We resist what has been stolen from us in this season: the story of a homeless baby born in Bethlehem who would grow into a freedom fighter who exposed the workings of oppression and fought against the exploitation of people.* This part of the story of Christ’s coming somehow gets lost among our bright lights and peppermint mochas, our careful balance of charity donations and ‘December to Remember’ gifting. But the holy agenda begun in the manger was both the spiritual transformation of hearts and a dramatic overhaul of political, economic and social systems of injustice. This is not pennies dropped in a bell-ringers’ buckets, this is the revolution of Christmas, and the revolution is LIVE.
*Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted
**Some strong language present. Also: jazz flute. You are welcome.
With laws that betray human life We will not comply
With the pointing finger and malicious talk We will not comply
With the idea that happiness must be purchased We will not comply
With the ravaging of the earth We will not comply
With the principalities and powers that oppress We will not comply
With the destruction of peoples We will not comply
With the raping of women We will not comply
With governments that kill We will not comply
With the theology of empire We will not comply
With the business of militarism We will not comply
With the hoarding of riches We will not comply
With the dissemination of fear We will not comply
With the destruction of community We will not comply
- Catalyst Litany -Shane Claiborne, James Loney and Brian Walsh
-Lindsey
As a Catholic Christian, I am truly enjoying the depth and energy of your blog during this Advent Season. The today's song however didn't work for me on this Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 'The revolution will be live' implies Jesus was a revolutionary. Maybe it's just lyrics/semantics, but as I understand, it was his message of peace and his making God present to humankind that remains THE transformational inbreaking...this was what was revolutionary.
ReplyDeleteI'm struggling on finding the way in/through Isaiah 61 for this sunday's sermon... can't quite hold together the in-breaking that's cosmic and the in-breaking that brings us hope in our personal loss and darkness... I know they're not entirely different but they seem to work against each other in a way... Anyway this was helpful: "But the holy agenda begun in the manger was both the spiritual transformation of hearts and a dramatic overhaul of political, economic and social systems of injustice."
ReplyDeleteTo the previous commenter, thanks for your reflection! Don't know if you'll see this, but what strikes me is that in the time Jesus lived there were many Jewish sects/groups looking for a "revolutionary" who would resist Roman rule with armed conflict or political workings. Jesus showed that he was NOT with these people, and was not the sort of revolutionary they wanted. But I would argue that that is precisely what MADE him a revolutionary. We've given up that word to people who react with violence, terror, or political/social manipulation when I think we should claim it back for people who were catalysts for change after the model of Christ(as best they could be): with patience, solidarity, love, fortitude, self-offering and grace for the oppressors. "Revolution" means "to turn around." That IS what Jesus did by defying expectations and creating transformation in surprising and amazing ways.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, Jesus' message of peace was what was transformational, but I sometimes wonder if that's a word we need to "reclaim," too. I often forget that his was a peace not of concessions or politeness or mild acquiescence to injustice, but rather an "inbreaking" (to use your word) of peace that turns our human systems upside down and reveals their UN-peacefulness and INjustice. This is what I hear when Gil Scott-Heron says "The revolution will not be televised:" it will not go down easy or make your life more simple or elegant, rather it will be LIVE -- messy, transformational, uncomfortable... but ultimately joyful and freeing.
I don't know if I've expressed it well, but thoughts?