Who Sinned Here....Blaming the victim

Its amazing to me how much I learn when I teach Bible Study... Some from my own preparation, some from the thoughts of the High Schoolers.

"Rabbi, who sinned here, this man or his parents that he was born blind."

We all have ways to deal with tragedy, sickness, poverty, and all the painful things of this world.

The Jews of Jesus day had their own ways. To them the book of Proverbs and the Old Testament Law lays things out pretty clearly.

Follow God's instructions = God will bless you.

If you do wrong = God will curse you. (Proverbs 3:13-35)

The mistake of the Jews was to flip this around:

You are Blessed = You are Godly

You are cursed = You are sinful.

Study Job's 3 friends for this argument. If you have pain in your life...God is punishing you for sin.

They Blamed the victim.

The Pharisees said the same thing, blaming the man who was blind from birth for his own blindness "You where born in utter sin, how dare you teach us" (John 9:34)

They Blamed the Victim

Jesus turns this on its head. He is what one of my students calls "an oddball, completely different from the world"

Jesus says "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:3)

So, the situation of the man born blind:

Blindness = An opportunity for the work of God to be displayed.

The Blind Man lived his entire life blind, so that God could use him for one moment to show his Glory.

Growing up, many people talked about the people from neighborhoods like mine:

"If they would only get a job, they wouldn't have to live there"

"If that person didn't do drugs or alchohol he wouldn't be standing on the corner asking for change"

"Anyone can succeed, this is America"

"If she hadn't had pre-marital sex then she wouldn't be pregnant at 14"

"Why would they burn their own neighborhood after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed"

They Blamed the victim

Basically people look at impovershed neighborhoods, seeing the pain of it, they ask "Who sinned here, to cause this?...They must have"

We Blame the victim...it takes the responsibility off of us.

Perhaps, we have it backwards. My community, my neighbors, the drunk on the corner, the crack addict that wanders the street, the pregnant high schooler, the gang-bangers. "This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in their lives" (John 9:3)

When faced with the messiness of this world, do we to try to figure out who is to blame, who sinned. Or do we get our hands muddy, and literally touch the hurting...do we say with Jesus "As long as it is day we must do the work of Him who sent me" (John 9:6)

Perhaps we were created, lived our whole lives so that the work of God might be displayed in our lives. Afterall weren't we all "born in utter sin" (John 9:34)

Jesus called the pharisees blind, the religious people blind, would he also call the Christian Church blind because they only see our own righteousness and the sinfulness of others? (John 9:39)

Anyone have thoughts on the causes of poverty, our responsibility as Christians to the poor and hurting? Does this resonate with you? I know that I blame those in pain more often than I share the love of Christ by entering into it with them.

Basketball mornings...It'll make a man out of you

High School basketball has started here at Breakthrough. Which means fitful nights of sleep on Fridays, grouchy Saturday mornings, intense Saturday afternoons, and the relief that God came through again, for Saturday Evenings.


Basketball for some reason challenges me to my limits and brings about potential extremes: worry or trust, patience or entitlement, anger or compassion, depression or joy.


It's amazing what comes out when your job requires you to do something outside of giftings or comfort zones.


My wonderful Dad always used to say "It'll make a man out of you" usually referring to taking out the garbage in 10 below weather, scooping 3 trailers full of horse poop, or any insignificat cut, scrape, or bruise. "It'll make a man out of you"


I still haven't figured out what that means, however I am reminded of it during Basketball mornings. "It'll make a man out of you" Basically, what comes out when you have to do something you hate? What comes out is your character, good or bad. However, when the bad comes out, it gives us the opportunity to change.
Last week, I finally did something that I have refused to do for 3 years, jump in as a coach for the league (I usually am more of an administrator) To be honest, my basketball confidence is very low, especially combined with a slight fear (yeah I admit it), fear of young black men from my neighborhood (I guess 3 years isn't enough to shed 22 years of cultural training) So what happened when I coached? I realized that I actually kind of liked it. I also saw a slight change in the way the basketball players interacted with me. And, I sensed a change in the way that I viewed them, the fear was dismissed. My assumptions about their attitudes and behavior were wrong; I was convicted again of my racial stereotypes. Basketball mornings bring out my stereotypes, Basketball mornings helped those stereotypes to be changed.

"It'll make a man out of you".

Another instance, a Saturday ago, I was dreading going to the basketball league. I didn't feel like what we were doing mattered. Something happened that changed my mind. One of the 15 year olds in the league took off his shirt after playing. This young man had been shot in the back 3 months ago. I had forgotten about the incident because of his fun-loving, care-free, respectful attitude. I was reminded when I saw the scar from the incision from his waist to his sternum, and the spot on his lower back that eerily was the size of the bullet. I was reminded that my work is not really about running sports leagues, and that some of those basketball players will not make it through high-school (graduating or otherwise). I was reminded that I am called by God to share the good news of His Kingdom, to share His love. My work in not about basketball it is about providing opportunity for discipleship and relationships. Basketball mornings bring out the fact that sometimes I think what I am doing is meaningless. But basketball mornings allow me to see why my calling is important.

"It'll make a man out of you"

One final glimpse into Basketball mornings: There are three young talented basketball players who always seem to be the best on their teams. Because of this, they are very popular. Anyone who is popular (I was not:)) knows that it allows you to have great influence, but also great opportunity to do stupid things. These three young men are regularly showing up on Sunday mornings to church and on Tuesdays to Bible study. Sometimes, doing what I do, I begin to lose hope for our youth. These three players give me hope; they let me see that God is moving. Sometimes Basketball mornings bring out my cynicism, but Basketball mornings and Sunday mornings give me hope.

"It'll make a man out of you"
I'm thankful for Basketball mornings, I am thankful for my job, I am thankful for living in my neighborhood. Why? Because it changes me. "It'll make a man out of me"

Thoughts? Questions? Anyone have a similar experience?

Community

Community:

Definition:
A community is a social group...sharing an environment, normally with shared interests. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness.

The word community is derived from the Latin communitas (meaning the same), - Wikipedia


Community is one of the buzz words that I have chosen to use pretty regulary, (Community of Believers, Community Development, Coventant Community ect.)

I love the concept of belonging...

However, I have been thinking lately. It was sparked by a conversation that I had with a mentor. He raised the question: "How come our 'communities' are primarily formed by excluding those who don't fit?"

So that's my question, in your experience do we typically form communities by inclusion or exclusion. What has been your experience with Church, Community Groups, College Dorms, etc. Do you find that "there's always room for one more", or is it "welcome...if you are like us"

What do you think? How should the church approach community? How does this concept of being with those "like us" contribute to a racialized society? Have you ever been excluded? Do you exclude others?