She’s a Mil

Yesterday I helped one of my students write a resume. He is going for a job as a cleaner at the hospital but they wanted a resume. Having no one else here to ask he asked me if I would help him and I agreed. In the process of creating his resume we had the most profound conversation.

He is an Afghani man who arrived in Australia 3 months ago. He fled the Taliban in 2000 and then spent 9 years getting here (illegally) through Pakistan and Indonesia. I couldn’t understand everything but he kept saying “guns” and “dogs” and “Taliban very bad” I think he was trying to tell me that the Taliban treat people like dogs and that they held him at gunpoint and took his business from him. He told me all this as I tried to piece together his work and education history which as you can imagine having spent the last 9 years as an illegal refugee is fairly sparse. His education history isn’t great either, 8 years at primary school then military training for 10 years where he mostly learned to read and write. I ended up deciding it was probably better to not put in anything. I think most employers would be fairly put off by someone who had primary school education and 10 years in the Afghani military. The saddest thing though is that there is nothing at all to put someone off this man. He is the simply the most gentle, polite, respectful and kind man with me and with all the students in the class. He has so much challenged any stereotyped ideas about Muslim men that I had (and I had them I have to confess but all my Afghani students especially him have made me realise that they may be the most misunderstood people in the world). He actually stands up when I come into the classroom. A habit I am trying to stop as quickly as I can I must say. Especially, as I feel that it is I who should be standing up when he comes in. A man who has been through all that he has but has maintained such a gentle spirit and no bitterness is truly extraordinary I reckon. I don’t think he feels like that though, having been treated in the ways that he has been treated he has lost most of his pride in himself.

As he left he said to me “You are very nice. What can I do for you?” I actually teared up. How could I tell him that I am actually not that nice. That I benefit on a daily basis from the exploitation of people like him, helping him write a resume is the least I can do. But more than that I wanted to somehow explain to him that in the sharing of his story with me he had given me something worth so much more than the resume I had written for him but I couldn’t quite find the words.

Then I came home and watched Q and A and Lateline. As the politicians and the people battled it out about what we are going to do about “boat people” and how we are going to get “the balance right of being compassionate and protecting our borders” I just wanted to scream.

I loved, loved, loved this book. It was one of those books that you come across every now and then that seems to put into words (and eloquently) all the things that you have been struggling to get straight in your head but don’t seem to be able. One of those books that some how makes you feel at home and less alone in your thoughts. I am recommending it to everyone especially people who are perhaps disillusioned with Christianity and are needing a new way of understanding and living it out if they are to be able to stick with it at all.

Not that Marcus would say that the “the emerging paradigm”, what is described in this book is new, rather he sees it as the truly traditional way of approaching Christianity. I quoted this book a little bit in my last post, obviously the emerging paradigm is a more inclusive paradigm that envisages equality in the church between women (as well as homosexuals but let’s not go there perhaps) however I will quote it once more.

“Within this framework, being Christian is not primarily about believing, in the modern sense of believing certain propositions to be true. Instead, the emerging paradigm emphasizes the relational meanings of faith and leads to a relational and transformational vision of the Christian life. To be Christian means to in a relationship with God, lived within the Christian tradition.”

It seems this theme is no longer so hot here on blogfeed but the conversation continues no doubt and I would like to contribute my thoughts. We had one opinon from Tom, another from BJD and it is important to me (and perhaps others) that someone gives the other opinion (even if a bit late, it took awhile to write this post) and I do so with respect for all those who have written and commented.

I believe that all people, including men and women, are equal. By equal I mean completely equal thus equally capable, and with the blessing of God, to lead businesses, countries, families and churches.

I admit up front that I read the Bible from a historical, metaphorical and sacramental point of view. Thus for me the Bible is a sacred document and central to my faith and the way I live. I try to read it every day and it helps me understand who I am, who God is and what my life with Him should look like. However, I do not believe that the world was created in a literal 7 days, that the red sea was literally parted in two for the Israelites to pass, that Jonah was literally swallowed by a fish and I am even unsure of some of the miracles of Jesus. And even if they were literal I am unsure of their relevance to how I live my life. That does mean I do not believe in the truth of these stories. I believe that they have a very profound “more than literal” meaning that is still very relevant today. That God created and is in the world, that no matter where we go it is in God “that we live and move and have our being” that the spirit of God was in Jesus and in him we can see what a life lived fully in God looks like and finally that our God is a transfornming God who brings people from slavery into freedom, fear into truth, crucifixion into ressurection etc. I also do not believe that God really called the Israelites to bring down death and destruction on the communities around them, such as they did (as much as I do not believe that He called the crusaders). Nor do I believe he told Isiah he would “dash infants to pieces before their eyes” or that He was/is particularly concerned about whether we eat animals that “have a split hoof and chew the cud”. For me these have a historical context of people trying to understand their God. Just as the idea that a woman is unclean for a week after the birth of a baby boy and two weeks after the birth of a baby girl. And if we need a New Testament example I do not believe that slaves should obey their masters.

It has been argued that this way of reading the Bible is arrogant. I would argue that almost everyone reads the Bible this way (hence the fact that very few people, probably none, continue to live by the above regulations) but I also believe that as Marcus Borg (and other Biblical scholars) argue the historical, metaphorical and sacramental way is the traditional way of reading the Bible. He says “the notion of Biblical infallibility and inerrancey first appeared in the 1600’s.” He goes on to argue that “it was the Enlightment that identified truth with factuality. Before that people were more concerned with the more than literal meaning.”

Thus I come to my argument about women in ministry, believing that much of what was written about men’s and women’s roles has a historical context (and I remind you I am not being selective as I read the whole Bible this way). And while I believe in the wisdom of wives at times “submitting to their husbands” I do not see it as a blanket rule (and most would certainly agree with me when we throw in the issue of domestic violence). Just as I believe at times “women being silent and listening to the wisdom of men” is important so do I believe in the importance of men doing the same. And I would argue if one truly believes in the inerrancy of this statement they should be silencing women in churches and in fact all circumstances totally.

For me the message of the Bible as a whole and of Jesus (who was suprisingly silent on the issue given how much air time it gets in church circles) is one of equality of all people, “in Christ Jesus there is no male and female”. The message is one of liberation, of giving voice to the voiceless and empowering the oppressed and if we silence women in any way they become voiceless. And as many have commented (even those who disagree with me), women held leadership positions in the Bible and in the ministry of Jesus. I am constantly drawn to the story of the crucifixion where, as the men flap around betraying and denying Jesus and then don’t even recognise him when he appears to them, the women stand at the foot of the cross and then go to the tomb. It is to them that the news of the ressurection is first given and to them the responsibility to share it with others (to minister perhaps).

It has been argued that this isn’t a salvation issue. As someone who believes that salvation is as relevent in this life as it is the next, if not more so, it is a salvation issue. This is a justice issue, and like all issues of injustice such as slavery, poverty, racism we as Christians are called to liberate. Christ has called us to freedom and I just can’t envisage full freedom for women while they are not able to lead chuches just as if black people were not able to lead churches I would be saying the same. This may seem over the top to some but perhaps not to the massive amounts of people who are leaving the church because of its irrelevance. And that is an issue that needs to be taken seriously in this debate.

Well that’s enough I think (although I could go on I am sure). Again I remind people I have written this post with respect and admiration for others who have written simply with the hope that as people consider this issue they hear both sides of view. I hope if you choose to comment you would offer me the same respect.

Internet is not working at our place. I guess that is the price you pay to live out of town I suppose but it is very annoying. Especially as I have so many post running around in my head. But as I am paying $1 per 15 mins for internet I am not going to be able to do them any justice but here is a quick version.

I am still here in Alice. I am working for a cafe and going to do so until the right teaching job comes up. It is going okay really and it still leaves me with much time for being, waiting, listening and what John calls “sitting down” which I think incorporates all those things. I am trying to live something of a monastic life with three daily prayer or meditation as well as reading time. I don’t always succeed but we are not supposed to beat ourselves up about these things. I am also going to try and go up to the hut each month for 24 hours for what Sue calls “postinia”. Basically means going away in solitude to pray. Plan the first one for the weekend of 20/21 (Jo’s wedding). Let’s see how I go.

My other little task has been to try and rid our property of cats. Magrita, our neighbours daughter broungt some home and now they have about 10. It is a problem for the natives so we all agreed to take them to the RSPCA. On the arranged day though when i showed up they weren’t there. I saw one cat though so I took it and thought well I’ll at least take one. Unfortunately when I got there, after a fairly long drive of cat continuously escaping teh basket I brought to put him, the cat jumpedout of my arms and ran. I tried to chase after it but I was too slow especially as it was trying to escape the dogs. Since then I have been fairly disheartened as my attempt to make sure teh cat didn’t go feral actually assured that it would.

Martin’s job is going really well though. He says it is challenging but not overwhelminly so. he really likes the people too.

We went camping on the weekend to the Finke Desert race. That’s a Motorbike race for those who don’t know. Not that I am that into motorbike racing but it was cool. They race on a dirt track from Alice to Finke and back. 500km all up and bumpy as. We watched from a small hill which many of them were jumping at very dangerous speeds. One of the things about the NT is there is a lot less OHandS to worry about. The fireworks been let off was certainly testament to that. It was a pretty wild crowd though so we didn’t get much sleep.

I also saw Terminator Salvation with Martin on Friday. It annoyed me how they make out throughout the movie that if they win this battle the war is over and then at the end they say that it is not. I also thought John Connor was annoying. Everytime he ended his radio broadcasts with “Im John Connor” I thought lame. In saying that I didn’t hate it. I am not a huge action movie person but I have always got into the terminator ones. Maybe becasue they started when I was a teenageer and I have been following sincethen. We also had a nice dinner. Our first restaurant meal here just the two of us.

I love starting my day by reading Luke and then Richrd Rohr comments on it. My diary is filling up very quickly with quotes (thanks again Jess for the book). Here is one of my faves on forgiveness if the title hadn’t given it away.

“Most apologies people make to you are sort of embarassing and don’t work out because in granting them you are big hearted and generous, a great person and very often other are demeaned. It doesn’t make others feel better about themselves, they just feel you are big hearted. Of course, we would appreciate having some big hearted people around but Jesus is asking us to go one step deeper. Jesus isn’t saying “I’m big hearted, you’re sinful”. When Jesus forgives it isn’t so much an act of mercy as it is a loyalty to the truth of who you are. To really forgive someone is to recognise who they are, to admit and affirm who they are and to know theri best selves will brought out only in the prescence of an accepting and believing person. Forgiveness is believing in a person and not allowing that person to be destryed by self hatred. This is a way of forgiving that doesn’t make you look good but them look good. That is the way God forgives us. In forgiving us God gives us back our dignity and self worth. He is loyal to the truth of who we are. God affrims we are good persons who have sinned, God asserts we are not bad.”