Christ the Liberator, theo reflection.

Last night on the bus there were two barefoot children singing for money. There was a woman sitting by the back door asking for three cords from each person that got off, and there was a child that looked to be 5 years old with an IV bandage on her hand and scares that looked to be from chicken pox on the bus. This was on the way home from hearing about conditions in sweatshops here, poverty and working 24 hours straight to feed children, and talking to youth in the area that are trying to do programs to help kids around. That program was inspiring when thinking about the conditions of life here. Today I went to the service again in the CBC which I LOVE because of how ready these people are to praise God and work to better their lives and the lives of others through justice, and then, I played in the rain with my host mom. So yes, I can see Christ as the liberator here, and I think Christ is the liberator. Following Jesus does not mean what the woman preaching on the bus today thinks it means. it is not about proclaiming Jesus Christ as your savior and king, but about living as Christ lived and caring about everyone regardless if they are the tax collector, the adulteress, or where they are from. Christ was about working to give dignity to everyone. To me, saying you are christian but not doing anything for the least of the people in the world, those in jail, those hungry, thirsty, naked, illiterate is to be a hypocrite. The beatitudes say blessed are the ones who seek justice, blessed are the merciful, and so on, they do not say, proclaim Jesus as the way and then go on with your own life, but they are to do something. There are so many places in the bible that say to do something. to help others and really work for improving lives, but those are overlooked. I do not think i am a perfect christian, but especially as catholics, to call ourselves a church of action should not mean that it is a church where we go once a week and then only pray and do nothing else during the week. I don't really know, but i do know that i can see why it is important to see Christ´s life and the way he lived over the Resurrection. I do understand the preferential option for the poor and that being a christian is not about talking, but about doing.
I think playing in the rain was liberating today. i stood in the middle of the street and spun in circles and looked around and thanked God for giving me that rain. That is not the liberator i think of all the time, but it is one of the beautiful parts of liberation. A freeing, detached since. A sense that i can do what i want and not feel shame. I can have control over my own life and not have fear. Everyone should have that opportunity. Personally, i do not care about traditional aspects of Christianity and the fear of the Vatican. Kristin has it right. She said we can only live our lives the best we can now because God is with us in the people, and we have no idea what will come in the future or after we die, but if we live our lives now for the people and leave a better world for future generations we at least know we did the best we could with our lives. It was something like that at least.
I do think that people can have a very personal relationship with God, but within that relationship justice should not be forgotten. I think that personal relationship with God can so easily be within the people too. It does not have to be a power relationship where God has the power and is above us in heaven and we are little munchkins on earth with no power. If we are created in God´s image, we are capable of doing a ton, and why is it up to God to do it if we are capable. Plus, being in God{s image, each person we meet is a part of God. I think some of these things are the changes in my thoughts on faith because they are idea that have come from discussions here with other people. Hearing how others think of God is such an interesting way to change our own thinking because sometimes they really make since. But overall, Christ and God in us are liberators.
Another thing i have thought for a while is that Christ knows what it is like to suffer and be tortured. He suffered and was tortured himself. People suffering of hunger everyday, or of poor work conditions, or all the other suffering in the world, Jesus can understand because not only was he outcast, but he was tortured. Why would people who suffer not be able to relate to this suffering of Christ. I can totally see the reality of people feeling Jesus along with them in their suffering and working for their liberation because he knows what is it like to suffer. He didn't say turn the other cheek to be passive, but more to stir up trouble and push people to think about what they are doing. He tested and pushed people too in order to bring about justice.