Judah: The Responsibility of Voice

It was very interesting to me when I heard that the strong European avoidance of everything having to do with church and Christianity is largely a result of what people percieved as complicity in violence (both during WWII and in the religious wars following the Reformation). I heard about this secularization and post-Christian attitude of Europe as a warning to the U.S. churches:

we must be careful about the violence that we as the Church are currently being complicit in.

This struck a chord in me. The Church has been called out of the violent and alienating ways of the world; the Gospel is the good news about reconciliation - with God and with each other. If we are remaining in the systems of violence which we have been called out of, if we forsake the reconciliation which Christ has called us to, than is not our Church-ness and our "gospel's" Gospel-ness called into question?

How am I complicit to the violence that is currently being done in the name of American imperialism? Complicity does not simply include active support; it can also include passive indifference. If I am not raising my voice against the injustices that are being done in my name (as part of the "American People"), then will I not be called to give account on the day of Justice? "Why did you not stand for the oppressed? Why did you not resist the violence?"

The weight of this responsibility comes down even harder on people like me, who live in a place where my political voice actually has significance. I do not want to be complicit to my nation's violence; I want to do all I can to stop the violence that is being done through my country's military, economic, and cultural endeavors.

It is a simple start, but I have started writing my Senator (John McCain) more often.

• I have asked him to push for the signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, something that our Senate has not been able to say yes to up till now (and something that Obama is willing to sign), which has resulted in other Nuclear nations (like India and Pakistan) to also walk away from the treaty).


• I am sending a letter tomorrow that is asking McCain to be an active voice in decreasing our military presence in Afghanistan, opposing the President's surge policy. Our military presence is only destabilizing the country further, when we could be using those resources, rather, in life-giving ways towards the Afghani people.


• I am also wanting to write on the issues of Debt Relief to developing countries which we have loaned to; they should be freed to invest that money in their own people (which is badly needed) instead of paying for our high interest rates. This would be a small act of restitution towards these countries that have been so ravaged by our colonial tactics for so long, and the best kind of aid is self-empowerment towards these countries.


• I would like to advocate that we increase our trade restrictions on exports going to foreign countries. By shipping out our cheap exports (via subsidies and second-hand "charitable" giveaways), the local artisans and tradespeople are unable to compete, which therefore eradicates whole sectors of their industry.

Another way to resist that I am interested in is by avoiding the military tax. To do this, I could live below the poverty line, which would mean that I would not have to send any money to the Federal government at all.

Together, we must actively resist the systems of violence which we would otherwise be complicit in, and be willing to sacrifice the comfortable lifestyles which have been hitherto sustained by these violent acts...

Judah: The Good Life

As I sit alone in my room studying for a Hebrew exam, I pause and sip tea while listening to Beethoven's Seventh. This is the picture that would come to mind whenever I think about what would be my ideal future (minus the Hebrew exam and plus a good piece of literature and a crackling fire).

We all have pictures, I think, of what the ideal setting for us to spend time would be. But as I start to critically reflect on this picture of mine, I cannot help but notice a few things. First, I am in isolation; yes, I am in the comfort and protection of a warm and dimly lit room, but my ideal picture of time well-spent - of the Good Life - is not a picture of me interacting with others, of me being in interdependent relationships or communing with others in presence and hospitality.

Secondly, In this picture I am merely a passive consumer. I am consuming my imported tea and my Western music and literature. There is no creative energy being spent. Furthermore, this happy picture is entirely dependent on the commodities of global imperialism, which allows the organizations and corporations who manufacture and market these commodities to have exorbitant power over me. My picture of my life has become completely dominated and controlled by the global cultural machine.

Therefore, in this blissful picture I have cut myself off from the real flesh-and-bone people which surround me and have attached myself and share communion with a detached and violent global power system.

I am not suggesting that we eliminate all outside influence from our lives, burning all our Western music and books; it is true that our language - and therefore our picture of the Good Life - comes from outside of ourselves, and no picture of the Good Life can be completely devoid of outside influences.

What I am suggesting is that we move away from the alienating and passive-dominated pictures of what our life is to look like and move towards a picture of the good life that is much more holistic - in that it fully includes the communities we find ourselves in. And if we are to adapt a picture of the Good Life, let it be one that comes from the loving community, and not from the cultural machines which care only for their own interests and self-preservation.

Jennifer: Update time (aka when I should be sleeping...)

Hey all,

I can't believe we're at midterms already. It is weird to think soon we'll be winding down the school year! Looking back so far it's been a whole lot of fun but certainly some challenges. 3 Ubuntu members have lost one of their grandparents since September and there have been other close calls so we're all getting a little better at learning to be there for each other even in the hard times - cards filled with love, friends taking each others' chores, roommates cleaning, organizing, and doing the other's laundry, or maybe just a hug and some chocolate when you hear a sniffle from around the corner...I think it's little things like that that make a big difference. Personally I'm really bad about death - I never feel like I know what to say or do. I've never lost anyone I've been really close so I feel awkward because I know I don't understand what they're feeling as they grieve. I'm learning that sometimes that's ok. I don't need to have words for everything. Like I've been learning in a couple of my classes around 90% of communication isn't verbal.

Other things you might want to be aware of...Ubuntu ran a fundraiser in coordination with Crush Week (Bren-Dell Hall Asssociation) to help the Haiti Water Project. We made solidarity bracelets out of old red, blue, and white (Haiti's colors) tshirts and lace. We also made ribbons to pin. Thanks to all the seashells my grandma donated for Peace and Justice Christmas we had leftover so attached one to each ribbon. Only after selling these for a week did we find out from Troy Osborne that apparently a shell means your going on a pilgrimage...oops! Hopefully Andie can get on soon and let you know exactly how much money was raised but it was a really good effort. I think we were all surprised by the outpouring of support from the students and staff. We actually had to make extra because we were backordered! Speaking of, thanks to the anonymous t-shirt donors who helped us fill out our order!

By the end of the school year we hope to have created a cookbook made of our favorite recipes to sell as a fundraiser so be on the lookout! It's gonna be great - some highlights - Judah makes pita bread, Kristen just made granola, I tend to make leftover-food baked goods (think pear cookies - who knew?), Jason and Andie don't have recipes but create deliciousness every time, and then there's our dietics major Karla who can't possibly make anything bad! Mmm mmm good :)

Andrea: Snow

I've heard people say that bad things come in threes. Lately I say that bad things come like snow; in abundance at random and mostly unpredictable times.

Snow means you miss out on 8 hours of internship time; Snow means snow days for happy children and student teachers (like Erin.)

Snow means that group therapy is cancelled after you've already driven 30 minutes with a near stranger to get there for a class assignment; Snow means you talk for an hour with someone you may not have otherwise talked to for an hour.

Snow means traffic is slow and the roads and sidewalks are a mess; Snow means friends and neighbors work together to dig out each others cars.

Snow means that unsuspecting families get sad phone calls; Snow means unsuspecting friends get happy phone calls because there's a little extra time.

Snow means it takes longer to walk to class; Snow gives me something pretty to look at while I walk to class.

Snow makes Astronomy lab colder and longer; Snow means there's hot chocolate waiting for me when I get back (thanks, Christine)

Maybe being in Heaven now doesn't mean that there's never snow, it just means that there is beauty juxtaposed to sadness. Maybe Heaven is not the absence of bad things, but the presence of friendship to go with it.

Judah: On Language and Community

I was passing someone in the stairwell in Centennial Hall (our classroom building) and said "excuse me;" or perhaps I said "hello." It was shortly after that moment that I began to reflect on what it means to speak things to one another, and think that it is good to think of our spoken words as Gift to one another.

The linguistic dynamics of the globe seem to be in a dismal state. Language has been used to dominate and marginalize people groups since the beginning. It has been a tool of imperialism and colonialism within the hands of Alexander (Greek), ancient Rome (Latin), Spain in South America (Spanish), the British Empire and the U.S. (English). Thousands of local dialects have been wiped out.

A culture is so closely bound up with its language; it is the capacity of one's words that determines the breadth and depth of one's thought; if one does not have a word for something, it is hard to think about it. And even though the imperial languages have afforded us the opportunity of communicating with a vast variety of people groups quite easily, this convenience does not condone the linguistic and cultural violence that brought us to this point, nor does it justify the violence a society commits to maintain its imperial tongue.

Can a passing "hello" in the hallway be seen as a form of linguistic violence? Is all language violent? Certainly, we cannot help to use only a certain set of words... to the marginalization of other words; it is this distinction of meaningful sound from meaningless sound that makes language possible. The realities of locality and geographic proximity make it inevitable that certain people groups - with their unique experiences - will begin to develop new and divergent systems of meaning around those experiences. To the extent that we marginalize that people group's language, we also devalue their life experiences.

Wherever there is human interaction, there is going to be friction, and even violence. The only way to completely avoid violence would be to live in total isolation. But to live outside the context of community is to do violence to our very nature (indeed, some would wonder whether we cease to be human without community and language); we all desire a certain union with those around us.

Therefore, we must enter the messy business of language, for it is only through language that we can communicate - and therefore be in community - with others. Violence will be done, but we can work towards wholesome relationships.

I would propose that the primary way of overcoming linguistic violence is to offer our voice as Gift, and likewise to receive other's voices as Gift. This is very different from how we can offer our voice; it is often used, not as Gift, but as an attempt to dominate and subject the other person; it is used to take. This language of Gift will not only affect our intentions, but must have concrete implications on our daily interactions. It is when we use our voices as Gift and receive other voices as such that we can stop alienating the Other and offer ourselves as welcoming presence, even when this puts us in vulnerable and precarious situations.

It is a gift to be able to communicate "hello" to someone in passing. It is a gift to be able to receive an "excuse me" from an Other. This wonderful gift of language leaves me in awe and joy to know that such communion is possible between me and someone who is completely not me. And yet they are not completely not me; they have within them that little part of me that gives the "hello" meaning. It is this sharing of oneself that makes community possible.

As we see others sharing of themselves with each other in systems of meaning that are peculiar to us, may we take joy in that and see how we can join that circle of meaning. As we see those outside of and isolated from our circles of meaning, may we offer this meaning we have created as Gift to them, while welcoming the patterns of meaning that have made that individual who she is. A nonviolent linguistic ethic will always strive for this reciprocity and mutual attempt to understand.

Christine: More of This & That

I am with Karla on her last post in that I haven't been too good about keeping up with my blog posts. In terms of the cleaning thing, I think I'm doing pretty well, but for some reason, I seem to be lacking in this department. So, what's new and exciting here at Ubuntu? Well, everyone's been running around trying to get everything finished before the week is over. Kristen was frantically finishing some journals for a class while Andie was cramming for the final exam for her online class. Jason and Karla have been finishing up internship/grad school applications. I have been trying to balance everything that life throws my way, which can probably be said for everyone else, too. However, as we come to the end of another crazy, hectic week, I know that the weekend will bring a time of relaxation and rest. Like most weekends, we stay up late on Friday night, playing Settlers of Catan or watching (recently) old episodes of Lost. Most of us sleep in to a reasonable hour on Saturday morning, then cook some breakfast or lunch in our kitchen, making use of the leftovers or continuing to put a dent in the pasta supply. I like our lazy weekends. This weekend, we are all looking forward to Erin's senior recital for the music department, followed by an Ubu-super bowl party. Instead of sharing a full meal together, I think we've decided to make appetizers and other snacks to chow on during the game (or maybe while we start worrying about what the next week will bring...).

Karla: Learning

Well thanks all for your prayers! My grandpa successfully made it through both of his surgeries...to his surprise. He is doing well for his circumstances and now we just have to make him believe he is doing well. :) Doctors are talking about discharging him by the end of the week!

Interviews, probably one of the most nerve racking things unless you are a compulsive liar. How do you know what to say that will get you the job or the scholarship? It is a time when one really has to be themselves, but being oneself may not be good enough. Who is to say that what all you have worked towards the last 4 years isn't enough to satisfy their needs? All that for nothing...why bother? Well it just goes to show that one has to persevere, be humble, and learn from their failures.

This can also be applied to many things here in Ubuntu. Time after time I have failed to get my time in for blogging or doing my weekly chore. Here's my bloggin' time and at some point I need to step up to the plate and really get into this cleaning business. I may get so good at it that I should quit my day job of going to school and just clean...I'll tell you what...that boy's floor could really use a girls' touch! I know I have not done as well some weeks as I should have and that I am not the best cleaner, but I can get better. With that said I better get sweeping!

Shawn: Community

When asked about community Ethan has given the following answers:
-I like the unity part because the rest is just Commi.
-My favorite part is the I in community.

On a more serious note though all of us have struggled to define what community means in our lives, esp within the context of this group. Part of living in community with others is knowing how to cause problems in just the right way so as to be called a prank. The themed housing group has understood this extremely well as is evidenced by the pictures of my half of the room after my "birthday". It was a thoughtful, well timed prank that at 12:30 at night one can only laugh at.

But another part of community (as evidenced Sunday night) was being able to share concerns, critiques and frustrations of the world we live in, share our views and how they differ from others while being respected in the larger group.

Until this year I had gone with the flow not truly questioning why I did what I did. I hope in a similar way next year I will be able to continue to challenge the status quo.

And to third Neuf...watch your back!

Kristen: Living Space

One of the major differences between living in Riley Court and living in a traditional residence hall is the use of space. I realized today that I spend much more time in the lobby and the kitchen than I do in my own room (disregarding sleep time). The lobby and kitchen are places where you come into contact with many people--those within "Ubuntu," and those in our extended community, such as other college friends and even the staff members who share our kitchen. I like to think it's a much more welcoming space this way: when you walk into our third floor lobby, you will often find a few of us sitting around, working studiously on homework or relaxing in front of the television.

Kathy Dickson brought up an interesting point though, at our meal on Sunday. She asked us what we were doing for fun--all of us, together. Well, there's not much that we're intentional about doing all together. Sure, we have our Sunday meals--which are great, don't get me wrong. But we don't make an effort to make sure that everyone is involved in group activities. It's easy to see that most people some of the time are involved in these kinds of activities, but those of us who may not be available during the time the Bachelor is on TV, for example, may miss out on some community time. So I wonder, how can we be more intentional about including everyone--or at least offering the option for inclusion--in more of what we do? What kinds of activities can we promote that provide group bonding while also always extending the reach of our efforts beyond the 14 of us?

Jennifer: Getting into the swing of things

I feel like this semester is going to be a long one. We're just starting the fourth week back and I'm still not feeling quite into the swing of it all. Ubuntu has been really great. I know I probably haven't been taking my share of cleaning duties but I know that tha's ok. Today when I thought I had lost an envelope with money I saw Kristen and she helped calm me down. She told me not to worry, cause I would find it and sure enough I did. I'm so glad I've been able to become friends with all these great people I never knew last year. I can hardly imagine what it's going to be like next year. I would LOVE for there to be an "Ubu- Jr." as Andie says but I'm afraid that things would not be as cool as this year if I did it again. As if it wouldn't live up to my expectations, especially since I'll be gone first semester. I really admire Kelsey for braving it and coming back into our community even though she'd been gone and changed so much. I've absolutely loved having her here this semester! We're always welcome for one more single lady on the floor ;)

Kelsey: My New Home

Hello Ubuntu-followers!

I'm a new name and a new face around here... well sort of a new face. More like an old face returning. Last semester I spent studying abroad through a program called Semester at Sea. We lived on a ship and traveled eastward around the world and visited 11 countries: Nova Scotia, Spain, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Vietnam, China, Japan, and the U.S. (Hawaii and San Diego, California). Last semester was a dream of mine coming true. I learned more than I could ever imagine and am definitely a different person than when I first boarded that ship. I moved back on campus this semester and have been blessed to join the Ubuntu community. There are several reasons it is so wonderful:

1) After traveling the world and seeing intense problems first-hand, I really want to live my life simply so it doesn't negatively affect others. How perfect that that is Ubuntu's theme! So I'm loving living with a group of people who also want to live less so others can live more.

2) I love the "community" feel here. When I went to Ghana I stayed with a family in a village. Ghanaian and other African villages are highly interdependent with their communities. The children just run around and village adults watch over them. Women help each other out while making pottery rather than competing against one another. The families share their food even though they have little. And everyone is constantly in check with how others are doing. My Ghanaian village stay was one of my favorite things I experienced last semester because of their enjoyment of living with not much but living abundantly with one another. Ubuntu may be as close as I can get to an African village in America... so it's absolutely wonderful to continue my village stay back at Bluffton.

3) The community here in Riley Court has been living together for a semester already and they've gotten to know each other quite well. It's been great to see them interact in a way that truly resembles a family. They all joke around, dive into deep conversations, and just hang out. It's not that they're just living together, but they're really enjoying living together.

Even though I really miss traveling and constantly learning about new cultures, I'm excited to live with this passionate group this semester. I'm looking forward to living in a way that benefits our own souls and the needs of many around the world.

Kelsey Smith