Setting the oppressed free

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free”

Luke 4: 18 – 19

It has been said that the words Jesus quoted from Isaiah were his Purpose, or his Mission Statement, or the Agenda for his ministry.

I think that traditionally the Methodist Church in this country and other countries has tried to heed to Jesus’ agenda. From the earliest days John Wesley felt it was important for Christians to be concerned for the poor and marginalised hence why the New Room in Bristol not only served as a chapel but as a dispensary and clinic for the sick and a school. Hence why Wesley went to where the marginalised were; the coal miners at Kingswood or the tin miners of Cornwall for example.

But we in this denomination should not be self-righteous. For Jesus’ words are challenging for all of us who are not amongst the poor, the marginalised, the oppressed or imprisoned in our society. And if we really hear Jesus’ words, and really listen to them, we can begin to feel threatened as the words mean we’ll need to change. The words are a challenge to each of us.

The story is told of a Franciscan monk in Australia assigned to be the guide and personal assistant to Mother Teresa when she visited New South Wales. Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this great woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But during her visit, he became frustrated. Although he was constantly near her, the friar never had the opportunity to say one word to Mother Teresa. There were always other people for her to meet.

Finally, her tour was over, and she was due to fly to New Guinea. In desperation, the Franciscan friar spoke to Mother Teresa: ”If I pay my own fare to New Guinea, can I sit next to you on the plane so I can talk to you and learn from you?” Mother Teresa looked at him. “You have enough money to pay airfare to New Guinea?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied eagerly. "Then give that money to the poor," she said. "You'll learn more from that than anything I can tell you." Mother Teresa understood that Jesus' ministry was to the poor and she made it hers as well. She knew that they more than anyone else needed good news.

Hearing Jesus’ agenda we are reminded how he had a great affinity with the poor or perhaps a better way of putting it is a great love for the poor. And in Luke’s gospel the poor feature more prominently than in the other gospels.
So it is right that we should focus on the poor. But whilst the poor feature first, let’s not forget that in Jesus’ agenda other vulnerable people in society feature too

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,

And the fundamental part of our Christian DNA means we are to consider all of these and be prepared to help them and / or speak up for them.

And those words come as an important reminder to us on how we must react to those who are oppressed and to their oppressors – especially on Holocaust Memorial Day. The day reminds us of the horror of the Nazi Holocaust during World War Two when millions of Jews perished. But let’s not forget the Nazis systematically imprisoned, oppressed and murdered others too – Gypsies, Communists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and over 90,000 homosexuals.

70 years on thankfully homosexuals are not oppressed in most countries as they once were. Though that is not true everywhere. In many African countries for example homosexuality can lead to being murdered or executed. And in this country, although there is a much greater tolerance of homosexuality than there once was, homophobia is still present amongst some.

I think I have mentioned before a group on the Internet I belong to called “Red Letter Christians”. http://www.redletterchristians.org/

The phrase was first used by a radio journalist interviewing American theologian Jim Wallis. The interviewer was trying to pigeonhole Wallis as a certain type of Christian – Evangelical, Liberal or Charismatic. Having failed to do so, the journalist said to Wallis “So you’re one of those Red Letter Christians – you know – the ones who are really into the verses of the Bible that are in red letters.” Wallis agreed he was.

In some versions of the Bible, the words spoken by Jesus are printed in red. So Red Letter Christians seek to follow the teachings of Jesus and are committed to living out the things that Jesus taught. Sounds good to me!

One of the main voices in the Red Letter Christian movement is Tony Campolo. His most recent book is called “Red Letter Christians – living the words of Jesus no matter what the cost”.

In one section of the book he sets out what he considers to be Red Letter Living. In other words, how we should engage with some of the topics we face today using the Red Letters as our way of approach. The topics he covers include Families, Racism, Women and Environmentalism. And in this section he has a chapter on Homosexuality.
In the chapter on Homosexuality he discusses the topic with his co-author Shane Claiborne. And they discuss whether homosexuality is a sin. Campolo says a helpful way of thinking about what is sinful is whether something dehumanises. And by dehumanise I believe Campolo means something that goes away from what God would like humans beings to be or to do. So for example lying is sinful as it dehumanises. Adultery too dehumanises. Sin, Campolo says, is not about the violation of this law or that law. It is about whether an act dehumanises.

He points out that a marriage can be sinful if say the husband dehumanises the wife by beating her.

Using his definition of sin, Campolo concludes that he does not regard being homosexual as sinful. Or being in a homosexual relationship as sinful. Provided that relationship does not dehumanise those involved. In other words, if no one is harmed or exploited in a homosexual relationship it can’t be harmful.

“Regardless of what differences Christians may have on the subject of homosexuality, there should be agreement that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are neighbours who, according to the red letters of the Bible, we are to love as we love ourselves.”

Red Letter Christians – living the words of Jesus no matter what the cost”. Page 135.

I have carefully avoided speaking from the pulpit on the topic of gay marriage. Partly because it can be a difficult issue for some and, if truth be told, also because I really do not know what God is saying to me on the topic.

It is a topic I wrestle with. On the one hand we have Bible teaching and 2,000 years of Church tradition that suggest it would be wrong to allow gay marriage. But then on the other hand we have Bible teaching and Church tradition that makes it clear we are to “Love our neighbour” and “Set the oppressed free”

Now whether that means allowing gay marriage is open for debate. And, as it stands, I feel my own conscience is telling me to oppose gay marriage - IN CHURCH. However, personally I do not have a problem with the state marrying gay couples and I think I am at a stage where I would feel comfortable blessing a gay couple in church were I allowed to do so. Though under current Methodist discipline this is not possible.

But whilst Christians have been right to express our views on gay marriage I have felt very uncomfortable with the way this has been done – especially by some in the Church of England and Catholic churches. There has seemed a lack of love.

Pastor Martin Niemoeller was a Protestant pastor imprisoned in Germany during the Second World War for speaking out against the injustices of the Nazi regime. After the war he expressed regret over how he had not done more to oppose the Nazis. In fact for a while he’d been welcomed the Nazis as he was opposed to Communism. Though he soon changed his views. He wrote these words:

“First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”

It is clear that as Christians we are called

to proclaim good news to the poor.
to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,

To give a voice for those without a voice; to speak out against injustice of all kinds and to show love to all our neighbours.

Eli Wiesel, is a renowned Jewish theologian and prolific author. In his book, All Rivers Run To The Sea he tells of his family, living in Hungary during the dark days of the WWII. His family was waiting for their time to come, for the Nazis to arrive at their door and take them to the concentration camp.

He tells about a peasant woman by the name of Maria. Maria was almost like a member of the family. She was a Christian. During the early years of the war she continued to visit them, but eventually non-Jews were no longer allowed entrance to the ghettos. That did not deter Maria. She found her way through the barbed wire and she came anyway, bringing the Wiesels fruits, vegetables, and cheese.

One day she came knocking at their door. There was a cabin that she had up in the hills. She wanted to take the children, of which Eli was one, and hide them there before the SS came. They decided after much debate to stay together as a family, although they were deeply moved at this gesture. He writes of her:

Dear Maria. If other Christians had acted like her, the trains rolling toward the unknown would have been less crowded. If priests and pastors had raised their voices, if the Vatican had broken its silence, the enemy's hand would not have been so free. But most thought only of themselves. A Jewish home was barely emptied of its inhabitants before they descended like vultures.

I think of Maria often, with affection and gratitude, and with wonder as well. This simple, uneducated woman stood taller that the city's intellectuals, dignitaries and clergy. My father had many acquaintances and even friends in the Christian community, not one of them showed the strength of character of this peasant woman. Of what value was their faith, their education, their social position, if it did not arouse their love. It was a simple and devout Christian woman who saved the town's honour.

St Paul said If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. If I have prophetic powers and a faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give everything I have to the poor, but have not love, I am nothing.