Sunday 13 June 2021

Can there be a message of unity when we do not imply uniformity

The other day I attended a lecture through the auspices of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars. I hope the site will eventually contain the lecture from Dr. Stephen Lim of Ming Hua Theological College in Hong Kong on Teaching in context.

It was an excellent lecture on the general subject of Dismantling whiteness. I noted several issues that he touched on that allow those with the 'power of discursive capacity' to avoid real change and even 'enable-and-ignore' the impetus to change.

He used the phrase 'spread the message'. My question was what message, what context and content? 

He noted that his work felt as if it was a 'lonely endeavour'. He has considerable background outside of theology, his third degree. He is also a cellist - I am so pleased that music informs him. He spoke of 'colonized space', 'punishment' - I wrote a note hoping that this is not a part of the message, but rather  'critique, correction, and consequences'. 

In the area of 'classroom as context', and 'systems and tradition', he spoke of the difficulty of allowing 'students to find their own voice'. He said 'we cannot change minds - but we can rearrange desires'. He spoke of the 'teacher as fellow-traveler'.

Just now, I had an insight based on Psalms 9, that we do have a message that can lead to unity and not imply uniformity. It is in the Tanach. And I think we need it. I won't repeat myself here because I am in conversation, I hope not 'lonely', here at the site beautifully named 'in a spacious place'.



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