Witnessing from the margins

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ahead of Tuesday’s start of the 27^th General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi preached on “Witnessing from the Margins,” exploring powerful biblical accounts on healing from 2 Kings found here and here and the Gospel of Luke.

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“The scriptures read today show God’s preference for people at the margins,” said Nyomi, the WCRC’s Interim General Secretary.

In the account of Naaman’s healing, the enslaved girl who connected Naaman to the healing he will receive isn’t even identified, but “she had light in her,” Nyomi said, “and she didn’t want to hide it.”

Naaman and his entourage headed to the palace, but “the solution was not in the corridors of power,” Nyomi noted. Instead, the military commander is told by Elisha’s messenger to wash in the Jordan River seven times to restore his flesh. Naaman is outraged, preferring the healing powers of more familiar Syrian rivers instead. Then his unnamed servants tell him, “Why don’t you at least try?”

“The result was healing,” Nyomi said. “Naaman realizes there is a God above all gods. The servants provided an alternate solution,” suggesting to Naaman that “relying on the corridors of power is not as helpful as you think it will be.”

“As those who wield power think they can annihilate a whole nation of people” while “the rest of the world looks on, where are the prophets and the witnesses from the margins?” Nyomi asked. “This account tells us God’s choice is these witnesses from the margins. Our choice is to be a witness wherever we find ourselves to be.”

In Luke’s report on the healing of 10 men with a skin disease, only one — a foreigner — returns to praise God with a loud voice and to fall at Jesus’ feet to thank him. “His priority was to come back in faith and gratitude,” Nyomi said. “Being faithful is always connected to gratitude to God.”

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Even today, many people remain on the margins — of communities “and even in our churches,” Nyomi said. “The message that God cares for us no matter who we are is a message not everyone in the church wants to identify with” because “those in the corridors of power are saying something else: kick out all those aliens who are not of our kind.”

Like Naaman’s servants who urged him to “do the simple thing, we are the alternate voice in such a time as this, and we will not stay quiet,” Nyomi said. “We are called to be witnesses from the margins, and part of that call is to express gratitude to God for the calling God has given us and the privilege we have to be God’s witnesses.”

“The question is, are we ready?”

A pair of pastors, the Rev. Chelsea Lampen, co-pastor of the Reformed English Language International Service (RELISH) in Hannover, Germany, and the Rev. Dr. Jessica Hetherington of the Global Institute of Theology, led the liturgy during Sunday’s worship service, held at the Empress Hotel Convention Center. Worshipers had the opportunity to learn and rehearse the theme song for the 27^th General Council, “Persevere in Your Witness.” Scripture passages were presented in the native language of the person reading them.

The hymns for the day, including “We are Marching in the Light of God,” were sung in multiple languages. When those in worship prayed the Lord’s Prayer and recited the Apostles’ Creed, they joined together by offering both in their native tongues. The result was a beautiful blend of energy and cacophony.

“My friends, go in grace, persevering in your faith and your witness,” Nyomi said during his benediction. “May the blessing of God, our Creator and Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever more.”

The Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Executive Director of the Interim Unified Agency, is leading a Presbyterian delegation at the 27^th General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Through Oct. 23, read more about the 27^th General Council here and here.