LETTER FROM THE ECUMENICAL MODERATOR
unjust structures
MURDOCH MACKENZIE
april 2001
Dear Friends,
The Fourth Mark of Mission is concerned with our Challenging Unjust Structures. You may remember Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop of Recife in Brazil, who uttered the world famous words:
'When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.' Sometimes it is easier not to ask questions, not to become involved, not to challenge the status quo, but to opt for a quiet life and to pass by on the other side. Faced with the demands of the Fourth Mark of Mission we simply cannot do that.
There is a sobering perspective on the present world situation and its injustices which is circulating on various e-mails. It suggests that if we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere both north and south, and 8 Africans, 52 would be female, 48 would be male, 70 would be non-white, 30 would be white, 70 would be non-Christian, 30 would be Christian, 89 would be heterosexual, 11 would be homosexual, 6 people would possess 59 percent of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States, 80 would live in substandard housing, 70 would be unable to read, 50 would suffer from malnutrition, 1 would be near death and 1 would be near birth, 1(yes only 1) would have a college education and 1 would own a computer.
When one considers our world from such a telescoped or compressed perspective the need for challenging unjust structures becomes glaringly apparent. The following is also worth pondering. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75 per cent of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the top 81 per cent of the world's wealthy. If you can read this message...you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
As Easter people, as those who will follow Jesus along the Via Dolorosa in Holy Week and keep the three hour vigil on Good Friday and rise to the meaning of new life on Easter Day, for our joy to be authentic we need to join Dom Helder Camara in asking deep and searching questions. Perhaps we can ponder the words of Jesus in Luke chapter 6 in what we call the Beatitudes:
" Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
But woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now, for you shall hunger.
Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. "
So we need to change and we need to challenge, to bear in our own bodies, and in our own bank balances, the Fourth Mark of Mission and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
HAPPY EASTER !
Murdoch MacKenzie
The Fourth Mark of Mission is concerned with our Challenging Unjust Structures. You may remember Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop of Recife in Brazil, who uttered the world famous words:
'When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.' Sometimes it is easier not to ask questions, not to become involved, not to challenge the status quo, but to opt for a quiet life and to pass by on the other side. Faced with the demands of the Fourth Mark of Mission we simply cannot do that.
There is a sobering perspective on the present world situation and its injustices which is circulating on various e-mails. It suggests that if we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere both north and south, and 8 Africans, 52 would be female, 48 would be male, 70 would be non-white, 30 would be white, 70 would be non-Christian, 30 would be Christian, 89 would be heterosexual, 11 would be homosexual, 6 people would possess 59 percent of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States, 80 would live in substandard housing, 70 would be unable to read, 50 would suffer from malnutrition, 1 would be near death and 1 would be near birth, 1(yes only 1) would have a college education and 1 would own a computer.
When one considers our world from such a telescoped or compressed perspective the need for challenging unjust structures becomes glaringly apparent. The following is also worth pondering. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75 per cent of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the top 81 per cent of the world's wealthy. If you can read this message...you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
As Easter people, as those who will follow Jesus along the Via Dolorosa in Holy Week and keep the three hour vigil on Good Friday and rise to the meaning of new life on Easter Day, for our joy to be authentic we need to join Dom Helder Camara in asking deep and searching questions. Perhaps we can ponder the words of Jesus in Luke chapter 6 in what we call the Beatitudes:
" Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
But woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now, for you shall hunger.
Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. "
So we need to change and we need to challenge, to bear in our own bodies, and in our own bank balances, the Fourth Mark of Mission and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
HAPPY EASTER !
Murdoch MacKenzie
