Don’t be trapped by Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector (Luke 18.9-14).
Context
As I write this, we still don’t know when, how or even whether Brexit is going to happen. We are feeling anxious and insecure – none of us knows what the future holds. And we are completely split over the best way forward. Whatever happens, roughly half the country will feel frustrated, furious even. Brexit has revealed deep divisions within our nation, and an inability to listen to each other. Hate crimes have risen to a new record high. Fake news is becoming an increasing problem. Firstly, because it is indeed fake, with no basis in factual evidence. And secondly, because it is driven by fear and anger. Human imagination and resourcefulness are being used for corrosive purposes. Even when conspiracy theories are disproved, people go on believing them, because lies about ‘others’ bolster one’s own sense of security.
Reflection
Jesus told a parable (i.e. a fictional story) about a self-righteous Pharisee and a humble tax collector. The shock of the story only works if this was not normal behaviour for either party. The irony is that so much Christian preaching down the centuries has been along the lines of ‘Thank goodness we are not self-righteous like those Pharisees’! The Christian caricature of Pharisees has entered the language, so that ‘pharisaic’ has come to mean ‘hypocritical’. It can be a shock for Christians to discover in interfaith dialogue that Jews consider the Pharisees to have been moderate, creative and humane religious leaders – saintly exemplars of Jewish spiritual attainment.
The resurgence of antisemitism is one example of our tendency to stereotype and vilify people who are ‘not like us’, rather than remembering that we are all vulnerable human beings. We don’t see beyond our disagreements to the complex humanity that we all share. Instead, we are prepared to believe the worst of each other. Given the long history of Christian anti-Judaism, Christians have no cause for self-righteousness. We need humbly to work towards a new relationship with the people to whom Jesus belonged.
It is a difficult balance to have confidence in one’s own beliefs without caricaturing those with whom one disagrees. The gift of dialogue – of talking respectfully across differences – is one that the world badly needs. It is easy to stoke divisions and escalate conflict; much harder to defuse tension and find constructive ways forward together. So how can we use our imagination for creative purposes? – to devise ways of bringing people together, rather than driving them apart. How can we use the power of the internet for good? – to bring out the best rather than worst in each other. How can we channel anger into constructive campaigns for justice? And how can we create hospitable and welcoming spaces, where people are enabled to take risks of trust? One community that has been doing so for over 50 years is Corrymeela in Northern Ireland, which aims to be a place where people can ‘disagree agreeably’. It ‘believes in the power of people telling their stories, of shared hospitality, of telling the truth about the present, of turning towards each other and finding strength, life and hope in each other’.
Prayer
A prayer for Brexit
O God who is above and beyond anything we can imagine,
yet knows the secrets of our hearts,
we come before you at this crucial moment in our nation’s history.
We confess that it has not brought out the best in us:
we have become fractious and intolerant,
self-righteous about our own positions,
and impatient with our leaders.
We have not listened to each other,
nor welcomed the stranger.
As we go forward into the unknown,
teach us realism and compassion,
and give us a determination to work together
for the common good.
And may we all say,
Amen.
Questions
- How do we listen to people who are angry?
- How do we combat stereotypes?
All-age activity
Write to your MP, offering support at this difficult time. If you disagree with their views and voting intentions, say so respectfully. And keep them in your prayers.
Young people
Encourage young people to share their thoughts on the current political landscape. What do they think about Brexit, about climate strikes? Explore how they might express their views constructively. Maintain an atmosphere of respectful listening, in which everyone feels heard. If there are differences of opinion in the group, you may like to look at the guidelines for dialogue produced by The Feast.
Ann Conway-Jones is Chair of Birmingham Council of Christians and Jews.
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