I have been using Richard Rohr’s, “Wonderous Encounters” for one of my Lenten practices this year. I love his writing and the way he enlightens my understanding of Scripture. As I was reflecting on some of the passages I have read so far, I reread the one that was for the Friday after Ash Wednesday. Which was about our amazing capacity to miss the point. As humans we are pretty good at it, and we are even better at translating scripture the way we want to understand it and not the way God wants us to understand what God wants us to know. And so, we miss the point. Actually…we do miss the point a lot.
In Isaiah, the prophet speaks out against the people who are fasting because they believe that is what God wants. So, they fast from food. Isaiah lets them know in a very pointed way they have missed the point. God doesn’t care if they fast from food, but God does care that they fast…actually stop…oppressing their workers: “Yet on your fast day, you do whatever you want and oppress all your workers. You quarrel and brawl, and then you fast; you hit each other violently with your fists…” I think you get the point…we do what is convenient for ourselves and our lives…But God calls us to more…we have missed the point.
What God would like us to fast from is oppression, violence, and fear. What God wants from us is to sharing our food with those who don’t have food enough to eat, ensuring those who have no home are able to afford a home, a safe space to sleep. We have so many injustices in our world today and instead of working on them we fast from eating chocolate. We fast from sweets. We fast from what impacts us but really in the scheme of things God doesn’t care about as much as God cares about how we treat those who are considered the least, the last, and the lost of this world.
We have sorely missed the point. So, I encourage you to read Isaiah 58. And see that God is a God who demands we pay attention to the justice issues in our world today. God wants us to work to level the playing field. To ensure that everyone has access to the basic necessities of life so they can begin to attain a higher level of existence. Think about the principles embedded in Maslov’s “hierarchy of needs” and you will get the point.
We need to make sure people have enough good food. There are places where food is not available. These spaces are called food deserts because the people who live there can’t get to grocery stores because there aren’t any. We need to ensure all our children have access to good schools where they can be safe and learn how to read and write and do math. Where they don’t have to worry about being killed or harassed by bullies or discriminated against. Children should not have to worry about these very adult problems. Actually, adults shouldn’t have to worry about them either. And the list of unjust practices we turn a blind eye to goes on and on.
We seem to forget as we read our bibles and go to church or just want to live a moral existence in our world today that God is a God of justice, and we are called to act justly in our world. We can start by treating all people with respect and dignity. We can start by using products that are not packaged in plastic as much as possible. We can start by deciding to work with our community to help solve an injustice where we live. We can start by opening our eyes and ears, so we see and hear the world around us as God sees and hears the world around us. Here’s the thing about injustices: they impact everyone either directly or indirectly.
We may only be one person. But if we change how we respond, if we step up and speak our against what is wrong, we may encourage others to do the same. And just like ripples in a pond that spread outward, we will make an impact that will eventually change the world into a safe space for all people as well as all creation.
Peace,
Beth
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