Rooting Social Justice in Silence

Social Justice in Silence?  Cognitive dissonance?  Answer: No.  

If we take away the life of prayer, and here I am referring to contemplative prayer, you risk turning a Gospel-witnessing of social justice into simply becoming self-righteous anger which can lead to rage.  Episcopal Priest and author Malcolm Boyd--himself a Freedom Rider in the Civil Rights era and now a voice for Gay Rights--speaks of the unholiness of rage and anger.  In his article, "Rage is Not Holy," Malcolm writes:

"Rage is too much with us. Some people speak of “holy anger.” Rage is not holy. In all the years that I encountered Martin Luther King in myriad public situations, he was never enraged. He was demonstrative. He was impassioned. He was committed to nonviolence. Once I heard him describe nonviolence as the way one should pick up a telephone receiver to respond to a call—a simple act of wholeness and integrity instead of a big public relations gesture or a political act for the 10 o’clock news.

"This is why Christians engaged in the work of social justice need to cultivate an inner spiritual life centered in prayer and quiet reflection. This is indispensable for a public life of debate, action and complex relationships. When I became a Freedom Rider in 1961 and, following the example of Martin Luther King, opposed the Vietnam War—which included participation in a Peace Mass inside the Pentagon—I sometimes neglected my inner spiritual life because of the pressure of immediate demands. At such times I veered toward self-righteousness and became shrill and angry.

"I see clearly what went amiss. I denied the central place of prayerful reflection in my life. In recent years I have undertaken the task of being spiritual director for around a dozen women and men, mostly clergy, ranging in age from late twenties to early seventies. I feel that anyone involved in the work of social justice needs to be actively engaged in the discipline of centering prayer. It enables a needed perspective, integrates the inner life with the outward life, and allows humility to serve as a companion in one’s public, bigger-than-life controversies." Click here to view the entire article.

"I sometimes neglected my inner spiritual life because of the pressure of immediate demands. At such times I veered toward self-righteousness and became shrill and angry."

I find myself seeing how my passion for certain social issues can quickly turn into anger.  When your angry, your thoughts are not clear, and your well-intentioned words are received bitterly sometimes by a discerning ear.  Silent contemplative prayer is the ground of one's being--simply resting for nourishment in the presence of God.  The fruit of silent prayer is harvested in the daily give-and-take of life.  Clear thoughts, clear words, and Gospel values are just a few of those God-given fruits.  

As I contemplate and discern my future ministry, committing myself to helping others embrace the Kingdom of Christ, I know that everything must have this sacred "groundedness," otherwise I'll simply flounder along with mediocre sermons, pastoral care that ignores my own woundedness, and generally serving as a part-time Christian.  The fullness and richness of silent contemplative prayer is not always apparent in the early stages.  If you consider the early three-fold stages of 1) Purgation, 2) Illumination, and 3) Union with God, then you must prepare yourself to run a marathon and not simply a short sprint.