Holding the Net: Discipleship and Resistance in a Divided World

Let Us Swim Down Together

By Cody C. Robinson

The Conversation

I had the pleasure of facilitating the September gathering of the Antiracism Discipleship Connective. After an opening prayer to invite the Spirit to attend us in our work, we participated in an exercise to center our hearts and minds for our time together.

Our guest speaker for our September learning session was the Rev. Dr. Mark Davies, the Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics and Director of the World House Institute for Social and Ecological Responsibility at Oklahoma City University.

Dr. Davies presented the topic, “Antiracism and United Methodist Higher Education in the Age of American Fascism.”

He invited participants to envision what the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called the “beloved community,” a hoped-for future full of love, justice, and solidarity with the community of all life—something Rev. King Jr. referred to as our one “world house.” Dr. Davies noted that these are revolutionary times where the triple evils of racism, poverty, and militarism abound.

Dr. Davies said that fascism, in part, is an expression of racism taken to the limit; fascism is a form of systemic racism used for nationalist purposes. In this form, the state becomes hostile toward all systems that cultivate or protect concepts such as diversity, equity, and inclusion. Drawing on the work of writer Laurence W. Britt, Davies noted that this antagonistic rhetoric manifests in various forms, including the intertwining of religion and government, a disdain for intellectuals and the arts, and a disregard for human rights.

Davies drew attention to current machinations in the academy/higher education, such as mass deportations of international students without due process, attempts to control research and teaching agendas of educational institutions, and hostilities toward expressions of lawful speech and assembly on university and college campuses. As such, Davies declares, if we hope to make any progress in the work of antiracism, we must overcome the urgent and emergent threat that fascism poses to the social fabric of our country.

Remembering Our Vows: The Network

As United Methodists, part of our membership vows is to “accept the freedom and power God gives [us] to resist evil, injustice, and oppression.” One way to hold to this vow is through our investment, support, and defense of higher education.

The United Methodist publication, What It Means to Be Related to a United Methodist Church with Education in Its DNA, published by the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in 2024, notes that the Rev. John Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist Movement and alumnus of Oxford University, believed that “education of the highest quality [would] produce a capable and caring citizenry to serve the world’s communities” (page 4, What It Means to Be Related to a United Methodist Church with Education in Its DNA).

In this way, “Education, from a United Methodist perspective, is a means of attaining freedom from ignorance and prejudice so that justice and equity can prevail throughout the world” (page 7, What It Means to Be Related to a United Methodist Church with Education in Its DNA).

Let Us Swim Down Together: Working the Net

Dr. Davies showed a short clip from Pixar’s animated movie, Finding Nemo. In this clip, the lead character, the fishling Nemo, rallies a school of fellow fish trapped in a net to swim down to escape. Initially frightened and confused by the thought, the command “swim down!” quickly became a symbol of solidarity and hope for the captives. By joining in this movement, the captives break free and live to swim another day.

Davies encourages us to likewise “swim down together” by recognizing that our United Methodist core concept of connectionalism means that, despite being members of local churches separated by jurisdiction, geography, or cultures, we are connected through the unifying power of Christ’s love, the Spirit’s liberation, and the Creator’s life dwelling within each one of us. Davies invites those who have the platform, ability, or means to speak out against injustice to do so at every opportunity.

As those who are encouraged to see the world as Rev. John Wesley did—the world as our parish”—we must be willing to cultivate beloved community for all life on earth and recover the belief that education allows us to become responsible participants in our local churches and communities.

Learning to Swim – Questions for Reflection

• One way of learning how to ‘swim down together’ as a United Methodist is to review our Church’s Social Principles. Were you aware of them? Which of them surprised you?
• Remind yourself of your membership vows. How do you live out your commitments to the church, one another, and all of Creation?
• How can we, as local churches or professing Christians, invite our neighbors and communities to share this vision of beloved community? How might we address the causes or effects of racism, poverty, and militarism here and now?

You are invited to join us for the next session of the Antiracism Discipleship Connective Learning Series on October 9 at 6 p.m. CDT. Our guest facilitator will be Ismael Ruiz-Millan, the Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Carolina Conference. We hope to see you there!

We suggest the following resources from Discipleship Ministries and our partner, the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR), to support your ongoing learning and equipping in justice and discipleship work.

• The Imago DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) as an Expression of the Trinity.
• Joint Statement: The Church Cannot Remain Silent on Racial Profiling.
• Discipleship Ministries Antiracism Discipleship Initiative.
• Antiracism Discipleship: An Intentional Discipleship Pathway in the Face of Systemic Racism.

If you are interested in joining us, let us know by sending an email to Amania Drane at [email protected]. When we receive your email, we will forward the Zoom link and information about how to join the session and future online gatherings.

For any other questions, contact Bener Agtarap at [email protected].