[Magdalen] whose theology is this?

[Georgia DuBose]

I'm not sure, truthfully. And I'm no theological guru, and that phrase
makes me hesitant to stick my neck out, but I will share two very
recent experiences. Interesting timing. I wonder if your supply priest
was being very literal about who you neighbor is, as in "Love your
neighbor as yourself."

Just before you posted this, I watched a video about a kid with no
jacket on a freezing street in Manhattan. In two hours, the only
person who helped him was a homeless person. That guy could not help a
starving person in South Sudan, but he did what he could for the
person in front of him.

Yesterday, at a congregational development meeting in Ashland, Oregon,
one of the priest's husband had volunteered to cook for the group of
60+ assembled to learn about Congregational Development Systems from
the College of Congregational Development folks in the Diocese of
Olympia. When he took a bag out to recycling, he found a guy asleep
next to the bin, and invited him in for breakfast, which he was in the
process of cooking. The homeless guy ate a LOT (which was fine,
because there was plenty of food). Then he sat there while we learned
about Kurt Lewin's theories of organizational development. I have no
idea what he thought about that--but he clearly wasn't hungry any
longer.

Bob has founded a cold weather homeless shelter here in Florence,
Oregon--and we also support 2 orphans at an orphanage a friend of ours
runs in Uganda. I personally would never run down the excellent work
of ERD.

It sounds like a limited perspective the supply priest offered--very
limited. At the same time, I would guess he probably didn't learn
anything if you read him the riot act, as my dad used to say.

If you were able to share your concerns without "sharing" anger or
negativity, when the fellow gets down off his high horse, he might be
able to reconsider his stance, because someone took the trouble to
gently point in another direction.

Georgia+


On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 1:56 PM, Ginga Wilder <gingawilder at gmail.com> wrote:
> Our supply clergy this morning was from another diocese...a very liberal
> diocese....but I don't think this is liberal thought.  He taught Adult CE
> and preached.
>
> His premise this morning, among other things was that 'we really cannot
> change the world.  We do not need to concern ourselves with the world
> beyond our neighborhood.  Rather than give money to support ministries like
> ERD, we should simply walk across the street and meet the need of our
> neighbor.  (His example was giving money to a particular person in a 3rd
> world country, rather than my ERD example, but the point is the same.)  He
> went on to declare that from a theological perspective, we do not need to
> concern ourselves with politics...or even care about politics because we
> cannot make a difference or change the world.  It was a one way
> street...meet the need before you and ignore/don't care about anything
> beyond.
>
> I behaved badly.  He spoke down to us as of we were the Episcopal bumpkins
> in SC and I called him on it.  Now I'm having a major shame attack, even
> though more than a few people thanked me....that has just made it worse
> because my behavior was so similar to how nack in the mid 2000s, I
> confronted the the teaching of the ultra conservative priests at St.
> Paul's.  I'm not sure this makes any sense and I am still upset.
>
> So, what think the theological gurus in the pub (all of us) about this
> theology??
>
> Thanks,
> Ginga