On the Edges - Jim Wallis
To be marginal in one’s society is not, emphatically not, to withdraw as some would charge. It is to be motivated and led by values and commitments different from and often contrary to the mainstream.... New vision is always what any society most needs, and the edges of society have always been the most likely place for it to emerge.
To generate something new, one must be listening to voices other than the loud voices of mass society. If we have read our Bibles, we will know to look and listen for the new word God wants to speak to us on the edges of things rather than at the center of wealth and power. To be on the margins, therefore, is to put ourselves in a position to watch, to listen, and to become engaged in a new way.... Part of being on the margins is new association with the people who have been made marginal. The gospel tells us that it is among “the least of these” where we find Jesus.
Source: The Call to Conversion
1 comment:
I find the idea of being “marginal” by choice interesting and the way that it is framed as something to aim for. Those who have been “made marginal” sometimes manage to turn it into a positive, and are able to stand up, and create change. But others are shoved to the margins, and are hurt and alone there. Standing on the edge of society to gain new vision doesn’t necessarily mean we’re marginal. Most of us aren’t actually living there. Maybe if we were we wouldn’t be able to create the same changes, I don’t know. Just something about this quote made me feel weary of glamourising the margins… I think sometimes people try to stand on the margins, but still don’t actually understand what it is like for those stuck there.
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