Anger at Injustice

I'm trying to learn more about injustice. Perhaps a lot of you are too in the wake of continued incidences of hate crimes, confusing events involving police and people of color or other 'otherness'. I've been listening to "Pass the Mic", an excellent podcast from two men who speak on justice and Christian faith...also "Truth's Table" whose podcast episode following the Officer Yanez and Philando Castile verdict was heartbreaking. Both podcasts suggest that followers of Christ should be lamenting when injustice occurs. Anna Marie Cox and Jon Ward had a soul-searching conversation on "With Friends Like These."

Since a trip to Haiti a few years ago where I helped coach some micro-businesses, I've been wondering how the church institution and its members promote injustice--intentionally and unintentionally--as it did when slavery was prevalent for hundreds of years in North America. In what ways are we promoting a new kind of abasement for people made in God's image? Even with court decisions like Brown v Board of Education, we as a society have promoted that African-American children are somehow inferior, that African-American teachers are somehow inferior. (Check out Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast on the topic.)

Recently at our church a pastor preached on James 1.20--"Human anger does not produce the righteousness (justice) that God desires." As I contemplated this verse, I remembered the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. James goes on to say we need to humbly "accept" the Word of God. Through James, God is saying do not fight back with anger, uncontrolled language. Instead fight back by taking care of widows and orphans who have put into that status perhaps by oppression. James warns against favoritism and that it is our own desires that tempt us to overlook our own sins and fight others who are in the wrong. Later he writes that it is those same desires--pride and greed primarily--that cause fights, quarrels, shortchanging workers' wages, hoarding our 'treasure' and relying on that same treasure to give us status, security and power. Treasure has become our god and we are double-minded and not fully listening to God.

He is writing to people under persecution and oppression, facing injustice themselves. Is James advocating 'rolling over and submitting' to the oppressors? I believe God is saying that we should be taking care of people hurt through the governmental and social systems that generate injustice and oppression (i.e keeping people from getting ahead socio-economically). I believe the scripture is also saying we should be taking action to help change those systems--not for our own desires and betterment--but for our brothers and sisters who are struggling. The action is not to confront in anger but to work in acceptance and help change the paradigms. You cannot change what you do not accept to be true. If you live in denial, it won't change. If you confront in anger, it won't change; those supporting a particular position just become defensive and resistant. Don't get stuck in depression; if you really believe God is with you, you can count it all joy when you face trials (James 1.2). And in the same way that I counsel CEO's to make a change if they want their organizations to change, we sometimes have to initiate change in ourselves and our behaviors in order to create change. And that may require a sacrifice to not participate in a profitable/uplifting experience anymore (such is the recommendation to protesters at Princeton University over the use of Woodrow Wilson's name).

I protested a policy I considered bad a few times in my life and career. My protest ended in resignation from positions that were beneficial because I could not condone the policies. Did they change after I resigned? No. But I was no longer part of an oppressive, injust system.

Isolated Pastors?

This is a follow-up to an earlier post about the isolation of leaders and some of the reasons for it. I did a quick survey of pastors. The response was low and probably not very broad in terms of geography, denominations, etc. But here are the results...…there’s good news and bad news.

Dr. Henry Cloud found that 80% of leaders don’t have someone they can confide in, don’t have someone totally committed to their development and struggle with clinical symptoms of anxiety/stress, depression, sleeplessness, inability to concentrate, addictions, etc.

In my sample, pastors are significantly more connected and have someone or a group with whom they can be 100% honest and vulnerable about weaknesses, failures, doubts, etc. More than half strongly agree that they have someone they can confide in. Only a third said they didn’t. This is a statistically significant difference from Dr. Cloud’s results. The actual proportion of isolated pastors, if we surveyed all of them, could be really low (3 out of 100) or close to two-thirds. (The only way to narrow this prediction is to have more respondents to the survey.) It is appears at least in this limited circle of pastors, that the level of isolation is not as high as Dr. Cloud’s group.

However, there wasn’t a significant difference in the survey group on the question of support and mentoring. More than half of the pastors said they didn’t have someone or a group that was totally committed to their development as a leader. With a larger surveyed pool, we might the proportion to be as low as 25% or as high as nearly 9 in 10 pastors don’t have someone in their corner to help.

In the last year, this set of pastors are just like other leaders in that they’ve experienced burnout, loss of energy, difficulty with motivation, concentration/focus loss, anxiety/stress, depression, addiction to damaging behaviors, sleeplessness, etc. More than two-thirds reported some experience of these issues. Almost a quarter of them reported it on a monthly basis. Another quarter reported they’ve suffered on a quarterly basis. (As a business owner, I know sleeplessness was my bugaboo when things weren’t going well.)

Though pastors seem to be connected and can share their struggles, they don’t seem to have a place to turn for help. As Dr. Cloud writes in The Power of the Other, “…the leaders who accomplish the most, thrive the most, overcome the most are not afraid to say they need help.” (author’s emphasis).  

We need to help pastors overcome the inability to ask for help to grow as a leader and deal with the church issues that “drive them to drink” and “keep them up at night” (euphemistically and literally). It’s helpful to tell others their struggles but to overcome the isolation, they need to have a partner to get them through the tough times.

Revenue from Waste

Early in my career I was charged with cleaning up the waste water effluent from the paper mill. It was pretty heavy from cellulose (wood) fibers but we had trouble disposing of it because there were some heavy metals included: zinc, manganese, etc.  Aha! If we put the dewatered sludge in a tablet press, maybe we could sell the stuff as a vitamin supplement. Not only would have some of the same stuff as multivitamins but it would have fiber and be good for the digestion...well, that was at least the crazy thought at the time.

In a recent Fast Company article, a food processing company is doing something similar. Instead putting the peels, rinds, etc into a landfill, Baldor is reusing the 'waste' as gluten-free croutons, tea infusion aids and so on. They say carrot peelings can be reformulated and sold for thirty cents per pound; instead of spending money to truck the waste, they're selling it because it's now beneficial.

Waste plastic has been reformed into furniture. And there are a hundred other ideas out there.

Are you still throwing stuff away? What's the value and can you make money off of it?

[Editor's note: This post was meant for another blog. Sorry.]

God's Timing

A lot of Promise verses are misapplied, i.e. pulled out of context. Two of the many that are quoted:

• "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD, "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29.13) Almost everyone doesn't realize that God spoke these words while the Israelites were in exile. He told them to hunker down, settle in and make the best of the bad situation. After 70 years, "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes." (Jeremiah 29.14, the very next verse) So if you look at this, God's plans "for you" will take 70 years to happen, but still giving you a future and a hope. The plans "for good" aren't going to happen right away; yet, that's how people quote it--as if the promise is going to happen right away.
• But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today...The LORD Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." (Exodus 14.13-14). The Israelites were camped on the shore of the sea hearing the thundering of chariots descend towards their location. The LORD does fight for the Israelites but His next words contradict Moses' "stand still". 'Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea..."' (Exodus 14.15-16). The LORD will perform a miracle but you may have to take some action, not just be a bystander expecting to be air-lifted over the sea to the other side. However, this rescue was immediate.

Another I read at a time of sleepless nights, being anxious (sinful in a way of not trusting the LORD), was the end of Nehemiah chapter 1. Distressed over the condition of Jerusalem at the end of the exile (see the first bullet above), Nehemiah prays to receive the king's favor "today" (Nehemiah 1.11). And then the next verse says "Early the following spring" which was 4-6 months after Nehemiah's prayer. It didn't happen right away. In the overarching story of Nehemiah, he does receive the favor of the king but it wasn't "today". And when the king noticed Nehemiah, Nehemiah was terrified. It wasn't the kind of immediate "favor" he was expecting.

So don't let anyone tell you God answers prayers immediately. There may be a delay albeit days, months, decades. But He does answer prayer.

Pastor, Are You on Your Own?

There are some disturbing statistics quoted in Dr. Henry Cloud's book The Power of the Other: The Startling Effect Other People Have on You... He describes situations in which executives and other leaders often can't share their difficulties. For a variety of reasons, we don't talk with others about what's bothering us:

• it's inappropriate to talk with staff members about other staff members; in a church, it's not appropriate to talk with a parish member perhaps
• we avoid appearing vulnerable, frail and burned out; we have to appear strong and lead past others' insecurities, fears and uncertainties (a beacon/statue on a hill if you will)
• we want to appear to have the answers and the solutions rather than ignorance, ambiguity and doubt
• in moments of our own insecurity, we don't want the appearance that we've been a fraud all along
• it appears risky to talk with board members (or Staff Relations Committees) who have the decision-making ability to maintain our employment
• others who haven't experienced the pressure of leadership don't understand with what we're struggling 
• other leaders are seen as competitors and could take advantage of any perceived weakness
• other leaders aren't trustworthy to keep confidence
• no time to explain the whole history and set of circumstances that create the sleeplessness and anxiety

Perhaps you have your own reasons. I'd love to hear them. I'd also love to hear if you can talk to your board members about your struggles. What about your peer councils? How often can you share the really big issue that keeps you awake at night?

When we can't share, these issues may fester inside us and come out as anger, addictions and other unhealthy situations. Here's the stats:

• 80% of us don't have a place to be 100 percent honest and vulnerable about struggles, conflicts, needs and weaknesses
• 80% of us don't have anyone or a group totally committed to our growth and well-being as a leader
• 80% of us in the last year admit to having 'burnout, loss of energy, difficulty getting motivated, concentration or focus problems, anxiety or stress, depression, addiction or other habit, sleep problems, etc.' at a significant level that could be treated clinically.

If you fall into one of these situations, please find a trustworthy person who's in your corner. Get a solid relationship that can help you be grounded. And give your spouse a rest who may be your one confidante at this time.

A business coach can be helpful. A well-designed peer council can be helpful. You might consider an advisory group from outside the church to be open with. (We're pulling for you...contact us at 4wardassociates.com )

Is It Too Easy to Trust?

Trust is a word that's used a lot in the Bible. It's used a lot by followers of Y'shua. It's used by a lot of people in terms of God. But it's an easy word to use...too easy.

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me," Y'shua says (John 14.1)

In business, we also talk a lot about trust. One wag said we trust the brake mechanic we don't know more than we trust the person who works with us or for us, whom we do know. Trust is described as having several dimensions:

• Competency
• Reliability/dependability
• Approachability/acceptance (I don't trust people I can't approach or who don't like me)
• Integrity/honesty

In groups, I ask, "Do I really trust God in all those dimensions? Can I say whole-heartedly that God is competent? That He's dependable and shows up when He says He will? That He likes me for who I am and with whom I can share my secrets and shame? That He will do what He says He'll do and His values haven't changed?"

When I taught the book of James, it seems those are the questions James, the brother of Y'shua, challenges us with. He seems to say, "If you really believe _____, then you can count trials, suffering and tests with joy. If you really believe _____, then you will ask God for wisdom. If you really believe _____, you will recognize the good that comes from God our Father. If you really believe _____, it will be reflected in your actions--like curbing your tongue and through good works--and not just be a faith that's spoken..."

If I'm not living out the faith as shown in James' letter, then there may be some aspect of trusting God that isn't 100 percent. There may be something that I don't really, really believe in my heart and so hold back protecting myself.

How about you? How much do you rely on God's trustworthiness--His competence, His reliability, His approachability, His integrity? And how much are you relying on wealth, family, friends, fame, etc. to meet your needs and solve your problems?

Married, Adopted, Ambassador

"We live in such a way..."

I had mused on this verse a while ago. I often relate it to one of the Ten Commandments about not taking God's name in vain. What does it mean to take someone else's name?

When does it happen mostly in our world? Often we take another person's name when women get married in Western societies. Also, when a person is adopted, he/she takes the last name of the adopting parents. Isn't that what scripture says about us? The church is called the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5.27). When Jacob's faith became his own and he wrestled with God, he got a new name Isra-El (God persists, contends, strives--Gen. 32.28). He took on God's name.

If a person was to take on another person's name and be unfaithful in marriage, he/she would bring dishonor to the name. If an adoptee lives in  such way as to bring shame on a family, the parents might rue the day they allowed the person to be called by their name.

Another aspect of taking someone's name is identity theft.  And we are called Christian (little Christ), carrying His Name throughout our families, our neighborhood, our community, our workplace, our church, our world. We are His ambassadors saying what He would say, doing what He would do...right? "We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry." (2 Corinthians 6.3)

Do not [adopt] the LORD's name in vain for the LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His Name (Exodus 20.7).