Eastertide
May 6, 2018
Scripture Reading: John 15:9-17
‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. –John 15:12-17
The extremely powerful head of the agency where I once worked was known for having high-level administrative meetings in the men’s room while he otherwise did what is done in restrooms. I don’t know which was more denigrating, being left out of the meetings because women were not allowed in the men’s room or standing around making work-related decisions, pleased with having been included in the inner circle, while the boss takes care of bodily functions. I share this rather not-in-good-taste story to help us understand the comparison of master/slave to friends. While some parts of the world know well the master/slave reference, we in the USA generally use differing relationships to establish our hierarchies of power.
Friends indicate an equity or equality of power. The transparency of information exchanged among friends supports the ebb and flow of friendship relationships. God sent God’s son to form a friendship bond with us that does not negate the disparity of power between God and humans but fulfills God’s love for all. God calls us to that same intentionality as we spread God’s love to and through one another, all one another’s.
White privilege is one of the hierarchies of power we need to address. I doubt the head of my agency described earlier had a clue that he was being improper or even cared. Now I grant this is an extreme example but if we take the time to look at ourselves and see ourselves from the perspective of those women not included at all or the men standing around in the toilet takes noting, we might understand why it is important that we follow Jesus’ example of intentionally moving from a place of power to a place of equality for the betterment of all.
Prayer:
Mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob. (Psalms 99:4)
Enable us to execute justice and righteousness in our land. Amen.