| A humorous meme in activist circles always begins with the question: “What radicalized you?” Multiple iterations exist, as is common among memes, but answers include: Basic human empathy, Kindergarten, or The teachings of Jesus. The subtext being that rather than neo-marxist discourses, critical theory, postcolonial deconstruction, and the like, the thing that radicalized you was essentially the Golden Rule and the ability to feel. I very much relate to this sentiment, but if you were to ask me the same question, my response would undoubtedly be that I was radicalized by the book of Isaiah, Chapter 58 in particular. As one of today’s lectionary readings for Ash Wednesday, Isaiah 58 presents us with a revolutionary understanding of the heart of God and the true meaning of obedience, as we are shown a God who rejects outright our worship so long as we persist in fomenting violence, perpetuating injustice, and practicing exclusion. It is a particularly relevant passage today for all those who would claim to be the people of God or act in God’s name: “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins! Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord? “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: “Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. “The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.” —Isaiah 58:1-12 (NLT) In twelve verses the prophet excoriates, renders pointless so much of our spiritual practice—when not accompanied by authentic action in pursuit of liberation, justice, and peace. For how often in our religious, as well as socio-political and economic, pursuits do we neglect, downplay, or just plain ignore our complicity in perpetuating the violence and injustice that defines our societies and, in doing so, sideline those transformative practices that would result in the faithfulness we claim to desire? To what extent does our demand—for high-tech goods and high-yield investments, fresh coffee and fast fashion, affordable chocolate and inexpensive petroleum—implicate each of us in a global web of socio-economic injustice? Yet, we often fail to truly understand or even acknowledge the exploitative practices upon which many of our modern conveniences are based. Likewise, to what extent does the desire for access and acceptance, donors and endowments, privilege or plain-old prejudice prevent us from recognizing and standing against injustice? Time and again, we lack the ability to extricate ourselves, our institutions, and even our movements from the military-industrial machine upon which the American Empire rests. We are caught up in the myriad compromises required to function effectively within the Pax American system. Furthermore, to what extent do our theological and ideological belief systems actively justify, promote, or contribute to the suffering of others? Ultimately, religious nationalism and imperial theologies distort the vision of the biblical prophets beyond all recognition—as a universal vision of liberation, justice, and peace gets twisted into an idolatrous cult of personality and power, as in contemporary Christian Nationalism, or into an apocalyptic death cult like Christian Zionism, reveling in apartheid, dispossession, and genocide. When it comes to the practices demanded of us as people of faith, it’s no big secret. The prophet explicitly sets forth a series of imperatives: Loose the chains of injustice Untie the cords of the yoke Set the oppressed free Break every yoke Share your food with the hungry, and Provide the poor wanderer with shelter. When you see the naked, to clothe them, and Not turn away from your own flesh and blood. Do away with the yoke of oppression, Do away with the pointing finger and malicious talk Spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry, and Satisfy the needs of the oppressed. “Then,” and only then, the prophet tells us, “your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and the Lord will say: Here am I.” My prayers today are with all those participating in Ash Wednesday pilgrimages, demonstrations, and events, engaged in true fasting as they call out injustice and pursue liberation and peace. |
South Africa seeks justice for Gaza
I’m republishing this post from my friend, Dr Chandra Muzaffar – president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST). Chandra has been a long-term advocate for Palestine and is one of the best-informed people on the subject that I have ever met. Father Dave
