What's Tony Thinking

Thoughts On a Fall Sunday

Recently at the Crackers and Grape Juice site, Jason Micheli did an interview with the Episcopal bishop, Scott Benhase. As a prelude to the interview Jason quoted something Scott had posted recently on Facebook. Jason described this as, “worth its weight in gold.” Here it is:

“Years ago when I was recruiting at one of our seminaries, I ended each interview by doing a role-play with them. I’d play who I was (minus being a bishop), a 50-something, over-educated, occasionally-pissant, straight white male. I asked each seminarian to tell me why I should join their church.

“They all mentioned community. I said I attended AA. I had all the needed support. They mentioned outreach opportunities. I replied I was an active member of Rotary. I was already fully involved in helping needy folk. Lastly, they mentioned the glorious music program at their church. I responded I had season tickets to the local symphony. I already enjoyed plenty of great music.

“I waited patiently for some mention of how their church could meet my greatest need, namely, to be reconciled with God through Jesus by his cross. Never came. One did mention Jesus would be a good exemplar for my life, so I gave him points for that. Church leaders aren’t social directors, community service providers, or music impresarios. We got one thing and one thing only: God’s grace in Jesus. We’re stewards of the Great Narrative of Redemption.”

“Fascist,” “Yes, he’s a fascist,” has been said a lot this week by various critics of Donald Trump, including his opponent, Kamala Harris. Is it accurate? Maybe, maybe not. Is it helpful? About that I am doubtful. To be sure, it fires up those who despise Trump, providing a grim sort of satisfaction and sense of moral superiority in relation to his supporters. But does it make a dent in his supporters or the undecideds? Unlikely. It probably just sounds like so much name calling.

More important than trying to stir up more fear of Trump (which magnifies him) is Harris’s earlier strategy, “Let’s turn the page on vitriol, on name-calling, on narratives of decline and nastiness.” “Let’s stir hope and a sense of our American capacity to improve some things, find solutions, make some progress.” Even to laugh at Trump, as she successfully did in their one debate, is a better strategy to me than hitting the fear button over and over again. At this point, both campaigns are more or less depicting a future of certain doom if their opponent is elected. Which seems to me to only be deepening widespread anxiety and despair, at a time when what we need is hope and courage.

What’s Up with Seattle Schools? I attended a program last Thursday on this topic at Folio in Seattle.

On the panel were three former Seattle School Board members, Michael DeBell, Vivian Song and Stefan Blandford. Moderated by Sandeep Kaushik. The most disturbing thing I heard from the panel, who think the current School Board has lost the plot, is that this Board was actually anticipating its huge budget deficit, as that would supply the rationale to do what they wanted to do all along, i.e. eliminate choice schools and gifted and talented programs.

A reading recommendation . . . the guest Op-Ed DeBell had in the Seattle Times when the initial plan to close 21 schools was being pushed. Titled “Making Cuts in All the Wrong Places,” DeBell begins by writing, “Seattle Public Schools is headed for a ‘defund the police’ moment.” It’s a sage comment pointing to the way the current Board, intoxicated by its own rhetoric and ideology, is charting a path that will alienate the families it needs and the voters it will soon want to pass its February 2025 levy.

Great time of the year to get to one of Seattle’s beautiful Japanese Gardens. The one in the Arboretum is $6 admission. I think Kubota Gardens in the south end is still free.