“Do not harm yourself
for we are all here.”
Acts 16:28
April 2007
The reports and events around the shootings at Virginia Tech have caused me to think about many uncomfortable topics. Like, why, when people see the warning signs of strange behaviors, do we end up doing nothing and hearing, “We can’t… can’t call his parents …can’t make him go to counseling …. can’t stop him from buying guns.” We have confused the legal system and the police protocols of reasons for arrest with simply being community and getting close to a person and finding out some things. Are we creative enough to think of ways to get around the prohibitions? If confidentiality rules stipulate that parents cannot be contacted by professors, can roommates do that? We act as though we cannot draw close to one another and learn about each other. Can a professor say something non-confidential to a Residence Assistant or suitemates? Can we give the community a chance to put 2 and 2 together? The drama class knew the danger signs of this young man. His suitemates got no communication out of him. Couldn’t some community circle be connected around him to try to learn more or help in some ways? I think we can.
In churches, when someone acts strangely, we sometimes hear, “Oh, that’s just so-and-so.” There is a tolerance for odd behavior excused by describing someone as a community character. Or someone in the church bullies a group of people or the whole congregation and nothing is said because all the regulars know this person is one of the largest givers to the church. Or an essential committee of the church chooses not to abide by the by-laws or agreed-upon procedures and people look at each other ostensibly waiting for someone else to call them on this breach.
When those behaviors begin to be detrimental to people and the congregation, what do we do? Someone will suggest, “We can’t…” Others have to have the courage to say, “Wait a minute. Didn’t we agree to such and such?” The breach has to be named and the whole group called again to acceptable behaviors.
The lectionary texts in May are from the Acts of the Apostles. In every case, there was a “can’t.” And in each case a new way of acting, driven by the Holy Spirit, was demonstrated. Language and ritual circumcision as social dividers were ignored. Women were honored and given a new place of servant/leadership in the church. The death penalty for incompetent jailers was overturned by prisoners who were persuaded not to flee. Life in the Spirit-driven community finds new ways to behave well and new ways to include those who once were excluded. The way to salvation and community is by a bridge over the gully of “we can’t” to an inclusion that God blesses. Interim Ministers can be Spirit-driven bridge-builders.
Jamie Munro