Mark 8: 34 “He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Reflection:

Theologian James Cone writes, “If Jesus is Lord of the church, then the church is his servant. It is that congregation of people whose identity as the people of God arises from the definition of servanthood that is derived from Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection . . . The servanthood of the church is defined by the cross of Jesus, and nothing else . . . Being a servant of Jesus involves more than meeting together every Sunday for worship and other liturgical gatherings. It involves more than serving as an officer or even a pastor of a church. Servant includes a political component that thrusts a local congregation into society, where it must take sides with the poor.”

Questions for reflection:

James Cone makes the case that an integral part of Christian fellowship is taking up the cause of the poor as a mark of a true Christian. How has the church and how have you been part of “taking sides” with the poor?