The Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Friday April 1^st,  John 4:  27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"  28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. The disciples didn’t know what to say.  Here was Jesus, their Rabbi and Master, talking to an outsider times three.  What in the world would possess him to do this?  And then surprise of surprises, she takes off and starts the church while they are still scratching their heads wondering how to stop her.  They had been in that town buying supplies, but never stopped to see the people for who they were, the children of God looking for direction.  Jesus on the other hand looked into the eyes of the woman at the well and saw there a child of God.  Paulo Freire in his book, “The Pedagogy of the Oppressed” talks of inviting persons into a situation that must remain unchanged is an act of violence.   Too often in history the church has acted like the disciples not the outsider times three.  Perhaps it is because for many centuries now, the church has been an insider trying to reach out to outsiders by expecting them to do things and think like insiders.  If Jesus had his way we wouldn’t even be having these discussions about illegal immigrants, he would want us to treat them like people of God who have something to offer this world, and who in the process would change the conversation.  What barriers do we place between the church and the people we are trying to reach?  What is one barrier we in the church can take down this year?