Why we have too few women leaders?

Sheryl Sandberg from Facebook shares:

Watched this awhile ago and realized that I am still thinking about what she said.

 

TAIK-O!

I’m taking Taiko this semester and I’m super excited. Taiko is Japanese drumming and it is a combination of dance and synchronized drumming. The drums are so loud and powerful but the drummers have to also be really graceful when striking the drums.

For homework, we have to watch videos of other Taiko groups and so I will share with you all the ones I came across tonight. I don’t think they are the best Taiko videos out there but I have only just started looking for them. My arms are going to be so, so buff.

The video was in HD so that’s pleasing to the eye. The group is called Kodo and they are actually from Japan. The drums we play with at school are much smaller and we definitely play with shirts on. Every breathe they take seems like it requires so much effort and that’s so legit-it’s so hard to relax playing fast and strong that sometimes I forget to breathe.

This video is of the San Francisco Dojo, which I believe is one of the first Taiko schools to open in America. (I miss San Fran)

There’s also this group called TaikoProject based in Los Angeles and they seem to be a young and more contemporary group that infuses hip hop, dance and storytelling. They played at some awesome places…

Finally, my professor, Mark Rooney, is the executive director of Odaiko (One) New England Taiko group near Boston. He’s the bald guy on the right.

If I ever have kids, I will put them through Taiko lessons for sure. Come to my performance! It’ll be on December 3rd.

Ann Coulter and “Fast Track” Christianity

A friend of mine showed me today a video of Danny Deutsch interviewing Ann Coulter on the Big Idea Show. It was extremely horrific watching this and afterwards my friend (not a Christian) said that she was a “demon.” Yeah seriously…she might be. I immediately thought of the many Scriptures that speak of false prophets who deceive and dress in sheep’s clothing but are actually ferocious wolves. She really shouldn’t be allowed to speak or rather shouldn’t be speaking on behalf of all Christians and worst- Jesus.

Some thoughts:

1. Watching this video made me understand on a deeper level of why Christianity is such a thorn in America, American politics and academic circles. Growing up in an ethnic-specific church fortunately spared me (for the most part) from hearing the hateful and offensive comments personalities like Ann Coulter make.
2. On that note, I feel that non-whites and international students (mostly at my school) need to understand and acknowledge the fears that many whites have. A lot of friends from school probably came to Wesleyan for the sole purpose of avoiding and rejecting Coulter-like people. So understandable. Christians deny any association with these “crazy conservatives” and say that’s not the real Jesus, it’s not what Christianity is about, I’m not like that but what are we saying? Have we said anything as loud as what Coulter is saying? Her words have been filling up the airwaves and Jesus’ teachings have been drowned out. I am so guilty of not clarifying who Jesus is or what the Christian faith is. I guess sometimes we also need to be silent and just be with those who are bitter and hate “Christians.” Maybe even if I tried to explain, it would make things messier. Restoration work is needed.
3. What Scripture says about how false prophets will deceive people (Matthew 24. 11) and even the elect (Matthew 24.24) is frightening because people are listening and following Coulter! All seven of her books have made the N.Y. Times Best Seller List, selling about 3 million copies. Can anyone be so inflexible and unyielding in their beliefs? She believes that conservatism is the best and most perfect view and liberals, liberal thoughts are just completely wrong. She also speaks at a bunch of mega-churches across America. Who is inviting her to speak? Who dares to allow her to speak from the pulpit?

Comments on the video:

1. She glorified the diversity in mega-churches and commented that mixed-racial couples in New York City look like they have a “chip on their shoulders.” I think I still agree with Martin Luther King when he remarked on how the most segregated day of the week is Sunday at 11:00AM when church service usually begins. That mixed race couple in NYC may be showing more love than churches have been showing to one another.
2. What the heck is “fast track Christianity?” It certainly is not fast track if Paul’s words of running a race with perseverance and pressing on until the end are mentioned in the New Testament. It maybe easy if she is saying that all you have to do is believe in order to get to heaven but believing requires things like dying to the self, loving God with all of our hearts, minds and souls and loving people until it hurts.
3. Finally, her anti-Semitic comment about how she wants “Jews to be perfected” has got to be the most blasphemous thing. Does she think she has attained perfection? Is not sanctification a daily and grueling process of working out our relationship with God?
4. Deutsch kept pointing out how she was suppose to be “educated” and yet she still was making outrageous comments. She graduated from Cornell University cum laude with a B.A. in history and then got her law degree from University of Michigan. It is possible that academia’s liberal bent might have incubated her super conservative views.

My concluding thoughts are that I’m tired with watching these videos of people who claim to be Christians and are not speaking words of Love. If I do watch them, however, I will respond to them and I pray to God that my responses will represent God in a more truthful light.

The Roof Blew Off…

The roof of Child Voice International’s school in Lukodi blew off after last week’s hail and wind storm. Here are some pictures from Lowna who works at CVI:

D’Andrea, who also works at CVI right now, assessed the damage on the Lukodi compound on Uganda’s National TV.

Lukodi’s school was where I served last summer. I am thankful that none of the girls, their children or staff were hurt. Keeping them in prayer.

Gays in the Military

Just read this from Sojourners. Thought I should share it:

One evening, Jesus went on the Chris Matthews show and a large audience was viewing.

As he sat down for the interview, Chris introduced a group of religious right leaders. They brought with them a man caught violating the don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy in the military.

They made him stand before the camera and said to Jesus, “This man was caught admitting that he was gay. The Law of Moses commanded us to stone such men, and military law demands that he be court-martialed. We don’t want to kill this man: all we are interested in doing is passing a law that would criminalize such behavior in the military and in all of society. What do you say? Do you support our pro-family agenda?”

Jesus leaned over and wrote on the desk with his finger.

The Family Research Council representative pressed harder, “Don’t you agree that we should outlaw gay behavior? Don’t you agree that the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas which overturned the sodomy laws in this country was wrongly decided? Would you dare to deny that there is a place for criminal sanctions against homosexual behavior?” Jesus kept writing on the desk and didn’t respond.

Finally, Chris Matthews said, “Well, Sir, what do you say? They’ve asked you a question. How do you respond?”

Jesus sat up straight, looked directly into the camera, and said, “Just one thing. Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first vote against this man.”

The reference was from a debate between Aubrey Sarvis, a former gay military sharpshooter and Peter Sprigg, representative of the Family Research Council. The dialogue below:

Matthews:  I’m just asking you:  Should we outlaw gay behavior?

Sprigg:  I think that the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas which overturned the sodomy laws in this country was wrongly decided.  I think there would be a place for criminal sanctions against homosexual behavior.

Matthews:  So we should outlaw gay behavior.

Sprigg:  Yes.

Thanks Brian McLaren for rewriting parable. The real parable is from John 8.1-11. People may feel uncomfortable because the parable implies that “homosexuality” is a sin and I can feel the squeamishness from people who don’t believe that being gay is a…shudder “sin.” Anyway, I’m going to stop writing.

Racism in China

This is the story of Lou Jing, a 20-year old contestant on Go! Oriental Angel (wtf?), the Shanghai version of American Idol. The reason for all of the buzz last year is because she is Black and Chinese. Her mother is from China and her dad, who she never met, is African American.

I felt like I was in a hot seat during my Comparative Race Analysis class today even though the conversation was not directed at me. I think for my Chinese (American) friends, we are aware of how racist Chinese people are towards Black people (tell your family that you want to marry a Black person) but it was still a shock to hear some of the explicit comments that Chinese people made towards Lou Jing. Actually, I take that back, the comments are worst for Lou Jing’s mother. The idea of intercourse with a person of a darker skin is almost unthinkable and “unclean.” I think on the show, they actually called Lou Jing “the black pearl” and “chocolate angel.” China is perhaps so homogenous that they don’t realize that these comments are discriminatory. The communist government has banned racial discrimination but ironically declares that racism is a “Western indulgence” and sees China as “the leader for victimized colored people.” (Dikotter, 1990)

There is an article from the Washington Post (pay to post) that also brings attention to the increasing racial tensions in China. China is investing  hundreds of billions of dollars in Africa, resulting in a new migration pattern where African men moving to cities like Guangzhou. There is an area in Guangzhou called “Chocolate City.” (Try saying that in Chinese in your head)

During class, I really wanted to alienate from the Chinese part of myself but at the same time, I wanted to marry a Black guy and go to China (or my family) and be like “now what!”  I married what you call a “black ghost!” (And that doesn’t even make sense because ghosts are transparent)