Practice Corporeal Politics
A Reflection on Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny” Lesson 12
My first protest was on May 31, 2020. I had gone to lunch with my daughter and when we stepped out of the restaurant, we stepped into the Black Lives Matter march as it moved down the street.
I was reluctant. Was it safe?
What if there were counter protesters? What if people got rowdy? Also…Covid. We were outside and everyone was wearing masks, but was it safe?
People often say that attending a rally or a protest doesn’t change anything. They are wrong.
Corporeal politics is about showing up in the flesh, having our voices heard and our bodies seen. Those of us who claim to follow Jesus are called to be the body of Christ in the world, we are called to be corporeal beings that represent Jesus.
That summer revealed where the body of Christ could be found.
While some lamented that they could not sing songs and listen to sermons in person, the body of Christ was on the streets crying out for justice.
While some sued their governors because they were not allowed to gather inside their buildings, the body of Christ was on the streets feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.
The 6 years since have revealed so much more.
Even as I walked that day, I had no idea how prevalent white supremacy is in the United States.
When I cast judgment on churches for refusing to act to protect the most vulnerable in their communities, I had no idea the extent to which some who call themselves Christians have come to despise their neighbors.
My heart aches.
That’s why we have to keep showing up. Whether it’s standing on the corner holding a sign, serving food from across a counter, doing our part to ensure election security, or lifting our voices in song with another and breaking bread together, don’t give up.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
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