NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE

In Zambia today, we have people who have lost hope and really ask if it is worth it to keep on living.  Their sad feelings are due to sufferings like unemployment, hunger and sicknesses. This situation of hopelessness is driving our people into alcoholism or drugs; it is even pushing some to commit suicide.  However, our God in the first reading of this Second Sunday of Lent assures Abraham of his protection and support. “Do not fear!” God tells Abraham. God doesn’t promise Abraham great material wealth but he promises him many descendants and strong protection. “Chalo bantu” -- this Bemba saying means that the real riches of the world are human beings not material goods! Abraham places his trust and hope in God and he becomes the great leader of the Old Testament.

The power of God transcends all our human inadequacies and problems “Patience pays” -- that’s why God blessed Abraham for his perseverance. Many times you and I approach our God with a shopping list where we note down all the urgent problems that we have and all the instant solutions that we want.  When our requests are not answered quickly, this can become a reason for changing churches. Don’t we see a lot of that these days in Zambia?  Just as some politicians change parties to get a better deal, some Christians change churches to get a better answer to their prayers – the answer they want.  But God is always faithful to his promises and he answers our prayers the way he knows will be best for us.

The second reading urges us to live according to the Gospel values of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is a good Lenten challenge to our small Christian communities.  You and I can examine ourselves so that we try to change all our selfish tendencies. We must use all our talents and opportunities to serve God by serving others. It is true that we are being called to be good examples like Saint Paul. But if we are honest, we must admit that many times we live double-lives, scandalising our neighbours.  At this moment in Zambia, we have many prominent church-goers who are being prosecuted in courts of law for corruption, stealing and fraud.  Moreover, we have so many Christian churches mushrooming in our urban compounds and rural communities but these churches seem to have very little impact on our social life and on the real-world situation we face every day.  Where is the good example today that Saint Paul gave in his day?

In the Gospel, our Lord reveals his true identity in the great miracle of the Transfiguration. Jesus becomes transparent to the three disciples, Peter, James and John, so that they can know who he is and what is the glory and goodness of his kingdom. While on the mountain, Jesus helps the disciples to realise that true peace comes from obeying the law and the prophetic wisdom of God, that is, to do God’s will.

It is always nice to be in the presence of the Lord, to rest in his wonderful grace.  This is the reason why the three disciples want to erect three tents on the mountain and stay up their peacefully with the Lord, Moses and Elijah. It is almost like that want to delay Jesus Christ’s saving mission of experiencing the cross The disciples are having this peaceful experience with Our Lord on the mountain and they are reluctant to continue with their difficult and challenging ministry amidst the people!  They should pay attention to the Chewa wisdom:  “Ukakwela pamtsana wanjobvu usati pansi palibe mame.” (When you are having a ride on the back of an elephant, don’t forget that there is mist on the ground).

When we visit many of Christian churches in Zambia today, what we experience is the “dancing churches.” We have beautiful and long liturgies. Even in church, we hear such expressions  as “Chalila kuno” and  “Nachidiba” (It’s so nice to be here -- we are celebrating!). We tend to nurture this “cloud nine” experience, which is full of emotional excitement. We can become so caught up by this short-term euphoria or ecstasy that we sometimes even introduce more days of celebrating, even going to over-night prayers. We find it difficult to leave the “peaceful-dancing” church because we do not want to see the “painful-crosses” situation of our communities. We can voluntarily choose to become blind to the struggling spirits of the poor and oppressed among us.

But in today’s Gospel, Our Lord is saying to his disciples and to us:  “Let’s come down from the peaceful times on the mountain and face the facts of the cross on the earth!”  It’s time to be aware of the crosses which Christ is experiencing even today, through the suffering of the AIDS patients, the unemployed, the widows, the orphans, the prisoners, the defiled and so many others among us in Zambia at this moment.   We will then come to realise that social ministry, hospital visitation and work for justice may not be as popular as our kitchen parties, fundraising braiis, all-day pilgrimages and all-night prayers. But we are more likely to find Jesus in the former than in the latter!  (See Matthew 25.).

You and I, like the first disciples of Jesus, are always tempted to avoid the cross.  But it is clear that if we want the real peace that comes from Christ then we must work for the true justice that is his Kingdom.  And that will mean we can’t avoid carrying his cross!  Recall the saying: “Walila mvula, walila matope” (The who has asked for rain has also asked for mud.)  At the start of Lent, it’s good to remember the plain fact that there is no Easter without Good Friday, no crown without thorns, and certainly no resurrection without death. The disciples wanted to run away from the pain of the cross, but Jesus challenges them to face the cross. He also challenges us Christians in Zambia today. It is not enough to have overnight prayers without having these translated into the fight for peace and justice. It is not enough to dance and sing loudly in church without working to charge the harsh realities of life. Jesus, in proclaiming the kingdom of justice and peace, began his walk to the Cross of Calvary.  This was an indication that when you start something good, you had better be strong. The Chewas say “Ukazipula limba.” Yes, when you start something good, you had better be strong.  If you want to be close to Jesus, you had better be ready for harsh treatment.  If you want peace, you had better work for justice!

SKETCH

We have a vibrant dancing congregation for the Sunday service.  But one of the members is a victim of property grabbing and sexual cleansing. She shares her problem, but the church members don’t want to hear her and are reluctant to assist her. They tell her that these things are “family matters” and that she should not distract from the parish’s important plans for all-night prayers next week.

COMMUNITY PRAYERS

·         God, strengthen our small Christian communities so that we draw close to your son Jesus in our world of today.  Let us pray to the Lord: Lord, hear our prayer.

·         God, help us to be faithful to our Christian vocation, no matter how rough the road to you may become. Let us pray to the Lord: Lord, hear our prayer.

[Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, P.O. Box 37774, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia]