Thought food
I recently came across a quote I'd scribbled down when reading up on Liberation Theology - it comes from the pen of Gustavo Gutierrez...
'...our quest (as followers of Jesus) should be driven by the human being who is not considered human by the present social order - the exploited classes, marginalized ethnic groups and despised cultures. The challenge is how to tell the the non-person that God is love'.
Characteristically challenging, Gutierrez rightly highlights the need for Christians and the alternative communities that we form to model the spiritually and socially inclusive message of Jesus. The question we surely have to ask ourselves is whether or not we are liberators of excluded people or simply another dimension of their oppression? We may not exclude tax-collectors or haemorrhaging women, but what about schizophrenics, divorcees, homosexuals, single people, one-parent families, drug users, transsexuals, or those struggling with their faith?'
We often make claims about possessing the 'truth' while ignoring Jesus' own words that the 'truth will set you free' (John 8:32).
Food for thought?
posted by nick at 11:29 PM
2 Comments:
Hello Nick,
Sorry this is probably a complete abuse of your blog but anyway - you've blogged about reading too much. I'm trying to cash in on that. I remember very vaguely an excellent quote about incarnational ministy - It may have been henri Nouwen possibly but maybe not - He talked about a "ministry of presence". Basically forget planning the big events and campaigns and just show God's love to people where you are. I wondered if you've ever come across that in your period of reading too much ?! Not seen you for ages - but I enjoy reading your blog from time to time - hope to meet up again somewhere soon mate.
8:35 AM
Hi Nick
I thought liberation theology had died!
Of course you know the answer to this challenge already.
It is not possible (at least not in a convincing way) to "to tell the non-person that God is love" such information can only be shown.
Sadly the church hardly ever has any contact with real 'non-people' and there is little evidence to suggest that the majority want that to change.
'Non-people' are often aggressive, paranoid, smelly, complicated, scared, nervous and demanding of huge amounts of our time - they are in fact (to most people) offensive.
The real challenge is whether we still want to 'love the unloved in the legions of the lost, giving them comfort and care.'
Yours set apart by Christ, for the lost, in the Army
A
7:49 AM
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