What does the death and resurrection of Jesus have to do with modern-day social justice?
As those in the Catholic tradition prepare to approach the triduum next week, in my personal reflections I’m struck once again by the way in which those events still seem so relevant today. Starting with palm Sunday, Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem riding a donkey to be greeted by large crowds of people cheering. I was recently introduced to the idea of Jesus’ arrival as less of a parade and more of a protest. At the time, he was in opposition to Roman authority and wanted to make a statement about that opposition. This was just a day before he disrupted and occupied the temple. I can only imagine what the headlines of our modern-day media would be; “Crazy protester with hundreds of followers violently disrupts the market at the temple;” “Romans fear for their lives as so-called ‘Messiah’ angrily flips tables.” How often do we hear political rhetoric in our current discourse that aims to demonize a group of people without knowing the full story? How frequently are those speaking out for their personal rights framed as instigators and violent antagonists?
On Holy Thursday, Jesus invites his disciples to break bread together one last time. I’m reminded that sharing a meal is the oldest, most communal ritual ever practiced. When was the last time that you got together with friends and food/drink were not involved? The Last Supper is a beautiful example of how we all have the capability to come together and nourish ourselves while developing relationships with one another. How often do we see the polarization of groups in our country that would never be caught dead sitting at the same dinner table? What do we still have to learn about sitting down at the table with diverse people and dialogue with one another from a place of listening and open-mindedness?
And then there is Good Friday–Jesus’ crucifixion. I am reminded of the innocent lives around the world who are figuratively and literally being killed everyday by oppressive systems of injustice. What role do I play in these systems? Am I one of the Israelites, advocating for death, harsh punishment, or exclusion of people who scare me, whose situations I don’t fully understand? What would it look like for me to be Mary or Matthew today, to stay at the foot of the cross in solidarity with the victims? Or what would it look like for me to go deeper into the system, to start making change so that these deaths and ‘crucifixions’ no longer happen?
And finally Easter–the resurrection of Jesus. It’s an opportunity to celebrate when we see the fruits of our faith come into full bloom. It’s the small victories in the social justice world that give us hope, even knowing that we haven’t completely solved all of the world’s problems. It’s those small moments of peace amid the chaos that keep us going. The resurrection is the reminder that in the end this is all worth it and we must find a way to hold on to that hope. It is what sustains us as social change agents.
With all of these thoughts in the back of my head, I’m grateful to be entering Holy Week with open ears and an open heart to listen and learn how I can personally apply these lessons from a story that happened nearly 2000 years ago.
– Megan McGuire, Advocacy Coordinator