July 4, 2008 Reflections on Freedom and the Color Orange...

At this moment I am relaxing in a lovely retreat center called Richmond Hill located in the city of Richmond, Virginia. Two streets over is St. John's Episcopal Church where in 1775 Patrick Henry cried out in words that still ring in American ears - " Give me liberty or give me death." So, let's reflect for a moment on the meaning of freedom on this Independence Day, the birthday of the United States. Apologies in advance for my rambling. This question troubles and challenges me and so in an attempt to work through the angst I offer my own musings. I'll begin by simply asking the question, " What is freedom?" With so many people today using the word in so many ways it seems good to have some basic understanding... if possible. According to one source, President Bush in his second inaugural address used the word " freedom" or liberty" 49 times in twenty minutes. Evenly spaced that's more than twice every minute. Hmmm...

Question: What does George W. Bush mean by the word freedom? Do you/I share that meaning?

If we look in Webster's dictionary here's what we get: freedom is "the state or quality of being free". Right. It is the " absence of coercion in choice". Freedom is " liberation from slavery or domination or things onerous." Webster also says that freedom is the capacity to " choose without coercion."

As we try to understand and live freedom in our varied contexts we need to ask even more questions: Freedom from what? Freedom for whom? Freedom to be or do what? There is personal freedom, social freedom, religious freedom, political and economic freedom, intellectual freedom, sexual freedom... The list is endless. Common to all these freedoms is the element of choice. And of course, the consequences of our choosing. Not to mention the boundaries of our wise choosing. Freedom may be said to be the relative victory of choice over coercion and the wise navigating of our choices given the likely effects of our various choices. But what if the choices are rigidly controlled and the necessary information to make good choices is very limited and very difficult to obtain? In U.S. society today our mainstream media seem to be afraid to ask the tough questions and rarely give us in depth reporting on a wide variety of topics. Given the widespread desire in this country to end the Iraq war why not have a media forum on how to do that? Many in Europe and elswhere look at our two-party political system and ask" Where is the real choice?" In that context are we free? And what if our choices seem driven by our internal obsessions, and without by the cultural forces at work in our dominant culture? How free are we?

Ever since September 11, 2001 the color orange has grown in the American consciousness. The threat level is orange. The advisory level is orange. We are on orange alert. I once thought that our national colors were red, white and blue. Now, shades of anxious orange seem to be our national color scheme. As I travel this summer I am repeatedly reminded via public announcements in train stations and airports that I need to be on the alert to "report anyone or anything that seems suspicious". At one such moment in a subway train as the doors closed and the announcement was heard several of us looked around at each other and smiled. I wonder who appeared the more suspicious. I didn't feel very free at that moment. Freedom in any social context seems to require a basic trust in others otherwise one is caught coercively in a fearful mind. Freedom from fear and the freedom to trust appears to be a fundamental requirement for any healthy social interaction and the glue that holds a well functioning society together. But in that little train all crammed together trust was definitely discouraged and we were encouraged by way of a public political warning to look at each other as potential objects of fear. How free are we? Against the backdrop of orange anxiety are we free to trust , to relax, to enjoy each other, not to mention the ride? Is such a climate of fear conducive to building human happiness?

George Orwell once wrote about a futuristic society that would distort the original and essential meanings of certain words . Such words as freedom would be used to diminish and eventually eliminate the reality of freedom itself. In the name of freedom , freedom is destroyed. Are we all that far from that society now? And in a sense is this anything new? Didn't Jesus encounter the same kind of misuse of language and meaning in his day? Did he not work to reclaim the essential meanings of such words as freedom, neighbor, faith, even the word God? Clearly , at that time with the people Jesus encountered, he did everything possible to open the eyes of the blind both literally and metaphorically. His passionate mission was to " liberate and set free the captives". This all embracing transformation reached people in both their personal and political lives.

A story... In 2003 I was sitting in a cafe in an American city talking with a very good friend about just about everything when the topic of conversation switched to politics. We were expressing our opinions freely when suddenly she stopped and lowered her voice and asked me to do the same. I forgot to tell you that my friend worked for a government agency. I asked what the matter was and she responded by saying that she was afraid of being overheard and that if someone in the office heard her expressing her opinions she could easily loose her job. Understandable? Perhaps. But at that moment the conversation seemed to be taking on the ubiquitous color of orange. My friend wanted to continue to serve in this government agency and to do that she was required to support the government's policies. Is this freedom?
Flashback to a Bob Dylan song...remember " You Gotta Serve Somebody"?

Again, I do apologize for these meandering musings that may or may not get anywhere. It's just that I feel a deep urgency regarding this issue. To be human is to be free. To become more fully and joyously human is to deepen and develop our freedom both personally and politically. It is clear to this writer that we are living in a time and especially in this place of western affluent culture when our essential humanity is being seriously attacked. More than any " war on terror" or " war on drugs" there is another more profound war being waged. And I believe we all are in it and in many ways we all share in our responsibility to become more and more aware of what is happening and how to engage in it in whatever ways we can as active peacemakers.

In closing , I want to point to one of the most influential teachers of the twentieth century - Anthony De Mello. De Mello , a beloved teacher and retreat leader, died in 1987. As a Jesuit priest he was from time to time getting into trouble with the Vatican theological police. There was a time his writings came with a Papal warning. That alone sparked my interest. He was utterly convinced that freedom of thought and feeling was being threatened in his Catholic religious context and he was determined to do something about it.
Anthony De Mello wrote a little book called, " The Way to Love" and in it he really defines in a most simple and troubling way the concept of freedom. To be free is to become more and more aware of our cultural programming, and to drop all of our obsessive attachments. For De Mello this process ( which can take anywhere from a few minutes to one's entire life) of awareness and letting-go is the very heart of human freedom and the key to human happiness. As I have reflected on this little book for some years now it is true for me that as I learn to drop my attachments of fear, false beliefs, attachments to things and people that I once believed could somehow " make" me happy or miserable I seem to be entering into that growing and glowing place of freedom and happiness.
Awareness is everthing and all I need to be aware of is this precious and present moment. Everything I need and everything you need is there.
My prayer is that we all can become and help each other to become more and more aware, less and less fearful and attached to our false beliefs - personal and political , less orange and more green, and that together we will continue to work, play, think, feel, speak, pray, fall down and get up, laugh, cry, live and love, and be the creative and joyous human beings that we all truly are! May it be so.
Blessings of freedom, dear friends...
Stefan Andre

Little Lasker Has Large Meaning...

I would like to share with you a little known but powerful festival that brings together musicians and people from rural North Carolina in a celebration of faith and art called the Lasker Summer Music Festival. I had the privilege of being composer in residence for this festival last weekend . It is the stated purpose of Lasker to reflect on the issues of faith and art and to do so by presenting outstanding sessions of music making of various styles, and formal and informal conversations . This happens every year and is a great joy to the people of Lasker, Murphreesboro , Ahoskie, and the surrounding area. Lasker is a little gem that shines in musical excellence and spiritual integrity. The directors of the festival , Charles and Kathy Hulin, superb musicians themselves, have for the past 11 years built up a growing and enthusiastic following . Rooted in the local life of people there , in friendships, and involving faculty from Chowan University, the Lasker Summer Music Festival promises to delight people for many years to come. Here you will find the freedom and joy of great music making, the challenge and comfort of a searching Christian faith, and the genuine hospitality of friends and family. So, to Lasker and all involved I say - " BRAVO!"

One Thousand Young People, A Corn Field, and Hope...

For the past three days about 1,000 young people mostly in their twenties have been camping in a cornfield a little south of Chicago. P.A.P.A. stands for people against poverty and apathy. Their purpose - to respond to the question: " How then shall we live?" They came from all over the country especially the east coast and middle states. These are the new Christians who share an urgent concern for the environment and living together in a way that sustains all life . Their politics is radical and their theology is traditional. Many of them come from intentional Christian communities and others are interested in joining or forming such demonstrations of living well. Many call themselves " emerging Christians" and seek to enter into dialogue rather than debate doctrine. They are non-violent but not passive. They seek to make a difference through deeds of justice and non-violent resistence based on intelligent critique of the political system. They seem to be primarily lay led rather than depending upon clergy and they move forward through consensus rather than hierarchy. Their resources go into the real needs of the community and not into expensive buildings and paid clergy. Therefore , in many cases they have money for those who are in dire need - the poor. In one case I heard about a man who lives in a community where people do not have health insurance but instead people in the community provide for each other and a network of 10,000 people - a community of communities - contribute to each other's well being in the case of emergencies.
One particular aspect of this gathering is called the New Monasticism. Basically it is the grafting of certain key monastic principles and practices into the life of a community. It is believed that 1500 years of monastic practice might just have something to say to our post-modern world. So, for many of these communities morning and evening prayer, silence, communal work and certain common disciplines shape their daily life .
Can this be the future of the Christian church? As the American Empire seems to be crumbling from within is this a new and hopeful direction for people of faith? Is the growing economic crisis in the United States actually helping to convince people to give intentional community a try?
Three days with these young people was inspiring and challenging, not to mention exhausting!
There is indeed new growth on the forest floor of Christianity and it would do all of us good to be aware of it and encourage this new life in every way.
For those of us well over thirty we need the passion and perspectives of the young and they in turn seek our experience and wisdom. It's a good match! It always has been...

From a Hopeful Field Outside of Chicago.
Stefan Andre

Walking the Streets of Chicago with Br. Jim...

Today I walked the streets of a neighborhood in South Chicago with a man who goes by the name of Br. Jim. Br. Jim doesn't walk for exercise or to see the sights. He walks to speak with people who live in a poor neighborhood where gang violence is a common reality. Today I walked with him . Together we walked through three neighborhoods. Some of them are called " projects". As we walked we encountered people who immediately recognized Br. Jim and we began to have some very good conversations. One man told us that he had recently been released from prison serving twenty years for murder. It was a retaliatory killing. Now he wanted to find a job and asked us repeatedly to help him. " Just give me a chance!" This was his mantra. Another woman we met shared that she was doing alright. Br. Jim later told me that two of her sons had been killed by gang violence. Wherever we went we encountered people who have lived and are living through the other side of American life - the side that American media doesn't really understand and does not cover in depth. The killing fields of Chicago's south side are a testimony to the growing gap between rich and poor in this country, to a persistent racial prejudice, and to the general apathy of the American people and of our government.
In these neighborhoods there is also tremendous fraternity. The struggle of the poor in this country has sometimes created a strong bond of community among those in poverty's grip. People sit out on the front lawn together and hold conversations and joke about just about everything. A group of young boys stopped to tell Br. Jim about their summer plans to work and raise some money. Real pride on their faces and real praise from Br. Jim. One expression of solidarity and the need for a positive identity is the formation of gang life. It does both. Of course gang life also brings with it some negatives including violence and addiction to drugs. There is much to understand and no one has all the answers.
Br. Jim has his own approach. First he dresses in a monastic robe made by himself out of blue jean patches. He sort of resembles a modern day Francis of Assisi. It is an outward sign of solidarity. He follows his retired predecessor Br. Bill who began this work among the poor. Br. Jim also follows Br. Bill in a four-fold rule which is well worth considering. 1. Fear No one and Nothing.
2. Trust God Always and for Everything.
3. Forgive Everyone Everything.
4. Love. You are forbidden to do anything but Love.

As we walked together I could see this four-fold rule of life in action. He becomes a friend to everyone he meets...to children and adults. There have been times when Br. Jim and before him Br. Bill walked in between warring gangs when bullets were flying. Close calls gave ampl;e opportunity to practice all four parts of the rule.

We spent the whole day together and I felt grateful for the opportunity to meet all the people in these neighborhoods. I expect to return and continue the friendships.

Tomorrow I leave for a festival that is focused on poverty in America. It's called the P.A.P.A. Festival. It stands for People Against Poverty and Apathy. Three days of conversation, music, and expanding the growing network of people who want significant change in this country.

On the Streets of Chicago with Love,
Stefan Andre

In Birmingham, Alabama...

What do you think of when you hear Birmingham, Alabama? For the past three days the Birmingham Unitarian Church and the Mendel family - a lovely Jewish/Christian blend - have offered me warm welcome and great hospitality. The church here is rooted in the struggle for civil rights and racial equality. On Sunday the church was full with people of all ages and we sang new songs of peace and justice . People came with guitars, fiddles, whistles, and drums. We shared stories of hope and open hearts. We prayed in words, in silence, and in song. We lifted our prayers on behalf of those who are denied a voice . We held each other in our struggles and in our pain. We shared a new sense of hope that seems to be beginning in this country and we envisioned a better society guided by the Spirit of Peace , not war. We affirmed the dignity of all people and welcomed people in their differences

Tonight we sat together in silent meditation in a Buddhist Sangha in an Episcopal Church named after St. Francis . We went on a silent walking meditation. We gathered to sing a new song based on Celtic melodies - a song of hope and passion called " I Arise Today". We dreamed of new possibilities.

Back at the Mendel House a very articulate young woman shared with me a video that I would suggest everyone sees. Whether you are a Republican or Democrat or Independent go to You Tube and see the latest Obama video selections. There are some amazing moments that speak of a new American hope and belief in our human possibilities. Look especially at the delightfully satiric " Obama in 30 seconds".

Through our gathering...in our conversation, our singing, our shared silence, our listening, our walking, our laughing and our learning, and through our eating together we encourage each other. This is the communion that Christ calls us to enter. This is Eucharist. This is Joy!

In Birmingham, Alabama...
Peace,
Stefan Andre

Did You Notice...Joy in the United States?

Amidst the fear and anger of American politics, and in the middle of all the cynicism and sophisticated analysis, there was something else that appeared. Did you notice? On a recent news report a writer pointed out in passing that the African American community in the U.S. experienced that rarely reported human experience - joy. When Senator Barack Obama finally emerged as the new Democratic candidate for President something happened that is worth savoring. A ripple of joy ran through this country and especially through the community of people who not too long ago were enslaved in this very land. In addition a similar current has been unleashed in this country especially among women. For although Senator Hillary Clinton failed to capture the nomination she conducted an historic campaign and came closer to the nomination than any other woman in American history, and now is in a position of tremendous political power.
All of this signals a major shift in American politics and a deep change in the American psyche. This shift has not gone unnoticed by our European friends. There is for the first time in many years a more positive and hopeful response...even admiration .
It seems that we are weary of war-making and political policies that do violence to our own people. This is indeed a moment to reflect upon and cherish. Perhaps this is also a moment to revive our own hope and our own joy as we build on this momentum and chart a new course toward a more open and inclusive society. In that there is indeed true joy!

In Hope...
Stefan Andre

Listening to Bill Moyers...

Today I listened to Bill Moyers on Youtube.com as he spoke at the National Conference on Media Reform , June 7 in Minneapolis. In short he calls us to a passionate , and intelligent patriotism. His stirring words challenge us to ask the un-asked questions of our leaders and our media and continue to ask them until a satisfying and credible answer is given. Asking difficult questions is never easy and it may just save lives. Holding our leadership accountable is no easy task but it may be the only task if we are to claim a representative democracy.Suppose we and our media had indeed asked the really difficult questions leading up to the Iraqi invasion perhaps we might had discovered the truth that we needed to know before sending our young men and women to kill and be killed. The Senate has now confirmed what so many of us had for years believed but failed to say , namely that the Bush administration misrepresented the facts and exaggerated the evidence in presenting its case for the war in Iraq. Truth, not lies is what we needed then and what we need now. Moyers goes on to say that in an age of media conglomeration we must be ever vigilant to create and sustain independent sources of news, and alternative viewpoints. Public radio and public television , with its own flaws, must be supported beyond the current levels or we will fall even faster into a Orwellian political nightmare of distorted information and social apathy.
I encourage you to listen and respond to Bill Moyers and his prophetic warnings. Not easy to hear. But truth seldom is.

Disturbed by the truth,
Stefan Andre