{"id":3848,"date":"2016-04-01T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T00:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=3848"},"modified":"2021-11-26T08:07:17","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T00:07:17","slug":"149-liberating-god-for-humanity-and-humanity-for-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=3848","title":{"rendered":"149. Liberating God for humanity and humanity for God"},"content":{"rendered":"

6 <\/sup>Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.7 <\/sup>Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise<\/span><\/strong>. [Deuteronomy 6:6-<\/span>7<\/span>, NRSV<\/em>]<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Christ Crucified with Toledo in the background<\/span><\/em>, by El Greco, 1604-1614.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two things Jean-Jacques Rousseau<\/a> wrote in his book, The Social Contract<\/a><\/em>, inspire our reflection.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first is his famous dictum: \u201cMan is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.\u201d Applied to Christian reflection, this dictum points us equally to the idols that individuals erect for themselves by which their life energies are chained, as well as to the rules and doctrines erected, legitimately or otherwise, by official religious institutions as these seek to regulate how members of the faith community are to worship, think and live. Unless these rules and doctrines are in line with the heart of Jesus, they may also operate as idol-enslavement, instead of being authentically freedom-enabling and empowering.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second thing of interest from Rousseau is his insistence that born free, humanity is kept free only by compassion<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the specific recommendations Rousseau made in his book do not resonate very well with the Christian thoughts, his basic inspiration on these two points of chained human freedom and human compassion can generate helpful discussions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the first place, we are reminded of the analysis by Gerard O\u2019Collins, SJ, in Interpreting Jesus<\/em>, of the human condition that cries out for salvation.\u00a0 He presents a humanity that is oppressed, contaminated, and wounded. The endless list of ills all seems to come down to sin<\/em>, suffering<\/em> and death<\/em> from which humanity longs to be liberated. Truly, humanity needs to be set free from the shackles of this death-bound condition. Christians accept Jesus Christ as the Saviour sent from God.<\/span><\/p>\n

In all that Jesus of Nazareth taught and did in his work of salvation, his singular goal was to liberate<\/em> God for humanity and humanity for God.<\/span><\/p>\n

To show us that this evangelical ideal is achievable, Jesus\u2019 preaching of God\u2019s Kingdom-message throughout his active ministry, was fully attested by his living out God\u2019s Kingdom-values right to the very end. For this work of Kingdom-advancement for which he was<\/em> sent<\/em> according to the Johannine language, Jesus willingly paid the ultimate price. That is obedience to the will of God in its pristine sense, before other man-made senses developed generations after him were introduced to adulterate it \u2013 senses that are interest-laden and designed to enforce rules, systems, and human-authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, with Pope Francis at the helm, we really ought to join him to courageously reject the false detours of religion wherever and whenever we see that \u201chuman politics\u201d get into play to control people<\/em>, and to\u00a0promote<\/em> and dictate what is really not of Christ<\/em>. \u00a0Instead of attempting to \u201cbuy\u201d God by exclusionary purity and system of \u201csacrifices\u201d, the Holy Father draws our attention in this Jubilee Year of Mercy to the need to return to Jesus of the Gospels and practise basic mercy and compassion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMercy is the Lord’s most powerful message!” With these words at the inception of his pontificate three years ago, Pope Francis indicated that, like his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi, divine compassion and mercy<\/em> would be at the heart of his ministry as Bishop of Rome and pastor of the universal Church.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a long history of frequently divisive debate over what ought to be at the heart of the Church.<\/span><\/p>\n