Talking about theology over a beverage or two (and perhaps some noshes) is one of my favorite things to do. I am looking forward to Wine & Theology, the Family Life Small Group that will begin on Friday evenings in March, and I’ve reviewed the sign-up sheet with some excitement. I know that the participants are a theologically diverse crowd. On the spectrum from orthodox to heretical, you hold a blessedly wide variety of opinions, and we hope that all these great different opinions will come out to play in a safe and loving environment when we meet. But in other ways we are less diverse, as is typical of the MPC community. The participants who have registered are overwhelmingly Caucasian, heterosexual, and in the 55-70ish age range. Although that is typical of MPC, and although I’ve heard some of us lovingly called “a bunch of OWLs” – Old White Ladies – I’m dreaming of better.
When we do theology together, our similarities become problems. Racial, sexual, and generational privilege will place more than a few blind spots in our way. Too often we see a “default” context for thinking about God represented by those who are white, straight, cis-gendered, able-bodied and -minded, well employed, well educated, well housed (and on and on)… and we see other people’s experiences as variations on the default theme. But in fact there is no “default” setting for humanity: white is a color, after all, and being able-bodied is a privilege not to be taken for granted. And meanwhile we worship a Christ who was famous for transgressing boundaries, who chose to identify as “servant/slave” in a time where slaveholding was common practice, and who created a stir for spending time with people on the margins of society.
So even though registration is closed, I’m sending out one last call. Wine and Theology is looking for more of the voices traditionally less amplified in society. We have enough women, men, white people, and people older than 55. We need younger voices, people of color and/or immigrants from other countries, and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. We will not expect you to “speak for” your demographic or do extra work to explain your context. But we would be grateful for the way your presence might enrich our conversation and our fellowship. I will also be working to be sure that the authors we read or videos we watch come from a diverse background as well.
Our church, the PC(USA), has had a long-standing commitment to diversity, and though at times it seems an empty token, at best it should be a strong counter-measure against the way our society amplifies some voices and muffles others. Let’s hope that MPC can stand for diversity and inclusion, and become a brighter and more welcoming place in the process.
Every Blessing,
Talitha