In 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote the satiric essay A Modest
Proposal, revealed in pamphlet type to affect compassion for the
ravenous Irish. The satire ridiculed the British politicians, elites and
landowners who didn’t see the poor Irish as an issue of human distress and
struggling however fairly as an inconvenience. The ridiculous proposal that the poor
Irish might promote their infants as costly delicacies to fulfill the appetites
of the wealthy make clear how the wealthy dehumanize the poor. The hope of satire
is for folks to see the error and excesses of their methods extra clearly and
change for the great.
The dehumanization of the poor right now is in full view with
the 90% minimize of USAID to scale back authorities spending and offset the discount of
taxes for the richest People. This modest proposal of reducing lower than one
third of 1 % of our $6.8 trillion annual federal spending is costing the
lives of the poor around the globe and inflicting pointless ache, sickness and
struggling on our fellow human beings.
Satire will also be present in parables advised by biblical
prophets and Christ. The prophet Nathan helped David see the error of his methods
extra clearly, and Christ gently presents our reflection in a mirror by
tales and satire within the hope we’ll change for the great.
Throughout this Season of Lent as Christians put together for Holy
Week, the 40 days of preparation allude to Jesus’ 40-day sojourn within the
wilderness and temptation. A more in-depth look of Jesus’ interplay together with his Tempter
reveals a satire within the modest proposals introduced. What every temptation has in
widespread is the enchantment to flee one’s humanity … the journey of life which we
have fun additionally takes us down roads we discover insufferable and thru life’s
transitions and losses, which at instances overwhelm us. We want not be shocked
that Christ’s temptations happen within the wilderness. These are the instances we’re
particularly weak to alternatives for escapism.
What stands out for me is the character of the temptations
which confront Christ. If somebody requested you to command a stone to grow to be bread,
would you be tempted to take action? Neither would I, for a similar motive. It isn’t
humanly attainable. Christ is being tempted to be God … at his lowest, most
weak place on his human journey, hungry and exhausted, Jesus is given the
alternative to flee this “God-awful” human expertise and grow to be who he’s
and who he had the ability to be … God.
Nevertheless, the entire objective of Christ’s incarnation is to
grow to be considered one of us and to be with us – Emmanuel means “God with us.” Jesus got here
to expertise each the peak of our joys and the depth of our anguish with out
abandoning us, so we may be assured that wherever life take us we don’t stroll
alone. Christ got here to affix us in our humanity, and when the going obtained robust and
the temptation was there, he didn’t retreat into being God. He didn’t within the
wilderness, he didn’t within the Backyard of Gethsemane and he didn’t on the cross.
Jesus stays with us, as considered one of us, even unto dying.
In contrast to Christ, you and I can’t at all times endure the human
expertise. The temptation to flee and to fake we’re like God is
monumental. The ironic tragedy is that we regularly expertise extra ache once we
succumb to flee fairly than strolling by the valley and wilderness earlier than
us. All God actually asks of us is to be
human, embrace our humanity, settle for our limitations and weaknesses, and, fairly
than dehumanize those who endure, have mercy, share and luxury one different
alongside the lifestyle.
Actually “A Modest Proposal.” Amen.
The Rev. Dr. Blythe Denham Kieffer is pastor and head of
employees at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield.
