Justice Journey Blog

Justice Journey Bloghttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&blog_id=28071This blog will give updates throughout this year's Justice Journey - June 18-23.EN-USCopyright © 2010 Christ Church of Oak Brookhttp://www.triplePixel.comFri, 03 Aug 2007 10:00:00 GMTJan HolmesThis blog will give updates throughout this year's Justice Journey - June 18-23.Jan Holmesjholmes@cc-ob.orgnoWhere do we go from here?http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=73823http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=73823Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:00:00 GMT Our team got together for dinner this week to talk about our Justice Journey experience with Reverend Meyer and afterwards, we met with the CommUNITY Council for debriefing. We shared our struggle to go back into our daily routines with new eyes that see more clearly the racial underpinnings to so much of American life. We recognized the journey provided only a tenth of what we have to learn and that we need to find ways to continue our education. We wondered how to communicate with our church what has been revealed to us, so that transformation can begin to happen individually and corporately. We felt a strong desire to keep up our relationships with our Salem Baptist counterparts, and an equally compelling desire to reach out and form relationships with ethnic communities and churches locally. Where do we go from here? The way may not be clear, but our hearts have been softened and our spirits prompted to continue on the journey. Our team got together for dinner this week to talk about our Justice Journey experience with Reverend Meyer and afterwards, we met with the CommUNITY Council for debriefing. We shared our struggle to go back into our daily routines with new eyes that see more clearly the racial underpinnings to so much of American life. We recognized the journey provided only a tenth of what we have to learn and that we need to find ways to continue our education. We wondered how to communicate with our church what has been revealed to us, so that transformation can begin to happen individually and corporately. We felt a strong desire to keep up our relationships with our Salem Baptist counterparts, and an equally compelling desire to reach out and form relationships with ethnic communities and churches locally. Where do we go from here? The way may not be clear, but our hearts have been softened and our spirits prompted to continue on the journey.73823Reflections on the Journeyhttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30718http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30718Sun, 24 Jun 2007 01:00:00 GMT Today’s blog entry is comprised of team members' reflections on a significant image or moment from the past week. These reflections provide a collection of mental pictures and insights for readers about a journey comprised of so many profound moments. I hope as you read them, you will contemplate the history and current state of race relations, ask a team member more about his/her experience, and consider taking the journey yourself next year. Lucy Mikes A very significant moment for me was standing in front of the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. There was part of a passage from Genesis 37:19-20 engraved on a stone there: “They said one to another, Behold, here cometh the dreamer… Let us slay him… And we shall see what will become of his dream.” It struck me as so appropriate, so fitting for him. The passage refers to Joseph. His brothers thought their actions would end his vision, but look what happened. The story of Joseph tells us you don’t kill God’s plans. You don’t kill a dream. John Vandenbrouke An image that is burned into my mind is one from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The image is that of two young black men that were hung for no other reason than being black! If that was not sickening enough, a crowd had gathered and were smiling and pointing at those poor souls. That is pure Hatred! God has called us to be one as the Body of Christ. We as the Church must move towards that end, and it starts with each individual. Then and only then will we be the Living Body of Christ that we are called to be. Kirk Dillard Two of the many stirring events of the spiritual Justice Journey are most deeply imbedded in my heart, mind and soul. First, walking arm and arm—singing “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around”—and walking over the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama. Secondly, our service in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham was truly praying on sacred ground. As the parent of two young daughters, I could not stop thinking about the four beautiful girls murdered by a bomb planted by a racist monster. I cry and ache just recalling the emotion as I write this on a bus in rural Arkansas. Rhea Escudero The most profound moment for me was in the slavery museum. I was in the dark hearing moans and cries. I could feel the fear and pain of the enslaved Africans. When I say feel, I mean it was a physical experience. After, the Lord showed me that this pain continues today within the African American community. He also showed me my culpability in perpetuating that pain by just not looking at what has been in front of me. I have been convicted and cannot “live life” as usual after this experience. Beth Rhanda, In the Visitor’s Center there was a black sign with a single word on it declaring in bold red font: vision. It was simple, yes, but sometimes in simplicity our most profound statements are made. This image, to me, represented clear and unadulterated vision. It stood out to me because vision development is what I do. On my leadership team for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at school, that is what we do. We develop vision for where we want our chapter to go with its outreach on campus. Sometimes our vision to see great change and the spread of the Gospel gets clouded by our preconceptions, secret agendas, or personal vendettas. To develop a multiethnic body of Christ, people of all backgrounds need to come together to create a collective vision. This will only be done through the grace and wisdom coming from our Lord. My hope is that the Lord will give us all a bold vision that leads to clear action and great social change. “And, in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day.” Phil Carlson During our visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, which presents a thorough history of the Civil Rights movement from slavery to the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I felt deep sorrow at the scope of injustice against African Americans. I don’t think any of us thought they were in denial when they started on this journey, but now we know we were. Dan Shannon Until this moment, I did not comprehend the deepest level of the pain that the victims of racism experienced; the moment was when an African American father recounted how he had to tell his 7-year-old daughter that she couldn’t eat a sandwich at a counter because she is black. The pain is that much more excrutiating because it is being done to someone for whom we would give our life. I imagined what that would be like if I had to do the same to my 7-year-old daughter. Janelle Davis There are so many vivid images in my head from our journey this week—from men and women being kidnapped and herded onto ships to be sold into slavery, to the monuments of the dogs and water hoses that were unleashed on children in the protest marches, to the face of Jesus being blown out of the stained glass window where the bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church killed 4 little girls who were at church on Youth Sunday for Sunday School. But there are two images from that church that stand out more. In the memorial area, there is a photo of Martin Luther King in the Memphis March. His expression in this particular shot reveals deeply all of the grief and pain and discouragement and frustration and even despair that could be felt at times during the Civil Rights movement. It was as if we could see into his soul. It reminded me of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem before going to the cross and made me think about how grieved God is when He sees the terrible things that we are capable of doing to each other. And the second image was a stained glass window donated by the people of Wales in support for the congregation and representing African American torment after the church bombing. It was of a black Jesus on the cross. It reminded me of the song “Some Children See Him” talking about how some children see Jesus, as they are themselves “yet full of love and grace.” It gave me hope for a world (and for heaven) where we all understand that God is beyond gender and race and that we are all created in His image and are truly brothers and sisters in Christ in “beloved community.” Jan Holmes A significant moment was taking communion together at the 16th Street Baptist Church. We had just heard a message from Dr. John Perkins exhorting us to pursue reconciliation and the ideal of the church no longer divided, but one body. The communion service was led by Reverend Dearal Jordan from Salem Baptist Church. There is no truer expression of our bond than sharing the body and blood of Christ. Today’s blog entry is comprised of team members' reflections on a significant image or moment from the past week. These reflections provide a collection of mental pictures and insights for readers about a journey comprised of so many profound moments. I hope as you read them, you will contemplate the history and current state of race relations, ask a team member more about his/her experience, and consider taking the journey yourself next year. Lucy Mikes A very significant moment for me was standing in front of the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. There was part of a passage from Genesis 37:19-20 engraved on a stone there: “They said one to another, Behold, here cometh the dreamer… Let us slay him… And we shall see what will become of his dream.” It struck me as so appropriate, so fitting for him. The passage refers to Joseph. His brothers thought their actions would end his vision, but look what happened. The story of Joseph tells us you don’t kill God’s plans. You don’t kill a dream. John Vandenbrouke An image that is burned into my mind is one from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The image is that of two young black men that were hung for no other reason than being black! If that was not sickening enough, a crowd had gathered and were smiling and pointing at those poor souls. That is pure Hatred! God has called us to be one as the Body of Christ. We as the Church must move towards that end, and it starts with each individual. Then and only then will we be the Living Body of Christ that we are called to be. Kirk Dillard Two of the many stirring events of the spiritual Justice Journey are most deeply imbedded in my heart, mind and soul. First, walking arm and arm—singing “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around”—and walking over the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama. Secondly, our service in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham was truly praying on sacred ground. As the parent of two young daughters, I could not stop thinking about the four beautiful girls murdered by a bomb planted by a racist monster. I cry and ache just recalling the emotion as I write this on a bus in rural Arkansas. Rhea Escudero The most profound moment for me was in the slavery museum. I was in the dark hearing moans and cries. I could feel the fear and pain of the enslaved Africans. When I say feel, I mean it was a physical experience. After, the Lord showed me that this pain continues today within the African American community. He also showed me my culpability in perpetuating that pain by just not looking at what has been in front of me. I have been convicted and cannot “live life” as usual after this experience. Beth Rhanda, In the Visitor’s Center there was a black sign with a single word on it declaring in bold red font: vision. It was simple, yes, but sometimes in simplicity our most profound statements are made. This image, to me, represented clear and unadulterated vision. It stood out to me because vision development is what I do. On my leadership team for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at school, that is what we do. We develop vision for where we want our chapter to go with its outreach on campus. Sometimes our vision to see great change and the spread of the Gospel gets clouded by our preconceptions, secret agendas, or personal vendettas. To develop a multiethnic body of Christ, people of all backgrounds need to come together to create a collective vision. This will only be done through the grace and...30718Receive not the grace of God in vainhttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30681http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30681Sat, 23 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT Yesterday in Birmingham we visited the Civil Rights Institute and today, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. The experience of these exhibits is overwhelming, shocking, sickening, and maddening. The hatred and bigotry was blunt and brutal. Seeing video and photos of whites acting out their racism during segregation, in response to peaceful demonstrations, against children, and surrounding the integration of schools, is appalling. I can't begin to explain all the aspects that were horrific about the history of the Civil Rights struggle. The other side of the experience was the admiration I came to feel deeply for the leaders and participants of the movement. Their vision of freedom when reality offered no hope, their inner strength when meeting all manner of opposition, and their determination to regroup after every setback and press on is so inspiring and humbling. Dr. John Perkins, President of the Christian Community Development Association, speaking at the 16th Street Baptist Church, set a vision for a struggle for justice today that begins with healing the church. He preached the importance of working to overcome segregation in church life and truly reflect Christ's vision of one church. He said the walls today are racial and ethnic, and he asked, "Where are the peacemakers?" The subtitle of his sermon was "receive not the grace of God in vain." When we are "born again," the redemptive grace of God is released in us and then, our life in Christian fellowship releases this grace into the community. There is a scripture inscribed on a memorial at the Lorraine Motel to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Genesis 37:19-20: "They said one to another, Behold, here cometh the dreamer... Let us slay him... And we shall see what will become of his dream." Dr. Perkins encouraged us to continue to work to build our multi-racial Christian community and let the joy of the Lord that comes from that bond release a new work of God in our world. It is the hope of a Justice Journey experience that our small group can carry forward in some way the spirit of the dream. Yesterday in Birmingham we visited the Civil Rights Institute and today, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. The experience of these exhibits is overwhelming, shocking, sickening, and maddening. The hatred and bigotry was blunt and brutal. Seeing video and photos of whites acting out their racism during segregation, in response to peaceful demonstrations, against children, and surrounding the integration of schools, is appalling. I can't begin to explain all the aspects that were horrific about the history of the Civil Rights struggle. The other side of the experience was the admiration I came to feel deeply for the leaders and participants of the movement. Their vision of freedom when reality offered no hope, their inner strength when meeting all manner of opposition, and their determination to regroup after every setback and press on is so inspiring and humbling. Dr. John Perkins, President of the Christian Community Development Association, speaking at the 16th Street Baptist Church, set a vision for a struggle for justice today that begins with healing the church. He preached the importance of working to overcome segregation in church life and truly reflect Christ's vision of one church. He said the walls today are racial and ethnic, and he asked, "Where are the peacemakers?" The subtitle of his sermon was "receive not the grace of God in vain." When we are "born again," the redemptive grace of God is released in us and then, our life in Christian fellowship releases this grace into the community. There is a scripture inscribed on a memorial at the Lorraine Motel to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Genesis 37:19-20: "They said one to another, Behold, here cometh the dreamer... Let us slay him... And we shall see what will become of his dream." Dr. Perkins encouraged us to continue to work to build our multi-racial Christian community and let the joy of the Lord that comes from that bond release a new work of God in our world. It is the hope of a Justice Journey experience that our small group can carry forward in some way the spirit of the dream.30681Be Ye Transformedhttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30653http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30653Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:00:00 GMT Dr. King used to talk about a beloved community. The past two days we have been learning about how to be reconciled to one another and how to be teachers and agents of reconciliation. We viewed a film about a group of people, who were diverse in their racial and cultural identities, and their attempts at reconciliation. It was difficult to watch them meet and try to connect. First, there was the problem of lack of grace. Some of the participants may have been Christians, but this was not a Christian group. Many of us added our own subtext of how a Christian would act differently. Second, it was difficult, but important, to realize the hurt people of color carry living in a majority culture that reminds them of their identity every day. I learned to appreciate that sharing their stories with us means reliving the pain and should be considered a sacrificial gift. I also learned that having to relate to the majority out of one's minority identity masks for society whom they really are, the beautiful person underneath. Finally, it was difficult to watch as a member of majority culture because of the gradual realization I had of what I carry internally and how I act it out in the course of my life that is racist. This has nothing to do with intentionality; this has to do with the accumulation of history, cultural norms, experiences, media, behavior patterns, assumptions, attitudes, decision making--the milieu that made me. On the heels of that personal revelation, Dr. Kehrein spoke yesterday about the admonition in Romans 12 not to be conformed to this world. Once we become aware of how we conform, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This Justice Journey has educated me about the America built on racism. I need, we all need, the reconciling and transforming grace of God. Turning to Ephesians 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." By this grace, we can set our sights not on the world any longer, but on God's world. We see the Christian vision of a world reconciled together and in God in Ephesians 2:19-22, "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Dr. King used to talk about a beloved community. The past two days we have been learning about how to be reconciled to one another and how to be teachers and agents of reconciliation. We viewed a film about a group of people, who were diverse in their racial and cultural identities, and their attempts at reconciliation. It was difficult to watch them meet and try to connect. First, there was the problem of lack of grace. Some of the participants may have been Christians, but this was not a Christian group. Many of us added our own subtext of how a Christian would act differently. Second, it was difficult, but important, to realize the hurt people of color carry living in a majority culture that reminds them of their identity every day. I learned to appreciate that sharing their stories with us means reliving the pain and should be considered a sacrificial gift. I also learned that having to relate to the majority out of one's minority identity masks for society whom they really are, the beautiful person underneath. Finally, it was difficult to watch as a member of majority culture because of the gradual realization I had of what I carry internally and how I act it out in the course of my life that is racist. This has nothing to do with intentionality; this has to do with the accumulation of history, cultural norms, experiences, media, behavior patterns, assumptions, attitudes, decision making--the milieu that made me. On the heels of that personal revelation, Dr. Kehrein spoke yesterday about the admonition in Romans 12 not to be conformed to this world. Once we become aware of how we conform, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This Justice Journey has educated me about the America built on racism. I need, we all need, the reconciling and transforming grace of God. Turning to Ephesians 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." By this grace, we can set our sights not on the world any longer, but on God's world. We see the Christian vision of a world reconciled together and in God in Ephesians 2:19-22, "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."30653Team Thoughtshttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30602http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30602Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:00:00 GMT I asked our communications coordinator to see if the team members were willing to share some thoughts on this blog. Here are their submissions: Writing my thoughts is usually like breathing, the thoughts just flow. Right now, I cannot put into words of understanding to those who have not walked this journey a description of our experience. But maybe most significant for me today was to ask "What do I need to work on inside of me?" How do I benefit from racism? What are my "white" blinders? How did white people get to be on top? The past 2 days have shed light on the issues of race and reconciliation. Visiting these sights has added details and emotions to the past, present and future that we have. [I'm] struck with how the church could have been part of the problem, instead of the solution. We are delighted and proud our Senior Pastor Dan Meyer will be with us at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Jump start in learning--learning a lot I can take home with me--learning about effective ways to relate to people from different races. Also learning to break out of my white relational tendencies to quickly respond and fix problems instead of just listen--I want to take home this deep history and lessons to transform the strong white mainstream culture surrounding me. The past 3 days have been eye opening to me in terms of expanding my understanding about how and why racism still exists, what role both the Northern and Southern church play in its history and perpetuation, and just how complex the problem remains. I am more convinced that there will be no long lasting, effective solutions from politics and social reform alone. Only the healing power of God's Holy Spirit, through the body of Christ, His church, will be able to bridge the divide and bring true unity between the races. May it be so! I asked our communications coordinator to see if the team members were willing to share some thoughts on this blog. Here are their submissions: Writing my thoughts is usually like breathing, the thoughts just flow. Right now, I cannot put into words of understanding to those who have not walked this journey a description of our experience. But maybe most significant for me today was to ask "What do I need to work on inside of me?" How do I benefit from racism? What are my "white" blinders? How did white people get to be on top? The past 2 days have shed light on the issues of race and reconciliation. Visiting these sights has added details and emotions to the past, present and future that we have. [I'm] struck with how the church could have been part of the problem, instead of the solution. We are delighted and proud our Senior Pastor Dan Meyer will be with us at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Jump start in learning--learning a lot I can take home with me--learning about effective ways to relate to people from different races. Also learning to break out of my white relational tendencies to quickly respond and fix problems instead of just listen--I want to take home this deep history and lessons to transform the strong white mainstream culture surrounding me. The past 3 days have been eye opening to me in terms of expanding my understanding about how and why racism still exists, what role both the Northern and Southern church play in its history and perpetuation, and just how complex the problem remains. I am more convinced that there will be no long lasting, effective solutions from politics and social reform alone. Only the healing power of God's Holy Spirit, through the body of Christ, His church, will be able to bridge the divide and bring true unity between the races. May it be so!30602Justice and Righteousnesshttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30601http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30601Thu, 21 Jun 2007 03:00:00 GMT Dr. Larry Lloyd, President of Crichton College in Memphis, Tennessee, spoke to us about the historic theological divide between social gospel churches and evangelical holiness churches. The painful reality is the evangelical holiness churches, while effective in evangelism and promoting personal spiritual growth activities like prayer and Bible study, were largely silent during the struggle for Civil Rights. Dr. Lloyd explored how the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) described the essential connection between righteousness and working for justice. (Isaiah 1:16; Proverbs 21:3; Amos 5:24) Dr. Lloyd said the Biblical language is social and this-worldly. The words for justice and righteousness are placed together, 55 times, in a device called a heindindys, two words with a conjuction which expresses a single complex idea. In the Bible translation I grew up with, wherever there was the word righteousness, there should have been the word justice connected with it. After Dr. Lloyd's lecture, we visited the King Center in Atlanta, which celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King said, "A man dies when he refuses to stand up for Justice." Consider these words in light of the Biblical concept of working for justice in the world as being necesary for a Christian's personal holiness. All that working on personal holiness and we missed a vital key to achieving it. Most importantly, we reduced the church's witness and did nothing to help the oppressed. Before I was asked to chair the CommUNITY Initiative at Christ Church, I had felt a longing, a conviction, over a significant period of time to be serving to make the world a better place. My ministry had been raising my children, and I hope that they will be salt and light in the world. But I felt called to do more, to do something outside the concerns of myself and my family. Reflecting on Dr. King's words, allowing myself to get caught up in my lifestyle is like refusing to stand up for Justice. Our lifestyles can keep us from acknowledging the needs in society and addressing them. Perhaps it isn't a coincidence that I was given the responsibility and privilege of doing this work after a year of small group focus on spiritual growth, in the Growing Your Soul program. Since then, I have felt a wellspring in my being. If you are in the place I was, I invite you to step out for justice, share in God's compassion, and receive the blessing of a complete Christian life. Dr. Larry Lloyd, President of Crichton College in Memphis, Tennessee, spoke to us about the historic theological divide between social gospel churches and evangelical holiness churches. The painful reality is the evangelical holiness churches, while effective in evangelism and promoting personal spiritual growth activities like prayer and Bible study, were largely silent during the struggle for Civil Rights. Dr. Lloyd explored how the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) described the essential connection between righteousness and working for justice. (Isaiah 1:16; Proverbs 21:3; Amos 5:24) Dr. Lloyd said the Biblical language is social and this-worldly. The words for justice and righteousness are placed together, 55 times, in a device called a heindindys, two words with a conjuction which expresses a single complex idea. In the Bible translation I grew up with, wherever there was the word righteousness, there should have been the word justice connected with it. After Dr. Lloyd's lecture, we visited the King Center in Atlanta, which celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King said, "A man dies when he refuses to stand up for Justice." Consider these words in light of the Biblical concept of working for justice in the world as being necesary for a Christian's personal holiness. All that working on personal holiness and we missed a vital key to achieving it. Most importantly, we reduced the church's witness and did nothing to help the oppressed. Before I was asked to chair the CommUNITY Initiative at Christ Church, I had felt a longing, a conviction, over a significant period of time to be serving to make the world a better place. My ministry had been raising my children, and I hope that they will be salt and light in the world. But I felt called to do more, to do something outside the concerns of myself and my family. Reflecting on Dr. King's words, allowing myself to get caught up in my lifestyle is like refusing to stand up for Justice. Our lifestyles can keep us from acknowledging the needs in society and addressing them. Perhaps it isn't a coincidence that I was given the responsibility and privilege of doing this work after a year of small group focus on spiritual growth, in the Growing Your Soul program. Since then, I have felt a wellspring in my being. If you are in the place I was, I invite you to step out for justice, share in God's compassion, and receive the blessing of a complete Christian life.30601The Truth Shall Set You Freehttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30549http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30549Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMTToday's itinerary took us to the Slavery Museum and the Voting Rights Museum & Institute. I was all prepared for my standard museum routine, setting my own leisurely pace, reading choice exhibits thoroughly, and bouncing questions and thoughts off fellow museum-goers. That was not to be. These museum visits were not about exhibits (although there was plenty to look at), they were about living history and divine appointments. At the Slavery Museum, we were immersed into the dehumanizing treatment experienced by Africans from the point of capture to their sale to slave owners in the United States. From the time we got off the bus, we were intimidated, degraded and sometimes, exterminated. The mind games demonstrated how a human being undergoes a transformation from freedom to slavery. It was explained that most depictions of the time show from slavery to freedom, and that it is important to understand the whole cycle, from freedom to slavery to freedom again. The director of the Slavery Museum, Afriye We-kandodis, is clearly anointed for this work. In addition to her superlative performance as slave trader, she has a deep understanding of the healing power of her work. She said by gaining the knowledge of all that happened and acknowledging the truth of this terrible history, there is healing for both whites and blacks. I understood her to portray the healing process as an exercise in Christ's character and righteousness as whites recognize history and blacks gain the understanding of where they came from and how they struggled. She gave us the charge to go back to our churches and communities and teach this history, especially to the children, so the healing will begin. Down the street at the Voting Rights Museum, we were honored to have the unplanned opportunity to meet Amelia Boynton Robinson, one of the group of 8 who were the leadership behind the struggle in Selma for voting rights. She is 97. Then, we were given a history of Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965 by the founding director of the museum, Joanne Bland, a woman who marched across the Edmund Pettus bridge when she was 11. She also shared with us that after black people received the right to vote and thousands registered, nothing politically changed on the local scene until 2000, when the mayor finally was defeated after 36 years under extremely close scrutiny of the voting process, something that wasn't done previously. When we walked across the bridge singing "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around," I felt privileged to be walking in the footsteps of the courageous. I was encouraged to keep walking the walk of reconciliation, "from the bridge to the cross," as the Justice Journey motto says, to build on the work of these women and help bring about the world for which they hope. Today's itinerary took us to the Slavery Museum and the Voting Rights Museum & Institute. I was all prepared for my standard museum routine, setting my own leisurely pace, reading choice exhibits thoroughly, and bouncing questions and thoughts off fellow museum-goers. That was not to be. These museum visits were not about exhibits (although there was plenty to look at), they were about living history and divine appointments. At the Slavery Museum, we were immersed into the dehumanizing treatment experienced by Africans from the point of capture to their sale to slave owners in the United States. From the time we got off the bus, we were intimidated, degraded and sometimes, exterminated. The mind games demonstrated how a human being undergoes a transformation from freedom to slavery. It was explained that most depictions of the time show from slavery to freedom, and that it is important to understand the whole cycle, from freedom to slavery to freedom again. The director of the Slavery Museum, Afriye We-kandodis, is clearly anointed for this work. In addition to her superlative performance as slave trader, she has a deep understanding of the healing power of her work. She said by gaining the knowledge of all that happened and acknowledging the truth of this terrible history, there is healing for both whites and blacks. I understood her to portray the healing process as an exercise in Christ's character and righteousness as whites recognize history and blacks gain the understanding of where they came from and how they struggled. She gave us the charge to go back to our churches and communities and teach this history, especially to the children, so the healing will begin. Down the street at the Voting Rights Museum, we were honored to have the unplanned opportunity to meet Amelia Boynton Robinson, one of the group of 8 who were the leadership behind the struggle in Selma for voting rights. She is 97. Then, we were given a history of Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965 by the founding director of the museum, Joanne Bland, a woman who marched across the Edmund Pettus bridge when she was 11. She also shared with us that after black people received the right to vote and thousands registered, nothing politically changed on the local scene until 2000, when the mayor finally was defeated after 36 years under extremely close scrutiny of the voting process, something that wasn't done previously. When we walked across the bridge singing "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around," I felt privileged to be walking in the footsteps of the courageous. I was encouraged to keep walking the walk of reconciliation, "from the bridge to the cross," as the Justice Journey motto says, to build on the work of these women and help bring about the world for which they hope.30549North and Southhttp://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30478http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30478Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT It has been a long bus ride with faulty air conditioning, but we have had plenty of introductory and enrichment activities to keep our minds off the heat. Dr. Glen Kehrein, Executive Director of Circle Urban Ministries, led us through a survey of American history concerning race, leading up to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. He drew our attention to the fact that we are traveling, in reverse, the migration of African Americans from the Southern cotton fields to the Northern cities. During the period from World War II to the 1960s, 5 million people came north, 800,000 to Chicago. Machines supplanted jobs picking cotton; the North had an expanding economy. Dr. Kehrein asked us to reflect on the Northern notion that race issues are a Southern problem. After all, the North won the Civil War and freed the slaves, and it was the South who enforced an unequal social and economic order during Reconstruction and beyond, through laws limiting civil rights and education and labor arrangements like sharecropping. But then, the migration resulted in racially divided Northern cities. Dr. Kehrein reasoned that Northerners did not absorb the newcomers into their communities because they held the assumption that the races aren’t meant to live together. So, there was an acceptance of the social separation of the South in the North. Underlying race issues, whether North or South, is a philosophy of racial inequality, Dr. Kehrein argues. It is the church’s job to be a moral compass, proclaiming our equivalent dignity before God and working for justice in the world. It has been a long bus ride with faulty air conditioning, but we have had plenty of introductory and enrichment activities to keep our minds off the heat. Dr. Glen Kehrein, Executive Director of Circle Urban Ministries, led us through a survey of American history concerning race, leading up to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. He drew our attention to the fact that we are traveling, in reverse, the migration of African Americans from the Southern cotton fields to the Northern cities. During the period from World War II to the 1960s, 5 million people came north, 800,000 to Chicago. Machines supplanted jobs picking cotton; the North had an expanding economy. Dr. Kehrein asked us to reflect on the Northern notion that race issues are a Southern problem. After all, the North won the Civil War and freed the slaves, and it was the South who enforced an unequal social and economic order during Reconstruction and beyond, through laws limiting civil rights and education and labor arrangements like sharecropping. But then, the migration resulted in racially divided Northern cities. Dr. Kehrein reasoned that Northerners did not absorb the newcomers into their communities because they held the assumption that the races aren’t meant to live together. So, there was an acceptance of the social separation of the South in the North. Underlying race issues, whether North or South, is a philosophy of racial inequality, Dr. Kehrein argues. It is the church’s job to be a moral compass, proclaiming our equivalent dignity before God and working for justice in the world.30478There's a long road ahead...http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30448http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=30448Mon, 18 Jun 2007 06:00:00 GMT A member of our team plotted our journey on his map program. Total mileage south and back from Salem Baptist is 1,956 miles. Here is the breakdown for each day: Monday, 511 miles, Tuesday, 329 miles, Wednesday, 224 miles, Thursday, 262 miles, Friday, 99 miles, Saturday, 541 miles. Now that's a road trip! As the week approached and I told people where I am going, a common response was to question the intentions of the trip. I responded by explaining the educational aspect, describing the nature of the interactions and emphasizing the reconciliation, the healing. After quizzing and hearing my explanation, introspection often followed. People then opened up and shared their experiences, perspectives, and emotions. I realized at that point in the conversation how much we have to learn. Indeed, there is a long road ahead. A member of our team plotted our journey on his map program. Total mileage south and back from Salem Baptist is 1,956 miles. Here is the breakdown for each day: Monday, 511 miles, Tuesday, 329 miles, Wednesday, 224 miles, Thursday, 262 miles, Friday, 99 miles, Saturday, 541 miles. Now that's a road trip! As the week approached and I told people where I am going, a common response was to question the intentions of the trip. I responded by explaining the educational aspect, describing the nature of the interactions and emphasizing the reconciliation, the healing. After quizzing and hearing my explanation, introspection often followed. People then opened up and shared their experiences, perspectives, and emotions. I realized at that point in the conversation how much we have to learn. Indeed, there is a long road ahead.30448Justice Journey 2007http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=28072http://my.cc-ob.org/Blog.aspx?site_id=10127&entry_id=28072Thu, 31 May 2007 18:00:00 GMT Welcome to our Justice Journey! This is an educational journey, as we will be traveling to historical sites of the Civil Rights movement to understand what happened and why. This is an interpersonal journey, where we will engage in open dialogue, working to suspend judgment and really listen to each other. This is a deeply personal journey, requiring we peel back layers, as we discover them, of misconceptions, ignorance, distrust, self-importance, and, yes, racism. Most importantly, however, this is a spiritual journey. Once we gain awareness of the sin of racism in the world and in ourselves, Christ will lead us to repentance, reconciliation and commUNITY. This is the unfolding experience of one person who felt God’s call to work at reconciliation and decided to get on the bus. My fellow travelers have expressed the same pull on their spirit to engage in the work God plans for us on this journey. One of the organizers articulated this shared impetus when she said, “If Christians don’t do it, who will?” Despite the bitter history and continuing racial division in our nation, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and among us, and compels us to oneness as believers. We are pilgrims of progress, pursuing the vision of the church united racially and socially. The purpose of this blog is to enable those who could not go on the journey this year to be able to follow along with us, and, God willing, to witness to the reconciliation power of Christ. My intentions are to communicate my sense of what God is doing along the way with the group, to convey historical information representative of each stop (by no means comprehensive), and to give eyes as to an individual experience of the journey. It is not a platform for political discourse or critical evaluation of our church. The week of the journey, June 18-23, I plan to post daily. Please check in and feel free to post your thoughts! “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” -- Psalm 19:14(RSV) Jan Welcome to our Justice Journey! This is an educational journey, as we will be traveling to historical sites of the Civil Rights movement to understand what happened and why. This is an interpersonal journey, where we will engage in open dialogue, working to suspend judgment and really listen to each other. This is a deeply personal journey, requiring we peel back layers, as we discover them, of misconceptions, ignorance, distrust, self-importance, and, yes, racism. Most importantly, however, this is a spiritual journey. Once we gain awareness of the sin of racism in the world and in ourselves, Christ will lead us to repentance, reconciliation and commUNITY. This is the unfolding experience of one person who felt God’s call to work at reconciliation and decided to get on the bus. My fellow travelers have expressed the same pull on their spirit to engage in the work God plans for us on this journey. One of the organizers articulated this shared impetus when she said, “If Christians don’t do it, who will?” Despite the bitter history and continuing racial division in our nation, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and among us, and compels us to oneness as believers. We are pilgrims of progress, pursuing the vision of the church united racially and socially. The purpose of this blog is to enable those who could not go on the journey this year to be able to follow along with us, and, God willing, to witness to the reconciliation power of Christ. My intentions are to communicate my sense of what God is doing along the way with the group, to convey historical information representative of each stop (by no means comprehensive), and to give eyes as to an individual experience of the journey. It is not a platform for political discourse or critical evaluation of our church. The week of the journey, June 18-23, I plan to post daily. Please check in and feel free to post your thoughts! “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” -- Psalm 19:14(RSV) Jan28072