Zechariah chapter 8 is divided into 10 short oracles. The given text for this morning reflection, chapter 8:20-23, consists of the 9th and 10th of these oracles. They are concerned with the gentiles accompanying the Jews on their journey to Jerusalem.
These verses contain two important promises aimed at encouraging the Jews who were busy reconstructing the Temple. These oracles reveal that restoration is not limited to rebuilding the temple, but also includes as a major component the reinstitution of the covenant between God and his people. As we reflect on this passage we come across two important models for mission which are relevant to the present context of religious intolerance and violence against women.
First, we see an "Interdependence model" for mission. The passage forecasts a multinational pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh. This is often explained as part of Zechariah's inclusivist position, reflecting a supposed universalistic tendency towards conversion to Judaism in the postexilic period.
However, there is no mention of conversion from one religion to another, but what is evident in the text is that, one group eagerly seeking to share the religious privileges of the other without trespassing the other's rights. Even as the temple was being reconstructed, the prophet envisages the sacred space of the Jews being shared by the people of other faiths and traditions.
The phrases, "inhabitants of one city going to another," (vs. 21) and "the nations firmly holding the garments of the Jews" (vs. 23) imply a desire to share the privileges and to be united in fellowship with one another. The prophet's vision has an invisible, deep and absolute interdependence between the Jews and the Gentiles in striving to create God's new community.
Today, there is an unhealthy tension among different religious groups in India and the world. The world is slowly becoming a tinderbox of religious intolerance. Religion is being used as an instrument for destabilizing the unity, peace and progress of the nations. We witness such conflicts in Uttar Pradesh, Palestine, Iraq, Philippines, and other parts of the world. Most of these conflicts are traced to an origin where a dominant group refuses to share space with those of other faiths and traditions.
For Zechariah, the building of the temple was of supreme importance, but it was not an end in itself. The temple would fail to serve its purpose if it doesn't provide space for people of different communities and faiths to share their religious experiences.
God's new community is not to ‘an exclusive group' alone. It's a community in which human divisions and hatreds have been overcome, in which relations have been restored, in which people can understand one another and dwell together in peace. There is no place for any spiritual arrogance or religious triumphalism. In the words of Sugirtharajah, "the lesson is to be less arrogant of one's faith and learn, listen, and draw new lessons from one another's spiritual troves."
The signs of such a universal revival of religion are hardly visible anywhere. We can only hasten it by attending to the prerequisites - i.e. promoting peace, social justice, and human rights.
This leads us to the second model, i.e. the "Life influencing others model". The theological view of the nations coming to Jerusalem to worship the Lord refers back to the Abrahamic covenant which assured God's people that they will become the channel of blessing to others. The coming of the gentiles to Jerusalem is not on the basis of vague oral proclamation, but on the basis of clear evidence that "God is with them" (vs. 23).
As the Prophet had even earlier listed (7:8-11; 8:16-17), the people of God can only be a blessing to the world if they practice speaking truth, rendering true justice, showing kindness and mercy to the orphans, widows, and being in solidarity with the oppressed. Until and unless they succeed to practice these fundamentals, the world will fail to see that God is with them.
This passage is most significant for the churches in India as answer to our question: How does one communicate the good news in a context where the church itself is often seen as an oppressive institution, where Christianity is viewed globally as siding with the oppressors, where the church is diplomatically silent or satisfied with mere tokenism of support to issues such as violence against women and sexual abuse of children.
In such a context as this, it is imperative that we practice authentic justice, exhibit mutuality and compassion, and defend the socially vulnerable if we are to ever make an ethical and moral impact in this world. In the context of sexual violence against women and children, we need to articulate a theology of empowerment and action rather than a theology of passive endurance and tolerance. The church cannot stay silent when the major population of this world is in trouble.
It's time we stand in solidarity with the victims of sexual and gender-based violence - not only with those that gather media attention, but also with those on the margins. We must be equally disturbed when we come to know that homeless little children are snatched from the city's pavements day after day, raped and sexually abused in the dead of night.
In such a time as this, is our mission an empowering one? What is the good news that we have to share with this world? Let us move with a commitment to initiate and sustain communities in the margins and to make news to promote life. May the Triune God move us for this task of action.
J. Stanly Jones
DTh
These verses contain two important promises aimed at encouraging the Jews who were busy reconstructing the Temple. These oracles reveal that restoration is not limited to rebuilding the temple, but also includes as a major component the reinstitution of the covenant between God and his people. As we reflect on this passage we come across two important models for mission which are relevant to the present context of religious intolerance and violence against women.
First, we see an "Interdependence model" for mission. The passage forecasts a multinational pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh. This is often explained as part of Zechariah's inclusivist position, reflecting a supposed universalistic tendency towards conversion to Judaism in the postexilic period.
However, there is no mention of conversion from one religion to another, but what is evident in the text is that, one group eagerly seeking to share the religious privileges of the other without trespassing the other's rights. Even as the temple was being reconstructed, the prophet envisages the sacred space of the Jews being shared by the people of other faiths and traditions.
The phrases, "inhabitants of one city going to another," (vs. 21) and "the nations firmly holding the garments of the Jews" (vs. 23) imply a desire to share the privileges and to be united in fellowship with one another. The prophet's vision has an invisible, deep and absolute interdependence between the Jews and the Gentiles in striving to create God's new community.
Today, there is an unhealthy tension among different religious groups in India and the world. The world is slowly becoming a tinderbox of religious intolerance. Religion is being used as an instrument for destabilizing the unity, peace and progress of the nations. We witness such conflicts in Uttar Pradesh, Palestine, Iraq, Philippines, and other parts of the world. Most of these conflicts are traced to an origin where a dominant group refuses to share space with those of other faiths and traditions.
For Zechariah, the building of the temple was of supreme importance, but it was not an end in itself. The temple would fail to serve its purpose if it doesn't provide space for people of different communities and faiths to share their religious experiences.
God's new community is not to ‘an exclusive group' alone. It's a community in which human divisions and hatreds have been overcome, in which relations have been restored, in which people can understand one another and dwell together in peace. There is no place for any spiritual arrogance or religious triumphalism. In the words of Sugirtharajah, "the lesson is to be less arrogant of one's faith and learn, listen, and draw new lessons from one another's spiritual troves."
The signs of such a universal revival of religion are hardly visible anywhere. We can only hasten it by attending to the prerequisites - i.e. promoting peace, social justice, and human rights.
This leads us to the second model, i.e. the "Life influencing others model". The theological view of the nations coming to Jerusalem to worship the Lord refers back to the Abrahamic covenant which assured God's people that they will become the channel of blessing to others. The coming of the gentiles to Jerusalem is not on the basis of vague oral proclamation, but on the basis of clear evidence that "God is with them" (vs. 23).
As the Prophet had even earlier listed (7:8-11; 8:16-17), the people of God can only be a blessing to the world if they practice speaking truth, rendering true justice, showing kindness and mercy to the orphans, widows, and being in solidarity with the oppressed. Until and unless they succeed to practice these fundamentals, the world will fail to see that God is with them.
This passage is most significant for the churches in India as answer to our question: How does one communicate the good news in a context where the church itself is often seen as an oppressive institution, where Christianity is viewed globally as siding with the oppressors, where the church is diplomatically silent or satisfied with mere tokenism of support to issues such as violence against women and sexual abuse of children.
In such a context as this, it is imperative that we practice authentic justice, exhibit mutuality and compassion, and defend the socially vulnerable if we are to ever make an ethical and moral impact in this world. In the context of sexual violence against women and children, we need to articulate a theology of empowerment and action rather than a theology of passive endurance and tolerance. The church cannot stay silent when the major population of this world is in trouble.
It's time we stand in solidarity with the victims of sexual and gender-based violence - not only with those that gather media attention, but also with those on the margins. We must be equally disturbed when we come to know that homeless little children are snatched from the city's pavements day after day, raped and sexually abused in the dead of night.
In such a time as this, is our mission an empowering one? What is the good news that we have to share with this world? Let us move with a commitment to initiate and sustain communities in the margins and to make news to promote life. May the Triune God move us for this task of action.
J. Stanly Jones
DTh
