These were the words of Brittany Higgins today in Canberra, as I write this, as part of the marches happening across Australia speaking out against gendered violence, sexism, sexual harassment, and similar crimes against women. "The system is broken."
These are words that I resonate with deeply. I feel like we have many, many broken systems across our societies, in many different levels; but they don't change, because they work for the people who have the power. And because in the past, there haven't been enough voices, or enough noise, for things to change.
But now, we're in a time of transition. Suddenly, many more voices are rising up. Suddenly, much more noise is happening. And people are realising that the Titanic they've built so carefully, over so long, is heading for the iceberg. Some people are jumping off, some people are trying to see if they can shift the boat in time to save it - but change is happening. On many issues, across society. And we've had some great wins over the past years, and there's been some great progress - but there's also still so many more miles to travel, as we can see from the protests happening today.
For myself, it's also a reflection on some of the systems within the church that I've grown up in. Historically, though the Bible calls the church to be the most inclusive place, where all are welcome and loved - the church has not been this. Instead, it has been a purveyor of racism, sexism, war, and hate - against God's children. Against people that we are supposed to be calling brothers and sisters and family. There are so many people that we have not welcomed, and have not shown God's love to - showing only God's judgement, when God clearly says in the Bible that it is only God's role to judge.
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ Matthew 25:41-45 NLT
I wonder how many in the church will be among those that Jesus is talking about in this passage. Who refused to help his brothers and sisters; his family. Or who believed they were "helping", but were actually hurting.
When I look and see so many that have come forward to talk about being sexually assaulted as children by priests and leaders in the church, I say the system is broken.
When I look and see people cast out from families and communities because they came out as gay or lesbian, I say the system is broken.
When I look and see a system that ascribes value to women because of their virginity, I say the system is broken.
When I look and see a church that can't handle asexuality or aromanticism, or couples deciding not to have kids, I say the system is broken.
When I look and see that there are still debates about women leading in church, I say the system is broken.
When I look and see trans men not recognised as men, trans women not recognised as women, and non-binary and intersex people treated as though they almost don't exist; I say the system is broken.
And in many of these cases, the church feels backed up by the Bible. The church retorts that it should not change, because God is unchanging, and the truth is unchanging, and they will not be swayed by the ways of the world. And yet, Jesus was continuously among people. With them, helping them, healing them, eating with them, regardless of what society said was right or wrong about it. Yes, he would retreat by himself at times - but always, he would come back from it to be among people. He would even delay time by himself to minister to people, to help the hurting. We are called to be among the world, not removed from it. The church looks at the Bible and says, we are meant to be different! But that was written to the Christians of thousands of years ago, when being kind to other people was a radical idea. When leaving babies out to die was the norm. When women were treated as objects. The "different" we were called to be was about being loving, and kind, and caring; not about being an ivory tower amongst the sinful world.
And in the thousands of years since, Christianity has changed the world. Through education, and healthcare, and caring for the homeless and the orphans and the widows and the foreigners. (It's not only Christianity that's done this, but Christians were often among the first to get the ball rolling.) And this has now become - the normal. The expected. Many of these things are now enshrined in laws in countries around the world, or even as international law. We have come to recognise the value and intrinsic worth that each person has. And so this call in the Bible to be "different" - it doesn't have the same meaning that it did two thousand years ago. There are still times when it can be relevant, and we are still called to be loving and caring - but we need to stop believing that we are supposed to be somehow a time capsule of the ideas and beliefs written down two thousand (or more) years ago. Christianity is a living faith, as our God is a living God. Even as you read the New Testament, you see beliefs and ideas changing - like about circumcision, or what food to eat, or who could be a Christian. These were fundamental ideas that had been central to their faith for thousands of years - and they changed. Because Jesus changed where the focus now lied. It wasn't about laws and rules any more; Jesus was the completion and fulfilment of that law. Instead, it was about people. It was about relationship, and about love.
So let's get back to loving people. As they are. As they were made. Because God doesn't make mistakes.
The system is broken. But we can do better.
