The Essence of Being Christian
In today’s world when our social media and news channels bring to our doorstep the many things going wrong in our world - the spreading of hatred of the ‘other’ that goes hand in hand with deep polarisation, the rise of fascism, nations rattling sabers at each other so much so that one never knows when there will be a flashpoint and we will be precipitated into war, the rise of jingoistic nationalism, the dying of spaces where people can without fear criticize those in power, the total confusion of truth and fake news - we are faced with the frightening question: What should I do when I see something going wrong? Do I have a responsibility to speak up, to take action?
Today’s first reading and the Gospel reading try to respond to these troublesome questions. While the Gospel reading only focuses on what we ought to be doing when a member of our own church community does wrong, the first reading seems to be going beyond that and seems to be saying that we have to speak up if ‘anybody in Israel’ is doing wrong. This is a particularly important lesson for us today, when speaking up can mean making enemies or even just a waste of time. And yet we are reminded that “If…you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand”. That is a truly daunting teaching. So, are we in some way responsible for the evil that we have not spoken up against? For instance, that stark warning seems to be saying that if out of fear, or apathy or just because we are only concerned about those we love, or any other reason, we do not speak up against the spreading of hatred, or against false accusations against others, or against untruths being peddled as truths, or against sexism, racism, casteism etc, we too are responsible in some way for the evil that follows, whether it be the lynching of Muslims, or the domestic violence against women, or the riots unleashed by communal hatred or any other of a myriad things that result because of the unchallenged spread of these evils.
This responsibility to speak up in some way or another is further fostered in more recent Church teaching that stresses that “Action for Justice is constitutive/essential to being Christian” (Synod on Justice, 1970). In other words, it is essential, necessary, and not something we can, as Christians, opt out of!!! So, it is not enough that we do not do anything overtly wrong, it is not even enough to be kind to others and give donations. One has to act for justice whenever there is a threat to justice to our neighbour, - and as Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan teaches us , every person in need of help is our neighbour. The haunting words of the Protestant Pastor, Martin Niemöller, during the time of Hitler come to my mind:
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
The Gospel reading suggests a graded responsiveness to wrongdoing. And that would seem to be a sensible way to respond to any wrongdoing or evil that we perceive around us. It tells us that we should first engage with the person whom we consider to be doing wrong. If that doesn’t work, it tells us to go and take another person with us, an independent person I would suggest, so that we won’t be swayed by our own biases, for after all our perception of what is wrong needs to be checked. These attempts to engage with the concerned person is very important because it is based on the desire to work WITH that person to change things, rather than to just find fault with that person. Engaging with the wrongdoer with an open mind may give us further insights into that person’s reasons for what s/he chooses to do, and, in the bargain, we too may learn that we need to change. And if after all that, things don’t get resolved, then it is the larger community with whom we must connect in order to bring about change. This larger community consists of those who are the true Church - not a denominational Church (as I mentioned in one of my previous blogs ‘Which is the true Church’, August 27, 2023), but the community of those who follow the values of Jesus (which could, of course, include people from any religion or no religion at all). This group then needs to independently make its judgement on the matter and, if necessary, must speak up. Unfortunately, it is my experience that the institutional groups (Eg. Churches of whichever denomination) are generally so divided, or so fearful of consequences, that even high officials in such institutions would prefer to keep the powers-that-be happy, rather than speak truth to power. And perhaps that is understandable, though I am not sure it is Christian.
But a legitimate question we might perhaps be asking ourselves after listening to today’s readings, and I often ask this of myself: Yes, we have to stand up against what is wrong, but how many issues can we stand up for? As a Methodist Pastor once wrote, “The world’s grief and sorrows can feel overwhelming these days. The last thing many of us want to hear is the news”.
There really is no one common answer to such a question, for I think what each is called to do must be discerned by that person based on his/her specific background, circumstances and so much else. Perhaps the Talmud, a Jewish book of wisdom, may help us to find a way forward, for it teaches: “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, Love mercy now, Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work; but neither are you free to abandon it”.
First Reading: Ezekiel 33: 7-9
Thus says the Lord: So you, son of man, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, “O wicked ones, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.
Second Reading: Romans 13: 8-10
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Gospel: Matthew 18: 15-20
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
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