The Humphrey Institute hosted a lecture by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia at the U of MN today. The President is the first democratically elected woman head of state in Africa. She's a phenomenal leader. I confess I know very little about her story or her politics, but I was moved at the event today.
Liberia has a very complicated history tied to the history of the United States, former slaves from the United States were sent to West Africa, what would eventually become Liberia. The capital city Monrovia, is named for our former president. My head is swimming as I reflect on this afternoon so here's my first reflection.
President Johnson Sirleaf took office in 2006. There are 3.5 million people living in Liberia. Since she took office, neighborhoods that had been without electricity or hot water for 15 years have received both. Twenty Six new schools have been built. 400 new teachers have been trained. The National debt has shrunk considerable, and is projected to be done in the next year or so. This "Iron Lady" has led her country to something quite extraordinary.
When Ellen was first born her grandfather looked at her and said, "This child will be great."
Truly this is a great woman.
In my studies we talk a lot about "Speech Act Theory." Words, according to this theory not only communicate ideas, but create or do something. When a groom says, "I do," he not only communicates that he loves that woman in white at the altar, but he does something, after he says, "I do" he is married to that woman. He is no longer single he is married. Words communicate and do. In Speech Act Theory, what words do, their effect is called perlocution.
Imagine the perlocution of these words. "This child will be great." Imagine growing up in a multicultural family, in a multicultural country, having heard those words. Imagine facing political and bodily threat, but constantly being reminded of this story. "Ellen when you were born. . ."
When Yahweh talks to the prophet Jeremiah he says, "before I formed you in the womb I knew you and set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1.5)"
Simeon and Anna spoke words to Mary, Joseph and Jesus. "this child is destined to . . ." (Luke 2).
Lord, too often the words we speak into a child's life are, "No, you can't." "You won't do that." "You're just like your dad (mom, grandma, aunt)." "We don't do that in our family." " boys in our culture don't go to college." "girls don't do that." Forgive us God and let us use our words to speak a future and a hope into the lives of the young people around us. Our children, our students, our clients, our friends, our neighbors, the youth in our pew. God give us eyes, like Ellen's grandfather to see young people through your eyes and courage to speak that future to them.
Amen
6 comments:
Amen!!!!
How would you relate Speech Act Theory to "Word-of-Faith" theology?
I don't know much about "word-of-faith" theology, is that the name it and claim it thing? My gut reaction is cynicism
That's an older, less generous name for it. The basic idea is that faith is a force, and words are the vessels that carry that force. Faith is acted out when we speak or proclaim our goals or visions. Benny Hin and his ilk represent the more sensationalistic brand of this theology, but there are less extreme examples, like Robert Schuler.
I'm thinking that most teachers in that movement would readily agree with the priniciples of Speech Act Theory (as I understand it). I'm wondering what any of the scholars that adhere to Speech Act Theory would have to say about Word-of-Faith theology. Just pondering.
I'll have to think about it a little bit. Speech Act Theory, while it's used at Bethel in Hermeneutics class is more of a linguistic theory than a theological one.
I guess what I want to be careful of is this. Our words do and create but they do not always do what we intend them to do. We may have a perlocutionary intent of something, but the hearer or reader will respond in a very different way.
I think that it's the same with prayer and faith. We can pray things, we can claim things, but we are not puppet masters of the divine, our spirituality is not magic. That's the danger when this stream of theology gets a little twisted.
Now, I do think that in general we ought to pray with more confidence and that we can speak things into existence. So that's my "I see what you're saying, but be careful with it." reply.
One of the criticisms of Word of Faith has been that it's little different from citing an incantation to cast a spell. Just for clarification, I am not an adherent of that school of thought. As I was writing my last comment, I found myself toning down my language so as not to prejudice the discussion.
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