Lent has come again (quite early this year!), and we should use it to start developing some of our atrophied spiritual muscles, like practicing solidarity.
Doing so is necessary if we are to break out of the mold we so often find ourselves caught in when it comes to relating to the suffering of others.
Most often, we fall into one of two ditches. On one side is anesthetized numbness. Either because of unfamiliarity or unease, we remain separate from the suffering within our wider communities. In this ditch, we feel nothing, making the pain of another’s injury bearable.
On the other side is the ditch of benevolent rescue. We see oppression and our hearts are rightly moved. Who could blame another for the instinctual desire to help? But we err when we act as if we are saviors for the downtrodden, that they are merely waiting for us to rescue them.
The middle path, the narrow way, is one of solidarity. This means that we support the work of those directly affected by oppression, but as partners we take our guidance from those closest to the situation. This is a humbling position, one that many of us are unaccustomed to.
I invite you to make use of this Lenten time to grow in listening and learning from those that are experiencing mistreatment and injustice. What are they asking for? How can you and/or your faith community support the work they are already doing? Listen to them.
The full article is available here
The full article is available here
