Financial Insecurity and Faith

The past week was interesting on a number of levels. While I was attending a summer session course at Pacific School of Religion called "Jesus for the Nonreligious" taught by Bishop John Shelby Spong (also the author of a book by that title), the financial markets were gyrating and financial folks were panicking all over the world.

Human beings cling to myths. Much of what Christian fundamentalists insist is the absolute truth of the Bible, is really only powerful legends, poetry, and myths. Our global economic system is also built on myths -- the first being that 'money' has intrinsic 'value'. The 'science' of economics is steeped in modernity along with many of our 'traditional' Christian beliefs. Money is really only an abstract - not a truth. The love of money or a dependence upon money for security or happiness is meaningless -- but it can prevent us from recognizing that which has genuine meaning.

The conclusion of Bishop Spong's book and class was that our imagination of God/god needs to shift from theism (a belief in a supernatural God who is 'out there' somewhere controlling world events). He also contends that Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ of Christianity, is best understood as 'fully human'. Although I am deeply appreciative of Bishop Spong's scholarship and intellectual rigor, I cannot get my mind around any concept of an ultimate spiritual energy or being that is dependent on the enlightenment and modernity's 'myth of human progress'.

I would like to agree with Spong's conclusion that humanity is not so much 'fallen' as it is not fully mature but I am confronted with my own human inability to distinguish what is good or beneficial for creation from that which does harm. A wise man once said, the line between good and evil cuts right through my own heart. Given the state of our environment and world today, I do not believe that humanity is inherently good (without recognizing at the same time that there is some sort of inherent negative energy).

As people all over the United States and the rest of the world feel a sense of insecurity due to the debt crisis and instability in the financial markets, I would like to propose that the true source of security is recognizing that life and death are not separate (we should not fear death anymore than we fear the seasons of the year), and that all living creatures (in fact all of creation) are part of an interwoven web of relationships.

More on these subjects later. But for now, markets cycle. The trading values of stocks and bonds and other financial instruments are abstractions... not the ultimate reality.

Peace,

Robyn

Holy Friday at Livermore Labs

I had the honor and pleasure of helping with the planning of the annual Good Friday Liturgy at Livermore Labs. For over 20 years, people of faith (Christians and others) have gathered at the fence outside of the Livermore Nuclear Laboratory in Livermore, California to witness against Empire and for peace and justice... in the tradition of Jesus Christ. I have attended many Good Friday liturgies, none as powerful as this witness because over thirty people risked arrest by standing for peace and justice at the gate to the Labs.

I was arrested for blocking traffic, not that there weren't four other gates into the Lab, and not that any vehicles would ever have chosen to disturb our prayerful gathering.

At the beginning of the worship service, I led the gathered community in the following prayer of invocation:

O God, of the darkness and the dawn,

We gather on this day to remember Jesus of Nazareth, who gave his life in pursuit of justice, love, and peace.

We stand in the presence of a great cloud of witnesses, prophets and pacifists, some have returned to this place every year for decades, some are present only in spirit.

As the sun rises on this new day, drive away the shadows and darkness of discouragement, cynicism, fear, and violence. On this day, when there is so much violence in our world, we turn to you with eager expectancy. We come seeking nothing less than a sacred transformation.

This is Holy ground, the holiness of your creation does not end at this fence.
We are waiting for the time when the Holy ground of Livermore will be resurrected as a place of peace, and compassion.

As the darkness gives way to the dawn, we lift our humble prayers. We open our ears to hear your words of hope. We open our hearts so that you may replace our fears with faith and love.

God, we know you are present. Let us worship you in spirit and in truth.

Amen

Democracy for sale

I cannot help but comment on the absurdity of the news of the record breaking amounts of money that Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Barack Obama are raising. The most absurd comment was a headline saying Obama has proven he is a legitimate candidate because he has raised almost as much money as Clinton.

Think about it for a moment... The United States is trying to claim Iraq for "Democracy". We don't really have democracy in this country... we have a government for sale.

Please do not misunderstand me, I have no complaints about Clinton or Obama personally. It is the system, and underneath it all is global capitalism. He who has the money (and yes it is mostly but not exclusively men) makes the rules.

Go ahead, contribute to their campaigns. I probably will. But I dream of a day when we figure out how to have freedom and democracy -- and meaningful campaign finance reform.

Blessings,

Robyn

Framing Poverty Alleviation

In 2000, members of the United Nations agreed on a goal to cut global poverty in half by 2015. We are halfway to that goal, yet we have fallen short in part because of the materialism and lack of action by the developed nations. Part of the problem is well-meaning people of faith view the problem and solutions so differently.

The research and writing of George Lakoff and the Rockridge Institute have helped me to understand the continuum between progressives and conservatives and how we frame our conversations around basic human values. It is not that conservatives want people in Africa to starve or die of aids. Their frame of reference and their strategies for alleviating poverty are much different than mine. A belief that wealth is a sign of God’s grace, and that poverty is a sign of laziness, corruption, or inadequacy supports strategies where the rich Christians of the northern hemisphere benevolently give from their excess to feed the poor children of Africa. They view themselves as the saviors of the poor.

The causes of poverty are extremely complex. One of the key components is our dominant power structures, systems that perpetuate “power over” instead of “power within” and “power with.” The paternalistic approach to charitable acts and messianic complex of rich Christians is just another way that we reinforce the concept of “power over.” Although I believe we must supply food for the hungry, I see great danger in superiority and domination, even if the “power over” is the power to supply food to the hungry.

I think of various examples of feeding people from the life of Jesus. In the gospel of John, when the resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples as they are fishing, he encourages them to keep trying until they catch their own fish. With Jesus in their sight, they are abundantly successful. When I envision a compassionate global economy, I do not see the rich sending money to charities to purchase food to distribute to the poor. I see a world where everyone has fish and a fishing pole, or a fig tree and a vine, or a job that produces something beneficial including a liveable wage.

Globalization has decreased the power of rural people to produce their own food. Environmental destruction created by corporate agriculture and production of crops for global markets has contributed to severe water shortages or contamination and displacement of village fishers and farmers. My years of experience in rural economic development have taught me that the strategy of recruiting outside corporations into a community to provide employment contributes to disempowering the people. In my childhood, many farmers and ranchers supported themselves and their families on the plains of Montana. Today the number of families who support themselves from agriculture is so small that the Montana Census bureau statistics no longer track the information. Small towns in rural America are drying up and fading away.

Now that I live in the greater San Francisco metropolitan area, I am confronted with the myth of the “City of God” on a regular basis. Globalization worships the city and destroys rural villages. There is a bias that says urbanization is progress and cities are more evolved than rural communities. Even cities like Berkeley that focus on “sustainable development” are living a myth. Could the San Francisco Bay area or Berkeley survive without food produced somewhere else?

It is time for those who possess “power over” to learn to cultivate and develop the inherent power that is within the dominated/oppressed. The poor of the world are not powerless; their power has been usurped and compromised by the myths perpetuated by globalization. Cities are not inherently sustainable and therefore they are not superior to rural villages. We will not solve global poverty until we empower the hungry and enable them to feed themselves.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Credit Cards and Sub Prime Mortgages

It is hard to talk about compassionate capitalism in a world where consumer debt has become a crisis. Even though there is a growing movement for corporate social responsiblity, much of the focus has been on the environment and worker rights. Not enough people are talking about the inordinate greed of the industries that our the core of our consumerism -- banking, credit card companies, consumer finance, and insurance companies.

Credit card companies are preying on consumers -- with particularly predatory tactics against the poor and others who are in extreme financial distress. Since 1990, credit card debt has tripled. Once an individual starts to fall short with their credit card debt, they are thrown to the wolves -- with increases in their interest rates, late payment penalties, overlimit fees, etc. When a person has trouble paying their bills, they can end up with interest rates exceeding 30%.

Subprime mortgage lenders (those who extend mortgage loans to people with poor credit, or those who are borrowing more on their home than more traditional mortgage lenders are willing to lend), have been in the news lately. More than 2 million families are expected to lose their homes to foreclosures in the next year. Senate Banking Committee Chairperson Christopher Dodd calls these practices unconscionable and prophetically warns us that the combination of troubles with the subprime mortgage market and flattening and declinine housing prices represents a "perfect storm." This storm just might create more homeless families than Katrina and Rita combined.

What are we to do? Are our churches ready to tend to the needs of the members of our congregations who find themselves falling from their middle class position into bankruptcy and homeslessness? Are we ready? Let's not wait until it happens. Let's start helping people work their way out of the hole and slavery of debt now, rather than later.

Let's be a source of hope. Lotsa hope,

Robyn

Why Capitalism?

Four years ago, I would never have considered any other option. I have the soul of an entrepreneur, and I worked with other creative passionate entrepreneurs for years. I understand the desire to develop an innovative product or service and deliver something to the marketplace with an objective of enhancing life. At its best, entrepreneurship and capitalism encourage individual creativity and self expression. Most of the entrepreneurs I worked with cared deeply about their employees and communities but they have to compete with the Walmarts and mega-global corporations. Global capitalism does not work for anyone, except maybe the 5% of the world who own and control these large global corporations.

My understanding of what it means to be created in the image of God is we have been endowed with the responsibility of being co-creators. The basic freedoms that underlie capitalism and free enterprise are evidence of the grace of God. All that we create comes from God, even as God uses us and works through us. There is no such thing as a self-made man.

I also believe in St. Augustine’s concept of original sin, although times have changed and the complexity and nature of sin has evolved as well. The most pernicious and destructive forms of sin are collective or systemic. Global capitalism has become possessed with evil spirits. Everyone who benefits from global capitalism contributes to the systemic sins of an economic system which is raping planet earth, destroying human lives through starvation and diseases (including those that are curable), and teetering on the brink of nuclear annihilation. For me a few clear signs of the ‘sins’ of global capitalism include idolatry of material possessions, unfettered greed, and the need to gain power over (systems of oppression and domination). These three vices have created the destructive form of global capitalism we live with today.

The problem with capitalism is not free-markets. The problem is our human tendency to sin by ignoring our interrelatedness, and by failing to love our neighbors. What capitalism needs is a counter-veiling force – a soul-force – or what Gandhi referred to as Satyagraha. The Jesus I try to follow in my life came to preach good news to the poor, release to the captives, and the year of the Lord’s Jubilee (forgiveness of debts). I am willing to commit my life to a mission of inventing a more compassionate global economy, one that balances the creativity and freedom of capitalism with an equal balance of generosity and compassion. I believe Christian faith communities need to make a similar commitment, to embrace the God given entrepreneurial and creativity that is inherent in human beings, while nurturing and forming disciples who are willing to give everything that they are, and all that they create in service to all of God’s children, and all of God’s creation.

May God’s Kingdom come on earth,

Robyn

The Love that Seeks Justice

We need a campaign, a massive people-powered cross-sector collaborative effort to end the United States’ addiction to military warfare. We need a comprehensive campaign designed to elect the love that seek justice – to bring about a world where the power of love is stronger than the love of power. We need to enlist the support of faith communities, green and socially responsible businesses, and individual activists and investors.

Actually, we need to cure the systemic addiction our culture has to violence. Somehow we have been systematically manipulated into believing peace can be obtained through violence or military power. We have the mistaken belief that violence works, that it protects us. We have suffered the consequences of that belief system for thousands of years.

It is time for Christians and people of faith to examine the “just war” theory. In the post Hiroshima world, can there ever be a “just war?” Modern day wars are waged without the human interaction of hand to hand or face to face combat that existed when the just war theory was developed. Now, military personnel can destroy entire city blocks, entire cities, without having to look a single victim in the eye. The war in Iraq has always been an immoral and unjust war. We are inflicting severe psychological abuse on military personnel as a result of the actions of our military forces in Iraq. The residual effects of the post traumatic stress syndrome will reverberate through our communities for generations.

We bombed Iraq out of fear that they might be developing weapons of mass destruction (ast least that was the original official excuse). Our own country just signed a new contract with Livermore Nuclear Testing Laboratories to develop a new nuclear warhead program. Given our own flawed logic, should we expect that some other foreign country might feel justified in attacking us because we scare them with our nuclear weapons? Seriously, if those of us who live in the United States of America do not feel safe, who else could possibly be safe?

Weapons, guns, military power, even police officers, cannot make us feel safe when the powers that be want us to feel insecure. Money, possessions, gated communities, and automobiles with security systems will never truly keep us safe as long as there are people who are desperately hungry. On a number of occasions Jesus told his followers, “do not be afraid.” Instead he suggested that we seek first the Kin(g)dom of God, a world where the last shall be first. A world where the peacemakers are called children of God, and those who hunger and thirst for right relations and economic justice will have their dreams fulfilled.

Let’s start a campaign. To me it matters less which of the dozen candidates that is running for President on the Democratic or Republican ticket gets elected, than it matters that we end our addiction to violence. We need to elect a cultural transformation – the love that seeks justice – the soul force – nonviolence in action.

Peace and justice,

Robyn

Civil Disobedience or Divine Obedience

Training to be a rebel and a prophet

If anyone had told me a year ago, that I would get arrested in conjunction with my Pacific School of Religion field education experience, I would never have believed them. After all, I grew up with a deep respect for justice and law and order because my father was the County Attorney in our small rural county.

Within the first month of working with PeB I watched (from a safe distance) the activities of the Declaration of Peace. I was impressed with PeB intern Lindsay Martin and her courage to risk arrest for the first time. In October, after the first three day Engage Trainer Development weekend I started to seriously consider whether I had the courage to stand up for my convictions the way the rest of the PeB staff had done. At first, I worried that getting involved in an action would be too disruptive to my studies. On the other hand, I knew if I was ever going to step outside of my comfort zone, I needed to do it with the support of PeB.

One of my field education learning objectives was to explore how to build stronger connections between Christian churches and peace and justice movements – how to take action led by the Spirit, without being ‘exclusive’ or offensive to people of other faiths. My commitment to peace and justice comes from my Christian faith and so does my courage to speak with a prophetic voice.

When I first heard about the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq I made up my mind that I was going to Washington, D.C. I simply had to be a part of this distinctly Christian action. As plans developed I found out that I would be able to participate in the Civil Disobedience without too much risk. I read about the spirituality of nonviolent civil disobedience, prayed, consulted with my mentors, and eventually decided to do it. I knew that I would be able to lean on the support of Ken Butigan, Ken Preston-Pile, Fr Louis Vitale, Liz Walz, Judith Kelly, and my Engage Training program discussion partner Geoff Browning.

The entire experience was transformative and deeply spiritual. I was honored to represent PeB as part of the processional for the worship service. The service was prophetic and powerful. Although the evening was long and bitterly cold, I was blessed to share the experience of getting arrested for the first time in my life with 222 amazing and diverse Christians. The weekend was pure undeserved grace. God’s Grace given freely by the countless people who worked behind the scenes for months to make the event possible. After this weekend, I feel compelled to respond by passing it on. I will be an active part of this movement.

At one point during the weekend, someone remarked how wonderful it was to have "so many Saints willing to be arrested this way," Father Louis Vitale responded "I'm no saint.... and what the world needs right now are a lot more prophets, we already have enough saints." Well, count me in. PeB has equipped me to be a rebel and a prophet for peace and justice. My first arrest for divine obedience will not be my last.

We are freezing out here (CPW).

More Photos from CPW March

Christian Peace Witness for Iraq Photos

Prayer of gratitude

I returned late last night from the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq activities in Washington, D.C. As I was traveling, I wrote and wrote in an attempt to process my thoughts and feelings about the experience. It may take a day or two before I can boil down the voluminous notes to prepare the articles that I want to write to spread the news about the Christian Peace movement.

It always makes sense to me to begin with a prayer of gratitude. This was one of those 'thin place' spiritual experiences where the divine – Jesus Christ, God, the Holy Spirit – break through in a very recognizable and powerful way. The following prayer is a response to the divine presence that was with me throughout the weekend.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My heart is filled with gratitude.

I saw you there. Somehow I knew you would join us. When I saw the dark clouds, felt the freezing rain on my face, and the bitter cold in my bones, I understood. God was weeping for her dead children. Creation was groaning – waiting for her redemption and our redemption.

You were there, in the eyes of thousands of your faithful followers as we entered our National Cathedral. This night the prophets were called out and they spoke your truth to power. You walked with us, down the hill, over icy streets. I could hear your heart beat in the rhythm of the drums. My body ached with the cold, a reminder that we who take up your cross must face suffering in this cold cruel world. You paused with us as we stopped to pay our respects at the statue of your disciple Gandhi.

I heard your voice echoing in the harmonies of an incredible diversity of Christian voices raised both in harmony and in unison as we sang songs of love, justice, and peace. I felt your hand in mine as we stood in a large circle in front of the Whitehouse, waiting to be handcuffed and hauled off to the bus that would transport us to jail. I felt your warm embrace in the gentle hands of the National Park Police officer who knew he was guiding me through my first arrest for civil disobedience (and divine obedience).

You were there every moment and I was never afraid, never without hope, never without peace, never without love.

In spite of the bitter cold, and my aching body, my joy could not be contained. It kept leaking out in my smiling face and twinkling eyes. Sometimes I felt my joy was inappropriate for such a serious and somber occasion.

Yet I know that is the nature of our journey. There is always joy and resurrection because you are present in the midst of our struggle, in the midst of our suffering and despair. You are with us and we find love, peace, joy, and hope.

Hope that someday your Kingdom will come, on earth, and it will be heavenly.

Amen, Shalom, Namaste,

Music for the Movement

During a discussion with other seminarians about my trip to Washington D.C. to participate in the Christian Peace Witness on Iraq, one of the students asked the question, "Where are the Bob Dylans and Joan Baez's of this war? Where are the songs of protest and justice?" Of course, all of us at the table were Baby Boomers and we are not exactly hip about the music that is appealing to the 20 and 30 something peace activists. Perhaps we should be.

I tried to explain that the music industry, like nearly everything else, has changed. Capitalism gone amuck has resulted in a concentration of economic power in the media, just like in many other areas of our culture. Alternative radio stations, many of which are not for profit, struggle to make ends meet. Even NPR struggles with continual cutbacks in Federal funding. Musicians who write songs of protest against Capitalism's agenda, especially the military industrial complex are vulnerable to the same economic challenges that face all of us who try to hold onto our concern for the common good. The ultra rich get richer and more powerful while the rest of us are continually losing ground.

But there is hope. There is an alternative. There are small recording companies and musical artists who are selling their music direct to the public via the internet and other distribution mechanisms that cut the rich and powerful out of the transaction.

One of my favorite justice and peace musicians is Amy Martin. Amy originates from the San Francisco Bay area but now she calls Montana her home. My personal favorite is her commentary on the war in Iraq entitled, "It's About Oil". The chorus goes, "It's about oil, it's about greed. It's about rich white men getting richer. It's about fear and control. Of those barrels of black gold."

Check out Amy Martin's website and buy some of her tunes at:
www.amymartin.org


I am off to Washington, D.C. I wish I had my daughter's iPod to take with me so that I could listen to Amy's songs while I travel, and march, and pray for peace. For the rest of you, I urge you to check out Amy's website and buy a few tunes.

Remember it is our daily choices, like the music we listen to, that affect our participation in Capitalism or in the alternative -- compassionate capitalism.

Peace with justice,

Robyn

P.S. - Please comment and post other great musicians so that we can spread the word. The tradition of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez lives on!

Compassionate Capitalism Resources

Sometimes the whole thought of creating the possibility of a compassionate global economy seems beyond imaging, let alone doing. Yet, there are simple little ways that you can make a difference. Here are just a few:

• Buy Green – Familiarize yourself with Co-op America and the National Green Pages. For more than 20 years Co-op America has been educating consumers about how to use their economic resources to build a more just and sustainable society. Order the 2007 National Green Pages and make the choice to purchase from a Green Business whenever possible.
www.coopamerica.org

• Buy Fair Trade Certified Coffee – even Starbucks (some locations) carries free trade coffee. You can order coffee at this site. http://equalexchange.stores.yahoo.net/

• Invest your Individual Retirement Account (if you have one) in socially responsible mutual funds. For a website full of resources to help you with this choice check the Social Funds site at:
http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article1386.html

• Select a Community Development Bank as your financial institution.
o If you are in the Bay area, check out the Community Bank of the Bay. http://www.communitybankbay.com/contact.html
o For a more comprehensive list check out the Community Development Bankers Association at: http://www.communitydevelopmentbanks.org/

These are only a few choices that are already available. We need to encourage even more compassionate capital projects. If you know of any other tips, or resources, please share them by posting a comment.

Peace with justice,

Robyn

Peacemaking and Compassionate Capitalism

On Tuesday evening, March 6, 2007, I attended an evening with Daniel Berrigan, S.J. at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. The room was packed with mostly baby boomer aged Caucasian educated middle class professionals. It was my first opportunity to hear and see Father Daniel Berrigan in person, although I have admired his writings and his peacemaking work since I was a teenager. I was inspired and moved by his message. He talked about fear; walking with our fear without being daunted or destroyed. Walking with fear is equivalent to walking with our sorrow. Fear and sorrow are ever present and yet we must find the love, trust, faith, and hope that sustain us in their presence.

Although it was briefly alluded to, there was little depth to the discussion of how we as members of the middle class contribute to wars and violence through our daily financial decisions. Fr. Berrigan referenced two aspects of the human condition, our appetites and desires (thoughts about what we want or lack), and our recognition of the abundance of God’s creation (gratitude and a sense of sufficiency). The more we become attached to our desires for more wealth, more possessions, and increased financial security, the more we drive our economic system to violence and exploitation.

Although those who wage or win wars want us to believe that the violence is about safety (security and protection); the underpinning of the more public justification for violence is our attachment to resources (wealth, trade routes, water, oil, etc.). I suspect that there were many in the crowd who blame corporations and capitalism for the evils of the world. Yet, they participate in those systems every day.

I will admit that I see through a lens shaped by my life experience and social context. That lens leads me to believe that capitalism and compassion are not opposing forces. We need to learn to walk with capitalism without being daunted or destroyed. We need to recognize that our greed and materialism co-exist with our peacemaking and compassion.

We can march until the world ends. We can engage in civil disobedience to gain attention to our cause. These are vitally important activities. However, we will not have peace until we ourselves feel a sense of gratitude and sufficiency. We need to allow God’s generosity to work in us and through us until every living being, including the earth herself, feels that same sense of sufficiency and abundance.

Peace,

Robyn

Women, Christianity, and Compassionate Capitalism

(In Honor of International Women's Day - March 8th)

I teeter on the tipping point between despair and optimism. In one sense, I am deeply disturbed by the state of our world, especially the plight of women and children throughout the world who do not have the basic necessities of life. On the other hand, as a Christian I cling to hope and see the in-breaking of the signs of the reign of God.

In brief, just from the news of the past two weeks the signs of despair include:
• The increasing threat that the United States will enter into a military conflict with Iran.
• The President’s proposed 2008 Federal budget and the dire impact our increased military spending has on the poor and working classes.
• The impact our Federal deficit and military spending is having on the global economy (especially this past week). A global economic crisis is looming if we do not wake up and address the connection between wars, destruction of our environment, and our dependency on scarce resources (oil and water).
• Recent statistics that reveal the percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line and the gulf between the nation's "haves" and "have-nots" continues to widen.
• The recent publicity about current global slave trade. Global poverty fuels desperate acts and creates an increasing supply of human beings as commodities that fuel capitalist enterprises. The majority of the estimated 27 million victims of human trafficking are women; half are children under the age of eighteen.
• Almost no news coverage is being given to the United Nations 51st Commission on the Status of Women which is happening in New York City. Where is the global outrage about the violence against women and children, including the injustice of the persistent poverty, hunger, and diseases that affect women and children more than men?

Yet, there are signs of hope as well:
• Through the world, women are forming economic movements that have the power to transform capitalism. 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus’ and the Grameen Bank are just the tip of the iceberg that represents a growing compassionate capitalism movement.
• Wangari Maathai, and the Green Belt Movement (winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize) have shown the world that women possess the power to transform their economic lives, their communities, and even their environment.
• John Mackay, CEO of Whole Foods Market, and thousands of other socially responsible entrepreneurs are starting to talk about conscious or compassionate capitalism.
• Thousands of Christians are gathering in Washington DC during the month of March. First, as part of Ecumenical Advocacy days, they are speaking out about poverty and speaking up for the economic rights of children and women. Second, as part of the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, Christians will be worshiping, praying, engaging in acts of civil disobedience, and lifting their voices as Christians to speak out against a war that violates the very tenants of our faith.

March 8th is International Women’s Day. This week or this month, what will you do to tip the scales towards hope? I am not willing to give in to despair. I believe that our hope lies in the power of the feminine – the power that recognizes we are all connected. In God there is no male or female, no American or Iranian, no Master or Slave.

Peace with justice,

Robyn

Conscious Capitalism

Although it may seem an odd factor in choosing a school of theology, one of the reasons I chose to attend Pacific School of Religion was the national reputation of the Center for Social Responsibility at the Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley. I somehow felt that my future vocation as an ordained Minister would be a continuation, not a disruption, of my years of economic justice work. Monday of this week is the day when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am precisely where God wants me to be.

I attended a lecture at the Haas School of Business entitled, Conscious Capitalism, given by John Mackey CEO of Whole Foods Market, Inc. Mackey presented his compelling and hopeful story as an entrepreneur who has built a highly successful and profitable company with a triple bottom-line: 1) making a profit; 2) delivering products or services that make a positive contribution to people’s lives; 3) and doing so with business practices that care for employees, their communities, and the environment.

Mackey’s definition of conscious capitalism still focuses on profits but only indirectly. According to him, profit is best achieved by not aiming directly for it. Profits are best when they are a by-product of a deeper more meaningful business purpose. Long term profits are maximized when companies respect that they are doing business within a holistic stakeholder web of interdependent constituencies. Sounding a bit like Jim Collins (author of Good to Great and Built to Last), he said that great companies have great purposes. He repeatedly mentioned that over the long-term profits are maximized and great businesses are sustained because they are able to fulfill the deeper purpose of the business and optimize the health and value of the holistic web which includes customers, communities, vendors, employees, and stockholders.

He even shared a great investment tip with the audience. He suggested that one of the best ways to beat the market (outperform the S & P 500) and be a socially responsible investor simultaneously would be to invest only in companies that rank at the top of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.

There were two major flaws in his conscious capitalism proposal. First, he used World Bank statistics and tried to present a picture wherein global poverty is decreasing (many would disagree with this and I will address this in another blog). He is overly optimistic that his strategy of leading with capitalism that has been tempered with a moral conscious will solve global problems in time. It helps, but I am afraid it is not nearly enough.

Second, his assumption is fundamentally flawed because he trusts that stockholders of corporations are capable of committing to conscious capitalism. His entire proposal depends upon stockholders being committed to something more than just profits. The problem with his proposal is the current state of our capital markets and the overwhelming insistence on short term profits by the vast majority of investors. Most corporations are controlled by institutional investors with a very short term perspective. This structural problem also contributes to the inequities between CEO/Executive pay and worker wages.

I asked Mr. Mackey about this issue during the Q & A, and he offered at least one possible strategy that would address the short term profit emphasis of stockholders. He suggested a change in Capital Gains taxes with higher taxes for shorter holding periods, and low or no taxes for longer term holding periods. If the capital gains tax rate was high enough it would provide a disincentive for short term trading. If you like this idea, let your Senators and Congressional Representative know.

I would propose another strategy – one that you as an individual can participate in. Whenever you have a choice about investing your money, your checking accounts or your retirement accounts, choose wisely. Start aligning your money with your values. There are community development credit unions and banks and socially responsible mutual funds that you can do business with. (I invite you to post comments and let us know your favority socially responsible investment companies).

On another timely but brief note: If my last blog about the dangers of placing your trust in wealth seemed alarmist, you should know that the market took a serious tumble today. Big troubles with the market in China were the underlying cause. I was an investment adviser/financial planner on Black Friday in October 1987. I learned that it is possible for modern financial markets to collapse – they did not collapse then but it was a close call. They did not collapse today. However, there will always be uncertainty and risk attached to money and wealth.

As for me, I would rather place my trust in Jesus, he has never failed me yet.

My reflection is longer than normal. For that I apologize. Now that I have found my prophetic voice I cannot help myself.

Peace,

Robyn

Theology of Wealth Management?

Robyn,
This is a huge topic and I'm glad that you are going to be leading the charge. For many of us, we struggle with finding the meaning and theology of wealth management. Is there such a thing? I have a sense that our economic values should be evaluated in light of how much they build community and connection and support for those who are at the bottom of the ladder. That's one of the reasons I mentioned Paul Hawken. Most of our wealth management has been determined only on the basis of how much of a return I get on my investment. We've got a long way to go.
Blessings on the way,
Geoff

In the shadow of God’s wings

For many years I have found comfort in the song, “On Eagle’s Wings.” The lyrics of this song are based on Psalm 91. As I meditate on the spiritual needs of our time, I am aware of how difficult it is to place our trust in God. Yet, I believe that is precisely what we need to do if we are to stop the violence in our world, and the destruction of the earth.

It is time to talk about our unhealthy reliance on financial wealth as our source of security. The disparity between the rich and poor is getting wider every day. The middle class is disappearing. There is an impending crisis that threatens the security of the Baby Boom, Gen X and Millennial generations. Housing costs and debt, including higher educational costs, are at nearly a crisis level for professional and working class people. Access to affordable health insurance is another financial challenge. I could go on, and on.

I view the world through a particular lens that has been tinted by decades of experience working with people, and helping them with their relationship with money and wealth. I view our future through that lens and I see the signs of an impending financial crisis. Although many believe that they can place their trust in their wealth (investments, retirement accounts, pension plans, and real estate), markets cycle and sometimes they even crash.

Global capitalism is a force to be reckoned with. Materialism, capitalism, and even narcissim have become the fastest growing religious belief systems. I believe that the predominant culture in the United States of America is one that worships material possessions, demands a belief in the basic tenents of capitalism, and results in behaviors that place self-love above all other loves. Some churches have been co-opted by these external religions and offer a religious commodity that promises individual well-being and personal prosperity. I don't believe that is the true gospel message.

However, there is good news! A recent survey indicates the majority of voters believe greed and materialism are serious social problems.[1] It is time for progressive Christian churches to offer programs that help people convert their beliefs, change their habits, and heal their unhealthy attachments to money and wealth.

On a more personal level, it is time for me to examine my daily choices and recognize all of the subtle little ways that I contribute to the systemic evil caused by global capitalism. I want to invest my savings with socially responsible mutual funds. I want to use a credit card from a financial institution that does not prey on low income people with predatory lending practices. I want to use public transportation whenever I can so that I conserve on my use of gasoline. I want to stop and think about the social responsibility and business practices of companies before I make a purchase.

In my next blog, I will include a number of links to resources that you, and I, can use to become participants in a movement to create a more compassionate global economy. Spread the word…

Peace,

Robyn


[1] Faith in Public Life 2006 Election Report. http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/

You're on to something big

Hey Robyn,

You're on to something big here that many of us in churches and in faith communities have trouble coming to grips with. I feel that I am called to nudge, prod, and annoy faith communities around the issues of trasformative conflict. There is, in my view, a kind of schizophrenia between our "profession of faith" and our ability to deal with conflict constructively. But I think you are pointing to another area of schizophrenia as it relates to our spiritual lives and our relationship to money and wealth. How do we integrate these parts of ourselves, these competing values? How do we integrate them in a way that will allow us to be drawn closer to shalom, the wholeness that Jesus calls us to? All of this leads me to believe that many of us, myself included, are afflicted with a multiple persona (rather than personality) disorder -- there's the persona of the upstanding member of the faith community; then there's the persona I adopt in relation to the conflicts in my life, usually either as a victim or an aggressor; then there's the persona I adopt in relation to money and wealth (mis)management.

Are you familiar with Clarence Jordan the story of Koinonia Farms? It is the place that inspired Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity.
Paz,
Geoff

Ash Wednesday and Lent

Last night, as I silently prayed during a Taizé Ash Wednesday service, I pondered how I would observe this season of Lent. I try to adopt a spiritual discipline during Lent to remind me that God desires my obedience, or openness, to God’s leading or direction for my life.

God’s grace and love flow freely to all God’s children. And yet, we have also been given reponsibility and the ability to choose. Spiritual disciplines help us to align our choices with the Holy Spirit, and to resist our human tendency to make choices that harm ourselves, others, or creation.

This year, I have decided to make a concerted effort to give up my insecurities and doubts about my vocation. I have a vision of what God is calling me to do with my life and it frightens me. Even though I know that God is working in my life, and that God has shaped and molded me for service, I am afraid that answering this call will be too costly.

I am called to a ministry that will challenge our cultural norms about money, income, possessions, and wealth. I am just as caught up in this culture of materialism and capitalism as most people are. I want to cling to a job, retirement accounts, home, and savings with the hopes that my assets will provide ‘security’ in this cold harsh world. After nearly twenty years of working to help people with financial affairs, I am afraid that answering this call will ruin me for my old life, one that provided the income I needed to support myself.

I just completed a paper for my Christian Ethics class that discusses the ethical dilemmas of Endowment Funds within the United Methodist denomination. The same day I turned in my paper, I received news that my home church will be awarding me a substantial scholarship from the income earned on an Endowment Fund that I helped build. I am also helping create an Endowment Fund for another non-profit. What would Jesus have to say about my relationship to Endowment Funds?

I am reminded of these words of Jesus from the gospel of Matthew?
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ (Matthew 6: 19-21.)

This Lenten season my spiritual discipline will be to give up my fears, and courageously announce (through my blog and other methods) a message that there is an alternative to placing our trust and confidence in money. I believe that we can create a more compassionate global economy, if we finally accept that we cannot worship both God and Mammon.

I hope that my readers will share their struggles with money, materialism, and capitalism as well. (You can do that through comments on the blog or through private emails to me). We rarely talk about our personal angst or struggles with money, not in our churches, not with our friends. Maybe that can change.

Peace,

Robyn

My Internship with Pace e Bene

Greetings,

I am excited to share news of the work that I am doing with Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service. This picture was taken during the second weekend for the Engage Trainer Development Program. A group of about a dozen individuals who are committed to nonviolence in our lives, and to become trainers, and leaders for nonviolent social change are completing an intensive year of training. For more information about this training group, go Pace e Bene's website.
www.paceebene.org


Engage is a twelve week small group study in nonviolent living. It is perfect for church, or civic organizations, especially any group that wants to make a positive impact on your community through the principles of nonviolence practiced by Jesus, Gandhi, or Martin Luther King Jr.

Pace e Bene is also an leader in the Declaration of Peace Movement. www.declarationofpeace.org

Pace e Bene (Peace and all good),

Robyn

Valentine's Day meditation on love

Valentine’s Day 2007

What’s all this hype about love? This is a day marked by consumerism and selling the notion of romantic love. Can love be purchased? Can we even represent the genuine feeling of love with cards, flowers, or other gifts? I think not. However, I know that advertisers would like us to believe that we can.

I believe in love. I am not absolutely certain I have 'seen' it. I have frequently doubted whether it lasts. I suspect that I have experienced it, but then a new version of it comes along and I am confused. I have pondered the existence of love. I have written poems, prayers, and prose attempting to express its complexity, its nuances, and its mysterious charm.

Then I stop thinking about love, and choose instead to do it. For me, love is a little like faith. It is not a mental exercise. It is not the absence of doubts or confusion. Faith and love are not solid or tangible. Yet, faith and love are. Faith and love exist whenever I choose them. For me, love and faith are verbs, not nouns.

My friend and saviour Jesus said that we should love our enemies. That is our choice. Jesus said we should have faith. That is another choice. What would Valentine’s Day, or any other day for that matter, be like if we practiced both faith and love? Not just for one special person, but for every living being, for all God’s creation.

I do not believe that I will experience the commercialized hyped romantic love today. But that love may or may not be real anyway. Instead, I will choose love. Love for you, or for the one I want to label as my enemy, as well as for the sun and sky and air that I breathe.

In return for choosing love, I will also experience faith and the grace of the God who gives me all three – faith, grace, and love.

I wish you love,

Robyn

Thanksgiving Message

As we gather to enjoy each other’s company and feast upon plentiful meals, we live out our “family values.” I suspect that everyone on my Holiday mailing list will have plenty of food, a warm and comfortable bed, and a safe place to rest your head. Not everyone is as fortunate. I read an interesting statistic on hunger this week. 19.3% of rural households with children are food insecure. Children in many of these households will go to bed hungry. Yes, even on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

There is hopeful news. Montana’s lowest income workers just got a raise! Thanks to the efforts of Raise Montana, Let Justice Roll, Our Faith Our Vote, Progressive Clergy Alliance, and Missoulians United for Worker Justice (and countless other groups) we have taken a step towards moving low income families out of poverty. Yet, there is a great deal more work to be done.

Oops – I sound like a preacher. I suppose that is expected since I am nearly half way through my Master of Divinity studies at Pacific School of Religion (PSR).

I am thankful for this amazing opportunity. I am SO busy. There is so much to do here in Berkeley, not just an exciting menu of classes at the eleven schools of the Graduate Theological Union, but the greater San Francisco Bay area is also rich in educational and cultural experiences. Sometimes I feel like I am trying to cram five years worth of learning into these three short years.

This semester I am taking four classes at PSR: Preaching; Field Education Seminar; Bibliodrama as a Liturgical Process; and Christian History, Theology, and Ethics. I am also involved with a few seminars offered by Landmark Education including the Forum, a Seminar, and the Advanced Course. In addition to my classes, I have a field education placement (internship) with Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service for fifteen hours per week. I serve on the Dismantling Racism committee of the PSR Board of Trustees and provide peer support/pastoral care services through the PSR Campus Care Network. Wow! I am thankful for all of these educational opportunities.

I will be in Montana for Christmas. I am looking forward to visiting with as many of my friends and family as possible. For now, I have two homes – at PSR and in Helena and my heart is with you whether you are here or there.

Blessings, Peace, and Grace to you,

Robyn

Nonviolence Service

I am enjoying my internship with Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service. I urge you to check out their website at www.paceebene.org. Part of my experience is participating in the Engage Trainer Development Program. I just recently attended the first of three weekend workshops with fifteen other future Engage Trainers from all across the United States. I am excited about the seeds of nonviolence that I see coming out of this program.

I am working on my own seedling vision. Some of you know that I have a background in economic development with specialized expertise in developing financial products to achieve specific social and economic justice goals. The vision that I am nurturing would be to create sources of capital to support spiritually grounded communities and organizations committed to collaborating across sectors of our economy to support nonviolent social and economic movements.

Now I know that is a bunch of words... but what exactly does it mean? I don't have it all figured out yet. Still this seed of a vision is drawing me powerfully forward, I am truly excited about exploring the possibilities of this vision. I believe that I may have discovered my calling, or at least my next assignment.

I believe that God's will is not a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery to be lived into. Our vocations or callings only become clear as we step forward day by day, listening deeply to the needs of the world.

Pace e Bene (Peace and all good),

Robyn

Seminarians for worker justice in action

Several seminarians, members of Seminarians for Worker Justice, participated in an action on October 5th in Emeryville, California. We were marching and protesting on behalf of Hotel workers who have been harassed because they demanded that their employer, Woodfin Hotels, comply with the living wage ordinance.

The reluctant blogger

Where is my voice? I had such good intentions with this blog. It is not that I have not had time, because I make time for the things that really matter. It is not that I do not have things that I want to say. I think it is because I no longer know where to begin. The war in Iraq, the devastation of the environment, the suffering of the people in Darfur, the poverty and hunger in the Tenderloin of San Francisco, the economic injustice of the every increasing disparity between the CEO and the minimum wage worker, and the list goes on, and on… Some days I fall into the pit of cynicism, thinking that my words cannot change the things I think need to be changed.

Perhaps Recovering Alcoholics know more than conventional wisdom. Maybe I need the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I like to think that I have the courage to change the things that I can. After all, I changed nearly everything about my own life, at least the things that are completely in my control. Nearly every day, I pray for wisdom, to understand which of the desperate needs of the world I can change in some tiny little way. I also pray for the courage to perform those acts of courage that are required to work towards a more just and compassionate world. Not only the courage, but the stamina, and the spirit (charisma) to enroll others in the mission – to draw people from the muck – the familiar and even comfortable misery that we call living.

Certainly there is beauty, joy, love, passion, even ecstasy. Time after time, I find myself awestruck with the beauty of God’s creation. On my birthday in August, as I watched the fog rolling over Mt Tamalpais – pouring into the bay as the last remaining sunlight sparkled off the surface of the water. In June, Helena was decked in the glorious emerald green splendor from of a luscious wet spring. In July, there was the magic of the cattails and reeds, sitting knee deep on folding camp chairs set smack dab in the Missouri river, feasting on pasta salad, and basking in the sunlight and the warmth of women friends. God is just so amazingly good.

Yet, if God is good, and people are created in the image of God, then why have human beings created such evil? Yes, evil. Capitalism, Christianity, Democracy – systems that should be good, but they are not. Theologians argue that there are two classes of sin – personal and systemic, individual and communal/cultural. Yet we do not hear about systemic or communal sin as much as we hear about personal sin.

Preachers rant and rave about who is sleeping with whom, or who gets into heaven and who is left behind, but they rarely mention the big SIN – where we have not loved our creator (and all God created) and where we do not love our neighbor as ourselves. The Iraqi lying injured by the side of the road is our neighbor. Where is the Samaritan? The people of color who are living as internal refugees because they were displaced when the levees broke in New Orleans are our neighbors. We do not love them as ourselves. We sin against the workers who wait on our tables, clean our hotel rooms, and raise our children in day care centers because they work full time and cannot afford their basic living needs, and do not have access to health care for themselves or their children, and we are too comfortable to do anything about it.

We do not want to own up to the collective sins of capitalism, democracy, Christianity, and our destruction of the environment. We would rather write the systemic problems off with an easy slogan – the serenity to accept the things we cannot change. Cynicism is a sin. As long as we participate in the systems that cause suffering, we contribute to systemic sin.

So, I guess I am back to blogging. If I silently, wordlessly, go about my personal business of being a seminarian, preparing for a professional career as a Minister, am I contributing to systemic sin? You betcha.

I guess I had better keep writing – maybe one person will read this and change one tiny aspect of their daily life and simply refuse to participate in something really big and evil in some small personal way. Maybe I will convince myself to keep acting in small ways to stop global warming. We can all fight systemic sin, one personal choice, one day at a time. God grant us all the courage to change the things we can.

Shalom,

Robyn

Back Home

Oops, I really neglected my blog. I have a number of excuses, mostly papers, exams, and the final crunch of the end of the semester.

I am back home in Helena for the summer. I will be working as a summer intern. My title is Regional Organizer for the United Church of Christ. My priority is to organize a religious outreach program to support the Raise Montana initiative. I am excited about having an opportunity to combine my past experience in business and economic development with my passion for economic and social justice.

If you want to know more about Raise Montana, check out their website at www.raisemontana.org.

Another great resource on the subject of economic justice and a living wage is www.letjusticeroll.org.

In the words of the ancient prophet, Amos, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an overflowing stream." (Amos 5:24) AND

"You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns." (Deut 24:14)

While I am in Montana, I can still be reached on my cell phone at (406) 431-3443.

I hope to see as many of my Montana friends as possible... as often as possible. August and my return to Berkeley will come far too soon.

Namaste',

Robyn

Easter

If sin is falling short of our promises, then I am guilty because I have not kept up with my postings during Lent. However, I have excellent excuses. I had the pleasure of entertaining two wonderful visitors over the past few weeks. The experience reminded me once again about what is most important in life -- loving connections/relationships.

On this Good Friday, I am pondering two thoughts. The first is suffering and resurrection (hope). A dear friend asked me, "when exactly does Easter begin and the darkness and death end?" I would contend that Easter and Good Friday are always with us. Dividing them for the sake of Holy Week and Easter is an important exercise in recognizing both suffering and hope. We focus on the model of Jesus, who provides us with an example of how to live, how to die, and how to love.

To me, the death and resurrection of Jesus is symbolic of the life of a Christian (or anyone for that matter). We should not face the cross only during Holy Week, but recognize the cross in our daily lives and especially in the suffering of the marginalized and outcast of our world. We also have to hold onto hope in the midst of suffering. We need to remember Easter -- Christ has risen. New life is available. Happiness or joy can be experienced whether the world is perfect or not.

My second thought revolves around our image of the divine. There are those who struggle with theistic, patriarchal, and traditional images of God the Father, God the King, Jesus as Lord and Savior, etc. Rationalists reject parts of the Jesus story because of the miracles, especially the resurrection. What is the meaning of Easter if you do not believe that Jesus died, was raised from the dead, and then ascended into heaven?

God is much bigger and more complex than our human minds can fully grasp. Language limits our ability to experience the breadth and depth of the divine. So much of our Christian theological history has focused on the anthropomorphic theistic "God". If you want to expand your thoughts about God, Jesus, and Easter, try imaging death and resurrection with earth-centered or natural world images. If Jesus' death and resurrection doesn't speak to you, then meditate on the cycles of nature.

The seed must give up its life and be buried in order to become something greater -- a tree, a flower, or food to nourish others. A caterpillar must give up its old life, withdraw into a cocoon, and undergo a complete transformation in order to become the beautiful soaring butterfly that God intends it to be. There are countless examples of suffering and hope imbedded in nature. Perhaps imaging God as nature would help us to protect and preserve this fragile earth before it is too late.

The women go to the tomb in the darkness of morning. It is dark and the tomb is empty. They are in the midst of overwhelming grief and suffering at the loss of their beloved Jesus. They discover that Christ has risen. The darkness and the dawn flow seamlessly together. It is impossible to clearly separate suffering and resurrection. And yet, we are Easter people. Nothing can separate us from God's grace, love, and joy.

Wishing you great joy this Easter weekend,

Robyn

Clearing the Temple

The gospel scripture for the third Sunday in Lent (2006) is John’s story of Jesus clearing the Temple (John 2: 13-25). I read the cleansing of the temple as a stark warning against any and every false sense of security. Misplaced allegiances, religious presumption, pathetic excuses, sm