Have you ever had the chance to catch any of the YouTube videos that TED has produced from their annual conferences? "TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading." (Quote taken from the TED website.) I have seen a few, some much better than others. I wanted to draw your attention to one particular video by the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie. The title of her provocative and important presentation is The Danger of a Single Story.
Through this video Adichie essentially opens my brain and takes a bit of inventory. She points out how common it is for us to define people, either groups or individuals, in quickly generalized stereotypes. As she rightly points out, when we fall into the trap of accepting the single narrative we close ourselves off to the richness of individual complexity. There is no such thing as the "typical" Republican, Democrat, Westerner, Asian, African-American, Muslim, Presbyterian, Homosexual, single mom, Christian, impoverished or wealthy person. God has intricately and uniquely made each of us with many facets to our identities.
If we ever hope to bridge barriers of difference and separation for the benefit of the furtherance of the Gospel we must fight against the urge to buy into the single story. Every person on earth can pray the words of Psalm 139:14, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well." If truly everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made then everyone has value, worth, and benefit to bring to us all. Let not our prejudices and preconceived assumptions close us off from seeking to capture the beauty in our brothers and sisters.
Now I know from looking at my stat counter that there are a number of you out there. (Can you believe in the hundreds? That is crazy cool, thanks people!) But I'm also aware enough to know how it is when you frequent blogs. You hop on to see if the topic is interesting enough to read through the whole thing. If it is gripping enough you read it quickly then go along with your business. Admittedly in adding a video (particularly an 18-minute long video) I am significantly raising the bar. As such I am willing to bet most of you will NOT watch the video. In fact there are probably a number of you who haven't even if made it this far down the page to be reading this paragraph... I get that. While you are under no compulsion to watch the video, or read these words for that matter, I really encourage you to take the time to do so. I genuinely believe that it is valuable for us to step outside of our perspectives now and again. Be challenged. You may not agree fully with Adichie, which is fine, but let her words stir you. In the words of the author of the letter to the Hebrews, "...let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds..." (Hebrews 10:24.)
7 comments:
Love, love, love Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie!!! "Purple Hibiscus" is one of the best novels I have ever read!
O.K.
So are you trying to say that God created people to be gay?
Wow.........
First, thanks for the comment Jessica, I actually haven't read any of her stuff yet, but I hear that she has some powerfully heart wrenching works.
Chris........
Let me start with the positive... thanks for reading the blog, I appreciate your support and your wanting to grapple with your ways of looking at things by asking questions.
Let me ask you a question, did you watch the video? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt in assuming that you haven't yet. Go watch the video.
If you did watch the video I have to say I'm a bit perplexed that your only response to my post and the video was the question you just asked.
First, using your line of reasoning I would have also been saying that God created people Presbyterian, Republican, Democrat, rich, or poor. That reasoning is way off.
Second, though I personally do not believe God created people to "be gay", I do believe He loves gay people. A lot. When God looks at Jeff the homosexual I don't believe God says, "there is Jeff, the homosexual." Instead I think He says, "there is Jeff, my son who I dearly love." To leave Jeff defined merely as the homosexual is the whole point which Adichie and I are trying to combat.
We aren't always going to agree with everyone we come across, but our goal should be to try and find common ground. Though you and I may or may not agree with some of Jeff's decisions, we need to remember that Jeff is a person who is endowed with the dignity placed in him by God. As such we need to offer him respect and love in place of judgment and assumption.
Didn't think today's post was going in this direction... but I guess God knows what He is doing.
Love it.
Nice blog post...I am going to check out some of Adichie's stuff.
This post is really up my alley. Reminds me of all the bullying we are hearing about in the news. I just want to shout love your neighbor people! (Even my Republican, Aggie neighbors. Actually they are very cool so it's not even something I have to remind myself about.) What's important is the Good News and let's not get bogged down in the labels.
Thanks for all the encouragement, as well as the comments. Have a great day!!!
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