Delightful Revelations
Topic: spirituality
As I did community development and health education work with a slow-moving African government steeped in narcissism, I had no idea how much I was sharpening my pencil, getting ready to use what I'd learned intuitively in order to plant seeds of change into the hearts of women, and a few men, on two fronts:
1. Change in the individual heart so that it is not dependent on any institution for it's own spiritual development (though sometimes good change certainly does happen within the institutional life)
2. Change in how leaders of the institutional church think and respond to issues of violence
In governments everywhere, change occurs when people start to think differently in our ever-changing world. About a lot of things. We are moved by trends. Or we find ways to create new trends. Always doing both, no matter how reluctant we may be to think for ourselves.
Change comes through unrest. Change often is seen as a spiritual exercise, not just a social one.
If we are going to see change in the Middle East, I am convinced it won't come with military action. The most effective way of producing it is to invest heavily (though modestly compared to our military spending) in airway capability, providing radios in every corner to every average citizen, so that we can comfort them and inspire them and let them know how many people even in their own small worlds are in hiding, feeling isolated and totally unaware of the power they have growing within themselves. It is in the young people that we have the greatest hope of change, and the majority are NOT the suicide bombers, I'd venture to say.
Whenever we exercise our power to speak of ideas that are not conventional, whether we are infiltrating the Middle East or infiltrating reformists in our own society or in the institutional church--no matter what the issue, but especially in issues involving gender oppression or the oppression of children--we give a gift and provide an opportunity. We plant a seed, in other words. A seed that may grow someday.
That's how real change happens, and it's as important as any massive exercise of traditional power. It defies all convention wisdom, as we see how blessed are the meek. And how many mountains have been moved as new alliances are merged because of the faithful. Sometimes seen as society's mavericks or wierdos.
Posted by Dee Ann Miller
at 12:01 AM CDT
Updated: Tue 04/01/2008 7:37 AM CDT
