The Brown Bag Test

Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I only found out that the "brown bag test" was an actual, real-life thing yesterday.  Yes, I am white and so have the privilege to not know that this is a thing, but in my (admittedly unasked for, but this is my blog) opinion its one of the stupidest things I've ever heard of.  Then again, I feel that way about lots of things American society does.

In case someone else doesn't know, the brown bag test states that if a person's skin is the same shade of brown as a paper bag or paler, that person will have more privilege in society.  I realize I'm painting in very broad strokes here; this is more of a rant than an exposition.  For actual details, google it.

Why does it matter what shade of brown someone's skin is?  The only brown bag test we REALLY need is whether or not someone is a good person when we put the paper bag over their head.  Why are we still judging by the color of a person's skin and not by the content of his or her character?

Maybe its time for a different brown bag test.

I vote that instead of comparing another person to the color of the paper sack, we put it over our head and make our judgments based on what's left to us.  We can no longer tell whether they're black or white, male, female, transgender, their ability level...all we know is how that person treats us.  It's much more relevant information.

Poem after the shooting

Melancholy mutterings drape themselves
where once proud halls stood
empty echoes now sound silent
ghostly

Gunshots gape holes in hearts
lives bleeding out
new-dug graves gape greedy
hungrily

Moans and sobs, tear
hearts and garments
repent or die
bloodily

So life is hard

So...

Life is hard.  This may be obvious to some people, but it wasn't to me.  This whole "juggling seminary, work, and trying to make ends meet" thing is nigh-impossible.  Besides doing my school stuff and work, I'm working as a freelance writer to try to make ends meet.  Whatever impressions you may have about writers being shiftless layabouts who do nothing all day are absolutely incorrect.  Writing is hard.  Marketing your writing is even harder.

In other news, I haven't been here in two months.  What have I been doing?  School.  Life.  Stuff.  LOTS of stuff.  Trying to keep my head above water (with limited success) and wishing I had gills.

Anyway, I'm back now.

1984

George Orwell's 1984 is an excellent book, but I'm not sure he was right.  I read Brave New World recently, and think Huxley had it more right than Orwell.  Based on how dependent Americans are on technology, we will be ruled by "feelies" more than Big Brother.  I'm fully aware that the Patriot Act says otherwise.

Maybe it's a mix of both, and they are all right in some way or other?  For example, maybe Orwell's view of the stratification of society is correct, but Huxley's view of what rules human passion is correct.  Maybe neither is right.  Either way...you don't have to take my word for it.  Read the book.

God of the forest

On the mission trip, the all-white team taught Vacation Bible School to the children.  The Mississippi band of Choctaw were those who had hidden from the forced evictions and genocide in 1832 which came to be known as the Trail of Tears.  I, personally, was deeply uncomfortable teaching that God works in all circumstances (for that was one night's discussion) to children whose people knew that kind of history.  Until I got there.  Most of the children welcomed us, and most of the adults tolerated us.

I say most.  There were those children who threw tree bark and spouted racist comments, but most were alright. 

It really hit home that before we are Choctaw, white, or anything else, we are imago dei (made in the image of God), and I had forgotten that at Wesley, to my shame and sorrow.  Sometimes in theological education, you're so busy looking at the trees you forget that God created the whole damn forest.

Saying Yes and Stone Tablets

Saying yes to something means saying no to something else.  If you choose one path, then you are by default saying no to another.  Woo.  However, saying "no" to something means you're saying yes to something else, you just might not know what it is yet.  How's that for easy to follow?

By closing the door to the path for ordained ministry, I am opening other doors, to other options.  I have no idea what those are, but they are there, somewhere.  Granted, that does not make this move any less heartbreaking.  I have put four years of education and thousands of dollars (seminary education is not cheap; Jesus would not be impressed) into pursuing ordained ministry.

And now I can't.

Romans says that all things work together for the good of those who love God; who are called according to His purpose.  I have no idea what that purpose is, but I'm trusting God to work stuff out.  Though, I must admit, a hint would be nice.  So would a stone tablet.