Sunday Observer
     By Anil Netto
anilnetto@herald.com.my

We are now entering a period of uncertainty — politically as well as economically.

The political equation or the balance of power could be altered, while the global recession and the threat of a depression will not spare Malaysians.

We have come a long way from the time of Jesus. It has been around 1,979 years since Jesus was summarily executed after having been tortured.

It was a Roman-style execution and crucifixion carried out by soldiers belonging to the Jerusalem garrison.

And for what? What was his crime? Jesus was preaching the kingdom of God and love of God and love of neighbour. As he did this in the countryside he would have raised eyebrows and troubled vested religious authorities, who would have resented him. But surely love of God and neighbour alone would not warrant an execution.

The Romans usually reserved crucifixion for slaves, rebels (‘terrorists’) and insurrectionists. Jesus was not a slave. But his actions would have classified him as an "insurrectionist" especially after the authorities had witnessed the huge reception he received, mainly from the peasants from the countryside, as he entered Jerusalem. The die was probably cast when Jesus thrashed the merchants operating in the Temple — a move that effectively shut down the operations of the Temple.

This was at a time when the Temple was crowded around Passover time with heightened religious fervour. Roman guards and spies would have been watching closely like hawks — for the Temple was also the seat of religious collaboration with the Roman imperial rulers, which was oppressing the people.

Espousing a new moral order based on justice and compassion, Jesus was now seen as a threat to the existing order — perhaps a minor local threat (or so they may have thought) in the larger scheme of the Roman Empire but still a threat, nonetheless.

Jesus was pointing to the primacy of God and a reign of justice and peace. His passion for the kingdom of God throughout his brief ministry on earth led to his Passion on the Cross — and his resurrection. (Are we as passionate as Jesus about building the kingdom of God?)

His salvation points the way for God's kingdom - a kingdom that grows like a mustard seed into a huge tree, which spreads it branches across the world.

Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross. The crucifixion now poses a challenge to us today — who are empowered by His Spirit. Can we continue to advance the mission of heralding justice and peace in our world today?

“For the Son of man himself came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 10:45) The Greek word for ransom is lutron, which means payment made to liberate captives (usually war prisoners) or slaves (from debt slavery). In other words, Jesus also died to free us from the bondage of slavery.

What slavery? Jesus was calling for people to repentance, but repentance is not just a self-centred action but a change in one's world view. It amounts to turning away from a narrow view, which holds us back, to a vision that sees us all as part of a human family building the kingdom which Jesus was heralding. Repentance can also empower us to look to the future with hope, when the structures of power are either too overwhelming or unbearable or when they are rotting and crumbling from the decay of decadence, greed and oppression.

Repentance and salvation also means trusting in God’s power to transform the world — and to be willing to be used as collaborators. This is an ongoing project — often, we will not live to see the results — but the work of transforming the world continues. Transforming the world in turn means bringing justice and compassion and love into a world that badly needs it. It brings to life the commandment to love — for after all, justice is the social expression of love.

Worship without a commitment to love, justice and compassion is hypocritical and meaningless, as Jesus pointed out in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

For us as Christian communities, we have a responsibility to look after the welfare of our neighbour — and that means not just Christians.

Welfare work addresses the immediate concerns and pain and that is important. This is something the SVP's are doing admirably. That is not enough though. We also need to discern the root causes of what ails society. Why are some people unable to afford quality medical treatment? Why can’t they afford proper houses? Why can't they provide nutritious meals for their families? So we also need to look into the root causes of these social problems — which is where the parish integral human development committees and other groups come in. What are the underlying causes of the pain suffered by our neighbors, the larger human family?

Is it bondage? Bondage to what? What exactly is holding us back from living life to the full, which Jesus promised to those in his Kingdom? Is it exploitation? Oppression? An addiction? Poverty? Unemployment? We need to find answers to these questions as we move forward in doing our bit to transform the world we live in.