This article was first published in eMessenger in October 2019.
The Methodist Alliance Forum is being held on 8th & 9th November at the Strand, Wesley Rātā Village, Naenae, Wellington and welcome both members and nonmembers of the Methodist Alliance to attend and share with us at the Forum.
With the theme of Racial Methodism – Radical Change, I have been thinking about what being radical is. Radical means affecting the fundamental nature of something, far reaching or thorough; it also means advocating for a thorough political or social change.
Jesus was a radical social activist. He preached a gospel of revolution; he challenged authority, challenged accepted values and the status quo, challenged injustice, overturned social norms, and he undermined the establishment – both the government and the church. He was a troublemaker and a dissident. Frankly, Jesus was a subversive. He turned religious teachings on its head challenging the “eye for an eye” form of justice to one of turning the other cheek. And his followers would have been described as being radicalised today.
Jesus challenged society’s cultural attitudes and hung out with the wrong crowd – he mixed with socially marginalised and totally unsuitable people. This reminds me of Lifewise’s Big Sleepout which raises awareness of homelessness with people giving up their creature comforts and spending one night on cold concrete getting an insight into what life is like sleeping rough. Participants have the opportunity to meet with inspiring people who have survived and escaped homelessness.
It also reminds me of Housing First which provides direct access to permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness and provides wrap around services to support successful tenancies. This model recognises that it is easier for people to address issues such as mental health and substance use once they are housed.
Reference: Sam Tsemberis, Founder, Pathways to Housing, https://www.housingfirst.co.nz/housing-first
That is pretty radical. It is in contrast to other models where housing is conditional and require individuals to comply with mental health programmes or to abstain from substance abuse to qualify for housing.
Methodist Alliance members, Lifewise and Christchurch Methodist Mission are both providing Housing First and believe that permanent, secure, appropriate, safe housing is a basic human right for everyone. It is about ending homelessness, not managing it.
John Wesley was labelled a radical and he fought for social issues including prison reform, universal education, the abolition of slavery, rights for the poor, and as a vegetarian, he even argued for animal rights at a time when such thinking was unheard of. The last time Wesley preached at Oxford University in 1744, he upset his audience by asking,
“Let me ask you then, in tender love, and in the spirit of meekness, Is this city a Christian city? Is Christianity, scriptural Christianity, found here?”
His preaching was so exuberant and enthusiastic that it alienated the established Anglican church and resulted in him being banned from many churches in London and across England. So, in contrast to the ordered religion of the day, Wesley often preached in fields and to large crowds of the working classes. This brought him even more reproach as Wesley was considered a traitor to his class. Giving the masses spiritual hope was considered dangerous in a world where literacy was restricted to the elite. Wesley was concerned with people’s physical welfare as well as their spiritual welfare. He considered that doing good to others was evidence of inner conviction and an outward sign of inner grace. Wesley used funds raised from his publications to set up charities including free medical care, houses for the poor, elderly widows and their children, schools, orphanages, and funding small loans for the poor like today’s microloans. Also controversial was John Wesley’s use of lay preachers and allowing women to preach.
Radicals believe that there should be great changes in society and try to bring about these changes. Radicals believe in the inherent dignity of every person and their ability to change. I am looking forward to hearing the inspiring stories of radical change by everyday people at the Forum. These people have turned their lives around with the support, encouragement and awhi of the skilled, experienced staff and volunteers that work for members of the Methodist Alliance.
The Forum will be a time to challenge the status quo, accepted values, injustice, social norms, and the establishment. The Forum will be a time for giving voice to those who do not have a voice. To think creatively and critically. To consider how we are meeting our obligations to the bi-cultural journey. To clarify collective action for radical change. It is time to cast off the traditional kiwi apathy and work for significant transformation.
Carol Barron, Methodist Alliance National Coordinator
Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
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