft. And it's been that way forever. It's a part of daily life. Imagine a society without medical data. You have these two black parents with five black children and all of a sudden this other baby pops out that's whiter than most Caucasians. People think it must be a curse from the gods.

People with albinism are considered ghosts, non-human. The family believes they are cursed so the notion of selling that child and maybe even profiting are not so bad. Witch doctors play upon those beliefs, suggesting that a child is evil, and saying that if they can harvest a limb and mix it into a potion and a customer can use that potion to become rich or lucky or whatever, it will make it okay. An albino arm could fetch $3,000 or $4,000 U.S. A complete set of albino organs could fetch $75,000 to $200,000, a fortune where the average median income is $800 a year. If you get $4,000 for an albino arm, that's like five years' wages.

Samaritanmag: Is the Tanzanian government on board with your advocacy and with fighting discrimination against albinos?

Peter Ash: Publicly they are very supportive and they're not standing in our way, but there is much more they could be doing. This is a big story in Tanzania and it's one the government wishes would go away; they have become known as the land of albino killers rather than the land of Mount Kilimanjaro and safaris, which is obviously the image they'd prefer to cultivate.  So I am not a popular person and have been told that by high-level government officials. I am seen as tarnishing the image on Tanzania. Rather than blaming the killers, they are shooting the messenger.

Samaritanmag: Just how widespread is this?

Peter Ash: There have been 101 documented crimes against albinos since 2006 -- 78 murders and another 23 attacks, attempted murders or abductions -- and only five of those cases have resulted in convictions. The government could fast-track these cases through the court system, but they haven't. The death penalty is still on the books in Tanzania and the president, Jakaya Kikwete, publicly said in 2009 he would use it against anyone found guilty of murdering an albino. And yet no one found guilty and given the death penalty has been executed. We believe it would be a deterrent to the killings in this country.

Children with albinism enrolled in the UTSS Education Scholarship Fund - Photo credit: UTTS 

Samaritanmag: Those numbers - and that lack of governmental response - are very disturbing in a nation often held up as a model of African progress.

Peter Ash: You have to ask yourself, in a country like Tanzania, who has $4,000 to hand over for an arm or a set of albino body parts? It has to be high-placed and wealthy individuals, the elite and powerful. So what are the odds of those people being exposed? That's why the prosecutions haven't been happening. The only people going to jail are the witch doctors and the killers, not the consumers of the organs, not even in the five cases successfully prosecuted. Even under the threat of death the witch doctors won't reveal [the identity of] their customers. Why? They know to do so would bring death to their entire families.

Samaritanmag: So what's the chief mandate of your foundation, Under the Same Sun?

Peter Ash: Education is our biggest focus and students are our biggest weapon against discrimination. Fast-forward 10 or 15 years; if we have students who are the first in their class, getting jobs and leading in their communities, it will be harder for the country to discriminate against people with albinism. Tanzanian albinos will ultimately win the war for themselves.

Samaritanmag: Where do you gather most of your funding from?

Peter Ash: Our website, www.underthesamesun.com, generates a fair bit especially when there's a media story about this issue. Plus there's word of mouth. We have a fundraising gala in Vancouver every year and we attract some corporate donors. But about 85 percent of the funding comes from me and my family. Hopefully, over the next five years, that ratio will shift to 60/40 coming from the public and coming from us. We want to expand and do more. We have 300 kids in school right now as part of our Education Scholarship Fund program and we'd love to double that number.

Samaritanmag: Do you see a time when UTSS will need to close its doors because this issue will have been resolved?

Peter Ash: Not in my lifetime. This discrimination is deep-seated. It's going to take years. Still, I have a dream that people with albinism will take their rightful place in Tanzanian society. One day."

 

What ABC's New TV Show 'GCB' Can Teach Us About Ourselves

Christians are notoriously poor at being able to laugh at ourselves.  When the media portrays us, it usually does so with extreme caricature which we then get all huffy about and then both parties end up missing each other in the conversation.  

That's partially why I was so intrigued to watch the pilot of ABC's new TV show last night "GCB".  Originally named "Good Christian Bitches" (after the book of the same name by author Kim Gatlin), then tamed down after protest to "Good Christian Belles" and then finally truncated to GCB, the show follows the lives of socialites in Dallas and is a mix of Desperate Housewives, the original Dallas (think big hair and lots of plastic surgery jokes), and High School musical - amongst other things.  

The show features a group of girls who went to high school together and who are conspiring to get their revenge on the mean girl who has come back to Dallas from California after her life has fallen apart.  Author Margaret Fienberg makes a compelling observation on CNN's BeliefNet blog:  

“GCB” acts as a mirror as to how Christians are often perceived, which is to say none-too-positively. But the “GCB” caricature doesn't represent the vast majority of Christians, who find themselves in generous, kindhearted congregations that serve their communities, from providing food and shelter for those displaced by recent natural disasters to providing clean water and much-needed aid around the world.

Still, “GCB” challenges every Christian – including me – to consider our own faith journey and if our talk really matches our walk. When do we fall prey to petty, gossipy, vindictive attitudes and actions?"

If GCB can keep it out of the gutter in terms of content (it may already have lost that game) and weave into the plot more deeply nuanced questions of faith and forgiveness, it has the potential to hold a mirror up for Christians to ask good questions about our own lives and how our actions are perceived by our culture.  If it can't walk this fine line, then GCB likely will go the way of Desperate Housewives. 

Navigating the Rapids: A Conversation About the [sometimes choppy] waters of Evangelical Anabaptism

Since the 1970s, Mennonite Brethren have claimed the unusual title of evangelical Anabaptists. Through the decades, we’ve found ways to blend two broad theological streams into one current of church ministry and life. Herald editor Laura Kalmar had an email conversation with Brad Sumner, pastor of Jericho Ridge Community Church in Langley, B.C., and Gil Dueck, instructor in theology at Bethany College in Hepburn, Saskatchewan, to discuss the joys and challenges of our Mennonite Brethren “dual identity.”

For some readers, the terms “evangelical” and “Anabaptist” may be unfamiliar. How would you define them? 

Brad: Part of the challenge we face as evangelical Anabaptists is the fluidity of both terms. Each one brings with it a weight of history stretching back more than a century, as well as a vibrant global conversation that has implications far beyond the borders of our nation. Having said that, I see “evangelical” drawing meaning from the four priorities suggested by British Baptist historian David Bebbington: “conversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and what may be called crucicentrism, a stress upon the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.” 

Anabaptism tends toward a specific subset of core convictions. As historian Harold Bender explains, it includes things like “discipleship, the church as a voluntary and separated brotherhood, and love and nonresistance in all relationships.”   

Gil: I see the term “evangelical” as consensus (mostly among conservative Protestants) around a high view of the Bible, an emphasis on conversion and individual piety, and a concern for mission and evangelism. Of course, none of these emphases are unique to evangelicalism – it’s the combination that is distinctive. Yet, there’s such an incredible range of perspectives that claim to be evangelical, I sometimes wonder if the term is useful.  

I see “Anabaptist” as an approach to the Christian faith that has historically emphasized following Jesus, love of enemies, voluntary and disciplined church membership, and a tendency toward separation from the wider culture. More recently, the word has taken on a few other connotations, due in part to contemporary writers like Stuart Murray (The Naked Anabaptist). This newer strain of Anabaptism tends to be associated with commitments to peace, social justice, and environmental concerns as contemporary expressions of discipleship.  

Do you think people in our church pews find these terms helpful? Do labels even matter anymore?

Gil: Among my students, there’s little recognition of either word. Many of them have little interest in, or patience for denominational labels – they prefer a “big-tent” approach to Christian identity. The challenge is to introduce terms like “evangelical” and “Anabaptist” in ways that enable students to think well about the real and significant differences that do exist between Christians, while avoiding the conflict that created “denomination fatigue” in the first place.  

On a personal level, I am sometimes a bit hesitant when I’m asked to identify with these labels because I never quite know what people think they refer to. Many associate “evangelical” with certain stock images of American fundamentalism that I don’t want to endorse. Conversely, I think some associate “Anabaptist” with a brand of social activism that’s indistinguishable from progressive liberal democratic sensibilities. Both terms are vulnerable to serious and persistent distortions.  

Yet, I believe that Anabaptism is a term worth spending the energy in clarifying. At times, I fear that just when many outside the church are becoming open to the Anabaptist perspective, we as MBs are walking away from it. In a secular, post-Christian context like ours, I think Anabaptism offers a way forward that evangelicism – with all its historical and political baggage – does not.

Brad: The reality is both terms are muddled or diluted in the minds of many people. There’s no “pure” strain of Canadian evangelicalism that hasn’t been influenced – both for good and ill – by our friends to the south, or by our heritage from across the Atlantic. Alternatively, the term “Anabaptist” has been highlighted recently by popular authors like Brian McLaren and Jim Belcher. 

But both writers seem to be dealing with a superficial caricature of Anabaptism. In that sense, they’re reflective of many people I encounter who claim aspects of evangelicalism or Anabaptism convenient to their own personal experiences and agendas, without acknowledging the messier parts of our cultural history and theological development.  

Canadian MBs are like a couple who gets married and learns they’ll have to pull out different strands from each of their families of origin to produce a new set of traditions and practices to define who they are. As a denomination, I think we’re still in the process of doing that. It’s a profoundly healthy and vibrant conversation!    

We hear talk about how evangelicals are only interested in getting people to pray the “sinner’s prayer,” and Anabaptists are only interested in social justice. Are the two terms really such polar opposites? Or are there areas of overlap – a beautiful synergy between the two?

Brad: Fundamentally, I don’t believe our dual identity is a deficit, or a case of conflicted or warring dispositions.  Rather, I think it’s a fusion of the whole church taking the whole gospel for the whole person to the whole world. It positions us uniquely in our largely post-Christian world to engage in mission like never before.

Gil: One of the major problems with our terminology is the way it sets up false tensions – the whole evangelism vs. social justice debate, for example. The idea that these are mutually exclusive practices is simply foreign to the Bible. 

This is where I’m increasingly encouraged in my work with young adults. There’s little awareness of this debate among the younger generation, and very little interest in it when it is described. For them, Jesus was committed to both – calling people to personal faith in him, as well as responding with compassion to the needs he encountered. Perhaps those who find the separation of these things bizarre are demonstrating an evangelical Anabaptist approach without even knowing it.

So what does it look like – practically – to be evangelical Anabaptists? How does our identity contribute to our mission in the world?

Gil: This is a tough question, mainly because it seems to be a rare thing to find a person or community that offers a uniquely evangelical Anabaptist approach to mission. The two “sides” often get played off against each other. Either you’re passionate about winning souls for Christ or you’re interested in meeting physical needs and alleviating suffering.  We’re so prone to filter things through the “left-right” spectrum, we can hardly conceive of the possibilitythere might be other ways of seeing things. To me, mission is one of the crucial areas in which evangelical and Anabaptist perspectives need each other.

Brad: In terms of practical outworking, I think of my friends who are dual citizens. The positive element of any shared identity is always the ease of movement it creates, and the capacity to identify with a multiplicity of cultural environments. For Mennonite Brethren, this means we can be comfortable in both Canadian evangelical as well as global Anabaptist families. 

But neither explains the totality of who we are. A dual citizen has something unique to share with each of their “home” cultures: the gift of perspective. As Mennonite Brethren, this sense of duality, if leveraged properly, could allow us to make a stronger critique of some of our own cultural and historical blind spots. It might also allow us to see more clearly the possibilities for future ministry effectiveness that carry less of the hurts, habits, and hang-ups of both our “home” cultures.  

So, the first call is for a deeper level of self-awareness. If we don’t know who we are, we’ll have difficulty inviting people to join us on a journey of discipleship.

Our churches look so different from each other! Why is that? Is there anything we hold in common? For example, if I visited both Willingdon Church in Vancouver and Lendrum MB Church in Edmonton, I may think they belonged to two separate denominations.

Brad: Because of our unique histories and geographies and leadership influences, each local church will manifest a different element of our evangelical Anabaptist DNA. But this lack of homogeneity isn’t a bad thing. After all, my children certainly don’t look, sound, think, or act alike, even though they’re part of the same family. We’re bound together by a commitment to our values and sense of mission. Part of this commitment involves making time for face-to-face relationships, as well as believing the best about each other.    

Gil: I, too, have noted the incredible diversity that exists among our churches. This diversity begs the question: What actually is it that holds these congregations together? Shared history? The relationships that exist within the denomination? The ministries or programs we collectively support?   

It would be hard to make the case that all MBs rally around the evangelical Anabaptist flag at a theological level. I’m sure there are a number of MBs who value the “creative tension” represented by these two terms – who believe these two ideals need each other in order to correct potential imbalances inherent within the other. 

But in my experience, there are also many MBs who prioritize one of the two terms, while patiently (or impatiently!) tolerating the other. As Brad said, our diversity isn’t a bad thing. But we can’t impose unity where it doesn’t exist. If the goal is unity within diversity, we have to figure out where that unity lies.

Not many other denominations have a dual identity. With that in mind, where have we succeeded and what mistakes have we made?

Brad: We’ve made the common Canadian mistake of defining ourselves but what we are not as opposed to who we are. We’ve drunk deeply from other streams of tradition and practice without critical reflection on the unintended consequences of unfiltered adoption.

We’ve also seen profound benefits! God has allowed us significant witness and mission in many parts of our country, and a voice that can speak with respect on many issues. Here in Langley, for example, MB churches work comfortably with the Salvation Army on issues of homelessness, and with mainline churches on hospital chaplaincy. 

My perception is that many of our MB churches across the country share a sense of partnership with other Christians to reach their city and our nation for Christ.  In Vancouver, our church planting network functions as a key resource and collegial hub for other denominations. In Ontario, some of our new church plants are intentionally interdenominational. 

Perhaps this is our unique strength: our history and experience as “dual citizens” have given us the opportunity to lead with humility, to partner with a gracious spirit, and to resource and support where the Spirit is at work in other parts of the Anabaptist and 
evangelical worlds.    

Gil: The danger of a dual or “blended” identity is that we may lose a sense of connection to what actually produced that identity. And because one half of our identity is the massive entity called (mainly American) evangelicalism, we’re at risk of borrowing so heavily from these influences that the Anabaptist half of our identity gets diluted. Perhaps the old moniker “MB=Mostly Baptist” is closer to the truth than we care to admit. 

As our executive director, Willy Reimer, observed at the recent study conference, we’re sometimes too influenced by north-south relationships and not enough by east-west relationships.  

Despite these challenges, we’ve seen many successes. Our dual identity has definitely pushed us into wider circles of influence than would have been possible otherwise. We’re a community that demonstrates a remarkable ability to form partnerships across the denominational spectrum. This is, no doubt, part of our evangelical heritage since evangelicalism isn’t a denomination, but a coalition focused on cooperative efforts in mission. This has been one of the main benefits of our blended identity – we’ve been forced out of our historical isolationism and into a posture of cooperation with other Christian communities

The Danger of Making Your Experiences Fit Reality

I love the book of Job.  To me, part of the fun in reading it is assessing what part of the various speeches are true and square with God's picture of reality and what parts are vain or idle words (of which all parties are guilty at points).  That's why Job 21 is so intriguing to me.  Job's friends have spent the better part of their speeches to date building a case that the wicked do not proposer and that everything they have will be riped painfully from them as God's judgement on their behaviour.

But good ol' Job looks around and notes that this isn't usually true. He notes that the wicked "spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace. And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways. Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?’" (Job 21:13-15).  Job's assessment of the situation seems fairly realistic and level-headed to me.  People with no regard for God, both then and now, often do fine at business, parenting, finance, marriage and life in general.  The rain falls on the just and the unjust.  The prosperity gospel is alive and well.  

But poor Job's friends can't resist an opportunity to moralize, so they do something that is all to common then and now: they find selective stories that fit their worldview and they pontificate and over-spiritualize them ad nausea.  What they fail to realize, however, is that their selectivity doesn't square with the overall data of experience.  Job reminds them “Look, I know what you’re thinking. I know the schemes you plot against me. You will tell me of rich and wicked people whose houses have vanished because of their sins. But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth. Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster. No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done." (21:27-31).   His friends have conveniently ignored any examples that don't fit their worldview or make their point effectively.  

So next time you go to tell as story as an illustration of a point you are making, you might want to ask yourself if you have a sneaky habit of finding and sharing only blogs or tweets or experiences that agree with your pre-formed opinions. Or do you genuinely allow the aggregate and long-term data around the issue to speak for itself?  If you don't you might be making your experiences into a reality that doesn't exist!   

Thoughts on Generosity From a Recent Kettle Bell Ringer

Each year, we work with our kids on a growth plan for them in different areas of their lives (thanks Tim Kimmel for the idea).  We're not always as intentional about it as we could be but this past year, one of the growth areas we identified was helping them understand the value and the discipline of generous living.  It's certainly an up-hill climb in a culture such as ours, but one that is well worth the effort.  

So it was a pleasant surprise to me when, coming into the fall, our 8 year old piped up and asked if he could volunteer with the Salvation Army to person a kettle for their Christmas fund-raising drive.  I'm not sure where he got the idea or how he thought an 8 year old would be able to ensure the security of the cash outside a large retail establishment for 2 hours in the cold, but he really wanted to do it (which meant that daddy really wanted to do it).  We took 3 shifts on subsequent Mondays, two at the provincial liquor store and one at Superstore.  The following are some observations based on our adventures:

• People have a general proclivity towards generosity and helping others, but they generally need to be provided with concrete and easy opportunities to give.  I'm not sure whether this is a hang-over from our Judeo-Christian heritage, a general sense of cultural obligation towards those who are "less fortunate", a by-product of the season (for example, would the kettle campaign work in the middle of summer?  I would guess not as effectively) or something altogether different.  My basic operational hypothesis arises out of the observation that when there was a kettle present, our local homeless shelter and Salvation Army programs received a boost of several hundred dollars per hour.  No kettle = no revenue for that period.  The lesson? Charitable organizations of all kinds benefit most when they give people easy on-ramps for participating in giving opportunities.  For a creative one, see my friend's on-line foundation site ChimpFund
• People give toward things they understand.  This flies slightly in the face of the usual charitable philosophy that people give toward that which they have as personal connection with.  While this is undoubtedly true in some cases (do you support any missionaries you don't know?  Most people don't), most people who walked out of the liquor store don't have a personal connection with the issues of homelessness.  But they do understand it clearly.  They understand the need, they understand (mostly through the local media) how this need is being met in a sustainable and holistic way through our local shelter, the Gateway of Hope.  The lesson? Clarity is your friend.  When your donors understand the cause and where their money is being spent, they tend to give with open hands and generous hearts. 
• Guilt is a powerful but not significant motivator.  My observations were that people who gave out of a sense of social obligation not to walk by a cute kids (my 8 year old) or a kettle, put in coins.  Those who did so out of a genuine desire to assist and who did so with joy put in $5 or $20 bills.  If you give out of guilt, you never sense the end of your obligation.  But if you give out of a plan and out of a generous spirit, you get filled up by the action (as opposed to feeling temporarily relieved that you've "done your bit").  This also applies for those who volunteer.  If you do it out of a sense of joy and passion for the people who will be the ultimate recipients of your labours, you come into your shift with a sense of purpose and meaning.  If you do it simply because you signed up for it and you don't want to back out, the 2 hours ends up feeling very long.  The lesson?  Check your motives before you get into a situation where you feel pressured to give.  Ask yourself why you feel guilt or joy.  Ask why this cause stirs your heart.  Ask why you feel the need to fumble out an excuse like "I gave at the office" as opposed to having a settledness is your spirit that you have given what God would have you give this year.
• Generosity Breeds Further Generosity.  The generous spirit of an 8 year old in contagious.  We've had lots of conversations in our house this month about what it means to be generous and how we can further stretch ourselves in this area.  My 8 year old is now thinking of additional ways that he can raise money for people who need it.  His next project is raising funds for wheelchairs in Guatemala (he's planning an on-line art auction - stay tuned to this space for more info).  Proverbs 11:25 says that those who refresh others, will themselves be refreshed.  In other words, there's something of a snowball effect when genuine generosity is present.  Other people want to emulate it and the spirit of giving and sacrifice inspires others to do the same.  The lesson?  Think of what small, concrete actions you could initiate to cause an avalanche of generosity in your family or your faith community in 2012.  What dreams and visions might you be a part of unleashing simply by listening to those around you and partnering with them on their intended acts of generosity?  You just might end up with some thoughts on generosity of your own to share!

What To Do with Santa Claus?

It was my 6 year old daughter who first piped up...  She had come across a little porcelain figurine of Santa kneeling at the Nativity which caused her to remark very mater-of-factly: "I didn't know that Santa and Jesus were alive at the same time, dad."  

It's been over 100 years since journalist Francis Church wrote a much-reprinted editorial: "Yes, Virgina, There is a Santa Claus" and people of faith and good conscience still wonder what to do with the jolly old fat man in the red suit.  Some shun him completely, feeling that by doing so, they are appropriately rejecting the consumerism that has come to mar the season in the Western world.  Others embrace him whole heartedly, as evidenced by churches hosting Santa Breakfasts and the like.  But like so many other facets of our faith, I am convinced that either end of that spectrum is perhaps less that healthy and I'd like to propose a third way.  This year, why not redeem St. Nick from the myths and caricatures that have come to dominate and return him to his rightful place in history.  

On December 6, the church has historically celebrated the Feast of Saint Nicolas.  He's come a long way "from being a fourth-century Bishop in the distant Roman province of Lycia, through innumerable pious legends, until he became "Sinter Klaas", which is older Dutch for Saint Nicolas; in our day, Americans have turned him into Santa Claus, patron saint of the season commandment to shop until you drop." (from Richard John Neuhaus' The Feast of Saint Nicolas, p. 41, God with Us).  Listen to some of his story to discern what aspects of his life and character can be redeemed:

Very little is known about his life, but he is remembered as a man of great faith and compassion.  He was also a fierce advocate for those who had been unjustly condemned.  But he left behind no writings: the legends surrounding his life are all we have.  Nicolas is most well know is the West as the patron saint of children and gift-giving.  His connection to the American character of Santa Claus is faint, but it can be traced.  According to tradition, Nicholas' parents died when he was young, leaving him a large sum of money.  With his inheritance, Nicolas practiced charity, helping those in need.

One legend in particular illustrates his generosity: a family in his community was desperate; the father had lost all of his money and had been unable to find husbands for his three daughters.  The daughters were in danger of being given over to prostitution or another form of degradation when, one night, Nicholas appeared at their home.  He tossed three bags of gold into the open window (or down the chimney, in some versions) - thereby saving them from a terrible fate.  This tale is probably the source of his eventual connection to the tradition of gift giving at Christmas....

Aside from the obvious disparities between Saint Nicolas and the secular Santa Claus, perhaps the most poignant difference between them can be seen in the nature of the gifts they give.  While Santa has his bundle of toys, the gift that Saint Nicholas gives is nothing short of freedom from poverty and desperation.  The life of Saint Nicholas is an example of faith made flesh in actions of true charity." (ibid, pages 39-40)

So instead of rejecting Saint Nick, I humbly suggest that we re-tell his true story and reclaim the deeper principles and more compelling practice of true Christian charity this Christmas.       

Fat Wallets, No Friends

Christmas is a women's holiday.  There, I said it.  I came to this perhaps illogical conclusion in a strangely back-handed way...  It has nothing to do with whose job it is or isn't to prep for the 25th but rather everything to do with the inordinately high presence of women's Christmas events.  Couple this with the conspicuous absence of anything for us guys and my logic is unassailable (well, OK, almost).  

I'm certainly not complaining or asking for some kind of a craft or caroling night for us guys, I'm simply wondering what it is about the social and communal nature of women's Christmas events that simply doesn't translate well for dudes.  I mean, when was the last time you saw a Christmas event that was specificlaly organzied with men in mind?  

Thomas Joiner, in his book "Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men's Success" tells the story of his own father "a successful businessman and family man who committed suicide at age 56.  'My dad had close friendships in early childhood but they faded or failed for whatever reasons...  The problem is not precisely that he lost them, the precise problem is that he did no replenish them - and I believe it killed him, or more accurately led him to kill himself.  His autopsy report should read: male, age 56, cause of suicide: friendlessness.'" (qtd in Macleans, Nov 14, 2011, page 95).

Why this lack of friendship?  Joiner postulates that "men, more than women, focus on attaining wealth and status, neglecting relationships.  'A lucky few can get by on the friendships they made back in the day.  But many can't, and over time, men drift away from friendship and simultaneously earn money and status.  This leaves them puzzled indeed - they spent years achieving money and status, finally got it, and yet they feel lonely and empty.'" (ibid).

The solution?  Get a gang.  "Gangship is essential to men's well being...  Lonely men at home crave a reconstituted gang.  Hence NASCAR and golf, the attraction to and fascination with, for men, represents an attempt to vicariously experience gangship" (ibid).  Another solution Joiner proposes?  An old-fashioned reunion - "it can be as juvenile a time as the guys can muster, and ideally it needs to occur regularly.  The goal of the reunion is to reconnect the man's social connections where they were at their peak" (95).  

So this Christmas, guys, while you spouse is at the ladies Christmas tea, why not pick up the phone and call an old buddy.  Or reach out on Facebook and put a hunting trip together.  Who knows, it just might wave your life. 

The Gift of Receptivity

I love Advent.  The sense of wonder that only grows when you learn to wait.  The excitement of knowing that all around the world, people from multiple streams of Christian tradition are setting their hearts and their hopes on the same thing at the same time.  

So last week I went down to our basement bookshelf where we keep all of our seasonal books (and a few well-loved but long since outgrown kid's books) to select my Advent reader for this year.  Being a person who does not love repetition, I have a few to choose from so that I don't fall into ruts too easily ("Oh, I remember this story from last year!" is not good for me).  I also like to stretch myself outside of my usual reading routines at Advent and so most of my readers are more high church or more global in focus.  I decided that after a few years off from it, I am heading back to one of my favorite Advent readers: "God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas".  I love the poetic passion of Luci Shaw or the deep theological ruminations of Richard John Neuhaus.  It's good food for the soul to get me started on winter mornings.

This morning was a great example.  The First Monday and Advent and already a gem!  Listen to Neuhaus as he describes what it means to have faith:

Faith does not assert claims; faith recieves the gift that is undeserved.  Faith is itself a gift, the gift of receptivity.  Mary received the gifts in saying 'Let it be to me according to your word."  To her, and through her to us, was given the gift of the Child who is nothing less, no one less, than the Saviour of the world.  For us he lived and suffered and died; for us he was raised triumphant that we might, even though we suffer and die,  forever live in his glory.  The gift is already given and forever is now for those who give him permission to let life be a gift in response to a gift.  It really is a matter of giving God permission, as Mary gave God permission.  He will not be the Lord of our life without our permission.  Faith is giving permission." (21)

The greatest gift you or I might recieve this season is the gift that has already been given and simply needs to be embraced: the gift of receptivity.  

Some Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. Sometimes it feels like a one-weekend reprieve between the crush of back-to-school and the crass commercialism of Christmas. Its original intent was a day carved out to pause and reflect on the goodness of God and the generosity he demonstrates to us.

But in a society where we’ve increasingly lost touch with our agrarian and spiritual roots, we also seem to have lost some vital thanksgiving rituals that could further assist us in cultivating a harvest of gratitude in our busy lives. 

I grew up in a farming community so, for us, Thanksgiving was a big deal. With hundreds of hectares of wheat, soy, and canola under careful cultivation, and sophisticated machinery to keep the large wheels of modern agri-business running, Thanksgiving was still a very simple and almost archaic celebration.

The men would bring a sheaf of wheat to the front of the church. The women would bring canning and produce of various kinds, and it would all be presented at the altar as a kind of thank offering (Leviticus 7:12–14) for God’s amazing grace and provision. We would sing simple songs and acknowledge that “we plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand.” Bringing in the sheaves was a simple but profound way of saying to the Lord and to the gathered faith community that we are wholly and humbly dependent on him for our daily bread. 

But with most of us living far from our food sources, and with chip-enabled plastic cards automating the transactions that connect us to our daily needs, how do we intentionally  xperience and express this same kind of gratitude? 

How, when, and for what

Some of us give thanks in song. This not only has solid basis in Scripture (Ezra 3:11; Psalm 69:30, 95:2; Jeremiah 30:19; Nehemiah 12:26–47), but also makes it possible for non-farmers to participate. Still others offer prayers of thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1; Philemon 1:4) before meals or extemporaneously in corporate worship.

But there is a curious breadth of Scripture, however, that focuses not only on how we give thanks to the Lord, but also when and for what. It is here that we find thanksgiving can take root and grow in the surprisingly fertile soil of ordinary life. 

We are invited to offer thanks simply when God brings someone to our mind (Philippians 1:3); when we enjoy good food (1 Timothy 4:4); when we witness someone’s faith grow (2 Thessalonians 1:3); when we observe generosity in the lives of others (2 Corinthians 9:11); when someone comes to faith (2 Corinthians 4:15); when we ask something of God (Philippians 4:6); or when a person exercises his or her spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 14:16). There is also a long list of references where the mechanics of thanksgiving are completely subsumed in the rush toward the ultimate object of our thanks and praise: the Lord!

But the real challenge for most of us isn’t spiritual; it’s practical. How do we wring thanksgiving out of the watery messes of everyday floods?

G.K. Chesterton once suggested “the greatest of poems is an inventory,” and Canadian author and farmer Ann Voskamp takes this idea to new heights in her delightful book One Thousand Gifts. In it, she tells of how she was becoming consumed with the challenges of raising six kids, being caught off guard by grief, and missing God’s peace and presence.

Her solution? Make a list. Voskamp began a gratitude journal project, writing down the smallest evidences of God’s grace she could find each day as a way of priming the pump of praise. Eventually, her list reached one thousand items and she’s still going strong.

Voskamp wryly notes that for most of us, “every breath’s a battle between grudgery and gratitude and we must keep thanks on the lips so we can sip from the holy grail of joy.” I’ve started keeping my own list because I realized gratitude is like any spiritual practice – it needs to be repeated in order to take root and grow in a person’s heart and life.

So this Thanksgiving, if you find yourself lost somewhere between grudgery and gratitude, start making a list and see how far it takes you. I’m fairly sure you’ll end up affirming with the psalmist that “the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (100:5).

(Note: This article appears as a "Text Message" in the October 2011 issue of the MB Herald)

Embracing Your Inner Poverty

Asceticism or self-denial has always had an air of spirituality to it.  Whether historical (think the monastic movements) or current philanthropy (think about how you feel when you hear about a rich person giving away their fortune to the needy).  When we deny ourselves, something happens not only mentally and physically but also spiritually (this is why fasting as a spiritual practice can be so helpful).

But what often happens is that when we deny ourselves or give something away or serve the poor, we are doing it to meet a need in our own lives.  we want to feel good about how bad we feel or how much we have sacrificed.  

Jean Vanier, founder of the L'Arche communities reminds us that the Scriptures promise a blessing to the poor, not to those who pretend to be poor in order to fill a void in their own lives: "Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor, not to those who serve the poor!  I think we can only truly experience the presence of God, meet Jesus, receive the good news, in and through our own poverty, because the kingdom of God belongs to the poor, the poor in spirit, the poor who are crying out for love" (qtd. in Common Prayer, 427).

So at the same time that you are donating to relieve famine on the horn of Africa, ask yourself "where am I impoverished?  Where might my rejection of a poverty of spirit be preventing me from meeting Jesus?"