Who died today?

Today a social justice warrior was killed. He advocated for the dignity of the poor, the sick, the displaced, the LGBTQ community, all people of color, people of all religions, for women, for children. His goal was justice for all. His motivation was love. According to his own words, his intention was to embody what it would be like if God came to earth and lived among us.

The work he did when he was alive brought visibility to the systemic injustices perpetuated by corrupt people in power. He did this by actively working with a diverse group of allies to relieve the suffering of those that had been marginalized and neglected. He also gave those same people a reason to live life to their fullest, despite the challenges that remain.

He regularly spoke up directly against those he felt were responsible for these systemic injustices. He was a victim of conspiracy, orchestrated by both the religious and government leaders who saw his persuasive populist message of egalitarianism and inclusiveness as a threat. Those leaders tried to tarnish his reputation by labelling him a heretic and dissident, and caused his followers to fear being punished by their association with him. They made sure that he was publicly tortured and humiliated. They demanded that he suffer a cruel death, which he did.

He went by many names. His Godfather called him Immanuel, which was pretty clever if you are fluent in Hebrew. His friends and family called him Jesus.

We’ll come back to finish this story in three days.

Part 2 – Who lives today?