Editor’s Note: I met Janice Batts on Facebook messaging. She was very angry with the Mennonite Church. She was angry like Jesus-turning-over-tables-in-the-temple kind of angry. My good white Mennonite privilege was offended. I was repulsed by her anger and found myself judging it harshly. But I mustered up some self-righteous ‘care and kindness’ and asked whether I could pass along her concerns to our denomination’s executive director, Ervin Stutzman. “The story has been told countless times and nothing happens,” she replied. “Then someone comes along and says that maybe they could talk to Ervin (you weren’t the first). Then when I bleed my story out, all of a sudden no one can do anything and suggests I tell someone else the story.” “Ervin Stutzman is not responsible for what happened to you,” I responded condescendingly, then with judgement spilling out all over the place, “He wasn’t even around at the time. He is a man who has a position in a church organization. That’s it. What happened to you is horrible. But if you are waiting for someone to make it right for you, you will die a bitter soul. Your anger and vicious attitude is very off putting. You need to know that. […]
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