Samuel Escobar on evangelism, freedom and justice (The Lausanne Series, Part 2)
Last week, in the first part of this series on the Lausanne Movement and what it has to teach us about faith, development, justice and peace, we took a look at René Padilla's presentation. Now we turn to Peruvian theologian Samuel Escobar, whose theme is “Evangelization and Man's Search for Freedom, Justice, and Fulfillment.”
Samuel Escobar begins his presentation by appealing to the decision made by the organizers of the gathering to choose as a motto the words of Jesus in the synagogue, found in Luke 4:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
He then urges his listeners to take these words seriously, which is to say, not to overly spiritualize the message. In a world with millions suffering from literal poverty, captivity, blindness and oppression, these words aren’t just about spiritual poverty or captivity to sin. There are a lot of Christians in the world, Escobar says, who take these words seriously, and they find themselves in far flung corners of the world and near centers of power, following Christ accordingly. But many of them face strong pressure from other Christians, of all people, to change course:
Some of them have been criticized and told that they should abandon their efforts for the pursuit only of numerical growth of congregations. I hope they will not believe that such is the official position of the [Lausanne] Congress.
As we saw last week, Padilla also critiqued the pursuit of numerical growth as an end in itself, represented most clearly in the church growth movement that has given rise to many of the megachurches across the country and around the world. Escobar was warning against numerical growth at the expense of discipleship, creating a “consumer class” of Christians who were uninterested in the personal and social implications of submitting to the Lordship of Christ. He saw discipleship as essential, and he saw churches as the indispensable communities where discipleship happens:
I think that the first and powerful answer to the social and political needs of men, to the search for freedom, justice, and fulfillment, is given by Jesus in his own work and in the church... [In the church] Jesus creates a new people, a new community where these problems are dealt with under the Lordship of Christ.
What he was calling for may have cut across the grain of many at that time, but it was really nothing new for evangelicals. He pointed to John Wesley, the well-known evangelist who authored a book called Thoughts upon Slavery, calling for abolition long before it became reality, and long before it was a popular idea. For Wesley, evangelism and social issues like slavery belonged hand in hand:
In today’s language, we could say that for Wesley, development without social justice was unacceptable. I pray that God will raise in this Congress evangelists like Wesley, who also care about social evils enough as to do research and write about them and throw the weight of their moral and spiritual authority on the side of the correction of injustices. Wesley, however, did more than writing. He encouraged the political action that eventually was going to abolish slavery in England.
Shortly before he died, Wesley wrote to William Wilberforce, urging him to use his political position to push for the abolition of slavery, something Wilberforce eventually succeeded in doing, giving us a powerful example to follow. But while evangelicals have every reason to stand with the oppressed, we must remember that political liberation and the freedom offered in the gospel are two distinct things, Escobar says:
Simple liberation from human masters is not the freedom of which the Gospel speaks. Freedom in Christian terms means subjection to Jesus Christ as Lord, deliverance from bondage to sin and Satan... However, the heart which has been made free with the freedom of Christ cannot be indifferent to the human longings for deliverance from economic, political, or social oppression.
Escobar points also to a contemporary evangelical leader who recognized this connection: world-famous evangelist Billy Graham, who made it his policy to refuse to speak to segregated audiences. As you can imagine, this was quite an unpopular move with many in his “target market” at the time:
He did not downgrade the demands of the Gospel in order to have access to a greater number of hearers or in order to have the blessing of racists that would consider themselves ‘fundamental Christians.’ A stance like this is already communicating something about the nature of the Gospel that gives credibility to the Gospel itself when it is announced... To perpetuate segregation for the sake of numerical growth, arguing that segregated churches grow faster, is for me yielding to the sinfulness or society, refusing to show a new and unique way of life.
Escobar has a lot more to say than what I've mentioned here, and just like Padilla's message, it's all as timely as ever. He finishes on an eschatological high note:
We reaffirm our hope that the Kingdom may come soon in fullness. But as an evidence of that hope we should also reaffirm our willingness to be the community of disciples of Christ which tries to demonstrate in the context of development or underdevelopment, affluence or poverty, democracy or dictatorship, that there is a different way for men to live together dealing with passions, power, relations, inequality, and privilege; that we are not only able to proclaim that ‘the end is at hand’ but also to encourage one another in the search to make this world a bit less unjust and cruel, as an evidence of our expectation of a new creation.
I join Escobar in asking: Do we stand with the rich or with the poor? Do we usually stand with oppressors or with the oppressed? Where do we stand when we preach the gospel?
[Photo credit: keywordpicture.com - Escobar speaking at Urbana 03, which I attended, though it was before I realized what a rock star he is.]
Guest post: Ugandan photojournalist Andy Kristian responds to KONY 2012
This is a guest post by my friend Andy Kristian, a very talented photographer and social entrepreneur who is from Uganda. He also happens to be a great guy. Please check out his photography site and follow him on Twitter for all things related to politics, nonprofits and other trends in East Africa. I asked him what he thought of KONY 2012, the biggest viral video of all time, with more than 100 million views. Here's what Andy had to say:
Two days ago I was approached by a friend of mine and blogger/writer Tim Hoiland to do a guest blog. He had received several inquiries for his opinion on the viral Kony 2012 video that captured the world by storm and blew the internet for 7 straight days. Even now, it continues to dominate conversations both on and offline and is likely to do so for the foreseeable future. Invisible Children, the makers of the video also still has other activities planned in tandem with the video and it is more likely than not that they will attract some good measure of attention. But why did Tim ask me? Why not just go ahead, research and write? He explained that people had asked his opinion, "but I'd rather have a Ugandan answer it." I then asked him what he thought was the best direction of the post for his readers and he mentioned three things, that I will go ahead and answer.
1. Is there something praiseworthy in Invisible Children's advocacy campaign, specifically in regard to #Kony2012?
Yes, there is, but for many Ugandans and Africans, that is subject to debate. Positively, Invisible Children has been able to rally everybody, especially the young people behind one cause. This is reminiscent of the Obama campaign, and the Save Darfur humanitarian campaign. This has shown that young people in America do care, and all that is required is leadership to direct them to great causes. Invisible Children succeeded in drawing attention to a social justice issue that raged on for decades with hardly any meaningful mention on major television, newspapers or blogs. This video has brought unprecedented massive exposure to Uganda and we could harness this opportunity to market our country and reap the benefits or just whine and whine as we slip out of the spotlight. Invisible Children have done what no one else could do, and in so doing, they have have also made some mistakes, and this brings us to the second part of what Tim wanted me to talk about.
2. What are some of the concerns?
The concerns about the Kony2012 video have largely been about the accuracy of the facts in the film, the highjacking of an African narrative and the over simplification of the conflict so to speak. Some inaccuracies could be looked at as simple omissions and therefore negligible, nevertheless, it is good to mention them so that for those that are not aware can be brought up to speed. The picture that the hit video paints may be construed as indicating a situation of war, and therefore not safe. But in actual fact, Joseph Kony has not operated within Ugandan borders for about 8 years now. Many have found such a deliberate omission disturbing and manipulative. Indeed, Kony is still at large, roaming the Central African region of Chad, Central Africa Republic and in the Congo, but his ragtag army has been reduced to approximately 300 combatants who are not a major security threat. Kony needs to be brought to justice, but unfortunately, a viral Hollywood production will not be sufficient in doing that, not in 2012 and probably not in 12 years. The timing of the video is totally off.
Scenario: Let's assume, for example, that you have an internal family problem and you need help. And I come to learn of that problem and want to help. The logical thing for me to do is to come to you and ask about what your needs are, what your capacity is, and in what best way I could be of help. I am not even sure that this analogy is the best, but try to make it work. The majority of Ugandans and Africans feel this way with the video. It is not because we do not need help, but we need to be involved in the stories or even work that affects us. Invisible Children could have done better in doing some consultative work with stake holders, especially the victims of the LRA conflict in Northern Uganda. Many people have worked for decades to stop this war. The Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, the Acholi Cultural Leaders, the local government all have a stake in this conflict and have worked harder than anybody to push government, the diaspora, the international agencies and leaders to instigate a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Rather than show a misleading dated video of Norbert Mao, president of Democratic Party and a champion for peace talks in Northern Uganda, Invisible Children could have sought an honest opinion from the man regarded as the finest and most respected leader from Northern Uganda.
That Invisible Children advocates for a military solution to the conflict has attracted some pretty negative feedback. The argument out there is that the LRA is full of child soldier recruits, and therefore a military campaign would be a direct attack on the children. I really don't buy into this notion, but I am not in favor of a military resolution either. This is why. Usually, a military campaign against the LRA results in massive civilian causalities through waves of terror and vengeful new abductions. The Northern Uganda conflict calls for holistic peace-building initiatives that include bringing both sides of the conflict to justice and accountability. On one hand, the UPDF (Uganda People's Defense Forces) and on the other, the LRA. Without addressing the root causes of the conflict, we will not have achieved anything. Uganda is a country reeling from bloodshed; from the Idi Amin days to the Obote period and to the current Museveni regime that is equally guilty of perpetrating crimes against humanity. A thorough justice system that addresses these issues would heal Uganda, and for that, a video can't do. And that is why the ICC (International Criminal Court) partly failed. Uganda refereed the case to the ICC prematurely, without thinking about the repurcussions. Soon it became clear that the law would need to be applied to the UPDF as well. Unfortunately, the ICC did not investigate the UPDF but only indicted LRA criminals. The UPDF criminals are still free, and some of the perpetrators of war crimes are now wreaking new havoc in land grabbing and people displacements. These are real issues that must be corrected.
People of Northern Uganda proposed a traditional justice system called Mato Put to be applied to all the returnees. The Uganda parliament, through pressure from Northern Uganda leaders also adopted a new amnesty law, providing safety return to the rebels. This was a successful strategy that led to thousands of returnees. But with the ICC indictments, the senior perpetrators were not covered under the law. This was a thorny issue during the LRA and Government of Uganda (GoU) negotiations in Sudan, of which I was a technical consultant to the mediation office. Indeed, both parties thought that in the interest of peace and in the interest of justice, it was better for senior commanders of the LRA to benefit from the amnesty, since the Acholi community were ready to apply traditional justice system. But the ICC indictments can not be lifted. Kony swore that he would never be tried outside of Uganda. The peace process collapsed. Since the last major peace talks, Kony has not used the peace process to regroup as argued in the video.
3. As a Ugandan (African), what advice would you give those with good intentions but who don't really know Uganda's context?
Proverbs 19:2 It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. Having good intentions is great, but this must be done in wisdom, especially in this day and age where aid and charity is a huge global industry. Invisible Children have been found suspect in terms of resource allocation, devoting only 32% of all their revenue to programs that help the victims on whom these campaigns are based. The argument is that they spend a lot on the advocacy, which is their mission, but as you know also, this answer is hardly sufficient. In a guest post on Dave Algoso's blog, David Hong, a former roadie for Invisible Children, rightly argues that they should stick to advocacy work "instead of getting involved in the murky trenches of international peacekeeping and geopolitics." And the issue of financial misuse in nonprofits is getting common by the day. Red Cross International together with American Red Cross were not so long ago under the spotlight for the misuse of relief funds for Haiti. It would appear that some form of due diligence in the organizations we support must increasingly be done.
Treat Africans or the poor with dignity. As a photographer, I have learned that we all like to look good in photographs, in films, etc. Nobody should take that away from anybody. Not Joseph Kony, not Gadaffi, not Museveni, no one. And this must be applied in charitable works as well. Here is a list of the 7 worst international aid ideas...some of these things are often done with good intentions, but good intentions are not always a good thing. But you know, like a good intention of collecting and sending used underwear to African girls from England?
Lastly, involve Africans, Ugandans or the poor in decision making from the bottom up. This creates ownership of solutions and real partnerships. But this hardly happens. Decisions are made in air-conditioned offices in the USA or Europe for the poor people. Most development organizations have huge budgets for Africa but rarely are there board representatives from these regions, while senior leadership and other critical roles at country level are occupied by foreigners, sometimes earning 15 or more times more than the locals. On a story telling level, our people are still overlooked in shaping narratives, whether they affect nonprofits or news. As a photographer and filmmaker, I struggle to gain contracts to tell stories in Uganda or East Africa be it UN agencies, International Christian NGOs, and other Aid agencies. Most of these organizations prefer to ship an American or European photographer to tell our stories. And in so doing, we are not only left jobless, but also without a voice.
What do you think of Andy's take on KONY 2012? Does it challenge your views or confirm any suspicions? What questions are you left with?
Why not every Christian should be a justice activist
I don't need to tell you that in recent years there's been an unprecedented surge in the number of evangelical Christians and churches seeking to integrate faith and justice. I also don't need to tell you that those with competing visions of what that integration ought to look like can become quite contentious with each other.
The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthian church, taught that we Christians are one body with many parts. And Jesus said that unbelievers will be able to recognize that we are Christians by our love for each other. I'm concerned about our bickering.
In my reading of the Bible it seems clear that faith and justice are inseparably linked. But it also seems clear to me that there's more to the Christian life than doing justice. It's an essential part of the Christian life, and I'd say it's an essential part of the work of the church, but it's hardly the whole thing. Christian justice activists need to be reminded of that.
But I'm convinced that churches have a responsibility to justice activists, as well, a responsibility far too often neglected. Gary Haugen, president of International Justice Mission, writes in his book Just Courage:
In this era I believe many Christians are yearning to walk on a pathway to courage. They yearn for liberation from small and trivial things, and to experience the passion and power of God on the more jagged edges of faith, where true glory lies. And I believe God is providing a very specific answer to that yearning and a very concrete path for getting there: God is calling his people to a pathway out of fear and triviality through the struggle for justice in his world.
And perhaps more surprising, it is call to all his people. It’s not a call to the handful of social justice zealots or slightly odd issue advocates in our faith community. Many churches miss out on God’s transforming call by putting the handful of justice agitators in their congregation on some ministry subcommittee where they can do ‘their thing’ without, hopefully, doing any harm. This effectively inoculates the rest of the congregation and directs everyone else right back onto their Christian cul-de-sac, where round and round they go.
Spiritually healthy and dynamic churches, on the other hand, have learned to equip the whole community of faith to do the things that matter to God.
There's much more to a "spiritually healthy and dynamic church" than justice, and it's clearly not the only thing that matters to God. But Haugen is right that it's an essential component, and that spiritually healthy and dynamic churches will indeed equip those called by God to faithful lives of justice activism.
Each of us is called to immerse ourselves in Scripture, though not everyone is called to teach. We’re all called to join other believers in corporate worship, but not all are called to serve as worship leaders. All of us are called to give the reason for the hope within us, but not all are called to be evangelists. In the same way, God calls all of us to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with him, but that does not mean all of us are called to lives of justice activism.
Justice activists would do well to acknowledge the blessing it is to be part of a community of faith along with those who teach Scripture and lead them in worship and share the good news of Jesus. At the same time, teachers, worship leaders and evangelists would do well to embrace those uniquely in a position to reweave shalom in our world.
So how does your church relate to those members who are passionate about justice, who are called by God to be instruments of shalom in a world in desperate need of redemption? Are they given token nods of approval, but relegated to the sidelines where they hopefully won't do too much damage or make too much noise? Or are they seen as essential members of the body of Christ to be nurtured and discipled just like everyone else?
Do our senior pastors and worship leaders and children's ministry staff and small group leaders see how essential the justice people are to the well-being of the church? And vice versa? Do the justice people see that if everyone was just like them the church wouldn't be all that God intended it to be? What might the consequences be if we disregard all of this and let the bickering run its course?
[Image credit: Merill Comeau]
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