Justice In Action & Contemplation

MARLENA GRAVES

Historically, organized Christianity has both contributed to the flourishing and oppression of peoples throughout the world. Today in the U.S., we are experiencing a time rife with abuses which are regularly being exposed in the socio-political sphere, religious systems, and local churches. Nevertheless, a deep hunger for an authentic experience with God remains and we are being called to re-embody Jesus’s way of being with God in the world. Karl Rahner, one of the most influential Jesuit scholars of the 20th century, claimed that “In the days ahead, you will either be a mystic (one who has experienced God for real) or nothing at all.” This fragile time in human history demands that our action for justice be empowered by a life of contemplation and love. As MLK said, hate cannot drive out hate, only love can. Our workshop will delve into how we become radically loving and humble conduits of justice instead of conduits of animosity.