Tag / injustice

by Annie Newman

Matthew 5:38-42 – An Eye for an Eye

FYI this is a rather swear-y post with more than one F-bomb. If that isn’t your thing, you may just want to skip this one.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

This part of the Bible always bothered me.  It bothered me that Jesus would so meekly submit to wrong-doing, and ask us to give away everything, to literally stand naked and helpless, in order to be a good Christian.  Then I heard a different interpretation of the “turn the other cheek” admonition.  I don’t remember where I originally heard it -perhaps on the History Channel years ago, but best I can re-trace it now, it seems to come from the writings of Dr. Walter Wink.  To summarize: In Jesus’ time, it was acceptable and normal to reprimand a subservient person (a wife, a slave) with a backhand slap from your right hand.  This specification is important, because one’s left hand was reserved only for unclean tasks.  So, if your master or husband slapped you across the right cheek with the back of their right hand, and you then offer them your left cheek, they either have to use their left hand to back-slap you, inherently admitting their actions are unclean and wrong, or straight up attack you with an open palmed attack.  Now, this certainly doesn’t get the slap-ee out of trouble, if anything, it invites more pain to come, but it does make the point I’m a person, damn you, pay attention!  In other words, non-violent resistance.

Nonviolent resistance is what these four verses are all about.  Another article I read pointed out the very specific examples used by Jesus are extreme illustrations.  Remember, Jesus does love hyperbole.  Perhaps these exact instances will never happen to you, but you can apply the principles in your own life.  First example: If you are being sued for your clothing, you probably are very poor and lack anything else of value.  By handing over all your clothes, standing naked in the street becomes a non-violent testament to the unfairness of the law and the hard-heartedness of the person suing you.  If you are being forced into service for one mile, walking two with the enforcer allows for one full mile of uncomfortable thought on their part.

Additionally, the translation “do not resist an evil person” is not fully agreed upon, both the literal translation and it’s meaning.  Some, like Dr. Wink, think it simply cautions us against the use of violence.  Others think it should be translated closer to something like “adopt a defensive position.”  Either way, it does not mean meek acceptance of how the world is.

Jesus is asking a lot of us in the passage.  I say that with all sincerity and gravity.  He is asking us to adhere to nonviolence, yes, but definitely not meekness.  He is asking us the very opposite.  He is asking us to put our instinct of self-preservation aside, and to stand up to the wrongs we face.  Look your accuser in the eye, and make them pay some fucking attention.  This is scary, and can result in very real physical harm.  Just think of all the Civil Rights protesters who were water cannoned, attacked by dogs, and harassed by Klansman.  Think of all the women who have had acid thrown on them for their audacity to say no to a suitor or report their rape.

Thank God we haven’t had anything that terrifying happen to us, but recently, Chris and I got a small taste of what it’s like to be the subject of someone’s maleficence.  Someone, we don’t know who, filed a bogus Worker’s Comp claim on us.  There are militant vegans who are opposed to animal husbandry in general with whom Chris has exchanged words.  There are a bunch of Good Old Boys who Chris has pissed off in his writings about race and what it means to be a farmer and black.  And who knows who else we have pissed off being an inter-racial, inter-faith couple with loud opinions.  So take your pick.  Chris had to go to court and prove that we are not a multi-state business employing over two dozen people (we just got our first employee, other than ourselves, last year, and we’re definitely only farming in Virginia).  And it was scary.  We didn’t know what we were up against.  Turns out some jackass just turned in a bunch of pictures of people from our own social media, including a picture of Chris’ grandfather on a tractor taken long before Chris was even born, citing him as an “employee.”  So it got thrown out.  But when I called my mom to tell her about the outcome, she asked if we were going to be more careful about what we put out on social media.  Fuck no, we’re not going to be more careful about what we put out on social media!  Ok, I didn’t swear at my mom, but I just get so angry thinking that someone was trying to scare us into silence.  To whatever fuckface tried to that, guess what: We’re going to keep at it.  You might be able to wound us, you might even find a way to shut down the farm completely, but you’ll never stop us.  We have the safety net of family, careers we could fall back into should farming fail, entrepreneurial spirits and just enough recklessness and faith to keep up our nonviolent resistance to the bitter end.

What injustices do you see in the world that you can stand up to?  That’s a huge question.  But it is one that Jesus asks of us.  If you need to work up your courage, I suggest reading my post about pluralistic ignorance (how more people than you think privately disagree with an idea or situation, but lack the courage to speak up about it). That post also has four ways you can act against injustice without speaking, if confrontation scares you shitless.  But the point is to act.  Do not sit meekly by. Wherever and whenever you are able, it is our duty, if we proclaim to be Christian, to resist the injustices we see in this world.  So get out there.  Resist.

by Annie Newman

Job 07 – Four Ways to Speak Out Against Injustice Without Speaking

“Do not mortals have hard service on earth?
    Are not their days like those of hired laborers?
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,
    or a hired laborer waiting to be paid,
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
    and nights of misery have been assigned to me.
4 When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’
    The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.
5 My body is clothed with worms and scabs,
    my skin is broken and festering.

6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
    and they come to an end without hope.
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;
    my eyes will never see happiness again.
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
    you will look for me, but I will be no more.
9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
    so one who goes down to the grave does not return.
10 He will never come to his house again;
    his place will know him no more.

11 “Therefore I will not keep silent;
    I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit,
    I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep,
    that you put me under guard?
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
    and my couch will ease my complaint,
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
    and terrify me with visions,
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,
    rather than this body of mine.
16 I despise my life; I would not live forever.
    Let me alone; my days have no meaning.

17 “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
    that you give them so much attention,
18 that you examine them every morning
    and test them every moment?
19 Will you never look away from me,
    or let me alone even for an instant?
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
    you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?
    Have I become a burden to you?
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
    and forgive my sins?
For I will soon lie down in the dust;
    you will search for me, but I will be no more.”

In today’s reading the passage that most stood out to me was v. 11: “Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.”

While doing a little background reading I came across a quick article that introduced me to the idea of pluralistic ignorance. To quote the article, this “describes a situation in which a majority of people in a group privately disagree with an idea, while incorrectly assuming others in the group accept it.”  So we keep silent, in fear of speaking out, not knowing that more people agree with us than we realize.

I actually find this a reassuring idea. I for one, hate debate and disagreement.  Even common household arguments leave me feeling shaky and my mouth dry, so speaking up doesn’t come naturally for me.  But I’m hoping that knowing about pluralistic ignorance will help me to speak out more. Wouldn’t you be more likely to speak up against injustices if you knew that everyone around you felt the same way?  It’s scary to be the first, but this implies that if we take the lead, we’re going to get more back-up than we think.

Clearly, this isn’t always going to be the case, and I urge caution in sensitive or dangerous situations.  But don’t be afraid to speak your mind at a family barbeque, or a friend’s dinner party, or in class if you disagree with something that has been said.  I viscerally understand being vocal isn’t for everyone, so if publicly disagreeing with someone sends you into a panic attack, here are a few other ways you can “speak” out against injustice:

  • Put your money where your mouth is! Donate to causes that fight injustice, whether it be women’s rights, immigrant rights, fighting racism, fighting poverty…there’s a lot of injustice out there, so there’s bound to be an organization for you.  The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to fighting hate throughout the entire country, and I’m going to go ahead and plug Planned Parenthood, too, because of it’s comprehensive and inclusive care.  (I actually do wish to see a world where abortions aren’t necessary, but stigmatizing abortions and shaming women who decide to have them isn’t the answer.  Better and cheaper contraception and more pre- and post- natal support services are.  I’ll step off my soapbox now).
  • Volunteering is another way to support a cause you believe in.  Fighting injustice doesn’t have to be controversial.  I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t think Meals on Wheels is a good idea (just whether or not it’s good enough to be funded with federal dollars….Mr. President….), and I loved doing meals at the Salvation Army as a kid.
  • Make Responsible Purchases.  This can mean a lot of things, whether it’s buying fair-trade coffee, reusable instead of plastic, local produce, or ethically produced clothing.  I am eagerly awaiting the launch of Loop later this year, a company partnering with common household brands like Cascade, Crest, and Pantene to bring reusable containers (and shipping containers!) to consumers.  Retailers pay close attention to consumer habits, and the more we support responsible industry, the more it will be available.
  • Finally, my favorite – call your representatives.  Again, if speaking just terrifies you, you can write a letter or an email, but calling has the most impact.  Call off-hours and leave a voicemail if it is less intimidating. Laws are one of the most effective ways of mitigating change – why do you think there are so many lobbyists out there??? You can find out who your representatives are, and how to contact them, here.