“And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did I it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’  Matthew 25:39-40 NRSV

I am a pastor serving St. Dysmas Of South Dakota, an ELCA congregation inside the walls of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, SD. The men in my congregation come from a wide variety of racial, social and economic backgrounds and are in prison for a wide range of reasons.  South Dakota is approximately 87% white and 9% native but the statistics in prison do not even come close to reflecting that ratio.  As of March 31, 2020, there were 1,732 white males in the South Dakota prison system and 1,032 Native Americans. The prison system population is disproportionately represented by Native American!  I will not go into reasons for this disparity in depth, but it certainly reflects a severe problem in our society and justice system.

One interesting thing about serving a congregation inside the walls of prison–is that the men that worship at St Dysmas come from many different religious backgrounds. I am committed to serve all men regardless of their background. In a typical worship service there will be men who were raised Lutheran of all kinds, Baptist, Reformed, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Messianic Jews, and Orthodox Jews. There are those with no prior religious affiliation, and Native Americans who participate in traditional sweat lodges.  I find a beauty in this diversity as we acknowledge one God expressed and heard in many traditions.

As I listen to the men who come to visit with me, I hear common themes that contributed to their imprisonment.  Many of them were raised in homes that were abusive, had addicted parents, absent parents, and many were raised in low income homes. This is especially true for the Native American men who grew up in extreme poverty on the reservations.  The other thing I hear often is the fact that they feel they had inadequate legal representation at trial.  In the current justice system if you have enough money to hire an attorney who will focus their attention on your case, you have a much better chance of either being acquitted or receiving lighter sentences.  If you must rely on a public defender who is overwhelmed with heavy caseloads you are likely to receive a harsher sentence for the same offense others have committed but had better representation.  It is hard to hear these stories but as a pastor, my place is to make sure they know, in the midst of this injustice, that they are loved by God no matter what.

I love serving the men in prison.  The men know who they are. There are no pretenses and they know what they need.  They have had their head hanging over the abyss. They have come to a point in their life where they know something has to change and there must be something more to life than what they had previously experienced.  They are eager to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and that good news changes them.  When they come forward to receive Holy Communion there is an eagerness in their eyes.  They know they need Christ and his unconditional love.  For many of these men it is the first time they have felt a real sense of peace in their lives.

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic the South Dakota Department of Corrections is not allowing any visitors or volunteers inside of the prison. I am unable to go inside for pastoral care visits or to lead worship.  However, I record a worship service on DVD and send it in each week. The service is played on the prison’s internal TV system.  The men watch the service in their cells rather than assemble as a congregation.

At St Dysmas Lutheran Church all are truly welcome to worship with us.  The good news of Jesus Christ is proclaimed to all people. It is a joy to be called to bring that message to this community worshiping behind the bars of a prison.

 

Rev. Wayne Gallipo is a graduate of Luther Seminary and served in three parishes prior to taking the call to serve as Lead Pastor for St. Dysmas of South Dakota.  He serves as a board member and treasurer of Prison Congregations of America (PCA). The mission of PCA is to build communities of faith inside and outside of prisons in the United States. Rev. Gallipo and his wife Rev. Joy Gonnerman live in Sioux City, IA.

 

 

Shari Seifert is a Realtor and is committed to working on racial justice in the ELCA.  Jessica is passionate about all forms of injustice, especially in the church.  Shari and Jessica are members of the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice, (EDLARJ) which is one of six ethnic associations in the ELCA.  EDLARJ works in solidarity with ELCA communities through witness, partnership and by confronting racism through trainings. Our tagline is “Awaken Hearts, Inspire Transformation and Confront Injustice”.  

We are writing this blog because we see how the effects of this pandemic are compounded by the effects of systemic and everyday racism.  The disparities seem even more stark and clear now. Since much of our nation is highly segregated, it can be hard to see beyond what one is personally experiencing.  We both have work and personal relationships with people of other races so we are acutely aware of the disparity between groups that have been systemically resourced by our societal structure, and those that have been under-resourced by those in power for generations.  We hope that this blog post will help to awaken hearts, lead to transformation and more folks confronting the injustices this pandemic makes clear.  

Tale of Two Pandemics by Shari Seifert and Jess Harren 

We have white privilege.  During this pandemic, we are living very different lives than People of Color (POC)- – it is like a tale of two pandemics.   If we are outside, we are unlikely to be stopped by police. If we go to the store in a mask, we are assumed to be caring for our neighbors, not criminals.  When we go grocery shopping, no one spits on us because we appear Asian. Although there are also class disparities in this pandemic, is it notable that statistically, many middle class white folks are homeowners and  even if white folks and POC are in the same class, they will experience this pandemic differently. 

For the first time, some of us are feeling restrictions in our movement and access to medical care.  Many POC have known these restrictions for their entire lives.  Many white folks are not used to having restricted movement and are now protesting en mass in public.   Many POC live in food deserts.  We are used to constant access to anything we want.  

This doesn’t mean our lives are not extra complicated right now.  Jess is having to do online school with a child who got a lot of accommodations for various medical and neurological conditions.  Jess lives with disabilities and is more likely to get very sick if she gets COVID-19.  Jess and her family are grieving the loss of vacations and school.  And yet, for a family of color, even with similar resources, life is harder.  For example, the illustration in Jess’s child’s books for online learning are mostly of white kids.  The assignments are culturally relevant.  When Jess goes to the store to pick up medicine, no one assumes she’s a criminal or spits on her.  The police don’t stop her for being out because her neighborhood isn’t policed.  

Shari is working from home, sharing workspace with her oldest son who is in college and has Autism and anxiety. This son has access to a therapist through telemedicine where he is taken seriously. Her younger son is doing high school from home. Both boys have their own computers and can easily get help with schoolwork.  Days when grocery orders are finally ready are celebrated!  When Shari gets tired of being inside, she can play fetch in the backyard with the family dog.  Running Shari’s small business of  selling real estate comes with no guarantees,  except that bills and Shari’s assistant still need to be paid. Sometimes it is hard not to worry and fall into scarcity mode.  The reality is that many of Shari’s clients are less affected by the pandemic and business is continuing and if her business falls on hard times, there are family members that can help.   For many POC, staying home from work is not an option, there is not good access to health care, access to healthy food is harder, not every child has their own device for doing school work, there may not be family members that can help financially, housing is more dense and there is not a private back yard to play with the dog in.  

We are all struggling now.  People are dying alone, many funerals can’t be held, grandparents can’t hug their grandchildren, many people have lost jobs, businesses are shuttered and we all face uncertainty.   These things are all true and entrenched systemic racism still gives white people of all classes advantages in this pandemic.  This crisis lands on people in very different and important ways. Not all white people are rich and not all people of color are poor, but the majority of White Americans are middle class homeowners that live in stable communities.  The disproportionate number of POC dying is heartbreaking.   We don’t have to do anything to keep this unjust system in place.  Change is stubborn and requires faithful and persistent effort like speaking up at racist jokes or memes, listening to and following people of color (we recommend reading this piece by Jeremiah Bey Ellison),  shifting money to POC led organizations for racial justice and praying for the whole Body of Christ including our POC friends.  If you still have an income or access to money, consider sending your stimulus check to a POC led organization in your community. 

We pray the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and moves us to action.  

 

Blogger Bios:

  Shari Seifert  lives in Minneapolis with her wife, two sons and the cutest Golden Doodle you have ever seen.  She works as a Realtor and  is committed to working for racial justice in the ELCA.  Shari is currently vice-president of the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ),  a member of the Minneapolis Synod racial justice table, her congregation’s Race Equity Committee and Multi-faith Anti-Racism and Healing (MARCH)     She is also on the core planning  team for the Multicultural Youth Leadership Experience (MYLE).

 

Rev. Jessica A. Harren Pastors two congregations (Lutheran Church of Martha and Mary and Open Heart faith gathering). She provides resources, trainings, workshops, and consulting on Family Systems, Emergent Worship, Consent Culture, ableism and racism in church, as well as other topics. Pastor Jess teaches discipleship culture and coaches other church leaders through Spark Faith.  She is a member of Proclaim (the professional organization for LGBTQIA+ rostered ministers and seminarians in the ELCA) and is a member of EDLARJ and Another Pebble, the Metro Chicago Synod’s Anti-Racism Team.  She lives in a suburb of Chicago with her spouse, child, and two cats.  

 

 

In the heated battle of humanity versus covid-19, the Zoom meeting app is booming. People want to see and be seen. Big learning curve for many. But free and open to everyone!

Indeed, being seen, and even loved, is one of life’s deepest joys. Conversely, not being seen, yet being hated, is a heavy stressor.

The surge of hate crimes against Asians in the US shows that Asian Americans are not seen by many as good neighbors, friends, Americans. No matter who we are, if we have a “Chinese” face, our personal safety and well-being are at risk. Not only coronavirus, but from coronavirus rage.

National reporting site A3PCON says that 2/3 of those attacked are not even Chinese, but of other Asian ethnicities.

Spitting, verbal abuse, harassment, bullying, beatings. A six year old boy was stabbed on his head, requiring stitches. And women are three times more likely to be harassed than men. One woman suffered severe chemical burns when a man deliberately threw acid at her.

I’ve been confronted and assaulted before. US history and my own history tell me that living in my own city, my own country is seriously dangerous. Now it is even worse. My heart sank when elected leaders used racist terms like “kung flu” and “Chinese virus.” Their ill-chosen words set up Asian Americans to be mocked and blamed. Angry people may choose at any time to lash out at us. Anyone targeted for violence knows what I mean. It feels like just being out in public will mean having to run a gauntlet.

Meanwhile, the Asian American community is very diverse: culturally, geographically, socio-economically. Many will say they are fine, and have never experienced racism. But many will also confirm the pain it causes when it does strike. Please help to spread the word that people who “look Chinese” are not the virus. We are not covid-19 carriers just because we are Asian. We are not the enemy! We are Asian Americans, trying to “flatten the curve” like mostly everybody else.

It’s ghastly how many people have died so suddenly in Queens, New York. A dozen tractor trailer sized trucks — mobile morgues — were parked outside Elmhurst Hospital to store the bodies of the dead. I used to live in this immigrant enclave area of Queens, one of the most diverse counties in the US. I loved the vibrant Chinese and Latino life there. Now it’s shut down, and the people are reeling.

My church is there. Eight blocks from the hospital, St. Jacobus Lutheran offers one of only two food pantries still open in Elmhurst, serving 100-300 families a week. More young families now, and Latino. Two or three generations living in an apartment, with no work to be had. And available resources do not match the needs. “The virus has exposed what’s been there all along,” says my pastor, Joe Mantovani. “How high the rents are. How hard it is to find enough work to feed their families.”

Many Asian American families citywide are also at risk for starvation and homelessness, reports the Coalition for Asian Children and Families (CACF). They are like US Americans of all backgrounds who had worked for low wages and tips, with no safety net. The struggle is fierce for too many, including African Americans dying in high numbers.

We are trying, as our beloved New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urges, to be “tough, smart, disciplined, united and loving.” I know my resilience can only happen in a collective. Every day I give God thanks for my husband, family, friends, pastor, and caring people I don’t know who work for peace and justice.

All of us in US America have a long way to go, and some much farther. If we look to see the good in others, honor each other’s humanity, work against poverty, despair, racism, we will make great strides for a better future for all.

I wish every Zoom user everywhere would realize that a Chinese American, Andrew Yuan, created the app. It’s just one example of what Asian Americans can contribute to the US and the world. I pray that more of us will “zoom together for racial justice,” whether literally or not. “Join the zoom meeting,” I’d invite. “I’ll bring Chinese food, you bring whatever you like, and we’ll share.” It could be a big learning curve at first. But with God as our host, we cannot fail. Free and open to everyone!

Lily R. Wu, is a Chinese American Lutheran who has worked as a church communicator for more than 40 years. She also served as a vice-president of the Association of Asians and Pacific Islanders-ELCA.

I reside in a high-rise apartment building in a racailly and ethically diverse Chicago suburb. My neighbors are American Indian, Black, Puerto Rican, Russian, Assyrian, Asian, Greek and White. We are food service workers, stay at home parents, people with disabilities, college students, musicians, health care professionals, engineers, and retirees. We are families with young children, adults caring for aging parents and adults living alone. We are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, atheist, spiritual and not religious. We are mix of experiences, beliefs, racial groups, ethnic identities sexual orientations and gender expressions. Yet, with all this diversity around me, I was astounded when a neighbor texted an anti-Asian meme to my cell.  I quickly replied back with a concern for her text and the growing anti-Asian sentiment spreading in this country. I have a feeling that I am not alone. Perhaps you have experienced something similar from a friend, a neighbor or relative. You heard the ping of an incoming text, and there it was—a joke, a meme , a  comment from someone that you know, like or love that was racist. I’m not only talking about those only in the dominant white group. It also happens horizontally among and between people of color. Each of us can perpetuate and contribute to the spreading of racist memes, jokes or comments. I call it everyday racism.

With all of us sheltering-in place and social distancing, our reliance on social media, texting and the internet is vital to our existence. We need these platforms to escape the endless news cycles of fear and uncertainty. We need these platforms for comic relief. We need these platforms for our online worship experiences for feeling gathered while we are scattered. As much as I enjoy interacting across these platforms, they can also be sources of threat and harm. The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened anti-Asian racism. Jokes, memes, comments and inaccurate information are responsible for perpetuating negative stereotypes that fuel distrust, anger and fear of and for Asian American lives. In one week, more than 650 Asian-Americans reported acts of racism and discrimination in the online reporting forum #StopAAPIHate. The reports include incidents of verbal harassment; vandalism of property; refusal of service from ride share drivers; to violent physical assaults. Unfortunately, anti-Asian racism is not new. It is baked in U.S. history. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 excluded Chinese immigrants from coming to the U.S. and excluded Chinese nationalist living in the U.S. from becoming citizens. During World War II, 120,000 Japanese Americans were uprooted from their homes and forced into internment camps. Even today, many Asian Americans are still stereotyped as the perpetual foreigner, even though they trace their American roots back generations.

I may not be a person of Asian descent, but I am a Black woman.  I know what everyday racism and sexism feel like. Right now, our siblings in Christ, friends, neighbors, leaders of Asian descent need to know that they are not alone.   Asian American healthcare professionals, teachers, first responders, food service works, pastors, scientists, and volunteers are serving during this pandemic. Many placing their lives at risk in fighting this virus. They don’t need further threats of violence, discrimination or messages of hate.

Our ELCA Baptismal covenant calls us “…to serve all people, following the example of Jesus; and Strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” Confronting racism isn’t easy. Especially when it involves people that we like, love or live next door.  If you see or hear something…say something. Let them know how their words or actions made you feel and that you don’t respond to messages that devalue and cause harm.  If you see something online, flag it. Let social media platforms know that everyone should feel safe online. Lastly, we don’t have to do this alone. Time and time again members across this church have shown up for racial justice. We have marched together for #BlackLivesMatter. We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with our Muslim neighbors. We’ve accompanied migrant minors at the southern border. We’ve condemned white supremacy and declared ourselves a sanctuary denomination.

We have been here before….now, let’s do it again.

 

 

 

Just as we entered Holy Week 2020, we heard some of the most grim news from U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who told the American people on Palm Sunday that “this [week] is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment” as COVID-19 infections continue to rise. Many leading public health officials have described the week of April 5, 2020 (Holy Week), as potentially the hardest and saddest week of increased deaths related to the coronavirus. This pandemic has affected the entire world in very alarming ways. It has also continued to spike the globally uncured diseases of racism and xenophobia. The University Health Services at the University of California, Berkeley recently retracted a statement (@tangcentercal) advising students that “xenophobia: fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia and guilt about these feelings” is a normal or common reaction. This shows the high level of insensitivity and present-day normalization of racism even from a school whose demographics report that more than 30% of the student body is of Asian descent. This institution’s culture and ethics in communication should be far above the curve for understanding racism of any kind as an unacceptable reaction to this pandemic. But like many institutions, it continued to be complicit in the propagation of systematic and systemic racism. This must stop, especially at a time when we are finding that people of color are and will be affected fatally by this pandemic at disproportional rates.

In fact, Propublica.org reported that early data shows African Americans have contracted and died of coronavirus at an alarming rate. In the very city that hosted the African Descent Lutheran Association’s (ADLA) August 2019 Biennial Assembly (Milwaukee, Wis.), African Americans made up almost half of Milwaukee County’s 945 coronavirus cases and 81% of its 27 deaths in a county whose population is only 26% black (as of April 3, 2020). This level of disproportionate rates of infection and death is a direct result of economic, political and environmental factors that have been growing for decades. These factors, along with so many other sociological trends, have put black people at higher risk of chronic conditions that leave immune systems vulnerable and battling pre-existing illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, HIV and asthma.

ADLA has ramped up advocacy efforts to pressure the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to release race data related to the coronavirus. The CDC typically tracks widespread demographic data with all virulent outbreaks but has provided little information about race during this current pandemic. This data is and will continue to be important to address racism and other disparities to health care access. If this Holy Week 2020 will begin the deadliest season (to date) of this pandemic, then the United States will experience a devastating loss of black lives. Now more than ever we must be reminded that Black Lives Matter.

We must also acknowledge that government and religious leaders have requested and strongly encouraged the nation to “shelter in place” and remain at home. However, that becomes a very privileged request when many people do not have the same levels of resources with which to do so. For instance, imposing curfews, demanding lockdowns, or even expecting people to stay at home without canceling their rent, helping them secure adequate food and meet all other related bills is an unjust request. With the rise in unemployment, this pandemic has created a greater wealth divide in access to basic income and adequate housing for all. The CARES Act and stimulus package(s) will assist some people in this season but will not greatly protect the most vulnerable, who are at higher risks related to this pandemic.

Holy Week 2020 should bring us all into a greater understanding of the realities of death and access to life in our nation and world. We as people of faith easily grasp the understanding that Jesus died for all of our sins and brings us to eternal redemption. He did it so that we might have life and that life more abundantly (John 10:10). We are reminded that God so loved the world and God gave us Jesus so that we wouldn’t perish but have access to eternal life. In the same way we celebrate access to a better life with Jesus, we must claim access to health care as a human right that provides a better life for all. This COVID-19 pandemic is uncovering major disparities in access to health care. With the rising death tolls, we need high-quality public health care that is guaranteed to all and not just as a private marketplace.

Many of the sociological trends (health, economic, etc.) affecting people of color globally and nationally can easily be seen among the participants, members and leaders of color in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For far too long, we have watched our friends and colleagues (especially of African descent) die or grow gravely ill because of health conditions such as those mentioned above. The economic inequities among many of the ELCA’s congregations often reveal the most impoverished communities having to do so much more with fewer resources. Many rostered leaders of color are still struggling to pay health insurance premiums and deductibles out of meager church budgets and inconsistent paychecks. We as a church can do so much more to reverse these trends and inequities. We need to continue to increase our support and advocacy for people of color who are disproportionately affected by this pandemic and are in critical need of help. Let’s take up this cross that we bear right now in 2020 and follow Jesus, who has led us to a better life for all.

Rev. Lamont Anthony Wells is the Program Director for LuMin/ Campus Ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). LuMin is a network of over 240 colleges and universities. He is also the National President of the African Descent Lutheran Association (ELCA).
Pastor Wells is a graduate of Morehouse College and the Interdenominational Theological Center, both in Atlanta, Ga; and has studied at Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University.
As a dynamic speaker, Rev. Wells is frequently called to share prophetic messages of ecumenism and social justice which motivates him as a leader and community organizer.

#ELCAChurchTogether

Sermón

Francisco Javier Goitía Padilla

Capilla IELA – 19 de Febrero de 2020

Mateo 5:21-37

Gracia y paz del Uno y Trino Dios

por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

 

Esta es la segunda ocasión que vivo en Chicago.

Del 2001 al 2005 viví en Hyde Park.

 

Ahora vivo en West Dundee,

y viajo todos los días al trabajo aquí en el Centro Luterano.

 

Una diferencia entre Chicago y Puerto Rico

es la manera en que damos direcciones.

 

Chicago es una ciudad cuadriculada.

Las calles son líneas rectas y perpendiculares.

Aquí, cuando usted pregunta,

¿cómo llego al Parque Milenial?,

la gente contesta de la siguiente manera:

Vaya hacia el Norte por tres cuadras,

luego al Este por cuatro cuadras,

y encontrará el parque paralelo a la Avenida Michigan.

 

En Puerto Rico no damos direcciones así.

 

Si uste pregunta en Puerto Rico, ¿dónde está el parque de béisbol?

Las personas le contestan más o menos así:

Siga derecho por un buen rato, hasta que encuentre un palo[1] de mangó.

Cuando llegue al palo de mango, vire a la izquierda.

Siga drecho hasta que encuentre tres muertos[2].

Después del tercer muerto va a ver una casa amarilla a su izquierda.

Vire a la izquierda y pregúntele a alguien en la esquina.

Allí le ayudarán.

 

La manera en que damos direcciones es importante.

Ellas nos ayudan, o no, a llegar a un lugar seguro.

 

El texto de Mateo esta mañana nos provee direcciones.

Pueden ser direcciones cuadradas y perpendiculares,

o más aventureras, las cuales nos llevan a un nuevo lugar

mientras nos deleitamos con un rico olor a mangó.

 

Creo que esta es gran dificultad que enfrentamos hoy.

Cómo obtenemos direcciones. Cómo intepretamos.

Este texto de Mateo. La Iglesia. El país dónde vivimos.

 

Necesitamos discernir una hermenéutica que produzca vida,

Y que esta vida sea una abundante.

 

El marco hermenéutico general de hoy son las bienaventuranzas.

Bienaventuradas las personas…pobres, humildes, compasivas.

 

Este marco hermenéutico general nos dice

que Jesús aquí nos está sofocándonos con un literalismo rígido

• con líneas rectas y perpendiculares    –

sino retándonos con una ética intensificada.

 

Con una etica liberadora.

 

El texto de Mateo nos presenta cuatro situaciones

dirigidas a las personas que tienen poder,

para protegenr a quiénes no lo tienen.

 

Para que las personas bienaventuradas

sean dignificadas y protegidas.

Aquellas que lloran. Las pacificadoras.

Las perseguidas por causa de la justicia.

 

El texto comienza hablando de hermanos y hermanas.

Se dirige a la familia, a la comunidad, a la iglesia.

 

Nos matar es dignificar.

No matar es no destruir, no promover la violencia,

no abusar ni despreciar a nadie.

 

Martín Lutero explica el quinto mandamiento

de esta manera en el Catecismo Mayor:

Primeramente que no se hará mal a nadie, en primer término, ni con la mano,

ni con la acción. Después, que no se use la lengua para causar daño al prójimo, hablando o dando consejos malignos. Además, no se emplearán ni se consentirán medios o maneras de ninguna clase que pudieran ofender a alguien. Y, finalmente, que el corazón no sea enemigo de nadie ni desee el mal por ira o por odio, de tal modo que el cuerpo y el alma sean inocentes con respecto a cualquiera y especialmente con respecto a quien te desea o haga el mal.

 

Nuestras palabras y acciones deben invitar a la familia, a la comunidad

y todas las personas a la mesa del Señor.

 

Quiénes tienen poder, quienes pueden,

llegan a la mesa pensando solo en ellos mismos.

Quiénes piensan que pueden vivir sin comunidad,

quiénes creen que con sus recursos pueden vivir sin los demás,

deben pensar y actuar de otra manera.

 

Debemos añadir, no excluir, gente a la mesa.

 

El texto continúa, ahora dirigiéndose a la situación de las mujeres.

Atiende asuntos de objetivación.

Denuncia abusos y privilegios.

 

El poder en nuestra sociedad,

y en la sociedad de los tiempos bíblicos,

está en manos de los hombres.

Po la ley. Por la cultura. Por la fuerza.

 

Quiénes desean, quiénes lujurian, aquí, son los hombres.

Hombres con poder. Hombres que pueden.

Hombres que se salen con la suya.

 

Porque sí.

 

Jesús lo sabe, e intensifica su ética.

 

Si tu ojo derecho mira con deseos inapropiados y hace que abuses a una mujer,

Sácatelo y bótalo.

 

Si usas tu mano para sobar sin permiso una mujer

Como si fuera una libra de pan,

Córtatela y bótala.

 

Si extendemos esta hermenéutica en su dirección liberadora,

Podemos decir que las mujeres no son objeto de la lujuria ni del deseo de nadie.

 

Podemos decir, hoy, que las mujeres son libres.

Libres para hacer. Para vestir. Para decidir.

 

Ellas no necesitan protección ni permiso. Necesitan poder.

Necesitan afirmar lo que YA consiguieron.

Más parece que, en estos días que vivimos,

aún necesitan que defendamos lo que ellas han logrado

y por lo que tanto han luchado.

 

Como Jesús,

que las protegé en su comentario acerca del divorcio.

 

De la misma forma que los hombres usaban, y usan, la ley,

para controlar y objetivizar a la mujer,

así mismo usaban, y usan, su poder para casarse y divorciarse.

 

En este texto de Mateo,

Jesús amarra a los hombres al matrimonio, para defender las mujeres.

 

Las proteje de la pobreza y la marginalización.

Las cuida para que no queden indefensas ni lugar social.

Expuestas a la burla y el chisme.

 

Porque el divorcio, para las mujeres,

significaba marcarlas y olvidarlas socialmente.

 

Porteger y cuidar, como Jesús lo hace en este texto,

Significa hoy paga igual por igual trabajo.

Significa las mismas oportunidades por las mismas competencias.

 

Proteger y cuidar, como Jesús lo hace en este texto,

significa, hoy, defender y luchar por los derechos y dignidad

de todo ser humano que es usado y esquineado por el patriarcado.

 

Significa abrazar a quiénes sienten que tienen que ser invisibles para sobrevivir.

 

Como ven, dar direcciones es complicado.

Es un asunto de poder y control.

 

Dar direcciones es ayudar a decidir hacia dónde y cómo dirigir a las personas,

si de norte a sur transitando popr calles rectas y perpendiculares,

o si llegamos al parque de beísbol sobellevando muertos en la carretera.

 

El texto de hoy termina con Jesús hablándonos acerca de juramentos.

Del poder de la palabra empeñada.

Se trata de contratos. De acuerdos laborales y sociales.

 

Jesús nos dice que nuestro ‘sí’ sea ‘sí’, y que nuestro ‘no’ sea ‘no’.

 

Quiénes podían cambiar su ‘sí’ a ‘no’ y su ‘no’ a ‘sí’,

quiénes podían manipular sus juramentos,

eran, y son, los dueños de los contratos.

 

Esos que nos hacen firmar sin leer.

Que nos hacen firmar porque no tenemos alternativa.

Esos que manosean el sistema.

Jesús nivela la mesa.

No se puede cambiar. El ‘sí’ es ‘sí’ y el ‘no’ es ‘no’.

Aún para quienes están acostumbrados a cambiar su palabra para beneficiarse.

Aún para quienes tienen padrinos que los bautizan[3].

 

Jesús nos exhorta a que nuestras acciones confirmen nuestras palabras.

Jesús nos llama a que nuestro lenguaje sea inclusivo.

 

No nos escondamos en nuestras palabras ni en vana propaganda.

 

No usemos nuestras influencias para sacar ventaja de la gente,

O para beneficiarnos, o benenficiar a un amigo o familiar, a cualquier costo.

 

Que nuestro ‘sí’ sea ‘sí’, y nuestro ‘no’, ‘no’.

 

Que nuestras relaciones y la manera en que somos sociedad

Se fundamente en la verdad.

En lo que realmente es.

 

No decidamos leyes laborales, mores sociales, o nuestro futuro común,

A partir de la manipulación, o santificación, de data nebulosa.

 

Que nuestras relaciones se fundamenten en la honestidad y el carácter.

En integridad y esperanza.

 

Martin Luther King. Hijo, lo dijo de esta manera:

El ser humano debe desarrolla un método para lidiar

Con los conflictos que rechase la venganza, la violencia y el desquite.

El fundamente de un étodo así es el amor.[4]

 

Y dijo más:

He decidido aferrarme al amor.

El odio es un peso muy grande para cargar.[5]

Hermanos y hermanas,

nuestra vocación hermenéutica hoy

es la manera en que damos direcciones.

 

No es un asunto de literalismos rígidos.

Se trata de desafiar con esperanzada a partir de una ética intensificada.

 

Esta hermenéutica liberadora,

está ética intensificada, es la cruz, en medio nuestro,

proveyendo lugar seguro para quiénes no tienen poder.

Un lugar seguro para quiénes les quitan lo poco que tienen.

 

Es la oportunidad de aventurarnos a viajar a nuevos lugares

difrutando el olor de los mangoes a la orilla del camino.

 

Las bienaventuranzas lo dicen bien:

Bienaventurados sois cuando por mi causa os vituperen y os persigan,

y digan toda clase de mal contra vosotros, mintiendo.

Gozaos y alegraos, porque vuestro galardón es grande en los cielos;

porque así persiguieron a los profetas que fueron antes de vosotros.

 

Amén.

 

Información biográfica:

Francisco Javier Goitía Padilla es pastor ordenado del Sínodo del Caribe de la IELA. Ha trabajado como pastor en Puerto Rico y Chicago. Actualmente trabaja como Director de Formación Teológica para Seminarios y Escuelas de la IELA Trabajó como profesor de homilética y teología sistemática en el Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico del 2005 al 2017.

 

 

[1]               Árbol.

[2]               Regulador de velocidad. Tiene diferentes nombres en diferentes países: guardias tumbados, rompemuelles, lomo de burro, policia acostado, topes, etc. En inglés es speed bump.

[3]               Este es un refrán popular. Ver https://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/refranero/ficha.aspx?Par=58681&Lng=0.

[4]            Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. Traducción mía.

[5]            I have decided to stick with love.Hate is too great a burden to bear. Traducción mía.