French author Charles Peguy once told the story of a man who died and went to heaven. He was met by an angel who said to him, ‘Show me your wounds.’ And he replied, ‘Wounds? I have not got any.’ And the angel said, ‘Did you never think that anything was worth fighting for?”
It really says something that while we may expect to collect some scars in life from harm having been done to us, we give less thought to putting ourselves in harms way for the sake of justice and truth. The Christ who turned over tables in the temple challenges me to overcome my conflict-averse tendencies and risk being wounded.
I am writing this on Friday and today in South Africa a non-profit called Women for Change is calling on us all to wear black or purple and give real attention to the scourge of Gender-Based Violence in our land. This really is something worth fighting for, even being wounded for. Where will you and I be able to speak up and make a difference?