Simon's homily about James Mawdsley
26th Sunday Ordinary time Cycle A
Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28, Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 21:28-32
Whilst I was in Australia I read an article in the Melbourne "Age" about a young English man - James Mawdsley - who was arrested in Burma in August for distributing pro democracy leaflets.
What made me sit up and take notice was that I recognised his name and then I realised that he was the same person that I had been in contact with on behalf of the parish. James had agreed to come and talk to the parish about Burma and specifically about the human rights situation there. We had invited him because of an article Fr Paul had seen about him in the Catholic Herald.
This is the third time James has been arrested for peacefully protesting against the ruling junta in Burma. In the booklet he sent me in April he provides the United Nations list of human rights abuses committed by the junta. These are so dreadful I cannot read them out here.
The point of telling you this is threefold.
First I think we should pray for James as he starts his 17-year prison sentence. To pray that God will be with him and that he will be strengthened.
Secondly we might wish to appeal in the appropriate quarters for his release from prison. I will find out how best to do this and put it in the parish newsletter. Finally to reflect on this using today's reading as a starting point.
We believe as Roman Catholic Christians that the scriptures are inspired by God. That they are the Word of God - his message for humankind. Because of this they are worthy of our close attention even if at times we find them difficult to understand. The common theme in the readings today is obedience or commitment to aligning ourselves to the will of God. We have a choice because God has given us a free will - but what God wants is for us to choose life. The scriptures make it clear that to choose God's way is to choose life. The choice is presented that starkly choose life in God or death in sin.
To return to James Mawdsley. You may have noticed that I said that this is the third time that he has been arrested in Burma. Well in the newsletter he sent me he explains that he cannot "turn his back" on the Burmese people because of his memory of a young Burmese girl he met in a refugee camp and his desire to defend her future from those that would destroy it. To my mind James is actually doing what it says in the beatitudes he has a "thirst for justice" and is doing what the prophet Micah challenges us to do when he says" act justly … love mercy and .. walk humbly with your God." James "thirsts for justice" for the Burmese men, women and children who suffer under an oppressive regime and uses his status as a westerner to bring their plight to the worlds attention.
There is plenty of evidence in scripture that God wants us to stand with the poor and the oppressed at times in order to bring His presence into their situation. It is the only way that He can break the worlds "you scratch my back if I scratch yours" equation and let His saving grace into the situation. God turns the world's values on their head - not because He wants to be obtuse but instead because he wants to open us up to each other and take us away from the Me! Me! Me! of the rat race.
The prophet Isaiah entreats us to act as God's advocates by " removing the yoke of oppression and yoke of injustice and let the oppressed go free." He says if we do this we will be known as the "restorer of ruined houses" and then God's favour will "shine on us like the morning sun" although this is figurative language we can see what God means. It is much better to be a restorer of humankind than a destroyer. James campaigns for Burma because of his experiences when he was working there as an aid worker in a refugee camp. He acts within the context of his experience.
Our vision as Christians in South Croydon needs to come out of our context and include the "restoration of ruined houses" in our own neighbourhood. We need to identify what action God calls us to as a community and then act. God calls all Christians out of their comfort zones into a stage where they show their care for their neighbour. We have made a start with the "Covenant with the poor" that we made in 1997. May God help us to keep this in our sights and to encourage us to be bold in the practice of our faith.
Links:
http://www.insideburma.freeisp.co.uk/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid%5F449000/449239.stm