• Home
  • Book
  • Consulting
  • Teaching & Speaking
  • Articles
FriarTucker

Friar's Reflections

Come here for weekly reflections on life in the church through various lenses. This is where you'll find me in some of my most immediate reactions to things we face. It's not all beautiful, but it's authentic.
Email me your thoughts!

What's so bad about Pot Stirrers after all?

12/8/2018

27 Comments

 
Recently, while perusing Facebook for no reason in particular, I noticed a comment on a friend and pastoral colleague’s post: “You’re such a pit stirrer!” As a theologian, I found the original post clarifying rather than controversial, but the inspiration for this writing is not the content of the original post. It is the accusation itself: a pot stirrer. Whether this particular commenter intended a more jovial or exasperated tone, I know not; yet all too often pot stirrers receive negative glances and condemnatory attitudes. I wonder why this is?
 
I don’t really wonder, though. I have something more than suspicions, though admittedly less than absolute knowledge. People fear pot stirrers because stirring the pot upsets the status quo. Stability, stasis, standards, staying put seem to be the ultimate pursuit for so many in our society. At least, so many with power and privilege. Indeed, one online dictionary refers to pot stirrers as those who "cause unrest." The logic goes something like this: We need no movement because the present context is sufficient. Why would we upset the relative calm we experience and live with unnecessary trouble? So it goes for those critics of pot stirrers.
 
What happened the last time you left a pot on the stove unstirred? Even on low heat, left unattended, an unstirred pot will eventually sear on bottom. Unstirred pasta clumps. Unstirred oatmeal burns. Even when the top looks normal (so to speak), whatever is at the bottom of an unstirred pot suffers the direst of consequences. What seems like unnecessary trouble for the top layers distorts and destroys those on the bottom. Without pot stirring, there’s always a loss. To vamp on the above definition, there's always unrest. The status quo causes unrest to those on the bottom, exposed constantly to the most extreme life situations. Pot stirrers ensure that such forces don't become destructive for anyone. Pot stirrers, then, don't cause unrest. They expose the disturbing realities of life to the entire pot, especially those at rest on top who do not, and perhaps refuse to, notice the disturbances below them. 
 
As I see it, pot stirrers in the kitchen care about the entire meal. It will take longer to cook if you keep stirring but it will distribute the heat evenly to all the contents. Those who stir the pots of society care about more than the current status of the social pot because they understand the appearance of stability is not, in fact, peace. Pot stirrers attend to all the food in the pot, and as such, societal pot stirrers try to attend to all people in society. 
 
I just spent three invigorating days on site with Concordia College and their team of people developing interreligious relationships, programming, and academics. They are, the lot of them, a blessed bunch of pot stirrers, because they’re attending to people who have not often received significant attention in the academy or in faith-based (read: Christian) college contexts. I was fortunate that two colleagues, Craig Burgdoff and Sally Stamper, accompanied me. Each brought a legacy of profound teaching and purposeful pot stirring with them. We learned much about the development of a minor in Interfaith Studies, the development of a program for undergraduate Interfaith Scholars, creation of student programming that accompanies people of diverse faith backgrounds and pursues equitable justice for all, and development of a President’s Interfaith Advisory Council, among many other things. I learned much from our hosts, including Dr. Jaqueline Bussie, who is the Director of the Forum on Faith and Life, as well as my Capital colleagues as we decompressed the data and explored new and renewed relationships.
 
What struck me most consistently, throughout the entire process, was this: changes happened, small and large, because people were willing to risk stirring the pot. One student, a wheelchair user, talked about her issues around religious life and accessibility. She stirred the pot and made positive changes for herself and her peers. We heard of an administration that allocated over a hundred thousand dollars in program funding to support diverse spiritual expression at Concordia, which stirred up new faith knowledge and religious practices in the community’s consciousness. We met with faculty who include religious diversity into their courses across the curriculum, from communication to psychology to business, upsetting the standard expectations for what’s necessary knowledge for success in those fields. None of this was status quo. It all required pot stirrers.
 
And the result of that pot stirring? Enriched community. Some people we met with felt more enfranchised, while others felt more willing to vocalize their disenfranchisement. Notice that both of these responses represent progress. The former has found safer space, while the latter finds confidence that their voice matters and can make a difference. Of course, we didn’t discover a perfect community; rather, we discovered a community more authentically acknowledging the spiritualities and religious practices brought by the people within, as we well as a cultural commitment to raising the profile of religion and spirituality in the priorities of university life.
 
I have to admit, I want to be a pot stirrer. We need to stir the pots of religion, faith, and spirituality to ensure all people are seen and known. We need to stir the pots of social justice to attend to the needs of people of color, of the LGBTQIA+ community, of women, of native populations, of immigrants, of ethnic minorities, and a whole of other marginalized folx. Though in my privilege I benefit from the relative calm of the status quo, I am not satisfied with the current status of the pot because the appearance of stability is not, in fact, peace.
 
If you feel this too, don’t be afraid to stir the pot. Find colleagues and friends who will take up a spoon and stir with you. 
 
If you are afraid of stirring the pot, but want it to happen, find ways to support those willing to lead. Use your money, your time, and your voice to support their work. 

If you don’t want the pot stirred at all, try two things: 1st, ask yourself honestly why you’re satisfied with the way things are, and then read the work of people like Austen Channing Brown, Drew Hart, Nadia Bolz Weber, James Cone, and Austen Hartke, who will present some arguments about why the pot needs stirred. 
 
If nothing else, the next time you hear someone accuse another of being a pot stirrer, or you find an impetus within yourself to call someone a pot stirrer, ask yourself this question: What’s so bad about that, after all?
 
27 Comments
Bob link
2/1/2020 05:55:31 am

You're a cunt.

Reply
site kurma link
9/11/2022 04:53:40 pm

Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://kurma.website/

Reply
mobil ödeme bozdurma link
9/12/2022 02:56:50 am

Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://odemebozdurma.com/

Reply
website kurma link
9/14/2022 04:11:35 pm

Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://bit.ly/site-kurma

Reply
web site kurma link
9/30/2022 06:56:14 am

It's great to have this type of content. Good luck with your spirit. Thank you. https://bit.ly/site-kurma

Reply
Pazar escort link
10/4/2022 08:59:19 pm

I think this post is useful for people. It has been very useful for me. Looking forward to the next one, thank you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/tokat-escort/pazar-escort-tokat-escort/

Reply
yusufeli escort link
10/5/2022 09:58:51 pm

I follow your posts closely. I can find it thanks to your reliable share. Thank you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/artvin-escort/yusufeli-escort/

Reply
camardi escort link
10/6/2022 02:30:04 pm

I support your continuation of your posts. I will be happy as new posts come. Thank you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/nigde-escort/camardi-escort/

Reply
kuluncak escort link
10/8/2022 01:13:06 am

Thank you for your sharing. I must say that I am successful in your content. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/malatya-escort/kuluncak-escort/

Reply
sebinkarahisar escort link
10/8/2022 11:45:33 am

Thoughtful and real content is shared. Thank you for these shares. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/giresun-escort/sebinkarahisar-escort/

Reply
korsan taksi link
11/11/2022 11:01:33 am

Tıkla: https://taksikenti.com/

Reply
ledger live link
11/20/2022 07:22:38 am

Ledger Live : Most trusted & secure crypto wallet

Reply
evde iş imkanı link
11/21/2022 07:54:13 am

Sitemizi ziyaret et ve evden is imkanina bak: https://sites.google.com/view/evden-ek-is/

Reply
betinfo link
11/22/2022 03:14:49 pm

It was a successful post.These types of posts are very helpful.

Reply
mrbahis link
12/6/2022 09:12:12 pm

Congratulations for the successful article. I can't wait for the sequel.

Reply
mrbahis link
12/8/2022 07:42:24 am

This is nice work. Seeing good works on good days gives one peace of mind.

Reply
instagram beğeni satın al link
12/9/2022 07:54:23 am

İnstagram beğeni takipçi satın al: https://takipcialdim.com/instagram-begeni-satin-al/

Reply
takipçi satın al link
12/9/2022 07:55:53 am

kaliteli düşmeyen takipçi satın al: https://takipcialdim.com/

Reply
vbet link
12/9/2022 08:52:13 am

Congratulations, it's a nice post. I'm always waiting for such nice posts in the future.

Reply
sms onay link
12/15/2022 07:27:43 am

Tıkla: https://www.smsonay.com/

Reply
casino siteleri link
12/27/2022 07:35:07 pm

hemen göz at casino oyna: http://haikuboy.com

Reply
https://www.anabolickapinda14.com/urun/ link
4/27/2023 06:40:03 pm

Steroid Satın Al: https://www.anabolickapinda14.com/urun/

Reply
heets fiyatları link
5/10/2023 12:37:46 pm

Heets Siparişi Ver: https://bit.ly/heets-heets

Reply
halotestin satın al link
5/22/2023 11:47:39 am

halotestin satın al: steroidsatinal.org

Reply
https://steroidvip5.com/ link
8/9/2023 08:46:38 am

Steroid Siparis Steroid Fiyatlari Steroidler Anabolizan Orjinal Steroid Steroid Satis Steroid Satın Al Steroid Siparis Et

Reply
Sporunuyap: Steroid Satın Al Ve Orjinal Anabolik Steroid Sipariş link
8/15/2023 04:47:01 am

https://www.sporunuyap8.com/ teşekkürler

Reply
SMS Onay link
2/4/2024 06:35:19 am

Hemen Göz At: SMS Onay Sepeti

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Simultaneously a sinner and a saint. 

    Archives

    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Book
  • Consulting
  • Teaching & Speaking
  • Articles