on being a pastor or politician
Written by geoff holsclaw : January 21, 2008
(no this is not about Huckabee, baptism minister for president!)
This is about local politics. This is about me. To be or not to be a politician? Based on the Long Grove public hearing I went to earlier this week, the answer is that being political is really boring. I mean really boring. Of course being a pastor, contrary to popular belief, can be pretty boring to.
You see, the land to the west (left) of our church building (which is at the bottom of the picture), is going to be developed this year. But all the home owners are really upset about having a mall in their backyards. We are also concerned, but for different reason. Should we, living missionally with our property, allow access to the mall through our property (which the developer is hounding us about), or should we, living missionally, stand with our neighbors to preserve a semblance of of a suburban oasis?
But beyond this question (and feel free to give me feedback), I really love being a pastor, but have this hidden desire (theologically driven) to be community activist. But really, both are so ordinary, unglamorous, and full of drudgery. No wonder so many become authors and academics. Much easier…
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You should work to advance voluntarism, and eschew the use of force. Is the mall receiving support from the municipality? Stand against it. Are the homeowners attempting to prevent the mall by threatening with their votes? Stand against that, too.
As a peacemaker, you might host a group which seeks to raise funds to outbid the developer and to put the land to an alternate use. If the people really don’t want a mall there, they should buy the land and do something else with it themselves. Anything else involves the use of political coercion.
My guess is that the municipality stands to gain significantly by allowing the mall through tax revenues. Well then, take a stand against taxing businesses and eliminate the unnatural incentive for the city.
Of course, the folks a few neighborhoods away are looking forward to the installment of this new shopping center, which might save them time and money in travel expenses, and provide some employment opportunity. Should the more local citizens have the right to prevent others from enjoying this opportunity? Does only the most local individual matter?
Host a discussion of these larger concepts and issues. You will see that people are defensive of privileges more than justice. Use it as a springboard for a teaching on justice and against protectionist biases at multiple geographical levels. Connect the discussion to the elimination of walls of separation discussed by Paul.
Good luck!
thanks for your thoughts. yes the village is hoping to tap in on increased tax revenue. and the non-local citizens are hoping to benefit from the convenience. The village board is probably going to pass a TIF which will attract developers.
we are hoping to lead some sort of community discernment (at least with our property) to benefit the local residence, but I hardly feel qualified to lead this.
I’m not sure the church should in any and all circumstance take a stand against “homeowners attempting to prevent the mall by threatening with their votes”. Yes I agree with the critique of voting that charges it with being a way of participating in the violence of the state, and I generally would not advocate voting. In all reality, depending on how far along the process is, the time for the actions you suggest may have already passed, and the sad truth is that in most circumstances development corporations will have enough money available to them to make it at best very difficult for a community-minded organization to derail the profit train. I would encourage people to resist in any way they can, and if they do not have a conviction against participating in the violence of voting (which may in this case be a lesser evil than the violence of the mall if one considers a consequentialist ethic to be valid in some cases, as I do) then I would encourage them to resist in that way as well.
Perhaps a campaign against tax incentives could be a useful tactic - do a bit of research on the nature of the TIF and the ways it hurts the community, the ways it could hurt their pocketbook. This, combined with an attempt to instill people with values of community and a local aesthetic against the domination of impersonal corporate and mass culture entities, may have a positive effect - though it’s probably more of a long-term strategy and it doesn’t look like you really have a long term here. The real key is to try to incorporate people from the wider community into your community as allies and friends and to present your community’s interest as that which most benefits the public good as far as dealing with non-local residents goes. Show them the cost of convenience.
You will see that people are defensive of privileges more than justice.
How very true. I echo deeply the suggestion here.
thanks James,
about voting, this isn’t even really going to a vote b/c technically it is a village board decision, but the resident have input. and yes, it probably is too late to stop it, if that is something we would even really want to do.
we are in an interesting spot. our church does not pay taxes to the village, so it doesn’t matter financially to us. no one lives in this village, none of our children will go to its schools, the road you have to take to get to our church is technically in another village (buffalo grove). the entire ethos of this village is against that of our church (i.e. they are they are among the wealthies of our local suburbs)…and yet we are still involved.
maybe we are literally caught in the eschatological tension of heaven and earth. All our congregants are aliens and strangers in this village, yet we can still make a difference or be indifferent.
ARRRG!!!
It’s easier to be against something than for something. I am for villages having a diverse tax basis, therefore no one group gets the full burden of supporting the government and its social programs. I am for safe neighborhoods. I am for ease of traffic flow. I am for local jobs. I am for local business. I am for visibility for God’s church. I am for sanctuary. I am for wealth that can be used for God’s purposes.
Being a peacemaker is about hearing each person/group’s fears and needs and being able to facilitate solutions that accomodate fulfilling the needs without taking undue advantage of others. The best politician is a peacemaker.