“Change will have to come from outside, from the margins. The desert, not the temple, gave us the prophets.”
Wendell Berry

Where do I stand?

I totally love this quote that I read this week. There is a sense in so many that there is the cry coming from the margins. I have blogged before about how God loves the margins and how we need to learn to dwell in that place just like Jesus did. The sense that the main story would be written in the margins and not on the main page. That there would be a shift of focus from the gathered to the marginalised. This quote confirms what many of us know or have felt, that change would have to come from the margins. That place of the desert and not the construct or temple. The scattered would be the true gatherers because they would not gather for ownership but for the blessing of the other. That gatherings would become scatterings or sendings. A permissioning would be recognised in following all of our dreams and not one man’s vision. Life would be central and not the coming together. People equipped for life and not church stuff. As marginalised one’s ourselves we align with the marginalised. Some have chosen to live in this place while others have fell into by no choice of their own. Some have run away and found themselves here others have run towards. Many recognise they are broken and yet more complete than ever. Yet we have to learn from history because it is so easy to create a new centre around the marginalised. A new construct. History cannot repeat itself again, and yet the natural inclination seems to be to create an organisation around an organism. The pull of empire is so strong. The temptation to create structure is within us all. I think in the walk ahead this is where we need to be acountable to one another in relationship. Have others around us who will be honest enough to say to us ‘be careful what you are creating. Empire is strong and you need to get out of there.’

Where am I standing?

This quote did raise a couple of interesting quotes and questions from friends. Joanna Storie living in Latvia said, ‘I think it depends what you consider the margins and what you consider the centre.’  Mick Smith from Essex asked, ‘Not sure whether I am in the centre or on the margin! Is that good or bad?’  What are the margins and what is the centre? Of course perspective always comes in to this again. When we look at a map of the world (here in the U.K.) we see Britain at the centre and everything else to the right and left of Britian. We are the centre of the universe in our eyes. This is probably from the days of Empire when we truly were the centre of the world. A friend who is a pastor (yes I do have a couple ), David Jones from Tonypandy, went to live in Australia for a while. He said one of the things that struck him was the maps of the world in Australia that had Australia at the centre and everything flowing right and left form there. Centre was a sense of perspective, where I am, where I live. Everything revolves around me. I think that is the sense of centre and empire. Me. We can dwell  in a life outside the construct and yet shift the centre to where I am. Empire then follows us and before long we will create a new centre. Centre seems to be an attitude and not a position. We can never go to church and yet be an empire builder. To be a margin dweller it has always got to be about the other. Jesus emptied himself or divested himself to come to earth. This is the only way we can remain as margin dwellers by emptying ourselves. This is easier said than done let us not pretend and be all super spiritual. This,’ it’s all about you Jesus’ stuff is great in theory but the practice is so hard. Why? Because the empire is always fighting back. There seems to be a pendulum through-out history that keeps swinging back to centre. Ask Wesley, Booth, Roberts and many others who lived for the margins. When they look down today (or from wherever they are) what do they see? Everything brought back to centre, organised, structure. The chain of history needs to be broken once and for all but it will not just be for the brave, it will be for the self-less, the broken, the weak. Those who can always give away and not keep for themselves. Only then will the margins be redeemed for others and not for the centre.

Defining Moments

As we close for this week here are a few more friends quotes, all trying to see what is centre and what is margin. How do you see it? Can we really dwell in margins without tainting them? Can we bring life and healing to the marginalised without centralising them? Can we let life be an organism without organisation? Let us encourage one another, and even more so as the day approaches, to lay hands on but keep hands off. To be a voice but not a director or dictator. To gather but send and release. To love but not to smother. To cover with love but not control. There has to be a new day where an ever growing movement of people remains an ever growing movement of people. Unorganised but focused. Spontaneous and yet life giving. Undefined and yet seen as people of the Way. Dwellers of the margins and yet the apple of His eye, the centre of His focus. Bringing change from the desert and yet remaining a margin minded people. The day of empire must end.

Alan Rees “I would define the ‘centre’ as the place of crowds and popularity. Where everyone applauds every word, all the books are sold, and the DVDs in demand (!). Where the money is, basically (if harshly). The margins are where issues are dealt with in life realities. Where the people are who do not seek a quick fix, but are there for the long haul. I am being over simplistic – but that’s me!”

Caitriona Dalton “to me, the centre is the organised, structured system and the margins are outside that, experiencing God in such a free way in life and in every person with Holy Spirit only leading the flow.”

Jane Almond  ”I am a peregrinati, off the known map. Others want to be safe and that’s ok. I’d rather be free. For me, the centre is empire that contains all you’ve mentioned and more. Recommend The Critical Journey by Janet Hagberg and Falling Upward by Richard Rohr. Both helpful to understanding the journey out to the margins… Follow the wild goose! Honk, honk!”