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Many suggest that real democracy in a global world appears to be another unresolved problem of modernity (Hardt and Negri, 2005). Unfortunately, when we view these issues from the lens of Black people across the world, their complexities appear to be larger than life. Religious leaders are being challenged to address how marginalized communities frame their public criticism of God and equally important, how they frame the concept of hope; a hope which can lead to a burning desire to evoke change. However, the ability to evoke sustaining change strongly suggests that religious leaders must embrace new competencies. Effective leaders in our global Black communities must understand that while racism and other "isms" raise serious theological questions, which church leaders must address, spiritual death…which is a death without hope is just as destructive as physical death. Consequently, there continues to be daunting tasks for religious leaders. Whether in this country, the Caribbean, Africa or any other part of the globe, our issues are complex, layered and span the multiple dimensions of abject poverty and racism…combined forces that attack the mind, body and spirit. Yet, when attempts are made to evoke change, efforts are typically addressed from a singular focus, utilizing strategies we have been comfortable with for years. These strategies, however, no longer work for us. The complexity of issues in the Black global community calls for far more aggressive and comprehensive change strategies that involve many change agents. Today's leadership working to evoke change in the global Black community, must understand in the deepest recesses of his or her soul, how the forces of racism, color consciousness, sexism, and genderism have impacted the formative experiences of persons of descent, and have perverted self-esteem, challenged and/or changed the social stability and significantly threatened existential security (Butler, 2006). When critically examining contemporary leadership theories, theorists across the world do posit that today's global leader must possess a different subset of competencies and skills. I respectfully suggest that the same proposition holds true for today's religious leadership community. Albeit there being a need for many new competencies developing within our global religious leadership communities, for the purpose of being brief, I will only address one. Understanding the need for and promoting an internal healing process within the theological community Within the Black religious community lies a chasm, which if not effectively addressed can negatively impact our ability to drive deep and systemic change within our communities. "The masses of men (and women to incorporate the inclusion of all which I think to be an appropriate edit in today's time) live with their backs constantly against the wall. They are the poor, the disinherited, the dispossessed. What does our religion say to them? The issue is not what it counsels them to do for others whose need may be greater, but what religion offers to meet their own needs. The search for an answer to this question is perhaps the most important religious quest of modern life (Thurman, 1976, pg. 13). However, to effectively engage in productive conversations regarding our religion, the chasm that has continued to exist between the pastoral and theologian communities must close in order to move beyond episodic efforts that are grounded in silo foci. Collectively, the pastoral and theologian community has to collaborate to help Black people across the globe deconstruct our issues and their antecedents, understand the psychological trauma that goes with these issues and clearly understand through a common language of liberation how our theology speaks to our problems, while concomitantly creating a religious value system that encourages us to love ourselves passionately and without compromise (Cone, 2001); and this theology must be consistently preached from the pulpit. These are not new propositions. The liberation theology literature alone is expansive. And when you couple it with womanist, black theology and black psychology literatures, it is encouraging to see how many people are pondering these issues. But the real question lies in whether or not these perspectives, rhetorical questions and recommendations for change are being communicated beyond the academic theologian community? I truly believe that the challenges the global Black community now faces calls for a different sense of urgency, which means we have to move beyond pondering and reading each other's books. One only has to look to our brothers and sisters in Haiti to understand this sense of urgency. Inclusively, while the plight of Black people in Haiti is intense, they represent only a small fragment of the population of Black people who are facing challenges that in many respects defies logic. "A profound piece of surgery has to take place in the very psyche of the disinherited before the great claim of the religion of Jesus can be presented. The great stretches of barren places in the soul must be revitalized, brought to life before they can be challenged (Thurman, 1976, foreword)". It has been suggested that as community mediators, nation builders and religious leaders, Black preachers are expected to be the living embodiment of the Black activism (Terrell, 2005). Our theologians examine and determine how to frame consistent change oriented-conversations that should be discussed with the masses at large through the pastoral and lay communities. Both have to evoke conversations which are designed to inspire the hearts and souls of black people to rise to action, erase their fear and not be afraid to stand up for that which Jesus bore for us on the Cross from a consistent lens. Because Blacks across the world tend to practice a pragmatic spirituality, where the practice of religion is informed by and focused upon working through the issues of daily life (Wilmore, 2004), the role of the preacher is critical. They speak to the masses and the masses listen to them. However, the messages are not always collectively geared to go beyond the pulpit, or localized ministries. Black people must hear a consistent language of liberation, which is critical to change. This language can help us frame and deconstruct the hermeneutics of why and how we engage oppression. The concrete individual and the reality of the Black experience must be the point of departure of any phenomenological analysis of human existence (Cone, 1970). However, pastors and theologians must have an in depth conversation as to what this really means relative to evoking change in the Black global community. Preachers, theologians and religious lay leaders must also be willing to authentically address how the Black church, across denominations, is perceived as failing to effectively address the deeply rooted and systemic issues that prevail within our communities. Those conversations must also authentically examine and address our perceptions of our relationship with God. Equally important, these conversations, which are the precursors for strategic and systemic change, must also be strategically designed. Concluding commentsBlack religious leaders represent a powerful voice. Imagine the deepness of thought and action of a Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, magnified multiple times. The global Black community can no longer accept band-aid answers to deeply bleeding problems and feel comfortable that our surface oriented programs are going to make a difference. In many respects we have to put on God's armor and challenge the institutionalized and mutating systems of systemic racism that continues to destroy our communities (Butler, 2006). The issues that we must challenge are not for the light hearted, and the global conditions we continue to face are not insignificant. A cohesive and collaborative community of pastors and theologians has the ability to lead Black people across the world with a common vision and voice regarding liberation. "…Always there is some voice that rises up against what is destructive, calling attention to an alternative, another way. It is a matter of more than passing significance that the racial memory as embodied in the myths of creation, as well as in the dream of prophet and seer, points ever to the intent to community as the purpose of life (Thurman, 1963, p. 94). I pray that many voices will collective rise up against the psychological, physical and spiritual destruction that is tearing apart our people. We can no longer rely upon others to address our causes. The time is now to begin that collective and liberating conversation that leads to a deep and systemic plan for global change. References
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Recently, I was asked to address the concept of
leadership. As I matriculate through my seminarian studies, I continue to
examine issues relative to the contemporary roles and responsibilities of
religious leaders and the Black global church in our quest for liberation. The
issues, criticisms and perspectives in the literature and seminarian classrooms
are vast. Therefore, in an effort to expand the dialogue of leadership from a
different paradigmatic perspective, I took the liberty of excerpting my
perspectives and those of a few others from one of my in-progress articles.
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