Victimizing the Victim
Monday, August 30, 2010 -- Week of Proper 17, Year Two
Charles Chapman Grafton, Bishop of Fond du Lac, and Ecumenist, 1912
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 983)
Psalms 25 (morning) 9, 15 (evening)
Job 12:1-6, 13-25
Acts 11:19-30
John 8:21-32
A major theme of the book of Job is to challenge the conventional theology which makes a divine connection between good fortune and misfortune in this world. Job confronts the enduring certainties that reward is a sign of God's blessing and suffering is a sign of God's curse.
Job appears cursed because of his extreme suffering. Job declares his innocence and names his suffering as unjust. His friends throw the book at him, declaring that God punishes only the guilty and rewards only the righteous. God is just and Job is obviously guilty, they insist.
In today's passage, Job lets them know he understands their theology, "I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?"
Then Job accuses his friends of victimizing the victim. "I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock. Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable."
Job's friends still speak in our society.
There is the silly variety, the gospel of prosperity. Thousands fill a stadium in Houston to hear Joel Osteen do a comfortable and entertaining spin on the message of Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz.
There is a darker message from Job's friends also. We have a tendency to victimize the victim. We see people suffering and we tend to think that they have brought this on themselves in some way. We tend to ignore their suffering, or sometimes, add to it.
In our area, there are several hundred children whose parents brought them into the U.S. The parents hoped for a better future -- good jobs, a safer community. They found that here, and they went to work for themselves and their families. They would have liked to have immigrated legally, but that's impossible. There are visas for only a few. The wait for legal immigration is more than 15 years. Children get hungry every day.
At a young age many children were brought from another country to our community. They grow up in our schools, play sports, sing songs, make friends, and have normal lives. Their parents work in our poultry and hospitality industries, in construction and service. Most of their parents have income taxes and Social Security taxes withheld, but they don't file for refunds and they don't accrue years of credited service. Their children grow up speaking English and making friends. Some of them become fine scholars and noted athletes or musicians, and we a proud of their accomplishments. Until they want to go the the University of Arkansas. Then we tell them, you are not from here. Your parents brought you here illegally. You'll have to pay out-of-state or international tuition rates. Most of their hard-working families can't afford the higher tuition. We tell them, even though you may be an outstanding scholar, you can't qualify for the scholarships that your friends can. Even if you can pay the higher tuition, come to the university and graduate top in your class, you can't work here once you graduate.
The other day I read about a young man who grew up here. He was in his final semester in the U. of A.'s architecture program. But he can't apply for a job here in the U.S. He's going have to move to Mexico, taking with him the skills and wisdom he acquired here. He knows few people in Mexico. He wants to work here. But because his family brought him here without papers when he was a child, he will have to leave his friends and home here where he grew up.
Victimizing the victim.
Job knows about that. The ghettos know about that. So does the Delta. So do people of color. Some people with diseases can tell you of the isolation. There are few grocery stores in the ninth ward of New Orleans.
There is a better way. The way of compassion. We have a small illustration of that in the Acts of the Apostles today. When the prophet "Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world," Saul, Barnabas, and the other Christians in Antioch "determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea." They could have just hunkered down and saved their own food. They might have even said from their comfort that God sent the famine as a judgment, like some Christians said of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina.
How can we resist the temptation to blame the victim, to re-victimize the victim? Compassion and empathy is the key.
Charles Chapman Grafton, Bishop of Fond du Lac, and Ecumenist, 1912
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 983)
Psalms 25 (morning) 9, 15 (evening)
Job 12:1-6, 13-25
Acts 11:19-30
John 8:21-32
A major theme of the book of Job is to challenge the conventional theology which makes a divine connection between good fortune and misfortune in this world. Job confronts the enduring certainties that reward is a sign of God's blessing and suffering is a sign of God's curse.
Job appears cursed because of his extreme suffering. Job declares his innocence and names his suffering as unjust. His friends throw the book at him, declaring that God punishes only the guilty and rewards only the righteous. God is just and Job is obviously guilty, they insist.
In today's passage, Job lets them know he understands their theology, "I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?"
Then Job accuses his friends of victimizing the victim. "I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock. Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable."
Job's friends still speak in our society.
There is the silly variety, the gospel of prosperity. Thousands fill a stadium in Houston to hear Joel Osteen do a comfortable and entertaining spin on the message of Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz.
There is a darker message from Job's friends also. We have a tendency to victimize the victim. We see people suffering and we tend to think that they have brought this on themselves in some way. We tend to ignore their suffering, or sometimes, add to it.
In our area, there are several hundred children whose parents brought them into the U.S. The parents hoped for a better future -- good jobs, a safer community. They found that here, and they went to work for themselves and their families. They would have liked to have immigrated legally, but that's impossible. There are visas for only a few. The wait for legal immigration is more than 15 years. Children get hungry every day.
At a young age many children were brought from another country to our community. They grow up in our schools, play sports, sing songs, make friends, and have normal lives. Their parents work in our poultry and hospitality industries, in construction and service. Most of their parents have income taxes and Social Security taxes withheld, but they don't file for refunds and they don't accrue years of credited service. Their children grow up speaking English and making friends. Some of them become fine scholars and noted athletes or musicians, and we a proud of their accomplishments. Until they want to go the the University of Arkansas. Then we tell them, you are not from here. Your parents brought you here illegally. You'll have to pay out-of-state or international tuition rates. Most of their hard-working families can't afford the higher tuition. We tell them, even though you may be an outstanding scholar, you can't qualify for the scholarships that your friends can. Even if you can pay the higher tuition, come to the university and graduate top in your class, you can't work here once you graduate.
The other day I read about a young man who grew up here. He was in his final semester in the U. of A.'s architecture program. But he can't apply for a job here in the U.S. He's going have to move to Mexico, taking with him the skills and wisdom he acquired here. He knows few people in Mexico. He wants to work here. But because his family brought him here without papers when he was a child, he will have to leave his friends and home here where he grew up.
Victimizing the victim.
Job knows about that. The ghettos know about that. So does the Delta. So do people of color. Some people with diseases can tell you of the isolation. There are few grocery stores in the ninth ward of New Orleans.
There is a better way. The way of compassion. We have a small illustration of that in the Acts of the Apostles today. When the prophet "Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world," Saul, Barnabas, and the other Christians in Antioch "determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea." They could have just hunkered down and saved their own food. They might have even said from their comfort that God sent the famine as a judgment, like some Christians said of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina.
How can we resist the temptation to blame the victim, to re-victimize the victim? Compassion and empathy is the key.
Lowell
_____________________________________________
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
Lowell Grisham, Rector
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
Lowell Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
posted by Lowell @ 8:51 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
As usual, thanks for the message of Christ, compassion and caring for the least among us. It's the only thing that makes me able to "admit" to being Christian.
There just wasn't much I couldn't relate to this morning. Job stories have been good for me... I relate a little too much without wanting to feel like such a victim... I listened to all those stories about the 9th Ward this weekend. I also know way too many who are here undocumented and sat in an attorney's office last week working with someone they are trying to send back who has not one single family member in Mexico. They are all here. The entire family. Most naturalized citizens now. There I9 date year hasn't come up yet. They are still working on 1992 here I9 is for 1995. What would she and her 3 year old do in Mexico with her entire family here do exactly. They are the victims. I am a victim of this economy. That is all over educated... not sure what to do next. Job stories have been good. Keep up the faith and the good battle from within. God Bless.
Thanks for your work with the family that is trying to stay together here. We've got to keep telling these stories of injustice, to put a human face on the pain our bad laws wreak. I don't understand why the people who claim to be pro-family and family-focused don't seem to be the voices protesting the destruction of families in the name of a dysfunctional immigration system.
I'm working with some people in this area to try to confront the tragic enforcement of federal laws by local officials. Part of what we are doing is collecting stories to appeal to people's hearts and conscience. If you would want to pass along your friend's story to me, my email is lowell@stpaulsfay.org
Thanks,
Lowell
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