Go in Reverse

Christianity, if it is based on the gospel, is meant to turn everything around but so often I sadly just do not see that happening.  Rather what I see in my world is how institutional Church and its leadership so often simply conform with the ways of the world for the sake of the status quo and doing its business.  That is why Pope Francis is such an outstanding and refreshing character in the Catholic Church.  He wants to turn it all round and have the Church stand on its head.  How exciting!  They actually have a term in theology which covers this - "reverse mission".

I follow the Philippines under President Duterte.  The country is full of lovely and talented people and just picturesque, tropical paradise sites.  It should be a prosperous nation but rather I see a society being continually brutalized under the forces of poverty and violence, while now this society is seemingly becoming even more brutal under their new president.  I ask, where is the Church in all this in a country that is so Catholic?  Turning it around?

For the last while, the institution has been sitting at the top over society, telling its people what to do in their lives and focusing too much on the personal over the social issues.  I judge this is a fair comment for an outsider to make.  In doing so, the Church has been presenting itself as a power institution doing battle with its political foes to maintain the status quo and uphold its own position.  Thus it comes to be seen as a powerful and vested interest, a power broker in society, siding with its own among the rich and powerful.  No reverse mission here in this scenario with the result that the opportunity for a whole new and needed order that caters for all in a society where so many miss out is lost.

Going in reverse, we look from the bottom up instead of the top down and we share the power among all not keeping it in the hands of the few who are meant to act for the masses but never do.  Such we live life in unexpected ways, even incorrect ways in the hope of turning it all round on its head for the sake of the common good of all.  Isn't that different?  Isn't that living life in reverse?  Isn't that life giving?