Ants Carrying an Elephant—The Prophetic Message of Gospel Justice

I’m reminded of a proverb that I learned from a Sister from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa. The proverb says: “It is only by uniting together that ants can carry an elephant.” Let me repeat – It’s only by uniting together that ants can carry an elephant.

...we have heard about the many elephants in ...our church and our world that are weighing us down. The proverb reminds us that we can bring change if we join with others; it reminds us that it’s not enough to know scripture and the social teachings of the Church but that we must put them into practice in our lives and in our society if we want to make a difference...

There are many other elephants that we can carry if we come together and work for a common cause. I am struck by the skillful blending of all the different pieces of (our Catholic understanding of social justice) to create a coherent and meaningful whole. The prophetic message of Gospel Justice (is) woven into (a pattern) ... that catches the eye, touches the heart and opens the mind.

A typical kitenge pattern; photo: Fanny Schertzer; permission; GFDL + CC-BY-SALike this colorful piece of cloth from East Africa – a kitenge – it grabs our attention and helps us to focus on what is essential; to see rightly. Perhaps our eyes were opened wider to recognize that our call to mission is also a call to put justice at the front and center of our ministry – to carry those elephants of unjust structures, policies and practices that weigh people down, those modern day crosses that so many people on our planet are forced to bear.

Justice in the scriptures

“... the vision of justice in scripture, both Old and New Testaments, (provides) a solid framework or foundation for understanding this ministry in the light of the Gospel. (T)he Hebrew term for justice or righteousness appears more than 500 times and is not an abstract term but is very personal and rooted in the history of Israel. Social mission... is at the heart of the Church’s mission and is rooted in God’s vision for Israel and in Jesus’ ministry.

Closing that first evening with the Mission Award to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), we celebrated a courageous and steadfast commitment to justice, even in the face of opposition. We honored women religious for their fidelity to the Gospel call to hear and respond to the cry of the poor. The LCWR has surely shown us how to carry the elephants in our midst in prophetic and effective ways.

Harrowing incidents can move us deeply

The Funeral Mass for the Catholic Nuns murdered in Burundi in September of 2014(Certain incidents – here and abroad – can move) us to the level of the heart, sharing examples that (witness) ...various crisis situations; places where the wounds of war are still raw and even bleeding. (We are reminded to) keep going to the margins and crossing borders in order to know and feel the reality there. Letting our hearts be broken... opens us to see life through the eyes of the people we accompany in mission – to be evangelized, as was Archbishop Romero, by these experiences so that we are ready to witness to the need for transformation, regardless of the cost.

Martyrdom is very much a reality in our world today. Recently three Xavierian Missionaries of Mary were murdered in Burundi, for example, and three Dominican Sisters in Iraq died after they were forced to flee when the town in which they lived was attacked by ISIS forces. No, martyrdom is not a relic of the past but is visible today. Marie told us of the courage and love of aid workers, doctors, nurses and the ‘burial boys’ who risk their lives to care for those with the Ebola virus. Quoting Jim Wallis, Marie concluded that touching the pain of others is the key to change.

In our home communities, we exchanged stories of pain, compassion, empathy, anger and frustration that were transformed into acts of solidarity, love and hope. In our dialog sessions we learned skills and information to help us better practice Gospel justice. In our prayers we affirmed the need to share our gifts, to be inclusive in our relations, to be open to missionary encounters and to reach out to the excluded, despised and neglected...

(We are) reminded of some words of wisdom from two modern day prophets. The first is from Pope Francis in The Joy of the Gospel. It sums up what we’ve been hearing and sharing:

“Sometimes we are tempted to be that kind of Christian who keeps the Lord’s wounds at arm’s length. Yet Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other people’s lives and know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and we experience intensely what it is to be a people, to be part of a people.” (#270)

We who have been missioners know so well those wonderful complications that we experience in our new homes where we become one with the people who so generously open their homes and their hearts to welcome us in our adopted lands.

Pope Francis during the General Audience of 17 June 2020; photo: Vatican MediaLet me conclude with more words of wisdom and hope from one of my favorite mentors and guides —Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who knows how to unite with others to achieve a difficult goal —
like ending apartheid in South Africa. That was truly a huge elephant to carry! Tutu reminds us that we are meant to be God’s partners in creating a more human and just world:

“God is transfiguring the world right this very moment through us because God believes in us and because God loves us… And as we share God’s love with our brothers and sisters, there is no tyrant that can resist us, no oppression that cannot be ended, no hunger that cannot be fed, no wound that cannot be healed, no hatred that cannot be turned to love, no dream that cannot be fulfilled.” (from God Has a Dream, A Vision of Hope for Our Time, Image Books, 2005)

Let us go forth with courage and steadfast love, resolved to be both faithful and effective. Let us continue to dream of a better life for all and work together to make it happen. Truly, we can carry many elephants!

(Reprinted with permission from the United States Catholic Mission Association (USCMA), Winter 2014, pgs. 1-3)