When I opened my copy of Foreign Affairs yesterday I discovered yet another article about ISIS. Yet this one is far less insightful into why ISIS is so appealing to those running to it and is such a threat to the rest of the world. In fact, this is a pretty secular approach which, as I have stated earlier, is not so helpful because this is a movement driven by belief. Indeed, this article is the typical kind of piece that I had thought of earlier when I stated that to ignore belief is to fail to understand. If you can only read one, scroll down a couple of posts and read that one. If you have time for both, the article is HERE.
Category Archives: shifts
“What ISIS Really Wants”
In the last few months I have read a fair bit about Islam and its origins.
Last week I Tweeted that secular commentators couldn’t accurately portray movements which are based on strong belief. I asserted that belief is necessary to truly understand the power of belief. Oh, sure one can observe and draw conclusions, but to really get the power of belief one must have first experienced belief.
Those thoughts were on the heels of a lot of commentary on ISIS and the controversy over Obama’s ill-conceived notions and statements about ISIS and extremism at a conference last week.
All of this was happening just after the publication and subsequent much talked about article “What ISIS Really Wants.”
Based on the thousand or so pages I’ve read on Islam, its origins and how to interact with Muslims, this article should be required reading for those persons advising Obama or any other leaders who see the need to “engage” ISIS.
If the author of this article fits the secular, unbelieving model I referred to earlier, then I must retract my earlier assertion, because, based on my very limited knowledge, he certainly understands and articulates this issue with clarity.
Read the article HERE.
12-13-14
Today, according to American calendar sequence, is the final sequential date in my lifetime.
Filed under shifts
culture of sexual assault: what can leaders learn?
This is (I think) the final set of my thoughts on this saga. This story is now like a rain soaked flooded river that is carrying trees and all kinds of debris and descruttion. The problems with the magazine, the writer and the reported victim now are serving to distract from the bigger problems. These bigger problems are what need to be addressed by leaders whose work, actions and policy decisions have impact on the safety and well being of young people.
At the Board of Visitors meeting immediately after the story broke, both quick action and pause were called for. It would appear that the school president chose to develop an action plan. Granted, much of that action has been to have consultations, but in her address that I have posted on this blog (just scroll down) she outline some very practical and positive steps: more police partnership, more counselling resources, and a review of policies. From this keyboard, it looks like she is on the right track. She is addressing the symptoms of the problem as best she can. She can do little to address the disease. The disease is a culture that is falling apart before our very eyes.
Indeed, at so many levels, this saga is like a veritable kaleidoscope manifesting cultural flaws. The more this story gets turned, the more we see the flaws in our culture. It has shined an international spotlight on the way the university wrestles with all the aspects of rape (I would suggest that this is true at every American college at one level or another). It has cast a spotlight on the Greek culture, where out-of-control 18-22 year olds live virtually unsupervised and are usually looked upon with “tisk-tisk” or worse, “boys will be boys,” and “say nothing until my lawyer gets there.” It has cast a spotlight on poor journalistic practices at a national magazine (did none of us consider the source?). And now the competition is having a field day tearing the story up and the reported victim was ‘outed’ last night on Twitter and her life is coming into the spotlight.
I could go on, but won’t, because the real problem now, as this story unravels, is that leaders (now that their feet are out of the fire) will be distracted. There are systemic problems brought up in the story that need to be addressed. All deans at all colleges need to be asking “What are the ways that we are not serving our student body in this case?” But they can only treat the symptoms of a greater cultural disease.
I’ve said it before, college presidents and boards of visitors don’t change culture. Culture is changed one person at a time. And the only way to affect real change to cultures is done as God changes hearts. This is why Jesus came. This is why we followers of Jesus celebrate Christmas. He came. God with us. Emmanuel.
So the leaders of the university need to press on with needed reforms. But one reform I would suggest is that leaders of the university take a fresh look at the way they treat Christian ministries to the university. Rather than putting roadblocks in front of these ministries, who seek to bring the life changing good news of Jesus, the university could realize that these volunteers may be their greatest ally. For this life changing good news of Jesus is the only real means to change hearts and therefore cultures.
Finally, I would suggest that the leaders of churches take a long hard look at the way they have abdicated their responsibility to take the gospel across town (admittedly a cross cultural endeavor) to the university. Yes, there need to be people specifically called to the university community. But I suggest that the senior pastors get together with the leaders of the university ministers and say “How can we partner with you? What can our churches do to help you as you bring the gospel to this community?”
Laws and policies don’t change hearts. Broken laws and policies just point to hearts that are in need of reform from the inside out. Jesus came, died, and rose again for said change in hearts. That is how culture is changed.
How do you change the course of culture? a response to the rape story
Last night I heard about, found and read the college rape story that many are talking about. I have thought about it many times today and was ranting about it with friends this evening. I was reminded of an article a few weeks ago about why kids sext.
It took the author of yesterday’s article 9000 words (according to the local news) to tell the story. It would take more than that to think through and express all that needs to be said about this horror.
For me, figuring out who to blame is not helpful right now. Rather, I wish to think through some bigger questions.
Who are the less-than-obvious victims?
Who has victimized them?
How did the young men who committed this crime learn that there are no consequences for their actions?
Or worse
How have these young men come to the conclusion that what they did is acceptable?
What, in their upbringing, taught them (through explicit or implicit means) that this behavior is acceptable? or at least that they could get away with it? or that someone could get them out of trouble?
How have violent video games, porn and certain types of music and film that is exploitative of humans, especially women, taught them that this behavior is acceptable?
What are the factors in their upbringing that have taught these young people that it is not just acceptable but expected that they would behave in the ways described?
Why were the victims ‘friends’ debating her need to go to the hospital after her assault verses her reputation and future popularity?
Why has a government placed the privacy of individuals over the good of the community through enacting ‘privacy laws’ that have the result of protecting rapists?
Why does the reputation of an institution outweigh the well being of even one rape victim? let alone scores? hundreds?
What is it about the human being that causes him or her to look at another human being as an object to be oppressed?
How long does it take a person to become so desensitized by these kind of stories that they shrug with indifference?
Why are we not outraged?
If we are outraged, why do we keep it to ourselves?
Why are the outraged not protesting against this culture of violence on our college campuses?
Why is it that this will likely fade away with the news cycle?
Why are we so apathetic?
Who, that has a voice, will speak out against this culture of drunkenness, violence, rape and murder that seems to be an ongoing story in this community?
This is a problem of culture and is like a gigantic out of control barge of trash that no one has any control over and no one seems to know how to stop it as it destroys one life after another.
A friend reminded me of this:
All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy. – C. S. Lewis
The last 24 hours since I read this article makes me realize the importance of the brief talk I was pointed to and posted yesterday afternoon… how we were meant to be. I urge you to take 17 minutes and watch and think.
Filed under crisis at UVa, culture, shifts
A refuge from North Korea shares her story.
This is an appeal by a young woman who escaped from North Korea. Please take 9 minutes and see if you are as touched by this as I was. Be patient and listen carefully up this amazing story. Click here
kingdom travelin' 