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A Strange Hospitality - 1: Rev. Dr. Matthew Kaemingk

A Strange Hospitality

"We teach who we are." - Parker Palmer

Difference
  • We regularly encounter difference that is deep, fast, close.
  • These differences come in a wide variety: cultural, racial, political, economic, moral, theological, religious...
How do we lead amidst deep difference?
How might our schools embody both:
  • Counter-cultural commitments
  • Counter-cultural hospitality

Example: Muslim Immigration in Europe

  • "Guest workers" -- set up "Muslim hamlets" outside the cities (Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam), belief was that these people would eventually "go back home"
    • Reality: People started to bring spouses, children, family; never really integrated into European society
  • European reactions:
    • A problem to be solved...
    • Paternalistic attitude -- we'll provide all of these "things" (healthcare, mosques, social workers, etc) to take care of them and eventually these Muslims will see how great our way of life is and they will assimilate 
  • Two voices began to develop (1990's, post-911)
    • High Walls 
      • "The slum is a problem that needs to be solved, by the government"
      • Restriction
      • Security
      • Nationalism
      • Hard Assimilation
        • Would have classes to teach them how to be a secular, progressive culture
    • Open Doors
      • "If we're nice enough, soft enough, they will assimilate and become like us"
        • A problem that needs to be solved, by the government
      • Government Aid
      • Paternalism
      • Multiculturalism
      • Suppress any critique of Islam, then everything will be good
      • Soft assimilation
  • The dead end politics of home...
    • High Walls & Open Doors -- neither of them can sit at a table and have a conversation
    • As teachers, we are about setting that table for conversation
  • Where are the Christians?
    • Historic Christian Responses:
      • Fight
      • Flight
      • Moderate
      • Assimilate
    • Jesus commands us to love our neighbours and our enemies. We need to take the challenge of difference seriously

Wrestling Questions

  • Where is your school? (Students, staff, me)
    • Which internal and external differences most contest your school? (cultural, racial, political, economic, moral, theological, sexual, religious)
    • Which responses are most tempting in your school? (Fight, flight, moderate, assimilate)
    • How do the politics of high walls and open doors manifest in your school?
  • Where are you?
    • Which differences trigger your leadership? Why?
    • Which responses are most tempting for your leadership style? Why?
    • What are some differences that are not yours to solve? Why?
      • Who, then, solves them? At what point are we allowing differences to perpetuate on because we won't/can't address or solve them?
  • Notice how your body responds to deep difference
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