God changing history

Today’s readings: Ezek. 34, 11-12.15-17; 1 Cor. 15, 20-26.28; Mat. 25, 31-46.

In the first reading, Ezekiel presents Yahweh as the protective God of Israel who willingly and directly accepts governance of the community which had suffered because of bad shepherds. Poor leadership always leads people astray. It was poor leadership that caused Israel to become a displaced people.

The prophet addresses the malpractice of kings who were a constant danger to social equilibrium in Israel and a threat to the faith. His words still make sense in a world where we still witness examples not only of bad governance but, worse still, of entire nations and peoples, whose destiny is put at risk through abuse of power by those supposed to govern and generate prosperity.

Today we need new prophets who courageously and forcefully proclaim the truth that sets people free. Entire political systems have perpetuated suffering and slavery in God’s name . Ezekiel is inaugurating a new time, putting religion of the heart above any other form of religious government.

In the past the feast of Christ the King was even celebrated by totalitarian regimes that sought to use religion to rubber-stamp their political ideologies. But nothing is further than the truth of Christ the good shepherd than that which serves to scatter rather than gather, wound rather than heal, weaken rather than strengthen. This is the “mist and darkness” to which Ezekiel refers.

In our times so much has been unveiled about politics when it distances itself from being a noble vocation. In his book The Drama of Atheist Humanism, Henri de Lubac speaks of the tragedy of modern times: “It is not true, as is sometimes said,” he writes, “that man cannot organise the world without God. What is true is that, without God, he can ultimately only organise it against man.”

This is the gist of today’s gospel. For Jesus, seated on his throne of glory, the only criterion of political truth is what gives dignity to the person. Today we all live face to face with great illusions about politics on the local and global levels.

God’s alternative to bad politics is not a mystical or spiritual evasion. God’s kingdom is justice, dignity, love and peace. It is work in pro­gress of a humane project for a better world. God cares about His creation. As St Paul writes, “He must be king until He has put all His enemies under His feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death”.

God’s enemies are man’s enemies, all that destroys life and brings death. This is not day-dreaming. For those who believe, it has already happened when Christ was raised from the dead. Through faith, which is faith in God and in man alike, God’s kingdom is being built on love and justice, leading away from every sovereignty, authority and power. The kingdom of Christ can never be translated in a political system.

The deeds of the kingdom are basically delineated in the gospel account of solidarity with the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, those who are naked, sick and in prison. These are categories of people whom our political systems many times find it so difficult to integrate.

In the midst of all this, and while we continue to discuss about Christianity’s identity and mission in the world, we need to acknowledge that the validity of our mission will also depend to a large extent on our solidarity with the poor. Obedience to God’s Word sends us, but it is poverty that makes us credible.

In November 1989, a Jesuit, Ignacio Ellacuria, said in a speech he gave in Barcelona: “Together with all the poor and oppressed people in the world, we need utopian hope to encourage us to believe we can change the course of history”.

This happened to be his last speech because shortly after that, together with all other members of his community, Ellacuria was killed. But his words will never be silenced.

As long as there are poor and oppressed in the world, there will be need for a utopian hope to change the course of history.