The Beloved Community

The Beloved Community

(to be published March 21, 2009, Centre Daily Times)

The election and inauguration of America's first African American president made some feel, with a sense of awe, that Martin Luther King’s dream was realized. Even with the economy sliding downward, some saw God’s hand in our history and politics.

Current economic stress calls us to work to realize King’s “other dream” as well—his dream of a Beloved Community. More than 50 years ago he said, "We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization. There is still a voice crying out in terms that echo across the generations, saying, 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you, that you may be children of your Father which is in Heaven': ...The end is reconciliation, the end is redemption, the end is the creation of the beloved community."

The Beloved Community means divine love made real in our social relations—the way we live with one another, the way we treat each other and care about each other.

Beauty for brokenness, Hope for despair
Lord, in your suffering world, This is our prayer:
Bread for the children, Justice, joy, peace
Sunrise to sunset, Your kingdom increase!

God of the poor, Friend of the weak
Give us compassion we pray
Melt our cold hearts, Let tears fall like rain
Come, change our love, From a spark to a flame...

Graham Kendrick’s beautiful hymn communicates that walls of shame and suffering may divide people from one another. One person remarked to me recently that we are extremely uncomfortable talking about our economic problems even with a pastor or other members of our faith community.

Another noted that even if we are all occupied with the current economic crisis, some are barely affected, while others suffer devastatingly: If we lose a job or a home, or suffer the threat of living in poverty, we can feel isolated: No matter what others are going through, the pain, grief, and humiliation feel like ours alone. The suffering is intensely lonely, like a grave illness. Even friends who might help cannot get through our misery.

Is there a way churches and other faith communities can create “safe spaces” for members (and others?) to share about their economic problems? Can faith communities mobilize, organize, and empower economically challenged members—and all who care—into support groups, to help themselves and others as well, especially those who have no way to pay, and in turn help meet members’ own needs for personal dignity, meaningful work, and basic sustenance? Chore services for low-income elderly; safe childcare that allows people to hold part-time jobs or attend classes; community gardening; etc., etc. Possibilities generated could be endless if we get together and put our minds to it. Continued and deepening economic difficulty calls loudly for us to create Martin Luther King’s “other dream,” the Beloved Community.

Sarah Q. Malone, an ordained minister, serves as a deacon at University Baptist and Brethren Church.

Question Israel

Centre Daily Times
State College, Pennsylvania

To the Editor,
With all respect, love and admiration for Jewish wisdom, history and spirituality, and for my many Jewish friends, neither wisdom, nor love, nor admirable spirituality has been shown by the Israeli government's assault upon the people of Gaza. For rather than wiping out radical Hamas militancy, the Israeli bombing and invasion of Gaza is strengthening allegiance to Hamas among the Palestinian people.

It is not anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic to question and challenge the short-sighted militant nationalism of Israeli government policy, which mirrors, provokes and strengthens radical Islam in the Middle East, and anti-Semitic insanity elsewhere in the world. One can love the Jewish people and Judaism itself, and yet challenge the policies and practices of Israel!

Fortunately, the Israeli government does not represent the consensus of Jewish opinion on Middle East policy. Indeed, praise heaven, there is a strong and vocal minority, a peace movement composed of Jews within Israel, in organizations such as Rabbis for Human Rights and the Israeli Committee against Home Demolitions, as well as organizations in this country, such as the Shalom Center of Rabbi Arthur Waskow, or Jewish Voice for Peace.

One can love Israel deeply and yet challenge much of Israel's policy and practice toward Palestinians and the occupied territories. Israel should stop the insanely disproportionate violence launched against Gaza, and cease the long and murderously oppressive blockade of that territory. And the US government should cease its absurd support of such counterproductive policies.