Tag Archives: Oppression

What Constitutes Abundance

Living in the Spirit

September 17, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 145:1-8
I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will bless you,
   and praise your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall laud your works to another,
   and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
   and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
   and I will declare your greatness.
They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
   and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

I know of ancestors who owned slaves and others who settled on land taken from the indigenous people of the USA, and I morn those facts. Yet, I am a Christian today because of the devout faiths of my ancestors. My mother was a Deaconess in the Methodist Church during the Great Depression, where she served as a community organizer in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. My dad had a beautiful voice and often led the singing at our church from his pew. He would rise up on his toes as his baritone voice reached for high notes. It does not work for me, but it did for him. His grandfather hosted the first worship service in his home among the pioneers who traveled together from Pennsylvania to Illinois. His great grandfather was one of the trustees who purchased the land to build a new church in Pennsylvania. I visited the grave of a seventh great grandfather in a churchyard while traveling in London a few years ago. I could feel Paul’s presence when I walked the streets of Ephesus, now in ruins, and saw the symbol of the fish, the Ichthys, representing Christ, marked in paving stones.

What legacy are we leaving the next generations? According to the PEW Forum, Christianity is declining in the U.S. at a rapid pace*. I noted when I was doing some research recently on Central America that the percentage of the populations identifying as Christian in those countries is much higher than in the U.S.** Do we only turn to God when we are oppressed? When things are going right for us, do we no longer feel we need God? That seemed to be the trend in the history of the Israelites and appears to be the way we act today. The Good News of Jesus does proclaim an end to oppression, but it also includes the vision of a world ruled by love where everyone has enough.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly***– beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation.

We tend to measure abundance by wealth and power. God measures it by love and wants to be a part of our success in loving one another as well as saving us from oppression. The sad fact is as we work toward wealth and power, we increase the oppression of others. God will not put up with that forever.

Prayer: Lord, help us learn a new song of abundance, celebrating love rather than wealth and power that leads to oppression. Amen.

*https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
**https://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/
***John 10:10b

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Systemic Injustice

Living in the Spirit

August 17, 2020

Scripture Reading: Exodus 1:8-2:10

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.’

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, ‘because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’ –Exodus 1:22-2:10

Women held higher status in Egypt in antiquity than was true among most of its neighbors. Six women served as Pharaoh or queen. In some instances, they ruled as regents for minor sons who inherited the throne, but in other cases like Cleopatra, they claimed their rule. Thus, the daughter of Pharaoh probably had the authority to adopt a child from among the slaves. I have always thought that the Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses’s mother, and his sister all knew precisely what was going on as they played out this scene. When the Pharaoh’s daughter saw the child in the basket, she knew he was Hebrew. She probably also knew that Moses’s mother became his wet nurse. The story never mentions whether Pharaoh’s daughter had other children. She had the desire to save one child. I wonder whether she attempted to save the others.

We see this same thing happen in our times. A very sick and appealing child appears on the evening news in need of some expensive health care. The public works diligently to make sure the child gets the attention needed without regard to the thousands of children just like this child who required the same treatment. I am glad the one child received appropriate care. I wish all such children received the justice they deserved. I guess the adult Moses felt the same way as he led the Israelites out of Egypt, out of slavery. Perhaps his Hebrew mother planted the seed of righteousness in his heart. Perhaps his adopted mother enabled him to do what she could not. I guess we will never know.

What we do know is that we are all called to do justice. Oppression of many types awaits our attention throughout our world.

Prayer: Lord, help us see and care for the oppressed one before us, and to end the systemic oppression that caused the problem in the first place. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Safety

Kingdom Building

November 19, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ –Jeremiah 23:5-6

Jeremiah projects a vision of a righteous branch stemming from the ancestry of David who shall execute justice and righteousness. Christ followers interpret this Branch as a description of Jesus.

Jeremiah equates justice with being safe. What does it mean to live in safety and how does that relate to justice? In our history much of justice was born from sacrifice and violence. As I write this today hundreds of Chinese justice protesters are barricaded in Hong Kong threatened with violent removal. The United States of American was formed in similar manner.

Children or spouses hiding from a drunken outburst of hurting anything in sight do not know either safety or justice. School children required to participate in shooter drills no longer know safety. Even governmental witness in Congressional hearings received veiled or not so veiled threats for their wellbeing.

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, he was way past even thinking about safety. Resigned might be the better descriptor. At that point his followers hope for justice including safety was being killed.

As a child I was taught that I could never be alone because God was always with me and we were safe in the arms of Jesus. The older I get the more I return to those concepts. I realize now that being called to do justice is a call to, at the least, step into the unknown and certainly may evoke dangerous responses from the oppressors of justice. Safety is part of Christ vision for all and it is worth working toward whatever the costs.

Prayer: God of Justice and Mercy, guard us with your abiding love as we work for a just world. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Redemption from Oppression

Living in the Spirit
July 12, 2018

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. –Ephesians 1:7-10

The Hebrews related blood to life from the beginning of their history. Genesis 4:9-10 relates the story of the death of Abel murdered by his brother Cain, Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ And the Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! Today we do not relate to this imagery in the same way our ancestors in faith did. We might envision a flat line on a beeping heart monitor as indicating the finality of death.  As a longtime blood donor, I tend to think of blood as life-giving.

We may also have some discomfort with the word redemption. The word translated redemption here literally means, “buying back from, re-purchasing (winning back) what was previously forfeited (lost)*.” We who live in relative privilege are not as readily attuned to needing salvation as one living in oppression.

The point in our scripture today is we are redeemed through the life of Christ given before death in the life modeled by Jesus, in death, and ultimately in resurrection. Following Christ means following that same pattern. What we may need redemption from is allowing our brothers and sister in Christ, which are all God’s children, to live in oppression.  The answer to Cain’s questions is “Yes, you are your  brother and your sister’s keeper.”

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we become complacent in our way of life. Open our eyes and hearts to the needs of the oppressed and guide us in addressing that which holds them back from the life you envision for all your children. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/greek/629.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Ridding Ourselves of Bitterness

Living in the Spirit
July 10, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. –2 Samuel 6:16

Harboring hatred in our hearts only harms ourselves. Michal faced may tragedies. Her father and brother Jonathan were killed in battle, her marriage to David was political not grounded in love, although she was willing to protect him at first. In her day, women had few rights and little recourse if mistreated. There were plenty of good reasons for her bitterness. The same is true of all oppressed people today, but like Michal, it is a choice whether we let the bitterness of oppression overtake us. The alternative is to choose to strive for personal wholeness through our relationships with God. I am not suggesting that people being oppressed be subservient, just take whatever treatment is foisted on us. I am saying we must not let the oppressors recreate us in their image.

Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery. Using all his skills in positive ways, he became a leader in Egypt. Eventually saving his whole family from starvation*.

Moses’ mother, Jochebed, was wise and did not want her newborn son slaughtered by the Egyptians. She could have withdrawn and burned with hatred, but she understood a mother’s love for a baby and floated Moses in a reed basket to safety under the care of Pharaoh’s daughter**.

I have no idea what Dorcas’ personal life was like, but she lived in a time when women had few rights. Yet, she chose to live a life filled with love and concern. She made clothing for others***.

Paul was beaten and imprisoned for answering God’s call to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the whole world. He maintained a positive attitude even sang while in prison****.

When bitterness threatens to overtake us, we all need to turn it over to God and let God remold us and make us anew.

Prayer: Lord, free me from any bad reactions I might experience to real or imagined mistreatment so that my responses to life reflect your love not someone else’s hate. Amen.

*See Genesis 37:18-36
**See Exodus 1 & 2
***See Acts 9
****See Acts 16:25

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Loving The Oppressed

Living in the Spirit
August 29, 2017

Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:1-15

But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.” ’ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”:
This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations. –Exodus 3:13-15

What did Moses know about God or even the Israelites? Did he know who Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were? Raised in an Egyptian palace, probably educated in Egyptian schools, was his history of his people complete? He apparently knew he was Israeli, but what did he know of Israel? Note Moses is not asking how to identify God to the Egyptians. His concern was acceptance by the Israelites. The stories of Moses’ birth and adoption by an Egyptian were possibly well known throughout the community, but that did not mean he was to be trusted or followed. He needed a sponsor, and he needed to prove his relationship with the sponsor.

How do people who are not being oppressed help those who are? How is confidence gained? How do any of us prove we are of God? I loved the book Hawaii and the movie created from it. The story of the missionaries was telling. Julie Andrews playing the missionary’s wife fell in love with the people of the island when she met them. She accepted them as they were and they welcomed her. She learned from them, and they learned of God’s love from her. Max von Sydow played the missionary, stern and unbending seeing evil everywhere. He was a scary and sad character dressed in his proper woolen suites on a tropical island.

There is much truth in the song titled; They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love.

Prayer: Lord as we attempt to do your justice, help our lives reflect our relationship with you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Oppression 101

Living in the Spirit
August 21, 2017

Scripture Reading: Exodus 1:8-2:10

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them. –Exodus 1:8-14

Follow the money is the phrase often included in crime investigation stories. It is also good advice when trying to weed out oppression. Oppression happened in Egypt in antiquity; it is happening in the USA today.  Immigration laws need to be crisp, efficient and based on areas of the economy where there are not enough workers to meet demand. Such laws also must recognize that workers who come into our country and seek to stay, just like those already here, function best within a supportive family structure.

The reason we do not have that crisps, efficient system is the reality that undocumented workers stream into our country to escape all different kinds of hell and because of that are willing to work for less than would be required if they come in legally. It also means undocumented workers can be hired for jobs for which there is no shortage of local workers. Both sets of people, the undocumented and the locally unemployed or underemployed, are being oppressed by those whose only desire is to see their profits increase. The situation is further exacerbated by the principalities and powers turning these two groups against each other resulting in the legislative and administrative stalemate that makes it all possible.

When God created the world and all that is in it, God called it good. Humans created borders. As humans, we certainly are called to use prudently the resources God provides for the good of all. Borders and governments are neither good nor bad unless we make them so. When greed overcomes the love of our neighbor, we fail our calling.

Prayer: God of All, forgive us when we allow greed to overpower our ability to love our neighbors whether we are the direct benefactors of the greed or complacent by ignoring its existence. Open avenues of advocacy for us as we work toward the good of all. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Oneness Not Oppression

Living in the Spirit
July 5, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 45:10-17

Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear;
   forget your people and your father’s house,
   and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him;
   the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
   the richest of the people with all kinds of wealth. –Psalm 45:10-13

My first inclination was to skip this scripture. It reeks of centuries of oppression of women worthy only regarding how they enhance their husband. In this case, the future husband is also the king. Heady stuff for a beautiful young woman, the right woman with the right cunning can and has taken full advantage of the role. The legendary Queen of Sheba stands as a positive role model. On the negative side, we have Delilah and Jezzabel. How does one rise above oppression? How does one avoid letting oppression cultivate evil?

Michelle Obama said it well, “When they go low; we go high.” Of course, that responds not only applies to women’s issues but all our actions as followers of Christ. Therein lies the solution. Paul said it this way; There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

Of course, that is a lot easier said than done. Generations of cultural norms intertwine with our rapidly changing world. What do we keep and cherish? What do we kick to the curb? More difficult, how do we find the oneness to which Christ calls us in dealing with such issues?

My fall back always seems to be from another Psalm.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me. (Psalm 51:10-11)

We need to allow God’s grace to cleanse our hearts and minds and rid us of the clutter that keeps us from being one with each other and with God.

Prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me.  Amen

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Reconciliation

created in the image of godEastertide
April 16, 2016

Scripture Reading: John 10:22-30

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. –John 10:22-27

I bristled a bit when I read the email. I had been in a conversation recently with someone regarding reconciliation within the church and throughout the world, a reality that, I do feel, is one of our greatest challenges. The email seemed to me to make the assumption that I was ignorant of oppression and suggested some books to read to get me started on the road to understanding. I am sure I do have a lot to learn about discrimination and other forms of oppression, but I am certainly not a novice. Why did it bother me so? The author barely knew me, has no idea what I know about the subject and was probably good intentioned. My reaction made me think of the movie, Ground Hog Day. I haven’t seen it but I understand it illustrates an endless cycle of waking up each day and discovering it is Ground Hog Day again and again.

I think my response was the result of my thinking that we cannot read or role play or be lectured into reconciliation. True reconciliation results from letting God clean all the filters out of our brains that cause us to react in unfair or untrue ways with the others in our lives. Reconciliation only occurs when we learn to love like Jesus. Jesus learned to love by getting to know someone. “What is it that you want?” “What do you need?” By taking the time and investing the energy into loving the other, he could meet them where they were. They could meet him where he was. They became reconciled and justice and mercy resulted.

I actually have been a bookworm all my life and know reading to be a great way to experience the realities of others in places far from my rather sheltered existence. I really don’t mind doing role play and enjoy good lectures. What causes my discomfort is thinking that my clocking hours in such activities is all I need to do to be reconciled and create a just world.

Prayer: Lord, infuse us with your ability to love like you, clean our filters so that when we encounter others in our lives we first see the image of you in them. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Are We Oppressors?

Tax TimeEastertide
April 15, 2016

Scripture Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
   the sun will not strike them,
   nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
   and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ –Revelation 7:16-17

From even a quick scan of the Bible it is not hard to see that God has a great place in God’s heart for the oppressed. They will hunger no more. God did not create us to be oppressors. We actually would deny any part we might even be considered to play in oppressing others, but it is the details that matter.

Oklahoma has as a part of its income tax system a provision that allows very low income filers to take a tax deduction on the sales tax they have paid on groceries throughout the year. These folks rarely have a mortgage so they do not get to take advantage of that tax break. They also most likely do not pay property tax so they do not get to take that tax break either. Those are both federal tax deductions and the grocery tax break is a state deduction but our state income is deduced directly from the income taxed on our federal return.

In Oklahoma’s current, I would say self-inflicted, fiscal crisis removing or reducing this tax break on groceries has been targeted for elimination or at least reduction, while our elected representatives are stubbornly resisting rolling back the income tax reduction for our wealthiest citizens put into place this year. Now does that seem right to you?

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we become complacent to the needs of others. Help us be conduits of your justice and fairness. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.