{"id":19747,"date":"2018-10-25T16:39:38","date_gmt":"2018-10-25T23:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=19747"},"modified":"2018-10-25T16:39:38","modified_gmt":"2018-10-25T23:39:38","slug":"when-we-believe-we-are-always-right-we-are-very-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/when-we-believe-we-are-always-right-we-are-very-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"When we believe we are always right, we are very wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geopolitics: a study of the influence of such factors as geography, economics, and\u00a0demography\u00a0on the politics and\u00a0<\/em>especially the foreign policy of a state[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Peter Frankopan admittedly was inspired to write his text based on the current state of geopolitics.[2]<\/a>\u00a0 He aims to challenge the paradigm of \u201cour\u201d western view of history, specifically to challenge assumptions about where we come from and what has shaped us.[3]<\/a> What he proposes is that the \u201ccentre of the world\u201d is not Eurocentric, but \u201csome way to the east, beyond Mesopotamia and the Caucasus, in\u00a0Iran\u00a0and the \u201cstans\u201d.\u201d[4]<\/a> Frankopan\u2019s approach is in direct opposition to western ethnocentrism, and especially to United States nationalism. \u201cAt an anxious moment in Western history, Frankopan encourages us to take a historical perspective, understanding how change happens in societies and how people typically react to it\u201d[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Frankopan believes that the west is fading in its ability to shape the world.\u00a0 In the United States, for example, citizens worry about migration, religion, terrorism, fundamentalism, the rise of different economies and globalism.[6]<\/a>\u00a0 Are these fears emotional reactions or do they have substance? \u00a0In this season of growing nationalism (proposed and promoted by President Trump), the silk road countries Frankopan refers to are economically rising (especially China) while the west declines.[7]<\/sup><\/a> In fact, the silk road countries are at their pinnacle economically and socially while the west is struggling. The nationalist rhetoric promotes the idea that \u201cthe habit of identifying oneself with a single nation or other unit, placing it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of advancing its interests.\u201d One of the many distorted beliefs in a nationalist mentality is that what happens on one side of the world does not have an impact on another.\u00a0 There is no way to deny that the world has morphed into a big global community, and there\u2019s no way to stop the trajectory of change.<\/p>\n

I want to believe that it\u2019s not too late to change course from the push for nationalism. It doesn\u2019t need to be all gloom and disaster.\u00a0 We are resilient and open in the west and we need to understand there are important lessons to learn from other countries. \u00a0It\u2019s important to be hopeful about the future! So, how do we push back?\u00a0 I look to Brene Brown\u2019s new book, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts <\/em>for inspiration.<\/p>\n

In evaluating President Trump\u2019s narrative on the need for nationalism, Brene believes leaders can get masses of people behind them if they do two things \u2013 weaponize uncertainty and then give people someone to blame for their pain. If you accomplish these two things, you can do anything you want (such as convince people that Mexican immigrants are violent and drug lords, refugees\/immigrants are terrorists, the crime rate in cities is outrageous, et. al.) \u201cAnd no President has weaponized fear quite like Trump. He is an expert at playing to the public\u2019s phobias. The America rendered in his speeches and tweets is a dystopian hellscape. He shapes public opinion by emphasizing dangers\u2014both real and imaginary\u2014that his policies purport to fix.\u201d[8]<\/a> HOWEVER, fear has a short shelf life.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s examine the idea that the United States was built on Christian values and the proposed idea that we need to close our borders to outsiders or threats to our wealth to keep us safe. \u00a0I believe living in \u201clight\u201d requires us to be global \u2013 to welcome the foreigner \u2013 to care about human rights violations \u2013 to love those who wrong us \u2013 to engage in social justice.\u00a0 None of these are embraced by our current administration and it hurts my heart, but also fuels my righteous indignation.\u00a0 One point of light is that in May 2018 American clergy issued the \u201cReclaiming Jesus\u201d manifesto, which \u201crejected Trump\u2019s nationalist slogan of America First\u201d as \u201ca theological heresy for followers of Christ.\u201d \u201cThe signatories included the Rev. Michael Curry, who preached at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In the \u201cReclaiming Jesus\u201d statement, he and 22 other clergy reminded Americans: \u201cOur churches and our nations are part of an international community whose interests always surpass national boundaries.\u201d They went on to say, \u201cWe, in turn, should love and serve the world and all its inhabitants, rather than seek first narrow, nationalistic prerogatives.\u201d[9]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Jennifer Rubin, an opinion writer from a \u201ccenter-right perspective\u201d for the Washington Post, brilliantly proclaims \u201cNationalism is antithetical to America\u2019s founding creed (\u201cAll men are\u2026\u201d) and contrary to the principles of a multiethnic, multiracial democracy. As with all radical, racially based dogmas, it countenances, indeed promotes, ends-justify-the-means politics, seeks to discredit the free press, and traffics in lies both big and small.\u201d[10]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0You know, it\u2019s been said that glorious cultures are the most open. Do you believe?<\/p>\n

If I could, I would challenge every pastor to prayerfully consider adopting this manifesto\u2026 but according to Brene Brown, stepping out with a difficult stance or conversation involves uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure.\u00a0 Are you prepared to stay in the hard conversation?\u00a0 Give hard feedback?\u00a0 Receive hard feedback? \u00a0Leaders need to understand that clear is kind and unclear is unkind.\u00a0 \u201cStop avoiding tough conversations because you are being unkind.\u201d[11]<\/sup><\/a> Jesus was a master at being clear.\u00a0 John 12: 35-36 says \u201cThen Jesus told them,\u00a0\u201cYou are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.\u00a0Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.\u201d\u00a0When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/geopolitics<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> https:\/\/bigthink.com\/think-again-podcast\/you-cant-stop-the-clock-nil-peter-frankopan-nil-think-again-a-big-think-podcast-110<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2015\/sep\/29\/silk-roads-peter-frankopan-review<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2015\/sep\/29\/silk-roads-peter-frankopan-review<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> https:\/\/bigthink.com\/think-again-podcast\/you-cant-stop-the-clock-nil-peter-frankopan-nil-think-again-a-big-think-podcast-110<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> https:\/\/bigthink.com\/think-again-podcast\/you-cant-stop-the-clock-nil-peter-frankopan-nil-think-again-a-big-think-podcast-110<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> https:\/\/bigthink.com\/think-again-podcast\/you-cant-stop-the-clock-nil-peter-frankopan-nil-think-again-a-big-think-podcast-110<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> http:\/\/time.com\/4665755\/donald-trump-fear\/<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> http:\/\/religionandpolitics.org\/2018\/07\/17\/the-christian-nationalism-of-donald-trump\/<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/opinions\/wp\/2018\/10\/24\/three-interpretations-of-trumps-nationalist-rhetoric\/?utm_term=.0fe06411c8e0<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hEnqV_M_Dm4<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Geopolitics: a study of the influence of such factors as geography, economics, and\u00a0demography\u00a0on the politics and\u00a0especially the foreign policy of a state[1] Peter Frankopan admittedly was inspired to write his text based on the current state of geopolitics.[2]\u00a0 He aims to challenge the paradigm of \u201cour\u201d western view of history, specifically to challenge assumptions about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[762],"class_list":["post-19747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-frankopan","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19747"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19748,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19747\/revisions\/19748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}