this is a rly salutary thread for “stoles to the protests” …

this is a rly salutary thread for “stoles to the protests” type christians esp white ones who think doing so will make us the conscience of the government/nation (it won’t and shouldn’t)—we love to speak to important ppl to feel important. but I have a concern about it also:

THREAD

Uncomfortable reality:

\u201cSpeaking truth to power\u201d is not the primary mode of Gospel witness, simply because it isn\u2019t the way Jesus operates.

Brought before both Pilate and Herod, the two main embodiments of worldly power in the Gospels, He was nearly silent.

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— FrJosh \U0001f4af (@tweetmobb) January 9, 2021

I don’t think it’s true that Jesus didn’t speak truth to power. He taught and healed the ones he was sent to, whom most would not count worth speaking to, but it’s pretty clear that power heard about the truth he was speaking, because that truth directly concerned them.

The beatitudes and their attendant woes, the decrying of the power of and love for money, the declaration that the Kingdom is here, all of these things had implications: the hungry get fed bc the rich get their food taken, etc.

It might be worth observing that Jesus spoke most to something like local power (scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, synagogue leaders), and had little to say to Rome. Local folks were interested and could also directly hurt his local people (cf the man whose blindness he healed)...

...and if anything I think it’s quite salutary for those of us who want to be Truth Tellers, myself included, to speak less self-righteously about what concerns our local people less directly and look more at what’s in front of us.

Eg, obviously Stephen Miller and Mitch McConnell are happily doing evil things, but do you know the names of the judges overseeing evictions in your town? I don’t.

Anyway, we know more and are more connected to central power and government than Galilee was in 30CE, which affects things too. But also if you’re doing the work in your community, bigger power will hear about it because at some point it will directly concern them.

Also the love-your-enemies turn at the end of the thread idk bc yes I think it’s a religious obligation but I do not think it means getting crucified is all we can do or the only way to love them, and I think it can be a way of shrinking from truth telling even in hyperlocal ways

Anyway once again the things some people (progressive white clergy who thing institutions are good?) need to hear probably not the things materially oppressed persons will most benefit from. Much to ponder

Also the take in the first tweet on “stoles to the protests” is via @Praxeas in this talk I believe, sorry I did not credit you earlier!!! https://t.co/w34nv5ikxt

this is a rly salutary thread for “stoles to the protests” type christians esp white ones who think doing so will make us the conscience of the government/nation (it won’t and shouldn’t)—we love to speak to important ppl to feel important. but I have a concern about it also:

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