This book is an exploration of the idea of privilege through the lens of the example set by a radical rabbi from Nazareth named Jesus. The goal of this book is to help those of us who identify as Jesus followers to begin a conversation about our own privilege and how we might utilize it as a tool to lead us into a more faithful obedience to the way of Jesus by working for the common good of our neighbors.
This call to repurpose privilege and power is nothing new – in fact, it’s one of the earliest Christian practices. While the dialogue around privilege has only recently gained a new hearing in our culture, it was one of the major ways that the earliest followers of Jesus understood their role as disciples. One of the earliest Christian hymns, which the apostle Paul quotes in Philippians 2:5-11, describes how Jesus emptied himself of divine privilege. Exploring this hymn, verse by verse, will help us understand how Christ’s example helps us to name, own, and repurpose our privilege and power for the good of others.
Conversations around the topic of privilege are often avoided because they can become deeply personal and are often eye-opening in ways that make us uncomfortable. But in this moment of human history, it is imperative for Christians not to run from these conversations but rather lean into them all the more. The Spirit of God is stirring up a reformation within our day, exposing systems of oppression that have long been hidden, and calling us all to new ways of seeing and being in the world.
From “Filled to Be Emptied: The Path to Liberation for Privileged People” by Brandan Robertson – Westminster John Knox Press #privilege