We live in a myopic binary world trapped in a malicious belief that other humans are either the oppressed or the oppressor but never both. There is no grey rainbow, only a black and white ideology of identity; victim and villain. An “us versus them” worldview predicated solely on my judgement or the soulless judgements of others who we surrender our voice too.
Our salvation secured by strengthening our own sense of self-righteousness without any self-reflection. Judging and labeling others not as humans, but as an existential problem or evil personified. Suspending any soul-searching because we believe that we are never the oppressor, but the savior in our own passion play.
Trusting the “experts” to tell me who is my “enemy.” Never once deliberately questioning or critically examining their oppression narrative or competing stories of subjugation. A his-tory or her-story that never engages with those who have differing opinions because we’re terrified of losing our identity and our sense of moral superiority.
Never asking why or what or who. Choosing to close our minds, as opposed to opening our hearts. Choices whose consequences will reverberate across the cosmos.
Our sense of self tightly tied to our worldly status as opposed to supernatural Love. A Love that embraces both the oppressed and the oppressor. A love that speaks truth to the fact that everyone is both the victim and the offender if we’re truly honest with ourselves. A Love so powerful that it destroys this deceitful and deadly dichotomy of destruction.
Whenever we embrace any narrative of divisiveness, what always follows is even more suffering, more pain and more death. Evil is always willing to bring its hateful hand to stir harm among humans. It’s jealous envy exposed in the beginning and enduring since, even while knowing it has an expiration date.
Eden’s original residents exiled because they lacked trust in Love. Believing that God was withholding something that they wanted. Taking as opposed to engaging because they could. Like us, autonomous creatures who could choose either love or something other than lov
We are all children of Adam and Eve; we are all sisters and brothers to Cain and Abel. We are all oppressed and oppressors.
Cain killing his brother because he needed somebody to blame for his jealous anger. Instead of self-examination and self-improvement he deflected. Abel the first scapegoat in scripture.
Cain submitting to his prideful desire to justify the death of another human; his own brother. Falsely believing that his pain would go away when just the opposite happened. He created more pain in the world, not only for himself, but for his parents. The fall of humanity reprised once more, this time outside of Eden.
This cycle of blame and shame always results in suffering. Like Cain, we believe that if I make others hurt, I will hurt less. Like Cain, we believe that it’s always someone else’s fault when the world makes us feel uncomfortable. Like Cain, we believe that it’s always easier to blame others as opposed to reflecting and taking responsibility for my own life. The spirit of Cain raised in all our hearts.
This ancient theme of the oppressed and the oppressor replayed again and again throughout scripture, throughout all of human history. An ongoing human centric series in which the role of the oppressed and the oppressor is always changing. Those who were once oppressed become the oppressor while those who oppressed now find themselves oppressed. And the beat goes on.
This dance of death and destruction only ends, when we choose a different melody. A tune that can be difficult to hear and sometimes difficult to dance to but one that doesn’t demonize my neighbor or destroy me. A lyric of love. God is love.
Love is the only way out of this saga of human suffering. Love confesses that we all have been both the oppressed and the oppressor. Love offers us the grace needed to forgive those who trespass against us because we have also trespassed against other people.
Love says no a to pattern of pain that demands an eye for an eye. Love forces me to confront my role as both oppressor and oppressed. Love shows me the narrow path by rejecting the wide road that tells me that others need to lose so I can win. Love is our only salvation, not our self-scripted scenes of oppressed vs oppressor.
Peace. God loves you.