Towards A Decolonial
Reading
Life
wasn’t all too good with the Roman oppression all around. Soldiers on their
horses march every day on our streets to display their military power. Empire
has taken over every institution in our country including our temple, for now our
religious leaders speak the language of the temple and exploit the poor and
vulnerable. My devout loving husband raised an alarm against the empire and exposed
the exploitation in the temple, for which act he was falsely framed with
charges of treason, incarcerated for years and eventually killed by the
military powers of the empire. I have now become a young widow, left alone to
take care of my children with the meagre means of living. As a single woman I go
from pillar to post in meeting the ends of our lives. With the growing
injustice in the temple I have stopped going to the temple now, with hope in
God just dwindling about. My name is forgotten, my voice is unheard and am
pushed into ‘unspeakability’ by the society around.
Over
the past few days I have heard of the Jesus’ movement going on, for I heard of
a man called Jesus who was speaking like my husband in all courage and boldness
against the exploitation done by the religious leaders and the empire. I knew
that this man called Jesus will not live long, for he will face the fate of
death unjustly like my husband. I rejoiced for the fact the he exposed the
evils of those in the powers, which gave me a hope that God is not dead, for
God is alive. In that sense of hope, I thought let me go to the temple to offer
and pray for justice and peace in our land.
As
I went near the temple, I saw a great crowd moving in and out busy with buying
and selling of goods. How sad the temple once built for worship has now become
a place of unjust commercial activities. As was the tradition, women are not
allowed any further into the temple except into the outer court. Then I saw those
men, the religious leaders with long robes in the temple who mocked at me,
calling me names and laughed over the death of my husband. Reminding that
anyone speaking against empire will have to die.
In
all that buzz of business going around, I went into a corner to find some peace
and pray to God for peace and justice. I wept and prayed to God for liberation of
our land from oppression of the empire. I wept and prayed for my kids and for
the difficulties we have been facing. In that time of prayer, God listened to
my prayer and gave me a spirit of peace, which the world did not give. God
strengthened me by calling me to make myself present at the temple to keep
reminding the religious leaders of their exploitation. Yes, I thought I should
visit temple everyday to keep reminding these men on long robes of their fake
spirituality for they do things in the temple only for the ‘sake of appearance’
without any fear in God or the Scripture.
Then
towards the end went to the treasury box to make an offering to God and dropped
the remaining two coins that I have all, saying a prayer ‘God bring us peace
and justice.’ Just before me, I saw this man on long robe offering a huge sum
of amount in the offertory box, again showing off his pride exposing his false
spirituality. I went in all sincerity and faithfulness and not only dropped the
two coins but also offered myself in the presence of God to fight injustice by
my presence in the temple. After all, our Scripture says to care for the widows
and orphans, and here are men in their long robes exploiting us.
I
made my offering and was on my way home. Suddenly I saw this man from that just
movement, Jesus standing at the offering box and saying to his disciples that I
have put in more than those who are contributing for the treasury. I smiled at
his observation, thinking I don’t care what I have given, for I have given my
offering heartfully to God and not for the sake of the people. For Jesus recognised
that I have give it in my poverty, because I came into the temple to offer
myself for peace and justice in the land. Then those dozen men with this man
Jesus were surprised with their mouths wide open, not understanding all Jesus
said. However, I went home that day with a sense of hope, with a sense of commitment
to make my presence in the temple a symbol of resilience and to contest injustice
in all forms. Later as I thought this man Jesus was killed and was crucified,
buried and then in a miraculous way God on the third day rose him, and from
then on I began to follow Jesus, and hosted a church at our house. God was
faithful to me, I brought up my children and they journeyed far and wide to
share the testimony of Jesus in all the Asia minor. God of grace did not leave
me nor forsake me. Jesus Remembered me in the temple, Jesus Recognised my
offering, Jesus Revealed the hypocrisy of the men on long robes.
Rajbharat
Patta,
Remembrance
Day,
11th
November 2018
Pic courtesy: https://junkyardwisdom.com/2016/10/17/what-jesus-saw-in-the-widows-offering/
