Review x2 (or Why I Have a Paper Clip On My Favorite Hat or A Cool New Parenting Trick)

Lets start out with the cool new parenting trick. If you have a kid that is old enough to start understanding serious matters, get them hooked on documentaries. The first one I went for was Paper Clips (2004), which follows on small school’s attempt to raise 6 million paper clips to more fully understand the significance of the Holocaust. The movie is not so much about the historical facts of the holocaust but about diversity, growth, acceptance, and compassion. There were several moments when both my wife and I had tears in our eyes and lumps in our throats. The Squid handled it quite well and really enjoyed learning the real life lesson of love.

In conjunction with that, I have been reading On The Side of the Angels (as teased below) by Dr. Joseph D’Souza, which discusses the need for Christianity to reclaim its responsibility towards human rights and justice issues.  Before you start worrying about this being just a social-gospel pushing book and just another one of Jeremy’s weird off-the-path rants on poverty or whatever, let me just say that Dr. Joseph and Co-Author Benedict Rogers know how to keep things in proper perspective and balance trough out the book:

How do we express human rights as part of the kingdom without embracing this so-called “social gospel” or “liberation theology”? The answer is that we are called to provide an integrated message, starting with the central truth of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. (58)

But, despite the biblical support for the Church’s need to actively pursue human rights issues, the book recognizes several reasons why we tend to ignore this aspect of our faith. Not only are we hesitant towards the perception of being too political, but (echoing UnChristian), On the Side also notes…

Far too many Christians in the world today are engaged in a mission consisting solely of words… where “verbalizing” the Christian faith is seen as the only way of representing and witnessing to Christ… The mere utterance of the gospel message has bred a faith without life, a Christian witness without involvement in community, a Christian message without salvation. (16)

But i’m reading through this challenging book and I find myself asking several times over “okay, i get it and agree… but … HOW?” And Dr D’Souza eventually delivers with straightforward, practical ways to help us (the Church) reclaim our responsibility to those hurting around us, both home and across borders or oceans. And, again he keeps involvement in proper perspective noting that every single step, every action that you choose to take must not only start with prayer, but must be immersed in prayer.

I also appreciate the fact that this is not an American book, so to speak. It is a global book which helps put our place in this world in perspective, not only as Christians, but as Americans and even more so as the American-Christian. While it’s not a life altering book in the sense of “get up and go change the world NOW!” I do think the issues raised along with the right balance makes this a valuable book for any library.

So what’s with the paper clip on my hat? Combine the two and it starts to make sense. One thing that In A Pit… taught me was that opportunity is all around us, we just haven’t been programmed to see it yet. As soon as we teach ourselves how to see it and how to let God show us the opportunity, then suddenly our eyes are opened to a whole new world that God wants to use us in. And that’s what the paper clip is all about. For me it’s not a sign of solidarity against the nazi’s nor a even gentle reminder of the Jews who tragically had their lives taken from them, it is a reminder to see the opportunity around me and a sign of solidarity against the evils in this world.

We are in a very real sense engaged in a struggle between good and evil. You may not yet have realized this. If you are sitting comfortably in an armchair in your living room, with a can of soda or bowl of ice cream, reading this book one evening after you have come home from work and put your children to bed, or returned from a church service where you sang heartwarming hymns about Jesus’ love, you may not feel like you are in a struggle, but that is exactly what we all face today, and we need to be prepared! (52)