Shawn Casselberry
Shawn Casselberry's Blog
Real Hope For Haiti / Feb 2, 11:46 AM
Haiti has been on many of our hearts and minds over the past couple weeks. Since the earthquake, my inbox has exploded with emails from dozens and dozens of organizations appealing for support in their relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Churches and youth groups across the country have been asking for special offerings and raising money to assist those most affected. Television ads and celebrities have called our attention to those suffering in Haiti asking for our generous donations.
And as a country, we have responded.
George Clooney and Haitian-born Wyclef Jean helped raise $61 million during their “Hope for Haiti” telethon. The Red Cross announced this week they have raised $200 million in aid relief for Haiti. I heard that one of our Mission Year churches collected $4000 in one offering during a “Save Haiti” service. Many of our Mission Year alumni and staff have been giving to our EAPE partner organizations: Beyond Borders and Haiti Partners (www.eape.org). It is so encouraging to see such an outpouring of concern and generosity from all corners of our nation.
Although it’s amazing to see the response, it makes me wonder why it takes a tragedy for us to notice those suffering around us? Haiti has long been the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. And as one of our closest neighbors, why is it only now that Haiti is drawing our attention and resources.
The Onion had a tongue in cheek article titled, “Massive Earthquake Reveals Entire Island Civilization Called ‘Haiti’ (www.theonion.com/content/news/massive_earthquake_reveals_entire).” It does seem like we are just now discovering Haiti. Likewise, Hurricane Katrina was the first time for many Americans to see the abject poverty and economic disparities in our own nation’s urban communities.
Natural disasters help us see what we are typically able to ignore. Why is it so hard for us to see the poor as victims except when they are victims of a natural disaster? It is much harder for us to see how the poor are devastated through economic forces, public policies, and social neglect. The loss of manufacturing jobs due to economic policies in the 90s had catastrophic effects on urban communities like Chicago and Camden (See David Ranney’s book Global Decisions, Local Collisions: Urban Life in the New World Order). White Flight left many of our urban communities of color with little resources, employment options, political power and basic services. Discriminatory housing programs and unequal school funding policies have led to major disparities in opportunity between wealthy and poor communities. Chicago Public Radio recently reported that the majority of section 8 housing vouchers go to four neighborhoods: Austin, Lawndale, Englewood, and Roseland-neighborhoods already crowded with high concentrations of low-income residents (and also neighborhoods Mission Year teams have been). These policies keep wealthy communities wealthy and poor communities poor. It is easier (or lazier) for us to justify the plight of the poor as poor individual choices rather than examining the forces that are destroying their lives on a daily basis.
Another part of the problem is that we are charity sprinters. We give in moments of crisis for a specific cause when it is utterly necessary and when it is forefront in our collective conscience. After the news coverage dies down and after we tire of the appeals, Haiti will soon fade from our memory just like New Orleans did. Or the rich and powerful will find ways to profit on the rebuilding efforts just like they did in New Orleans. See, charity is short-term, a sprint, while justice is long-term, a marathon. And even though we can have a strong start (Red Cross raised $1 billion for Katrina Relief), if we are not committed to long-term justice, our efforts will only yield temporary relief and not lasting change.
I believe the real Hope for Haiti will not happen this month or this year, but in the next three, five, or ten years. I think this is why we need to think about living in places of need and not just giving to places of need. I love how Mission Year responded to Katrina by sending a delegation of staff and alumni to live in New Orleans and then followed up for the last three years with sending teams of yearlong volunteers there. It’s one thing when you send a check to a place of need and quite another when you plant yourself in a place of need. Instead of staying removed and unaware of the poor, we need to consider living with them and making their struggle ours. That way, justice becomes a lifestyle and not a one-time gift.
Mission Year is not waiting for a natural disaster to hit Chicago, Philly, Camden, Wilmington, Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, or New Orleans. We are planting ourselves there and committing to work for the long haul.
Won’t you join us!
American Idle / Jan 25, 09:10 PM
The Kaiser Family Foundation just released the results of a study on the media use among 8-18 year olds. Here’s what they found:
Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.
Wow, young people are spending so much time these days tuned into entertainment sources and so little time engaged in things that really matter. And with all these gadgets and game systems, we are getting more and more disengaged from reality.
While watching the show American Idol recently, I was blown away to see the number of young people trying out. Literally, tens of thousands of youth flocked the auditions in hopes of making it big. It was actually very depressing to think about the desperation and dissatisfaction many of these youth had with their lives. People with little to no singing ability waited all day for a few minutes to make a fool of themselves on national television.
One girl who was successful on the American idol video game assumed that her video skills translated into actual music talent. That would be like me thinking I could try-out for the Chicago Bears because I kick butt at Madden 09.This girl couldn’t tell fantasy from reality so the judges had to burst her bubble.
Other contestants dressed up in outrageous costumes thinking that their zany outfits would compensate for their lack of singing acumen. Again, the judges were not fooled and certainly not impressed.
But this show tells me a lot about the young generation. They are longing for something bigger and greater than what they are currently experiencing. They are bored and unsatisfied with simply plugging into computers and playing games 7 hours and 38 minutes a day. They want significance and they long for greatness. In desperation they turn to American Idol to find it. Unfortunately, American idol offers a pretty narrow window for them to achieve significance. Only a small group of people, who actually have some singing ability, make it. One guy was so desperate to make it he refused to leave before security guards had to handcuff him and escort him out (of course this was the guy who picked Amazing Grace for his song). In America, we are obsessed with success. America’s idol is fame. Everyone wants to be great.
But I don’t think that the longing for greatness is bad in and of itself. James and John also longed for greatness. They wanted the fame. They wanted to sit on Jesus’ right and left. Jesus doesn’t chastise their desire for greatness, but he does redirect them in their quest. Jesus said if you want to be great, then you should serve. Jesus didn’t come to be famous, he came to serve. Sometimes I think we idolize famous people like Shane Claiborne because he’s famous and influential, not because we see him as a humble servant (I’m not saying he’s not a humble servant, just that his servanthood is not why we like him). For instance, there’s a janitor at a homeless shelter in Chicago named Jimmie that is one of the most humble men of God I know and I don’t see people lined up to meet him or tell me they want to be like him. Martin Luther king Jr. said anyone can be great because anyone can serve.
In our competitive society there are winners and losers. The winners are served, the losers serve. In the kingdom of God, everyone serves and everyone is served. Greatness is achieved through the level of our service toward each other, especially those that society casts on the bottom. That is how we subvert the system. Imagine if all those tens of thousands of teens saw their significance in how they serve instead of how good or bad they can sing. Imagine if instead of trying to imitate rock stars and Christian superstars, we all decided to develop our unique gifts to better serve the needs of those in our communities. Imagine if we spent even half of our 53 hours a week engaged in service to the poor and vulnerable instead of sitting on the couch playing video games and chatting on Facebook. I believe we would find a lot more purpose and joy than we are experiencing now.
Mission Year is challenging young Americans to stop wasting your time and do something significant with your life. You CAN be great. It’s time to stop being idle and serve.
Apply Now: www.missionyear.org
Comment [4]
Ignorance is. / Jan 20, 12:19 PM
Ignorance is one of the legacies of racism in our country. Racism has divided us by color and class so that we know little about one another. Ignorance is perpetuated through segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to Chicago as one of the most segregated cities in the nation. After 40 years, it’s still true.
The Chicago Tribune reported in 2008, “Blacks make up about 35 percent of Chicago’s population of nearly 3 million and are largely concentrated on the South and West Sides. Whites make up nearly 28 percent, largely located to the north and in slivers of the South Side, while Hispanics, about 30 percent of the population, are scattered to the Northwest and Southwest Sides of the city center.”
Segregation has been maintained in Chicago for centuries by laws, force, discriminatory real estate practices such as redlining, public-housing policies that concentrated blacks in low-income neighborhoods, and “urban renewal” which has increased gentrification and the displacement of mostly poor people of color from wealthier, white neighborhoods. Although many whites voted to elect Obama the first African American president, whites are still not nearly as interested in living in neighborhoods of color.
The truth is, we can’t know each other if we live on opposite sides of town, attend different churches, go to different schools, and shop at different grocery stores. For decades and decades we have lived in isolation from one another and thus ignorance of one another. Stereotypes become shortcuts (convenient lies) to actual experience and interaction with those across cultures. Whether through de jure segregation in the 1950s when this separation was reinforced through laws or de facto segregation as we have today by economic forces and personal choices to remain separated, the result is the same: ignorance.
Ignorance is fear. Separation breeds ignorance and ignorance breeds fear. I have always found it ironic that people on the West Side of Chicago are afraid of the South Side and people on the South Side are afraid of the West Side (the North Siders are afraid of both!). We fear what we don’t know. Many times our fears are exploited by the media for ratings and politicians for votes. The result is that we stay away from certain areas of the city or from certain kinds of people and our ignorance remains unchanged.
For many team members, Mission Year is the first time that they are living in close proximity to people of a different culture or class as them for an extended period of time. For many of their neighbors, it is also the first time they have had a white, Asian, African American, or Latino neighbor. This creates a tremendous opportunity for learning and breaking down barriers of ignorance.
Mission Year is also determined to have more multi-cultural teams. We are challenging our society’s ignorance head on by bringing people from many different backgrounds to learn to live and serve God together under one roof. Stereotypes quickly fall away in the context of intentional Christian community. By modeling love, unity, and peace across racial and economic lines, we become witnesses of the reconciling power of the gospel.
Ignorance is NOT bliss. If we are to move forward we have to admit our own ignorance and seek to educate ourselves. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” Every year I have a white team member say “I wish I could return to when I was ignorant of the realities of my privilege” as if it’s better to be ignorant. But would we really rather be ignorant of reality? Would we rather live in denial about the advantages we receive at the expense of others?
Ignorance is curable. If segregation policies and personal prejudices have largely contributed to our collective ignorance, then surely we can reverse the curse by intentionally choosing to live among each other or “neighboring” as Mission Year President Leroy Barber calls it. We can overcome our mutual ignorance by mutual learning. We learn each other by decreasing our distance, hearing each other’s stories, asking good questions, educating ourselves by reading each other’s histories (filling in the gaps of our ignorance of others), and showing genuine interest in what makes us unique as well as what we have in common.
As followers of Jesus, we should fearlessly seek Truth. If we want to walk in truth we cannot maintain the ignorance of our culture, our peers, or our family. We must continue to renew our minds from the patterns and prejudice of this world. Only then can we truly see the Beloved Community Dr. King envisioned become a reality. Only then can we become neighbors, friends, and even family.
For now, ignorance is. But it doesn’t have to be.
Comment [1]
Stuff Team Members Like / Jan 7, 11:19 AM
So, I’m sure you’ve seen the book Stuff White People Like and there’s a blog Stuff Christians Like. I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of stuff team members like. I have noticed patterns over the years of things that many team members get into during Mission Year… Please add any others you think I’ve left off!
1. TOMS shoes (www.tomsshoes.com). I heard of these last year for the first time and about a third of my city wore them. You buy a pair they send one to a child in need.
2. Tattoos. Something about Mission Year makes people want to get tattoos. I think because it’s such a time of change and growth for team members, they want to capture the moment.
3. Acoustic Guitars. If they don’t know how to play them when they get to Mission Year, they are determined to learn how to play them by the time they leave. Strum on my friends!
4. The DVD/soundtrack “Once.” Last year at orientation a large group of team members from different cities were sitting around playing guitars and they all knew the songs from this movie. I had never heard of it so I rented it and it’s actually a decent flick. I think it captures the confusion, yearning, and awkwardness of this generation.
5. Facebook. They are addicted. You can find out a lot about team members from Facebook!
6. Francis Chan books and podcasts. The book Crazy Love is really popular right now with my team members. I think it’s kinda like the Raggamuffin Gospel for this generation. Francis Chan is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA.
7. Care Packages. There is nothing like getting mail from family and friends back home while you are doing Mission Year, especially when it includes sweets. Care packages are a score for the whole team. Send one to a team member today!
8. Rumi-Persian Poet and Philosopher. Every year I have a couple people that get really into Rumi. Not sure how they find this obscure philosopher.
“Come, come, whoever you are,
Wanderer, idolater, worshiper of fire,
Come even though you have broken your vows a thousand times,
Come, and come yet again.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.”
9. Shane Claiborne. They all want to be like him. I had a team member that said she wants to be a female Shane Claiborne. Really?!
10. The Office TV show. Some team members seem to only talk using The Office quotes. I’ve had to ban “That’s what she said…” from some of my team apartments in the past!
11. Alone Time. Ha. That’s pretty rare living in intentional Christian community.
12. Reaching their Support-Raising Goal. No team member really likes raising support, but it is an incredible faith booster to see God provide through the generous gifts of churches, family, friends, alums, and strangers. Help boost their faith by sending some support their way!
13. Documenting their lives. Whether using digital cameras or video, team members love to document their every day experiences through contemporary media. And it’s a great alternative to tattoos!
14. Becoming Vegan. Apparently, grocery shopping at Aldi has a way of turning many team members into vegans!
15. Telephone Pictionary. For team members, Telephone Pictionary is the next best thing to television. When you don’t have a television in your house you have to find some way to entertain yourself. If you don’t know how to play ask any team member.
16. Conflict. Team members rarely like this coming into Mission Year, but after the first couple months of doing healthy conflict resolution and seeing how much closer it brings people, they start looking forward to it!
17. Relationships. Nobody does Mission Year (well) without a heart for God and love for people. Mission Year team members spend thousands of hours cultivating relationships with neighbors, at-risk youth, homeless men and women, community leaders, the elderly, and those that fall through the cracks in our cities. It’s all about the relationships.
18. Finishing. After enduring hardships, sacrificing comforts, and loving people tirelessly, there is nothing more satisfying for team members than finishing the year. And when Mission Year ends, Mission Life begins.
Comment [5]
Best Vacation Ever / Dec 6, 03:18 PM
In an attempt to get the kids talking, Mrs. Cray, a retired public school teacher who volunteers as a tutor with Celestial Ministries, went around the room asking students random questions. Every Saturday morning, youth from the West side of Chicago are provided a safe place to reflect, create, and express themselves through music and dance. Started as a ministry of support for children and families with incarcerated loved ones, Celestial Ministries has become a secondary family for many in the North Lawndale community.
Terrell, a seven year old student in our junior drumline, was asked, “What was your best vacation and what made it so good?” As he paused to speak, I became very curious as to what he might say. I thought back to family vacations I had experienced growing up. We would take family trips during the summer to places like the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina or to see the monuments in Washington D.C. I wondered if Terrell had ever been outside of the State of Illinois or Chicago for that matter.
My quandary was interrupted when Terrell shouted out, “When I visited my dad in prison, because I have fun with my dad.” After Terrell spoke, there was a brief moment of sacred silence in the room. For me, it was a reminder of why we do what we do. Amidst the sometimes frantic drum practices and tough teen facades, there is pain and loneliness. And regardless of the guilt or innocence of those incarcerated, it is the innocent children and families that are forced to pay the heaviest price. The truth is, the prison system is a destructive and violent force in the lives of children and families in our community. It is not right or just that Terrell’s best vacation is visiting a prison.
What do we do as Christians when confronted with these harsh realities? The Bible urges us to “remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself” (Hebrews 13:3). Jesus knew what it was like to have a loved one incarcerated. His cousin, John the Baptist, was falsely accused and arrested. Perhaps, this is why Jesus, in Matthew 25, tells his disciples “when I was in prison, you visited me.” Jesus understands how it feels when those we love are locked up. As a victim of injustice, Jesus must have also understood how prisons are used in Empires to serve the interests of the powerful. Just survey prisons in the Bible and you will see they are used over and over as means of exploitation and injustice. I have hope though, because Jesus came “to set prisoners free.” That is how I know that Jesus is on Terrell’s side.
As many of us will enjoy a Christmas vacation with family this year, let us remember those in prison AND the children and families that are serving time without them. I hope you will not only give presents through amazing programs like Angel Tree (www.angeltree.org), I hope you will think about volunteering and supporting organizations like Celestial Ministries that provide year-round support for families (www.celestialmin.org). And as you get to know those children and families, I also hope you will be compelled to advocate for just policies that will set prisoners like Terrell’s dad free (http://criminaljustice.change.org).
In Christ’s name.
Amen.
Comment [4]
