Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:15-19

This year has been an unusual year to say the least. We wish that things could have been better. We hoped that everything would go back to normal as soon as possible; whatever normal means. However, this is not going to happen for a while. Maybe it will never be the same. Perhaps it is time to let go of what we think of as “normal times” and open our eyes to see what is unfolding before us. I don’t want anyone to think that I am implying that we should look at the bright side of the situation. I am implying that we should be grateful for the mere fact that we are alive. It is good to be alive. However, we must not forget that we are part of a community. Many have lost loved ones due to this disease; does this mean that they have nothing to be thankful for this year? As human beings, we need to press on as difficult as things seem. Sometimes being able to be sincerely grateful helps us release the past so that we can face the future. It helps to know that the same person who gives the strength to do this is going to be with us in the face of all the challenges that lie ahead.

The story above from the gospels tells us about ten people whose lives changed drastically because of an ailment. Nine were desperate to get back to normalcy and they got what they wanted and forget about the One who healed them. They tried to go back to something that perhaps no longer existed. In doing so, they failed to understand the something new which had happened to them. Only one realized something has drastically changed. He went back to the One who ushered in this new beginning in his Life. Being thankful is not only about appreciating what we have. It is about acknowledging that no matter what changes we have endured, may they be good or bad, they bring something new to our lives. This does not suggest that new is always good. In fact, it is indifferent and occurs regardless of whether we want it or not. God, on the hand, is present always. He is the constant, never changing no matter what we experience in Life. Sometimes we might make a deity out of our past and forget that all our false gods will eventually whither away. If we are adamant about wanting to go back to things they were, we might end bowing down at the altar of a false god. The leper from Samaria went back to thank Jesus because he realized that even though he was a foreigner and unworthy of Jesus’ mercy, Jesus healed him. The rest thought that Jesus was just there to serve and help them get back to normal. They did not see the need to be grateful.

Life for us this year has changed drastically. We are slowly beginning to establish some regularity in our lives. However, this might change again in a few months. There is no certainty. It is not the time to make concrete plans and hope that God will work according to our plans. We cannot force God to make this world a stable place. In fact, there is ample evidence in the Bible revealing that this reality is slowly deteriorating towards chaos. However, this is not a reason for us to despair. We need to see our world for what it is in order for us not to put our our hopes in it. However, beyond this chaos, there is a Light shining through and guiding us to find our path through the darkness. This Light is our contact, our Logos. The good news is that this Light is Love, as revealed to us through Jesus. Therefore, we are assured that this Light also brings healing to our souls. We need not to fear chaos anymore, albeit, we might dread it.

Giving thanks during this time helps us see beyond what it before us. It connects us to the one person that never changes in our lives. It is the one person that our children and teens have held onto through the radical changes in their lives. They have much to teach us about living our lives in these times. We are accustomed to everything being predictable. They, on the hand, survive when everything is volatile. It is no wonder that they are able to handle this situation better than us. For them, this pandemic is just one more thing in their long list of dangers that life dishes out to them. Regardless of this, they are always thankful to God for being there for them. Some might say that this is just wishful thinking or their desperation that makes them believe this. It doesn’t matter why they are grateful. The fact is that they have strength to face whatever that confronts them through their gratitude to the One whom they believe has sustained them. For this reason alone, we need to look deep within our ourselves and recognize God’s divine presence in our lives even in the worst moments of our lives this year. It is not about looking at the bright side of life. It is about recognizing His constant faithfulness which is always with us even when we are doubtful about how things will unfold in the future.

For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:29-30

These are harsh words, especially for those of us who were brought up in the Protestant tradition. For years, we have heard the phrase, “saved by grace alone”. Now, it seems like Jesus is alluding to works. If we even dare to go a little further, it almost appears to have a hint of meritocracy; another word which has taken on a political character in recent times. The tricky part is how we are going to interpret this rather disturbing parable. We could ignore it. This is an option. We can reduce this gospel reading to one about discovering our gifts. I have done it before. However, since then, my circumstances have changed radically. Now I read these texts with our youths in the streets. They are considered as the poorest of the poor by society. Although, even among the homeless, there are is a social hierarchy. However, this is a conversation for another time. Presently, we have our plate full with these disturbing words. The homeless have nothing in the eyes of the world. Jesus says that even the little these have will taken away from them.

Jesus also used a word that goes against everything we say about God in church or outside of it. We assert that everyone is precious to God. Jesus begs to differ. He calls the servant worthless. Not only this, he is cast out, not for being a sinner but for just not doing anything with what was entrusted to him. Again, it is problematic to read these verses with our children and teens. They are considered worthless by many. Here Jesus appears to be on the side of these judgmental people, or is he really? We have to consider carefully how we interpret these words because they will reveal our own personal values. The things which we consider to be our treasures in this world will determine how we use our given gifts. Therefore we need to tread very carefully before saying anything about these verses. Yet, we have to be brave to confront these harsh words because they contain the gospel. They help us penetrate the wonderful mysteries of God’s love.

The world is always telling us stories about people who so-called “pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.” Maybe there are many who are aficionados of these biographies. They can be inspiring and encouraging. Nevertheless, they contain a fundamental flaw. They fail to recognize that no one is born with nothing. Being born poor does not mean that we are born with nothing. All of us are born with an equal zest for life and desire to learn and discover everything around us. Unfortunately, not all of us are given the opportunity to develop these natural desires within us. Some are born in fertile ground and others need to work a little harder to hold on to what is given to them. Apparently, this is not really relevant in Jesus’ eyes. He did not say that the one who had more was a better person than the other two who were given less. Unfortunately, it is just the way things work out in the world. We make a value judgment based on the quantitive possession of each person. There might be a tendency to read this in the light of material possession. Even though the text deals specifically with money, we must not forget that it is parable. It uses an everyday situation or item to symbolize something deeper than the eye can see. Those who have much in this world may not necessary be considered highly in the Kingdom of God. To the contrary, they might be the very ones who have nothing and eventually lose everything they have. Jesus made this clear in several occasions as in this verse from Matthew.

“For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” Matthew 16:26

This world considers certain kind of people to have plenty but Jesus considered them to have nothing at all. Therefore we need a different pair of glasses to read this text. As for our children and teens in the streets, it is important to remind them that even though they maybe categorized as the poorest of the poor, it doesn’t mean that God hasn’t entrusted much to them.
Most likely, those who have much in the Kingdom of God may not look too impressive in eyes of many. In this world, we are impressed with countless things that may have very little to do with the standards of success in the God’s eyes. On the same point, we should not import this world’s standard of success or failure into our reading of the scripture. The words of Jesus should transform our minds and not give us fuel to conform them to the mindset of this world.

Sometimes I am concerned that whenever I write about our encounters with children and teens, I am presenting a romanticized idea of our homeless youth. I think that it is important to note that our youth just happened to homeless. In other words, they are just the same as anyone else in the world. Some are nice and some are…not so pleasant. Just like your neighbor or anyone you might run into at the grocery store or in the parking lot. The difference is that their situation does not afford them the luxury of hiding behind the niceties. In other words, what you see is what you get. This is why I use the word, “encounter”. We meet and talk with the youth regularly but it is very rare to have an encounter. It is the moment when there is an openness which helps us to construct something eternal between us. It cannot be forced. It happens naturally. Over the years, we found that some of the youth have the ability to open up more easily than others. They have a tendency to connect with people more profoundly than others. For us, these youth have been given much. I mention with a great frequency certain names in my blog posts like Felipe, Bruno, Daniel, Gabriel and many more. These young people are always open and able to transmit something profound to our souls. They give us a certain joy which cannot be described in mere words. The closest thing I can say without turning into a cliche is that they give us a sense of life. On the contrary, I have been to shopping malls where people have access to money to splurge on anything they desire and yet they walk by hundreds of people without ever noticing the existence of the other. There is just a lot of activity but very little life.

Wallace recently got a hold of an old cell phone. He called me one night to say, “Bon Soir”. He met a French speaking person in the streets and the man taught him some French words. He wanted to practice them with me. He was laughing on the phone as he desperately tried to get the pronunciation right. Then he said that he just wanted to share this simple thing that he learned. He missed us and can’t wait for us to do things like before the pandemic. His simple call brought much life to our souls. He definitely has a lot to give and each time he comes in contact with someone, he shares what he has received with them. This is why those who have much will always receive more because they know how to bring joy and life to others.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:12

Fame, fame, fatal fame
It can play hideous tricks on the brain
But still I’d rather be famous
Than righteous or holy,
any day, any day, any day*- The Smiths

I can completely understand. I don’t want to be righteous and holy either. Then again, I’d rather not be famous. It is not because I am humble. Being famous seems to be a chore. Perhaps I am too lazy for fame. As for being “righteous and holy”, it is not what it seems to be. Today, there are many people who claim to be on a holy cause and their actions are righteous. More often than not, they don’t seem like people we want to emulate. There seems to be a lack of compassion and grace in their actions. Thankfully, there is another way. Being “saintly” is available to us. It remains uncontaminated with negative images. Saints never considered themselves to be righteous or holy. Quite the opposite, they always thought that they were far from it. Maybe this is what makes them saintly. They are more accessible. However, we are drawn to saints not because of their piety. They are attractive to us because they show us doors which we never knew were open to us.

I know that the Roman Catholic Church has rigorous rules before anyone can be promoted to sainthood. It is almost as if one has to have receive a license to be considered an official saint.
However, in practice, people recognize others as saints without the necessity of ecclesiastical approval. Brazilian history reveals many saints who never had official recognition. Regardless of this, these saints have left their mark in the lives of many people. The present Anglican bishop of São Paulo shared with me that his grandfather was taught how to read and write by a man named Antonio Conselheiro. For many in the world, this name means nothing but this simple teacher turned mystic caused problems to the newly formed Republican Government of Brazil in the late 19th century. They sent a fleet of armies against a man who never once encouraged violence nor rebellion. He was just a mystic who traveled around the poorest regions of the northeast of Brazil where hunger and extreme poverty reigned. Not to mention the ominous presence of dangerous bandits who brutally maimed and mercilessly slaughtered people for the little that they had. They were known as cangaceiros.

The people must have felt that God had forsaken them. The land was infertile and hunger was rampant. Children died before they could speak. Parents buried their young without time to mourn. Ruthless landowners made unreasonable demands, impossible to fulfill. Everything was working against the survival of this tired and miserable people. Then a young man appeared and went around the impoverished villages giving people the gift of literacy. He spoke about the Christian faith in a manner which common people understood. His presence brought joy to the people. Soon people followed him around even though he did not want to start a sect nor be a religious leader. The people organized themselves around this person and he taught them from the Bible. The Catholic priests opposed him but some eventually joined his community. People brought their limited resources together and then suddenly everyone had enough to eat. The most surprising thing was that this simple man did something that the brutal arm of Law could not do. His lifestyle convinced the bandits to lay down their arms and join his community. Throughout this time, Antonio Conselheiro never assumed the role of a religious leader. He was a man who dedicated to prayer and fasting. He never gained anything from his community. The people felt that this man brought God closer to them. They saw God’s grace shining through him. Unfortunately, the newly founded republic did not like the idea of autonomous communities. They sent their troops to destroy this community and a war ensured which ended with the massacre of half of the inhabitants of this community called Canudos. Antonio Conselheiro fasted and prayed for it to end. In the end, he died as a consequence of his rigorous spiritual practices. Today, he considered a saint. He brought hope to a people in a land where hopelessness reigned. He opened the doors for people who never knew that they had a chance of being part of something God was doing in this world. My friend, the bishop, would not be where he is today if this young man did not reach out to his grandfather. Historians today are still baffled at this strange phenomenon. Antonio Conselheiro did not have the personality or the desire to be a great leader. They don’t understand how he managed to influence people to unite and even resist the forces trying to destroy them. I don’t believe that they will never understand this man. This world does not understand saints. In a way, they are not to be studied. They just appear in our lives to help us see something better and greater that what meets the eye.

I know that many Protestants have a hard time comprehending the idea of saints. I guess that they were a little confused with the way they are presented. I agreed. Saints are transformed into someone “holy and righteous”. This does not do justice to the saints themselves. Most of them did what they loved. They were not trying to be someone special or better than others. They loved God and they allowed God’s love to shine through what they did. Antonio Conselheiro loved to teach people and God’s love permeated through the way he taught people. His words opened the minds of people who had been taught that their world was limited and hopeless.

God puts saints in our lives. Sometimes we might not realize their presence because we have preconceived ideas what saints should look like. We mistakenly look at “righteous and holy” people and think that they are saints. These people tend to tell what is wrong with this world. Saintly people show us what is beautiful and real in this world. They bring hope in a hopeless situation. We need to keep our hearts open to these saints in this world. We live in a strange time where everything seems dark and hopeless. I quoted above from a song by a band, the Smiths. Those who know of them might wonder at this bizarre choice. I must admit that it is quite unusual. However, the song does not end there. The next line says something profound, maybe said in a humorous way,

“But sometimes I feel most fulfilled
Making Christmas cards with the mentally ill.”

Maybe for the composer of this song, God’s saint was the mentally ill person. In fact, if most historical saints underwent the scrutiny of a psychoanalyst today, I am sure that they would have earned a diagnosis or two. Like I mentioned before, the world will never understand saints. However, we are not of this world. We are to be attentive to these people who opened our eyes to see a reality that is hopeful and beautiful in this world. In other words, the presence of God dwelling among us. For us, our saints are the children and teens. I am not saying this in a manner to end this reflection with a sentimental touch. I am saying this because during this time of pandemic and political uncertainty, a brief conversation with our children and teens brings Light and Joy into our souls. For that moment, we realize that no matter what happens, we can still find God’s presence in our midst in the lives of saints that God places among us.

* This name of this song is “Frankly, Mr Shankly“

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. Matthew 22:15-22

My friend was her parish priest. She was an elderly woman with no family members. A little bit eccentric and not quite in tune with reality, nevertheless she needed help. He was the only one kind enough to be there for her. She lost her driver’s license which made her feel even more old and lonely than necessary. She needed to retake her driver’s test and a car. He decided to be her instructor. The test was in the town where I lived. They got there early and decided to have one last practice in a vacant parking lot of a well-known store. He told her to slowly turn the ignition and press on the brakes. She was a little nervous. Unfortunately her foot was on the wrong pedal. It just took seconds for the car to crash through the entrance of the store. My friend reached out and turned off the engine. Everything came to a halting stop in the middle of the store. Thankfully no one was hurt. Only things were destroyed. The police were called and my friend’s car was completely wrecked. We picked them up and drove them to their respective homes. Needless to say, it was quite a tense ride back to his home. When I got back, the local news was on it; hardly anything happens in this small town. People commented on the incident. They made disparaging remarks about my friend. People who never met him felt that they had the right to pass judgement. They felt justified making hateful comments about him even though they have no knowledge of him nor the circumstances. This is how the politics of this world functions. It is a politics of hate and disdain. The Pharisees wanted to entrap Jesus into participating in this vicious cycle. They needed Him to hate so that He would become like one of them.

“We are children of our age,
it’s a political age.
All day long, all through the night,
all affairs–yours, ours, theirs–
are political affairs.”- Wislawa Szymborska

This is not just true for our modern times. It has always been like this for humanity. Perhaps, the word, “politics” is a more modern way of expressing an old practice. It used to be called just plain gossip. Historian Yuval Harari, in his book, Sapiens, stated that humanity developed gossip as a way of unifying themselves. It gave communities an opportunity to have something common to talk about, something against the others. The foundation of gossip is hatred and slander. For some reason, humanity likes to base their common relationship on this sinister foundation. Today’s political language is not very different. When the Pharisees approached Jesus in the above gospel reading, they were hoping that Jesus would engage in gossip too. They wanted Jesus to say something against the Roman Empire. However, Jesus showed a better way. He was, by no means, apolitical in his response. In fact, being apolitical is also a political action. Jesus was completely engaged in this world. You can’t do this without being political. However, Jesus refused to let society to define His political inclinations. He wasn’t going to choose the game of hatred and slander. He belongs to a different Kingdom.

His politics did not create an enemy, or rather, He did not slander nor hate those who disagreed with him. To the contrary, He loved them. He didn’t repay evil with evil. Neither did He defend Himself against them. He did not ally Himself with the powers of His time, be it the religious or political establishment. Yet, at the same time, He was in the temple. He honored the religious festivals. He never disrespected the priesthood. He never said anything disparaging about the Roman Empire. In this passage above, He insinuated that we should pay taxes and in another part of the gospel, He did pay them. Jesus knows that in order to live in this world, we have to engage in the politics of the world. However, Jesus only engaged with it minimally even though He was extremely political but from a different perspective.

Politicians of this world, kings and queens pontificate about the problems of our world from a comfortable perspectives. They do it from a distance detached from the reality of most people. They call this being objective. It seems to me that this is a euphemism for judgmental and inhumane. The people who made judgement on my friend were trying to objectively hate him. They detached themselves from the human element of our existence. There was an elderly woman who had no one in the world to help her. The priest tried to do his part. The so-called objectiveness of modern humanity is nothing but being empty and cold. Besides, no one can be objective but God. On the other hand, Jesus was not objective. He took sides.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus is God Incarnate. Then we must realize that Jesus chose to be born at a time when the lineage of David held no authority nor influence over the nation. He deliberately chose this particular time and space. Then His entire ministry was spent looking at things from the perspective of the sick, poor and the marginalized. He never chose to see things from the perspective of the politicians, the rich, the religious leaders or the powerful. He chose to pay attention to gift of widow and ignored the extravagant giving of the rich. The opposite is true in the politics of this world. I know some left leaning people might think that Jesus is closer to their politics. The truth is that their politics also belong to the world, a detached politics simplifying the complexity of the human experience. We cannot marry the politics of this world with that of the Kingdom. Jesus’ politics is not left leaning. It is people leaning. He worked among the people and He knew their names. In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, He gave the beggar a name while the rich man remained anonymous; the very opposite of the attitude of this world. The politics of this world makes judgment on people and things without having any understanding. Jesus presents a political activism that connects us with real people.

Felipe shared some news with us last week. He preceded the news with a concern. He wasn’t sure how we feel about it. The news, well, his wife is pregnant again. She has been with a child for four months now. They even know the sex of the child. Felipe thought that perhaps we might disapprove. He thought that perhaps we might think like the people who are engaged in the politics of this world. In another time and space, this might be true. Strangely, when we heard the news, we were happy for Felipe. It is because we know him. We are involved in his life.

His first son changed his life completely. We know that he always wanted a daughter. Now, this was going to be a reality. The politics of this world will inform us that Felipe and his wife are irresponsible. I can imagine the nature of the comments if this news were to be published on an internet news outlet. However, people who make such judgment from a distance will never understand what a child means to these homeless youth. Isabel was homeless in the streets for many years. Her life seemed directionless. Then one day she discovered that she was pregnant. She was filled with joy at the news. She decided to change everything. She sought out a relative that would eventually help her to find a place and she turned her life around. Cassia was a ruthless drug dealer. She was feared by many. She had several children and gave them all up for adoption. Then she got pregnant again for the last time and suddenly she did not want to miss out on being a mother. She gave herself up to the authorities and was sentenced to jail for two years. While she served her sentence, her husband took care of their child. When she came out, she searched out for her other children. They were still living in orphanages. She asked for their forgiveness and worked hard to regain their trust and her maternal vocation.

The politics of the world will look at these young people from a distance and judge them as unworthy to be parents. They will refuse to see them as anything else but homeless criminals and a burden to society. However, we don’t belong to this world. We live in it. Therefore, we have to discern how to live the politics of God’s Kingdom in this world without contaminating ourselves with the politics of this world. As Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” (Matthew 5:13)

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ Matthew 21:33-37

When I was young we lived in a public housing project in our country. It was an apartment complex. There was no security system or gates. Therefore, anyone could walk in and out freely. Sometimes complete strangers would knock on our door to ask for assistance, be it financial or food. Other times, it was young Protestant evangelists. My parents had a strange policy. They entertained anyone who knocked on their door even when it was inconvenient. My father usually did not like to be disturbed when he was at home. However, he always ensured that no one who came asking for something went away empty handed. There were times he would give something to a stranger and then jokingly turn around and comment to the rest of the family that the stranger was most likely a scam artist with tons of money. Other times my mother would invite the evangelists and make us sit and listen to them while she made tea for everyone. We were practicing Catholics but she wanted these young people to feel welcomed. This extended even to animals. Once a white stray cat entered our apartment and made itself at home. My father refused to chase it out. He was not really a fan of having pets back then. He loved animals but did not want an extra mouth to feed. He strategically left the door wide open everyday so that the cat would leave on his own accord. He never once tried to frighten it away. He even fed it. He said that we needed to be hospitable even to our uninvited guest. Then one day my father explained his reason for his peculiar practice. He believed that God sends His servants to visit with us. They come in all shapes and forms and we must always be ready to receive them. It made sense when he explained it to me. I was just a young lad then. At that age everything my father said made sense. However, later on in life, I begin to wonder why God needed to drop in on us unexpectedly. No doubt He can see all things pretty well from His perspective. However, Jesus seemed to have answered this question in the above parable. God is not checking up on us. We just need to be reminded that we are mere tenants in this world. We are not the Landowner. It is very easy to forget.

Perhaps this is the most violent parable. At the same time, it is also the most realistic. It reveals to us our human nature. In a sense it is actually the story of the Fall retold in a different fashion. It begins with the landowner ensuring that the land was perfectly suitable for the tenants. He was a just proprietor. He did not make unreasonable demands. Even when he sent his servants, there were no signs of violence or threats. He simply wanted to remind the people that they were tenants and they had an obligation to Him. Unfortunately, the whole parable is exposition of our human nature. Its violent nature was necessary because it reveals how we, as humans, assert our will against God. We want something that does not belong to us and we use violence to attain it. However, it will never change the fact that we are not the landowners. As long as we don’t accept this Truth, we will continue to resort to violence. God will continue to send His servants.

The servants are not there to suffocate our freedom. They are here to remind us who we are so that we can be free from the tyranny of self delusion. Instead, humanity choose to use the language of violence to remain in this unfortunate state. Then, the landowner sent his son. Everyone listening to the parable knew the outcome. Despite this, the son was sent and he was killed. When Jesus asked what should be done to these tenants, the response was the same as that of the tenants. The listeners demand a violent response. God refused to act this way. The Son was killed but God did not react with violence. Instead, He responded with grace. The former is only used when someone wants to assert something that does not belong to them. God has no use for violence because He always knows who He is. He continues to send His servants today. They come in many shapes and forms.

Jesus always seems to stress that if we don’t recognize the servants and then we will definitely not recognize the Son. If we mistreat the servants, then we definitely will do the same to the Son. We see an example of this in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Therefore, my father was right after all. It is safer to assume that anyone that comes to us and asks for something, be it shelter, food or just our time, might be the servant God has sent to us.

We have many crack addicts in the streets here. We live not too far away from the notorious “crackland” in this city. Some people despise them. Most people ignore them. They are broken people and their addiction is a mere symptom. We see them all the time. I used to ignore them just because there was just too many and it was overwhelming. It was more a question of learning to live in such environment than any personal disdain for them. We used to work in this area a long time ago. Then there is also the moral dilemma. If I help them, maybe I am enabling them in their downward spiral to self destruction. However, whenever one comes up to me and talks to me, I am gently reminded of my father’s words. This person could be God’s servant. After all, I am mere tenant of the things I own. God is the one who provided everything I have and now He is sending His forsaken child to collect what is due to Him. I am sure that he will use drugs but he still needs to know that he is loved. Receiving God’s servants is not easy. There is no one answer that works for all situations. No matter what we do, our response should be a payment for being God’s tenants. However, this is not about earning our salvation. It is more about understanding our salvation. The biblical notion of salvation is to be healed. Therefore, those who appreciate their own healing show it by being an instrument of healing in the lives of others. This is how we pay our rent. Violence is the opposite of healing. Ignoring or pretending someone doesn’t exist is the worst form of violence.

As usual, I talked to the children about these verses. I asked them what they thought when someone ignores or refuses to help them. They don’t have much to say about these people. Actually they simply forget about them. However, they remember when someone goes out of their way to help them. One of them told us an interesting story about a couple. The husband wanted to give some money to the boys begging outside a bakery but the wife was very much against it. She had her arguments and the boys saw a spousal dispute unfold before their eyes. Then the couple walked away and a few minutes later the husband appeared again. He made a quick escape from his wife so that he could give the boys some money. It wasn’t much but enough for them to see God’s love manifest itself in this man. They said that they will never forget the kindness of this man. It made them happy to know that there are people like him in this world. This happened a few years ago. The man’s money did not change their lives but it gave them hope. These kind gestures of people who have genuine love in their hearts reveal to these abandoned servants of God that there are still tenants who are willing to pay their dues of love to the Heavenly Father.

So the last will be first, and the first will be last. Matthew 20:16

“The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner”. Definitely not a very exciting name for a movie. Unfortunately, this was the only movie that was on that Friday night. In my teenage years, my father allowed me to watch TV only on Friday evening. It wasn’t because he was concerned about the content. He was a very thrifty man. The electric bill had gone up ever since we got the new black and white TV. Needless to say, this was quite a while back. TV was simpler back then; two channels with lousy options. Despite the lackluster movie name, I wasn’t going to give up my special time in front of the tube. I was pleasantly surprised. I was completely engrossed in the story. Since then, I must have watched hundreds of movies with exciting and innovative names. However, I forgotten most of them but not this one. The long distance runner remains in my heart till today,

The protagonist grew up in a time when the world was recovering from a war which devastated the country. The poor had become poorer. His father died from cancer as a result of the dangerous chemicals he inhaled while working in a factory. He left his widow penniless with a teenage son. She decided to seek a new mate, much to the chagrin of our young man. Eventually, she married someone whom the boy despised. His house was no longer his home. Instead, he found refuge among his friends who came from similar background. It didn’t take long before things deteriorated. He ended up in the juvenile detention center where he suffered violence and abuse at the hands of authority. His only solace was running long distances which he found to be peaceful and comforting.

His incredible stamina and speed caught the attention of the detention center director. He was an avid sportsman and wanted to acquire funding for an athlete program in the center. He immediately attempted to convince the boy to represent the reform school in a five kilometer race organized by the local private schools. It was his chance to show off to the upper crust of society his capabilities of reforming delinquents into what he considered worthy citizens. The young man accepted the challenge and trained himself to gain the respect of his director. Eventually, he became the apple of his eye. He was rewarded with special privileges and promised many more if he won the race. Everyday, while his fellow inmates worked in the factory, our friend ate well and rested and trained for the race. When the day came, he was by far the best runner. No one could keep up with him. As he approached the finishing line, he had an epiphany about what crossing the victory line meant. He saw his director was waiting at the end smiling with approval. This was his opportunity to gain the recognition of the world. Then images of his friends doing hard labor in the factories popped into his mind, then his father, his mother and her new husband, and the police abusing him mercilessly. He stopped running and just stood contemplating what to do. Everyone was confused. He just stood still as the others ran pass him and crossed the finishing line. The director left the scene disgusted. Our protagonist went back to work in the factories with his mates. I remember being devastated by his decision. I wanted him to experience something good for a change. Alas, he chose not to cross the line. I think I understand now. The first shall be last and he chose not be first in this world.

There is a great shift in Christianity in recent times. It used to be the faith of the “last” and now it has become a faith enamored with the “first” of this world. Our spiritual history is replete with saints who were born into wealth and then left everything to become the “last”. We still have their images etched on our stained glass windows. Unfortunately, their light has been slowly dimmed through our indifference. Today is more common to read Christian ministers quoting Bill Gates or Steve Jobs as an inspiration for successful lives than these saints, something I have been seeing quite frequently. If I shared a story of a homeless youth who lived a good life but nevertheless continues to be homeless and will be so for the rest of his life, there would be sadness and silence among those who hear this. However, if I were to say that a homeless man today is a millionaire and owns several up and coming businesses, there would be applause. I know this to be true because I was one of those who applauded once. I never bothered to consider the words of Jesus when He said that one could gain the whole but end up losing his soul. After all, the message of the gospel is not about helping someone become “first” in this world. It is about the unconditional love of God. Jesus was only concerned to reveal this Truth to us.

It is important to remember when Jesus walked among us He never engaged with the “firsts” of this world. He never consulted the top religious leaders of his time. He never praised the great military leaders and emperors of his period. Their roles and position in life was completely irrelevant to His ministry. On the other hand, he paid attention to the ones considered to be “last”; the ones whom no one wants to pick to be on their team. These are the ones Jesus chooses to be in his party. In fact, He made it a criteria.

“If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35

Those whom the world admires, the billionaires, politicians, actors, etc. are only admirable for those who want to be like them. They are the finishing line of this era. However, as Christians, they can not be our models by any shape or form.

In our ministry, I used to be like the director in the movie I mentioned. I wanted the children and teens to cross the line. I desired that they become first and be accepted in this world. Now, I realize the wisdom of the long distance runner. Being first in this world comes with a price. The people who are first tend to forget the struggles and suffering of those who did not make it first. They forget that everything they possess was not acquired by their own merit. They tend to believe that they are better than the ones perceived as “last”. Just what we read in the parable when the workers who were hired first complained and said, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” (Matthew 20:12) This is the same argument the older brother used against the father for accepting the prodigal son back into his fold. Those who are “first” in this world forget that they got to be where they are because of God’s grace. Nothing we have is due to our own merits. Everything comes from God. The difference between the righteous and the wicked in the Bible is that the former recognize this truth. Our concern with the children and youth is not that they become “firsts” in this world. We should not desire to the world to applaud them in this life. Instead, we hope to help them become like the long distance runner and stop before they surrender their soul to the false god of this world.

In this world, people are divided into “first” and “last”. In the Kingdom of God, our focus is on the generosity of God’s love which sees beyond this simplistic mindset of this world and loves people regardless of their successes and failures in this world. Just because one is successful in this life does not mean that they are blessed. The opposite is true also. Someone who is considered a failure in this world might be the one for whom Jesus is willing to abandon everything and search. Jesus likes to be among the “last” of this world. It is just the way He chooses to be.

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if a brother sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

Two brothers; one was 8 and the older one was ten when it happened. Their home life consisted of an angry violent father and the rest of family living in constant fear. Strangely, drugs or alcohol were not involved. One day he grabbed a rubber hose and attacked the brothers with it. Obviously, this was not the first time but definitely the most violent. The older brother did all he could to protect his younger sibling. His whole body was covered with welts and the father just wouldn’t stop. The mother was powerless to protect her boys. She was always the first to suffer. Their only chance of survival was to run into the streets and plea for help. They managed to escape and the police were called. The father fled the scene. The bruises on the older boy sufficed to anger the arresting officers. They were determined to apprehend their abuser. The brothers saw their father subdued and handcuffed. They felt relieved. Then, the younger one overheard the police officer telling the father, “You are going to get a taste of your own medicine in prison.” He told me that he would never forget those words. He wasn’t sure what to make of them. He did not want anything bad to happen to his father. He still loved his father despite everything. They lost him on that day.

The brothers eventually ended up in the streets. Even though the threat in their household was gone, something had radically changed within them. They realized that their home would never be a safe place for them. They loved their mother but also knew that she was incapable of protecting them. They decided to search for their own safe space. Ironically, living in the streets was the best option. Unfortunately, the older brother got involved with the wrong crowd and landed up in the juvenile detention center soon after. Regrettably, this brought him in contact with other teens involved in crime. By the time, he reached adulthood, he was already a seasoned criminal. He is presently in prison. The younger brother was different. He went to the streets only because of his older brother. He was the only person that made him feel safe in this world. When his brother was taken away from him, he found himself once again abandoned and alone in this world. He had to carve out a safe place for himself on his own. Thanks to his older brother, he never lost his belief in humanity. He always appreciated his brother’s sacrificial love for him. He was always open to trust people. Soon, he made friends in the streets who became just like his older brother. They gave him a sense of security. This is all he wanted. There were many like him in the streets. They wanted a safe place. Some of were young girls were raped or sexually abused by the very ones who were suppose to protect them from rapists and other sexual predators. There were those who struggled with their sexual identity and they suffered the most. There were those who don’t even remember the names of their parents. They were there in the streets wondering if there was anywhere in the world where they could feel safe and at home. There was none so they decided that the streets was their only option. They made the best of it and kept each other safe.

I thought reading the above gospel text about forgiveness among the children and teens was going to be interesting. I was curious to hear what they thought about Jesus’ radical views on the subject. The younger brother, when he read the text, was somewhat taken aback. He looked at me puzzled and asked, “Does Jesus expect us to keep constant track of the number of times we forgive? Seventy times seven! That’s too complicating! I would rather just forgive and then go on with my life.” It was interesting. He did not have a problem with forgiving. He just did not want to keep track of it. I told him that Jesus meant exactly this. We should forgive without keeping an account. Then he laughed. When you think about it, Jesus did give a humorous answer back to Peter. Forgiveness is essential for survival in the streets. I had never thought about it. The homeless don’t have the luxury of holding grudges even though there are some who do. They are the minority. Most of the time, these ones don’t survive. Their hatred consumes them to the point that they either kill or get killed.

The younger brother told me that the homeless teens need to let go of their past in order to survive in the present. Unfortunately, in their case, it also means not expecting their families to be their families anymore. They don’t hate them. In fact, many of them still speak fondly of their families especially their mothers or grandmothers. He told me that he saw his father after 10 years or so. He was genuinely happy to see him. The father is now married to another woman and has three children. He even met her and his half siblings. He thought that she was a lovely person and his father seemed to have overcome his personal demons. He was genuinely happy for him although he knows that the paternal relationship between them is gone forever. He realizes he cannot have that kind of expectation anymore. He has forgiven him unconditionally and part of this means not having any expectations.

Forgiveness cannot undo the past. It means just accepting it. It is also realizing that the people who hurt and disappointed us are broken people. Sometimes they can do great evil to us. However, when we forgive them, we are choosing to believe that they are not intrinsically evil. At least, this is how our homeless youth deal with it. For them, forgiveness is choosing to believe that the person who harmed them is not beyond redemption and they believe that he or she can change. They forgive because they want to be able to receive the person back into their lives in some shape or form. The younger brother received his father back but not in the same manner as before. Things have changed and forgiveness also means that we accept these changes.

I have known the younger brother for many years. This was the first time he shared his story with me because the subject of forgiveness gave him this opportunity. He has his fathers number with him always. I asked if he called him recently. “Not yet.” He responded, “ I have learned to live my life without him and besides, he has his own family now. I am just glad that we have some contact.”

Perhaps some might say that he is just saying this but deep down inside he might be bitter about what his father did. It has to be quite deep if no one can notice. There is no sign of hostility or bitterness when he talks about his father. I can say the same for the other children and teens we know. Danyel’s mother is cold and unaffectionate. However, when she suffered an accident, he went home immediately to help her. He loves her deeply even though she is emotionally and mentally incapable of reciprocating this love. Gabriel told me once that he was in the streets because he was helping his mother. She will have one less mouth to feed. He has her name tattooed on his fore arm. The list goes on. Forgiveness is something our children and teens have embraced. Not because some religious leaders told them to do so or a psychoanalyst recommended it. They did it because it was essential for their own humanity. It was the only way they could move forward in this life. It doesn’t mean that they have been healed from the emotional and spiritual injuries they sustained from their suffering. Forgiveness just opens the door for the healing process. This might take the rest of their lives. Perhaps, along the way they still might need to revisit their friend, Forgiveness, and hold her hand as she guides them through the healing process.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. – Matthew 18:20

It is amazing how a tiny thing can change everything.

I had the perfect plan for this week. I was going to read the above verse to some of the teens and ask their opinion about. After all, Jesus describes the church in its simplest state. I thought it was a good opportunity to talk to some of the teens about it. First, I was going to meet Bruno at the place where he usually begs. I was hoping to run into Daniel and Gabriel and maybe even Wallace. I could ask them what they thought about this verse. Then my final stop would be at Felipe’s place to read the same text with him. It was quite a good plan if I say so myself except that… a tiny sting of a scorpion ruined everything.

On the day I was going to the streets, I woke up to several urgent messages from Felipe. He was stung by a scorpion. Obviously, he was in pain since the early morning and now it was spreading to his arm and shoulder. He asked for our advise. Needless to say, we were completely clueless. Thankfully, we have access to the internet. It gave some information about the danger signs. Naturally I had to forget about all my plans and focus on Felipe. There was a possibility that he might need urgent medical attention. I went to his place immediately.

It is worth mentioning that Felipe and his wife are squatters in a tiny abandoned space under a highway bridge. It used to be a storage unit for the state and now several families have divided the area into small rooms. Unfortunately, it is infested with cockroaches and these in turn have attracted the scorpions. It was either this place or homelessness. This is the sad reality of the thousands of squatters in our area. The scorpions are not usually harmful to adults but they can be deadly to little children. It all started with a nightmare. It almost sounded like a premonition by his description. Felipe dreamed that something terrible was going to happen to his son, Davi. He immediately woke up to get him from his crib. Unbeknown to him, there was a scorpion just above the toddler’s head. It stung Felipe’s hand just at the moment when he gently placed his hand on his son’s head. At first, it was just felt a minor irritation. Then, it became a burning sensation. Eventually his hand went numb but the pain crept to the rest of his arm and shoulder. This is when he sent a message to us.

Thankfully, I found him waiting for me when I got to his place. He was smiling. It was a good sign. He told me that the pain had subsided. His hand was still sore. I did give him some money to go to the hospital just in case. As usual, Felipe was a little embarrassed to take it but he knew that it was important to have some emergency cash. I was going to leave immediately so that he could rest. He had a tough morning. However, he was in the mood to talk.

We went for a short walk. He asked lots of questions about scorpions and other deadly creatures. This is something new in Felipe ever since he left the streets. He has developed an earnest desire to learn about everything under the Sun and beyond. In the past, his life was too conflicted with a sense of meaninglessness which kept him from pursuing things of his interest. Now the obstacle is removed from his path. He is ready to embrace life. This particular day he wanted to talk about life and death.

He is aware that the venom from the scorpion was not deadly to adults. Even then, he spent the whole morning thinking about death. He shared that the common way people talk about life after death sounded strange to him. For him and the other homeless youth, they have frequent brushes with death. For him, life after death is when you have a renewed understanding of life after a close encounter with death. The whole incident with the scorpion has refreshed his zest for life. I did not realize that he really had a scare about death this morning albeit understandably. Most of us in is shoes would have rushed to the emergency ward. Unfortunately, for Felipe and the very poor like him, they usually endure the pain in their tiny room without much medical assistance. He asked me if I thought that God was giving him an opportunity to live longer in this life for a purpose. I told him that God gives us life in this world to experience and enjoy His love in this world and when we do this, His love will flow through us to those in our midst. This was what I believe is the purpose of our life.

The moment was ripe for me to share about this week’s lectionary reading. Felipe was more than ready to read from the Bible with me. He read the verse above aloud and asked almost immediately, “Does this mean that every Sunday, when we meet together to read the Bible and pray, Jesus is physically present with us?” This is what Jesus appears to say, I responded. According to Him, all we need to be a church is to gather one another person and be open to receive and share God’s love.

“What comes to your mind when you think about the person of Jesus?” I asked Felipe. He said without any hesitation, “Acceptance, compassion, joy, and peace and even a sense of fulfillment.” Sometimes, he said, when he leaves us to go home, he feels like his soul has been enriched. I told him that we sense the same feeling too. Perhaps, this is what means to have Jesus in our midst. He awakens something in our innermost being. We may not be able to explain it but it gives us a sense of joy and peace. Felipe went on to say something very interesting. He told me that when he was still living in the streets, he and some of the children and teens gathered together to pray by themselves. Other times, when they went to the coastal town during the hot summer months, they had to hike through the woods on certain parts of the journey. Consequently they saw breathtaking scenery and sometimes came across some wild animals. They always said a prayer to thank God for these things. Many times they felt a sense of peace and belonging when they prayed together. He claimed that they were not very articulate in their prayers but nevertheless, they sensed God’s presence in their midst. He said that he never knew it but they were being a church back then. According to what he read, Jesus was present whenever they were together and prayed.

It is quite amazing through all these years we have been with these young people, this was the first time I have heard this. I always knew God was actively present in their midst but this was the first time I heard about their religious life. It was something they did without anyone encouraging them. It came from their souls. They responded to the voice of the Holy Spirt in their hearts. A door has been opened to us now. Felipe and the children have invited us to see their hidden spiritual life. Their faith has always been very private to them. Perhaps they thought that many would not take it seriously. Now we know that when they told us even though they are orphans to the world, God was always their Father and Mother that these weren’t mere words. They were an expression of their spirituality.

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Matthew 16:21-23

“I used to have a good job, a wonderful family and a nice home. I threw it all away because of this thing!” He showed me his crack pipe. “A prostitute invited me to try some and I never turned back since then.” I really wasn’t sure why he was telling me his story. I had never seen him before. I did not even know his name. He just felt like talking and I was there. It was quite simple.

I listened, of course, to his monologue but I was a little confused. “If you had a great job, good family and a decent house, why did you need to use drugs? Obviously something was missing that made you feel the need to escape.” From the look on his face, I realized that I touched on something too personal. It wasn’t my intention to challenge him. I was just a little confused and curious. Without saying a word, he turned around and walked away. It was the appropriate answer to give to a complete stranger like myself. I never saw him again. Hopefully, one day he will meet someone with whom he can truly explore the real reason why he has abandoned everything to live in the streets. He is never going to get healed until he goes beyond the superficial. Crack is a deadly drug but it is not all powerful to make a happy person abandon everything. It is something that unhappy people flock to in order to escape this world. It is a demon making us avoid facing the harsh reality of our lives.

Demons are not as powerful as many claim. They just keep us swimming in the shallow end of life. They lie to us that it is safer to remain where we are. We are constantly surrounded by them. They can be sinister like crack or innocuous like binge watching a favorite TV series or engaging blindly in any movement making us live in an abstract world. In the case of today’s gospel reading, the devil manifested himself in Peter. Regardless of their shape or form, demons’ function is always the same. They make us avoid facing the harsh realities of life. They create an alternate existence where we feel safe and in the end we end up with a meaningless life. Jesus was right in his rebuke. Peter was indeed being Satan. He wanted Jesus to remain in the superficial role of a Messiah. However, Jesus is concerned about abundant life.

The gospel is meaningless unless we are willing to look at the world as it is. It is not a world that is going to change for us. Some believe in God because they think that He will change their circumstances. Peter thought that since Jesus was the Messiah, things are going to be different. He was going to make everything right in this world. Instead, Jesus told the disciples that He was going to be tortured and killed. He was going to suffer just as a powerless person would in a self-destructive system. It was the last thing anyone wanted to hear from the Messiah. They had practical expectations for Him. Yet, God is not pragmatic like us. He sees things from a different perspective. We just see the superficial. Sometimes we think that this is the only reality that matters. Jesus, however, wants to take us beyond what our eyes can see and our ears can hear. He wants to walk with us to the deep end of life.

I shared this story before but this time I want to emphasize Alex’s faith. I am sure some would remember his many misadventures with dogs. He tended to adopt the sickly ones and the result was always tragic. Once he had a healthy dog and it looked like it would survive. Unfortunately it went missing. Alex really loved this dog and he began to get desperate. Someone told him that it was in a field near a highway, not too far away from where the children sleep. He wanted me to go with him to search for the puppy. To be honest, I wasn’t too keen. We needed to cross a busy highway to get to the field. However, it was important for Alex so I went with him. As I walked next to him, I heard him mutter a prayer quietly, “Please, Lord, let my puppy to be safe and sound.” As we approached the fields, his prayers became louder and they were accompanied with tears. I will never forget this. It was heart breaking. He kept repeating this prayer until we reached the fields. Alas, the dog was nowhere to be found. I became a little desperate and prayed Alex’s prayer. I was concerned for him. I thought that if anything happened to the dog, it would be devastating for his faith. Alex found it much later in the evening. It had died. I am not exactly sure how it died, maybe out of fear and hunger. The children dug a grave with their hands and buried the puppy. God did not heed his prayers.

We did not see Alex for a few days after the incident. We were a little concerned. Then we saw him. He was back to normal. His faith was intact. He was not angry with God that his dog died nor the fact that his earnest prayers weren’t answered. He did not even need an explanation for God’s silence. In fact, this is true for most of our children and teens. They have prayed countless prayers, sometimes to escape physical and sexual abuse. Most of the time, their prayers were not answered. They suffered and even watched some of their friends die from these abuses. They never falter in their faith. If they heard Jesus say to them that He was going to be tortured and murdered unjustly, they would say that Jesus was exactly like them. It would not diminish their faith in Him. He would continue to be their God and Savior. Our children and teens are not pragmatic in this sense. For them, God does not have to serve a purpose. They are happy if He is with them. This is one thing that is clear in the gospel. It is about the fact that God is with us. Where God’s presence is strongly felt, there is abundant Life.

Jesus warns us that being his disciple means that we forfeit the privilege of seeing life from a cozy corner. We are to engage in life with all its brutalities. We don’t face them as judges but rather as people who are willing to submit to life’s harsh realities without being overcome by them. Our children and teens are born in an unjust society where they will never be able to overcome all the many obstacles before them. It is important that they see this reality as our Messiah saw the cruel future awaiting him in Jerusalem. Something tells me that perhaps our children and teens are more prepared for this more than us. Most of us reading this come from a different environment. We are privileged compared to our children and teens in the streets. However, it would be a mistake to think that our fortunate situation is how life should be. Consequently, we might end up believing that it is incumbent on God to maintain us in this comfortable situation. God is not pragmatic. He made it clear that He won’t make the world amenable for us. He is going to face it as it is and invites us to join Him. If we are willing to take His Hand and walk with Him, then we will discover that all the cruelties and abuse that this world throws at us cannot stop us from discovering abundant life.

Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:24-28

I won’t say that she was disturbed. Something bothered her and she needed to share it with someone. We were there walking beside her to our home. We had seen her before. She was in her mid-eighties. She had witnessed an altercation. Alcohol was the catalyst and two adult men were on the brink of lunging at each other’s throat over something trivial. Then one insulted the other calling him a dog. Our narrator took offense at this. She looked us in the eyes and said, “Dogs are kind and lovely creatures! These two men were irresponsible and immature.” This woman had lived a long life and seen many things but this really bothered her. She is right. Dogs are kind creatures. Calling someone a dog should be a compliment, not an insult in our society.

Jesus called Canaanite woman a dog in the gospel reading above. To think that this was an affectionate term would be committing the sin of anachronism. These faithful animals do not have an honorable place in all societies. In the land where Jesus dwelled, they are considered as unclean animals, just a tiny bit better than rats. In fact, physical contact with dogs would make you unclean religiously. Calling someone a dog in this context is a grave insult. The term was derogative and in the context of Jesus’ time could be considered a racial slur. However, to jump to the conclusion that Jesus was being racist would also be committing the sin of anachronism. It was a different time with different values. It doesn’t mean it was right.

Jacques Ellul, a French theologian and sociologist, wrote that there is a significant difference between the incarnation of the gods in the pagan mythologies and the gospel. In the latter, the incarnated God embraces all our limitations without resorting to His divinity to overcome them, whereas in the former, they maintain their godlike powers. Jesus grew up in specific space and time, subjected to the values as well as prejudices of the period. There is no such thing as a community or society or an individual that is free from prejudices. It is part of our human nature to harbor prejudices. This does not justify it by any means. It just implies that Jesus also was not immune to all this. However, He shows a better way to deal with it.

Jesus did challenge some of these attitudes, especially the ones towards Samaritans. He made a Samaritan as the protagonist of his most famous parable which has found a permanent place in the imaginations of many peoples. Now, He turns His focus on the attitudes towards the Canaanite people. Jesus basically stated what everyone thought about her including his apostles. She was considered an outsider and barely tolerated very much like a dog at that time. No one gave their best to the dogs then. Therefore, everyone in the room with Jesus were in agreement that it was not much point in wasting time with her. I have heard these words said to me before in regards to our children and teens. Sadly, many times they came from religious leaders. They thought that we should focus our attention on the young ones and not waste precious time on the older ones. If I am honest with myself, I am guilty of harboring such attitudes too, albeit not in the same sense. Sometimes I think that I am wasting my time talking to certain people in the streets when I could be doing something else. I never once considered it to be a problem but the Light from this gospel story is revealing something else. I see myself as someone calling another person “a barely tolerated dog”.

Jesus used language that seems harsh to our modern ears. It does not mean that we are more sensitive to the plight of the marginalized of our time. It could mean that we don’t like see hidden attitudes being drawn out into open. Jesus, on the other hand, is about being the Light of this world. He exposes everything, good and bad. He expressed exactly what everyone present in the room thought about this woman. She did not deserve what Jesus had to offer because she was not part of the privileged group.

No matter what our ethical and political positions, we always think that we are the ones who are privileged enough to know what is truly right or wrong. Those who believe differently from us are the dogs or whatever is derogative in our present times. We believe that we shouldn’t waste too much time with them. Maybe we are right. There are people in this world who wallow in their ignorance and are belligerent to those who think otherwise. Maybe we shouldn’t waste too much time with them. After all, Jesus did say, “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you” (Matthew 7:6). However, at the same time, this is not a license to discard people like things.

Last week, one of our youths shared a negative experience he encountered in a church. He decided to attend a church service near the place where the homeless teens hang out. It was a Pentecostal church. Towards the end of the service, the minister had a time where he “prophesied” over the lives of the people. He singled our young friend and told him that God revealed to him and this young man was going to suffer the fate of all young drug dealers. Needless to say, he walked out with the church deeply saddened and disappointed. He has never in his years in the streets engaged in any criminal activities. The minister just saw a homeless youth and jumped to conclusions. He allowed his personal prejudices to inform him about the young man but the fact was that this teen wanted to be in the church. He went there because he wanted to grow in his faith. Instead, he was discarded by someone who used God’s name in vain.

Jesus was born in a community that had its fair share of prejudices. He did not pretend that they did not exist. He did not believe that they would have gone away without confronting them. He allowed His faith to see the faith and devotion present in the marginalized woman. His faith transformed not just the life of the woman but He also gave her a permanent role in our spirituality. In other words, a “dog” of his society was given a place of honor. I am sure that the elderly woman I shared about initially would approve of this.