Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

There is no ‘new-normal.’ The question is what we will choose to normalize in this moment.

OpinionDavid White  |  June 25, 2020

David WhiteThere is no such thing as normal. At least, there is no such thing as naturally occurring, born of the earth, universally applicable normal. Instead, normal is best thought of as a by-product. That to which we refer as “normal,” individually or collectively, is essentially a function of the things a person or a society allow or determine to normalize – to declare or accept as being normal.

“The active pathway is not a path that we casually and meanderingly traverse. It is a trail we intend and resolve to blaze.”

The question for people of faith and all people of good will for our time, and indeed all times, is not “What will our new-normal be?” but rather “What will I choose to normalize going forward, and how might I equip those I love and lead to be thoughtfully, purposefully and intentionally deliberate as well?”

It is abundantly clear that the stakes could not be higher.

Normal is organically dynamic – and fickle. It ebbs and flows depending on a host of contributing factors and influences and the loudest voices du jour. And of course, “adopted” norms easily become passionately tribal and difficult to unseat. That gives us as people of faith even more reason to normalize thoughtfully and carefully and lead others to do the same – right now!

Normalization most commonly occurs along one of two general paths. The first is the pathway of passivity. We wait for a new-normal (a term which has become such a trite part of our current vernacular and for which I have already developed disdain) to emerge and then we adjust to it accordingly. It is the easiest path – the path of least resistance. It is the pathway of acquiescence.

Choosing this path is understandable because, at first glance, it appears much less exhausting than the alternative. Passivity does not require us to do the hard work of defying inertia. Nor does it require us to battle the demon of seeming futility when the tasks at hand loom large. There is usually lots of company on the passive path. There is comfort and safety in numbers. But it is also the path that tends to lead us to places of perpetual placation, mitigation, mediation and unending navigation – which is altogether more exhausting in the end.

The alternative is the active pathway where we thoughtfully, intentionally and deliberately discern and determine the things we will shed and leave behind and those things we will normalize going forward. It is the path of considerately and prayerfully forming our way of thinking and being in this world – and leading others to do the same.

This is not a path that we casually and meanderingly traverse. Instead, it is a trail we intend and resolve to blaze. It may be the path that leads to deeper compassion and inclusivity. It may lead to the rejection of apathy and the adoption of advocacy and alliance. It may lead us to a more profound appreciation of our connectedness and a better understanding of our interdependence.

This path is often exhausting, and the work is hard.

But make no mistake – the “process” of normalization is occurring and will continue to occur regardless of the path we choose. It always has. Normalization is ongoing and unstoppable. Various individual and societal norms outlive their usefulness or are discovered to have been absurd to begin with. Outdated norms get tossed aside and are relegated to history.

“Of all the things we might think of to actively normalize going forward, perhaps truth and truth telling should top the list.”

At the same time, other individual and societal norms which should be tossed aside – pervasive injustice for example – persist for far too long. Oh, we may roll our eyes, gravely shake our heads and nibble at the edges of renouncement and renunciation, but we too often pull up short of dismantling and reconstructing – or normalizing – better paradigms.

The unwillingness to participate in the setting aside of non-serviceable, immoral or unethical personal and societal norms is to have chosen the pathway of passivity.

Of all the things we might think of to actively normalize going forward, perhaps truth and truth telling – or at least the pursuit of truth and the dogged determination to speak it to whomever is in earshot – should top the list, no matter what and come what may. After all, the present is shaped by the manner in which we tell the stories of the past.

Now is not the time for any of us to assume the posture of passivity. It just may be that church leaders are on the eve of experiencing the least resistance to change that we’ve encountered in a while. It seems a growing number of church folk are trying to find their footing and trying to make meaning of all that has happened in America in the last four months (and the last 400 years) and to redeem it in some way. A renewed esprit de corps may be emerging. Let’s not squander this moment and this opportunity. Instead, let us together actively normalize carefully and deliberately. While we continue to listen and learn, now is the time to act.

Now is the time to choose a path.


OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors.
Tags:JusticeDiscernmenttruthnormaltruth-telling
More by
David White
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • The fantastical world of climate change denial: Slouching toward annihilation

      Opinion

    • Veterans and faith groups urge Congress to secure the safety of Afghan immigrants

      News

    • Frederick Buechner influenced millions with his insightful writing and quotable lines

      News

    • Remembering a sign for the times: The serpent and the seminary

      Opinion


    Curated

    • In latest ‘gOD-Talk’ discussion, Black millennials discuss hip-hop and faith

      In latest ‘gOD-Talk’ discussion, Black millennials discuss hip-hop and faith

      August 16, 2022
    • Colorado to spar over discrimination case in Supreme Court

      Colorado to spar over discrimination case in Supreme Court

      August 16, 2022
    • Crossing the rubicon? Mar-a-Lago raid enflames right wing fantasies of Christian Caesarism

      Crossing the rubicon? Mar-a-Lago raid enflames right wing fantasies of Christian Caesarism

      August 16, 2022
    • An interfaith discussion on the role of religion in mental health

      An interfaith discussion on the role of religion in mental health

      August 16, 2022
    Read Next:

    No, Dan Patrick, God did not write the U.S. Constitution

    OpinionRick Pidcock

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • Carver School of Social Work was a victim of American fundamentalism, authors explain

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Looking for hope in a time of abandonment

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • BGCT wants to ‘review and consider changes’ in its relationship to Baylor

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • My two phone calls to Frederick Buechner

      OpinionBrett Younger

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Hymn stories: ‘The Church’s One Foundation’

      OpinionBeverly A. Howard

    • Veterans and faith groups urge Congress to secure the safety of Afghan immigrants

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • The fantastical world of climate change denial: Slouching toward annihilation

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • When forced to choose between their ministry and their transgender child, this family chose love

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Remembering a sign for the times: The serpent and the seminary

      OpinionDalen Jackson

    • Frederick Buechner influenced millions with his insightful writing and quotable lines

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • No, Dan Patrick, God did not write the U.S. Constitution

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • Black religion and reparation questions

      OpinionWendell Griffen

    • Progressive National Convention joins with AFL-CIO to advance racial and economic justice

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • What happened to American conservatism? Engaging Matthew Continetti’s The Right

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • Historic Kentucky church calls gay man as co-pastor

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Department of Justice investigating SBC on sexual abuse

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • ‘Everything is changing at the same time,’ veteran religion reporter explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Skepticism holds seeds of hope: The SBC and clergy sex abuse

      OpinionChrista Brown

    • Tony and Lauren Dungy know something about influence, on the field and at home

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Here’s what I’m learning in therapy

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Letter to the Editor: I also stand with Brittney Griner and kneel for the Anthem

      OpinionLetters to the Editor

    • It’s easier to be a bully today, author explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • A thoughtful question at Bubba-Doo’s

      OpinionCharles Qualls

    • When conservatives today speak of ‘states’ rights,’ they likely don’t mean the popular vote; here’s a case in point

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • Carver School of Social Work was a victim of American fundamentalism, authors explain

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Veterans and faith groups urge Congress to secure the safety of Afghan immigrants

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • When forced to choose between their ministry and their transgender child, this family chose love

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Frederick Buechner influenced millions with his insightful writing and quotable lines

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Progressive National Convention joins with AFL-CIO to advance racial and economic justice

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Historic Kentucky church calls gay man as co-pastor

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Department of Justice investigating SBC on sexual abuse

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • ‘Everything is changing at the same time,’ veteran religion reporter explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Tony and Lauren Dungy know something about influence, on the field and at home

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • It’s easier to be a bully today, author explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Transitions for the week of 8-12-22

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • SBC president says he tried to enlist more women for sexual abuse task force but got turned down repeatedly

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • At long last, Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy appears to be dead

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Some evangelical leaders see FBI visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago as evidence of the religious persecution coming to them

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • New study finds scammers luring migrants with false information via Facebook and WhatsApp

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Progressive Baptist congregation on Wake Forest campus votes to close

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • South African women’s soccer team success shines a light on gender wage discrimination

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • It isn’t a church and doesn’t have members, but it is a way to keep United Methodists in the fold as their congregations disaffiliate

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Rural church offers community development grants through Gratitude Project

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • The church needs to do better on monkeypox than it did on HIV, faith leaders say

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Russell Moore named editor in chief of Christianity Today

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • 40 Congressmen urge IRS to reconsider classification of Family Research Council as a ‘church’

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Online religion content isn’t luring Millennials away from in-person church

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Looking for hope in a time of abandonment

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • My two phone calls to Frederick Buechner

      OpinionBrett Younger

    • Hymn stories: ‘The Church’s One Foundation’

      OpinionBeverly A. Howard

    • The fantastical world of climate change denial: Slouching toward annihilation

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Remembering a sign for the times: The serpent and the seminary

      OpinionDalen Jackson

    • No, Dan Patrick, God did not write the U.S. Constitution

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • Black religion and reparation questions

      OpinionWendell Griffen

    • What happened to American conservatism? Engaging Matthew Continetti’s The Right

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • Skepticism holds seeds of hope: The SBC and clergy sex abuse

      OpinionChrista Brown

    • Here’s what I’m learning in therapy

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Letter to the Editor: I also stand with Brittney Griner and kneel for the Anthem

      OpinionLetters to the Editor

    • A thoughtful question at Bubba-Doo’s

      OpinionCharles Qualls

    • In applauding Victor Orban, U.S. conservatives call their shot

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Christian nationalism is a danger to our nation

      OpinionMarvin McMickle

    • Advice from a sunflower

      OpinionPhawnda Moore

    • What I learned at Wake Forest Baptist Church

      OpinionDavid Ramsey

    • Why can’t we accept sexual and gender diversity in humans as well as in all creation?

      OpinionDan McGee

    • I’ve been unaware of my privilege, and if you are a man, you probably have, too

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • Are left-wing radicals pushing Cracker Barrel to the edge of the slippery slope?

      OpinionBrett Younger

    • To be more welcoming, let’s remove our flags

      OpinionJustin Pierson

    • News flash: Not all Baptists are Southern

      OpinionBrian Kaylor

    • Why aren’t we defending Brittney Griner?

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • A school administrator reflects on rebuilding relationships between schools and homes

      OpinionStanton Eugene Lawrence

    • Judging the stripper and the carouser in ourselves at the Communion table

      OpinionBrad Bull

    • After the Guidepost report, we need to know more about FBC Woodstock’s City of Refuge and NAMB’s support for it: Was ‘moral failures’ code for sexual abuse?

      OpinionJoanna Sullivan

    • In latest ‘gOD-Talk’ discussion, Black millennials discuss hip-hop and faith

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Colorado to spar over discrimination case in Supreme Court

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Crossing the rubicon? Mar-a-Lago raid enflames right wing fantasies of Christian Caesarism

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • An interfaith discussion on the role of religion in mental health

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Republicans keep mostly mum on calls to make GOP ‘party of Christian nationalism’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The Faith-Based Politics of El Salvador’s Millennial President

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Reckoning with their history, Lutherans issue declaration to Indigenous peoples

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Religion, Spirituality Second Most Frequently Read Genre in U.S.

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope Francis meets transgender guests of Rome church

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Politicians seek to control classroom discussions about slavery in the US

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Despite vastly different values, evangelical ‘Hamilton’ connects secular left and Christian right

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Both Open- and Close-mindedness Increase in U.S.

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Native Americans urge boycott of ‘tone deaf’ Pilgrim museum

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Boston’s Jews are getting a ‘Jewish tavern’ to study religious text — and drink beer

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • ReAwaken Tour host says he feels harassed by NY prosecutor

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Why the largest US Lutheran denomination apologized to a Latino congregation

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The Supreme Court Wants to End the Separation of Church and State

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Suspect in Dallas salon May shooting indicted for anti-Asian hate crime

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Anglican Division over Scripture and Sexuality Heads South

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Amy Spitalnick, who took on neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, is moving to Bend the Arc

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • New York City’s Largest Evangelical Church Plans Billion-Dollar Development

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Ben & Jerry’s fears its new Israeli owner could sell ‘Judea and Samaria’ ice cream in latest court hearing

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Why Alexander Hamilton gave his heart to Jesus at a Texas church this weekend

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Baby Blues: How to Face the Church’s Growing Fertility Crisis

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Orthodox Alaska Part 2: The Beatles, Bees And Orthodoxy Animated In One Man’s Life

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2022 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS