|
|
|
- "You are all brothers…."
- Mathew 23, 1-12, Gospel
of the 31st Sunday.
|
All along the centuries so many men and women had a dream
of equality! They even gave their life to see equality being
installed: from Spartacus, the Roman slave, to the Pastor Martin
Luther King. Jesus prompted that dream in us by asking to modify
our behaviour. |
"Don't be called "Master", because you have only
one master and you are all brothers. Don't give any body on earth
the name of "Father", because you have only one Father,
who is in heaven. Neither don't be called "Doctors"
because you have only one Doctor, the Christ. The greatest among
you will be your servant"
|
We see that the power of domination continues between humans.
Men rule over women, parents over children, whites over blacks,
colonizers over colonized, rich over poor, employers over employees,
French citizens over foreigners, clergy over laymen… There
is a long list of dominations and submissions. |
|
However there is no hierarchy between humans. The relationship
between dominated and subdued is not a fatality. This belief
of a hierarchy between humans inscribed in history and propagated
by culture and religion maintains an inequality that is ruled
out by the words of Christ: "You are all brothers"
Wherever we live in the most ill reputed suburb, or we are detained
in jail, we are and stay human beings.
From our earliest years we are taught a culture of competition,
of success at any cost. You have to win by eliminating the others.
Life is considered as a struggle against the others, struggle
is seen as a source of progress. There are those who succeed
and those who fail. In these conditions how to be brothers?
|
Jesus took the opposite course of this belief. His way of
living opened a new way. The man of Nazareth had renounced to
the power of domination and refused any superiority or privilege.
He took the position of a servant: " The greatest among
you will make himself your servant" |
|
