Part of what makes a good story is the ability to see
ourselves in it. We become involved when
we can imagine ourselves in the position of the hero, facing the same
obstacles, overcoming the same difficulties.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), at its best, excels at this type of
story telling. The success of Stone Cold
Steve Austin, arguably the biggest star in the history of the company, has
often been tied back to the ability of the audience in the late 1990s to relate
to his struggles. He feuded with his
boss, Mr. McMahon, who demanded he compromise himself and his ways, and often
set him up to fail. But Stone Cold rose
above every time. It is a great story. Who does not want to punch their boss every
once in a while? In a practical sense, I
am somewhat my own boss now, and even I want to occasionally take a swing.
So what makes a great story is the ability to see ourselves
in that place. But that is also what
makes terrible solutions to the problems of others. We need to understand that our normative
experience is not “the” normative experience.
Like many others, I find myself watching what is occurring
in Ferguson, Missouri, and feeling confused, saddened, and frustrated. Much of that stems from realizing that I do
not understand their “normal.” A friend
recently posted an article in which the author described parts of the events,
based on grand jury testimony, between Michael Brown and Darren Wilson as
“unbelievable.” Many of the events the
author criticized were facts not in dispute.
What the author saw as unbelievable was accepted fact. Yes, I do not understand how this
confrontation occurred. I do not
understand why cooler heads did not prevail.
I cannot understand why Michael Brown was not polite and agreeable to an
officer of the law. But I also
understand that my normal is not their normal.
I once had a bad experience with the police. I was given a speeding ticket I did not think
I deserved. It was later dismissed. I am a fool if I think I understand the
tension between police and African-American residents of Ferguson.
At the same time, even if I can intellectually assent to
their anger, I do not understand the rioting and looting. After all, even if they are angry, the
rioters and looters are just destroying their own neighborhood. But again, I do not understand their
anger. I do not understand their
normal. I was angry with my community
once; I voted against a school levy.
This is not the same thing.
When I was in seminary, we were required to travel and
experience Christianity in a different culture.
I spent two weeks in Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. I began to realize their experience of faith
was drastically different from ours. In
fact, the only times I remember being embarrassed to be a part of my group was
when we tried to fit others into our “boxes.”
When we thought we had a solution to the centuries of conflict between
Arabs, Jews, and Christians—become like us!
I still remember the look on a Palestinian Christian’s face when someone
asked her when her heart was strangely warmed, and she accepted Jesus Christ as
her personal Lord and Savior. It was roughly
similar to the look my wife gives me when I tell her we need to invest in
bagpipes to improve my ability to offer a good funeral service.
I am a fool if I think my normative experience is the one
and only normative experience, ordained by the Holy Spirit. I am an even bigger fool, and perhaps
dangerously more, when my solution to the problems of others is for them to
become like me.
In my context, I find this is our go-to solution for many of
the world’s problems. War in Syria? Make them be like us; we are not fighting
here. Conflict in Israel and
Palestine? They just need to be like our
church. Racial tension in Ferguson? If they acted like us, they would have no
problems at all.
The Apostle Paul often refers to a group that would come to
his churches after him. They were Jewish
Christians who preached that in order for Gentiles to be saved, they first had
to become Jewish. The only normative
experience for Christians was the path of Jewish-Christians. We often vilify this group as we study the
Bible. But I find myself reflecting on
this group, as the people in my context react to what is happening around the
world. Were these Jewish-Christians the
evil, terrible people we make them out to be?
Were they really trying to undo Paul’s work? Or were they good-meaning, ignorant people,
who latched onto the idea that their normative experience was the only
normative experience? Perhaps they truly
meant to help the Gentiles; unfortunately, their only solution began with
“become just like us.”
I have not yet reached Christian perfection. Neither has anyone in my context, as far as I
am aware. We may all be headed to the
same goal, but to say my normative experience is the only one—well, that just does not hold water.
I do not offer many solutions to the crisis in
Ferguson. But I do want us to look at
the solutions we offer and suggest as Christians. If they begin with, “they need to be just
like us,” they are doomed to fail, and they do not come from the Spirit. The Spirit’s solutions usually begin with, “We
need to be more like Christ.”
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