God Has Called Me to Life to Uphold the Spaces Where Life Can Emerge

05-03-2021

By Dhanushka Dilshan

We, as Sri Lankans, are currently facing many problems because of unjust structures. Our structures are primarily upheld by political and economic systems. Ultimately, the majority of our people are suffering because of cyclical poverty. Our politicians, who are the rich, have the power to continue this systemic structure and create laws that mostly benefit themselves, not the impoverished masses. Therefore, the rich become richer and the poor become poorer and the gap between rich and poor widens day by day. The global economic system seemingly always works for the rich but not for the poor. Most of the poor people do not know about economic structures that forcefully put them into poverty. Ultimately we are an oppressed community struggling to live. This is not only my experience but that of my ancestor's experience too.

My view of the role of the Church is to carry out the messages of salvation, peace, harmony, and reconciliation. But those messages are not only for personal spiritual empowerment but especially community physical empowerment to liberate people from systems such as poverty, ecological crisis, fundamentalism, racism, capitalism, caste discrimination, class problems, globalization, issues in communication, and misuse of political power. Therefore, my view of the Church’s role is not just about spiritual matters, it is about the social and political transformation of the world.

So then, in the midst of this oppression and struggle, I have recognized my ministry and vocation as a liberating calling. Due to the unjust social, political, and economic structures in my context, my calling is based on concretization, justice, development, freedom, and peace for all human beings here and now. My call is not just about spiritual matters, it is about the physical transformation of the world. Therefore I am called to create space in which the Spirit can emerge, where knowledge of self and our histories can emerge, where healing can emerge, and where a community of practice can emerge. This is what God has called me to life for - to uphold the spaces where life can emerge.

Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash