5 Minute Post: Power and Privilege

The last two weeks I have reflected on the powers and principalities in the sermons I have preached.  First it was in the shadow of Herod and the slaughter of innocents.  This past week it was in the light of Epiphany.  Power language can be found throughout the New Testament and is an integral topic for the life of the church and the followers of Jesus. 

This post is in response of an earlier post of Dr. David Creech in which he reflected on privilege.  The “5 Minute Post” - a title I borrow out of respect - can be read here:
Dr. David Creech - 5 Mintue Post: Wrestling with Privilege

I too struggle with privilege.  I am a white, straight, educated (two degrees), Protestant (Lutheran, ELCA), male, pastor.  I live in the most powerful nation in the world.  I hold power, that I still do not fully understand, in my role as a pastor.  I have a great advantage over others and I cannot say, without significant qualifications, that I can claim responsibility for any of them. 

The last few years of my life and my time in seminary have greatly altered my world view.  A few years ago I could not have articulated my privilege.  I had no clue.  I have no concept of my privilege or the power that I had in my context.  The last two years of my education have contained a significant amount of time in the study of power language in the Bible.  In my initial response to Dr. Creech I tried to equate power and privilege.  I am not sure that they are exact equivalents, but there is some cross over. 

For instance.  To his question of how I respond to privilege I perceive a great deal of overlap. 

Here is how I respond.

Privilege, just like power, has to be named, unmasked, and engaged.  I take this triad from the late Walter Wink who wrote a brilliant trilogy on the powers and principalities that needs to be required reading in seminaries effective immediately.  Here is the third book;
Wink: Engaging the Powers

The triad works like this: 

1)  Privilege, like power, needs to be named.  This literally means calling a thing what it is.  For example - racism, sexism, or any of the other -isms that get thrown around and dismissed.
Once it is named (acknowledged) it is no longer shrouded in mystery or hidden - both tend to leave things ignored. 
2)  Once named, privilege needs to be unmasked.  What are the underlying factors?  What creates the privilege?  What are the moving pieces/contributing factors that build and maintain privilege.  It’s a web and it’s complex. 
3)  Once unmasked, privilege needs to be engaged.  This part of the process can be simple or complicated, and it requires action.  Not earth moving action, but small steps.  Simply calling out language (racist, sexist) in conversation (something I fail to do over and over again) is a way to engage privilege and power.

Regardless of the system of power or privilege, this is one means of taking that power or privilege on and working to change it.

What about you?  Do you think this works?