KTF Weekly Newsletter: Life after Guantanamo, Stately Slavery, Holy Evictions
Hi all,
Some of you probably heard that there was a tragic, deadly fire in the Bronx this week that claimed 19 lives, and upended many more. Jonathan posted where you can Venmo a local pastor with money to help out the victims, as well as places to drop off clothing and other supplies if you happen to be in New York City. We know some of you have already given, which we really appreciate. Thanks in advance for anything the rest of you can do!
And now, here are this week’s highlights to help us in our discipleship and political education as we seek to leave colonized faith for the kingdom of God.
Sy’s recommendations:
For most of us, loving our neighbors as ourselves the last two years has been harder than ever before. The temptation to let go of cautionary measures is high, particularly when the main media talking points on the Omicron variant are that its symptoms are milder and that people who got shots are well protected from its worst effects. But an Atlantic article from Friday is a really helpful crash course in how much strain Omicron is actually putting on the healthcare system. Moreover, the article illustrates how the cumulative pressure of all the COVID waves has affected healthcare workers and hospitals. The situation is not good. The article quotes one doctor as saying “I don’t think people will realize what’s happening until we fall off that cliff—until you call 911 and no one comes ...” So be careful out there, and not just for yourself!
The United States opened the military prison at Guantanamo Bay 20 years ago last Saturday. It detained 780 men, charging very few of them. Only 27 remain. So what happened to the hundreds who were released after years of psychological torture, beatings, and fruitless interrogation? Last week, The Washington Post published a heartbreaking and infuriating story of a few of these men. Resettled in countries not their own, refused travel, closely monitored, questioned and even assaulted by local police, and cut off from many friends and family, they live in isolation, anger, resignation, and fear. And it’s all because they can’t shake the stigma resulting from the fact that America once called them terrorists. On full, tragic display here is the inhumanity of decisions made by leader after leader during the War on Terror for the sake of projecting power, conceding no mistakes, and maintaining a false feeling of safety.
I usually don’t give you two articles from the same publications in one newsletter, but this recommendation demands an exception. Some enterprising reporters at the Washington Post put together an interactive database of the US Senators and Congresspeople who owned slaves (because apparently nobody had collected that information previously). It has about 1700 politicians, and that only counts those for whom there are clear records of their slave owning. The 1700 include some who supported abolition, a few from states where slavery was illegal, and the first female senator. It’s a remarkable resource for learning about the pervasiveness of slavery in US history, so often downplayed by those who idolize the country.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
It’s not my usual practice to recommend tweets here, but this thread from Kurt Rietema is well worth it. The thread is a response to comments made by popular Christian financial advisor Dave Ramsey who abdicates responsibility for raising rent on tenants who are unable to pay market rate. When I first encountered Ramsey and his Financial Peace University, it was to get on the same page with my wife about our finances. We needed common language to engage across our very different cultures. What I didn’t know is that Ramsey uses financial stability as a pretext to acculturate his followers into the type of greed and accumulation mindset that is socially acceptable in America but ultimately idolatrous. Market forces are not the same as the wind of the Holy Spirit. Our Christian ethics don’t change with the bulls and bears of the US economy. Rietema said, “time and time again, good 'nice guys’ who look just like me innocently purchase investment properties that make them rich, but never create wealth for the people who really need it. Let's create a world where everyone has their own vine and fig tree.” I want to accept that invitation and I hope you will too.
This Frontline documentary called Putin’s Way was released in 2015. It gives helpful background, context, and orientation to Vladimir Putin as a leader, his rise to power, and his perspective on The West. This knowledge is essential for a number of reasons, but it’s particularly pertinent for present-day geopolitical challenges. There are 100,000 Russian troops amassed at the border of Ukraine with negotiations ongoing to deescalate the conflict. Moreover, last week, Russia sent more than 2000 troops into Kazakhstan to suppress resistance to that nation’s authoritarian regime with no exit date. Increasing our awareness and understanding of Putin’s actual history and motivations prevents us from grafting our usual narratives of American exceptionalism and Russia’s innate evil onto the situation and acting in misguided ways.
Content warning for discussion of sexual abuse. Cover Story is New York Magazine’s first investigative podcast. In season one, they dive into the world of the movement to promote and legalize psychedelics through the lives of those who have suffered rampant sexual abuse and other ethics violations at the hands of psychedelic-friendly shamans, therapists, and “guides.” Leaders in the movement have hidden this harsh reality in exchange for profits and prominence. Seeing the rising legalization of marijuana and the accompanying revenue for industry leaders, those involved with psychedelics hope the same will happen for ayahuasca and the like. What is striking for me is not the problems endemic in their community. It is the common thread of abuse that accompanies spiritual authority, as the leaders within that community exploit those who trust them for pleasure. This along with the impunity of those at fault is reminiscent of what we so often see in the Church. My hope in recommending this resource is not to promote judgment against the psychedelic community, but to call us to reflect, lament, and repent of patterns that prioritize people in power and dismiss victims of abuse.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week!
The KTF team