COMMENTARY
BY SHAY CULLEN
THIS YEAR’S “Traslacion” or the annual procession of the Black Nazarene — the statue of Jesus of Nazareth carrying his cross toward Calvary for his crucifixion — again reminded us of the serious injustice that true Christians are suffering today.
The revered image shows Jesus as a person with dark skin; it identifies with people of all races and skin colors in saying all are his friends and followers. The Black Nazarene can be seen as a powerful statement against racist attitudes, as well as of support for the Aeta people, the original inhabitants of the Philippines who are unjustly discriminated against.
Many devotees believe coming close to the statue could bring a miracle. The only miracle we need is for the conversion of all who claim to be Christian but ignore the suffering of the oppressed and abused children.
We all can stand in defense of victims of human rights violations that persist today. We could have a procession every month in every diocese for peace in support of the victims of the so-called war on illegal drugs and their families, of murdered human rights workers and environmental defenders, and of journalists shot dead by state-sponsored death squads for they died defending the poor and for speaking and writing about the truth.
The true Christian strives to imitate Jesus and takes action, as he did, to help victims of human rights violations, including sexually abused and exploited children. The true Christians will report and never cover up crimes against children.
The fake Christian hides the truth, lacks the courage to help these victimized children and follows the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:6 to hold the abuser to account for crimes against a child.
Jesus took an unshakable stand for the dignity of all persons, especially women, children, the poor and the exploited. He challenged the authorities who had desecrated the temple courtyard by turning it into a marketplace, from which the priests and elders benefited. For that, he was marked for execution.
Jesus also took upon himself the words of the Prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:16–19) and began his mission to free the oppressed from poverty, give sight to the blind (to the truth and to human rights violations), and liberate the unjustly imprisoned and declare that God will free his people.
In the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55), Mary said that God would scatter the proud in their conceit, bring down the mighty from their thrones, lift the downtrodden, and fill the hungry with good things.
Jesus would establish the Kingdom of God on Earth, where equality, social justice, respect and love of neighbor would change the lives of all, and peace would reign. His disciples were to be as humble and innocent as a child (Matthew 18:1–5). And he called all to be servants of the poor and washers of feet like himself (John 13:1–21). (To be continued)/PN
