bert

In a recent strip of one of my favorite cartoons, This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow, the “neocons” express their regrets, and among their regrets is that anyone is talking about the disaster of the Iraq War “when we should be talking about Obama’s scary black pastor!” This cartoon strip expresses with humor the disingenuous framework cast upon reality not just by the “neocons” but also by the mainstream political and media establishments. They express shock and dismay at expressions of black anger at America while giving short shrift to the truly shocking realities of our time, such as the tragedy of entering the 6^th year of an illegal war based on lies or the catastrophe of the wealthiest nation on earth also being the most incarcerated nation on earth. (Glenn Greenwald gives a remarkably revealing account of recent media establishment reporting.)

The establishment in Jesus’ day had the same problem. The gospels record that Jesus’ initial clashes with the authorities arose from their opposition to his healing ministry, especially his healing on the Sabbath (Matt. 9:34, Mark 3:6, John 5:16). Rather than rejoice in the healings, they found reason to attack Jesus, attributing to him an evil spirit or focusing on their petty, legalistic concerns regarding Sabbath while missing the greater meaning of Sabbath (the Sabbath laws were largely about rest for workers and the earth and redistribution of wealth). Jesus charged them with neglecting “the weightier matters of justice and mercy.” In exasperation he exclaimed, “you strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matt 23:23-24).

Today the tendency of public figures, and even of churches, is to moderate their message when they come under attack so that they might avoid further criticism. Jesus, however, responded differently: He actually waged a counter attack; he took the battle to the establishment. He criticized their practices (e.g. Matt 23:1-36) and told parables against them (e.g. Mark 12:1-12). He marched on Jerusalem, hailed as a popular king, and then went to the temple, the seat of the Judean establishment, and shut it down (Mark 11:1-19).

The mainstream political and media establishments of our world obfuscate the truth by focusing on petty and irrelevant issues. As a result, we may be tempted to give up and allow them to reframe reality, but Jesus calls us to follow him in actively opposing their deception. Let us, in the footsteps and Spirit of Jesus, continue to speak the truth boldly and prophetically so that the world might be set free from its bondage to falsehood.