Confessions of the Ignorant

If this blog thing works out, I just may have to start an additional blog called, "The things I Couldn't Say...in That Other Blog..."


Catchy, eh?


I probably won't do it, however, because this could go on indefinitely. And I don't have time to update 493 blogs. But there are two things you should know to understand why it's an attractive idea for a person like me right now.



1.) It really bothers me to write things that are full of tangents and are not constructed around one unified theme (hence this blog--it allows me to keep tangents out of my sermons a bit more). This has led to trouble, since 2.) On Wed. evening, we had a photojournalist named Ryan Spencer Reed as a guest at First Church. Ryan has spent extensive time in Sudan/Darfur and now travels with a stunning display of his work (it's at Denver Christian this week: Go see it!). I've now spent the last several days digesting Ryan's fabulous presentation, trying to discern what one thing I should say about it (in order to keep in line with principle #1). Needless to say, it's been a difficult choice.



Before the presentation began, I thought I might write about what we (as Christians) do and do not have in common with our atheistic peers. Maybe I still will some day--but not today. Then, during the presentation, I thought maybe I'd write about the importance of putting a human face on the world's tragedies so that we learn to take them seriously. Point taken (and did I mention you should go see this photo exhibit?!). I also thought about recording Ryan's comments about faith and hope--how he (a relatively new Christian) said that working in Sudan has strengthened his belief in God, not weakened it (as I might have feared). They were beautiful comments. I hope you were there to hear them. But that's not what I want to write about either.


Instead, I want to share with you a comment that has stuck with me the last few days.


A group of us (including Pastor Joy, Ryan and myself) were talking after the presentation about what I some of the issues that had been raised during the presentation: How China's role in the UN has been a roadblock to more international intervention in Darfur, what an important (yet limited) strategy disinvestment is for bringing about change, the ethnic make-up of Darfur vs. Southern Sudan and so on.


One of us (I'd like to think it was not me, but I think it was) said, "Wow, it's all just so complicated."

And Ryan replied (in his gentle and humble way), "No, it's not complicated at all. It's really very simple." And that caught me more than a little off guard.

I wanted to say to Ryan, " What do you mean it's not complicated? I barely understood what you were saying the first half hour of your presentation! I can't comprehend the complexities of international politics and economics. There's so much I don't know! So maybe it's not complicated for someone like you--someone who is clearly very intelligent and who has spent the last five years living and breathing all things Sudan. But for the rest of us, it's far from simple!"

That's what I wanted to say. But before I had a chance, Ryan continued. He said, "It's dangerous to keep saying that things are complicated--because that so easily comes an excuse for politicians for politicians not to take action on this issue."

And I had to think, "Yes, Ryan. Politicians. The Devil. And me."

The fact of the matter is, once you boil things down, it really is very simple. Real flesh and blood human beings--people who are mothers and fathers and children and cousins and wives and husband--are dying. And I've been too self-absorbed to do a thing about it.

I haven't educated myself. I haven't written my congressperson. I haven't prayed.*

I've hidden behind my ignorance and excuses and haven't done a thing.

And that's a sin.




That's all I'll say about that today. But here are some links from Ryan to help (us all?) get started on the path to true repentance:

See how your congressperson is doing, get talking points etc. here.

More information than you can shake a stick at here.


*Eugen Peterson writes: The single most widespread American misunderstanding of prayer is that is that it is private. Strictly and biblically speaking, there is no private prayer. Private in its root meaning refers to theft. It is stealing. When we privatize prayer we ebmezzle the common currency that belongs to all. When we engage in prayer without any desire for or awareness of the comprehensive, inclusive life of the kingdom that is "at hand" in both space and time, we impoverish the social reality that God is bringing to completion."