Notebook
March 25th, 2008 by Jaybrams

Somewhere along the line, I got all social justice on your rears. I would love to apologize… I know its not the American way, I know its not mainstream, heck, it may not even be culturally relevant. But it’s certainly Love relevant… not mushy-love, not reese’s-oh-so-good-peanut-butter-cup-love, but “most excellent way” kinda love. I’m not sure why it happened, or how it happened so quickly. I guess somewhere down the line Jon Foreman echoed in my soul:

This ain’t my American Dream / I want to live and die for bigger things
Tired of fighting for just me / This ain’t my American dream
  - American Dream by Switchfoot

So it is with this backdrop and seemingly sudden change that I was drawn to a book entitled “Nobodies: Modern American Slavery and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy(on an aside, why does every book have to have a huge subtitle? It is not helpful in bibliographies).

Slavery, both as we understand it and in its more subtle manifestations still exists in America today. Bowe takes a look at three high-profile cases that essentially affect our every day lives. From the produce grown on the east coast farms (Florida), to the steel used to store our oil (Tulsa), to the clothes on our backs (Saipan), much of what we would consider normal daily living products may only reside on our tables and in our closets because of the forced labor situations in our country. As Bowe points out, the shock and awe of the stories is not in the details of the specific cases he mulls over, but in the fact that our court system is chock-full of similar cases across the nation.

NobodiesThe underlying social theme is that power corrupts and money blinds and none of us are immune to the possible destruction. John uses his own life as example, citing the anger he felt for an employee whom he was having difficulties with. He restrained from abusing the employee, but reflecting on his anger eventually helped him to realize that we all have this corruption within us if the situation and circumstances led us to believe we could get away with it. An unfortunate case in point came to light recently when a family found they had this power over a mentally handicapped woman and ultimately tortured her to death simply to pocket her social security check.

The social side of Nobodies, and certainly an unpopular finding, is that the blatant labor abuse and near slave-labor situations all are contingent on immigrant workers (some illegal, but most with work visas) who do not know their rights and can’t speak enough of the language to learn their rights. The farms have Mexicans who come with the hope of sending anything back to their impoverished family, the steel workers were highly skilled workers from India who had promises of high paying jobs in America, and garment workers in Saipan (a US Commonwealth) were Asian immigrants who were coerced into prostitution. The cases, with the exception of Saipan, are clearly Slave-Labor situations and despite how we feel about foreigners taking our jobs or illegals costing us tax dollars, the fact remains that these people are being abused emotionally and physically all for power and money… The stories told may not change your political views about immigration, closed borders, or the global economy, but it certainly should challenge you to think twice before passing judgement the next time someone who barely speaks English crosses your path.

Beyond the the content of the book, its most redeeming quality lies in Bowe’s fairly unbiased approach to reporting. While his political and underlying social views do make an appearance from time to time, for the most part he simply assimilates, interviews, and reports information. By its very structure, he tends to save his personal views for sections that can be easily skipped, such as the short interludes between sections and the conclusion. The specifics and details of the Florida and Tulsa sections keeps the book rolling along fairly quickly, but it really hits a lull when Bowe gets to Saipan largely due to the fact that he is reporting on an overall acceptance of labor abuse in the commonwealth. In the three years he spends on Saipan, he can site several cases of labor abuse but cannot produce a solid story line of slavery like he does with the previous two sections.

I recommend this book to all, even if you choose to skip the political/social sections and focus only on the introduction, Florida and Tulsa. It is not a ground shaking spiritual book; at times Bowe comes across as if he does not trust religion at all. But a look into the lives of those we generally forget about or snarl our nose at may help us find a bit of perspective that will soften our judgementalism. I know it certainly softened mine.

Popularity: 17% [?]

March 19th, 2008 by Jaybrams
A world where in theory everybody is a somebody is a radically different place from a world divided into somebodies and nobodies.
     - John Bowe: Introduction to Nobodies

Bowe is discussing the eye-opening topic of modern-day slavery right here in our own back yard (yes, within the borders of America) along with the darker impact of free-market/economic globalization. I’m around 2/3 through and will write my thoughts on the book when I’m done, but this particular quote struck a chord with me on a different level.

Just as we tend to dehumanize the poor, far too often we dehumanize the ugly, fat, annoying, disabled, sickly, pale, weak, and generally “different” individuals around us in our every day lives. All too often I sit at a table at lunch or lounge around on break and hear one disparaging remark after another based solely on how someone looks, talk, or walk after a short 5 second interaction. Sadly enough, this scenario plays out just as often with my Christian friends as it does with those who do not yet follow.

Are the they less than human? Or perhaps they woke up one morning as a child and say “today I start my journey to obesity, ugliness, and halitosis!” As we sit and laugh at their expense, usually behind their back -despite our own obvious health issues, failures and internal ugliness - the dehumanized are simply wanting to be accepted for who they are so perhaps they can start their journey with a friend towards a healthier or more fulfilled life.

Obviously not every Christ-follower falls into the trap of dehumanizing those around us. I often speak up, as do many of us, despite the ridicule that is returned my way… I know one unfortunate Christian who considered this ridicule “persecution,” thinking that she then must be blessed because “blessed are the persecuted.” but.. i digress..

There is no doubt in my mind, though, that a large portion of people who claim adoption into the family of Christ still live under the influence of our society in which social status, good looks, and popularity mean more than the heart and emotions that make up a person. If you talk right, look right, have the right money (or at least appear to have the money), carry yourself a certain way… you are a somebody… everyone else is reduced to a person to point at, laugh at, and ultimate emotional manipulate…

To illustrate, Lindsey shares two stories, both true that she experienced first hand of those who get it… and those who don’t.

Perhaps the majority of us, Christ Followers or not, do not endorse or enslave others for our personal gain; it’s becoming increasing clear, however, that our world remains a world of “somebodies” and “nobodies.”

Popularity: 21% [?]

March 12th, 2008 by Jaybrams

Here are the titles that caught my attention during my perusal of Barnes and Noble today:

God’s Problem
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers
How Soccer Explains the World
Justice in the Burbs

“If you love me… ” … you’ll buy them for me off my amazon.com wish list which you can access by clicking on the link to the right.

I have been reading a lot more lately, so the purchase will not be in vain. Rick does not have to buy one b/c he was nice enough to buy me “Divine Nobodies” which gave me plenty to chew on over the winter.

Popularity: 16% [?]

December 18th, 2007 by Jaybrams

Thanks to Rick, I’m 1/3 of the way through Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer. It’s raising questions in my heart and challenging me spirtitually… Not in a “get up and go face the world” kind of way, but in a “sit down, rest, and soak God in” kinda way. I don’t quite find myself exactly where Jim was when he learned to “shed religion to find God” (the book’s subtitle)… as I’ve always been a bit anti-religion and anti-institutional religion (i.e. - church dominating the “spiritual” life of believers).

Of the five chapters, four have been great reminders of the beauty of God, but not in the way that we generally think of it… Sure the mountains, oceans, sunrise/sets, all help us see the beauty of God, but I think we hear it so much that we take it for granted and don’t generally mean it. The visual is so engrained in our religion that its just general banter… well for me at least… it’s a much different picture of beauty when gazing at a father reading a storybook to a mentally and physically handicapped daughter… while the daughter is unresponsive and offers zero reciprocating displays of love (be it physical such as a kiss or emotional such as “i love you”), the father simply loves her for who she is… he sees ”priceless” when the world sees “useless”…

Taking all this in, a torrent of troubling thoughts rose from somewhere deep within me. Would God still love me if I couldn’t do even the basic things I had learned a good Christian does? … What if I couldn’t even go to church or have a quiet time? What if I couldn’t progress any further in my spiritual life? What If i were barely even capable of having an intelligent thought about God? …

The easy answer is “Oh, of course He still would love you” but we don’t always act that way… An avid reader and friend tells me regularly “The best questions aren’t always the ones that have answers, but the ones that lead to other questions” … Palmer’s questions above lead him to these pertinent questions…

What if i’m the girl slumped over in the wheelchair? … What if [God] just wants me to lean against His face and receive His love? What if this phantom Christian I’ve been chasing is just a big distraction from resting in what God wants to free give?…

And my own “what if’s”…

What if school is just my attempt to please Him and right my laziness of the past?
What if my struggle with spiritual self-worth is largely contigent on activity rather than faith?
What if my daughter knows more about God than I do because she truly has faith like a child?
What if I continue in my ministry at church just because I don’t want God or leadership to think I’m a quitter?

And some “hows” as well…

How can I find a balance of ministry and life that enjoys freedom rather than feeling chained (by a variety of things… money, time, fear, lack of confidence)?
How do I see others? Through the eyes of religion? or the eyes of the father? Do i see “useless” or “priceless” in those around me?
How do I ensure that I am pursuing things out of my love for God and not out of a humanly desire to please Him and be accepted by Him?
How will my wife feel when she hears these questions through a blog rather than a conversation?

Do i really have to answer all of these?

Popularity: 15% [?]