Against liberation theology: The parable of the talents

When reading the New Testament, one should not really ever forget what the situation was like in Palestine at the time. It was under Roman rule. And those Romans were crazy – ask Obelix. They made you hang around at a whim. On a crucifix. If you were a slave, your owner literally held your life in his hands. You were considered an ‘it’ – stripped of humanity. It wasn’t a crime to kill a slave, anymore than it was a crime to kill a dog.

Those were bad times in which the story of Christ unfolds. And yet, He NEVER berated the Roman oppressors. He had lots to say about the Jewish religious leaders. But about Caesar? Well, we all know what He said about Caesar...

So let’s change the setting: White, racist, apartheid South Africa…

So there was this Wit Baas, three blacks employees working for him. They weren’t slaves, neither was he a Roman. He didn’t give them the vote, but he gave them pretty much everything they still have in post-apartheid South Africa. And he cursed them, and called them names, and mistreated them at times. He was not a nice guy. But they weren’t being treated anything like slaves, either.

So the first question to ask here, is very obvious. If Christ was a black Messiah in apartheid South Africa, would He have spoken out about the white oppressors? Or would He have told His black disciples to pay the Wit Baas his due, and to worship God? (Of course, if He was white in apartheid South Africa, He would have had some words for the Wit Baas – nobody is disputing that).

So, the story continues…

One day, completely out of character, the Wit Baas decides to give the workers a break. So he gives them some money, and tells them… we don’t really know what.

We do know that two of them grabbed the day, increased the Wit Baas’ wealth in some potentially lucrative venture, and earned reward – this despite them knowing that they were taking a risk – if they lost the money, they would have been in deep trouble.

The interesting part is this third worker. He took his money, and buried it, then… again, we don’t know. Probably he nodded off in the shade of a baobab tree. Now that’s not so interesting. What is interesting, is his excuse. Roughly translated, it went something like: “But I am previously disadvantaged. It is the legacy of the apartheid regime. I need to be empowered. It takes a village to raise a dollar. You are a racist.”

And the Wit Baas said: “‘Evil and lazy worker!”

In apartheid South Africa, there were the privileged. Many of them were white. But not all of them.

In post-apartheid South Africa, there are the privileged. Many of them are black. But not all of them.

And those privileged ones: Are they perhaps privileged because they used their talents wisely? Or because their parents nurtured them, and disciplined them into becoming responsible, well mannered, contributing members of society? Or are they privileged due to the colour of their skin?

To equate my whiteness with privilege, is a really racist, simplistic and inaccurate position. Look around you, and you might discover a more complete understanding…