Scripture:
Jeremiah 26:1-9
Matthew 13:54-58
Reflection:
Two whistleblowers, Allan McDonald and Roger Boisjoly, engineers at Morton Thiokol Inc., testified before the Rogers Commission investigating the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. They said there had been ongoing problems with the rocket’s O-rings and that they had urged their supervisors and NASA officials to postpone the fatal launch. Following their testimony, the engineers were demoted to menial jobs. These men received the same treatment as over 65% of whistleblowers—they were either fired or demoted.
And so it is with the prophet Jeremiah in today’s first reading. When he tries to warn the Jewish people of impending spiritual, economic and political disaster, he is threatened with death. In today’s Gospel, Jesus, who knows well the history of the Jewish people and their prophets, reflects on his own rejection in his hometown of Nazareth: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” Mt. 13:57
So why would someone put themselves in this unpleasant and even dangerous position?
Most whistleblowers and prophets are motivated by LOVE: love of the institution, be it church, agency, corporation, or country, AND love for the people who are part of the institution. And in the case of a prophet, there is also love for God. In his classic book “The Prophets”, Rabbi Abraham Heschel says the prophet’s eye is directed to the contemporary scene; the society and its conduct are the main theme of the speeches. Yet the prophet’s ear is inclined to God. The prophet is struck by the glory and presence of God, overpowered by the hand of God. Yet the prophet’s true greatness is the ability to hold God and humans in a single thought.
My favorite part of the Baptism of a child at my parish is this blessing following the anointing: “As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as a member of His body, sharing everlasting life.” I wonder where the child’s life will lead him or her……will they be so full of the love and mercy of God as to be extremely sensitive to injustice in any form, and be compelled to speak in prophetic ways? Will they be so struck by the glory of God that they cannot stomach the desolation of poverty and pollution that covers much of Earth?
Many of us will not experience death threats or loss of our job for speaking up for what is right and good. But hopefully, we will live out the promises made at our Baptism to share in the Prophetic life of Christ’s body, no matter the cost.
Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She serves on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroi, Michigant. Patty is currently a member of the Laudato Si Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.