“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8
In the last few months we have witnessed the uprising of everyday people in defiance of tyranny and unjust governments. Truly the spirit of liberty has been unleashed and people are drinking from the fountain of possibility that fuels and sustains our longing for freedom and justice. We have witnessed the world becoming a better version of itself.
While we are deeply moved and inspired by what others have fought for and won, we are troubled, perplexed and cast down because in these “yet to be United States of America” we have the horror of witnessing the mangling of democracy and the silencing of the voices of everyday people.
Democracy is under attack, working people are being silenced, wealthy people are buying the allegiances of public officials, and democracy is turning swiftly into plutocracy.
I am troubled because what’s happening to working people in those states violates all that I know and believe about what is right and just.
Then, I am perplexed because elected officials are using weapons of deception to silence workers. After claiming that efforts to undermine unions were about budget deficits, they mangled the democratic process and pushed through bills under the cover of night.
In early March, 30,000 people showed up at the state Capitol in Indianapolis to demand that their elected officials respect their rights.
Our leaders should at least have the courage to say what their actual agenda is. I recently read an article in which Wisconsin’s governor claimed a faith in Jesus and encouraged others to do the same. I am perplexed by which Jesus he is talking about. He must not have read the passages about loving your neighbor as yourself, making justice real for the least of these and the duty of the wealthy to the poor.
I am cast down because I think people should have a say in decisions that affect them. In times of crisis we are often compelled to limit the rights of everyday people for the sake of expediency. But we should be leery of going down that road.
In America we value democracy. We value decent wages. We value everyone having a seat at the table. In America, the way out of this crisis is dialogue and meaningful partnership and collaboration. In America when hundreds of thousands of people show up to protest a course of action, elected officials should not ignore them, but rather enter into dialogue with them.
Though I am perplexed, I will not despair, because we are a people of hope. The God of history and the God of biblical witness stands firmly with people longing for a voice and for freedom. Whatever victory is won today against democracy and worker rights will not last because, just as he has done in the past, God will energize the people to keep fighting and struggling.
I am cast down but not destroyed, because I believe in the promise of resurrection. There are times when we suffer the pain of Friday’s crucifixion and the horror of Saturday’s silence and stillness, but Sunday will come with its promise of renewal and resurrection when the stone that blocks us will be rolled away and that which would claim victory over us will be no more.
Keron Blair is the student programs coordinator for Interfaith Worker Justice.
IWJ’s Indianapolis affiliate is the Community, Faith and Labor Coalition (CFLC), where diverse advocates come together seeking social and economic justice for working families. For more information go to www.iwj.org or call (317) 509-7453.
