Palm Sunday 2021 Freedom is inclusive

 

Freedom is inclusive!

When we liberated ourselves from British colonialism, the British also got liberated!  The oppressor also has clutches to be removed!

The very fact that you suppress someone or inflict pain on someone or use violence against someone you act from slavery; which often is unnamed or unrecognized!  Maybe you are enslaved by an ideology or a mindset or greediness or what not?

People take pleasure in violence against someone, especially those they think are their enemies!  People also do take pleasure in other addictions such as narcotics, tranquilizers,  alcohol, and so on!

Enslavement is also an addiction on both sides!  The oppressed majority gets used to it!  Once when they become aware of the enslavement they want to get rid of it.  The oppressor on the other hand enjoys pseudo authority and one is not aware of the enslavement and therefore does not make an effort to be liberated but enjoys the same!

That is why I say any act of liberation must be inclusive!

I recently saw a video taken in Northern Tamilnadu; a caste mob ransacking a Dalit colony.  It is a terrible act against humanity not just against the Dalits alone.  In fact, it is an act against themselves too!   They don't behave as humans should normally!!  They have reached an inhumane state through indoctrination (in the past) and intoxication (in the present)!  (They both go along well as they belong to the same family.)

Women battering, domestic violence, child abuse, caste, and ethnic violence are all crimes against humanity!  They erupt from poor, weak, and enslaved minds!  Resorting to violence comes from weaklings, even if it is a war between two nations!

Who gets killed in a war?  Poor soldiers who are indoctrinated with nationalism and ideologies will be given rifles and killer weapons to act!  Then they are willing to kill "enemies" or die for their country and their bosses!  They create artificial enemies across the artificial borders!  But, what about the kith and kin of the rulers?  They go into the safe bunkers or go behind the bulletproof vehicles and fortifications.   They get up again and go for electioneering with fresh inflammatory speeches pumped with nationalism and ideology!

In the case of Jesus, a bunch of soldiers take pride and pleasure in torturing a single man!  They are cowards in my opinion as many of us are!

We have no guts to speak the truth or stop bribing officials or bow before rotten politicians and government officials!  We loot the poor through concocted justifications!  We immorally abuse women, children and domestic servants in many subtle and in explicit ways!  When we are in a group we behave like a mob succumbing to group pressure and sacrifice truth, the weak and the poor.

I don't think, Jesus was interested in going through physical pain, beaten up and getting killed!  "Kindly take away the cup of suffering from me" (Lk 22/42) He pleaded with God!  He is not a vampire; as many projects that he was willing to shed blood!

He was a just man, who articulated truth with boldness, he was interested in the liberation of the poor, he was against exploitation, he was annoyed at the temple and overthrew the tables on the corridors!  Like any truthful person, he felt like kicking back the oppressor!  You often see such reactions of Jesus throughout the gospels.

Are you angry, annoyed, agitated, and upset with the system?  You must!  Any human should be!

But, are you part of the system, colliding and collaborating with the corrupt, the castist, the chauvinist, the looter, and the power monger?  Stop it and get out of it!  Become a human first before attempting to be a Christian!

One of the temptations of Jesus must have been to resort to an organized violent reaction against Roman colonialism and its unholy alliance with the Jewish authorities!  People had to shoulder double taxation and two-fold oppression!  Politics and religion were crushing them under!!

Violent reaction to overthrow them seemed to be the logical move!

But, violence would replace the actor, not the plot!  Like aspirin, it eliminates the symptom not the cause!   Temporary and not lasting!!  Nonviolence gives the space for the oppressor to repent and change!  Nonviolence needs more mental stamina, real determination, boldness and terrible patience!

There is no use in replacing male chauvinism with female chauvinism!  One suppressing caste with another suppressing caste!  The liberator becoming the oppressor is not the solution! 

Think; Are you for abolishing untouchability or create another group of untouchables?  We were a British colony for a few centuries.  Are you now going to make Briton your colony?  Will that solve the issue?  Will revenge solve the issue?  Will the replacement of suppressor solve the issue?

A clear stand against oppression is Christianity!  Articulate, Agitate, Organize, Propagate, shout, yell but In the process, don't destroy the person including his or her character!

We want to eliminate the sin not the sinner!  Love the sinner!  Love includes, "vaccination" , "medication", "injection" , "surgery" depending on the level of sickness or siness!

The soldiers had compulsions to be violent!  Jesus decided to be Nonviolent!

Move from compulsions to decisions!  Move from a "soldier status" to "Jesus status"!

By the way, I am saying all these to only Christians who belong to many religions or even religion-less!