The Power of God

One of my professors recently accused me (as a collective part of the class, but I'll admit, it applied to me directly) of being un-educated about the world - insulated by my elite status, economic privilege, and American identity, he said we were not well-travelled or well-read, nor did we demostrate comprehensive (much less exceptional) knowledge of the global community.  Nobody in the room had ever travelled to a country which had US sanctions against it.  Nobody in the room could name the capital of Cote d'Ivoire, or the famous leader of the Ogoni people who was executed by the Nigerian government in 1995.  Nobody could adequately explain US actions against Cuba during the Cold War, or against Iraq during the First Gulf War.** 

And it's true.  While I have travelled some, and I know where on the continent of Africa Cote d'Ivoire is and have a basic understanding of Ogoniland, Cuba, the Cold War, and late 20th century US foreign policy, I couldn't answer any of these questions accurately or in great detail.

And that got me to thinking - he's got a point.  Why don't I know more?  There are people all over the world right now who are probably watching the debates leading up to the US presidential elections, but I couldn't even tell you more than a couple state leaders, much less when they were elected (or took power), who they ran against (or killed), or what their platforms are (or who they hate).  I probably can't even tell you what form of government they have.  In a globalized society, especially as someone who wants to work overseas, isn't this an important thing for me to cultivate?  Shouldn't I be able to discuss these things?

One of the things he said was about making time to watch things like 60 minutes, read the news beyond the front page, and explore other parts of the world.  And then that got me to thinking - yea, right, in all my spare time, let me just pop on the news and take time to know the companies that own other companies that own other companies that are in bed with politicians that are making policy with other politicians that are threatening agriculture in America, and thus determine where I should or shouldn't buy things.  Because that's what I have time for. 

He's right though, if I wanted to make time for it, I could.  I could learn that.

But I started thinking about what I do use my time for, and it looks something like this: get adequate sleep, have good quiet time with God every day, have time to make food for yourself, serve your roomates,  get all your schoolwork done, serve your church body, engage with your city, relax and spend time doing things you enjoy, get out of the city and slow down, get to know people well so that you can love them well, encourage them, speak truth to them, let them speak truth to you, laugh hard, love fiercely, make time to maintain relationships across many miles.... the list goes on.  And I started thinking about what would get cut out to make me a "good world citizen".  And the first thing to go would be my sleep.  And then my time with God.  And then my relationships.  And then my sanity.  And none of those I'm willing to sacrifice.

So you're right, Professor.  I'm a lousy "world citizen".  I'm a lousy International Development student.  I'm a lousy AU student.  I can't name capitals or policies or historic events or politicians.  I can't explain globalization, I can't discuss the US hegemony and it's consequences, and I don't understand the implications of our business ties to other countries.  I don't know a detailed history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I don't know the nuances of US foreign alliances, or the politics of the UN.  So you probably shouldn't elect me as president.  But if you asked me to name all the members of my church, I bet I could do it.  If you asked me to tell you about my friends - what they're struggling with, what they're loving, the way they talk, the things God has brought them through, the things they're interested in, the books they're reading, the things God is teaching them now - I could do it.  If you asked me to tell you about how profoundly my own life has been affected by my brothers and sisters in Christ, you'd have me talking for hours.  If you wanted to know the names and some of the stories of the homeless people who live in my 'hood, I could tell you.  If you asked me to tell you what I desire to see from the Church, what my theology is on globalization, and what my role in that is, I could tell you.  If you asked me to tell you about the glories of God - you'd be amazed at how much I know. 

In this city, it's easy to get caught up in what you don't know, and what you should know.  It's easy to find identity and power in being the supreme authority in the room on some global subject matter.  I've fallen into that trap plenty of times myself.  In one of the most powerful cities in the world, surrounded by powerful people, I have to remind myself what true power is.  These people are only politicians and policy-makers by the will of God.  They only have their position because God has deemed it fit for this time and these people.  But I have the holy, perfect, overwhelming love of God - I have His spirit, the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead, the same spirit that raised me from death, into life - and I am to steward that with the gifts He has given me.  And He has given me people. 

So yes, I am insulated in ignorance simply by my relative position in the world.  And yes, I probably ought to know more about the world I live in.  But I would not spend one drop less of time glorifying God and loving people for all the knowledge in the world.  I might be a crappy "world citizen", but that's not what I'm called to be.  I'm called to be a disciple - a little imitation of Christ - and so that's what I'll strive for. 



~~~~~
** For those of you who are curious like me and wondering, here are the (short) answers:
~Cote d'Ivoire's capital is Yamoussoukro;
~The president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) executed in 1995 was Kenule "Ken" Beeson Saro Wiwa;
~The US sanctions against Cuba were initiated because Cuba nationalized all business, and expropriated that land owned by US businesses to the state;
~The sanctions against Iraq during the 1990-1991 period were initiated because Iraq invaded Kuwait and annexed and re-appropriated oil drilling on which the US was dependent.  So there you have it. 

Things That Frustrate Me About Higher Education

Stereotypes.  And conversely, hipster stereotypes.  Because yes, they do it too - its just the flip side of the same coin (and yes, I do recognize the irony that I am stereotyping here too).  It's like being a non-conformist by rejecting everything that is popular just because it's popular. 

For those of you who don't go to AU - I go to a school that is sometimes very challenging.  Both in good ways and in bad.  Because everyone is so into rejecting stereotypes and being "enlightened", that sometimes people miss reality altogether.  It can be very elitist. 

Today, for example, I was in my contemporary Africa class.  Talk about a class that tries to defeat stereotypes... Africa isn't inferior.  Africa isn't all poor.  Africa isn't "tribal".  Africa has civilization.  Africans are smart.  Africans are the same as Europeans, when it comes down to it. Africa deserves study unique to itself. And on and on and on.*

But sometime the sterotypes merit close examination.  Because sometimes they are completely true.

We have been told that stereotyping is wrong.  That assuming others are inferior is wrong.  That acknowledging that differences are bad is wrong.   Cultural relativity is something that has permeated our culture so deeply, that we do not even recognize it's fingerprints sometimes. 

In comparing Switzerland (a country with 4 official languages because of it's great diversity) and Nigeria (a country which has 250+ recognized  ethno-linguistic groups), I offered up the analysis that Germans, French, and Italians have a strong common underlying culture, that often overrides the differences, allowing them to live peacefully together despite the differences.  Meanwhile, the 250+ in Nigeria have an overwhelming number of differences rather than similarities, which override the potential unity of cultures and creates intra-state conflict and interstate conflict.  Which makes unification, operation, and involvement in the international community extremely difficult.  

[In retrospect, I could have articulated this better.  What I meant was that the actual, statistical number of things that could be classified as "different" and "common" might be exactly the same, or even in favor of Nigeria.  What I mean (and this is strictly my perception) is that the RELATIVE number of differences and commonalities are extremely different.  As in, the relative strength or weakness of each.]

My professor quickly shut me down on my "differences over commonalities" theory.  She did it respectfully, and I appreciate that, but it was quite clear that she thought I was dead wrong.  And we then proceeded to discuss the extreme difference between various countries and groups within countries for the next hour.  And there are many significant differences.  It was a nuanced thing, probably something only I noticed (although perhaps that is not affording my classmates enough credit)... But it frustrated me.  Because this, folks, is cultural relativity in action.  This is my professor telling me that the stereotype is wrong, because no culture can be wrong, and then proving that she is wrong in the span of an hour and a half.   [Welcome to AU].

The inverse-stereotype that exists in this academic sphere (especially, in a most extreme version, on this campus and in the IR department) is that Africa's countries are not inherently any different than European countries, they were just unfortunately involved in some of Europe's shadier moments and came out with the short end of the stick, because of various factors beyond their control.  To suggest otherwise makes you an uneducated rat who doesn't deserve to be in college.  But the truth of the matter is, they ARE different.  In a lot of ways.  In attempting to avoid stereotyping with "common" stereotypes - the stereotypes that were part of the "old age", the less enlightened way of thinking - She inadvertently fell into intellectually dishonest territory.  She (and many others in the class who reacted to my statement), in attempting to be "fair and equal" actually found themselves being dishonest.  They were analyzing the situation and history based upon their presupposed conclusions rather than allowing the history to tell them what truly happened.  And the honest truth is, that with a vacuum of strong leadership virtually anywhere on the continent, factions rivaled one another as soon as the common enemy left.  Once the relative strength of that unifying factor was eliminated, the relative strength of the differences grew.

Clearly, people in Switzerland are not having problems with genocide, toppling various dictators every other decade, collapsing economies, rebel armies, or stolen resources.  So people with vast and numerous differences CAN live together.  And despite the fact that they may not even like each other, the underlying issue is that they do not FEAR one another.  The problem in much of Africa is that everyone who is different poses a threat.  Because they might try to take away your water resources.  Or your land.  Or your children.  Or your virginity.  Or your government position.  Or any other number of things.  And so people protect.  And they take up arms to protect.  And they fight to preemptively take out anyone who might be a future threat.  Because that's just how it is.  The fear exacerbates the differences, and makes them stronger than the similarities. 

And that's an issue that needs to be honestly addressed before Africa is going to come anywhere close to being as stable as Switzerland.  I don't care what you believe about the superiority or inferiority or equality of Africans - there is nothing good about a state that is that destabilized. It doesn't have to resemble Switzerland in any other way, but stability is a necessity. 

So there you have it.  Intellectual dishonesty makes me CRAZY.  As do stereotypes.  And sometimes, hipsters. 



*Please understand - I'm not saying these are false.  They aren't bad or dishonest.  I am not saying that Africans are unable to overcome differences.  I am not saying they are "worse" or "lesser" people than the people of Switzerland.  But these are the converse stereotypes - the reactionary version of colonialism in a post-modern enlightened era, if you will - which dominates the field in general.  And sometimes things are more complicated than stereotypes.  But also, sometimes there is truth in the "old, uneducated" way of thinking.  And this needs to be recognized. 

P.S.  You know what else makes me crazy?!  When people ramble.  So if you made it all the way through this - congratulations.  And my sincerest apologies.