Chris Heuertz speaking about Simple Spirituality

download

podcast

'Light Trap' Photography show

Robin Fowler and Joel Klepac with Dan Burlacu just had a photography show at the cultural center in Galati. There are links to the photos and shots from the opening here.

Interview with Chris

Here is a recent interview with the WMF International Director. He talks about who Word Made Flesh is and talks about his book Simple Spirituality.

Good Will Hinton Weekly Podcast: Chris Heuertz of Word Made Flesh

A Modern Day Massacre of a Holy Innocent

by Monica Klepac

Last week was a hard week, extra hard. We learned of the death of a little baby girl, Andrea, who hadn’t even reached her first birthday. The cause of death was a lung problem, but the cause of the lung problem was neglect. This kind of neglect was deep and wide. Deep meaning Andrea had only one bath in her whole life, one she was given at the drop in center by our staff, Robin and Ana, while teaching her teenage mother. There is only one picture of her, being held by her mother and surrounded by Robin and Ana. She had many health problems and required a special regime of formula, which her parents neglected to give her. When our staff would visit, she was often soaked through with pee and covered in a rash, left in the care of other children. The depth of the neglect was profound and shocking.

Yet in the wake of her death, I am shaken just as much by the breadth of neglect, meaning the wide range of people who turned their eyes and ignored the hungry, filthy infant lying unresponsive on the couch. At the first level were her parents. The mother is still a teenager, and has experienced abuse, death and neglect in her own life. She has another child a little older who also shows signs of neglect. Andreea’s father is a young man who has been so beaten down by life he doesn’t have the will to stand up for his family. Next in line are the extended family. I saw them a bit at the funeral. The controlling grandmother, the drunken grandfathers, the uncles and aunts without jobs, the multitude of cousins left with family while their parents are working out of the country. At the funeral as they chatted and shuffled around the coffin, I shuddered to think how many people were in that small, falling down home, and how they all managed to ignore this sick baby.

After family, the authorities carry blame. When our staff saw clear signs of neglect, we contacted the DPC (the Romanian equivalent of family services) and their response after the first home visit was, “We don’t see any signs of neglect.” We proceeded to enlighten them with a list of items we had observed that all pointed to neglect. They visited again, saw a few of the things we mentioned, scolded the mom for begging with her children, and that was it. The irony is that the offices for the DPC are literally less than a block from the condemned building where this family lives. The social workers and bureaucrats who work there likely drive by that house everyday, probably slowing down to avoid the children who literally play in the street outside. Yet they did nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And all this has happened in the EU. Romania joined the EU in January 2007, and Andreea was born in April. She was a European citizen her whole life. She received no benefits, no rights, no protection from the government or society. She was forgotten and left alone by her family, the authorities and society. In the years leading up the joining the EU, Romania put on a lot of show to prove our worthiness. We got a professional army going, our currency stabilized, many infrastructure projects made things look modern and western. But what has really changed if there are still babies like little Andreea who go hungry and without basic care? The orphanages are closing down, but there are still families who cannot and do not care for their children. What does it say about our society when we ignore the weakest and smallest members?

I must point the finger at myself also. Though I was not legally responsible for Andreea, I too have failed her. I have looked at her mother and believed she has no future. I have looked at her father and in my heart called him weak. As I would hear about the situations Robin and Ana were facing with this family and the authorities, I would pray, but sometimes with very little faith that things would change. Her death did surprise me, as I have seen children overcome so many seemingly impossible situations. And as these reflections show, my reactions have been pendulum swings from grief to anger and back to grief.

One thing that has been a comfort, as much as anything can comfort in this situation, is the church’s honoring of the Holy Innocents who were massacred by Herod. The Orthodox Church remembers them on December 29, significantly sandwiched between the wonder of Christmas and the revelry of New Years. Almost as if to remind us that our joy is not far from sorrow and life is not separated from death. The story is found only in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2:16-18. Though it is not recorded in other gospels or in secular historical texts, it is very in keeping with the character of Herod. He was power hungry, and had killed possible opponents before. The age of the victims wouldn’t have been a deterrent, as after meeting with the Magi, he was intent on stamping out any possibility of another king. Looking at this story next to Andreea’s story, the similarities are disturbing.

Both of these atrocities happened in a society that believed they were pinnacle of civility. The Roman empire proudly touted the Pax Romana guaranteeing security and peace to all in its reach. The EU has similarly established itself as the standard bearer when it comes to human rights and freedom for all citizens. Yet when it came to protecting the most vulnerable members, each society failed miserably.

In each situation, the lust for power over shadowed any virtue or morals. Herod would remain king at all costs, even if it meant the shedding of innocent blood. The officials at the DPC are not royalty, but they do have very high salaries, and are often hired in what we call in the south, a “good ol boy” system of who you know, not what you know. Through their actions, they consistently show that their need to protect their positions comes before their duty to protect children. Herod used a sword, DPC uses red tape, but the result is the same.

And sadly, in Herods time and in our time, there are many accomplices to such a crime. Herod of course did not slaughter children himself, he had scores of soldiers who willingly went along with his commands. In Andrea’s situation, there is a chain of neglect from family to social workers to elected officials.

I am no theologian, and I cant begin to confront the issue of theodicy. I have no answers as to why children die, especially when their deaths are surrounded by injustice. But the comfort I find is that God knows these sufferings though we have ignored them. He sees the littlest one fall and is grieved. As Andrea breathed her last, He never left her. Even as her parents neglected her, authorities forgot her, and I failed to hope for her, God’s love remained constant. I mourn the loss of Andrea’s life here on earth, yet I am comforted that she, like the other innocents who died under the heavy hand of oppression, is now lifted up. She is glorified, meaning she is now whole and healthy and radiant before her good, kind and just king.

The Poor in the European Union: An Opportunity for the Church

by David Chronic

A people’s identity is composed by the stories it tells.[1] The stories that underwrite the Romanian identity tell of Thracians and Romans and of Stephen the Great and Brancoveanu. Communism brought its own narratives of workers’ power; but when they collapsed, the void was quickly filled by the stories of democratic capitalism, which tell of the free individual participating in a free society. Today Romania is finding its identity as European, but the E.U. also brings its own identity-creating narratives.

While occidentalism, capitalism and democracy are the dominating narratives in Romania, it is still differentiating its identity.[2] Politically, Romania does not identify itself as a “Balkan state” so as to avoid being related to the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, and Romania does not call itself part of “Eastern Europe” but rather “Central Europe” in order to stand against the past and present influence of Russia. Romania’s integration into NATO also reinforces its systematic participation in the west. Although it is predominantly Eastern Orthodox, the Pope John Paul II’s visit to Bucharest upheld Romania’s pro-Latin and pro-West stance. Romania’s desire to be identified as European was legitimized by its integration into the European Union.

Fundamentally, the E.U. is an economic narrative. Initially called the European Economic Community, the E.U. seeks a common space of trading goods and labor and a common currency. In order to serve and protect the economic goals, it has formed a political entity. The stories that sustain the common identity of “European” go back to the Greek and Roman Empires. Although it is geographically an off-shoot of the Asian continent, Europe defines itself as set apart by the history of its empires, by its Catholic and Protestant heritage, and by its philosophical and scientific claim to “Enlightenment.”[3] The self-perception of being the benchmark of civilization legitimized its history of colonialism. Although today there are countercurrents of tolerance, pluralism and “political correctness” that seek to atone for past international domination, its assumption that “western standards” are better continue to support promises of the E.U.’s narrative for development, accountability and integration.

But not only does the E.U.’s narrative not integrate all Romanians, but it particularly marginalizes the poor. Certainly, the E.U. has some positive effects on the poor. Poverty is defined, identified and measured.[4] Social programs are instituted and financed to alleviate destitute poverty. The E.U. territory is open for free movement and, therefore, access to jobs. The E.U. is causing wages to rise in Romania. And its international policies and laws create a system of accountability and protection.

However, the negative effects of the E.U. indicate that the chains of poverty are not loosening their grip. Many of the millions that have emigrated from Romania are from the bottom of the economic class. Baited by higher wages, many end up doing the west’s undesirable jobs, in the black market, or, worse, in illegal activities. Some do succeed in finding good jobs but still suffer from a broken community. A 2007 study by the Soros Foundation states that about 350,000 children — almost one youngster in every five — have at least one parent working abroad, for at least two years, and often four or more. The Romanian government estimates that 60,000 have been left by both parents, but the number is probably much higher.[5] Not only are there social and psychological effects on the children, but the parents also have lost a community to which they are accountable and supported.

Although the migrant workers are better paid in the west than in Romania, they are still underpaid in comparison with their national counterparts. In Romania, wages are rising due to government policy and demand for labor, but this is not enough to bring Romanians home. Instead, Romanian companies are recruiting immigrant labor from Turkey, China and former Soviet countries – others that are uprooted from their communities to work in foreign land. And the effect of this business trend is keeping workers’ wages low.

In addition, the rise of wages in Romania (between 10-12% annually) has not matched the rise of prices.[6] Food, energy and housing costs have increased substantially more than wages. Sadly, this affects the poor more than the non-poor because it means spending a larger proportion of their income on inelastic goods. For the poorest, it means simply doing without these basic necessities. The poor, thus, are have less buying power and are economically poorer than before their so-called entry into Europe. In addition, the cost of housing coupled with the re-privatization of property has forced many of the poor out of their homes – some end up in degraded social housing while others move to the countryside for subsistence farming. Thus, the poor, the best case scenario, are objectified beneficiaries of but not participating subjects in the E.U.

Another sign of the E.U.’s failure to integrate its members is the increase in fascist parties and anti-immigrant violence.[7] The E.U.’s claim to be a pluralistic culture of tolerance has no narrative foundation except that knowledge that the lack of conflict is better for economics – a sentiment that cannot sustain ethnic and cultural difference. Of course, some immigrants have done terrible and inexcusable acts in their host countries, but the backlash of the anti-immigrant mood has been felt most by the poor, many of them innocent of the allegations.

With Romania’s path toward the E.U., the country experienced the hope of political accountability and the brief curbing of corruption. After Romania joined the E.U., however, it saw corruption rise again, bringing the E.U. commission to scold the Romanian government. Unfortunately, the politics have changed little. Romania is seen as the most corrupt country in the E.U. And again, the poor bear the brunt of endemic corruption. When bribes are demanded by doctors or government workers, this costs the poor a higher percentage of their income. Plus, they usually do not have other options to avoid bribery.

Although the narrative of the European Community does not deliver on its promise to integrate, there is a community with an alternative narrative that does sustain development, accountability and integration. It is the church. Sadly, the church has tried to integrate itself into the E.U. rather than being an alternative community.[8]

Because the story and values of the church has generally been co-opted by the E.U., she has not critically stood against superficial tolerance, emigration and other effects on the poor. The church in Romania is yet to be an example of an alternative community where difference is celebrated and united in Christ. And although emigration will continue, the church still has not awoken to a Christian basis for migration. If anything, Romanian Christians living in other countries are establishing fellowships for other Romanians. Some claim that Western Europe is the second most non-Christian population in the world after the 10/40 window.[9] But if the Romanian church would disciple its members and send them as missionaries to be salt and light in secular Europe, then maybe they would see that they have something to give rather than something to take from Europe.

The church is to be an alternative community with a distinctive story that tells of God’s loving involvement and redirection of world history. This story is particularly good news for the poor (Luke 4:18). Where families and communities are being broken in the name of a “higher standard of living,” the church has a vision of families living together, parents caring for children and children loving parents (Ephesians 6). Where workers are exploited, the church tells the story of a community where wages are just (James 5) and economic divisions healed (I Corinthians 11). The church is the community that cares for the poor (Acts 2:45) not as beneficiaries but as participants (Leviticus 19). The church does not simply engender superficial tolerance but embraces those that are different (Galatians 3:28) and loves the stranger (Luke 10) and even the enemy (Matthew 5:44). And the church calls the corrupt to account and protects those that are powerless (Matthew 21:12; Acts 6). The failure of the E.U. to offer a sustainable narrative of integration is an opportunity for the church to be a peculiar people (I Peter 2:9), a radiant city on a hill (Matthew 5:14) and to live the story the person and place into which the nations are truly integrated (Romans 15).

---

[1] MacIntyre, Alasdair, After Virtue, University of Notre Dame Press, 1984.

[2] See the dissertation presented at the Romanian Cultural Centre, U.K. by Mircea Micu, “An Alliance Dilemma? Understanding Romanian Foreign Policy in the Context of Transatlantic Divergences”.

[3] On European identity, see Mihai Neamţu, „Europe in Post-Nihilism? Between the Silence of Words and the Rhetoricity of Images,” Studia Universitatis Babe-Bolyai, Studia Europaea (XLIV) 1-2, 1999.

[4] See, for example, “Child Poverty and Well-Being in the EU: Current status and way forward,” European Commission, January 2008, and the Phare program.

[5] Luca, Ana Maria Luca. ‘Romania: Long-Distance Families’, Transitions Online, 26 April 2007.

[6] http://www.mediafax.ro/engleza/eu-trims-romania-2008-wage-growth-to-10-4-from-12-2.html?6966;2592377

[7] For suggestions on a basis for multiculturalism in Romania, see Rogbete, Silviu E., „Some Reflections on Religion and Multiculturalism in Romania: Towards a Reappraisal of the Grammar of Traditions,” Romanian Journal of Political Science, 35-55.

[8] The alternative community is the church – in the world but not of the world – that imagines, proclaims and lives a different vision of humanity, society and the cosmos, which flows from life with God, not from the state or other dominant communities.

[9] Johnstone, Patrick and Jason Mandryk, Operation World, 51.

Discipleship

by Katy Daniels

We were at church one Sunday, just milling around at the end of the service as you do, chatting to people and just watching. A few of the kids from our centre were there that day and I found myself tuning into the conversation one of our girls was having. She was talking to a lady in a wheelchair who as far as I could tell she did not know. She was wearing a small scarf that day and the lady in wheelchair made some comment about how pretty it was. Not much unusual about that but her response was a challenging one. Rather than thank her for the compliment she simply took the scarf off and gave it to this lady. If I had been in her shoes I would probably find myself accepting the compliment and I expect would have gone on to elaborate as to where I got it or tell her who had given it to me. Taking it off and giving it to her would probably never have even entered my head despite the fact that I could guarantee that I would have had another one if not another few in my cupboard at home. Yet this little girl, who was about 9yrs old didn't even seem to hesitate to think about what she was doing, it appeared as natural a reaction to her as my reponse with where I got the scarf would have been.

Elizabeth Day at the Beggars' Society

Reflections on Galati