Now... if the ear should say,
“Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would
not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body
were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body
were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has
placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted
them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it
is, there are many parts, but one body. -
1 Corinthians 12:15-20
As a grassroots organizer within the
Occupy movement, it is easy for me to get carried away. There is an
intensity in my sense of calling to this work, and a part of me
insists that everyone should
be involved. And there is some truth in this. I do believe that we
are all called to the struggle for greater love, truth and justice in
our society. We all have a responsibility to hear and respond to the
Spirit's movement in our hearts, however we are directed. But
responding faithfully looks different for some than for others.
For my
part, I have felt drawn into the kind of grassroots organizing that
we do in Occupy Church
and Occupy Our Homes
DC. Rather than primarily seeking policy changes, or reform
within the financial sector, I feel called to pursue direct
engagement with families and communities. I feel that I can be most
faithful by helping to develop grassroots networks that empower
ordinary people to have a voice in the way local communities are
impacted by the big banks, big government, and the interests of the
wealthiest 1%.
But
there is more than one way to do
justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God. This grassroots
action that I have been called to is important, but there are other,
complimentary ways that we are engaging simultaneously. We need the
folks who are laboring tireless for policy reforms to curb the abuses
of the financial sector. We need the courage of those who are working
within multi-national corporations and big banks, to take the risk of
advocating for more just and sustainable policies within their
organizations. We need lawmakers who are responsive to the needs of
their human constituents - not only the demands of their corporate
creditors. There are many ways that we are working for justice, and
each of us is called to be faithful in our particular role.
I seek
to stay open to all those who are working for a more loving and just
society, even when their forms of engagement look very different from
my own. Rather than demanding that others engage in the same way that
I am called to, I will honor the varied roles and responsibilities
that have been given to different individuals and communities. I will
be the feet. Will you be the eyes? The ears? The mouth? The hands?
1 comment:
This is a great reflection, Micah. I think you make a great point well grounded in Holy Scripture. We all have different gifts and talents and I am thankful for what you inspire in me and others. Indeed, it takes a coalition of Christians from different traditions to create change for the sake of the Gospel and I'm thankful for what you are doing.
-Weston Mathews @ VTS
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