Let me first say that I totally get the need for anti-racism training. But some of the stuff was so gooey and feel good that it sapped the life out of many of us. For instance, when the leader needed to bring us to order he would start singing, and we were meant to join in. And it wasn't good music, it was cheesy praise music. Some of you are thinking, 'oh Shireen, you are just too particular' but it wasn't just me. Most of the people there looked like they were being tortured.
My table was especially irreverent, I'm afraid. During one exercise we had to make a list of powerless people Jesus came in contact with, and describe how that encounter changed the person. Well, my table was especially proud of coming up with Lazarus, because what was more powerless than being dead? And to demonstrate how Jesus changed him, the girl next to me started playing like she was Dr. Frankenstein saying,"He's Alive! He's Alive!"
After that we had to do the same thing with powerful people Jesus came in contact with. Our main contribution was Saul/Paul. First it started with an argument about whether or not we could use Paul, since Jesus had already ascended by then. Also one girl was sceptical about Paul's account, thinking he had actually encountered the Holy Spirit. We all convinced her to take Paul's word for it, that it was in fact Christ, but decided that the Holy Spirit must have been there too because Jesus was far too gentle to blind someone like that. This quickly devolved into retelling the story with the Holy Spirit stepping in saying "I'll take care of this guy for you Jesus" and Jesus trying to hold the Holy Spirit back. And for some reason, amidst fits of laughter, we decided to share this with the rest of the people in the room by telling them that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were playing 'good cop, bad cop' in order to convert Paul. They looked at us like we were crazy.
I know you probably had to be there, but it was those moments of being absolutely silly that made the evening tolerable.
One and a half more days to go, and this is how I feel about that:
You poor thing. Day one would have driven me up the wall; particulary those sings. Did you ever have to do those kaleidoscope classes with Eric Law? He had some of the most banal songs/hymns, whatever you want to call them. Your table sounds like fun... Lazarus, then Saul. The prim and peppers wouldn't know what to make of you. Have fun Wednesday!!!
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