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Showing posts from December, 2009

Are we response-able?

Are we response-able? I just read an article in the journal "Pediatrics" that documented the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (Chlamydia, Herpes, Gonorrhea, HPV, Trichimonas) in young women between the ages of 14 and 19. The study was a little small (about 600 girls studied), but its results are consistent with other epidemiologic information over the past 2 years. The study showed that 1 in 4 sexually active young women have a sexually transmitted infection. The study also showed that when looking at sexually active African-American young women, the rate of infection rises to nearly 44%. This study did not look at the lifetime incidence of infections, but only took a snapshot to ask "how many have current infections". The largest percentage of the infections was due to HPV. This study did not even include HIV or the surprisingly resilient Syphillis. Interestingly, of the young women who have had a single partner in life, the percentage was still n
The Emporer's Clothes I have been reading Jonathan's Walton's fantastic social critique: "Watch this: the ethics and aesthetics of Black televangelists". The book is a socio-historical look at the rise of the African American religious broadcasters. Its an interesting look at faith, tradition, and more importantly, the syncretic melding of American values over and above theological traditions. This book is worth reading because it helps to explain the ministry paradigms of some of the most famous African American televangelists, such as Bishop T.D. Jakes, Pastor Creflo Dollar, and Bishop Eddie Long. These leaders did not suddenly appear, but are the end of a long continuim of African American ministers who used media to proclaim their message. After reflection, I guess what makes me tremble is that these ministers wield incredible influence, not only on their followers, but upon the our concept of ministry health and ministry outcome. I am not trying to say

Tradegy and Comedy

Tradegy and Comedy Nearly two weeks ago, my wife, son, and I went to see the movie "Precious" at the movie theatre. The movie is about an abused, morbidly obese African-American young women who endures incredible suffering in her life journey. The filming is purposely raw and the imagines are beyond imagination. The realism of the sadistic treatments along with the invisibility and powerlessness of poverty is overwhelming. What struck me most in this film was not the acting or the directing (although both were top-notch). What bothered me most was the response of the audience. Throughout the movie, you are exposed to some of the most disturbing portraits of abuse. There is abusive language, abusive physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and even the abusive use of food (force feeding alternating with deprivation). The purpose of this collage of violence was to give you a true sense of the abuse that the main character (Precious) had experienced. Mo