In Mark 6:1-13, we are told that Jesus went home to Nazareth, and on the Sabbath he went to the synagogue to teach. Rather then speaking words of comfort and praise, Jesus spoke of uncomfortable truths, angering his hometown.
As a result, rather than accepting the words and wisdom of Jesus, they ran him out of town. Stunned by their disbelief, Jesus said, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin and in their own house.” As I read this scripture, it brings to mind the familiar phase, “It is not fair to judge the past with today’s sensibilities.”
I wonder how did we come to these modern sensibilities? The list is long of what we now deem unacceptable: slavery, segregation, discrimination, and polluting the environment. Why did our views change? The reason we have changed is not from a gradual evolution of philosophies, it is because brave individuals could not accept the status quo. They were compelled to shine light on injustice regardless of personal loss.
It is from these heroic individuals awakening us from our “comfortably numb” complacency that change has come. Like Jesus, these individuals were shunned by their community, threatened, or worse for daring to speak the truth. I hope as I am confronted with uncomfortable truths, I will do my part to shed light on injustice.
— Julie Lassetter
No comments:
Post a Comment