Monday December 18, 2000

Read: Matthew 2:13-15 (16-23)

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, to oppress is "to subjugate or persecute by unjust or tyrannical use of authority; to weigh heavily upon, especially so as to depress the mind or spirits; to overwhelm or crush." By that definition oppression comes in many forms, and in varying degrees.

It is easy to spot government sanctioned oppression of whole peoples--at least in the areas of the world familiar to us. It is harder to recognize it where we live, among people we know, or in our day-to-day lives. And yet, most of us are aware that oppression does go on even here in the United States. Discrimination still happens because of race or ethnicity. Individuals, and indeed whole nations, are oppressed through economics. The unemployed, underemployed, underpaid, uninsured, and those drowning in a sea of debt are held captive--unable to move ahead in life because they are poor. Too many children and youth are oppressed by the fear and hopelessness of being surrounded by violence. Men and women of all ages live with the oppressive effects of abuse. One might even suggest that the joy of the holiday season oppresses the sad and lonely, for certainly some spirits are overwhelmed and weighed heavily upon by this time of the year.

We can see oppression when we look for it. Perhaps the most difficult things to see, though, are what part we play in creating and supporting oppressive forces around the world and how we can do anything significant to end oppression. But as children of the God of the Exodus, we are called to repentance for our sin, and called to carry on Christ's ministry "to let the oppressed go free." --JAL

Prayer: God of truth, you call us to be people of good conscience. When we look, we see the hurt of our brothers and sisters in the world. Give us wisdom and determination to lead the oppressed out of Egypt and into freedom. Amen.

For your meditation: How do you define oppression? What kinds of actions are oppressive? Can people be oppressed by life circumstances, or only by other, more powerful people? What does God expect of us when we see oppression?

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