BY LUCAS SHARMA, S.J. | July 30, 2020
In John’s Gospel, the people in charge have had enough: it’s time to stone Jesus because he’s chosen to cast his lot with the “out crowd,” the marginalized members in the community. He stands with the poor, not with the power and authority of the dominant oppressor.
I worked at a dialysis unit in the Bronx, meeting with patients struggling through their dialysis treatment. None of them were white. All of them were poor. They played the game of life with structural disadvantages and discrimination at every checkpoint. Now, dependent on a machine for life, they exclaimed the presence of Jesus who rescues—who continues to cast his lot with them.
Sitting with them, I couldn’t help but wonder who I am in the story. More times than not, I’m the one throwing the stone, making their burdens worse. My judgments and prejudices remain hidden from sight, yet I’m haunted by my privilege. I’m the one who needs them, it’s not the other way around. While they try to prolong death with one more dialysis treatment, I’m called to conversion—to hear God’s voice amidst a hope that eludes my privilege. I’m called to stand where Jesus is standing. For as Jesus knew so intimately, it is when I stand with the out crowd that I’m one step closer to the Kingdom of God.
Reflection Questions
- Where in my community do racial injustice and healthcare disparities exist?
- Who do I stand with in my community? Where do I cast my lot? Who do I direct stones at in my community?
- How am I called to conversion?
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July 30, 2020 at 11:33PM
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Casting My Lot With the Out Crowd - Ignatian Solidarity Network
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