While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.
Romans 16:1-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
Reading a list of names is not the most exciting way to end the 2015 Lenten Compact Fast Food Fast for Worker Justice! However, take a moment to list all the people who are commended for their hard work or for being Paul’s co-workers. What, if anything, surprises you about the list? What do you think their “hard work” entailed?
Think of the people who work hard around you. How will you acknowledge them and honor them today?
Four years ago today, Aminul Islam disappeared. Two days later, his tortured body was found. Mr. Islam was a labor organizer in Bangladesh, the home to thousands of sweatshops making clothing for GAP, American Eagle and other global brands.
On April 4, he was advocating for worker justice. On April 4, he died. No one knows who killed him. However, the New York Times reported, “Mr. Islam’s work often made him a target. In 2010, after angry wage protests shook the country, the authorities charged Mr. Islam and two of his bosses with “antistate” activities. Harassment by police and intelligence agents became so intense that Mr. Islam’s bosses sought a truce: a secret meeting was held between Mr. Islam and the director of the main domestic spying agency, the National Security Intelligence Agency, or N.S.I.”
The shadow of the cross continues to be seen and felt.
Read the entire story of Aminul Islam’s murder HERE.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Revelation 21:1-5
As we prepare for and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we must remember that Easter Sunday is God’s starting point for making all things new. We live in the “now and not yet” of God’s new creation. We are a new creation in Christ. The old ways are done. Through us, God is ministering reconciliation to the world—a ministry that will culminate fully in a new heaven and new earth.
How can you be a minister of reconciliation among those who are oppressed? Among those who are enslaved? Among the working poor? What hope does the resurrection bring to people who are suffering injustice in their workplace? To people who are chronically unemployed?
How has God transformed you during this Lenten Fast Food Fast? How will you pursue justice for those who work—and especially low-wage workers?
On This Day…. Worker Justice during Holy Week
The cross is a symbol of state violence used against those who are considered threats to the power of the state. In Jesus’ day, the cross was reserved for people accused (and convicted) of sedition and treason against the Roman Empire. In our day, the spirit of the cross can be seen in the harassment, threats and even execution of those who stand up for worker justice. Forty-seven years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled to Memphis, TN, to support striking sanitation workers and delivered his “I’ve Been To the Mountaintop” speech. On April 4, he was killed while standing on his motel room balcony. Questions remain about the roll of the FBI in King’s assassination. For years, the FBI had kept King under constant surveillance, secretly tapping his phone lines and following his every move. FBI Deputy Director at the time, William C. Sullivan, acknowledged in a memo that King was, “the target of an intensive campaign by the FBI to neutralize him as an effective civil rights leader.”
Read his final speech HERE.
Today is the beginning of Passover, the annual festival that celebrates the liberation of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. Special foods will be eaten that will remind the people of the bitterness of slavery (bitter herbs), the harshness of life under oppression (hard boiled eggs dipped in salt water), and the joy of release (unleavened bread and wine). Every aspect of the festival reminds the people that God is their liberator and the One who is victorious over the oppressor.
Today is also Good Friday, the day Jesus died as our Passover Lamb. Through Christ, we have the promise of release from oppression and victory over the Oppressor.
Today, think of those who are still experiencing the bitterness of slavery and the harshness of life under oppression; think of those who are being sacrificed to the idol of greed and who are nailed to the cross of profit; and pray that they will find hope and joy as they await release through the mighty hand and outstretched arm of Almighty God.
On This Day…. Worker Justice during Holy Week
On this date, Pope John Paul II died after 27 years of serving as pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. As a priest in Poland, he had been involved in the formation of “Solidarity”, the Polish trade union; and as Pope, he wrote extensively about work and human rights, becoming known as a “Champion of Workers’ Rights.” One of his encyclicals, “On Human Work” affirmed the need for just wages, the rights to organize and the value of all work and all workers.
Read “On Human Work” HERE.
Philippians 2:5-8; John 13:1-17
The disciples often argued about which among them was the greatest. What criteria are used by the world to measure greatness or success? How does Jesus measure greatness? Be honest; are there any jobs that you feel are “beneath” you? What “outer clothing” do you need to remove so you can take up a towel and basin? Whose feet do you need to wash?
On This Day…. Worker Justice during Holy Week.
The New York Times reported just minutes ago that McDonald’s corporation has announced that it will raise wages at the corporate owned stores. About 90,000 workers will see their wages increase to an average of $9.90 in July. Unfortunately, this does not apply to the 750,000 workers at franchise owned stores and it is a far cry from the $15 an hour that workers have pushed for. Yet, it is evident that companies like Wal-Mart, Target and McDonalds are finally realizing that ignoring the issue of low wages does nothing for their bottom line or their reputation in the community. Keep the Fast!
On this date, 400,000 coal miners in 26 states began a strike for safer working conditions and better wages. Six weeks later, President Harry Truman took control of the mines and ordered the miners back to work without agreeing to any of the demands. United Mine Workers of America leader John L. Lewis led the workers off the job again in November of 1946. Despite a court injunction, the miners refused to return to the mines. John Lewis was jailed and the UMWA was fined 3.5 million dollars. Finally in December, the government agreed to the demands and the miners returned to their jobs.
Coal Mining has always been dangerous work. Between 1940-1945, 7,942 miners lost their lives in coal mining accidents and explosions, an average of 1,588 per year. Thousands more died of black lung disease. Following the UMWA strike of 1946, accidental death was reduced significantly in mines. Between 1947-1966, 9,498 miners died, an average of 475 per year.
This is an extremely difficult passage because Paul seems to acquiesce to the institution of slavery. We want Paul to clearly call for an end to the practice. However, given Paul’s understanding of the Old Testament, it is likely that he viewed slavery to be the equivalent of indentured servitude that was clearly meant to be temporary. That said, how does his message to “masters” shift the power dynamic in the relationship and ultimately subvert it? What principles from this passage—if any—could we apply to current employment structures? What might Paul say today to owners and managers of low-wage employees?
For an interesting look into the mind of Paul on the topic of slavery, consider reading the short letter to Philemon, the master of Onesimus, a runaway slave.
On This Day…. Worker Justice during Holy Week.
Tongue on Fire 