Context

Earlier this week Reuters reported the sentencing of journalists for investigating the mass killing of Rohingya Muslims. This has once more brought to the public eye the plight of the minority in Myanmar.

The row concerning alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour party, as described by the BBC, shows something of the feelings and experience of Jewish people.

The Times report of the Home Secretary’s concern reveals the extent of online abuse of children and prompts calls for action.

 

Reflection

The Rohingya are an ethnic group, the majority of whom are Muslim – there are about 1.1 million of them. Although they have lived in Myanmar for centuries, they are not considered one of the country's 135 official ethnic groups and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar since 1982, which has effectively rendered them stateless. Since the 1970s, crackdowns on the Rohingya have forced hundreds of thousands to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. In November 2016 United Nations officials accused the government of Myanmar of ethnic cleansing.

Jesus approves the Syrophoenician woman standing up for her daughter (Mark 7.28-29). The interaction presents a challenge: who is to stand up for minority groups who are suffering today? Jesus healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman. He sets an example to contemporary Christians in their response to those whom others treat as if they were animals.

In considering the issue of antisemitism today, there is an irony in the way that Jesus spoke to the Syrophoenician woman. Mark 7.27 is not a comfortable read and the woman’s swift response shows a reaction to the way she has been treated by others and not just by Jesus. The issues reported in the press are not just about the Labour Party. They appear to reflect an attitude that is common in society. It is an attitude of which Jesus-the-Jew would have been on the receiving end.

The child who was possessed by demons was a low priority in her society. The conversation between her mother and Jesus shows that she was considered only a little more important than the animals. However, Jesus offered her healing – unconditional healing. He makes no judgment on her or her mother’s faith and he appears to expect no response. The suffering of the victims of online abuse is often unseen but the pain which is caused is significant. in Mark 7, Jesus takes upon himself part of the responsibility for the care of the child. Perhaps he expects us to take up some of the responsibility for the victims of online abuse and do something to prevent further incidents.

The Syrophoenician woman and her daughter were for Jesus on the margins. Yet he related to them; engaged with them and ultimately brought healing for them. His healing gave them hope. There are still millions of people around the world who are on the margins. How can the hope that Jesus brings be presented to them?

 

Prayer

The following petitions could be included in prayers of intercession.

Lord of hope, we commend to you people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds in Myanmar. We pray that you will help them to treat each other with respect and honour. May they live alongside one another in harmony and peace.

Lord of faith, we pray for the day when no man, woman, girl or boy, will be treated adversely as a result of their religion or ethnic background. May people reflect on the impact of their words and actions and the impact which they have on others.

Lord of love, we hold before you the children of our world. May they grow in security and love. We ask that all may share in the responsibility of seeking to end abuse and to make our world a safer place for all your children.

We pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.

 

Questions

• Who are the people on the margins in today’s world?
• What hope can be offered to them in their suffering?

 

All-age activity

Bring together concerns for online abuse and Rohingya Muslims. Each time you switch on your computer, smartphone or tablet this week put a coin in a pot and say a prayer for victims of online abuse. At the end of the week send the contents of the pot to Christian Aid Rohingya appeal. 

 

Young people

Invite the young people to write their name in the middle of a piece of paper and then draw a circle round it. On the edge of the circle write the names of people they are close to, and then draw a circle round that. Next, write the names of acquaintances and draw a circle. Then those they see but do not necessarily speak to. Finally, ask if there are people who they consider to be on the margins of their life. It doesn’t have to be named people – it could be groups. Talk about those on the margins of our lives: why they are there; and how we treat them.

 

Rev Stuart Wild is a minister in the Bolton and Rochdale Methodist District.

 

Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by ROOTS for Churches Ltd.

PostScript is also available via Twitter and facebook.

ROOTS publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines.