As usual, click on the image for the larger view.
Last Thursday, I rode to New Orleans with my rector to Evensong at Trinity Church in New Orleans, followed by a talk by the Rev. Canon Susan Russell, Senior Associate at All Saints Church, Pasadena, California, on "Common Ground and Social Justice".
Susan is the former president of Integrity USA, an organization which works for inclusion of GLTB persons in the life of the church, and she blogs at An Inch At A Time.
Susan is wonderful at attracting and holding the attention of people with a wide range of views so that they actually listen. Her framing of the issues is superb. Susan often speaks from her own experience, a technique which works quite well for her. Her speaking style is animated, and includes hand and arm gestures (not to excess!), but, at the same time, there's a calm about her as she speaks that can only come from within. I won't try to summarize Susan's talk. You had to be there. If you ever have the opportunity to hear her speak, don't miss your chance.
After Susan spoke, there was a nice Q&A exchange. I give you one example of a question that Susan handled beautifully and perhaps even made the questioner think a bit.
Question from the audience: "How is social justice not socialism?"
Susan pointed out that socialism was an
Follow-up from the same person: "What about St Paul's words, 'If you don't work, you don't eat'?"
Susan said that as a person of faith, she could not stand by and deny someone who had nothing, because they did not work and, at the same time, be faithful to the second of the Two Great Commandments of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The first question would have raised my hackles, and it's likely that I'd have answered in such a way that the questioner would've stopped listening after the first few words and possibly not even bothered to ask the second question. However, Susan remained calm and non-confrontational as she gave her response to the two questions. She's good, I tell ya.
Louise Brooks, Susan's wife, is the producer of prize-winning video films. Both Susan and Louise are delightful company. I'd met Susan at GC09, but I didn't get to spend much time with her, as she was a tad busy at the convention in her role as the still-president of Integrity.
Louise, me, and Susan
The image at the head of the post is from ChurchWork, the official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.
A small quibble.
ReplyDeleteSocialism is an economic system rather than a political system Thus the socialist movement internationally, in its broadest sense, would include both democratic socialist parties and non-democratic or non-electoral socialist parties.
The democratic socialist (and / social democratic) parties of the Socialist International include:
* the Labour Party of the UK (ie, the party of GWB ally Tony Blair)
* the Labour Party of Israel (ie, the party of Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak)
* the Socialist Party of France
* the Social Democratic Party of Italy
* The Japan Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party of Japan
* the German Social Democratic Party
* the Spanish Socialist Party
When the American right use the word "socialism," there is hardly a single one of them who even has a clue what the word means.
BTW, the grandfather of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) led the first socialist government in North America.
Ah, a veritable icon of the Holy Trinity! ;-p
ReplyDeleteFrom Merriam Webster:
ReplyDeleteany of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
I yield to your superior knowledge, Malcolm. :-)
JCF, yes.
PS: I do not know the precise term Susan used, because I wrote from memory, and what I said she said is not a direct quote.
ReplyDeletewot a trio of babes eh :-)
ReplyDelete(I think that's also wot JCF was saying, in a much more theological way??)
Oh. Well then, I should have been more modest, shouldn't I? I thought JCF meant Susan was an icon, without thinking he meant to include me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely reflection and thank you so much for the kind words. And I'm not myself quite sure what I said to Mr. Socialism ... I think it was something about being there to talk about theology rather than economics.
ReplyDeleteBut my favorite part was the second part of his question: "What do you do with the biblical text that says that those who don't work shouldn't eat?"
I resorted to Jesus in the Temple and "on these two hang all the law and the prophets" ... but what I wished I'd said was "And what do YOU do with the biblical text where Jesus says sell all you have and give it to the poor?"
Maybe next time! :)
Susan, I spent several days trying to get the post right. I'm pleased you approve.
ReplyDeleteMy rector, Fr Ed, thought highly of your talk. He's quite concerned about the suicides.
It was lovely to see you again and a joy to meet Louise.