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Union Tech: How AI is Empowering Workers


Is technology empowering or hindering human flourishing?

This week, I found a promising illustration of empowerment. While driving back from South Carolina, I listened to an episode from Technopolis podcast which explores how technology is altering urban landscapes. Just like in a previous post, the podcast did not disappoint. In this episode, they talk to Palak Shah from the National Domestic Worker Alliance digital lab. The advocacy group seeks innovative ways to empower 2.5 million nannies, house cleaners, and care workers in the United States. Because of its highly distributed workforce (most domestic workers work for one or a few households making it difficult to organize in a way that auto workers could), they quickly saw that technology was the best way to reach and engage the workers they trying to reach.

The lab developed two main products: the Alia platform and a La Alianza chatbot. The platform aggregates small contributions from clients to offer benefits for the workers. One of the biggest challenges with domestic workers is that they have no safety net. Most only get paid when they work and do not have health insurance. By pooling workers and getting an additional contribution from clients with little overhead, the platform is able to give the workers some of these benefits. The chatbot offers news and resources to over 200K domestic worker subscribers.

When the pandemic hit, the lab team with some help from Google was able to fully pivot in order to address new emerging problems. The Alia platform became a cash-transfer tool to help workers that were not getting any income. Note that most of them did not receive unemployment or the stimulus checks coming from the government. Furthermore, the chatbot surveyed domestic workers to better understand the impact of the pandemic on their livelihoods so they could adequately respond to their needs.

The NDWA lab story illustrates well the power of harnessing technology for human flourishing.

As a technology worker myself, I wonder how my work is expanding or hindering human flourishing. Some of us may not be doing work that is directly aligned with a noble cause. Yet, there are many ways in which we can take small steps re-direct technology towards a more human future.

Last week, in a history-making move, a group of Google employees formed the first union in a major technology company. Before that, tech employees have played crucial roles as whistleblowers for abuses and excesses from their companies. Beyond that, numerous tech workers have contributed their valuable skills for non-profit efforts in what is often known as the “tech for good” movement. These efforts range from hackathons to long-term projects organized by foundations embedded within large multinational companies.

These are just a few examples of how technology workers are taking steps to keep large corporations accountable and contribute to their communities. There are many other ways in which one can work towards human flourishing.

How is your work contributing to human flourishing today?

A Call to Post-Trump America: Make the Environment Great Again

As electors cast their vote today, we can breathe a sigh of relief: Donald J Trump is no longer president of the United States. Let that sink in! I honestly believe that even those who supported the president will not miss his conduct in the office, his tantrums, and undignified tweets. They may miss his policies but most will gladly dispense with his destructive personality.

The last four years have been a long whirlwind of chaos that I hope our nation never returns to. Just not having to deal with his tweets and the consequent media outrage surrounding it has been refreshing. Moreover, we can celebrate that civility is returning to the White House.

My main hope is that a Biden presidency can make politics boring again unlike the intrusive disruption it was in our lives for the last four years. With that said, this cannot be an invitation for disengagement as the work is far from complete. Let us not repeat the mistakes of 2009-2010 when an Obama presidency was quickly undermined by losses in the mid-term elections. While the electorate sat back, radical factions of the right woke up and mobilized. Their efforts would eventually bear fruit in the election of 45. A vacuum of a common cause that unites that country will invite a resurgence of irrational populism.

Listening to the 2020 electorate

How do we move forward? For those inclined, I recently posted a summary of election statistics. I don’t speak here as a progressive but as a moderate person of faith. First, it is important not to interpret 2020 as a mandate for the Democratic party. While the party re-took the coveted White House, the losses in Congress point to an electorate that disapproved of Trump but was not fully ready to ride a blue wave. If there was a mandate, it was for the parties to work together, a task that was all but impossible under the previous president.

In the past years, most of my comments and concerns were with a self-destructing GOP. While much work remains before Republicans become a vestige of the party it used to be, I think the moment calls for a plea to the other side. Biden won with a broad coalition that included moderates in the center along with die-hard progressives in the left. The threat of 45 was enough to bring them together but keeping the coalition together will be a different story. If we are to see Americans regain confidence in our institutions again, here is a place to start.

While Trumpism will certainly not fade away, its influence will be diminished in the next years. The best way to combat it is not to simply denounce it and shame its believers. Instead, it should be by showing a viable alternative that listens to the pain that made so many susceptible to populist lies and responds with effective governance. Sure, the right-wing noise machine will constantly put forth a narrative that undermines any progress that does not align with its narrow ideological shackles. Yet, we must believe that eventually, reality will break through the noise.

Make the Environment Mainstream

One of the greatest losses of the last 4 years was in our care for this earth. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris accord and systematic dismantling of the EPA can have devastating consequences for the long term health of our nation. It is vitally urgent that these steps are remedied right away. It is encouraging to hear that Biden already signaled a return to the Paris agreement in day one of his presidency. That is a good start but much more work needs to be done.

My plea to Democrats is that they become the Green party. Show the American people that it is not about destroying capitalism but saving it and making it sustainable. Work with Republicans, corporations, and anyone willing to tilt this economy towards sustainability. The COVID reset should be an opportunity to shift the economy towards more equitable, holistic, and long-term thinking. An economic system in which a tree is worth more dead than alive is not just an impediment but the root of the problem. We cannot address our climate crisis until this structural problem is rectified.

As a person of faith, I believe there is no issue that carries as much importance and consequence as this one. The environment impacts all races, ethnicities, and socio-economic statuses. It is not even limited to humanity but affects all of life on our beloved planet. Furthermore, it has the potential to unite us but also the danger of ending our existence if we ignore it.

A Task for All of us

Above all, it requires bold leadership that is able to build consensus across many interest groups represented in our political system. That is why it must be de-politicized. This requires a change of approach from both Republicans and Democrats. On the GOP side, moderate voices must rise up and reject climate denialism. We need conservative voices to participate in this process as government policy will not be enough. Courageous moderates should buck the more radical voices in the party that question the science on this matter.

Democrats, on the other hand, should not use this issue as an excuse to enact progressive policies. They should also be willing to work with moderates on the other side who take this issue seriously. It is important that this issue does not get confused with Socialism but is understood as the transcending matter it actually is. The Green New Deal is a good start but Democrats should be willing to incorporate Republican ideas that can help it make it more effective.

Finally, faith leaders must also do their part. Celebrating “Creation Sunday” once a year won’t cut it. If conservative Christians are militant about life and progressive Christians are passionate about the poor, they both can come together to uplift the planet that sustains life and empowers the poor through its bounty. Christians and people of other faiths in this country should come together on this matter. They can play a crucial role in compelling a distracted society to join in the fight to preserve, restore, and maintain our biosphere.


2020 Voters Fire Trump but Democrats Have Reasons to Worry

Joe Biden: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America (source: Joe Biden); User:TDKR Chicago 101 (clipping)Donald Trump: Shealah Craighead (source: White House)Сombination: krassotkin, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

As a data geek, I could not resist pouring over the early statistics coming out of this election. In previous blogs, I expressed my thoughts on the issues at stake. In this blog, I offer a brief summary of the main insights coming out of the data published on the election so far. Certainly, more data will come but there is enough already for some interesting points.

  1. Turnout was the highest in 120 years hovering around 67% of eligible voters.
  2. African Americans (87%), first-time voters (64%), and people under 30 (60%) voted overwhelmingly for Biden. 9 out of 10 African-American women voted for Biden, by far the largest alignment in the electorate.
  3. White evangelicals or born again (76%) and white with no college degree (67%) and white men (61%) voted overwhelmingly for Trump.
  4. From a regional perspective, Trump bested Biden in the South and Midwest while Biden won by larger margins in the East and West.
  5. Trump voters thought that the economy and public safety were the top issues in this election. Biden voters saw the pandemic and racial inequality as the most pressing issues.
  6. Nearly a 1/3 of Biden voters did so to oppose Trump rather than support Biden. This is an important statistic for the Democrats to keep in mind if they have any hope of keeping the presidency in 4 years.
  7. Biden won in every income level except those with $100K or more where Trump won by 12 points.
  8. For every moderate that voted for Trump, there were two who voted for Biden.
  9. Biden narrowly edged Trump in the suburbs: 50/48
  10. Compared to 2016, Biden was able to convince 3% more voters to switch from Trump than from Clinton. More importantly, Biden was the choice of 58% of those who did not vote in 2016 but decided to vote this time.

Note that it is still early to draw any definite conclusions but these numbers already paint an interesting picture of voter’s preference in 2020. As I reflect on these findings, I would like to highlight some main observations.

By J4p4pn

Voters want a balanced government

The blue wave did not materialize. In fact, Democrats lost seats in Congress though still retained a majority. The Senate is up for grabs as the country waits for Georgia to vote in a January runoff. What that means is enough voters rejected Trump at the top of the ballot but were not willing to commit to the Democrats elsewhere ballot choices. The majority of the electorate wants the party to work together even if the most radical factions continue to control the narrative and the campaign money.

Considering the lagging popularity of the president with the majority of the electorate and a Republican party that stood steadfastly behind him, it is surprising how the Democrats struggled in the house and senate races. These initial numbers suggest that the electorate is still hesitant to give a solid mandate. I think a lot of that is suburban voters who are wary of “defund the Police” rhetoric among Democrats. Others are concerned with a rise in Socialism, which however realistic a claim, was an effective GOP attack. This was especially true for voters making $100K or more, the only income group where Trump won by a decisive margin.

Biden won narrowly in those areas that continue to be the bellwether for American politics. While the cities and rural areas get the most attention for their opposing views, it is the suburbs that decide elections. It was demographic changes in two large Atlanta suburban counties (I live in one of them and would like to believe was part of that change) that turned the state blue for the first time since 92. Yet, this cannot be interpreted as a turn to progressive politics but more of a reaction against the worse incarnation of conservative politics reflected in Trumpism.

In short, Democrats have a long way to go if they want to keep these voters in the blue column. As point 8 above demonstrates, Biden won in large part by courting the moderate vote. The president-elect and his party have a monumental challenge ahead as they seek to balance appealing to moderates while keeping the progressive wing of the party happy.

Voters Lack Choices

While we celebrate the record turn out, it is important to highlight that close to 1/3 of eligible voters refused to participate. Furthermore, the high rate and is still below other industrialized nations. This is a remarkable finding considering the amount of media attention on this year’s contest. Some could attribute it to the Trump effect that brought new voters to the polls either to support or reject him. Hence, it is possible this turnout rate is not sustainable.

There was a lot of outcry about polarization in politics but the elephant (and donkey) in the room remains unaddressed. Voters still are under the tyranny of a duopoly that cannot represent the diversity of the American population. Unfortunately, there are no prospects of change as the two dominant parties have erected large barriers for new entrants. The only way to expand turn out is to open the political system to viable third and fourth parties. I was hoping moderate Republicans disgusted by Trump would take the lead. Instead, they opted to either support Biden or remain on the sidelines.

Until the system is reformed, turnout will continue to hit a ceiling of 66-70%. It is tragic that so many Americans who are eligible to vote do not have adequate representation. We are made poorer as a nation for it.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/exit-polls-president.html

Waking up to the Power of Dreams for Self-Awareness

I am not sure how it started but I was riding shotgun with Dr. Charles Stanley. Yes, that Charles Stanley, the famous pastor who just recently retired from ministry. We were deep in a conversation where he shared his regrets from the last years. I was honored to be worthy of his trust but deep inside was wondering: why me? When it came to my turn to talk, I awkwardly mumbled trite words of empathy and encouragement. What else was I to do? It probably took a lot for him to share his heart with me, a stranger.

We finally arrived at our destination. At that point, I realized we were in front of a hospital. Dr. Stanley went in and when I opened the door, to my surprise, it fell out. Felling embarrassed, I tried putting the door back on the hinges but it was not staying. At that point, Dr. Stanley came back out and signaled me to come in. He told me to not bother as the door was broken for a long time. “Not bother?” I thought; “I can’t just leave the door here in the street”. Finally, I tried one more time when I saw that the side mirror of the broken door was covered with gray epoxy.

That is when I woke up.

An Unexpected Journey

I wasn’t one to pay attention to dreams. To me, they were mere confusing accidents of nature carrying little relevance to the real world. Occasionally, I would remember one, tell my wife, and move on with life. Nothing to see here, carry on with more pressing matters. Yet, recently my perspective changed. All it took was social isolation and a few sleepless nights that forced me to pay more attention to my dreams.

Apparently, I am not alone. Many have reported a surge of vivid dreams lately. At first, I thought this was simply an anomaly. However, the more I journaled about it, the more I realized how little I have paid attention to my dreams. What if they were trying to tell me something important? What if they revealed truths about myself I refuse to confront?

It was then, through friends and a few google searches, that I discovered Jungian psychology. A contemporary of Freud, Carl Jung was one of the fathers of modern psychology. He started his own school of thought in the field which among other things took dreams seriously. He believed they were not simply side effects of stomach indigestion but important symbolic messages our subconscious was trying to convey.

Faithful Dreams

In my religious upbringing, dreams played a role. Inspired by biblical passages, dreams could be warnings, premonitions, or messages of hope. In short, the tradition is aware of the importance of dreams even if centuries of Enlightenment in the West has made serious theological engagement with it a rarity at best. Yet, my religious upbringing was too concerned with morality to dig deeper into the symbolic world of dreams. It often gave me little options as to what the dream could be.

Hence, unless the dream was revealing a message of eternal value or carrying a warning of things to come, there was simply no interest in probing further. It lacked a more robust understanding of self that went beyond a narrow consideration of right and wrong. Consequently, in an attempt to focus my eyes on heavenly topics, it left me blind to the earthly mundane work of self-awareness. This where the wealth of knowledge accumulated through psychoanalysis in the last century and a half comes in hand.

Ultimately, Jungian analysis focuses on what the dream has to speak of the dreamer him or herself. If we suspend the question of source, namely who or what is creating the dream, the dream is there to deliver a message to the individual (or ego, the conscious individual). It most often is not about an earth-shattering message but a hidden insight that helps the conscious self better understand what is underneath.

In that sense, looking at dreams this way requires faith. That is, it requires trust that whatever source is speaking to us is worth listening to. Furthermore, it calls for a belief that that message is there ultimately for our good. I confess, that I struggled with this one. As a Christian, I was trained to doubt the human voice. Inherent in our theology is the idea that humanity is fallen and in need of divine intervention. This can oftentimes lead us to turning away from our humanity in pursuit godly things. Yet, here we are invited to trust that God can and will speak through our very human subconscious.

Extending an Invitation

The best of Christian tradition embodies the habit of hospitality. It is often preoccupied with inviting others into a new reality. In the same way, my journey through Jungian psychology is shaping into an invitation to go within. It is a call to listen to dreams and imagination without judgement, only seeking to listen to what is saying. Can our dreams speak life into our awaken selves?

Unfortunately, staying in the abstract level will not be sufficient. An invitation must translate into a call to action. Action in this area, for many of us who have grown distant and neglectful of the inner life, requires some training and coaching. Towards that aim, I was delighted to discover from the suggestion of a friend, Robert A Johnson’s Inner work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth. This practical yet dense book is proving to be a great tool in my own personal journey within.

In the next blog, I will summarize the main points Dr. Johnson brings up in this book. Yet, you don’t have to wait for them. If you are serious about this journey, go ahead and purchase the book and read it for yourself. In this extended time of social isolation, it is never too late to embark on a journey inwards.

Aqueles que me Trouxeram a Cristo me Trairam

In English

Nasci na família de Cristo por meio de uma igreja carismática, filho de um pastor e profundamente envolvido em igrejas desse tipo até meus 30 anos. Hoje, embora seja grato pelo lar que me apresentou ao Deus do universo, mal consigo reconhecê-la.

As pessoas que me trouxeram a Jesus me traíram, trocaram o amor genuíno do evangelho pelo fascínio do sucesso.

Às vezes, tenho até vergonha de minha herança. O que me trouxe alegria e conforto se tornaram memórias de desapontamento, manipulação e hipocrisia. Embora não só por causa disso, essa situação se fez clara quando eu testemunhei líderes que respeito votarem e apoiarem com entusiasmo um candidato que era a antítese do Cristo que eles me ensinaram.

Sera que eu fui enganado o tempo todo?

Embora não haja estatísticas sobre o apoio P&C (Pentecostal e Carismático) para Donald Trump, não ficaria surpreso se esse número fosse o norte para os 81% de evangélicos brancos que votaram nele em 2016. E como um grupo diverso nos Estados Unidos, a apoio não se limita apenas aos brancos, mas provavelmente abrange a maioria dos hispânicos, senão mesmo afro-americanos P&C. Não é simplesmente uma questão racial, mas sim uma crise teológica.

Quanto mais reflito sobre essa situação e relembro minha experiência, percebo que todos os ingredientes para essa guinada ao nacionalismo cristão estiveram lá o tempo todo. Eu apenas tolerava, negava ou simplesmente escolhia olhar para o outro lado. Minha fidelidade à experiência carismática me cegou para as contradições grosseiras que nossa tradição florescente carrega. Toda essa adoração exuberante, crescimento vibrante e fé implacável têm um lado negativo. Freqüentemente se manifesta em cultos a personalidade, uma tendência ao autoritarismo e um perigoso desprezo pelo escrutínio intelectual. A combinação desses três tornou possível a aliança profana com um líder narcisista, autoritário e nacionalista. Não vamos fingir que, com toda a nossa conversa sobre o poder de Deus, não estávamos interessados ​​no poder humano. Fomos e ainda somos perigosamente seduzidos por ele. Em uma trágica barganha faustiana, pastores pentecostais trocaram a alma de nossa fé pelo acesso ao homem mais poderoso do mundo.

No entanto, meu objetivo aqui não é simplesmente expressar um desabafo mas transformá-lo em um apelo. Apesar do meu desapontamento com o movimento, conheço o Deus que os P&C adoram. Ele é maior e mais amplo do que todas as nossas mesquinhas ilusões teológicas. Reis e reinos passarão, mas o amor de Deus permanecerá. É por isso que imploro aos meus irmãos na fé que se examinem e se arrependam. Baseado na tradição profética bíblica, peço que eles reconsiderem suas lealdades políticas destrutivas. Ouça o que o Espírito está falando através das vozes nas margens, pois Deus não vive em casas brancas expansivas, mas nos gritos perturbadores dos oprimidos. Eu oro para que você transforme seu engajamento político no trabalho duradouro da igualdade, justiça do cuidado a criação.

Se você mora nos Estados Unidos, acredito que rejeitar Donald Trump nesta eleição é um passo importante nessa direção. Se você mora no Brasil, o mesmo se aplica a Jair Bolsonaro. Eles são falsos messias tentando manipular sua fé para ganho próprio. Resista à tentação de obter acesso ao poder e escolha manter sua fé perene. Se você estiver em outras partes do mundo, continue a apoiar o trabalho da caridade, igualdade e justiça no ambito local e global. Resista às narrativas políticas que prometem ordem na troca pela liberdade. Rejeite aqueles que falam de um passado moral utopico quando nossa fé está voltada para o futuro. Acima de tudo, fuja de líderes políticos que exigem lealdade inquestionável e atacam a mídia quando ela os questionam.

Plante uma árvore. Comforte o abatido. Fale pelos que nao tem voz. Dê aos pobres. Pois é dando que recebemos. É com humildade que honramos o Príncipe da paz.

O mundo ainda precisa testemunhar o que Deus pode fazer quando os cristãos cheios do Espírito buscam a paz. E se o movimento se tornasse uma voz implacável pela justiça, ungida para pregar as boas novas aos pobres e libertar os grilhões dos oprimidos? Este é o tempo Kairos de Deus para a nossa geração.

Vamos ouvir o chamado ou deixá-la passar por nós?

Que Espírito de Deus nos tornem ousados ​​para um momento como este.

In English

Plea to evangelicals II: Culture War, Social Unrest and COVID

In a previous blog, I went over the two most often cited reasons that evangelicals use to justify their vote for Donald Trump. Here I want to continue examining other rationalizations to see if they hold water. My contention continues to be that voting for the current president is the worse choice for a Christian in this junction of history. I record this here in an attempt to persuade those who have voted for him in the last election to reconsider their support on November 3rd.

Trump the Culture Warrior

The president has proven to be a consistent culture warrior, advancing conservative causes in his speeches and nominating a record number of conservative judges. He has also addressed excesses from zealous culture warriors on the left. I can understand how conservative Christians may feel like they have an ally in the White House on this matter.

His record on religious freedom is more ambiguous. At times, he has spoken for persecuted Christian minorities in the world. The State Department under Secretary Pompeo, an evangelical Christian himself, has put (Christian) religious freedom at the forefront of US diplomacy. Yet, Trump’s betrayal of the Kurds, many who are Christians, was jarring. His action demonstrated what we feared all along: that his support for conservative causes was not borne out of conviction but political expediency. Some evangelical supporters can see that but are satisfied with the bargain given the consistency he has shown in the domestic front of the culture war.

Even so, I would contend that evangelicals should re-visit their participation in the culture war. Their blind support for conservative causes comes with strings attached. While upholding traditional moral values that often align with Biblical principles, conservative judges also betray the heart of Christianity when they side with libertarian economics. There is nothing biblical about siding with the rich or removing regulations that seek to preserve the environment. Surely every involvement in politics requires some compromises but it is important to at least spell them out. To equate Christianity with American Conservatism is to diminish the gospel to traditional morality and trickle-down economics.

Furthermore, I question whether winning the battle in the courts will achieve the wholesale culture change evangelicals desire. That often happens through grassroots movements from below rather than from legislation from the top. Moreover, our faith revolves around invitation, not coercion. Passing laws that uphold moral values may change behaviors but rarely change hearts.

Trump’s Response to Social Unrest

I add this section as this topic has come to the forefront lately with multiple instances of black men (and women) being brutally murdered by the police. These tragic events have sparked multiple demonstrations in many cities of the country. Some protests go on till this day. The murder of George Floyd, especially, was a watershed moment that exposed the long-lasting legacy of racism in our nation.

The president’s response to these multiple events has been inadequate at best and cruel at its worse. While conceding the injustice of George Floyd’s event, his unwillingness to admit the problem of systemic racism in the police was a complete failure of leadership. Instead, he has resorted to golf metaphors to explain that cops sometimes make mistakes. The carelessness of this response is appalling. It was a slap in the face of grieving families and an insult to people of color. His response only further inflames the anger that is boiling in the streets.

Protests in some cities have turned violent. Some included instances of looting and rioting. Yes, keeping the streets safe is important and de-funding police departments may lead to an increase in crime. Yet, the worse reaction a politician could have is to ignore or minimize the causes of the riots while repressing them violently. Callous calls for “law and order” in periods of social unrest will likely fuel further grievances. It has nothing to do with Biblical Christianity but instead belongs to the playbook of authoritarian regimes.

Corona Confirmed our Worse Fears

The global pandemic that started earlier this year has tested societies in every continent. The death toll continues to rise daily to a point we have become numb to it. It has hit our nation particularly hard, exposing the cost of our disunity, and the underside of our individualistic culture. It has also exposed the gross incompetence of a ruling party that scoffs at science believing more in conspiracy theories rather than facing reality for what it is.

The basic function of the federal government is to aptly coordinate a response to national crises. No private entity can do that and local governments are limited in their ability to cope with a global pandemic. If we compare our handling of the pandemic with other countries, the US undoubtedly comes in the bottom. It does not matter how you frame the analysis, 200K deaths (as of the publishing of this blog) will never be acceptable. While not all deaths were caused by the federal response, many could have been prevented by it.

The pandemic was a perfect storm that exposed the dangers of Trump’s character failings. His gross narcissism prevented him from foreseeing the worse and acting quickly to coordinate a response. Also, his inability to lead by example encouraged widespread neglect of CDC guidelines. Furthermore, Trump’s resignation before the growing death counts was insensitive and served only to hide the incompetence of his administration. The least we expect of our leaders is that they do not stand in the way of experts who are best prepared to respond in these situations. In his insatiable thirst for attention, Trump undermined experts and politicized a matter instead of uniting the country behind a response.

For that mistake, we are all paying a heavy price.

While this affects all citizens, his failure of leadership strikes at the heart of evangelical engagement in politics. If evangelicals are pro-life, they cannot stand by a president that shows so much disregard for the life of the governed. His response was not just a matter of incompetence but a moral failure.

Conclusion

In short, voting for Trump is the worse choice an evangelical Christian could make in this election. In these two blogs, I showed how in multiple issues Trump has proven to be more of a curse than a blessing. While evangelicals gained an apt culture warrior, that benefit has come at a high price of in multiple areas.

I also know that many reading this will protest saying that the alternative is worse. They will contend that the Democratic party stands against everything evangelical Christianity is for. Others will claim that even the most egregious mistakes of this administration are justified in the fight to contain Socialism. Is that really true? That is what I will turn to in my next blog.

My Plea to Evangelical Voters: Rethink

I rarely write about political matters. This time, things are different.

As I reflect on this election and our historical moment, maybe for the first time I feel that simply expressing my support through voting is not enough. I’ll resist the temptation to call this election the most important of our lifetimes. However, to me, it clearly calls for greater engagement than previous ones. Also, in this case, there is no doubt in my mind that one outcome is much worse than the other. This is not just about policy or even a candidate character but a battle for the soul of our nation. It is about who we are as a people and our role as Christian citizens in service of the common good.

My contention is simple: voting for Trump is the worse option a Christian (evangelical or otherwise) could make. I would go even further: to reject Trump’s Christian nationalism even as it seems against the self-interest of the evangelical church, is the most powerful act of gospel witness in the public square. The way of Jesus compels us to go against the natural order of political power. If evangelical Christians care most about changing hearts then the best way is through cultural influence not political power. Some times, we must give up power to gain influence. Lose a battle to win the war.

Intended Audience

With few exceptions, most of my evangelical brothers and sisters that voted for Trump, did not like him as a person. Many abhorred his tweets, disapproved of his lifestyle choices and acknowledged his sick narcissism. Unlike George W. Bush in the early 00’s, he is not a guy you casually “want to have a beer with.” Many were scandalized by his immoral behavior. Yet, they were convinced that putting up with all that was worth it to deny Hillary Clinton the presidency. They often cited some specific reasons and rationales for this decision.

In the following sections, I will address each of these most-cited reasons and demonstrate that, upon closer scrutiny, they do not hold water. In short, they are mirages, fabricated arguments to appease the conscience as opposed to legitimate reasons to tolerate the president’s misdeeds. Because they have been repeated so often without challenge, they became a truth of their own.

By now, most voters had made up their minds but I want to speak to those who are still undecided. Some of them, who voted for the president 4 years ago, are now rethinking their decision. For this group, I offer this blog as one data point in their honest discernment process on who to vote for in this election.

Voting for Trump will NOT Save Babies

Let me put it bluntly: you have been duped. A few decades ago some fundamentalist preachers and market savvy political operatives came up with a brilliant strategy. They saw the Roe vs Wade decision as a pivotal point and decided that the top (and only) priority for Christian voters was to overturn it. At a national level, it meant electing presidents that would pick conservative judges for the supreme court that would eventually overturn that ill-fated decision.

This strategy was a “win-win” for both sides. Republican candidates got unquestioning support from a significant voting block and in return all they had to do was pick conservative judges when the existing one died. They could invade countries abroad, torture prisoners, wreck the economy, reinforce inequality at home and be downright corrupt as long as they came through with their side of the bargain.

For evangelicals, the strategy provided clarity and absolution from guilt. They did not have to think critically about which party to support, or which candidate to vote for. All they had to understand was the following: 1) abortion is murder; 2) one party is trying to end it through judicial nominations and restrictive politics; 3) the other party supports abortion; 4) therefore, the Christian choice is clearly to vote with the first party. They would show up to vote every four years to save the nation and then go back to saving souls in the remaining years with a clear conscience that they did not vote for baby killers!

If this was not clear before let me say it here: voting Republican will not end abortion! The very premise that we could do so is misguided and simplistic. It is more about a pernicious political strategy than biblical truth. If you care about unborn babies do work for a society in which abortion is the last resort. Help the mothers who are making these choices, call for restrictions where appropriate, build pregnancy crisis centers and make an argument for fetus rights in the public square.

In other words, get engaged in the process instead of selling your vote for so little. Don’t settle for this false choice that one party is for saving babies while they other is for killing them. And above all, do not let any religious leader make you feel guilty for voting for the alternative. There are biblical reasons to vote for one party as much as there are for another. There is room in the household of God for progressives and conservatives.

The Cyrus argument is NOT a valid “Biblical” reason to vote for Trump

Another commonly held justification is what I call the “Cyrus argument.” It alludes to the Persian ruler praised in the Bible for allowing the Jewish people to return and re-populate their lost national territory. In Biblical terms, God used him to fulfill his promises of restoring Israel. He was not Jewish and not necessarily a benign leader. Using this metaphor, evangelicals see Trump as a “non-Christian” political leader that will advocate a conservative Christian agenda, returning the US to its supposedly Christian past.

In certain aspects, the 45th president has proven to be really supportive to the conservative agenda spelled out in the previous section. He appointed a record number of conservative judges and multiple circuits, supported moving Israel’s capital back to Jerusalem and sided with conservatives in civil liberty issues. In the surface, the Cyrus metaphor has worked.

Yet, at further examination, the metaphor breaks down quickly showing a lack of knowledge of historical context and bad application to our present situation. It is important to distinguish Ancient world politics with our modern situation. First, the Jewish people had no choice in Cyrus rise to power. In other words, they did not elect him. This is an important point because democracy spreads agency across the population as opposed to ancient monarchies. That means, those that elect a president also become responsible for his or her behavior.

Second, I get disgusted as how this Cyrus argument became cover for Trump’s most egregious words and actions. It went right along with the saying “I am not electing a pastor but a president.” This pernicious statement allowed leaders to justify scandals and minimize misdeeds at an appalling fashion. This is the same voting block that years ago blasted President Clinton for his character failures now happily supported and justified a much more immoral president. This inconsistency did not portray biblical faithfulness but instead it revealed a dark secret of evangelical political involvement, namely that the means justify the ends. In Roosevelt’s words: “Trump may be a SOB but he is our SOB.”

When I saw Franklin Graham refuse to criticize the president’s policy on immigrant detention that literally put kids in cages, it made me sick. While not all evangelicals agree with him, he is representative of the evangelical voter. Like him, many evangelicals actually took on a harder (and more cruel) stance on immigration as a way not to challenge their Cyrus.

That is simply scandalous and exposes the dark side of political alliances. When you start aligning so closely with a political party, your religious convictions start changing. Suddenly, compassionate evangelicals take on heartless political positions that neglect the least of these. Separation of church and state was not conceived to defend government from religion but the other way around. Our founding fathers understood that religious convictions could easily be co-opted by malignant political motives.

Conclusion

In this blog, I covered two of the most often cited reasons for supporting Trump by evangelicals. In the next one, I want to cover more pragmatic reasons and how those also do not hold water. For now suffice it to say: support for Trump does not equal biblical faithfulness. Quite the opposite, at its core it represents a betrayal of fundamental biblical principles of compassion, hospitality, love for the neighbor and a commitment to truth.

If there is any silver lining for this contentious political period is the unmasking of the unholy alliance between evangelicalism and Conservative politics. For at least 4 decades, these two were often seen as synonymous with each other. This can no longer be the case. It is high time for evangelical Christians to recover their authentic voice in the public square rather than settling for the poor counterfeit of conservative politics.

Preparing for a Post-COVID-19 AI-driven Workplace

Are we ready for the change this pandemic will bring? Are we ready to encounter the accelerating threats to the workplace that were envisioned only years ahead? What can this pandemic teach us about being useful in the future where AI will continue to re-arrange the workplace?

Sign of Things to Come

As the coronavirus was spreading rapidly through Japan in March, workers in Sugito found a spiking sudden demand for hygiene products such as masks, hand sanitizers, gloves, and medical protection supplies.  To reduce the danger of contamination, the company that operates the center, Paltac, is engaging in a revolutionary idea. They are not just considering, but are already initiating hiring robots to replace human manufacturing, at least until social distancing is no longer needed.

“Robots are just one tool for adapting to the new normal.” Says Will Knight, senior writer for WIRED, in his article where he evaluates the Japanese pandemic situation, and how manufacturing Japanese companies are dealing with social distancing.

Some think that this is an unmatched opportunity to adapt and deliver in the AI community. Especially medical Robo tech – if they had been sought out more thoroughly beforehand, maybe the present outcome wouldn’t have been so catastrophic. Science journalist Matt Simon illustrates this in his article, and reassures that: “Evermore sophisticated robots and AI are augmenting human workers

The greater question is will AI replace or augment workers? Our future may depend on the answer to this question.

A Bigger Threat than a Virus?

In 2016 Harvard scientists released a study on “12 risks that threaten human civilization.” In it, they, not only outline the risks but also show ways that we can prepare for them. Prophetically, the study cites a global pandemic at the top of the list. It correctly classified it as “more likely than assumed” and they could not have been more correct. We now wish global leaders had heeded their warnings.

What other risks does the study warn us about? The scientists consider Artificial Intelligence as one of the major, but unfortunately the least of all comprehended global risks. In spite of its limitless potential, there is a grave risk of such intelligence developing into something uncontrollable.

It is not just a probability, but a questionable enigma of when. It could bring significant economic disruption, predicting that AI could copy and surpass human proficiency in speed and performance. While current technology is nowhere near this scenario, the mere possibility of this predicament should cause us to pause for reflection.

Yet, even as this pandemic has shown, the greatest threats are also the biggest opportunities for doing good in the world.

Learning to Face the Unknown

Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Change is inevitable. Whether coming by exquisite and unique technology or a deadly virus, it will eventually disrupt our ideal routines. The difference is in how we position ourselves to face these adversities alongside those who we love and are responsible for. If humans can correctly predict tragedies, how much more can we do to avoid them!

The key to the future is the ability to adapt in the face of change. People that only react to what is “predictable” will be replaced by robots or algorithms. For example, as a teacher, I studied many things but never thought that I would have to become a Youtuber.  No one ever taught me about the systems to help me access via the internet. I was not trained for this! Yet, because of this pandemic, I now have to teach through creating videos and uploading them online. I am learning to become a worker of the future.

May we use this quarantined year as an incubating opportunity to prepare ourselves for a world that will not be the same.  May we train ourselves to endure challenges, and also to see the opportunities that lie in plain sight. This is my hope and prayer for all of you.

STAY HOME, STAY SAFE, STAY SANE


Pandemic Lessons: Moving from Denial to Engagement

In a previous blog, I discussed the role of prophetic models in guiding world leaders to respond to this crisis. Here, I go to a more personal level, addressing the temptation of denial in a time of crisis. This is one of the pandemic lessons I dare not ignore. I confess this is by far my strongest tendency when the going gets tough. My first reaction is not to fight or flight but simply freeze. I retreat inwardly shielding myself from the suffering around me.

This time, with God’s help, I must do differently.

A Global Initiation Rite

Father Richard Rohr offers a provocative perspective for this pandemic. Skirting away any suggestions that this is God’s punishment on humanity, instead he sees it as a global rite of passage. It is a collective experience of suffering aiming to mature us by reminding us of our frailty. This perspective emerges from his in-depth study of male initiation ceremonies, a global phenomenon where elders teach young boys the deep truths of their culture.

As he studied these rituals, he learned they contained recurring core messages. In short, they aimed to convey the following to its initiates:

  1. Life is hard.
  2. You are not that important.
  3. Your life is not about you.
  4. You are not in control.
  5. You are going to die.

Read this list again and pause for a moment.

In a time of greater gender equality, it is fair to ask why girls did not go through these types of ceremonies. I do not know for sure but I would venture to guess the feminine life had more natural ways to initiate them. When you are raised to serve and groomed to endure child-birth, these messages have a way of coming to you naturally. Till this day, it is usually men who need to get smacked around a bit to learn these truths lest they think too highly of themselves and, God forbid, run for president.

Going back to our time of crisis, what would this perspective mean? At the heart of it, I believe Father Rohr is inviting us to embrace this period as an opportunity for personal growth that we experience as a global community. We have all unwillingly entered this rite. Let’s receive it as an opportunity to re-center, reset and re-orient inwardly and toward each other.

When wedded with meaning, suffering can produce beautiful fruits of virtue, love and wisdom.

Memories from a Previous Crisis

When this pandemic started, it reminded me of a previous global crisis I went through. Almost two decades ago, I was a senior in college going about my business when two planes crashed into the WTC Towers in New York. That crisis hit close to home because my brother lived in Manhattan at the time and I immediately feared for his life. Thankfully, he survived unharmed even if traumatized by that horrific experience.

What I remember, however, was not the shock or concern but a persistent attempt to mentally distance myself from that reality. Once I learned my brother had survived and had a chance to see him, I jumped right back into life. I refused to spend hours watching the news from it. I never reflected on what that meant for the world or even how that could affect me. Life had to continue as planned. Nothing to see here.

In fact, I remember being bothered that my routine of classes had been disrupted. Even as my brother was a survivor, I made no attempt to connect with the pain of those in New York and of the nation in general. I didn’t even reflect theologically on it. I filed under the category of “bad people do bad things,” and that was that.

Regrettably, I missed the opportunity to enter into that global rite of initiation, share in the suffering and learn from its wisdom. I went through it and came out the the other side unchanged.

From Denial to Engagement

I decided this crisis was too important to waste. That is when I am looking for ways to step away from avoidance and denial into active engagement. One surprising gift of this time has been a flourishing in my writing. If before the crisis, I had to come up with ideas for blogs, now I can’t finish these ideas fast enough. I am still limited by the realities of shelter in place and therefore have not published significantly more. However, I sense my voice coming through more clearly.

Another practice is to contact loved ones that are far. I have done a lot more of that than I used to. Now there is the realization we couldn’t travel to see each other face-to-face. Then, the Skype or Zoom screen becomes more bearable, more cherished and all the more real. It is life-giving to see each other eyes even if it is through a 2 dimensional screen.

Finally, I have grown to empathize more with others. Gone is the usual habit to shelter myself from bad news. This is a global experience and we are all being impacted by it. There is no escaping. Even social media, in its best days, has become a true place of encounter where we sing, cry, laugh and share our sheltered lives. Whether it is through photos, tweets, videos, memes and music – they multiply and amplify our shared humanity.

This is not to say that I wake up every day cheering on the opportunity to face the unknown. There are dark days of sadness, exhaustion, anger, denial or incipient disconnection. This is a crisis after all, one that we did not choose nor one we can simply turn off when it gets uncomfortable.

Surprising gifts often come intertwined with painful losses. Hope emerges wrapped in fear for the future. Love appears in the ever threat of rejection.

Hence I invite all, in this time of social distancing, to resist the temptation of denial through generous acts of engagement.

Quarantine Cooking: When Wisdom Puts on an Apron

Patience is calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.

David G. Allen

An Unexpected Dialogue

In an ordinary afternoon, I felt a conversation taking place. Was it with God or only my imagination? I just felt as if wisdom had come down from somewhere and was staring at me ,ever so humorously critical, but with a glistening promise. And, I might add, with a pinch of wonder.

“Today you’re going to relearn cooking

“Oh, is that so? Hmm, isn’t my cooking good enough?”

“It is good, but you have forgotten a simple and very important principle of cooking.”

“Hmm, and what is that?”

“To have delight while in the process. To cook is to appreciate. To cook is to wait for the proper timing, and to cut the right ingredients. Preferably methods that might take longer, but will taste as love and kindness had been added with a pinch of salt.”

“And how could this be possible? How can abstract feelings turn into ingredients?”

“Hands are carriers. They carry objects, but also carry stories. A newborn held tight, sweet strokes of assurance given by fathers and mothers, a handheld grip of a lover. These stories carry feelings, and when you cook, with patience, embracing each step, you become a storyteller.”

The Tyranny of the Practical

Living and cooking had become straining to me. Everything needed to be practical and fast. I always felt I had a clock ticking and that at any moment the alarm would yell how long I was taking and that people were hungry.

Quarantined, I started to have time.

I started to notice how my cooking wasn’t pleasurable. I noticed as well how I was dependent on methods that probably didn’t make the food tastier. If I knew ways to make food tastier and had time to create, why not do it? It would take patience, time management plus organization, and probably a total change of perspective.  In the end, would it be worth it?

Do I even know how to make my own seasoning from scratch?

I sliced the garlic in tiny pieces. With a knife. I could have used three thousand devices that could have made the process take seconds, but I felt that I had to experience those long 5 minutes (maybe 2, in my mind actually it felt like 10). I put on some music, sometimes humming and swaying while tasting a hot spoon of magical sauce, just like I remembered my mom love to do. I started listening, and not just trying to get things done. I let creativity flow through my mind, through my hands. I started to use things that I wouldn’t, but because I listened, those ingredients would whisper what they needed more.

Learning to Slow Down

Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.

R. Buckminster Fuller

Technology is not our enemy. Making things practical aren’t the villains, but forgetting the importance of waiting and the eminence of patience can be. How, if things happen in a different order than what we had planned, they can still be joyful and wonderful!

What could be the wrong reasons, and what could be the right ones?

Could simply cooking remind me of things that I had forgotten that were important?

And yet, I am no master to all these elements. Like I once said to my mother while we were discussing important things in life: “I am still learning”.

I’m learning to pick wisely, to spend time in what matters, to cut with patience and to listen to the right melody. To sway in the right tempo, and to embrace the right feelings.

STAY HOME, STAY SAFE, STAY PATIENT!

Lidia Krüger Braconnot is an adventurer and a storytelling enthusiast. Having lived in many different places, she now lives in Brazil, where she is an English teacher for all ages. She is 21 years old with a dream of expressing in beautiful detail what life is about, hoping to reach out to people in a comical and lighthearted way.