CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS THE RIGHT WAY:
CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS THE RIGHT WAY:
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO (OR BUY) THIS SEASON?
By Kevin A. Stoda, Kuwait
While the new-media and studio writers are on strike just ending their second full-week, it seemed a good time to go out for a movie today.
I took several Filipinos out to their first movie theater visit in Kuwait in The Avenues Mall here in Kuwait. For some of them, it was the first movie (in four or more years) which they had viewed which hadn’t been pirated onto DVDs.
This is not surprising: Movies in theaters in Kuwait cost 8-dollars a ticket and many laborers earn less than a dollar an hour in Kuwait. (Some employees take home less than 33 cents per-hour here—after third parties deduct part of their salary for helping them get employment or for providing housing and transport. Don’t forget that Kuwait is the wealthiest country in the world per capita.)
I had to go to a mall to enjoy any large screen cinema in Kuwait because no other locations for movie theaters exist in the country. This is a similar situation in many corners of the world, especially in the USA.
Otherwise I would have successfully boycotted spending money in a mall this Thanksgiving weekend. (After seeing the portrayal of the new documentary film “What Would Jesus Buy?” on Democracy Now shown on Thanksgiving Eve, I have been particularly inspired to boycott malls this holiday season.) Now, I need to ponder what else I can do with my wages.
Wait, I believe I have started already working on this season of giving! Haven’t you?
Oh, I just experienced the blessing of being able to donate money to the victims of the recent Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, which had killed over 3300 and had left many homeless this month in one of the poorest countries on the planet.
I first donated through HOPE WORLDWIDE and then through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) online.
Next, since the majority of our region’s cleaning and janitorial staff in the whole country are Bangladeshi, our office took up a special collection for specifically the three employees in our building whose family actually lost their houses in the Cyclone Sidr and ensuing floods. (These affected Bangladeshi laborers are likely some of those same aforementioned workers who earn less than 140 dollars a month here in Kuwait.)
TAKE A DOSAGE OF DOUGLAS JACOBY
In preparation for the spirit of the season, I have put in some old cassettes--which my church has been passing around on the “Discipleship and Spirituality”. (Yes, we recycle our material at the church this way—we share and pass back and forth the same media. Yes, we pay the full price for copyrighted material.)
The tape I listened to all Thanksgiving Day was by Douglas Jacoby. I put the tape in my car’s cassette player, and in this way, I have been focusing on man’s purpose and mission in this world. Jacoby says that man has a purpose outlined by Jesus. This includes speaking out for the impoverished—even if they are not speaking out for themselves.
Moreover, just like the aforementioned Reverend Billy and his non-shoppers, theologian and scholar Dr.Douglas Jacoby, is a watchdog of consumerism. He is particularly worried about the influence of media and advertising on children and society.
For example, Jacoby has written an article, entitled “Rethinking Television and the Media”. In it he states:
“A revolution in our perception of science, technology, and the media is in order if we are to ‘escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires’ (2 Peter 1:4). In a key scripture, Luke 17:1-3 we see that Jesus cared not only about sin, but about the media through which temptations come. We too must be concerned not so much about what is in the air (the flying demons of medieval Christianity!), but what is on the air.”
Jacoby adds, “The call to re-think how we "view" television is fundamentally a call to think. Does not our Lord always call us to use our mental faculties, to follow the truth wherever it leads? This is of the essence, because the church seldom questions the social system. We are brought up to ‘eat everything on our plate,’ so to speak -- to ingest the spirit of our age uncritically. We have elevated the virtue of ‘tolerance’ above all other values. This is demonic. We are even raised to believe that capitalism and exploitation are of God.”
As others stuff themselves with Turkey leftovers and take an over-dose of football games, Jacoby calls me to ponder this thought:
“The average American knows far more about sports than current events, and cares little for those in the ‘outside world.’ This brings me great heartache, and it is not unusual for my congregation to receive an exhortation to stay current with the news, contribute time and money to help those less fortunate, and become key players in the drama of redemption as ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world.’”
Moreover, Jacoby concludes his line of thinking by noting some final major critiques of pastors and evangelists in the USA. He warns other clergy around my homeland:
“Clergymen, symbols of the American ‘system,’ likewise are socialized not to question. Having drunk deeply of the ‘system,’ they have choked down any natural objections or pangs of conscience. Few churches have the mettle to speak against the system, or any part of it! The media need to be scrutinized and exposed.”
From any Christian-, evangelist- and educator’s perspective, these are all important words to ponder.
More importantly, ministers like Reverend Billy and theologians like Douglas Jacoby, call Americans and other faithful and concerned peoples to adjust their way of lives and make a change.
The holiday season, which in America often leads to consumption levels triple or quadruple the normal weekly rate, it is obviously the most important time to spend the season thinking about the needy.
Moreover, we need to move beyond just thinking and pondering.
We need to take time to not only ask how we can make a positive contribution to those who are poorer--or more disadvantaged--than ourselves. (1) We need to speak out locally & globally on the behalves of those who need our well-rested voices, and (2) we need actually to start acting in other ways, i.e. get down and work face to face with others to make a difference.
I saw a great example of this by the participants portrayed in the interfaith documentary: ON CULTURAL GROUND.
ANOTHER FILM: ON CULTURAL GROUND
On Thanksgiving evening, I went to the AWARE CENTER in Surra, Kuwait to watch this documentary film: On Cultural Ground. It was sparsely attended by visitors from three continents, including a Bangladeshi officer on-loan to the Kuwaiti military. (He brought his two young boys along.)
Everyone in attendance that evening was impressed by what unfolded on screen in front of us during the documentary film: On Common Grounds.
As billed, this is certainly an “inspiring documentary” following an 3 American religious communities who decided to come together to make a difference in the world while getting to know the other’s faiths better. This entourage included three groups of Christians, Jews and Muslims from one Southern California county--all who decided in the wake of the events of 9-11 to work on several special projects which were intended to build and grow interfaith community and dialogues. Moreover, they went out of their ways to build a house (a la Habitat for Humanity) for a poor family in Mexico. They did this through an NGO called Corazon.
By working together with this Mexican NGO, these peoples of different faiths and genders attempted to begin a lifelong journey of trying “to overcome their differences with gesture[s] of goodwill. . . Not only do they face each other for the first time but these inexperienced builders . . . complete the project in a very short amount of time.” During “this race against time, many share with us their fears, hopes and views of ‘the other side’.
The participants in the film came from one church, one synagogue, and one mosque in Orange County. These participants included “Dassie, a Jewish lady born in Israel and Nadia, a Muslim lady born and raised in Lebanon.” The question had been, “Can these groups achieve their mission?”
I agree with one review summary which stated, “This powerful story provides a fresh and hopeful approach to peace in a world divided by conflict, taking us on a journey beyond the boundaries of our differences to a place of Common Grounds.” Perhaps it can be emulated in parts of the Middle East once people take ownership of their problems and societies more.
This film was produced by Zahra Pictures USA. The story is very interesting because it focuses on the similarity between these three religions—this focus is on serving the poor and the needy of this world. This is a binding activity for all.
At the same time that many faithful were working in an interfaith situation to build a home for the family on the NGO Corazon in Cumbres township near Tiajuana, they worked to learn more about each other.
As well, many of the participants of the three represented faiths crossed over an international border for the first time in their lives to do volunteer work in an impoverished and underdeveloped hill country town in rugged Baja California (Mexico).
Finally, the age group of the participants is a fascinating aspect of the documentary film, too. There were children as young as ten years (or younger)of age through adults nearing their retirement years.
During the film, they all take turns hammering, carrying material together, and lifting heavy beams and slats. At the same time, they cooperate with three or so Mexican carpenters volunteering as experts and coordinators of the project for the agency Corazon.
What an inspiring way to spend Thanksgiving! Watching that film with an Islamic audience made my Thanksgiving evening special—even without Turkey and stuffing on hand.
Moreover: What a nice way to get into the holiday season!
Let’s commit ourselves to reaching across borders and faiths this holiday season and not get bogged down in differences. Focus on the common ground and build up houses and build peace.
In the film, these peoples from different religious faiths in America showed that they can”build up and not destroy.” What a good example for Americans to set! Perhaps Middle Easterners can (and will) follow suit (some day)!
Eid Mubarak, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah 2007!
NOTES
“Four Narratives of Anti-Poverty Mobilization”,
http://comm-org.wisc.edu/papers2006/shepard.htm
Jacoby, Douglas, “Q&A 0789 - Advertising & Christian responsibility a bit long, but we made an exception;
http://www.douglasjacoby.com/view_article.php?ID=826
Jacoby, Douglas, “Q&A 0219 - Consumerism and materialism”, http://www.douglasjacoby.com/view_article.php?ID=1967
Jacoby, Douglas, “Rethinking Television and the Media”, http://www.douglasjacoby.com/view_article.php?ID=1745
“The Stop Shopping Monitor”, http://stopshoppingmonitor.journurl.com/
“Reverand Billy and the Church of Non-Shopping”
http://www.revbilly.com/
Stoda, Kevin, “CONTINUING to PONDER GOD and HOW SOME CHRISTIANS BECAME DISORIENTED and LOST THEIR WAY by FOLLOWING and PURSUING RIGHT-WING CODE LANGUAGE IN THE 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s”, http://alone.gnn.tv/blogs/25304/
“The Stop Shopping Monitor”, http://stopshoppingmonitor.journurl.com/
“’What Would Jesus Buy?’: As Holiday Buying Frenzy Begins, New Film Tracks Anti-Consumerism Gospel of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping”,
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/21/1520253
“Writers Strike Enters Third Week in Divide Over Online Content—Inter views of striking writers,”
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/21/1520239
Zahra Pictures, USA, DVD, On Cultural Ground , http://www.zahrapictures.com/details_common.htm
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO (OR BUY) THIS SEASON?
By Kevin A. Stoda, Kuwait
While the new-media and studio writers are on strike just ending their second full-week, it seemed a good time to go out for a movie today.
I took several Filipinos out to their first movie theater visit in Kuwait in The Avenues Mall here in Kuwait. For some of them, it was the first movie (in four or more years) which they had viewed which hadn’t been pirated onto DVDs.
This is not surprising: Movies in theaters in Kuwait cost 8-dollars a ticket and many laborers earn less than a dollar an hour in Kuwait. (Some employees take home less than 33 cents per-hour here—after third parties deduct part of their salary for helping them get employment or for providing housing and transport. Don’t forget that Kuwait is the wealthiest country in the world per capita.)
I had to go to a mall to enjoy any large screen cinema in Kuwait because no other locations for movie theaters exist in the country. This is a similar situation in many corners of the world, especially in the USA.
Otherwise I would have successfully boycotted spending money in a mall this Thanksgiving weekend. (After seeing the portrayal of the new documentary film “What Would Jesus Buy?” on Democracy Now shown on Thanksgiving Eve, I have been particularly inspired to boycott malls this holiday season.) Now, I need to ponder what else I can do with my wages.
Wait, I believe I have started already working on this season of giving! Haven’t you?
Oh, I just experienced the blessing of being able to donate money to the victims of the recent Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, which had killed over 3300 and had left many homeless this month in one of the poorest countries on the planet.
I first donated through HOPE WORLDWIDE and then through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) online.
Next, since the majority of our region’s cleaning and janitorial staff in the whole country are Bangladeshi, our office took up a special collection for specifically the three employees in our building whose family actually lost their houses in the Cyclone Sidr and ensuing floods. (These affected Bangladeshi laborers are likely some of those same aforementioned workers who earn less than 140 dollars a month here in Kuwait.)
TAKE A DOSAGE OF DOUGLAS JACOBY
In preparation for the spirit of the season, I have put in some old cassettes--which my church has been passing around on the “Discipleship and Spirituality”. (Yes, we recycle our material at the church this way—we share and pass back and forth the same media. Yes, we pay the full price for copyrighted material.)
The tape I listened to all Thanksgiving Day was by Douglas Jacoby. I put the tape in my car’s cassette player, and in this way, I have been focusing on man’s purpose and mission in this world. Jacoby says that man has a purpose outlined by Jesus. This includes speaking out for the impoverished—even if they are not speaking out for themselves.
Moreover, just like the aforementioned Reverend Billy and his non-shoppers, theologian and scholar Dr.Douglas Jacoby, is a watchdog of consumerism. He is particularly worried about the influence of media and advertising on children and society.
For example, Jacoby has written an article, entitled “Rethinking Television and the Media”. In it he states:
“A revolution in our perception of science, technology, and the media is in order if we are to ‘escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires’ (2 Peter 1:4). In a key scripture, Luke 17:1-3 we see that Jesus cared not only about sin, but about the media through which temptations come. We too must be concerned not so much about what is in the air (the flying demons of medieval Christianity!), but what is on the air.”
Jacoby adds, “The call to re-think how we "view" television is fundamentally a call to think. Does not our Lord always call us to use our mental faculties, to follow the truth wherever it leads? This is of the essence, because the church seldom questions the social system. We are brought up to ‘eat everything on our plate,’ so to speak -- to ingest the spirit of our age uncritically. We have elevated the virtue of ‘tolerance’ above all other values. This is demonic. We are even raised to believe that capitalism and exploitation are of God.”
As others stuff themselves with Turkey leftovers and take an over-dose of football games, Jacoby calls me to ponder this thought:
“The average American knows far more about sports than current events, and cares little for those in the ‘outside world.’ This brings me great heartache, and it is not unusual for my congregation to receive an exhortation to stay current with the news, contribute time and money to help those less fortunate, and become key players in the drama of redemption as ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world.’”
Moreover, Jacoby concludes his line of thinking by noting some final major critiques of pastors and evangelists in the USA. He warns other clergy around my homeland:
“Clergymen, symbols of the American ‘system,’ likewise are socialized not to question. Having drunk deeply of the ‘system,’ they have choked down any natural objections or pangs of conscience. Few churches have the mettle to speak against the system, or any part of it! The media need to be scrutinized and exposed.”
From any Christian-, evangelist- and educator’s perspective, these are all important words to ponder.
More importantly, ministers like Reverend Billy and theologians like Douglas Jacoby, call Americans and other faithful and concerned peoples to adjust their way of lives and make a change.
The holiday season, which in America often leads to consumption levels triple or quadruple the normal weekly rate, it is obviously the most important time to spend the season thinking about the needy.
Moreover, we need to move beyond just thinking and pondering.
We need to take time to not only ask how we can make a positive contribution to those who are poorer--or more disadvantaged--than ourselves. (1) We need to speak out locally & globally on the behalves of those who need our well-rested voices, and (2) we need actually to start acting in other ways, i.e. get down and work face to face with others to make a difference.
I saw a great example of this by the participants portrayed in the interfaith documentary: ON CULTURAL GROUND.
ANOTHER FILM: ON CULTURAL GROUND
On Thanksgiving evening, I went to the AWARE CENTER in Surra, Kuwait to watch this documentary film: On Cultural Ground. It was sparsely attended by visitors from three continents, including a Bangladeshi officer on-loan to the Kuwaiti military. (He brought his two young boys along.)
Everyone in attendance that evening was impressed by what unfolded on screen in front of us during the documentary film: On Common Grounds.
As billed, this is certainly an “inspiring documentary” following an 3 American religious communities who decided to come together to make a difference in the world while getting to know the other’s faiths better. This entourage included three groups of Christians, Jews and Muslims from one Southern California county--all who decided in the wake of the events of 9-11 to work on several special projects which were intended to build and grow interfaith community and dialogues. Moreover, they went out of their ways to build a house (a la Habitat for Humanity) for a poor family in Mexico. They did this through an NGO called Corazon.
By working together with this Mexican NGO, these peoples of different faiths and genders attempted to begin a lifelong journey of trying “to overcome their differences with gesture[s] of goodwill. . . Not only do they face each other for the first time but these inexperienced builders . . . complete the project in a very short amount of time.” During “this race against time, many share with us their fears, hopes and views of ‘the other side’.
The participants in the film came from one church, one synagogue, and one mosque in Orange County. These participants included “Dassie, a Jewish lady born in Israel and Nadia, a Muslim lady born and raised in Lebanon.” The question had been, “Can these groups achieve their mission?”
I agree with one review summary which stated, “This powerful story provides a fresh and hopeful approach to peace in a world divided by conflict, taking us on a journey beyond the boundaries of our differences to a place of Common Grounds.” Perhaps it can be emulated in parts of the Middle East once people take ownership of their problems and societies more.
This film was produced by Zahra Pictures USA. The story is very interesting because it focuses on the similarity between these three religions—this focus is on serving the poor and the needy of this world. This is a binding activity for all.
At the same time that many faithful were working in an interfaith situation to build a home for the family on the NGO Corazon in Cumbres township near Tiajuana, they worked to learn more about each other.
As well, many of the participants of the three represented faiths crossed over an international border for the first time in their lives to do volunteer work in an impoverished and underdeveloped hill country town in rugged Baja California (Mexico).
Finally, the age group of the participants is a fascinating aspect of the documentary film, too. There were children as young as ten years (or younger)of age through adults nearing their retirement years.
During the film, they all take turns hammering, carrying material together, and lifting heavy beams and slats. At the same time, they cooperate with three or so Mexican carpenters volunteering as experts and coordinators of the project for the agency Corazon.
What an inspiring way to spend Thanksgiving! Watching that film with an Islamic audience made my Thanksgiving evening special—even without Turkey and stuffing on hand.
Moreover: What a nice way to get into the holiday season!
Let’s commit ourselves to reaching across borders and faiths this holiday season and not get bogged down in differences. Focus on the common ground and build up houses and build peace.
In the film, these peoples from different religious faiths in America showed that they can”build up and not destroy.” What a good example for Americans to set! Perhaps Middle Easterners can (and will) follow suit (some day)!
Eid Mubarak, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah 2007!
NOTES
“Four Narratives of Anti-Poverty Mobilization”,
http://comm-org.wisc.edu/papers2006/shepard.htm
Jacoby, Douglas, “Q&A 0789 - Advertising & Christian responsibility a bit long, but we made an exception;
http://www.douglasjacoby.com/view_article.php?ID=826
Jacoby, Douglas, “Q&A 0219 - Consumerism and materialism”, http://www.douglasjacoby.com/view_article.php?ID=1967
Jacoby, Douglas, “Rethinking Television and the Media”, http://www.douglasjacoby.com/view_article.php?ID=1745
“The Stop Shopping Monitor”, http://stopshoppingmonitor.journurl.com/
“Reverand Billy and the Church of Non-Shopping”
http://www.revbilly.com/
Stoda, Kevin, “CONTINUING to PONDER GOD and HOW SOME CHRISTIANS BECAME DISORIENTED and LOST THEIR WAY by FOLLOWING and PURSUING RIGHT-WING CODE LANGUAGE IN THE 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s”, http://alone.gnn.tv/blogs/25304/
“The Stop Shopping Monitor”, http://stopshoppingmonitor.journurl.com/
“’What Would Jesus Buy?’: As Holiday Buying Frenzy Begins, New Film Tracks Anti-Consumerism Gospel of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping”,
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/21/1520253
“Writers Strike Enters Third Week in Divide Over Online Content—Inter views of striking writers,”
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/21/1520239
Zahra Pictures, USA, DVD, On Cultural Ground , http://www.zahrapictures.com/details_common.htm
posted by Kevin Anthony Stoda at 10:50 PM
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