As millions of Christians celebrate the Passion of the Lord Jesus this week and embark upon Holy Week and the Triduum, we are reminded of a portion of the prayer, “The Noise of Politics” by Walter Brueggemann in his book Prayers for a Privileged People:
We listen beyond jeering protesters and soaring jets and
faintly we hear the mumbling of the crucified one,
something about
feeding the hungry
and giving drink to the thirsty,
about clothing the naked,
and noticing the prisoners,
more about the least and about holiness among them.
We are moved by the mumbles of the gospel,
even while we are tenured in our privilege.
Jesus entered Jerusalem, acclaimed by many in the crowd, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” But in a few days, others in the same community would shout “Crucify him! Crucify him!” in during his trial.
We pray for those of countries today, controlled by questionably forces or preparing to elect and welcome new or returning leaders:
- In Haiti, where criminal gangs patrol the capital’s streets, vigilante justice approved by the police, while the nation’s resigned Prime Minister watches from Puerto Rico.
- In the United States, where candidates from two different political parties have secured the necessary number of delegates for their Presidential nomination, months before many states have held a primary election and the summer’s nominating conventions.
- In Russia, where electors re-elected Vladimir Putin as President this past week, despite the fact that the names of opponents of the incumbent were not allowed to appear on the ballot.
- In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele won a second term in February, but human rights watchers worry because suspension of civil liberties and imprisonment of up to 2 percent of the adult population (many with no charges) is not sustainable.
- In Iran, the March 1 election for the Parliament and Assembly of Experts yielded the lowest voter turnout rate since 1979. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei disqualified reformist former president Hassan Rouhani from running for the assembly.
- Regarding Israel, one of the national leaders for Israel’s arguably strongest ally called for the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The arrest, trial, and death of Jesus remind us of the historic imperfections in our electoral and judicial systems. We still observe these imperfections today. Perhaps the only responses are to continue to work and pray for reforms in processes and candidates while acknowledging that God’s law supersedes that of humans.
To quote the closing of Brueggemann’s prayer: “So we pray amid jeering protesters and soaring jets. Come by here and make new, even at some risk to our entitlements.”