Spirit Upsets NASA – Theology Lessons

Last year February one of my blogs was on the Mars Rover – aptly named Spirit - and the opportunities it allowed me to play with some elusive theological ideas. You will recall that the Mars Rover was launched in 2004 and when it reached its destination the news caption was Spirit has landed! Perhaps, they should have added: Beware – life will never be the same again!

It must be co-incidence, for Spirit is again in the news (if you had time to notice among BBC’s list of numerous news items). This time the mighty and brainy experts of NASA have conceded defeat to free or release Spirit from its Martian sand-trap. As one key expert puts it: "Spirit has encountered a golfer's worst nightmare - the sand trap that no matter how many strokes you take, you can't get out of it." Well, the world’s number one golfer would be unable to help, as he is presently going through therapy for his apparent sex addiction!

Spirit is hopelessly stuck or perhaps just having its own free mind or way and not even all the efforts of the “mission team” (talk of ecclesial language!) to tilt Spirit so that it can become more energised by the sunlight, is of any avail. And guess what? The mission team wants Spirit to go into hibernation from April until sometime in August. However, all is not lost, one of the experts on Spirit contends that while being stationary (can you church people imagine a stationary Spirit?) it can still be tracked very accurately to ensure that we can measure the wobbling of Mars. Imagine the relief of churches being able to track and predict the movement of Spirit, not to mention the many who do already operate as if they have Spirit all figured out.


The experts, while having to concede that Spirit remains a mystery, do suggest that there are still a few tricks up Spirit’s sleeve which they may be able to manipulate and predict. And, we are told that while Spirit is stuck there is no need to “mourn Spirit”. It maybe that the technocrats are stuck and they need to shed tears for themselves, rather than Spirit.


The saga, however, opens up some fascinating connections from an ecclesial/theological perspective if we are daring enough to be transgressive. Here are a few for consideration: Beware when Spirit lands in our midst – it is risky and dangerous business [Come, O Holy Spirit, but quietly please may be the bottom line!]; Spirit’s ability to boost and energised, while unlimited, can take a different and unpredictable turn -full of surprises; It is fruitless trying to domesticate and figure out Spirit – let the mighty and brainy NASA concur with shouts of Amen - it is more like Spirit helping humans to figure out themselves; Spirit does not act on human instructions and not even tilting and manipulating will make Spirit acquiesce; Spirit has a mind of her own with many “mysterious and mischievous tricks” up her sleeve; Spirit may brood, but she never hibernates! So do watch wisely, act but humbly and pray fervently!

© copyright jagessar January 27, 2010

Suffering, Survival and Faith – Haiti

I can only imagine the suffering and pain which Haitians are familiar with and are presently experiencing. The current disaster is part of an unending chain of what seems like a perpetual living nightmare. In the imagination of a people whose generosity and faith are unexplainable, that late evening when the earthquake struck and the aftermath must have conjured up images of an apocalypse. Yet, those reporting are not only struck by the pleas of “when will help arrive”: they are also baffled by the faith and resilience of the Haitians. Where is the Divine? How can such tragedies befall people already living in years of abject poverty and who have carry un-countable number of crosses? And how, in the midst of all this can Haitians still exclaim: “God is Good”? What drives Haitian faith?

Lines from Barack Obama’s observation and his nation’s pledge of support caught my attention: "With just a few hundred miles of ocean between us and a long history that binds us together, Haitians are our neighbours in the Americas and here at home." Indeed, a long history and one worth remembering to understand the anguish of Haitians and our part in it. Yes, there are thousands of Haitians living in the US and contributing to its economy and well-being and send money back home. But those with longer memories will also know how the Haitian boat people were treated. Unlike their lighter textured looking Cuban neighbours, their boats were turned back. Both nations (US & Haiti) can tell stories of birth out of the bosom of European colonialism. And while, Haiti was the first Black republic in the world, the US flexing of its muscle on the world stage has been directly played out on Haiti. Haiti became a Caribbean “playground in the backyard of the US” for military and strategic purposes.

The bottom line is that the rich need Haitians and their muscles for one main reason - cheap labour. No wonder the economic motivation to return the boatloads to service those sweat shops/fields in Haiti and nearby Santo Domingo! And lest we forget, Haiti may have been the 1st Black republic, but it had to pay a costly price to France (before time of IMF and World Bank) for her freedom – a debt which was only completed in the 1950’s. Yet, these sufferers – the “in spite of people” baffle us with their ability to survive. Matthew Price reporting for BBC on the earthquake notes this about the “in spite of people” (Haitians).

I sense that they've [Haitians] grown used to expecting nothing. I'm rather ashamed to tell you that I discovered that for myself today, first with a young man called Stanley, who's a waiter in the hotel we're in. He's been working with me from dawn to dusk, helping me do my job. Today I asked about his family. It turns out Stanley's grandmother had been crushed to death under her house on Tuesday, pulled out of the rubble on Thursday, and buried on Friday. Stanley had been with me throughout and he hadn't said a thing. Then there's Stanley's boss, the wonderful Cassandra. She runs the little hotel we're in and she's doing everything for us: given me Stanley, found us drivers, put her generator on when we need power, even as her fuel runs low. She's found rooms for everyone. And now I find out she has nowhere to live. Her home was also destroyed. There's no doubt that Haitians are a resilient people, no doubt that they will cope with this.... [http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8463180.stm]

So while we once again rush in with much need aid, quarrel over infrastructure and flash dead bodies across our media screens, we will do well to also force rich nations to tackle the root cause of abject poverty in Haiti, otherwise the poor and the offense of abject poverty will return to haunt us. Indeed, the poor are still with us - as Jesus is purported to have said. And their condition, instead of improving, is getting worse. Free Trade, the new abode of Divinity, the source of plenty and prosperity and in whom lies salvation wants to ensure that the poor stays poor – even though it is cheaper to eliminate poverty than maintain it.

Haitians know this and this is why their faith is strong and practiced with realism. In spite of extreme poverty – Haitians do not lack creativity: art and faith. Joy abounds. One Haitian artist who works with unimaginable and dead/useless pieces of scraps (from anything) puts it this way: “Death is a joyful condition for us artists. We find a shell and give it life. And while we cannot afford to travel: it travels all around the world for us. The irony for us Haitians is that we travel only when we die.” How true: our eyes are now towards Haiti as a result of disaster and death!

Haitians also take the realism and irony to their reading of the Bible. For instance, where the Bible verse from Philippians 4:13 will read: “I can do all things through Christ who will strengthen me”; Haitians will translated this text into creole to read: “In any situation that appears before me, I can ‘make do’ or manage (degaje), thanks to Christ who gives me strength.” The shift in terms of use of words here is not insignificant: to degaje something is to make it work some other way. The historical realities of Haitians mean that they cannot, with integrity, say that with God's help all things are possible or their dreams can come true. That will be a lie in terms of historical and existential realities. However, with God’s help they are able to make life work and get by in spite of the harsh realities. It is time to help Haiti to be released from impoverishment by putting into practice our declaration to “make poverty history” and this means working to undo root causes.

© copyright January 17, 2010

Image credit Celeur Jean Hérard

http://www.atis-rezistans.com/index.html

Two Pigeons and a Homeless Man Preaching

Two incidents, unrelated perhaps, gave me much to think about! Both happened on my way to and from a Ghanaian Service of Carols and Lessons at Kensington United Reformed Church on December 20 (2009) to which I was invited to share some Advent/Christmas thoughts.

On the way to this gathering, travelling on the tube (underground) from St. Pancras, I had to change trains at Edgware. I was pleasantly surprised (as was the other person who came in just after me) to find two pigeons making their way into the carriage. For those who do not know. This part of the route is over-ground. As other people boarded, the pigeons moved to the rear of the carriage pecking away at anything that looked like food while eyeing their human neighbours. They kept to themselves and at a safe distance - while journeying with the rest of us – without any ticket! Even more amusing was the fact that they exited at the next station. I wondered whether they continued their journey and whether this was their regular route.

The other incident happened on my return journey from Edgware to St Pancras. This was a crowded tube/train and in our midst was a guy who looked like a “rough sleeper”. He was carrying a large garbage bag and a rucksack. His intense look conjured up images of John the Baptist or more correctly John the wild. And, he lived up to that name as he started his own sermon on the tube:

“Is there a kind soul onboard? See me: I am homeless, tired and hungry. Can someone help this desperate man? I do not have the luxury to shop like most of you here, but can you give this poor man something...?”

And he continued while all turned the other way. He then looked directly at me, as he was standing near to me and I could not turn anywhere else, and directed his intense gaze and words my way:

“And you sir, can you share something with me from that fancy bag you are carrying...” Impulsively and before he could continue, I handed him the bag: “You can have it all brother!”, I shocked myself into mumbling. By this time we were pulling up at our next stop and everyone was now looking at me. “The whole bag”, he asked looking shocked – and before I could answer, he took it, gave me a few “cheers” and exited the train faster than Usain Bolt.

He was certainly shocked and I cannot tell whether he had intended to exit there. I myself do not know why I responded that way. It may be that here was a person so desperate that it moved me to compassion. Probably not! It may have been that I just wanted him to stop preaching or that I was very embarrassed. But that nice looking bag was what I got as my food or refreshment package from the Ghanaian Service I was just coming from. Later, one of my sons asked me (having recounted the incident) whether I would I have handed him a bag filled with more precious things, like my Christmas shopping for instance! I am not sure that I would have.

From experience, however, I am hesitant to draw quick conclusions, but I am willing to say this much: the Divine does move us in very mischievous and surprising ways – so we better watch out when a homeless person starts preaching, what we preach, pray for and what we carry in our designer shopping bags!

© copyright jagessar January 9, 2010

2010- Year of Civility, Perhaps

When nothing is sacred anymore the only thing we can hope for is that sometime very soon, we can re-discover our collective sense of self-control, integrity, fair-play and civic responsibility. Look around you: have you experienced a decline in behaviour, an increase in unfriendliness and rudeness, or a total lack of respect shown toward others? Or just try recalling some of those rude mobile telephone conversations you had to listen to while travelling in a train?

A colleague of mine was recently complaining about the loss of manners, courtesy and community spirit – especially among young people. She was very critical of the ways people behave at boarding any public transport and how they walk along the sidewalks. There was a general feeling from all of us in the group that the loss of basic manners and notions of civic responsibility is an alarming problem that cuts across age, gender, culture and ethnicity. The most frustrating thing is that all of us felt disempowered to be able to say anything to anyone about their behaviour, even when it is very offensive.

Has Britain become an uncivil society? A new book published recently argues that incivility has become common, whether in the behaviour of TV and radio presenters, revellers out on a Saturday night, or drunks on airplanes. This situation has reached such an extent that when we do meet people (especially young people) who are courteous, helpful and kind we are very surprised and will want to share that experience with as many people as possible. This is besides the fact that we are then cognisant of our own behaviour and what we have lost.

Civility Lost and Found (published by the Young Foundation with the support of AHRC) looks at the nature of civility in British society and what can be done to nurture such a society. The research points to a wide range of actions that could help to make Britain a more civil society, building on projects already in place: powerful institutions taking more responsibility for the impact of their actions, and those of their leaders; the internet offering civility checks for emails; firms and public services offering apologies when things go wrong, rather than oscillating between defensiveness and financial compensation; teenagers playing roles as civil guardians on the streets; schools teaching mindfulness; police force providing on the spot prizes as well as spot fines for young people etc.

Some of the thoughts from leading thinkers and politicians include the following: call for more character education in schools and volunteering to instill habits of civility; closer attention and care to families and time together; rethinking the relationship between political correctness and civility; cultivating the habit of being able to say sorry and to apologise; exploring more intentionally the role of religion and volunteering in promoting civility. [For more on the research on civility see: http://www.youngfoundation.org/files/images/Civility.pdf ]

Perhaps, in our clamouring over the notion that we are Christian nation or one founded on Christian ethos, we may do well to revisit some of the basic tenets of the faith that are related to how we practice our love of God and neighbour, so integral not only to the Christian religion, but to all religions. Perhaps, public policies may wish to take some of the leaves from the pages of sacred texts! And it may just be possible that civility - the “learned grammar of sociability” - may once again take deep roots in society for the common good of our relational lives and that of future generations.

© copyright jagessar January 2, 2010