Reyes Gibbs Blog

DMin or Demon or DocMin

This year I complete all my course work for my Doctorate in Ministry in Parish Revitalization at McCormick.  I should have graduated this May but took a year off for health reasons.    Now I am catching up so by the end of the summer I will have finished four classes (one week in Indianapolis and the others in Chicago)  I have been blessed to serve the faith community of Bethel in San Leandro who is accompanying and supporting me on the journey and the subject of my thesis.

Now this thesis is just 40 pages.   So far I have 60+ books on my shelf on parish revitalization.    This is not a Doctorate that requires a 300 page doctoral thesis.  That is why I picked McCormick.   My colleague the Rev. Dr. Barbara received her DMin this may with a thesis just about 300 pages!! Her thesis was about responding to fundamentalism. 

When this thesis is being reviewed and challenged it has to bring up something new that another pastor or church can use with respect to parish revitalization.   Sort of reinventing the wheel with different words.
The challenge for me is to write the #!%?* thing.   I sit in front of a book and read and take notes and then I get to the computer and sentences don't come out.   I've tried outlining, picking only three things that I'll write about and then nothing.  So I think that the DMin and become my "demon."   My thesis is about a process of Visioning using provocative questions (see past posts).  This process is one that Bethel just completed the first phase and has more work to do.  I could talk about this for hours and I am excited about the potential for change and a new vision for Bethel.   But write it down!  So this morning, I've decided to tackle my "demons" and write a different way suggested by the Rev. Dr. Barbara through her husband the Rev. Dr. Mark.  So far it has been helpful it involves going through my 60 books again and categorizing my notes (If only I had done this two years ago!) Although the process for this morning seems doable and I am hopeful,  I know that my propensity to be a bit of a procastinator plus throw in a bit of laziness, distractions of good books and television, naps, responsibilities of work and famly, I don't anticipate finishing this thesis until the end of time but the school for some reason wants it done before I graduate!!  Oh well, back to the books!  Pray for my demons!

If I ignore you, you don't exist

While driving in Chicago and Berkeley recently, I realized that there is a new way to violate my right of way and rudely push your way into my lane.  The new way, ignore me, pretend I don't exist and then just turn in front of me or crowd in front of the line.    It's truly amazing how often this happens whether I am a passenger or driving, I know that if the person ignores me that I'd better back off or I may get hit, so ignoring me gets them where they want to be.

I suppose its the same as ignoring the dishes, if I ignore them then it won't bother me that they stack up.  If I ignore the mess on my desk, then I don't have to work.  If I ignore the driver next to me, then I know I have all the room to maneuver, make turns and generally have command of the roadway.   

Is ignore any relation to ignorance?   Oh well, my rant for the day!!

What's your nationality?

Today I had to visit an Opthomalogist at the request of my optometrist.  (I should get points for using four-plus syllable words in one sentece!)   I had an appoinment at 8:30AM and did not leave the office until 11:30.   Before I saw the opthomalogist, I filled out papers, went through two different screenings with two different assistants and sat in a room a long time waiting for my eyes to dilate. One of the screenings involved numbing my eyes and the assistant poking some stick in the middle of my eyeball. (so maybe it wasn't a stick but from my vantage point it was huge!)   It was unnerving to say the least.   I finally saw the doctor around 10:30 and she proceeded to interview me.  One of her first questions were, "what's your nationality?"   

Immediately, in my head I went through the educational process I thought I should say "American" even though I knew that's not what she wanted to hear.  Then I thought I'd mess with her and give her the appropriate language to use instead, "What is your enthnicity?"  But I just said, "Filipino American" 

She apologized for asking as if I was offended and explained that she had to ask because one's "nationalilty" may have some affect on the eye health.  So then I thought, Well, The eyes of citizens of America do see things differently than say, those who are citizens of Nicauragua, citizens of Mexico, citizens of Iraq....get my point....  But of course that's not what she really meant.

After all the probing, focusing my eyes on green dots, bright hurtful lights, and  moving targets, the diagnoses is that I have glaucoma in both eyes.   The treatment is nightly drops in my eyes and back in a month!

A Level Playing Field

I am in Chicago taking a Doctor of Ministry Class, "Culturally Attentive Leadership."   Reading has been interesting, lectures have not been boring, and the folks in my group are all people of faith.   Learning about  managing conflict, understanding different cultures, and leadership has been interesting.   Today we did an exercise that Dr. Choy led called "The Level Playing Field."   Most folks of color have done this exercise where we all start out in one line and then the leader says, "If your parents weren't born in this country take one step back."  or "If you inherited money from your family take one step forward."   We started in one line holding hands.  As Dr. Choy read more "if" statements around race and privilege, and our steps made the gap between each of us wider, holding hands was not an option.   I ended up outside the room with two of my brothers of color.   The persons in the front ahead of us all were not of color (okay so white is a color).   This exercise brought up feelings from each one of us. Some didn't want to let go of the hands they held.  Others didn't like the way the "if" statements were designed.    I was saddened that the questions were about our past that will never leave folks like me.   So what does that say for the future generations.  If my children did this exercise, they would not have ended outside the room but they would be close to the back because their parents both graduated from high school and have college degrees and their parents were born in this country.  One of the "if" statements was "If you have ever been followed around in a store while shopping take a step back."  I had to take a step back.   I remembered that I was in a Christian book store looking for just the right gift for someone when I noticed that someone was following me pretending to straighten out shelves or look at books.  To test him I started just meandering around the book store, picking up a book and putting it down, touching some figurine, etc.  When he realized that I was playing with him, he came up and asked me if I was looking for something in particular.   I said no and walked out and never went back.

This exercise brought back experiences I had chosen to forget.  The purpose of the exercise was to remind us that there are gaps between us and we need to work hard at filling the gaps. There is no such thing as a level playing field for people of color, women, gay and lesbian, the poor or anyone else on the margins.   And if there are sales clerks in Christian book stores that judge me by my skin color, it seems that a level playing field may be impossible.  For the sake of my granddaughters, I hope not.

Getting in the way of the Gospel!

I just came home from a Synod event to learn about another way of making decisions, instead of Robert's Rules of Order use consensus building.    What stood out in the conversations and questions was was the fear from some folks that they won't get there way in the church if we allow all voices to be part of the decision making.

Consensus decisionmaking is intentional in ensuring that all voices are heard and that when a decision is made it is done by the whole body.  No one person "wins."    In one of my past posts about "demonic individualism" in American, winning is everything for individuals.  This pursuit of winning fractures communities, especially communities of faith.   

I sat next to a person ("the man") during this gathering.  We were supposed to share what we heard about leadership and our call to be leaders in times of  decisionmaking.   Some of the values were that leaders were to be open minded and to "not know" all the answers but learn along with the rest of their peers, to know who we are as leaders (our own values).  There was a bunch of other stuff but it was late and I wasn't concentrating too well.   So I sat in this meeting, already telling myself that I would not participate (there were two women of color in the group, I was one)  I let my other brothers and sisters share what they got out of the presentation on leadership.  For some reason, the discussion went to the question of what are our values.  Not as leaders but as an individual. The other woman of color and I just kept looking at each other when folks spoke not saying a word.   My short patience fuse started and I had to speak.  So I summarized the discussion, that the values of a leaders are those about the community we are leading, honesty, open-minded and open-hearted discussion, care, community building...etc.   

"The man" then questioned me about my values, where did I get them?  what are they?   So as nicely as could put it I reitrerated the values of leadership that I value.  He kept pushing, and said but where do you get them?

I replied, "its in my DNA and my faith in JC as Lord and Savior (I threw that in because I knew what he wanted)  He said, "finally someone said it!" He then went on to say that that is what's important not all this other stuff about leadership.    Then I went on to tell him that my values were not the same as his because he was  a privileged white male who sees the church and the world from a different perspective as I do, a woman of color!  I went on to tell him that in our leadership styles, we would probably collide at an intersection because we have different values of  "red" and "green."    He was not happy!   And of course he wasn't the only one in the room that had this type of perspective.  At that point, he stopped listening to me!

More and more folks at this gathering kept raising questions about values and it really was about the gay and lesbian issue for the church.   Some folks are "afraid" that we will ordain our  gay and lesbian siblings in Christ.   Our presenter said, "if church procedures get in the way of the Gospel we should change the procedures."  or something like that.  A man asked, "what do you mean, "get in the way of the Gospel"  He wanted an illustration.   I figured I understood why couldn't he.   My friend, leaned over and said, he wants her to say somethiing specific to our debate of ordination of gays and lesbians and our presenter didn't give him an illustration.  She just kept saying, If procedures get in the way of the Gospel, the procedures need be changed.

It is unfortunate that when we speak of Christ, we say "Jesus loves me, Yes he does."  When we speak of the PCUSA we say "Jesus loves just those we consider worthy!"   I believe that some churches of the PCUSA gets in the way of the Gospel.   The Gospel of our Redemption in the life and death of Jesus Christ and the God's unearned grace to be loved no matter what!!    When I say some churches, it is those churches who want everyone to fit a certain model of Christian without acknowledging that we live in diverse, unique and multi-cultural communities all who love Christ.   I think they get in the way of the Gospel!   But they probably think the same about me!!!  Oh well, I'll keep praying for them!

Read Bruce's Blog http://www.reyes-chow.com on why leaving the PCUSA might be a good idea.   

A Different Perspective

 I got the following from my email and thought it said it all about issues that polarize us!!  Think about this story as we argue in the church of who is in and who is out and when we try to justify why we are right  or best.
Have a blessed day!

 

My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and
I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone
at a nearby table.

My wife asked, "Do you know her?"

"Yes," I sighed.  "She's my old girlfriend.  I understand she took to
drinking right after we split up those many years ago and I hear
she hasn't been sober since."

"My God!" said my wife.  "Who would think a person could go on
celebrating that long?"

So you see, there really are two ways to look at everything.

Cinco De Mayo

Bethel has a ministry partnership with Primera Iglesia Presbiterian Hispana in Oakland.  This ministry attempts to share cultures with each other.   At Primera the cultures come from Mexico and the many countries of Central America.  At Bethel, we too share many cultures from China, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Mexico and the smorgasborg of cultures that Europe brought to our shores. Our other cultures relates to class, economics and education.   At Bethel, we all speak English.  A few are bilingual.   Only three or four speak Spanish learned from classes or living in Mexico for a time.  This is what makes this ministry so rich.   In addition to our English or Spanish classes, the communities have intentionally planned events together (See past blog "A story in another language." Most recently, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Bethel.  Heres the history behind Cinco de Mayo.  This explanation was handed out to the folks from Latin America who were not famliar with the history of Cinco de Mayo.  I know its in Spanish but stretch yourself and pick out words you recognize.   Read the last paragraph for tools on translation.

La Batalla del Cinco de Mayo, en Puebla Por: El Aviso
No solo los mexicanos, ni los hermanos latinoamericanos influenciados por los primeros, sino que también los mexicano-americanos celebran el Cinco de Mayo, especialmente en los estados de California, Arizona, Nuevo México y Texas. Los habitantes de estos estados tuvieron una participación muy importante y contribuyeron al derrocamiento del Imperio de Maximiliano de Habsburgo (de Austria). La monarquía Imperial fue impuesta desde 1864 hasta 1867 en México por Napoleón III Emperador de Francia (sobrino de Napoleón Bonaparte) y por el grupo conservador mexicano del llamado "Club de Notables". 

He aquí un breve resumen de este hecho que en realidad es un "trozo de la historia". México adquirió su independencia de España en 1821, después de tres largos siglos de dominio colonial. Sin embargo, muchos grupos trataron de apoderarse de la nueva república y trataron de hacerla dependiente de nuevo.

Como resultado de la guerra entre México y EEUU de 1846-1848, varias naciones europeas trataron de influir a México, entre las mas interesadas estaba Francia. A comienzo de 1860, los franceses dirigidos por Napoleón III, decidieron engrandecer su imperio con la inclusión de la República de México. Con la ayuda del Partido Conservador Mexicano, el ejército francés invadió a México en 1862.

Los franceses erróneamente creyeron que los mexicanos no resistirían sus ambiciones imperialistas, dado la desigualdad que existia entre las fuerzas militares de ambos países. Sin embargo, el presidente mexicano Benito Juárez animó a sus compatriotas y declaró que México defendería su patria hasta la muerte.   En 1862, los valientes soldados mexicanos, dirigidos por el general Ignacio Zaragoza sorprendieron a las poderosas tropas franceses en la ciudad de Puebla (al este de la ciudad de México) con una victoria retumbante que ocurrió el cinco de Mayo.

La Batalla de Puebla simboliza el espíritu de lucha y el amor a la independencia que caracteriza el pueblo mexicano. Como resultado de esta batalla los franceses se organizaron, trayendo mas soldados y por fin ocuparon la ciudad de México, e instalando a Maximiliano y Carlota como emperadores mexicanos.
El presidente Juárez, considerado como uno de los héroes más destacados en la historia de México, continuó la lucha y pudo conseguir bastante apoyo del presiden nstante y costosa y se retiraron de México. Maximiliano decidió permanecer en México y luego fue capturado y ejecutado por el ejército mexicano.

Para las personas de herencia mexicana que reside en los EEUU, el Cinco de Mayo ha llegado a representar la lucha para defender sus derechos y auto-determinación aún cuando el camino hacia el futuro se mira sumamente difícil. Es interesante notar que el Cinco de Mayo es más festejado en EEUU que en México y se ha convertido en una celebración chicana/méxico-americana. Estas celebraciones comenzaron en California durante la década turbulenta de los 60's cuando chicanos jóvenes buscaban reafirmar sus raíces.

So there you have it.  If you need a translation, please email  Pastor Pablo at the church piph@sbcglobal.net .   It was a great celebration with Mariachi's, a Christian Rock Band who sang in English and Spanish.  Primera made papusas & tamales El Salvador style and tamales Gutamala style.  Delicioso!!!(I learned this from Dora!)  Bethel provided pizza!!! (We do this for the children who love pizza!) Jumping Houses for the girls (hello kitty) and one for the boys (The Hulk).  It was a great party!  Come and join us again on August 3 at 6:30 where we will have more great food and Folklorico dancing and Bethel will provide more pizza!!!!

 

Another Birthday!

This month I celebrate my 58th birthday.   WHEW!!!   When I was 14, I thought I wouldn't live past 40!
The other day I was doing my daily meditation - reading my children's blogs!   I find out most about them this way.  I have been blessed with four birth children  and three more through marriage who come with more blessings that I can count.  They are Bruce, Robin, Deanne, Ron, Lauren, Beadle, & Kevin.  In Bruce's recent blog he writes a letter to his children.    Okay so I sobbed while reading and then I said, Me too!   He's writing a letter to his children who the oldest is 10 and the youngest is 3.   I write this for my babies who are a lot older.   Yes although the oldest is 40 and the youngest 21, they are all my babies (birth or not!).

At  58 my thoughts of the future are much more complicated than they were when I  was 19. At nineteen, I had a baby and just wanted to make sure I had money for rent!I had not time nor awareness of justice issues or had cares for the needs of the world.    From that time to now, God and I have had a journey!    When my children were younger and wanted to know what to get me for a present, I always say, "Happy Children!"  I still want that but more now  I want them to help with world peace!    I want them to find a cure for MS, Parkinsons, Cancer  and the list  goes on.  I want them to make child abuse and all that goes with that term to become as extinct as the "dodo" bird.  Okay so its a lot to ask!   So keep that in mind that there is a world out there hungry for my children as well as all childdren to make a difference in what matters.   Here's my letter, a reminder to me, what a blessing Bruce, Robin, Deanne, Ron, Lauren, Beadle and Kevin are to me which includes their friends and their families. 

My dear children:

As I write this letter, I pray that you are happy!   That each of you have talked to God today with all your hurts, joys, wants and needs!.    I want you all to make good choices.  I want each of you to know that you have made me a very proud mom and am thankful everyday that God blessed me with a beautiful and wonderful family. In the Old Testament sometimes "blessed" meant "cursed" so that is true with you!

Life with each of you has had its ups and downs as life should.  We all know where the hard parts were. Where the hurtful and hateful times were (Often I had no clue!).  I am sorry for the times that my behavior has hurt you or caused you pain. (except if it was meant to embarrass you into being a better person or to help you make better choices and grounding doesn't count!!).  I know that some of my life choices made life  complicated but look where we are now!  (I think we are in a good place!)  Why don't I just say that I am a better person because of you and your demand of me to be a better Mom and person!   

Each of you have great gifts.  I won't expound on them for fear one of you say that I favor another. (because it has been said that Bruce is the favorite but again it has been said that Deanne is the best or wait, Lauren is the one that I am most proudest or then there's Kevin who I admit I am an enabler and codependent of my baby boy and the rest of his siblings shake their head)  But really,  I love you all so much it hurts -  I have no favorites.  Okay, on some days one or two of you don't make the favorite list but it doesn't mean I don't love you!   Making the favorite list isn't too hard, a regular phone call, email, or a funny blog will do the trick!

Although, I was raised to be an American by my Filipino parents, I had no clue how Filipino I am, until I married Joel.   He pointed out major cultural intersections where we collided and I wasn't conscious of them.   Some of the things that I expected from him were because they were expected of me-like all American famlies  (My mom equated American with White!)  So yes I want your children to have in their DNA the respect for elders-  when an elder walks into a room, they stand up and give up their seat and ask if they need anything.(Okay, so for Evelyn, I had a long discussion when she was five why she had to get up from a chair so I could sit down!")  I want your children to acknowledge lolo and lola as soon as they enter our presence and when they leave they last thing they do is kisses and hugs-even if they don't want to!   I want you to raise your children with the Filipino history of respect, honor, love, and, of course, family.  Of course there are some traditions that the will have to be taught by modeling.  Like insisting to do help in the kitchen and your offer is turned down  What do you do?  No, you don't sit down and watch TV, you insist until the host/hostess capitulates and lets you do the dishes!!!   For whatever reason asking at least three times is a rule!   There are more and you all know them.   I am hopeful that in your DNA that there is a sense of what it means to be part of a community greater than yourself called to love and help each other.    I want you to remember your grandparents with all their wonderful traits! No matter how crazy they were, they loved me and you all beyond imagination.

I wrote you all a book a few years ago at Christmas and one day I'll add to it but for now, just in case, just remember!  To make good choices! You  are loved no matter what!! (which doesn't mean that I don't get angry, disappointed or stressed about your lives-I still love you)  And in this crazy and mixed up world, you will need each other as your children will need you to help make a difference!

Thank you for being who you are!

Love,
Mom

PS.  I didn't write this because Mother's Day is next Sunday!!!  But a call would be nice!

Is there a God?

At Bethel's recent Faith Encounter Session, we talked about the question, "Is there a God?"  Of course, everyone Faith Encounters attends Bethel and the question seemed pretty silly.   But...I pushed them to tell me why they believe there is a God.  The answer ranged from the origin of the sunsets, waves on the beach, and "because I know!"   As an exercise, I took out a book I used in seminary, Christine Doctrine by Shirley Guthrie and started to read the reasons why we know there is a God, as we were reading, the conversation  became dull.   All the explanations that we are taught about the existence of God as seminary students are good ways to get at the answers to  the question about God's existence but for this group of faithful people, to know about God is not to read about the pros and cons but to experience the presence of the unexplainable in light of love, mercy and compassion.   

I spoke to a woman the other day who gave me the standard response when finding out that I am a pastor, "I am spiritual and not religious.  I believe that there is something out there, you might call it God, but I am not there yet."  It was in that "yet" that opened the door for me and we started talking about the experiences in her life and wondering could it be God?   I told her that I know God exists because whenever I look back I can see God's fingerprints in my life experiences through good and bad choices and know that God is constantly holding me with every breath I take." and then I brought Jesus in, "and Jesus reveals to me who God is and what God wants from us!"  We talked more about faith communities.   I shared with her that many people have doubts about the existence of God and as we study, pray and worship together, Bethel's community is given the courage and the strength to ask the questions "Does God Exist?"  because we know God is bigger than our imagination and  God cannot fit into a defined box.   I told her  that her spiritual path can be affirmed by continuing to ask the questions about faith.     I invited to come  and join our conversations of faith at Bethel.  As I was leaving, she said, "I guess I do believe in God."   She either said this to stop me talking or perhaps she is on the journey.   Only God knows!

Can't find community? Blame it on "demonic individualism"

For my May  DMin course, "A Seminar on Culturally-Attentive Pastoral Leadership," I am reading the book, "Being Human, Race, Culture and Religion by Dwight N. Hopkins.   In the introduction, he says

Can we say a word about a healthy God-human encounter, in which each person enjoys self-love and healthy ego; in which human beings come together to found positive harmonious communities; in which women and men support and live in balance with plants, animals, and the natural elements; and in which people reflect intentionally about their high calling (which they receive from some greater force or being other than themselves) to anchor their human being with the poor and the working class?  (p.4)

His answer is "yes" but we can't because of "demonic individualism."   His definition of demonic individualism is described in three categories  1)historical amnesia, 2)instantaneous fulfillment of desire, and 3)we're number one.      Historical amnesia is when we forget to ask the questions that challenge our hearts and heads about the past, he asks among other things, "From what peoples on the West Coast and the Deep South..did we derive our national identity?  When did women become legal adults, free of fathers' and husbands' guardianship?  Why did the federal governments start utlizing ordinary citizens' tax money as welfare payments to giant corporations?  I don't think I need to explain our need for instant gratification(okay so he mentions a "plethora of gadgets to facltiate everything from cooking to sex...".). We're number one is about our country, he asks "How can the United States enter international sports event so other countries win as well?   (I can hear it now because WE want to be number one!) This book ends with:

When a society's priroties are redirected radically to alleviating the majority of its members plight through phasing out the super-elite's privileges, genuine democracy results.  In the reconfiguration of an obsessively racialized society, we develop both collective selves and unique individuality.  In this way, all people enjoy the grace of possibilities inherent in full human potential.

Our country, cities and even many families have forgotten or haven't been taught about the sense of community.   In the community described above we all care about each other's welfare and work within the community to make the community a harmonious and positive place. 

I was watching the Today show yesterday and Matt Lauer was in Bhutan in the Himalayas.   He said that this country has a GNH which is similar to our GNP in gathering statistics and measuring the success of the country.  A GNH is the country' Gross National Happiness scale compared to our Gross National Product.   He pointed out that the leadership of the country is very concerned about the satisfaction of its people.  The country works at keeping the people happy.   The concept is so intriguing that a couple of other countries are looking at Bhutan and wondering if they could apply it to theirs, Great Britain is one of the countries.  I don't know much about this program but the concept of a country caring about the quality of life for its commmunity can't be all bad.  Of course the individual in me, says, "How can this be?  What will I have to give up?   Ooops, there's that demonic individualism"

I miss the sense of community that our family had in Stockton.  Our family was part of a bigger family.  every one of my four children gained aunts, uncles, cousins, the minute we entered our Trinity Church home.   Everything was about caring about each other, "giving up" something for the community (time, money, presence.)  Our child care folks came from the church.  Our visits to hospitals, convalescent homes, and mortuaries were about church family taking their part in the care.   If there was a prayer sent out, immediately, folks would go to the person's house or bring food.   Perhaps its because my parents knew that community was essential for their survival in this country.  I remember as a little girl all the things my parents "made" me do which I now value so much and am pleased that my granddaughters are "made" to do the same thing.  I used to wonder where all these aunties and uncles came from, why did I have to give them a kiss hello and goodbye.  How come I had to see if they needed anything or serve them, I was just a kid.   My new aunties and uncles came from my mother's and father's work, Filipino club affiliations  and church.   Few of my aunties and uncles remain and I miss that.   These aunties and uncles felt responsible for  my family and me and my parents felt responsible for them.  Presents for each of us on birthdays and loans given to us and in turn my parents loaned money, cars, tools... When both my parents died there was overwhelming support from the community even when many hadn't been in contact with my parents for years.  They remembered their affiliation to the community.  An auntie recently died at the age of 95.  I went to her funeral.  The sanctuary was filled.  Many of the folks didn't really know her that well, but their parents did or their aunts or uncles did and out of respect for them, they went to the funeral. In that sanctuary there was a whole community celebrating her life by folks who had little contact with her in the last few years.   

In the community I was raised, we never forgot our parent's  history and  struggle  in this country.  Remembering that my Trinity church community started the first child care center in South Stockton, made the city put in sidewalks, and demanded that when new houses were built they would be of the same quality as those built on the "better" side of town by selling church property to a developer with those demands. In the community I was raised, we didn't buy into instant gratification-everthing was about hard work, and being number one was not as important as the status and care of the family and the community.  (of course my parents wanted all of us to get straight A's to prove that we were as good as the other "Americans")   and most importantly we understood the principles of  respect, honor and shame in our family and  community.   At that time our "individualism" was about what I do as an individual for our community NOT what I can do for "me."

So when Hopkins asks:  "Can we say a word about a healthy God-human encounter, in which each person enjoys self-love and healthy ego; in which human beings come together to found positive harmonious communities;..."   I say "Yes," and we need say lots of words to keep working on why community matters.  This book ends with:
 

When a society's priorities are redirected radically to alleviating the majority of its members plight through phasing out the super-elite's privileges, genuine democracy results.  In the reconfiguration of an obsessively racialized society, we develop both collective selves and unique individuality.  In this way, all people enjoy the grace of possibilities inherent in full human potential.