Jesus became one of us, even a lowly rabbi in the middle of one of the most powerful empires in human history (solidarity).
Jesus took on our curse and submitted to death by way of a torturous and bloody crucifixion (submission).
i have begun to realize something that should have been obvious to me long ago. that which is systemic and oppressive can only be truly defeated through solidarity and submission. if there's anything that the history of human poverty and war has proven to us is that we cannot combat such diseases with that which is easy or seemingly most effective (money or force). Jesus taught us a more narrow, more difficult, more life-giving way.
it is true that we will always speak of war and that "the poor will always be with us," but we are told that there was one who came to free us from both forms of oppression. he did this by becoming one of us and dying in our stead. we must be willing to do the same for those who are lost and forgotten around us.
i can't defend my comfortability anymore. i can't pretend that i'm ok with my riches. i'm actually the one who's losing. but it is precisely by following this narrow way of the Christ that will most beautifully and painfully personify the advancement of his Kingdom.
we must remain hopeful. we must remain faithful to Christ. if we do, we will most certainly see resurrection here and now.
-dave-
6 opinion(s):
Wow... that's really deep stuff.
Awesome, thank you for posting this! I totally agree and hope and pray that my actions start to show that some day...some people come by submission and solidarity a bit more naturally than I do. I have a very high sense of justice and that makes me just wanna jump up and "put people in their place" sometimes but what I really know and what my heart really wants is to follow this more narrow and life giving way. Thanks for the eloquently worded reminder. :)
very nice blog...
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I agree with Myrtle.
There's a song by Eddie Vedder that says we should be starting at the bottom to be first. But he continues by saying we'd be winning by losing which doesn't fit into humanity. An interesting thought in relation to your post.
Paul's words from 2 Corinthians, "as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything..." makes us restructure our understanding of health and wealth. Is learning that material wealth never makes us as happy as relational health and wellness? Is learning that through our weakness his strength is perfect? Some of us are extreme, some of us are conservative, but a life full of giving, as its foundation, is a life modeled after christ, knowing that true love lays down ones life for his/her friends. This is where I want to be.
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