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Every two weeks, a new devotion from Your Daughters Shall Prophesy, a resource written by Ecumenical Women at the United Nations, will be posted here as a source of inspiration.
Social Justice: God’s Footprint in the Mess
Scripture
John 4:9
‘The woman was surprised for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’
Reflection
Out-of-the-way behavior surprises us, especially when it is labeled by race, lifestyle and gender. Engaging on your own with so called ‘dubious characters’ may raise questions. The encounter of John 4 initially strikes a chord of suspicion. The man Jesus dares to risk his reputation by engaging with a woman perceived as being of question- able repute. He was tired, thirsty and no doubt hungry as His disciples were off looking for food.
The nature of relationships covers a vast realm of considerations. You are reaching out in one moment and becoming aware of your vulnerability in the next. Is Jesus at risk? Is the woman at risk? In the same way, our possible response to human trafficking can make us vulnerable. Human trafficking is ongoing and a serious issue. Its definition is more than statistics. The potentiality of human life as a respected human being is trashed. One headline reads, ‘Children sold like cabbages.’ Yet cabbages once devoured are finished. Victims of human trafficking have a commodity that can be used again and again…their bodies, their intimacy, their captivity.
The scene of Jesus and the woman sees them inching surprisingly closer with respect. If we are concerned with victims of slavery how do we respond? Do we click our tongues in disbelief, comment on abhorrent behavior and write a check to a charity?
Human trafficking would end tomorrow if the demand dried up. The courage evidenced by Jesus to sit with a woman of disrepute is the very spine of identity which will break the back of exploitation. The conversation is not about water – it comes down to spirit and truth. Breaking the denial releases a freedom for the story to get out. We hear it for ourselves and are incensed enough to rise up and challenge the issues.
Prayer
Help us Lord, not to be- come part of the problem by colluding in silence and being over-awed by the magnitude of the problem. Help us be prepared to stake our reputation on being misunderstood for all the right reasons. Amen
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About the Author
Christine MacMillan is Director of the International Social Justice Commission, Salvation Army. She lives in New York, USA.
Movie Discussion
What movies have you seen recently that had a good message? We liked "The King's Speech." As preachers, storytellers and communicators, it reminded us that even someone who says they don't speak well can end up being an effective speaker and leader. Does this sound Biblical to you? Weren't some of the excuses I the Bible for wanting to get out of a calling, "I don't speak very well…I'm only a child…Send my brother, instead?" What movies have you seen that made you think about call or theology or your journey of faith? Share your top picks with other women in the forum!