In the midst of the Occupy Wall Street protests around the United States (including at Keener Plaza here in St. Louis) there has been some discussion about the relationship between OWS and Mennonites (consider these two articles: radicals and wall street, Radical counterculturalism, occupy church), as OWS is an example of people forming community, challenging the power systems in society, and engaging in some radically egalitarian ideas.
I'm personally struck by the decision making techniques that OWS is using, including consensus building tools that are very familiar to this pastor of a consensus congregation. They include being able to express both basic reservations and to block consensus, paying attention to the differences between procedural and content based questions, and other tools of consensus building. Stephen Colbert has an amusing round up if you want a quick intro: Colbert Occupies Wall Street, here's the plan in OWS's own words: Consensus. These techniques are really useful for anyone looking to build healthy and enduring community, and I'm excited to see them practiced in the public sphere.
Finally, thinking about the difference between the 99% of society in America and the 1% that are gaining a larger and larger share of national income and wealth, I found this chart in the New York Times particularly interesting: Income of the 10%, the 1%, and beyond. I thought it was worth thinking about where I can imagine myself in this income spectrum, and what it says about my own theology of wealth power and influence as I think about my own calling to follow Jesus in the world.
I'm personally struck by the decision making techniques that OWS is using, including consensus building tools that are very familiar to this pastor of a consensus congregation. They include being able to express both basic reservations and to block consensus, paying attention to the differences between procedural and content based questions, and other tools of consensus building. Stephen Colbert has an amusing round up if you want a quick intro: Colbert Occupies Wall Street, here's the plan in OWS's own words: Consensus. These techniques are really useful for anyone looking to build healthy and enduring community, and I'm excited to see them practiced in the public sphere.
Finally, thinking about the difference between the 99% of society in America and the 1% that are gaining a larger and larger share of national income and wealth, I found this chart in the New York Times particularly interesting: Income of the 10%, the 1%, and beyond. I thought it was worth thinking about where I can imagine myself in this income spectrum, and what it says about my own theology of wealth power and influence as I think about my own calling to follow Jesus in the world.
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