2 May 2005

From "The Prophetic Imagination" by Walter Wink.

It is the crucifixion of Jesus that is the decisive criticism of the royal consciousness...the ultimate act of prophetic criticism in which Jesus announces the end of a world of death and takes that death into his own person. Therefore we say that the ultimate criticism is that God himself embraces the death that his people must die. The criticism consists not it standing over against but in standing with; the ultimate criticism is not one of triumphant indignation but one of passion and compassion that completely and irresistibly undermine the world of competence and competition. --this passionate man set in the midst of numbed Jerusalem. And only the passion can finally penetrate the numbness.

Jesus does not play the game as the game has been played. This does not mean that he is not involved. Rather, it means that he is completely involved and engaged within the world around him - much more than any of the "numb" systems that will never dare to be involved with most of the people. Because of a love for all people, Jesus move toward them and is constantly aware of their pain and the threat of death that surrounds them and he makes sure that he too fall prey to such a reality. Within his journey, he never lets the "numbness" of the system stay "numb" to his presence. By his compassion he brings the world that is ignored and pushed to the side onto center stage. This is center stage of the Reign of God - a place they have inherited. This action, as we know, is repulsive to the power-that-be because now "those" people are seen and heard and cannot be silenced.

Connection: The truth of the whole reality around us must be engaged. When it is not, we become afraid of what is not like our own world. It takes deliberate action to stay connected to those who are disconnected. And at the end of the day, everyone is more honored.

We give you thanks, O Lord of New Life, as we hear again how you lead us into the passionate ways of your Reign. When we find ourselves becoming numb to our world, help us to feel again so that we may not leave behind the rest of your children who you call beloved. Amen.