Today, I have been thinking of a favorite story of mine by Korean poet Kim Chi Ha. It reminds me of Jon Sobrino's reformulation of salvation: "extra pauperes nulla salus." There is no salvation without the poor. In their struggle for liberation, the gospel is most fully articulated. As I work alongside folks living on Boston's streets, I feel this more and more. The story goes like this...
There was once a cement statue of Jesus outside of a church. This Jesus wore a gold crown, but under the statue, many people slept. In the morning, rich men and priests would walk past these people asking for help. But they were always ignored. Finally, one morning, one of these poor men was filled with despair. “I have nowhere to live! I cannot bear this cold and misery anymore.” Then he looks up at the statue of Jesus. “This Jesus might be the savior of those who have enough to eat and have a home. But he has nothing to say to me!” The beggar begins to cry and as he does, he feels gentle drops fall onto his own head. He looks up, and lo and behold, the statue is weeping.
Suddenly, the man notices that Jesus is wearing a golden crown and, realizing its value, he reaches for it. At this very moment he hears a voice: “Take it, please! For too long a time I have been imprisoned in this cement. Feeling choked in this dark and lonely prison of cement. I wish to talk with poor people like you share your suffering . How eagerly I’ve been waiting for this day to come. Finally you have come and made me open my mouth. It is you who saved me.’ These are the words spoken by the gold crowned Jesus.
‘Who put Jesus in prison?’ the startled and frightened man asks. ‘Who were they?’ The Jesus made of cement answers: ‘People like the Pharisees did it, because they wanted separate him from the poor in order possess him exclusively.' Then the man asks: ‘Lord, what is it that has to be done for you to be released, for you to live again and stay with us?’
There was once a cement statue of Jesus outside of a church. This Jesus wore a gold crown, but under the statue, many people slept. In the morning, rich men and priests would walk past these people asking for help. But they were always ignored. Finally, one morning, one of these poor men was filled with despair. “I have nowhere to live! I cannot bear this cold and misery anymore.” Then he looks up at the statue of Jesus. “This Jesus might be the savior of those who have enough to eat and have a home. But he has nothing to say to me!” The beggar begins to cry and as he does, he feels gentle drops fall onto his own head. He looks up, and lo and behold, the statue is weeping.
Suddenly, the man notices that Jesus is wearing a golden crown and, realizing its value, he reaches for it. At this very moment he hears a voice: “Take it, please! For too long a time I have been imprisoned in this cement. Feeling choked in this dark and lonely prison of cement. I wish to talk with poor people like you share your suffering . How eagerly I’ve been waiting for this day to come. Finally you have come and made me open my mouth. It is you who saved me.’ These are the words spoken by the gold crowned Jesus.
‘Who put Jesus in prison?’ the startled and frightened man asks. ‘Who were they?’ The Jesus made of cement answers: ‘People like the Pharisees did it, because they wanted separate him from the poor in order possess him exclusively.' Then the man asks: ‘Lord, what is it that has to be done for you to be released, for you to live again and stay with us?’
Jesus answers: “If people like you, that means the poor, the miserable, the persecuted, and kind-hearted people are not going to liberate me, I will never become free again. Only kindhearted people will be able to do it. You opened my mouth! Right at that moment when you took the crown off my head, my mouth opened. It is you who liberated me! Remove the golden crown. For my head, a crown of thorns will just be enough. I do not need gold. You need it much more. Take the gold and share it with your friends.’
Just then, the priest of this rich church comes by and sees the man take the crown. He raises an uproar and the poor man is arrested and the crown is replaced. The statue becomes cold cement once again.
Just then, the priest of this rich church comes by and sees the man take the crown. He raises an uproar and the poor man is arrested and the crown is replaced. The statue becomes cold cement once again.
How often does the church replace the gold crown and ignore the gospel of the poor?
