{"id":38484,"date":"2024-09-16T10:36:18","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T17:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=38484"},"modified":"2024-09-16T10:39:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T17:39:00","slug":"we-are-the-ones-we-are-waiting-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/we-are-the-ones-we-are-waiting-for\/","title":{"rendered":"We Are the Ones We Are Waiting For"},"content":{"rendered":"

This past Thursday evening, Brad and I sat in Hoover auditorium with a small group of professors, students and community members listening to Michael Wear give a lecture on his newest book,\u00a0The Spirit of our Politics<\/span><\/em>[<\/em>1]<\/a><\/sup>. \u00a0Michael wrote his profound and hope-filled book for those who are discouraged and exhausted by bitterness and rage in our politics. \u00a0He shared with us his new paradigm of political involvement rooted in the teachings of Jesus by drawing insights from Dallas Willard\u2019s[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0approach to spiritual formation. Because Michael Wear serves as the President and CEO for the Center for Christianity and Public Life in Washington D.C., I couldn\u2019t help but form questions in my mind for him and this week\u2019s post assignment. \u00a0Lining up this week\u2019s readings by Jim Wallis and Brett Fuller, I am curious how these authors might practically suggest we become a people to change the world when so many of us (I like to avoid an us vs. them approach) are spiritually unformed for the task at hand? \u00a0I\u2019ll start this post with Jim Wallis\u2019 final word to us as leaders, \u201cWe are the ones we have been waiting for!\u201d[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0So how? How might we become the leaders the world so desperately needs?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Brett Fuller\u2019s Dream and Vision?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bishop Brett Fuller is the senior pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Chantilly, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. \u00a0In 2000, he inspired a bill in Congress to establish a memorial honoring African American slaves who helped build America. In\u00a0Dreaming in Black and White,<\/span>[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Fuller unpacks Ethnic tension in America and offers solutions. His convictions to reduce ethnic tension are rooted in legislation so corrupt rules may be amended. \u00a0For instance, he writes how misguided judicial precedent must be overturned. \u00a0Although this doesn\u2019t answer my question directly of\u00a0\u201cHow might we become the leaders the world so desperately needs?\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Fuller does see reconciliation as the primary means to chart a pathway to wholeness and peace by taking the reconciliation conversation a step further to repentance. Much like Desmond Tutu\u2019s mediations in Cape Town, South Africa in the 1990s, Fuller calls forth Identification Repentance: when someone acknowledges another\u2019s wrongdoing, identifies with its wrongness, and commits to correct its ill efforts. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The question I would like to ask Brett Fuller is,<\/span>\u00a0\u201cWould you be willing to share your personal story with us and help us to listen, really listen for the fear, confusion and concerns of the White population? Help us hear Black pain anew.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Another of Fuller\u2019s books,\u00a0High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/span><\/em>, details the beneficial freedoms and boundaries that God assigns for women, wives and mothers. \u00a0His goal is to add his perspective of Scripture to the corporate ideological discussion of women\u2019s roles. \u00a0Through a deep dive into the early chapters of Genesis, Fuller frames his discussion about women leading or taking leadership roles in light of the reality of the fall. \u00a0Outside of the marital relationship between man and woman, Fuller sees no restrictions on women in leadership roles because of her gender. \u00a0Again and again, the author returns to the context of controversial passages around the issue like I and 2 Timothy, I Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5, by reframing Scripture’s original intent: It\u2019s not God\u2019s will for a wife to verbally command her own husband. I appreciated Fuller\u2019s perspective as he summarized, \u201cA woman\u2019s authority . . . is not determined by gender but by godly character, relationship and position.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 Brett Fuller concluded, from his research and exegetical studies that gender does not prohibit any person from assuming a leadership role. Ultimately, this book reads like a preacher working out his thoughts and finding a safe landing that women are leaders based on their callings and giftedness, not gender.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. \u00a0The question I would ask Pastor Fuller is,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cHow might you explain excellent leadership from women who are not \u201cgodly\u201d? \u00a0I know many capable and influential women leaders who are not followers of Christ. \u00a0Perhaps we could use the word \u201cvirtue\u201d or just \u201cmoral character\u201d? \u00a0I would also ask, \u201cIn light of your efforts for ethnic repentance, what practical ways can leaders offer healing for gender pain surrounding women in leadership?\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

What are the Driving Points of Jim Wallis’ book?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jim Wallis, a leading evangelical Christian, stands at the crossroads of religion and politics in America. \u00a0He is a theologian, preacher, activist and author. As the editor and founder of\u00a0Sojourners\u00a0<\/span>magazine, Wallis\u2019 message during the 2004 campaign was titled, \u201cGod is Not a Republican. Or a Democrat.\u201d Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu and Brett Fuller, Wallis believes the religious community could help heal the wounds dividing America\u2013we just need to find a common vision by moving to higher ground. In\u00a0God\u2019s Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn\u2019t Get it<\/span><\/em>,<\/em> Wallis offers a clarion call to both religious communities and our government accountable to key values. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My favorite quote among the many thought-provoking chapters is, \u201cThe truth is that most of the important movements for social change in America have been fueled by religion\u2013progressive religion. The stark moral challenges of our time have once again begun to awaken this prophetic tradition. \u00a0As the religious Right loses influence, nothing could be better for the health of both church and society than a return of the moral center that anchors our nation in a common humanity. \u00a0If you listen, these voices can be heard rising again.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

In light of hearing Michael Wear so recently to reading through Jim Wallis\u2019 book, my questions for him are this:<\/span><\/p>\n

3. If we are, \u201cThe ones we\u2019ve been waiting for!\u201d Then what is blocking the road to influencing the generations above and beneath us in returning to the moral center? \u00a0Let\u2019s be brutally honest as leaders and assign other leaders the task of helping younger leaders read good books again, desire ethical leadership, and the moral center. \u00a0What is keeping us from doing this?<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Since you wrote your book almost 20 years ago, what might you include now that you didn’t then? Why is your book important considering that a large percentage of Americans are using politics as their religion?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

[1]<\/a>\u00a0Wear, Michael R.\u00a0<\/span>The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life<\/span>. Zondervan, 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[2]<\/a>\u00a0Willard, Dallas.\u00a0<\/span>The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God<\/span>. 1st edition. San Francisco: Harper, 1998.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[3]<\/a>\u00a0Wallis, James.\u00a0<\/span>God\u2019s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn\u2019t Get It<\/span>: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005. P. 374<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[4]<\/a>\u00a0Fuller, Brett.\u00a0<\/span>Dreaming In Black And White<\/span>. BookBaby, 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[5]<\/a>\u00a0Fuller, Brett,\u00a0<\/span>High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/span>: P.25.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[6]<\/a>\u00a0Wallis, Jim. \u201cGod\u2019s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn\u2019t Get It. P.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This past Thursday evening, Brad and I sat in Hoover auditorium with a small group of professors, students and community members listening to Michael Wear give a lecture on his newest book,\u00a0The Spirit of our Politics[1]. \u00a0Michael wrote his profound and hope-filled book for those who are discouraged and exhausted by bitterness and rage in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[1657,3286,3255,3284,3285,3287,1004],"class_list":["post-38484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-1657","tag-brettfuller","tag-christianpoliticalwitness","tag-godspolitics","tag-jimwallis","tag-religionandpolitics","tag-american","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38484","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\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38484"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38491,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38484\/revisions\/38491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}