The Voices of the Poor, the Marginalized, and Victims can help us Understand Christ

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul teaches that each member of the church has unique gifts to offer the whole church. While he does not explicitly teach the connection I am about to make, it has become clear to me that those members of the church who are poor, victimized, and/or marginalized have the ability to help us understand Jesus in his humanity. (They probably have other gifts as well). Those people among us today who have experienced some of the things that Christ experienced in his humanity will be able to help us understand who he was, what he felt at different times, and what the motivations of many of his early followers who continued in his lifestyle may have been. This is not to say that the experience of the poor or the marginalized is a substitute for Scripture, or even on par with Scripture. It is, however, to suggest that listening to the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized can help us to overcome certain biases in reading that may prevent us from seeing certain aspects of Jesus’ human life as a poor, often marginalized victim. Though I have a long way to go, the reflections I have shared this advent are shaped in part by listening to the voices of theologians who have experienced victimization or poverty, marginalization or oppression, such as Jon Sobrino, James Cone, or Tammy Williams. This is not to say I accept everything I hear from such theologians; rather, it is to suggest that my own understanding of God is enriched by listening to those who share a similar status to the one assumed by the Son of God in the incarnation. The church as a whole would do well to listen intently to such voices.

Jesus Christ was perfect God and perfect human. As we listen to the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized, we can understand his human life more fully.