Otherwise Than Assimilated

It is an apocalyptic edge that will not leave unwounded a liberation that imagines its work as an assimilation of the marginalized into the dominant narrative of one or another large or small society of the likeminded. That makes an ecclesial embrace very difficult to pull off. The gospel liberates, emotionally, economically, politically, socially, spiritually, but it does all that slowly and imperfectly and in order to send these imperfectly liberated into an imperfect suffering solidarity with those yet under the heel of this present evil age. Such solidarity puts one’s own soul into jeopardy. To enter into solidarity with the spiritually oppressed is to be spiritually endangered. To enter into solidarity with the economically oppressed is to be economically endangered. Easter Sunday, however, is the enactment of a liberation that surpasses any categorical liberation. That is, in the end, the gospel is roomy enough even for those who spend a whole lifetime—and then die—oppressed. Nobody has to be categorically liberated.

Here Am I

Toppling Statues