Making Good Trouble!

At a recent women’s retreat I was asked to state my intention for my work and my business. What was I going to be about? What mantra was going to inform my work? We stood in a circle – as women have done since ancient times – holding hands and preparing to go into the night after a first day of intense learning, meditation and work. “Don’t give it too much thought” the leaders said. “Say what comes to your mind. Give your inner wisdom (what I call your inner good core) a chance to speak.”

I fussed a bit mentally. “What would I say? Will it sound good? How will mine compare?” Then I began to listen to the other women, to really listen: to hear them. I got caught up in their vision of making the world a better place and suddenly it was my turn. I opened my mouth and this is what came out.

“To make good trouble and make good money doing it!”

I have always made trouble, gotten in trouble, been labeled as a trouble maker. This has been attributed to me when I’ve pushed the boundaries beyond the established, accepted rules.

As a Pastor I stirred up trouble when I wondered why, if we all agreed that God wasn’t actually an anthropomorphized male person, did we continue to use only male language to describe “Him”? As a way to engage in the insistence of the members of the church that “nobody actually believes God is a man” I suggested we use a rotation of personal pronouns to describe “Her” as often as “Him”. That was a no-go. I then decided that I could use She, Her, Mother in my preaching and sermons. They were my work, my analysis of scripture and they reflected the direction I believed Godd was taking me.  Some people appreciated it; more, actually than not. Still, those that were the keepers of the “truth and the way” did not. Trouble. 

I have made trouble because I asked questions where it was common knowledge no one did. Those items of belief and assertions of “absolutely right” were what I could not easily accept. It didn’t make sense to me why my friend at school was going to go to hell because she wasn’t baptized. It seemed utterly wrong that I was born with a naturally bad seed inside of me called “sin” and that no matter how much I loved God and Jesus, I would battle against it my whole life. That after we die, if we believe in the right religion and keep the right rules, we would be saved – and those who didn’t, wouldn’t – seemed cruel and unfair. As a devout young Christian, these accepted ideals did not seem to reflect God’s love or Jesus’ actions. So I asked, pushed, and wondered. It was then I received the label of Trouble.

More honest-to-Goodness Trouble followed in my years as a college student. When I was President of the student body I worked an entire year to get my all-white school that stood in the middle of a gritty and diverse urban center, to look at the question of racism. In the end a Presidentially Commissioned Task Force on Racism was established (President of the University, not student body!). Today that task force has expanded into a university department that deals with issues of race, diversity  and equity.

Good Trouble plants seeds.

After working in West Africa in the Peace Corps, I returned to my Alma mater as Director of Student Activities. More Good Trouble: STARR (Students Taking Action Against Racism) was formed. Along the way I met one of the few Black students at the school. He had come to the university to play basketball and one day stuck his head in my office out of curiosity. He later confessed to me that he wanted more than to be another Black BB player. He was a funny, energetic, smart guy who needed some support off the court. I gave it to him. He decided to run for Vice-President.

The good trouble came a few days later. Students, who had been planning their campaign for a year and believed they had it locked up, were furious this outsider was in the race. They blamed me. “I only encouraged him to run” I remember saying. “He has to win.”

The next week I was called in to meet with the President of the University. A racial harassment suit had been filed against me. I was being accused of racism against my own race.

Good Trouble indeed. The Black student won the race, worked well with the other student who was elected President and together they made inroads into what had been a previously all-white student body government.

Good Trouble bears good fruit, even as it requires sweat, toil and persistence to do so.

After I became and ordained Lutheran pastor, I quickly realized that I, myself, was a member of an oppressed group: women. I had talked about it before, of course. Thelma & Louise had been my favorite film. I considered myself a feminist. Yet it was not until I stepped into the role of Pastor that I became aware of the deep-seated and all encompassing power of Patriarchy.

It is time for some more Good Trouble and this time, Patriarchy is the target. Simply using the “P” word makes women and men squirm. Most deny its presence, paving the way for one of the biggest lies that permeates every aspect of our existence. It is in our economic structure, our religions, our workplace, homes and relationships. It harms women and girls, boys and men. 

It is time to plant some Good Trouble, train to sweat, toil and nurture and reap some crazy GOOD fruit!