Recently I send out an email that commented on the fact that John Perkins, Martin Luther King, the Black Panthers and Michelle Alexander all have called for a revolution. An Afro American friend, Bruce Jackson responded saying that he likes to say that Revolution is synonymous with the kingdom of God: he talks about "kingdom on earth realities such as justice, shalom, jubilee, reconciliation, restoration and salvation/deliverance. We are to move out of our cultural captivity and live into the revolution."
America badly needs a revolution---a kingdom of God revolution. According to sociologist, Joe Feagin, author of Racist America, here's why:
I will show that white-on-black oppression is . . . the archetype of racial oppression in North America. For example, African Americans were the only racial group specifically singled out several times in the U.S. Constitution for subordination within the new nation. The leading theorist of the U.S. Constitution, James Madison, noted that from a white man's point of view "the case of the black man within our bosom . . . is the problem most baffling to the policy of our country." A few decades later, white-on-black oppression would be central to the bloodiest war in U.S. history, the Civil War. Within American society, African Americans have been dominated and exploited in much larger numbers than has any other group. Over nearly four centuries, tens of millions of African Americans have had their labor and wealth regularly taken from them. . . . their original languages, cultures and family ties were substantially obliterated by their being torn from Africa, and the oppression faced under slavery and segregation was extremely dehumanized, racialized, and systematic. No other racially oppressed group has been so central to the internal economic, political, and cultural structure and evolution of American society---or to the often obsessively racist ideology developed by white Americans over many generations. Thus, it is time to put white-on-black oppression fully at the center of a comprehensive study of the development, meaning, and reality of this nation.
These comments pushed me to think deeper about the revolutionary concept of the kingdom of God.. In Acts 8:12; 28:23 and 31, the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ are tied closely together but with no explanation why. I now conclude that redemption ties the personal salvation provided by the cross and resurrection and the socioeconomic redemption of the kingdom which is best expressed in the OT Sabbath/Jubilee years. If redemption ties the two together, then grace also ties the two concepts together.
Redemption---spiritual and socioeconomic redemption---is undeserved, an act of grace initiated by another person. Politically, it is an act of amnesty, a peacemaking act to stop the cycle of violence. Socioeconomically, a gracious person takes the initiative to redeem a family member---"buy back what his brother has sold. If she/he is not redeemed by close relatives in any of these ways, he goes free in the year of Jubilee." A societal act of grace, an economic amnesty so that person/family has a clean slate for a fresh start in life.
Using some of this OT language and concepts, the NT talks about spiritual redemption---an unmerited act of grace, forgiveness. Strangely, the American church today talks about redemption almost solely in spiritual terms, but seldom in terms socioeconomic grace and justice. The words redeem and redemption are found 13 times in Leviticus 25. In rereading Leviticus 25, I saw something new. The primary emphasis was on one individual redeeming another individual or family at any time; one did not have to wait until 7 years were up or for the 50 year Jubilee.
In the book of Ruth, there is a classic case of a kinsman-redeemer in action. Through Boaz, Naomi was appealing for a human redeemer to buy the land and keep it in the family. In Nehemiah 5, Nehemiah acted quickly and aggressively to stop oppression and restore land and interest following Sabbath/Jubilee principles. It is commonly said the Israel never kept the Jubilee Year. This may be true, but, in some ways, it misses the point. I think that the principles were often kept on an individual basis; this was the most important part of the Jubilee. But if individuals failed to act, then at the end of 7 or 50 years, there was supposed to be a societal wide redemption and renewal.
In the book of Acts, socioeconomic redemption took place in a somewhat different way. Christians with surplus wealth in the form of houses and lands, sold these voluntarily, one by one, and then brought the proceeds to the church for distribution to the poor. This is not mandated church socialism; it is grace and generosity flowing through individuals to meet the needs of the poor.
Some final thoughts on Jubilee redemption/justice. The Jewish historian at the time of Christ, Josephus, wrote about the Sabbath year and farmers leaving the land fallow. Also I understand that some Jewish theologians were discussing the Jubilee but with a perverse twist; they said the Jubilee was something that God would do in the future; this was a spiritual cop out to avoid obedience in the present---current socioeconomic redemption. Far too often Christian theologians have done the same thing with the kingdom of God; they have futurized and spiritualized the kingdom thereby avoiding the necessity of doing justice in the here and now.
Isaiah 9:6: "He will reign over his kingdom with justice and shalom." (Noble paraphrase). Romans 14:17: "The kingdom of God is justice (NEB), shalom (Complete Jewish Bible), and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Next, I would like to tap into the wisdom of the late Spencer Perkins, eldest son of John Perkins. Spencer had been a champion of ethnic reconciliation for years and had written a book, with his white partner, Chris Rice, entitled More Than Equals. Yet, in the last months of his short life, he discovered an important new truth---that he had to give grace to 'white folks,' those who had brutally oppressed blacks in Mississippi.
This discovery came out of conflict with Chris Rice, his yokefellow; this conflict was so serious that it was threatening their longtime relationship. A close friend, John Alexander, told them there was only one way for this relationship to survive; each would have to give the other grace. This was a new thought to Spencer. Though he was raised on God's grace for himself, God's amazing grace, he had never fully realized that he was supposed to give the same measure of grace to his fellow human beings.
A few days before his death, Spencer and Chris spoke about their discovery of grace for their relationship at a reconciliation conference in Jackson, Mississippi. This talk was later published in Christianity Today entitled, "Playing the Grace Card." Spencer said:
What I am learning about grace lifts a weight from my shoulders, which is nothing short of invigorating. When we can forgive and accept those who refuse to listen to God's command to do justice, it allows them to hear God's judgment without feeling personal judgment from us. . . . This ability to give grace while preaching justice makes our witness more effective.
Thank you, Spencer, for your new insights on grace. You left us a legacy that is a beautiful gift to all of us; that we should give each other grace as generously as God has given us grace. Marvelous grace, generous grace, transforming grace!
Spencer, your insights on human grace inspired this new thought on the story of the Good Samaritan; a Jew in Jesus' day would have said the phrase the 'Good Samaritan' was an oxymoron I would rename this famous story. the 'Gracious Samaritan." Jews despised the half-breed Samaritans and for the most part Samaritans returned the favor. But when this particular Samaritan found a beaten and bloodied Jew along side the road, he stopped and gave him grace by generously assisting him; grace took him a second mile; grace enabled his to love his enemy.
Spencer, you also inspired the following ideas on Grace and Justice; see my next blog.
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