Living in the Midst of Wilderness

LIVING IN THE MIDST OF WILDERNESS:

AN EXPERIENCE OF OPPRESSION AND LIBERATION

Psalm 124

By: Rudolfus Antonius

Brothers and Sisters,

I thank God for giving me opportunity to convey my reflection on Psalm 124. May God bless this occasion with His Spirit and Word.

Psalm 124 (NRSV)

1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side-- let Israel now say--

2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us,

3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;

4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;

5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.

6 Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Brothers and Sisters,

If we want to be honest to reality, we will find that as a social reality religion is ambivalent. On the one hand, religion as expression of the living faith shows sympathy even support for the order of life that is just and humane. The poor, the oppressed, and the outcasts are embraced. They come together and have fellowship with the rich and the strong in egalitarian spirit based on divine love. But on the other hand, religion does support or at least allows attitudes and praxis which contradict the ideals of a just and humane order of life. It will happen especially when an authoritative religious institution joins hand with the ruling class. It is inevitably a “mutual symbiosis”. The ruling class gets legitimacy from religion, and religion gets protection and access to various facilities.

Brothers and Sisters,

When the ambivalence sharpens, it becomes two kinds of religious living. What does this mean? This means that the same religion will be lived out differently at least by two different classes in society: the first is religion of the elites; and the second one is the people’s religion. Religion of the elites is run by its own priests and cultic prophets. The people’s religion is carried by the radical street prophets. The Divine Being seems to be conflicted in Itself: whether to support the strong who is oppressive and exploitative, or to take side of the poor, the oppressed, and the exploited.

Their external expressions may be very different, too. The religion of the elites appears victorious, glorious, and luxurious: in its buildings, ceremonies, and feasts. It does talk about God’s blessings, God’s promises, God’s magnificent presence, personal salvation … But it never talks about God’s judgment to the ruling class; it never talks about their structural sins; it never talks about their injustice, violence, oppression, and exploitation!

On the contrary, the people’s religion, that is the religion of dalit, of minjung, of wong cilik, or the religion of the poor and the oppressed, expresses their weepings and cryings, their sufferings, their hurting hearts, but also their hope before the Divine in all their simplicities – or thankfully shouting in an honest and spontaneous ecstasy because they have experienced the Divine Liberator’s saving acts.

Brothers and Sisters,

Religion, therefore, may exist in the framework of certain praxis which is characterized by “the law of the jungle” – which is certainly favoured by those who are unjustly strong and mighty. But religion may also exist in the framework of praxis which is opposing the law of the jungle and liberating the poor and the oppressed – which is surely supported by the weak, the poor, and the oppressed.

Brothers and Sisters,

Now, what is your comment on Psalm 124? What kind of religion is lived out by the psalmist and his community? What kind of religiosity do they express? Not a religion of the elites, of course, but a people’s religion; not a religion of the oppressor, but a religion of the oppressed.

I think you will agree with me that the situation pictured in this psalm is a conflict caused by the law of the jungle in human life.

The psalmist and his community see themselves as the side which is weak and powerless. They must face the savagery of the powerful side whose praxis is described in dramatic and terrific way:

then they would have swallowed us up alive,

when their anger was kindled against us (v 3);

then the flood would have swept us away,

the torrent would have gone over us (v 4);

then over us would have gone the raging waters (v 5).

… their teeth (v 6);

… the snare of the fowlers (v 7)

What a praxis! This is the praxis of destruction which assumes the powerlessness of its victims! In other words: the oppressed poor and weak have to face destruction by the strong and powerful.

Brothers and Sisters,

In such a situation, what the oppressed can do? I think they will not behave fatalistically, giving up their lot and waiting for some heaven which is located on the other side of this life. No, my friends, in fact, they do not let themselves be treated inhumanly without struggling.

We know that the ancient Hebrew believers did not speculate about heaven and hell. They did think about sheol. They believed the existence of sheol. But sheol was the world of the dead, which was as bad for the pious as for the wicked. Because of that, the suffering believers, the psalmist and his comrades, must struggle between life and death facing the terrific demonic force of the powerful.

It is interesting to see that they find God as the inspiration for their struggle. In fact, as our psalmist testifies, they are saved from destruction! Furthermore, we have a strong indication that the oppressor is overcome: verse 7 part b: “the snare is broken”.

Bothers and Sisters,

God, who made heavens and earth (verse 8), is stronger than the powerful oppressors. God is believed to be taking the side of the oppressed. Belief in God’s powerfulness and willingness to take the side of the oppressed is followed by conviction that He will help them. Engaged in suffering and struggle, they stand against the cruel giants, the staunch followers of the way of violence, the worshippers of the law of the jungle. This a people’s religion.

My friends,

The faith of the psalmist and his community is an inspiration for great struggle to challenge the thesis that religion is opium for the people! A people’s religion is not an opium of the people, a truly people’s religion is a liberating religion!

When victory is successfully achieved, our psalmist and his comrades thank God, expressing their confession of faith as it has been sung in their traditional liturgical-formula: (which might be originated in religion of the elites): “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (verse 8).

As human beings are living in the midst of wilderness which is characterized by the law of the jungle, God comes as the One who takes the side of those who are defeated by that unjust and inhumane rule of the game. God chooses to be with them, committing to suffer together with them, struggling together with them, and being victorious together with them. God’s aspirations seem to be simple: an egalitarian society which is not framed by the spirit of the law of the jungle, not laissez-faire, not survival of the fittest not homo homini lupus – but a just and humane society. Human beings are created to carry the image and likeness of their Creator. Therefore, it is not the law of the jungle, but divine and humane values which have to be manifested or realized in our life in this world.

Connected to the praxis of liberation, may we become God’s partners in transforming our society and its structures, in order to realize a more just and humane order of life. Ad maioram Dei gloriam. Amen. ***

Delivered at Yogyakarta International Congregation (YIC) Sunday Service, April 26th 2009. The Bible version used is New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), 1989. Rudolfus Antonius is a Mennonite clergyman of GKMI. He is studying now in Post Graduate Theological Programme-Duta Wacana Christian University, Yogyakarta.