Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Dear Friends in Christ,
Forgive the non-inclusive language. This was written in 1944. By a good guy, ahead of his time in Christian ethics, but not quite language. And you’ve heard this quote from me before, and of course it goes on in context.
Why repeat it now? Reinhold Niebuhr was Jimmy Carter’s favorite theologian. (Barack Obama’s, too, he writes.) And one of mine. He was one of the most famous ones of the twentieth century, and so on and so forth. You can learn lots about Niebuhr on the web, and it’s worth your time.
The reason to quote him this month is that — other than carpentry — I had my first, real, professional position, which led to others, working for the Carter/Mondale Re-Election Committee. We know how that turned out, but I had a reason to enjoy working for them, in Portland, Maine. Carter was a dedicated Christian, taught Sunday School well into his 90’s, and in addition to volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, defending elections, and eradicating diseases that mostly affect the poor and disenfranchised, he kept growing in his faith. We know how it all evolved, yet he strove always to do the right thing, not the popular one. (Check out his term as Governor for more on that.) And I’m a fan of people who strive to do the right, faithful thing, in the face of headwinds.
So as I head forth for a short sabbatical, I give thanks for Carter, for Niebuhr, and for the hope that people will study a thing or two about Niebuhr in this moment of transition. If you think about it, beyond the male language, what he said 80 years ago remains true today. Niebuhr was a regular commentator during World War II, as Christians faced down fascism and Nazism, and a world of economic and racial inequality. He was honest about our behavior, and deeply hopeful about our capacities.
Here at NHCC we strive to connect compassion, conviction, current events, and care for creation because of our Biblical Christianity. We know how it turns out sometimes, but then we keep on going because our values last eighty years, 800, and well beyond that. And I am thankful for the values we share here.
As you know, I’ll be on sabbath/sabbatical for a time. (We delayed some of this back around Covid.) Our colleague the Rev. Susan Cartmell will lead worship for four weeks, and we couldn’t be in better hands for Epiphany, the traditional “Baptism of Jesus,” and some after-hour conversation. I’ll return for what is called the the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany, and (God willing) the months beyond.
Thank you to all the leaders who have made this possible, and especially my colleagues Wendy, Jan, and Yevgenia. See you soon, and peace,
P. S. Our colleague in the office, Judah Coffman, is on medical leave for the first ten days of January. Please keep him in your prayers. Wendy will care for our office for those two weeks, and then things will return to “normal.”