Readings for today: Obadiah 1, Revelation 4, Psalms 132, Proverbs 29:24-25
“For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” - Audre Lorde
At first glance, Audre Lorde is probably the last name you would expect to see cited on this blog. Lorde was a revolutionary. A proud black lesbian feminist whose deeply personal writings - both poetry and prose - contributed significantly to the Civil Rights movement. Most definitely not a Christian, Lorde identified more with the deities of her African roots. However, one of her most famous essays contains this powerful phrase, “The master”s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” Her essential argument is that real change requires us to dismantle current frameworks of thinking - the racist, patriarchal system in her mind - and replace them with new systems of thought. Put another way, any change generated from within a broken system remains broken and corrupted by the very system one is trying to change. I agree with her. Strangely enough, so does an ancient Jewish prophet named Obadiah.
“But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.” (Obadiah 1:12-15)
How many times have we seen it happen throughout human history? A marginalized group of people rise up in rebellion. Overthrow their oppressors. Replace those in authority with their own people. Only to fall prey to the same temptations. I think of what’s happening right now in Bolivia as a charismatic, revolutionary, indigenous leader swept into power by a populist revolt seeks to overturn the very constitution he swore to uphold by ignoring term limits. I think of the number of African nations that have watched this vicious cycle repeat itself over and over again. And I have concerns about the infighting in our own country. I think about the scorched earth policy both political parties employ to deny the other any kind of victory. It’s clearly a struggle for power with the winner gloating over the misfortune of the loser. The victor seeking to loot the wealth of the vanquished. The one who wins not content until they grind their opponent to dust. It’s a zero sum game. And all of us are perpetrators. All of us are victims. We will not find peace until we stop playing the “master’s game.” Stop playing by the “master’s rules.” Stop using the “master’s tools” to tear one another down.
The day of the Lord is coming, friends. A day of judgment. A day of recompense. When God Himself will arrive to judge the nations of the earth. As we have done…so shall it be done to us. Our deeds will return on our own heads. Our work will be tested with fire. Those who have placed their trust in Christ. Who have refused to play the by the rules of this world. Who have refused to conform to the patterns of this world. Who have refused to surrender to the powers and principalities who rule this world will be saved. As Christians, our primary allegiance is to the King of kings. Our primary loyalty is to the Lord of lords. Our citizenship belongs to the kingdom of heaven. Our identity is grounded not in race. Not in sexuality. Not in gender. Not in wealth or power or privilege. But in Christ alone. As such, we are no longer slaves to the broken systems of this world. No longer servants to the corrupt frameworks of this earth. No longer bound and oppressed by the hate-filled, rage-fueled, violence-driven authority structures of this age. We can choose a different way. We can choose the way of peace. The way of hope. The way of joy. The way of love. We can choose the way of Jesus.
Readings for tomorrow: Jonah 1-4, Revelation 5, Psalms 133, Proverbs 29:26-27