Holy Monday: Against Austerity

Today is Holy Monday. The lectionary text for today is John 12:1-11. It ends with the chilling words: “When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well.” Lazarus’ great crime, in they eyes of the powerful, was possessing new life that testified to the resurrecting power of Jesus. 

John speaks continually of Christ’s abundant life. John’s Jesus is a Jesus of extravagant life. The first miracle of Jesus in the book of John is to turn water into wine. On Holy Monday, we are called to remember Lazarus’ sister Mary: “who took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.” The sensuality of the scene is a bit unnerving—Mary wipes Jesus feet with her hair. I am not given to extravagant gestures either personally or in worship and so I confess that this scene is a bit unnerving. I prefer the austerity of the washing of feet at the last supper. Yet, sometimes austerity is not in the service of life or the Gospel, sometimes austerity is in the service of death.

We are seeing that in dreadful real time right now as the bodies pile up. The dark logic of economic austerity and might makes right capitalism is showing its very ugly face. There aren’t enough mask or gowns or respirators. Millions in the US have had their health insurances ripped away from these past weeks. 

Last week I posted a playlist of songs that I have been listening to during this time of social distancing. One of the songs that I included was Nina Simone’s version of “Ain’t got no—I’ve got life.” Nina Simone wanted to be a concert pianist. It was not a path available to her at that time. She strove to live as a free, strong, un-bought women and in myriad ways she was crucified for it--

crucified for telling the truth in powerful ways like she does in her song “Mississippi Goddamn.”  On this Holy Monday,  I ask that you listen to Nina Simone.  The powers of death are constantly swirling around us breaking us down trying to make us say that we are ashamed.  Do not let them make you ashamed.

Please know that your precious life matters. The precious lives of your children matter. The precious lives of your neighbors matter. The precious lives of doctors and nurses matter. The precious lives of those without homes matter. The precious lives of Seniors in care homes matter. The precious lives of personal support workers in nursing homes matter. The precious lives of prisoners matter. The precious lives of those who have faced racism all their lives and have hypertension matter. The precious lives of those in immigration detention matter. The precious lives of those who laboured unsafely with asbestos matter. The precious lives of the people working for minimum wage in grocery stores matter. The precious lives of the people in Iran matter. The precious lives of the people in China matter. Jesus came so that we might hold life precious, abundantly precious. 

Please fight the regime of death where ever you see it.