I’m coming off of 3 full days of leading some planning meetings, a couple of which extended in the evenings so today is a recovery day of sorts for me. But there are some thoughts I wanted to try to get down in written form before I lose them. I’ve been fixated on one idea the last 24 hours that has been gripping me.I’ve been thinking through contextualization a lot the last few weeks because it’s a vital part of ministry in an ethnic minority context. In a ministry sense it is adapting and shaping strategies and methodologies to resonate with the intended audience rather than the originating culture, viewpoint, or worldview.But the very phrase “ethnic minority” maybe points us to a place in which we must expand our view of contextualization to include the dynamic and reality of minority marginalization. I’ve been thinking about my own ministry as well as probably a lot of church contexts and I think there is an ever increasing attention to contextualization as it relates to culture and ethnicity. This is a good thing. Actually, it’s a great thing that culture is finally starting to be recognized as a vital and integrative element of identity.But I think I’m starting to see that at least in a lot of the evangelical settings I am in, while there are great efforts to contextualize various things so that ministry can be fruitful and successful, there is something missing. There might be greater awareness of how people are “different”, but the power dynamics don’t change.I’ll stick my neck out here and assert that I think the dynamic of marginalization is a giant blind spot for my ministry and I think for the evangelical world. I’m not saying that in an overly critical manner because this issue is bigger than any one ministry or organization. Evangelicalism is a slave at times to pragmatism and that fuels at times an over-focus on finding things that “work.” I sense a drive to contextualize so that ministry and the tools developed can “work” in a different context – so one culture can adapt to see results in a different culture. This isn’t all bad, but when it doesn’t include an awareness of power and marginalization you still have a big problem. My teammates Margaret Yu and Steve Hong among others have helped me immensely in recognizing more of these themes as have many of my readings over the past couple years (Most notably Brueggemann and Friedman).I’m in a very new stream of thought in some of these things so maybe some of this comes off cryptic or ambiguous, but I’m thinking more and more about how ministries (or organizations) can adapt things to be more sensitive or effective culturally speaking but totally fail in the effort to reverse the deep seated experience of marginalization that most ethnic minorities experience. The book I’m reading currently, “Making Room for Leadership” by MaryKate Morse is providing great opportunity for further reflection in these areas.In Texts That Linger, Words That Explode, Brueggemann writes,
“It is only the dominant community or those allied with and amenable to the dominant community, that does not need to work intensely or intentionally to socialize its young into its vision of reality….”The dominant community nurtures its young into the habits of privilege, certitude, and domination, and the young, wisely and without reflection, receive their inheritance of privilege, certitude, and domination.” (pg. 59)
When I think about ministries who are wanting to be fruitful in our changing world and amidst the great diversity that exists everywhere, not only do we have to address the cultural differences and values that are unique to different ethnicities, but we have to address power and marginalization. And as Brueggemann highlights above, the dominant culture is instinctively uncritical in this area because there is no reason from a self-interest standpoint to change.Curious what some of my “EPIC” friends others who are part of an ethnic minority group out there who occasionally read this blog think about this. What would you add? Do you agree that this is an issue? I want to continue to seek understanding in this area and think about it’s implications for leadership.If you are intrigued by this stream of thought, you might want to check out this post on dominant culture privilege by a new blog friend of mine – Stephanie at http://www.infinitequeso.com. It gives some great examples of white privilege in American culture and ways in which many experience marginalization.