I’ve recently been revisiting some of my books on development theory as well as the journals I wrote for my capstone class.
I met a guy who works with the Mennonite Central Committee in Gulu the other day, specifically the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative. Speaking with him reminded me of how much I resonated with the Mennonite approach among the theories we studied.
The journal I found regarding the MCC challenged me to examine the way I’m thinking and living and see if it lines up to what I say I believe.
How Jesus Might Do Development
The MCC Approach
Starting with such a title feeds right into what my friends have been mocking me about lately. They think I’m on the Mennonite train because it’s a trendy one. Maybe they’re right. Maybe this is just a passing phase because they DO embody some things which are trendy to talk about but harder to live—social justice, peacemaking, living simply.
Regardless of my own commitment to living the Mennonite way, I really do think they’re on to something. I think their focus on Jesus’ life instead of just focusing on his death and resurrection (which it seems like many of us protestants/evangelicals might be guilty of at times) makes a noticeable difference in their ideas about and practices of development. Maybe it’s a stretch to say that Jesus would work for the Mennonite Central Committee if he had to make the choice, but I think there are some pretty clear marks that their way embodies much of the way he lived.
I wrote “freeing” in the column next to the paragraph that talked about how MCC doesn’t accept funding from USAID and that it “is not driven by timeframes or results, believing in the importance of intangible results that cannot be measured in quantifiable terms.” I’m not sure if the MCC always lives up to it but I’m convinced that as far as large development organizations go, they are probably a step ahead of the rest concerning qualitative results instead of quantitative. Although this is a flawed analogy, I would compare this particular philosophy quite easily to Jesus’ life. It’s commonly believed that Jesus’ actual ministry started when he was about 30 and lasted for about 1-3 years. (Sounds quite similar to an MCC field assignment J ). Surely Jesus came into contact with a lot of people during his few years of ministry, yet he kept a few close friends and invested much of his time and energy into a group of disciples who often didn’t really understand him or what he was saying.
This might be another stretch, but I think the Mennonite’s way of finding answers and solutions within the home culture and tradition is similar to the radical words of Jesus when he said that the Kingdom of God is not here nor there, but the Kingdom of God is within you. Whether it be development solutions or Church growth strategy, it is easy to see our human tendency for looking for an outside solution or the next greatest thing that has hit the bookshelves. There is a similarity in their search for within the person or within the group of people that speaks to the search for Shalom.
Without falling into a dangerous picture of development workers being the saviors of communities, I think MCC’s servanthood approach and minimizing of power differentials reflects Christ’s way. Again, the analogy is flawed because Jesus really was the Savior and actually did have power and authority because of his identity. Yet, Western born Mennonites really are born into a place of privilege and opportunity. They could easily follow the way of other development organizations and set their own budgets, drive their SUV’s, build a compound equipped with tennis courts and golf carts to drive to other expat houses (this is not an exaggeration, by the way). Instead, they emphasize a small stipend so as not to be set apart from the people they live with. In my class on Christology, we have discussed what the incarnation actually means. Not only did Christ not have to be born into a low income family instead of royalty, the fact that he even entered into this world is an emptying out of his power and privilege.
Although all of my analogies are flawed, if we were looking for the best development model according to Christ’s way, I feel like I could hold my own in defending the MCC.
Although I’m not living in a large compound or driving around an SUV, these words I wrote inside a classroom in Michigan last year still act as a mirror for me right now; I am looking at my reflection and realizing that what exists at the core of why I live the way I do is evident to those around me. And I wonder what those around me see . . .
Is it a love for God that drives me and is expressed by loving those around me? Or is it a desire to be successful, to be known, to be recognized that drives me . . . We think these motives are hidden well as we carry out our various activities but they, in fact, are very evident to those around us, and very evident to God.
I met a guy who works with the Mennonite Central Committee in Gulu the other day, specifically the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative. Speaking with him reminded me of how much I resonated with the Mennonite approach among the theories we studied.
The journal I found regarding the MCC challenged me to examine the way I’m thinking and living and see if it lines up to what I say I believe.
How Jesus Might Do Development
The MCC Approach
Starting with such a title feeds right into what my friends have been mocking me about lately. They think I’m on the Mennonite train because it’s a trendy one. Maybe they’re right. Maybe this is just a passing phase because they DO embody some things which are trendy to talk about but harder to live—social justice, peacemaking, living simply.
Regardless of my own commitment to living the Mennonite way, I really do think they’re on to something. I think their focus on Jesus’ life instead of just focusing on his death and resurrection (which it seems like many of us protestants/evangelicals might be guilty of at times) makes a noticeable difference in their ideas about and practices of development. Maybe it’s a stretch to say that Jesus would work for the Mennonite Central Committee if he had to make the choice, but I think there are some pretty clear marks that their way embodies much of the way he lived.
I wrote “freeing” in the column next to the paragraph that talked about how MCC doesn’t accept funding from USAID and that it “is not driven by timeframes or results, believing in the importance of intangible results that cannot be measured in quantifiable terms.” I’m not sure if the MCC always lives up to it but I’m convinced that as far as large development organizations go, they are probably a step ahead of the rest concerning qualitative results instead of quantitative. Although this is a flawed analogy, I would compare this particular philosophy quite easily to Jesus’ life. It’s commonly believed that Jesus’ actual ministry started when he was about 30 and lasted for about 1-3 years. (Sounds quite similar to an MCC field assignment J ). Surely Jesus came into contact with a lot of people during his few years of ministry, yet he kept a few close friends and invested much of his time and energy into a group of disciples who often didn’t really understand him or what he was saying.
This might be another stretch, but I think the Mennonite’s way of finding answers and solutions within the home culture and tradition is similar to the radical words of Jesus when he said that the Kingdom of God is not here nor there, but the Kingdom of God is within you. Whether it be development solutions or Church growth strategy, it is easy to see our human tendency for looking for an outside solution or the next greatest thing that has hit the bookshelves. There is a similarity in their search for within the person or within the group of people that speaks to the search for Shalom.
Without falling into a dangerous picture of development workers being the saviors of communities, I think MCC’s servanthood approach and minimizing of power differentials reflects Christ’s way. Again, the analogy is flawed because Jesus really was the Savior and actually did have power and authority because of his identity. Yet, Western born Mennonites really are born into a place of privilege and opportunity. They could easily follow the way of other development organizations and set their own budgets, drive their SUV’s, build a compound equipped with tennis courts and golf carts to drive to other expat houses (this is not an exaggeration, by the way). Instead, they emphasize a small stipend so as not to be set apart from the people they live with. In my class on Christology, we have discussed what the incarnation actually means. Not only did Christ not have to be born into a low income family instead of royalty, the fact that he even entered into this world is an emptying out of his power and privilege.
Although all of my analogies are flawed, if we were looking for the best development model according to Christ’s way, I feel like I could hold my own in defending the MCC.
Although I’m not living in a large compound or driving around an SUV, these words I wrote inside a classroom in Michigan last year still act as a mirror for me right now; I am looking at my reflection and realizing that what exists at the core of why I live the way I do is evident to those around me. And I wonder what those around me see . . .
Is it a love for God that drives me and is expressed by loving those around me? Or is it a desire to be successful, to be known, to be recognized that drives me . . . We think these motives are hidden well as we carry out our various activities but they, in fact, are very evident to those around us, and very evident to God.
1 comment:
Money well spent on that education sis. You are a great writer and you are doing great things. Laney easily recognizes you and says your name when we look at your blog. Continue to keep us posted, we love you.
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