CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINT: ‘Be followers of the radical Jesus’ and speak truth to power
Pope Francis, opposing President Trump’s policy of deporting immigrants, reminded the world that ‘Jesus Christ, loving everyone with a universal love,’ teaches us to ‘recognise the dignity of every human being, without exception’.
In the UK, the church leader Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis charity, wrote about the relative failure of a prison system based on retaliation. Drawing on the teaching of Jesus, and his own experience of running Oasis Restore, a secure school, he concluded that ‘love and restoration’ are the only way forward.
These are two recent examples of people challenging political policies, two examples of ‘speaking truth to power’.
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At St Michael and All Angel’s Church in Inverness our Lent study book highlights the radicalism of Jesus, his fearless confronting of the powerful. ‘The Last Week’ by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan examines Jesus’ actions during what we call ‘Holy Week’.
Here he is, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, fêted by the crowd: a deliberate challenge to the Roman governor who is also entering the city in an impressive procession – a display of the conqueror’s power. In contrast, Jesus’ actions announce ‘this is what my kingdom is like.’ Non-violent. Driven by love not coercion. Strongest among the least powerful.
And here’s Jesus pronouncing the Temple ‘a den of thieves’. The thieves he has in mind are the religious establishment, self-seeking men collaborating with the Romans and using religion as a power base. ‘Woe to you!’ he said of them on an earlier occasion. They may have it all now, but those who are, and will be, truly blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping people who welcome the radical king-on-a-donkey.
It was this confrontation of political and religious oppression which cost Jesus his life. To be a follower of Jesus is to resemble him. It’s to be one of God’s whistleblowers calling out oppression and injustice wherever it is found, and demonstrating a different, love-nurtured way of living.
Following Jesus in the next few centuries was likely to result in martyrdom, yet people persisted, having seen in Jesus the face of God and the love of God.
Are we in fact too indistinguishable from our culture? Have we been beguiled by relentless advertising and social pressure into ceaseless acquisition – possessions, status, influence? Does Jesus pronounce ‘Woe!’ on us as we dodge the challenge of living counter-culturally?
I wonder whether, for me, writing this has been a displacement activity. Am I fooling myself that in addressing the subject I have actually done something about it?
Pope Francis and Steve Chalke did what they could. And this is all that’s asked of each of us – that we be followers of the radical Jesus wherever we find ourselves, modelling our lives on his.
